"Victoria Greenwich, where have you been all my life?"
"Which life?"
The sound of James Delano and his date laughing together reverberated through the back of the surveillance van.
"Sounds like they're really hitting it off," Stephan Chaison observed, adjusting the volume level slightly.
Lee scowled at his fellow agent, then at the tape recorder, as if he'd like to wrench the slowly revolving tape from the cylinders and forcibly remove the offending words.
He didn't know what irritated him more the fact that Delano was so obviously making a play for Amanda, or that she was doing such a good job of pretending she was actually interested in him. If Lee had been the one sitting there enjoying after-dinner coffee with her, he wouldn't have had a clue that she'd been kissing another man only a few short hours before. He had to admit that Billy was right; Amanda was more than up for this challenge.
But did Amanda have to throw herself into the assignment so enthusiastically? After all, she only had to keep Delano distracted for a few hours while a team checked his house. There was no need for her to convince the guy that he had any hope of seeing her again. He certainly wouldn't, if Lee had any control over the situation. Viciously biting off another chunk of his sandwich, Lee swallowed it in one gulp.
Delano's voice came through the speaker again, distracting Lee from an appealing daydream in which he had the pleasure of turning the unscrupulous businessman over to the authorities. Maybe Delano would put up a fight and he'd get the additional satisfaction of punching out the guy.
"That's a lovely brooch."
"Thank you."
"May I see it?"
Lee's scowl deepened. He knew exactly where Amanda had the brooch pinned and what part of her anatomy Delano was eyeing at that very moment. If he tried to put one hand on her, Lee would be more than slightly tempted to make his imaginings a reality.
Bang! The noise echoed through the van, sounding for all intents and purposes like a gunshot.
"What was that?" Lee asked quickly.
"I'm not sure, but I think she dropped it on the table," Stephan supplied.
His theory was confirmed when they heard a quick apology from Delano and Amanda excusing herself. A moment later her voice came through loud and clear. "To the ladies room, fast," she instructed.
Immediately Lee got up and reached for the door handle.
"No, no, you go," Stephan observed dryly. "No, really, I insist."
Lee shot a glare at his fellow agent, then quickly made his way into the restaurant. As he walked through the foyer, he couldn't help but glance into the dining room. He watched as Delano signalled to the waiter for his bill, then took a sip of his coffee with what Lee felt was an overly smug look on his face. A look that clearly said, "Things are certainly going my way, and the evening's not over yet."
Lee could feel his anger start to build again and unconsciously formed his left hand into a fist. How he'd love to walk in there and wipe that complacent, self-satisfied look off the guy's face. Instead he turned and headed down the hallway to the rest rooms. Luckily, no one else was around to see him enter the ladies room.
"Okay, what happened?" he asked as soon as he was inside.
"What do you mean, 'what happened?'" Amanda replied. "The microphone nearly fell out right in front of him."
Lee caught the brooch in mid air as she flipped it to him. "Who told you to drop it?"
"I didn't drop it," she protested, crossing her arms. "He tried to look at it and it fell on the table." She seemed puzzled by his attitude. "Lee, is everything okay?"
"Well, you could spend more time concentrating on what you're supposed to be doing. We went through a lot of trouble to set up your cover."
"I really am trying. You don't think he's getting suspicious, do you?" she asked anxiously. "I tried to keep everything straight, but he kept asking me all sorts of questions, and it made me nervous."
"Then maybe you should pay more attention to your answers and less to him." Lee knew he was being more than a little harsh, but after three hours of listening to Delano flirting with her, his patience was in short supply. "You got the locations of the townhouse, consulate and boathouse all mixed up."
"I did?" she squeaked out. "Lee, maybe he suspects something. Maybe he was looking for a bug when he asked to see the brooch."
"Trust me, Amanda, he wasn't looking for a bug. I'm pretty sure his mind was somewhere else entirely. You could have the Agency's phone number and address tattooed on your forehead, and I don't think he'd notice."
She opened her purse, took out a compact and began touching up her makeup. "This all feels so strange. I don't like playing with people's emotions. I'm sure to someone like you, this type of thing is just another typical assignment, but to me, it feels wrong."
"Amanda, it's okay." Lee began examining the brooch, relieved that she understood how he felt. "I'm not saying I want to spend every Saturday night doing this, but ..."
"I mean, he thinks this actually is a dinner date," she continued. "He has no idea he's being investigated."
"Wait a minute. You're worried about HIS feelings?" He turned to look at her in disbelief. "Amanda, the man is under suspicion for a reason." He turned back to his examination of the microphone, carefully avoiding eye contact with her as he asked, "Listen, you're not buying his line are you?"
"What are you talking about? Of course not. I'm just doing my job. I can't help it if I feel sorry for him. Jim seems like a very nice and sincere person, and I feel kind of guilty spying on him."
