Changed Roles, chapter 4
"I want to believe that Michael is the man that I think he is but after being fooled by Jonathan twice I don't trust my own judgment about men. Now on top of everything else Billy has ordered me to use my relationship with Michael to pump him for information about the State Department. I'm so mixed up; don't I deserve some personal happiness", Francine asked sadly.
"You shouldn't doubt for one minute that you deserve to be in a loving relationship. Maybe you're allowing your bad experience with Jonathan to affect how you are reacting to the possibility that Michael wasn't honest with you about where he was going and why", Amanda attempted to reassure Francine.
"Are you suggesting that Michael might have been telling me the truth? I'd like to believe that I can trust him but all the evidence suggests that he lied to me."
"Evidence, Francine, we're in an evidence driven field and so far you don't have any proof that Michael lied to you", Amanda asserted.
"I know that Michael was born and raised in Boston and his family still lives there yet he told me that he was going to New York to deal with a family emergency. When I spoke to his secretary she said that Michael told her that he was going out of town to deal with a confidential business matter. He lied to one or both of us", Francine argued.
"How much do you know about his past? Does his entire family still live in Boston; maybe he has family in New York as well? Could one of his relatives have traveled to New York and then run into a problem that Michael needed to deal with? As far as his secretary is concerned maybe he had good reason to not tell her the truth or maybe she lied to you for her own reasons", Amanda countered in hopes of getting Francine to look at the situation more objectively.
"Amanda, you're in the wrong business, I think you missed your true calling", Francine said with a smile. "You should be a defense attorney, I have to give Michael a chance to explain his absence once he comes home, maybe I have no reason to distrust him", Francine said as she began to stand up then abruptly flopped back down. "If Michael has been honest with me than I have a serious problem", Francine sighed.
"You've lost me Francine; if you can trust Michael what problem do you have?"
"Carrying out Billy's order wouldn't bother me if Michael had lied to me but if he hasn't and I do what Billy expects me to then I'm the one that will be betraying the trust a good relationship should be based upon. There are times when I really hate this business", Francine complained.
"How does Mr. Melrose know about your romance with Michael; Lee and I didn't know that you were in a serious relationship."
"Billy doesn't know that Michael and I are seeing each other. Billy gave me this assignment because he remembered that I met Michael at the State Department function that the Agency sent me to last spring. I've spent so many years bragging about how good I am at charming information out of men that Billy would have every reason to think that I'd be the ideal person for this assignment."
"If you're sure that Mr. Melrose doesn't know that he's putting you in the position of betraying a man you care -"
"Damn", Francine angrily swore interrupting Amanda in mid sentence. "Maybe Billy does know about Michael and me? The Agency periodically looks into who we're dating. Billy was willing to order Lee to do the peacock dance with Sonja with you as his backup even though Billy knew that you and Lee were dating. Our private lives aren't off limits; we never know when the Agency is watching and what they'll do with the information that they find out about us", Francine said in anger. Francine was so wrapped up in her own concerns that she failed to notice the momentary look of panic that crossed Amanda's face.
Oh my gosh, if the Agency is periodically spying on all of us Dr. Smyth may already know that Lee and I are married. He might just be biding his time and waiting for the perfect time to use the information against us. Dr. Smyth may know about our marriage when my own mother and sons don't know. Francine and Amanda were so caught up in their own thoughts that they were both startled by a loud knock on the office door. Francine hurriedly opened the door and found herself face to face with an irritated Lee.
"Lee, you didn't have to come after us, Amanda is just fine", Francine said as she tried to hide her feelings behind her ice queen demeanor.
"Billy sent me, he's not happy with you right now, you two missed the morning staff meeting. Francine, he wants to see you in his office right now to discuss your assignment."
"That's fine with me although I hope he realizes that I didn't accept the assignment yet", Francine countered and breezed past Lee who then came face to face with a troubled looking Amanda.
"What did she do to you", Lee demanded.
"Francine didn't do anything to me; I'm worried about the trouble we may have gotten ourselves into. We can't discuss it here", Amanda cautioned and turned and left the office.