Act 9: Wait!
Setting: Lee's apartment
As Lee continued to kiss Amanda with every fiber of his being, she gently but firmly pushed him off and said "Wait! Wait!"
Lee slowly lifted up his head. He was afraid to hear what was coming.
"Lee, I'm not," Amanda was breathless, "I'm not ready..."
Lee saw the tears welling up in Amanda's eyes and thought, "Oh, great Stetson, you scared the living daylights out of her! How could you be such an idiot!"
For a moment, they both stared uneasily into each other's eyes, locked in their truncated embrace.
Amanda slowly released her hold on Lee and scooted her body out from under him.
Lee gradually drew his arms away from around Amanda and backed up so that he could sit upright on the couch again.
They continued to stare at each other in silence.
Amanda broke the unsettled quiet first, "Where's your bathroom?"
"Oh, through my bedroom and to the left." Lee offered weakly.
Amanda made her way toward Lee's bedroom without a sound.
Lee leaned forward and held his head in his hands. He didn't want Amanda to see him choke back tears.
Amanda entered Lee's bedroom and zoomed past his bed. She didn't want to even think about anything that had ever gone on in that room. She made her way quickly to his bathroom, fumbled for the light and closed the door. She didn't want Lee to hear her cry but she thought "Why am I crying? I am a grown woman." Amanda was so frustrated with herself. "Yes. I'm too old, uh, mature to cry."
Lee sat there contemplating, "What can I do now? She must hate me. I'm such a boor!"
Amanda pulled down the toilet seat and sat down. "Amanda," she told herself, "You cannot be entertaining ideas of romance at your age. This is ridiculous. And, anyway, you're not ready.... Are you?" Amanda leaned over to look at her face in the mirror. Looking back at her was a woman who was mixed up and confused. She thought, "Just when life was getting back to normal again, Lee comes into my life! Doesn't he know I've already decided there will be no more romance for Amanda King!"
Lee stood up stiffly and sighed as made his way to the kitchen. Even though she had had only one glass of champagne, Lee didn't want Amanda to drive home without having a cup of coffee first. Anyway it would be a good excuse for him to spend a little more time with her before she walked out of his life forever. He was mad at himself for driving away the best thing that had ever happened to him. "How could I be so selfish!" Lee was deep in thought when Amanda returned from the bathroom.
Lee noticed that Amanda's face was red and splotchy, he could see she had done her best to 'fix' herself up. He quietly offered her a cup of coffee and asked "Would you like some cream?"
"I saw inside your fridge Lee, you don't have any cream." Amanda said, attempting to make a truce.
Lee managed to smile a little smile back. "Yeah, just powder." Lee didn't know what else to say.
Just then the phone rang. Lee was glad for the distraction. He went over to pick up the phone. "Stetson here."
Amanda could hear Francine's blaring voice over the phone.
"Lee, WHERE have you been! I stopped by your apartment earlier today and you weren't there! Where did you go, to Candi's? Look, I've got an assignment for you and your partner. There's a rancher's convention in Texas in a few weeks. Lee there's rumor of biological warfare. We're getting leads that indicate al-Qaida terrorists want to introduce hoof and mouth disease to US soil. . I know it'll be a few weeks till you're feeling better but this assignment is urgent. You know that the Agency has got their usual agents stretched to the limit! Can you both do it?"
Lee looked at Amanda. She actually seemed to have perked up when she overheard "assignment". Lee began to ask Amanda if she wanted to go when she burst out "Yes!"
Lee stood there amazed! Amanda still wanted to work with him, even after he had confessed his feelings for her and she had rejected him. Wow. He wasn't sure what to think but he knew he had not seen enough of Amanda King for his taste.
"Yes Francine, we'll do it!"
"Great! Tell Mrs. King we expect to see her at spy camp tomorrow afternoon. I'll fill you in on the details over lunch tomorrow. See you then." And with that Francine hung up. Lee put down the receiver and turned to look at Amanda.
"Amanda, they will expect to see you at Spy Camp tomorrow afternoon. I better warn you, it won't be a piece of cake. That Spydiva Susan is merciless in getting agents ready for the field."
Amanda smiled. "I'll be ready!" She knew it would be no problem to adjust her schedule at Honeycutt and she was ready to serve her country in anyway she could after 9-11.
"By the way, where are we going Lee?"
"Texas."
"Oh..." Amanda started, "I guess a Stetson gets to wear a Stetson!" And she laughed.
Lee smiled back. Nope, he wasn't giving up on Amanda King just yet!
