Arabian Knights
Author: NancyY
Rating: PG - 13
Timeline: Second anniversary. Marriage is common knowledge
Summary:
Lee and Amanda head to the Fantasy Resort to celebratetheir second Anniversary, but nothing goes as planned. What else is new?
Episode Reference: Saved by the Bells
Credits:
JL has my gratitude for coming up with the setting for this story, which sparked an idea that refused to die no matter how many times I shelved it.
Thanks to my wonderful Beta team, Taya, Rita and Barb, and to the ladies of the List. Your encouragement was indispensable.
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Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.
Hans Christian Andersen----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prologue
She couldn't stop watching him--the little gestures, each twitch, and every secret glance. Did he think she couldn't see? Why was Lee shutting her out? They'd always talked about everything. Amanda slid out of her chair and eased behind him. It was already February, and the date was circled in red on his battered desk calendar. Their second anniversary was two weeks away.
He didn't look up. Just a light touch, at first--gentle as he started in surprise--then she stroked his back, increasing the pressure as he leaned into it. She pushed harder and felt the knots loosen under her fingertips, first the neck, and then the shoulders. Amanda stopped only when he relaxed and slouched in his chair. "Better?"
"Yeah. I think so."
"You hid behind your paper all morning. Why? There's a problem, isn't there?" She pulled a chair around from the front of his desk, scooting close enough to block any escape.
"Amanda . . . I--"
"What's wrong? You know you can talk to me. Is it something I've done or said? Is it Mother? One of the boys?" Amanda hoped she could deal with the answer.
"No, of course not, it's just . . . I . . . I've been feeling a little . . . tired." His fingers tightened on the armrest.
"Restless?" she asked, keeping her tone low and matter-of-fact.
"Frustrated." Spoken softly, it was almost an afterthought. "Sometimes it's . . . it's just too much. Our caseloads. Everything at home. The ballgames, dinner at eight, the block parties, and visits from Aunt Lillian. Schedules. Interruptions." He sighed, and his eyes met hers. "I thought that when we were married and we could tell the world, that we'd have more time together, not less. Everything is important, and it's not like we can just ignore it all. I just wish . . ."
"Me, too." Amanda's gaze dropped to the desktop and the calendar with the date circled in red. "We'll think of something."
Chapter 1
"I never would have thought of this." Amanda leaned back in the passenger seat as the Corvette wound along the narrow, twisting driveway. The tips of castle spires, just visible over the treetops, glistened in the cool afternoon sun. "I know we wanted some time away, but I never imagined staying at the 'Fairy Tale Fantasy Resort.'"
A rumpled brochure lay in her lap, and she hoped the pictures were exaggerated. She glanced at the driver, and at least that view was reassuring. Lee held the wheel lightly, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
For the first time in weeks, the tension that had cloaked the usual Scarecrow joi de vivre was lifting. The furrow between his eyebrows was smoothed away, and the softness and sparkle were in his eyes again. Her reservations melted as quickly as they had surfaced. It was a miracle that Mother had won a vacation for two at the resort, and giving it to the two of them for their anniversary had been sheer inspiration.
"It's not the place that's important, it's the company," Lee said, glancing her way. He smiled, and she had to grin back. "I would've booked the nearest vacant cave. We never seem to have enough time alone."
"Our room will be an Arabian Nights theme, right?" Her fingertips brushed his shoulder. "I wish they'd had a picture of it in the brochure. Do you think it'll be like the old storybook pictures? You know, Persian rugs, exotic silks, and cool evenings under the stars? When I think about the 'Arabian Nights,' I imagine a handsome man on a gleaming white horse, swooping down to carry me across the desert."
His smile was back. "Sounds vaguely familiar. Didn't we do that one already? I think I remember a white horse."
"That's hardly the same thing. Every time I've seen you on a horse, someone's shooting at you."
"So you want to be swept away, do you? I think I can arrange that." His tone rekindled the heat in her cheeks. "We'll try to get it right this time." Lee turned his attention back to the road, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The man was just too charming for his own good. Once she had him alone, she'd show him some sweeping. She had a little number packed away that would knock his socks off. A free vacation wasn't the only thing that came out of that Rebecca's Fantasies catalogue.
