Disclaimer: 'Scarecrow and Mrs. King' belongs to Shoot the Moon and Warner Brothers Productions.
Rating: PG
Timeline: First season. A filler scene for 'Service Above and Beyond' that was written by Peter Lefcourt
Summary: This little bit of nothing was written in response to a challenge for new writers to post a one-page story. Lee was curious when Amanda returned from dinner with James Delano. Where could their conversation have gone if Lee hadn't gotten a phone call?
Acknowledgements: Thanks again to all the beta readers on the Yahoo site (you're awesome!) and to Lynda for issuing the challenge.
"Now, what were you saying about your evening?" Lee questioned, with a small gesture of his glass.
"Oh, I wasn't going to say anything at all about it," Amanda just smiled and gave a slight shrug, determined not to give in to his questioning. She turned and started climbing the stairs.
"Amanda . . ." He knew he was beginning to sound frustrated, but he couldn't help himself. She really was trying to dodge him, making him even more curious about what happened after he left the restaurant. What was she hiding? After all, he needed to make sure she knew there are limits to what the Agency expects of her, right?
She turned at the sound of her name, recognizing all too well the tone in his voice. Saying nothing, she arched an eyebrow and tilted her head in question, impatiently waiting for him to continue.
He began again, "Amanda, you do realize that you're not expected to . . . uh . . ." he faltered. How could he put this without sounding like a 'jealous person.' He wasn't, of course, and he certainly didn't want her to misunderstand a second time in one evening.
"Yes?" she tried to prompt him to finish what he began.
"The Agency doesn't expect you to . . . Well, you're just supposed to distract Delano, there's no need to . . . uh . . . to become . . . you know . . . intimate with him." Lee struggled, but felt better having finally blurted that out without sounding too jeal . . . 'Hold it right there,' he silently warned himself. He wasn't even going to think that word anymore, especially when it came to Amanda.
As he looked to her with relief, certain she would now clearly understand the Agency's position, he could tell instead that he was in trouble. He'd seen that look before.
Her temper rose for the second time that evening. How dare he question her, as if he had any right to control what she did on her dates? Amanda knew this evening was an assignment, not really a date, but she did like Jim Delano and hoped the Agency's suspicions were unfounded.
"Well . . . that all depends on what you consider intimate," she said softly, containing her anger so she could make her point. "Would you consider soft . . . lingering . . . warm . . . moist kisses to be intimate?" She accented each adjective with a step down toward him, ending her descent standing directly in front of him, her upturned face just inches from his.
Lee suddenly felt trapped, his heartbeat quickened with each step she took. As he stood looking into her deep brown eyes, he thought he saw teasing, but just couldn't be sure. His eyes traveled to her lips, slightly parted and inviting. The words 'moist kisses' echoed in his mind as he watched her lightly lick her bottom lip, anxiously awaiting his answer to . . . What was the question? Oh yeah, 'intimate.'
"Yes," he answered hoarsely, "That would qualify as intimate."
Triumph flashed in her eyes. "Then, yes . . . I was intimate with Jim." Using her evening bag, she gave the hand holding his scotch a slight pat, turned and began climbing the stairs. She really did need to get changed and head home.
Startled by the slam of the front door, Amanda whirled. Through the transom window she watched Lee's retreat down the front walk. She couldn't help the small, self-satisfied smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth.
The End – on with the rest of the show and the apologies in front of The Smithsonian . . .