"Jim??" Lee echoed incredulously. His hand shook slightly as he tried to fit the microphone back into place. "Do you have any idea how many other women 'Jim' has been sincere with?"
"And how exactly is that relevant?" Amanda asked, eyebrows raised.
"Dozens," Lee replied, ignoring her question. "You're just supposed to be keeping him away from his house for a few hours, not flirting with him."
"I was not flirting." She shoved her compact back into her purse and turned to face him, a look of indignation on her face. "I was simply making conversation."
"Didn't sound like that to me." He finally managed to wedge the device back into place and shut the cover over it. "Here, it's fixed." Lee thrust the piece of jewellery back into her hands.
She reached out and closed her hand firmly over the brooch. Lowering her voice, she asked, "So, what, just because I'm going out with you, I'm not supposed to talk to anyone else? This is work, remember?"
"Believe me, this guy isn't interested in talking. Now remember what I said about the dress rustle."
"I remember. You explained it three times." Amanda said icily, before carefully pinning the brooch back into place. "Look, he's going to be wondering what's keeping me. I've got to get back in there." She turned and headed for the door.
"Amanda, I'm just saying James Delano is no one to get involved with. So stop encouraging him." He crossed his arms and leaned against the sink.
She turned back with a sigh. "For the last time, I am not encouraging him. I was only making polite conversation while we had dinner."
"If a man finds a woman attractive, that's more than enough encouragement," Lee persisted stubbornly. "In fact, that's an open invitation."
"Lee, I really think you're wrong about Jim. I don't know how he got involved in this mess, but I'm sure he regrets it now. Sometimes people get caught up in circumstances beyond their control. It's not a crime for me to feel some sympathy for him." She turned to head back to the restaurant.
"Trust me, Amanda, the last thing this guy is interested in is sympathy," he called after her.
"Well, you certainly would know, wouldn't you?" she retaliated, turning back once more. Lee was pettily satisfied to see that he had goaded her into losing her temper at last.
Carried away with his own anger, he blurted out, "Let's just hope his limousine doesn't collide with a fire hydrant on your way home, or he may find out exactly how sympathetic you can be."
He wished that somehow he could have bitten back the words even before he finished saying them. The expression on Amanda's face wouldn't have been more shocked if he had slapped her.
"What did you say?" she asked incredulously.
"Amanda, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that," Lee stammered, unable to believe his own words. He reached out and put his hand on her arm.
"Well, you said it, didn't you?" Amanda replied, pulling her arm away as if his touch burned. Turning on her heel, she left the room without a backward glance.
Lee stood there for a few minutes, stunned. How could he have said that to her? He had to go after her and make her understand that he hadn't meant it at all, that it was just the result of his frustration and jealousy. Not to mention monumental stupidity. He opened the door and hurried into the hallway, only to collide with another patron of the restaurant.
Over her shoulder he could see Delano and Amanda in the restaurant's foyer. Lee watched as Delano helped her with her wrap, then held the door open for her.
He stood back for a few minutes, not wanting the couple to catch sight of him. Of course, by the time he made it outside, the surveillance van was disappearing down the street, needing to keep within transmitter range of Amanda's microphone. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was just that kind of night.
A short taxi ride later, he managed to catch up with his fellow agent.
"Don't even start." Lee held up his hand to ward off Stephan's comments. "What's Amanda's status?"
"Delano dropped her off at the townhouse about five minutes ago."
"Everything go okay?" He tried to keep his tone nonchalant.
"No problems." The other agent removed the spool of tape from the machine and carefully labelled it.
"And Delano? Did he, uh, did they?" Lee paused. How on earth could he phrase what he wanted to know?
"Just a handshake at the door." Stephan grinned at him. "Although he did ask her to a dinner party at his house next weekend."
"And?"
"She's thinking about it. Look, I'm about to head back to the Agency to hand the tapes in. I could have them make you a copy for your personal collection," he offered with a laugh.
"No, thanks," Lee scowled, opening the door and getting out of the van. "I think I'll check and see how Amanda's doing. Do me a favour and tell Billy I'll be there in a while."
Slowly he walked the two blocks to the townhouse on N Street, wanting to see Amanda again, but not knowing exactly what he was going to say to her. Assuming she even wanted to see him, that is.
He got his answer as he approached the house. Amanda was hurrying down the steps, already dressed in her regular clothes. She got into her station wagon and quickly drove off. He stood there in silent frustration, watching her taillights disappear in the distance.
It hit him suddenly how little the two of them actually knew about each other. After all, they'd only known each other a few days before he'd hurried off to Europe. And now it was less than two weeks after his return.
So, had he irretrievably shattered their relationship? Would he always see the shadow of his mistake in Amanda's eyes, or would she eventually be able to forgive and forget?