As they rounded the last hill, the turrets atop the hotel rose into view. Amanda sighed. It was a confused confection of jumbled picture book castles and commercial sweetness, but somehow the brochure didn't do it justice.
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This is not going well at all. Amanda peeked through her splayed fingers, and then closed her eyes. Their relaxing vacation--gone up in smoke.
"You've gotta be kidding? I have our reservation right here. Look, it says room 301--Arabian Nights." Lee's voice rose as he slapped the paperwork on the counter. The check-in clerk stepped back and looked ready to run.
Amanda placed a soothing hand on Lee's arm. "It's okay, really. Let's see what else they have."
"It's not okay. It isn't our fault these idiots double-booked the room." He leaned toward the unfortunate clerk, who took a second step back.
She tugged at his sleeve, pulling him away from the counter. "I'm tired. You're tired. We need a room. Let's just see what they have, okay? Remember, you said the place wasn't important, right? And you've still got the company."
Her smile must have been contagious. Lee's tight muscles relaxed under her fingers, and he sucked in a deep breath, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips.
"You sure know how to throw a guy's words back at him, don't you?"
"Yeah, I learned it from the boys."
Twenty minutes later, they hesitated in front of room 314.
Amanda nudged Lee in the ribs with a sharp elbow. "Go on. How bad can it be?"
He turned the key in the lock, took a deep breath, and swung the door open with a flourish. "This bad."
Shocked, she drifted to the middle of the room and turned a complete circle, jaw dropped. As the unusual surroundings numbed her senses, her toiletry case and purse plopped to the floor unnoticed.
"Oh, my." With a final resigned glance around the room, she scooped up her bags and deposited them on the edge of the oversized bed. "We've been swallowed alive."
Lee looked happier than he had any right to be. His earlier annoyance apparently forgotten, he tossed his suitcases in the corner and strolled around the room. He touched the curved pink walls and ran his hands along an arched rib. "It's amazing, really. Amanda, look at this. Driftwood . . . sea foam carpet . . . even teeth."
A smile forced its way past the shock, and she wandered over to stand beside her husband. It was true. This was a monster of a room. She fingered the artful rags hanging from hooks on a broad white 'rib.' "Who would ever fantasize about being swallowed by a whale? I mean, look, there are even castaway costumes to go with it."
Lee halted his examination of the room and began to examine her, and a thrill raced up her spine at his feral grin. His voice was husky, and promise smoldered in his sexy eyes. "Hmmm, let's see. Two castaways, adrift on the sea . . . swallowed by the behemoth. Together forever, and all alone. No appointments."
He slipped behind her.
"No responsibilities . . . " Strong arms wrapped around her waist.
"No dinner invitations . . ."
She smiled. "No interruptions?"
Amanda gasped as he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. "Just you and me. All alone."
Maybe this room wasn't so bad after all.
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After a brisk blow-dry, Amanda dragged the comb through her hair. "Lee? You almost ready?" Fastening the last pearl button on her light blue dress, she bumped the bathroom door open with her hip and padded into the room.
Lee slammed down the telephone receiver and whirled to face her, his face red and hands clenched.
"Who was that?" she asked. It couldn't be good. The mixture of guilt and anger on her husband's face was not reassuring. He was up to something, keeping her out of the loop.
"Just the front desk. Nothing important." But anger sparked in his eyes, and all the tension had returned.
The worry in his eyes cut through her curiosity, and she shook her head as she slipped behind him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, Amanda rested her cheek against his warm shoulder and hugged him until his tense muscles relaxed. A Class C interrogation was in order, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to question him. Not now. There would be time tonight, when they were more relaxed.
"Lee?"
"Yeah, I know," he mumbled. "You don't have to say it. Relax."
He turned and pulled her into his arms. "I don't want anything to interfere with our vacation. I just want a little time alone with my wife. Is that too much to ask?"
