If Anyone Could Manage It
Chapter 15
It was the following week, when Lee at last, had a cane to complete his foot recovery with, and as he came out of the den dressed that Monday morning around 8:30, Amanda was putting their coffee on the kitchen table, and smiling with a gesture, greeted him with, "Good morning... I heard you moving about, so I figured you were ready for some coffee. How did you sleep?"
Lee answered with his own smile, and said, "Better than I have in a while...How are you doing?"
The phone rang as Amanda was about to respond, and stated, "Just a minute..."
Answering the phone, Amanda said, "Hello?"
It was Dotty, remarking, "Good morning, Amanda! Listen, Dear, I'm calling to remind you that the boys and I will be home today...In fact by lunchtime, because we happened to get an earlier train time, and-"
Amanda gulped, and pointing to the ground, as she mouthed to Lee, "Mother and the boys are coming home TODAY!"
Lee swallowed, and quickly urged her to continue with the phone call, and Amanda then heard on the phone line from Dotty,"A-Amanda?! Are you there? Is there something wrong, Darling?"
Amanda quickly stated, "N-No, no, Mother! I-I just spilled some coffee. I'm cleaning it up now...So, what time today?"
Dotty commented, "The train ticket says 11:45 for Arlington. The boys wanted to talk to you, but I told them you were probably heading to work soon, right?"
Amanda answered quickly, "Y-Yes, Mother, but tell them I love them, and I'll see you all later, alright?"
Dotty replied, "I will, Love. Bye, bye..."
Hanging up with Dotty, Amanda responded quickly with a sigh to Lee, "They'll be on the 11:45 train...Now, I've got to straighten up the house, pick up some groceries for lunch..."
Lee added as he sipped his coffee, "Get rid of me..."
The phone rang again, and Amanda shook her head stating firmly, "No! That isn't what I was going to say, but-"
Second ring came as Amanda remarked tersely at the phone, "Alright!"
Answering it, she commented, "What?! I mean...Hello?"
Billy asked, "A-Amanda? It's Billy. How are you, Dear?"
Amanda replied, "Fine, Sir...Here's Lee. Excuse me..."
Handing the phone to Lee, she answered, "I've gotta go get ready..."
-SMK-
Lee shook his head as he watched her running up the stairs and called to her, "Y-You're already dressed, Amanda! You look fine!"
Billy queried as he listened to the background noise, "Scarecrow? What's going on?"
Lee sighed commenting, "Amanda's racing around because her mother just called, saying she and the kids are coming back today...On the 11:45 train."
Billy stated, "Hmm..."
Lee asked, "What, Billy?"
Billy, clearing his throat, answered, "Well, you have that checkup with Scardelli at 10:45...and Desmond's due back today as well..."
Lee remarked with piqued interest intently, "Oh, really? Well, maybe I'll hang around to welcome her back-"
But Billy commented quickly, "Now, Lee, wait! I don't want World War Three to start here! I know you and Amanda were upset with her, but I thought by now, everyone would have cooler heads...Was I wrong to assume that?"
As Lee was about to answer, he saw Amanda coming into the kitchen, armed with a bundle of bed sheets, heading for the laundry room and Lee responded, "N-No, you weren't wrong, but I have to let Amanda know, okay? See you in a while..."
Hanging up, Lee sighed, and getting up from the table, grabbed his cane as he headed for the laundry room stating, "Amanda? We have to talk..."
Amanda nodded as she measured out the soap for the washer, and putting it in, began to put the bed sheets in answering, "Okay, what's up?"
Lee commented with a gesture, "W-Well, finish up there, and then let's you and I sit for a minute, huh?"
Amanda finished putting in the sheets, set the washer dials and closing the lid, started the machine, responding as she glanced at Lee, "Go ahead, I'm listening."
Sighing, Lee pointed to the kitchen chair at the table and said, "Please sit down."
He joined her as she sat down, and stated, "I know you have a lot on your mind at the moment, but Billy just told me that Francine's coming back today. I have a checkup with Scardelli at 10:45, so-"
Amanda shrugged, answering quickly, "Okay, fine...Oh, by the way, I can either have you stay in the den as you've been doing, and just tell my family you're recovering from an injury, or I can take you home, and stock your place since you're doing a lot better-"
Lee put up a hand and remarked firmly, cutting her off, "A-Amanda! STOP!"
Amanda, looking at him worriedly, said, "What? What's the matter?"
Lee swallowed hard and commented tiredly, "I know what happened with Francine wasn't expected, and I know it upset you, because you never go looking for a fight, but I just want to make sure you're okay-"
Amanda answered firmly, standing up to take her coffee cup to the sink to rinse it out, "Lee, I'm fine...But here's the current situation I'm dealing with..."
Rinsing her cup out, and putting it on the dish rack to dry, Amanda continued irritatedly with hand gestures, "You see, on one side, I have my real life with my family in it, and on the other side, I have you and that Agency to deal with! And from the beginning of this whole double life I've been leading, it's been "Never the twain shall meet", but now that you and I are a little more than simpatico-"
Lee baffled, interjected, "Wait...What?"