TBC
Setting: Lee's apartment
As Lee continued to kiss Amanda with every fiber of his being, she gently but firmly pushed him off and said "Wait! Wait!"
Lee slowly lifted up his head. He was afraid to hear what was coming.
"Lee, I'm not," Amanda was breathless, "I'm not ready..."
Lee saw the tears welling up in Amanda's eyes and thought, "Oh, great Stetson, you scared the living daylights out of her! How could you be such an idiot!"
For a moment, they both stared uneasily into each other's eyes, locked in their truncated embrace.
Amanda slowly released her hold on Lee and scooted her body out from under him.
Lee gradually drew his arms away from around Amanda and backed up so that he could sit upright on the couch again.
They continued to stare at each other in silence.
Amanda broke the unsettled quiet first, "Where's your bathroom?"
"Oh, through my bedroom and to the left." Lee offered weakly.
Amanda made her way toward Lee's bedroom without a sound.
Lee leaned forward and held his head in his hands. He didn't want Amanda to see him choke back tears.
Amanda entered Lee's bedroom and zoomed past his bed. She didn't want to even think about anything that had ever gone on in that room. She made her way quickly to his bathroom, fumbled for the light and closed the door. She didn't want Lee to hear her cry but she thought "Why am I crying? I am a grown woman." Amanda was so frustrated with herself. "Yes. I'm too old, uh, mature to cry."
Lee sat there contemplating, "What can I do now? She must hate me. I'm such a boor!"
Amanda pulled down the toilet seat and sat down. "Amanda," she told herself, "You cannot be entertaining ideas of romance at your age. This is ridiculous. And, anyway, you're not ready.... Are you?" Amanda leaned over to look at her face in the mirror. Looking back at her was a woman who was mixed up and confused. She thought, "Just when life was getting back to normal again, Lee comes into my life! Doesn't he know I've already decided there will be no more romance for Amanda King!"
Lee stood up stiffly and sighed as made his way to the kitchen. Even though she had had only one glass of champagne, Lee didn't want Amanda to drive home without having a cup of coffee first. Anyway it would be a good excuse for him to spend a little more time with her before she walked out of his life forever. He was mad at himself for driving away the best thing that had ever happened to him. "How could I be so selfish!" Lee was deep in thought when Amanda returned from the bathroom.
Lee noticed that Amanda's face was red and splotchy, he could see she had done her best to 'fix' herself up. He quietly offered her a cup of coffee and asked "Would you like some cream?"
"I saw inside your fridge Lee, you don't have any cream." Amanda said, attempting to make a truce.
Lee managed to smile a little smile back. "Yeah, just powder." Lee didn't know what else to say.
Just then the phone rang. Lee was glad for the distraction. He went over to pick up the phone. "Stetson here."
Amanda could hear Francine's blaring voice over the phone.
"Lee, WHERE have you been! I stopped by your apartment earlier today and you weren't there! Where did you go, to Candi's? Look, I've got an assignment for you and your partner. There's a rancher's convention in Texas in a few weeks. Lee there's rumor of biological warfare. We're getting leads that indicate al-Qaida terrorists want to introduce hoof and mouth disease to US soil. . I know it'll be a few weeks till you're feeling better but this assignment is urgent. You know that the Agency has got their usual agents stretched to the limit! Can you both do it?"
Lee looked at Amanda. She actually seemed to have perked up when she overheard "assignment". Lee began to ask Amanda if she wanted to go when she burst out "Yes!"
Lee stood there amazed! Amanda still wanted to work with him, even after he had confessed his feelings for her and she had rejected him. Wow. He wasn't sure what to think but he knew he had not seen enough of Amanda King for his taste.
"Yes Francine, we'll do it!"
"Great! Tell Mrs. King we expect to see her at spy camp tomorrow afternoon. I'll fill you in on the details over lunch tomorrow. See you then." And with that Francine hung up. Lee put down the receiver and turned to look at Amanda.
"Amanda, they will expect to see you at Spy Camp tomorrow afternoon. I better warn you, it won't be a piece of cake. That Spydiva Susan is merciless in getting agents ready for the field."
Amanda smiled. "I'll be ready!" She knew it would be no problem to adjust her schedule at Honeycutt and she was ready to serve her country in anyway she could after 9-11.
"By the way, where are we going Lee?"
"Texas."
"Oh..." Amanda started, "I guess a Stetson gets to wear a Stetson!" And she laughed.
Lee smiled back. Nope, he wasn't giving up on Amanda King just yet!
TBC
