Flashback to Munich

Lee

After bidding aufedersein to Lieutenant Volkenauer, Lee and Amanda made it to the Munich airport with a comfortable two hours before their late afternoon flight home. Unfortunately, the weather over the Atlantic had also arrived in plenty of time. Massive storms had wreaked havoc on airline schedules all over the eastern seaboard and across the ocean.

"Looks like we're here for the night," Lee broke the news to Amanda. "No dinner at home with your family."

"It's okay." Amanda ticed her head to the side. "You can't control Mother Nature. I'm just glad they're going to let me leave the country."

Lee smiled. "Yeah."

"Which means I'm not your responsibility anymore. I hate being a responsibility.

"Amanda… I'm sorry, that wasn't fair of me," Lee said with genuine regret.

"Who ever promised fair?" Amanda asked with a smile.

Lee laughed, then took her arm to proceed back out of the airport. "Come on, let's go use these hotel vouchers and get some sleep. Our flight's rescheduled to an ungodly hour tomorrow morning."

"Only one room left?!" Amanda was incredulous.

"The hotels are already crowded with the usual summer tourists, now those storm systems have trans-Atlantic air traffic all tangled up," Lee reasoned. "The good news is, I think there are two beds." He hoped that would calm her down.

Amanda's disbelief was sustained. "You think there are two beds?"

"It was chaos at the check-in counter. Let's just go see for ourselves."

Thankfully, the two bed rumor was true. They were small single beds, but two separate beds just the same. And on opposite sides of the room, too.

"This'll do," Amanda said, regaining some of her usual optimism. She set her carry-on bag on the bed she was claiming as hers. "Good thing I always pack my toiletries and a change of clothes in my carry on."

"Aren't you the model Trailblazer?" Lee teased with sarcasm.

"The handbook says 'preparation is its own reward'," Amanda quoted. "One thing I didn't prepare for was dinner. Do you think we could get something to eat?" Lee nodded as Amanda added, "Maybe we can try a typical Bavarian meal?"

He hadn't been particularly pleased with the way Volkenauer had so brazenly asked Amanda out right in front of him. It had been terribly rude not to include him in the dinner invitation. At least that's what Lee had told himself.

"Get something to eat - yes. I'm not sure we'll be able to swing a real Bavarian meal with the crowds around here." At Amanda's disappointed expression, he added, "Let me go make a couple of calls."

The beef goulash with spaetzle noodles was rich and filling. Johannesbeerbaiser for dessert hit the spot with its tart red currant flavor balanced by a cool and sweet meringue. And of course, they drank Bavarian beer.

"Lieutenant Volkenauer was right, this really is delicious," Amanda remarked.

"Actually, it was Volkenauer who got us into this place."

"Really? That's who you called?" Amanda's voice rose in surprise.

"Yeah," Lee said, raising his fork in a kind of shrug. "He's a nice guy."

Amanda glanced her eyes down and agreed. "Yes, he is."

"You going to miss him?" Lee suddenly couldn't wait to get Amanda on that plane and as far away from Munich as possible.

"Not really."

Lee smiled and darted his fork out to steal a bite of her currant meringue cake - even though he still had most of his own left. Amanda playfully tapped her fork on his and returned his smile.

They lingered over coffee and talked easily. Lee reminisced about the three separate times the Colonel had been stationed in Germany. Amanda gushed about Bavaria's gorgeous baroque architecture.

"So much for getting a good night's sleep before our flight," Amanda said as they waited for a cab.

"Might make sleeping on the plane easier."

He had his hand on Amanda's lower back as they navigated the hotel lobby, elevator, and hallway to their room. Stepping to the door, they turned to face each other. Lee unexpectedly felt like they were at the end of a romantic date.

Moving his hands to her upper arms, he spoke. "I know it wasn't the home cooked meal with your mother and the boys that you wanted..."

"It was still pretty great," Amanda reassured him with a smile.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Amanda's voice was soft and raspy.

"Nice to spend some time together. With no shop talk," Lee said as he took a step closer.

"Just us." Amanda nodded and rested her palms on his chest.

"Just us."

Their eyes met and the thrill of attraction settled between them. Lee thought Amanda had never looked so cute or so kissable.

End Chapter Two