"No, it's not," she replied, touching her lips to his. "Nothing is going to stop us from having a wonderful time. After all, what could possibly happen at the Fantasy Suites?" With a smile, she took his hand and tugged him toward the door. "Let's start with dinner, and we can work our way up from there."
"Or down." His warm smile was back, and she could feel the heat rise in her cheeks at his appraising glance. Maybe the interrogation could wait until tomorrow.
First things first.
The elevator door opened into the lobby and the faint scent of garlic shrimp and filet mignon drew them to the restaurant. At just that moment, Amanda's stomach rumbled, and Lee smiled at her, with one eyebrow raised.
"Hungry?" His smile broadened at the obvious, and his gentle hand guided her as the waiter led them to a small table in front of a large picture window. The red-splashed sunset was slipping behind the hills, and by the time the server brought a menu, the sky had dimmed to a gentle rose-gray.
It was beautiful. Peaceful. Amanda settled back in her chair to enjoy the romantic meal with her husband. The waiter was friendly, the service quick, and her blackened salmon was absolutely delicious. It was so rare to be a couple sharing a meal by candlelight. She reached across the table and touched his hand. Lee smiled back at her, as relaxed and contented as she was.
She jumped as her chair was jostled from behind and craned her neck to watch a waiter sail around the table to stop at Lee's elbow.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but there is a phone call for Mr. Stetson. May I show you to the front desk?" The waiter was polite, but Lee ignored him.
"Isn't this roast beef great?" Lee speared another bite with determination.
Over his head, she met the waiter's eyes and shrugged. As the young man turned and strode from the dining room, she grasped Lee's hand and gently slipped the fork from his fingers.
"I think this is just about enough. I want to know what's going on. Now." She placed the fork out of his reach. "You know who's calling, right?"
Heaving a sigh, his shoulders drooped. "Yeah. Dr. Smyth."
"What!" Amanda squeaked. "Why would Dr. Smyth call you here? Oh my gosh, what could the Agency want that's so important that they had to find us on our vacation?"
Lee shrugged. "I don't know. I keep hanging up."
He reached across the table and clasped her hand. "I don't want anything to ruin our second honeymoon. I want to spend time with you, to relax. I want to--"
When her chair was bumped from behind, she jerked her hand away, then gasped as something wet and cold cascaded down the front of her dress.
"I'm so, so sorry, ma'am. How clumsy of me." The waiter dabbed at her soaked dress, ignoring her attempts to evade him, while sloshing more iced tea across the table with each bob and weave.
Amanda slid out of her chair and stepped back from the red-faced waiter, while Lee stormed out of his seat and ripped the damp rag from the man's hand.
"Enough!" He tossed the rag on the table and reached for her, concern in his eyes.
She took a deep breath and forced a smile, shaking iced tea from her stained skirt. Murphy's Law strikes again. "I'm okay, really. I'm just glad it was a cold drink." She looked over Lee's shoulder. "Here comes the manager, I think."
The short, balding man apologized profusely, his fingers fluttering as he waved his hands and bounced on the balls of his feet. " . . . This has never happened before . . ."
Amanda tuned him out. Was this trip just doomed to disaster? She edged around the table and touched Lee's sleeve.
Tearing his attention away from the agitated little man, he slid his arm around her waist. "Let's go back to our room so you can change. We can always get room service later." His smile looked forced. "Unless we can think of something better to do."
She hugged him, trying to transfer as little tea as possible to his slacks. As they walked through the lobby, the concierge appeared beside them.
"Mr. Stetson?"
Lee nodded cautiously.
"I have a call for you at the front desk."
With her arm tucked in his, she felt his muscles tense, and he brushed past the startled man without a reply. Amanda planted her feet, pulling him up short.
"Lee, take the call." When he opened his mouth to protest, she placed her fingers across his lips. "You need to take this call. We can't hide from it. If the Agency is this persistent, it has to be something serious, right?"
He brushed her cheek with his fingertips. "Too practical. But what about you?"
"Why don't I go back to our room and get changed, while you find out what's going on?" She smiled. "We'll work it out when you get back, whatever it is. Okay?"
His lips brushed hers. "Okay. But if Smyth thinks we're coming back early, he's sadly mistaken."