AN: Sorry, yet again. I am trying to get this up as quickly as possible. I hate waiting months for updates when I'm reading a story. But I've been just so busy. Since my last update, I've finished school, spent a little more than a month in Europe, and started a new job. These things have been fun (although stressful) and have left little time or energy for writing. Hopefully, as I get more settled into my job, I'll have more time and energy to devote towards this.
Thank you, once again, for continuing to read.
Also, this is sort of shorter than I'd been hoping for. I'm sorry, but there was this natural break, so I had to stop.
Chapter 12: Just How Many Does It Take To Tango?
May 30, 1986
Lee led Amanda swiftly around the dance floor in a jitterbug that was the envy of many of the other party guests. Finishing with a flourish, the two moved towards the bar without a word. Smiling at the bartender, Lee ordered two white wines and two waters. Catching her breath, Amanda placed a warm hand on Lee's arm. "Sorry Leslie wasn't available."
Lee smiled at her, "No big deal. It was fun to come here with you for a change. Besides, Leslie will be back from her trip to Paris tomorrow."
As they spoke, they moved towards a small table in the corner of the room, and Amanda sat down before replying. "Sounds like things are getting pretty serious for you two," she teased him.
"I guess," Lee replied slowly, thinking. He and Leslie had been dating for about three weeks now and he supposed they were serious. Neither of them were seeing any one else, and they saw each other frequently, but the things he normally used as milestones in a relationship seemed to be happening slowly. Apart from a few kisses, he and Leslie weren't even close to being intimate. Then again, Lee supposed, this had been a poor milestone before, since he had hardly progressed slowly in previous relationships.
"Well, you seem to like her quite a bit," Amanda said, bringing Lee back to their conversation.
"Yes, she feels …" Lee paused trying to think of the right word. The word that came to mind was "familiar" but as that didn't make any sense, Lee continued looking for something that made more sense. "She feels safe," he settled on.
Amanda smiled at him, although secretly wondered at the answer. Safe? While she was glad that Lee was looking at more serious relationships now, she wished he had picked something besides safe to describe Leslie. Shouldn't relationships early on be passionate?
With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Amanda recalled her own relationship with Dean. Like Lee, she never would have chosen passionate or anything even remotely similar to describe her feelings for him. In fact, safe may have been a good choice. Perhaps that was why the relationship had fizzled out with so little notice.
She hoped Lee's relationship with Leslie fared better.
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The car slowed to a halt outside Amanda's house, and she reached over to squeeze his hand gently before moving to get out. "Thanks, Lee. I had fun tonight."
"Thank you. Those parties can be so boring. Going with you made it fun," he smiled back, opening his own door and coming around to open hers.
They walked to her door arm in arm, each smiling softly. Amanda turned to thank him again as they got to the door. "Do you want to come in?" she asked, "Mother would love to chat."
"I can't," he said, sounding a bit disappointed. "I need to get in early tomorrow to begin working on the Eastbrook case."
"Okay," she smiled at him, and leaning, forward gave him a hug. As they pulled apart, their eyes met and neither moved for an instant. Then suddenly, with no apparent warning, they moved towards one another again, their lips brushing.
Pulling apart more forcefully, Amanda turned towards her door. "Say hi to Leslie for me," she whispered, her voice strained.
"Um…yeah," he mumbled, turning towards his car.
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Lee sat on his couch a drink in one hand. The ice clinked softly against the glass as it melted. While he had poured himself a scotch upon arriving home, he had barely touched it. His head was already spinning without the aid of alcohol.
What had happened? How was it that they had come to be kissing each other, even briefly? Lee could not sort out all of his confused feelings – kissing Amanda was ludicrous, and cruel given Leslie's presence in his life – cruel to both Leslie and Amanda. He thought back to the kiss he had shared with Amanda last year and recalled how it had failed to live up to any expectations he had ever had. Yet, some lingering voice in the back of his mind felt the need to keep inserting the thought that this time, in this brief kiss, things had been different.
Unbidden, the disloyal thought entered Lee's mind even as he tried to stave it off: that momentary contact with Amanda was more passionate than any he had shared thus far with Leslie.
The phone rang, bringing Lee from his musings. Leaning over to answer it, he sighed into the phone by way of greeting.
"Lee? You okay?" came the familiar, caring voice. "You sound tired."
Smiling slightly, Lee shook his head. "I am. Just came back from an embassy party with Amanda. How's Paris?"
"It's okay. I'm eager to get back home."
There was silence on the phone for a moment, before Leslie continued. "Well, I just called to say hello.…"
"Hello," Lee smiled into the phone.
"I'll see you tomorrow night," Leslie said quietly.
"At the airport," Lee confirmed, hanging up the phone with a smile. Getting up to move to his bedroom he put all further thoughts of Amanda from his mind.
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Amanda sat at the breakfast bar, swirling the cup of cocoa absentmindedly. The dregs of cocoa had gone cold long ago, but she sat there staring absently out of the window as if some answers would come to her from the night sky.
What had happened tonight? Had she kissed Lee? Had he kissed her? She wasn't even sure who had initiated the brief kiss. Nor was she sure that was important. Why had they kissed? She wanted to put it down to years of friendship; it wasn't unusual for her to kiss Debbie Anne McCabe on the cheek when they got together every year. But this kiss hadn't been on the cheek.
And it hadn't felt like her kisses with Debbie Anne. It hadn't even felt like the kiss she and Lee had shared last year. This kiss had been more…real somehow.
Did she want it to be real? Lee was with Leslie and she was happy on her own. Well, she wasn't really on her own – she had her mother and Philip and Jamie … and Lee.
Did she want to change her relationship with Lee? She wasn't even sure what she wanted, what she felt for him. Some part of her couldn't separate him from the small boy on the swings so long ago. The memory was hazy, but there none-the-less. She felt this need to protect him, still, and she wasn't sure that their getting involved romantically would be the best idea for him.
But another part of her was aware of the man he had become. Someone warm and caring. Someone who made her tingle with the slightest brush of her hand. Someone safe. Someone loving. Someone … passionate.
To Be Continued…