***
TBC
"Which life?"
The sound of James Delano and his date laughing together reverberated through the back of the surveillance van.
"Sounds like they're really hitting it off," Stephan Chaison observed, adjusting the volume level slightly.
Lee scowled at his fellow agent, then at the tape recorder, as if he'd like to wrench the slowly revolving tape from the cylinders and forcibly remove the offending words.
He didn't know what irritated him more the fact that Delano was so obviously making a play for Amanda, or that she was doing such a good job of pretending she was actually interested in him. If Lee had been the one sitting there enjoying after-dinner coffee with her, he wouldn't have had a clue that she'd been kissing another man only a few short hours before. He had to admit that Billy was right; Amanda was more than up for this challenge.
But did Amanda have to throw herself into the assignment so enthusiastically? After all, she only had to keep Delano distracted for a few hours while a team checked his house. There was no need for her to convince the guy that he had any hope of seeing her again. He certainly wouldn't, if Lee had any control over the situation. Viciously biting off another chunk of his sandwich, Lee swallowed it in one gulp.
Delano's voice came through the speaker again, distracting Lee from an appealing daydream in which he had the pleasure of turning the unscrupulous businessman over to the authorities. Maybe Delano would put up a fight and he'd get the additional satisfaction of punching out the guy.
"That's a lovely brooch."
"Thank you."
"May I see it?"
Lee's scowl deepened. He knew exactly where Amanda had the brooch pinned and what part of her anatomy Delano was eyeing at that very moment. If he tried to put one hand on her, Lee would be more than slightly tempted to make his imaginings a reality.
Bang! The noise echoed through the van, sounding for all intents and purposes like a gunshot.
"What was that?" Lee asked quickly.
"I'm not sure, but I think she dropped it on the table," Stephan supplied.
His theory was confirmed when they heard a quick apology from Delano and Amanda excusing herself. A moment later her voice came through loud and clear. "To the ladies room, fast," she instructed.
Immediately Lee got up and reached for the door handle.
"No, no, you go," Stephan observed dryly. "No, really, I insist."
Lee shot a glare at his fellow agent, then quickly made his way into the restaurant. As he walked through the foyer, he couldn't help but glance into the dining room. He watched as Delano signalled to the waiter for his bill, then took a sip of his coffee with what Lee felt was an overly smug look on his face. A look that clearly said, "Things are certainly going my way, and the evening's not over yet."
Lee could feel his anger start to build again and unconsciously formed his left hand into a fist. How he'd love to walk in there and wipe that complacent, self-satisfied look off the guy's face. Instead he turned and headed down the hallway to the rest rooms. Luckily, no one else was around to see him enter the ladies room.
"Okay, what happened?" he asked as soon as he was inside.
"What do you mean, 'what happened?'" Amanda replied. "The microphone nearly fell out right in front of him."
Lee caught the brooch in mid air as she flipped it to him. "Who told you to drop it?"
"I didn't drop it," she protested, crossing her arms. "He tried to look at it and it fell on the table." She seemed puzzled by his attitude. "Lee, is everything okay?"
"Well, you could spend more time concentrating on what you're supposed to be doing. We went through a lot of trouble to set up your cover."
"I really am trying. You don't think he's getting suspicious, do you?" she asked anxiously. "I tried to keep everything straight, but he kept asking me all sorts of questions, and it made me nervous."
"Then maybe you should pay more attention to your answers and less to him." Lee knew he was being more than a little harsh, but after three hours of listening to Delano flirting with her, his patience was in short supply. "You got the locations of the townhouse, consulate and boathouse all mixed up."
"I did?" she squeaked out. "Lee, maybe he suspects something. Maybe he was looking for a bug when he asked to see the brooch."
"Trust me, Amanda, he wasn't looking for a bug. I'm pretty sure his mind was somewhere else entirely. You could have the Agency's phone number and address tattooed on your forehead, and I don't think he'd notice."
She opened her purse, took out a compact and began touching up her makeup. "This all feels so strange. I don't like playing with people's emotions. I'm sure to someone like you, this type of thing is just another typical assignment, but to me, it feels wrong."
"Amanda, it's okay." Lee began examining the brooch, relieved that she understood how he felt. "I'm not saying I want to spend every Saturday night doing this, but ..."
"I mean, he thinks this actually is a dinner date," she continued. "He has no idea he's being investigated."
"Wait a minute. You're worried about HIS feelings?" He turned to look at her in disbelief. "Amanda, the man is under suspicion for a reason." He turned back to his examination of the microphone, carefully avoiding eye contact with her as he asked, "Listen, you're not buying his line are you?"
"What are you talking about? Of course not. I'm just doing my job. I can't help it if I feel sorry for him. Jim seems like a very nice and sincere person, and I feel kind of guilty spying on him."
