Chapter 12: Things Progress Between Amanda and Lee

Dotty placed the bag of groceries she held in her hands on the kitchen counter and watched as Amanda walked into the kitchen just behind her. Dotty couldn't help but smile to herself as Amanda put away some of the groceries. She noticed how after every few groceries Amanda put away; she paused, smiled; and then put away a few more as her eyes wandered to the middle of the counter where a bear holding a balloon and flowers were sitting. It was the latest gift from Lee to Amanda.

Dotty had to admit that if she wasn't aware of it already; that if the last few weeks were any indication as to how determined Lee Stetson was when he wanted something; he was certainly a keeper. Since their conversation at the French restaurant, she had watched from the sidelines and as a co-conspirator; as Lee quietly wooed Amanda. Besides sending her flowers, he was attentive, caring, patient, all things she'd certainly seen over the six months they'd been dating, but now he had come out full blast, slowly wearing Amanda down. Amanda was a very stubborn and determined person when she set her mind to something; but she might have met her match in Lee or at the least found the perfect adversary who would challenge, love, comfort and support her.

Yesterday, for example, he surprised Amanda by picking the boys up and taking them out for dinner and ice cream. He even brought take out for her and Amanda so they didn't have to cook. What Amanda didn't know, was that Lee asked the boys how they would feel if Lee proposed to their mother and she said yes. According to Lee, the conversation had went well and the boys confirmed it with her later, so as far as she was concerned, Lee should be able to ask Amanda to marry him any day now.

"Amanda!"

"Yes, Mother?"

"Do you plan on putting the groceries away sometime today?"

"Hmm?"

"Looks to me like you are distracted, your mind seems to be on something or rather someone else." She said, eyes sparkling.

"No, no!" Amanda pulled out the last remaining items quickly, put them away and then said, "See, I'm done!"

Dotty smiled silently to herself.

"I'm going upstairs to grab a shower," Amanda said as she headed towards the stairs.

"Getting ready for, where did you say you and Lee were going tonight?"

"Oh just a simple movie viewing."

"Uh huh!" Dotty was now so past believing these stories. "For what again?"

"Oh, a documentary on farm animals and the cruelty inflicted upon them," Amanda said and darted up the stairs before her mother could ask any more questions.

Dotty stood there and shook her head. "Cruelty to animals on the farm, huh? "What difference does that make, they are going to be eaten anyway," thought Dotty as she went to finish up in the kitchen.

/

Lee lay, or fell down was more like it, on his bed. The week had been amazing but exhausting; he had done something every night so far that week and he even had plans that night. Monday he went over Amanda's for dinner, as usual; Tuesday night, Lee surprised Amanda and took the boys out; Wednesday back over for dinner, helped the boys with homework and played a game with them before bed.

Today, he and Amanda had an easy early morning; just some minor filing, paperwork, staff meeting with Billy but by late morning, that changed drastically when they had to step in and help Mil Brooks, a new agent to the Agency. Mil Brooks and her partner Andrew Stouts had been assigned to close in on a gas station that was smuggling in nuclear weapons; a somewhat small operation; but dangerous nonetheless. There had been a third suspect, when they thought there were only two. Brooks and Stouts phoned for back-up but before Amanda and Lee could arrive; Stouts was shot and wounded; while Brooks held off the one that did the shooting. The other two suspects headed towards their car and drove towards 7th Street NW. The gas station was positioned about eight minutes away from the Agency so they were able to get there quickly and caught up to them as they headed down 7th street towards Chinatown and then H Street NW. Lee was hot on their tail when the car maneuvered towards 819 US-50 making a sharp left onto the highway. The car lost control, ran the medium and tumbled over the side of the road and off a cliff.

Lee and Amanda watched as the car blew up right in front of their eyes. "Oh, my gosh!" Amanda cried out as Lee stopped their car and they got out to survey the ruins. "Oh, Lee, poor people!" Leave it to Amanda to be grief stricken over even criminals. "Amanda, I don't know that they were so poor, after all they were crooked," he'd replied.

"Yes, but they were human nonetheless, they just made poor choices."

He'd pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head and said "I love you!"

"I love you too!" She'd replied.

/

That had been some hours ago. After the debriefing, Billy sent them home for the rest of the day and ordered them to do something fun and relaxing. Lee could still hear Billy's booming voice, "Go home!"

"Yes, Sir!" He and Amanda had answered in unison. Lee loved that, just how in sync they were with one another. He had never had that with another woman before and he wanted nothing more than to make their relationship more permanent. He knew for a fact that Amanda went grocery shopping with her mother, but afterwards, she was meeting him for dinner and a special treat.

Lee closed his eyes and thought about how he was beginning to see just what it was going to be like being married to Amanda and though he couldn't say he loved everything about it; he was looking forward to it. Even though, he hadn't proposed yet, he didn't think that it was the right time yet but he was sure the right time would come and soon and he'd be ready. Billy had already set things in motion; it was just a matter of when Lee was going to propose. Lee shut his eyes, just to rest for a while, before it was time to pick Amanda up.

/

"Lee, why exactly did you tell me to dress up if you knew we were going to the movies?" Amanda had asked Lee while they were standing in line to get their tickets to see Top Gun.

"To make it more special," Lee had replied easily. "And besides, anyone can come to the movies in casual clothes; it takes class to come dressed in a fancy dress and a suit."

Lee was dressed in a blue suit and Amanda wore a black dress with silver flecks sprinkled in.

She'd smiled and leaned in and said, "It's special just because I'm with you. But I see what you mean."

Now they were seated in the middle row of the theater, popcorn between them and Lee asked, "Amanda, can I put my arms around you?"

"Not that again. Just because we haven't…." she paused and lowered her voice.

"Yes, Amanda?"

"We haven't been, you know what since that one time, doesn't mean you have to act as though it hasn't happened at all."

Lee's face broke out in a grin, as his eyes widened, "Oh, I'm not acting as though nothing happened. I just don't want to do anything to influence you in a direction you don't want it to go."

"What? And what direction would that be?"

"I mean, I want to keep things simple, you know?"

"No."

"Until you decide where you want things to go."

Amanda opened her mouth and started to say something, but she quickly reclosed it. What exactly could she say to that? "Well, Lee, yes of course you may put your arm around me and you know what, you can even kiss me if you like."

And before Lee could say or do anything, Amanda turned more towards him and very slowly placed her lips upon his and kissed him soundly on the mouth, so powerful a kiss; Lee released a moan.

Then she pulled back and asked with a smile, "Popcorn?"

"Ugh, sure."