Changed Roles, chapter 2
Amanda caught up to a visibly upset Francine as she was entering the ladies room.
"If you've followed me here to demand an apology for embarrassing you, you can forget about it, your boyfriend walked into me", Francine said in a huff.
"I didn't come for an apology; I came because I thought that you needed a friend", Amanda offered.
"A friend, huh", Francine replied with an unreadable expression on her face as she considered Amanda's offer.
"Before you say anything else; let me say something to you", Amanda interjected, "I'm the one that owes you an apology."
"Saint Amanda owes me an apology; whatever for", Francine asked as she disapprovingly studied her own reflection in the mirror. Look at me, I'm a mess, I never lose control of my emotions and certainly not in front of other people.
"I'm no saint, Francine, I'm as human as everyone else", Amanda replied as Francine continued to study her own reflection. "Look at me, Francine; I'm going to tell you something that I've never told to anyone at the Agency, not even Lee." Francine turned from the mirror and looked at Amanda with genuine interest.
"Why would you talk to ME about something that you won't discuss with Lee", Francine asked suspiciously.
"I can't talk to Lee about this because of everyone at the Agency he's probably the worst offender. People here have put me up on a pedestal; do you have any idea how difficult it is to live up to everybody's perception of me when I'm really as human as the rest of you. I get angry; I have petty thoughts and worst of all I've become far too comfortable with lying to the people around me. I've been lying to you and that's what I want to apologize for."
"What have you lied to me about", Francine queried.
"I've been lying to you about the depth of my relationship with Lee", Amanda stated contritely.
"Oh, that, I didn't believe you anyway", Francine told a surprised Amanda.
"You, you knew I was lying to you", Amanda sputtered.
"Jeez, Amanda, I know you and Lee think that you're being discreet about your relationship but nobody that spends any length of time around the two of you is fooled by your 'we're just good friends' routine. I confess to not realizing how serious your relationship had gotten until last weekend when I had dinner with Lee and your boys but now I'm sure that Lee has made a lifetime commitment to you."
"I'm glad that you know the truth. I wish I could tell you that we're married but I can't tell you that without discussing it with Lee first. You're Lee's closest friend and I'd like to be a friend to you as well if you'll give me a chance. Please think it over", Amanda concluded and then turned to leave the room.
"Amanda, please don't go, I do need a friend; a woman friend. I'd like to talk to you but not here; standing in these heels on a tile floor is killing my feet", Francine said with a smile. "There's a vacant office at the end of this corridor; we can talk there until Billy sends out a search party." Francine and Amanda walked down the hall in silence, entered the office and shut the door.
"Francine, do you want to tell me what Billy said to you that has got you so upset", Amanda asked as they sat down in the chairs on opposite sides of the desk.
"When I first walked into the office he told me that he and Dr. Smyth were called to the White House very early this morning. The president is pushing a piece of legislation that he cares deeply about and one of the senators that are sponsoring the bill had a car bomb go off in his driveway late yesterday afternoon. Billy had a folder on his desk with photos from the bomb scene in it; I looked in the folder before Billy could warn me that it contained a picture of the senator's six year old grandson who was injured by the bomb."
"Oh my gosh, will the boy be alright", Amanda asked Francine who still looked haunted by the photo she'd seen.
"Luckily, the boy was far from the car when it detonated, so he didn't sustain any major injuries. The bomb went off prematurely when the boy lost control of the ball he was playing with and it hit the car. Shortly after the explosion the other senators who are sponsoring the same bill received messages stating that they'd be next if they didn't abandon the bill."
"Is this Agency business because the target of the threats are senators", Amanda asked as she was processing what Francine had told her.
"Yes, but the case will also involve the State Department because the bill has foreign policy ramifications. That's where this case gets really ugly", Francine replied.
"Isn't a six year old nearly getting blown up ugly enough", Amanda asked incredulously.
"Of course it is; I meant personally ugly. Billy wants me to use my personal relationship with a senior State Department official to keep track of State's activity in this case. I've never had a problem getting 'close to a man' for a case before but it was never a man that I thought that I could love before."