She Can And She Did

Chapter 13

The next morning, as Dotty and the boys were at the breakfast table, Amanda, ready for work, came downstairs and commented to the boys, "Good morning."

The boys mumbled, "Morning, Mom."

Amanda looking at Dotty, shook her head, and said , "Let's try that again...Good morning!"

Phillip and Jamie chorused, "Good morning, Mom!"

Amanda smiled answering as she kissed their cheeks, "There! That's much better... Okay, so today, when you both come home from school, please do your homework, and when you're finished with that, stay put here and wait for me to come home, because we need to have a talk..."

Phillip, putting up a hand, remarked, "Excuse me, Mom. If this is about that magazine, it won't happen again. It's not even mine. I need to give it back to Rich Turner, because it's his older brother's-"

Amanda shook her head interjecting, "Well, then it's the older brother's fault for leaving it where you two could find it!"

Phillip asked then, "Well, could I have it back so I can return it?"

But Amanda shook her head stating firmly, "No. Not until we have our talk-"

Phillip groaned answering, "Geez, Mom! I don't need to talk! I already take Health class in school..."

Jamie responded, "Yeah, and I'm only ten-"

Amanda sighed commenting as she peered at her sons, " Oh? So you two know it all already, right? Look, according to the books I have in this house, this is the perfect time to enlighten you on the facts of life, primarily puberty-"

Phillip moaned, "Oh, God-"

Amanda remarked, "Enough! Look, your dad ordinarily would be the one to talk to you both, but he's not coming back for at least six months, so I have to take the reins-"

Phillip scoffed answering his mother, "So I guess Grandpa West talked to you about this stuff?"

Dotty chuckled, stating with a shake of her head, "Oh, no! I did! Grandpa West, however, did have to do one thing for your mother-"

Amanda blushed remarking to Phillip, "See, Grandma was sick with one of her headaches, and I needed a training bra, so I asked Grandpa West to take me shopping, which he refused at first, until-"

Dotty added, "Until he realized my headache wasn't leaving for the rest of the day, and all the other mothers had taken their daughters shopping already..."

Amanda giggled stating, "So, there Grandpa West was, in the store, and he found the sales girl, and asked her to help me get a training bra, and meanwhile telling me that he'd wait over by the door until I was done."

Dotty still amused, commented, "Yes, but thank goodness you didn't ask him to take you to get menstrual items!"

As they guffawed, Jamie, over the din, yelled, "Wait! What do training bras do, anyway?"

Phillip, already mortified by the discussion and the laughter, answered, getting up from the table, "They help girls get stacked! Let's go already!"

Just then, they heard the bus honking, and grabbing their books, dashed out the door with Amanda and Dotty yelling their goodbyes to them!

Dotty, then cleaning up the table from the boys' breakfast, asked, "Did Phillip say "stacked"?

Amanda bewilderedly responded, "I-I think he did...Oh, well, he's just picking up things from his friends, that's all. I'll worry about it later."

Looking at her watch, Amanda grabbed her purse remarking with a kiss to Dotty, "I'd better go, Mother..."

Dotty answered, "Have a good day, Love."

-SMK-

Arriving at the Agency, Amanda gave the password to Mrs. Marston, and getting off the elevator a few minutes later in the Bullpen Area, walked by Fred Fielder and a few other male agents who were discussing a case, when one of them asked Fred, "So, your date the other night? What was wrong with that one?"

Fred shrugged answering, "Well, she didn't seem to be all that interested, and her jugs weren't-"

Amanda stopped suddenly in her tracks, and asked, "What was that you called them, Fred? "Jugs"?

As the other male agents shook their heads and mumbled under their breaths, Amanda remarked to Fred, "I couldn't help but overhear that, Fred! By the way, the correct term for them is breasts!"

Francine, floored, muttered, "Oh, boy", and sensing trouble ahead, went to Billy's office, and quickly opening the door, motioned out to the Bullpen area answering, "Red alert!"

Billy came out to the floor, as Amanda announced, "Let me make this clear to all of you single males who think they can "score" with a woman because she's cute and has big "jugs" as you like to call them! Gentlemen- and I use the term loosely- We are women! We are to be forever respected, and by God, if we tell you no, we mean it!"

She was about to continue her speech, when Lee, coming off the elevator, heard the commotion, and pulling her aside, queried, "Wh-What's the matter? What happened?"

Fred scoffed responding as he gestured to the other agents and then Amanda,"We were just talking about my date that tanked last night, Scarecrow, but your "partner" here got all riled up when I mentioned my date's less than ample-"

Amanda commented tersely, "Jugs, Lee! He called them jugs! Can you believe that?"

Lee groaned, and looking at Fred and the others stated with a hand up, "Alright, Guys! Not in mixed company, huh?"

One of the Steno Pool ladies nodded, answered, "Amanda's right! Some of us actually like going on a nice date, maybe dinner and a movie, without you guys already expecting us to "put out"-

Billy stated firmly, "Alright, People! Enough! Scarecrow! Mrs. King! My office! The rest of you, back to work!"

As the group returned to their duties, Lee and Amanda joined Billy in his office, and when they all sat down, Billy asked Amanda, " Now, just what was all that hullabaloo out there, Amanda? That isn't like you at all!"

Amanda queried, "Sir, you have two girls, correct? How old are they now?"

Billy shrugged answering, "Almost teenagers...Why?"

Amanda nodded asking, "I see...So, if you caught one or both of them looking at questionable reading material, it wouldn't bother you at all?"

Lee muttered, "Aw, geez..."

Billy sighed, commenting, "I'd definitely tan their little hides, but then Jeannie would already be on top of the situation...Your point?"

Amanda, clearing her throat, replied with a gesture, "I caught my oldest son, Phillip, looking at a Playboy magazine last night, that he borrowed from a friend, who got it from his older brother. So, because of my ex-husband being away, I now have to have "the talk" with both boys, to set them straight... And as for out there on the floor, I'm sorry I made such a fuss, but the term Fred used about his date's body? Well..."

Lee shook his head answering, "C'mon! Guys say that kind of stuff all the time-"

Amanda queried tiredly as she glared at him, "So, it's perfectly acceptable?"

Lee shook his head remarking, "No, I didn't say that...However, you can't discipline everyone in here on their behavior-"

Billy nodded and stated, "Lee's right...And while I see your point, this is an office setting, and we can't bring outside things in here to my unit, unless it directly affects our duties. Do I make myself clear, Amanda?"

Amanda sighed commenting, "Yes, Sir..."

Billy answered, "And I will speak to Fred and the others to curb their conversations to safe mode...Dismissed!"

As Amanda and Lee left Billy's office, Lee asked her, "Why is it up to you to talk to the boys? What did your ex say about the magazine crap?"

Amanda scoffed as she shook her head, answering, "Like it was no big deal, and all kids do it, blah, blah, blah..."

Lee sighed and responded, "Whew, okay...Do you maybe want to have lunch later and we'll talk about it some more?"

Amanda, looking at his expression said, "Yeah, good idea, because by the look on your face, you obviously have an opinion on my talking to the boys at all on the subject...But Lee, these are my children, and I have to do what's right here, and-"

Lee put up a hand answering with frustration, "Alright! Lunch, later! C'mon, let's get some work done..."

But as she set about her transcribing, and Lee worked on his files, Amanda wondered what Lee's true feelings were on the subject...

TBC