"Jim??" Lee echoed incredulously. His hand shook slightly as he tried to fit the microphone back into place. "Do you have any idea how many other women 'Jim' has been sincere with?"
"And how exactly is that relevant?" Amanda asked, eyebrows raised.
"Dozens," Lee replied, ignoring her question. "You're just supposed to be keeping him away from his house for a few hours, not flirting with him."
"I was not flirting." She shoved her compact back into her purse and turned to face him, a look of indignation on her face. "I was simply making conversation."
"Didn't sound like that to me." He finally managed to wedge the device back into place and shut the cover over it. "Here, it's fixed." Lee thrust the piece of jewellery back into her hands.
She reached out and closed her hand firmly over the brooch. Lowering her voice, she asked, "So, what, just because I'm going out with you, I'm not supposed to talk to anyone else? This is work, remember?"
"Believe me, this guy isn't interested in talking. Now remember what I said about the dress rustle."
"I remember. You explained it three times." Amanda said icily, before carefully pinning the brooch back into place. "Look, he's going to be wondering what's keeping me. I've got to get back in there." She turned and headed for the door.
"Amanda, I'm just saying James Delano is no one to get involved with. So stop encouraging him." He crossed his arms and leaned against the sink.
She turned back with a sigh. "For the last time, I am not encouraging him. I was only making polite conversation while we had dinner."
"If a man finds a woman attractive, that's more than enough encouragement," Lee persisted stubbornly. "In fact, that's an open invitation."
"Lee, I really think you're wrong about Jim. I don't know how he got involved in this mess, but I'm sure he regrets it now. Sometimes people get caught up in circumstances beyond their control. It's not a crime for me to feel some sympathy for him." She turned to head back to the restaurant.
"Trust me, Amanda, the last thing this guy is interested in is sympathy," he called after her.
"Well, you certainly would know, wouldn't you?" she retaliated, turning back once more. Lee was pettily satisfied to see that he had goaded her into losing her temper at last.
Carried away with his own anger, he blurted out, "Let's just hope his limousine doesn't collide with a fire hydrant on your way home, or he may find out exactly how sympathetic you can be."
He wished that somehow he could have bitten back the words even before he finished saying them. The expression on Amanda's face wouldn't have been more shocked if he had slapped her.
"What did you say?" she asked incredulously.
"Amanda, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that," Lee stammered, unable to believe his own words. He reached out and put his hand on her arm.
"Well, you said it, didn't you?" Amanda replied, pulling her arm away as if his touch burned. Turning on her heel, she left the room without a backward glance.
Lee stood there for a few minutes, stunned. How could he have said that to her? He had to go after her and make her understand that he hadn't meant it at all, that it was just the result of his frustration and jealousy. Not to mention monumental stupidity. He opened the door and hurried into the hallway, only to collide with another patron of the restaurant.
Over her shoulder he could see Delano and Amanda in the restaurant's foyer. Lee watched as Delano helped her with her wrap, then held the door open for her.
He stood back for a few minutes, not wanting the couple to catch sight of him. Of course, by the time he made it outside, the surveillance van was disappearing down the street, needing to keep within transmitter range of Amanda's microphone. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was just that kind of night.
A short taxi ride later, he managed to catch up with his fellow agent.
"Don't even start." Lee held up his hand to ward off Stephan's comments. "What's Amanda's status?"
"Delano dropped her off at the townhouse about five minutes ago."
"Everything go okay?" He tried to keep his tone nonchalant.
"No problems." The other agent removed the spool of tape from the machine and carefully labelled it.
"And Delano? Did he, uh, did they?" Lee paused. How on earth could he phrase what he wanted to know?
"Just a handshake at the door." Stephan grinned at him. "Although he did ask her to a dinner party at his house next weekend."
"And?"
"She's thinking about it. Look, I'm about to head back to the Agency to hand the tapes in. I could have them make you a copy for your personal collection," he offered with a laugh.
"No, thanks," Lee scowled, opening the door and getting out of the van. "I think I'll check and see how Amanda's doing. Do me a favour and tell Billy I'll be there in a while."
Slowly he walked the two blocks to the townhouse on N Street, wanting to see Amanda again, but not knowing exactly what he was going to say to her. Assuming she even wanted to see him, that is.
He got his answer as he approached the house. Amanda was hurrying down the steps, already dressed in her regular clothes. She got into her station wagon and quickly drove off. He stood there in silent frustration, watching her taillights disappear in the distance.
It hit him suddenly how little the two of them actually knew about each other. After all, they'd only known each other a few days before he'd hurried off to Europe. And now it was less than two weeks after his return.
So, had he irretrievably shattered their relationship? Would he always see the shadow of his mistake in Amanda's eyes, or would she eventually be able to forgive and forget?
***
TBC