Amanda sighed stating, "In a real relationship?"
Lee shrugged commenting, "Oh, right! Sorry, go ahead."
Amanda, shaking her head, responded, " Anyway, it throws us into a whole new dynamic, so right now, I'm not so concerned about Francine, or what revenge she may have on her mind, okay? Besides, you seem more upset about it than me anyway-"
Lee argued defensively, "Ho-Hold on there! I'm just trying to help you deal with seeing her later, and figuring out a way for you two to get along-"
Amanda sighed defeatedly, and putting a hand up, said softly, "Lee, Francine and I don't run in the same circles...You know that. And this isn't a schoolyard where we're going to cat fight. We're two adult women who simply had words-"
Lee cut in with, "But she provoked you-"
Amanda commented firmly, "Yes, but she and I will figure it out somehow, alright? I really appreciate you looking out for me, but I hit her, not the other way around..."
As Lee silently nodded, Amanda came over to his side, and kissing his cheek, stated, "Now...Here's what I think we should do. I'll take you home and get you stocked up and settled, then I'll come back here and finish tidying up, and while you're at the Agency, I'll be here with my family having lunch this afternoon, okay?"
Lee, looking down at her, tenderly kissed her, and replied with a sigh, "You're quite a woman, Amanda King...Okay, we'll do it your way, but if anything happens-"
Amanda, shaking her head, chuckled stating with a wave of her hand, "Please! I've got you and Billy for backup...What could happen? Stop worrying..."
-SMK-
As Lee finished his checkup with Dr. Scardelli, around 11:30, he went back to Billy's office telling him, "My foot's gotten better, but I still have a bit of time with this cane."
Billy answered, "I see... No driving for a bit longer, eh?"
Lee, shaking his head, sighed as he sat in the chair across from Billy, stating, " No... And boy, do I miss the 'Vette-"
Billy then glanced out the office window and spotted Francine going towards her desk, and thought, Here we go, and catching her eye, waved at her to enter his office.
As she entered, she swallowed as she saw Lee, and said to both men, "Hello."
Billy answered, "Welcome back, Francine.", and while Lee gave a perfunctory "Hello.", Francine couldn't read Lee's expression...It wasn't anger, and it couldn't possibly be acceptance over what happened, but maybe an air of indifference?
Just then, Billy's phone rang, and he picked up, answering, "Melrose...What?"
He sighed, and commented, "Alright, I'll be right up..."
Hanging up, he said to Lee and Francine, "Got a problem in Legal I have to handle...Don't rush out on my account."
As he left, the door closed behind him, and Francine, hating the lingering silence, finally cleared her throat and responded, "Okay, Lee. Let me have it...I know you hate me for what I said to Amanda-"
But Lee, shaking his head, stated lightly with a shrug, "I don't hate you. How can I hate someone I don't understand?"
Francine, puzzled, asked, "What do you mean, you don't understand me? C'mon, Lee! I'm admitting I made a mistake...I really am sorry, and I will rectify things with Amanda today-"
Lee grabbed his cane, and standing up to face Francine, growled, "I don't care what you do, because from what I have seen, Amanda King has been and always will be everything you are not, Francine Desmond! The only thing you two share is a gender..."
Going to the door, Lee turned to face her once more remarking, "To be fair, I'll admit to making a couple of mistakes here as well...First off, Eva. I'll go to my grave hating myself for that one, and then there's you...Francine, you're a damn good agent, but it will be quite a long time before I can let this thing about Amanda go...Jonathan Stone can rot in hell for what he did to you, but in the end, maybe it was for the best, after all. And as far as our one time fling ? That never shouldn't have happened at all, and maybe someday, you'll come to realize that, too!"
Without another word, Lee walked out of the office, and Francine, thrown by Lee's harshness, sank onto the couch, and as tears came to her eyes, threatening to fall, she sighed heavily, whispering, "W-Wow...I'm sorry, Lee. I'm so sorry..."
Collecting herself, Francine, dabbing at her eyes quickly, got up from the couch, and left the office to return to her desk...
-SMK-
Around 2 in the afternoon, as Amanda's family was at home, upstairs unpacking after lunch, the phone rang, and Amanda called out, "I've got it," and picked up the receiver answering, "Hello?"
Francine stated, "Uh, Amanda? It's...Francine...How...How are you?"
Amanda cleared her throat, commenting, " Oh, hello, Francine...I'm-I'm okay...You?"
Francine sighed answering, "I've...I've been better...So, listen, can you meet me? I think we need to clear the air... I got back about noon, and saw Billy and...Lee..."
Amanda responded quietly, "Oh...I see...Um, well, sure. Wh-Where are you?"
Francine commented, "The Cumberland safehouse. Billy's letting me borrow it. It's quiet, and no one will bother us...Here's the address, and the room number..."
Amanda, writing on a piece of scratch paper, stated, "Okay... I'll see you soon...Bye."
Hanging up with her, Amanda, putting the paper in her purse on the counter, called out to Dotty as she headed upstairs, "Mother..."
Within half an hour, Amanda was there, and finding the room, knocked.
Francine let her in, and as Amanda entered, her eyes caught the full bar setup, and she quipped to her, "Expecting a long clearing of the air here?"
Francine smirked slightly saying with a gesture, "I like to be prepared...Help yourself..."
Amanda shook her head, but as she headed over to the couch, she reconsidered, and went to pour herself a White wine spritzer, querying as she looked at the dessert bowl and plates of other food near the liquor and then back at Francine, "Ahh, your favorite chocolates, I presume?"
Francine gestured with a sigh, "Only the best for us girls...There's appetizers as well. Dig in..."
As they settled on the couch with their drinks, and placed their food on the coffee table, Francine asked, "So, what did you tell your mom about having to head out?"
Amanda, taking a bite of her cheese puff, swallowed, and stated, "Business meeting, but that I'd call if It ran too late..."
Francine nodded and after a long moment of uncomfortable silence, they answered at the same time, "So, nice weather" and "About time, right?"
They chuckled together, knowing how ridiculous they sounded, and Amanda, shaking her head, sighed querying, "Okay, so what's this really about, Francine?"
Francine shrugged remarking, "Billy suggested that we get together...I think he believes we'll kill each other if we don't at least try to communicate...So, let's give it a shot, shall we?"
Amanda lifted her glass to Francine's and commented with a clink, "Speaking of shots..."
Finishing her glass, Amanda got up and jingled out to Francine, "Rum and Coca Cola!" You game?"
Francine, surprised, joined her after finishing her drink, answering, "You got it. Lay it in there!"
So, for a couple of hours, between drinks and appetizers, Amanda and Francine got to the heart of things!
Francine, drinking water at this point, but slurring slightly, asked Amanda, "So...Why th-this j-job? What was the real at-attraction? And I don't mean St-Stetson..."
Amanda giggled as the alcohol had her fuzzy already, and answered, trying to joke, pointing a finger at Francine, "Hey! Wh-What would you h-have d-done if a guy in a penguin s-suit said to you outta the blue, "Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly aw-w-aay!"
Francine shook her head, and grabbing Amanda's finger, put her hand down and said slowly, "Ohh, boy! Truth, King! I...want...truth!"
Amanda slurped the last of her drink down, as Francine, watching her down the last of her drink passed her a water bottle, answering, "Wh-Whoa! Easy there, Girl! Now, drink this and tell me now...You-you coulda worked anywhere. Wh-Why with us?"
Amanda sighed and sipping the water, teared up suddenly, responding thickly, "Well, Dessie, it's like this...I grad-grad-grad-...I f-finished school, got hit-hitched, had two kiddies, th-then the louse dumps me! I-I jus' needed a job, ya know? 'Cuz my kids needed cl-clothes and food, okay? Wh-Why do you hafta pick on me? Jus' cuz you g-got it, an' I don't?""
Francine, knowing she and Amanda were a bit buzzed by now, shook her head, stated, " Hey , I-I th-think coffee's a real good idea now, don't you?"
Amanda raised an eyebrow and answered slurringly, "Y-You know how to make that?"
Getting up slowly from the couch, Francine went to the kitchenette, and finding coffee, set about preparing it, and called out to her, " Very funny, A-Amanda...Hey, I'm-I'm sorry I said what I said... Comparing you to Eva? That-That was lousy-"
Amanda called back, " An' I'm sorry I hit-hit you, Francie, but y-you c-can be a real w-witch sometimes! Why d'ja say that?! I can't hurt L-Lee like that!"
Francine continued, answering, "I-I know! You're n-nothing like her...It's just that, it an-annoys me that you make being around people so easy, you know? You g-get along with almost everybody, and-"
Suddenly, Amanda was there near her, and answered slowly, " Yeah, but it's r-real hard to m-make it on my own, and y-you do that eas-easier than m-me..."
Francine chuckled sardonically as the coffee finished brewing, and getting out cups, said, "D-Don't be fooled! I don't care where we're from, and where we are now! The p-point is that I just realized, I've been trying all these years, as a single woman, to make it in a man's world, and still failing , according to my father..."
Then her tone turned serious as she continued with," But you, as a divorced woman, have been trying to make it in any world for acceptance, and respect...And I think I've been getting in your way...And for that, I apologize. We should start respecting each other's worlds from now on...And if we need to talk, we'll talk, and not snipe, alright?"
Suddenly, Amanda, who was about to respond, looked ill, and covering her mouth, ran to the bathroom quickly!
Francine uttered, "Oh, no!", and quickly followed close behind, and found Amanda over the toilet bowl, sick as a dog!
Wincing at the sight, Francine sighed, responding, "Damn...", and knowing what she had to do, got on the phone to Billy stating slowly, "Billy? I've got good news...I think Amanda and i worked it out...The bad news, however is..."
The End