"I know, it was just two cold people seeking a little warm, right?" Lee says.
"Not exactly!" was all Amanda says as she smiles and walks away. Leaving Lee in a state of surprise and shock. Not knowing what just happened he just stares at her as she walks toward the elevator.
"What? What do you mean 'not exactly?' Amanda." Lee says trying to catch up with her.
Just as the elevator doors open Lee grabs Amanda's arm and says again, "What do you mean ' not exactly?"
She looks at him, smiles and gets into the elevator. The doors shut, leaving Lee standing there trying to figure out what she meant by that. 'Did she want something to happen? Or was she just joking around?' Lee had to find out what she meant. He waited for the doors to open up and he got on hoping he could catch her before she left the building.
As the elevator doors open Lee sees her talking to Mrs. Marsten. Relieved, he says, "Amanda we need to talk. Come up to my office."
Amanda looks at him and says, "Lee, I have to get home. Mother is going to wonder what is going on if I don't. Can we talk later?"
But he is adamant about talking now. "No. I need to talk *now*. Please," he says.
Amanda, never being able to say no to him, but she knew she had to, finally saying" I am sorry Lee but I got to get home. Maybe I could come over to your place tomorrow and we can talk then. What do you think?" With that she walks out of the building and heads to her car. She is carrying a big smile on her face knowing she has Lee wondering why she said that. But she couldn't let what happened last night go as two cold people. There was much more to it then that, and she knew it. Now all she had to do is get Lee to admit it.
Just as she is reaching her car Lee comes running up and stops her from getting in and says, "Stop right there Mrs. King. You are not going anywhere until you tell me what you meant by 'not exactly," he says winded. "Now spill it Amanda."
"Lee, I have got to get home, mother and the boys have been worried sick about me, since I didn't come home last night. They didn't seem to find the note I left them. Now I said I would talk to you tomorrow. So would you let go of my car so I can get home, please." And she gave him a look that could have melted a stick of butter.
Finally Lee said, "alright, but you will answer my question tomorrow, Amanda King. And don't think that I will forget, cause you are wrong. I will see you tomorrow, at my place at 10:00," he says opening her door for her and helping her in.
"Fine 10:00 am. See you in the morning," she says as she starts her car, and thinks to herself, don't worry Stetson, I will not forget what I said. And she drives off.
At the King household, Amanda spends most of the evening trying to explain the best she could to her mother why she didn't come home or call the previous night. After about 8 or 9 that night Dotty seemed to be pleased with the excuse Amanda had given her and went out for the evening. The boys were spending the evening with some friends and Amanda was left home alone to think about the previous night's events.
'He was going to kiss me, 'No *we* were going to kiss, if those men hadn't have come, Lee was going to kiss me. I know it.' She thinks to herself. Gosh what would have happened if we had of kissed? As she is in her own little world thinking of what would have happened, Lee is outside the King house thinking of how to explain why he was there at her back door this late at night.
Amanda was startled out of her thinking when she heard the familiar knock on her back door. She got up and said, "Stetson, I thought I told you that I would see you in the morning." As she opened the door, there he was, standing there, looking even more handsome than she had remembered earlier.
"I know, Amanda I just had to see you," he says. "I couldn't get any rest until we talked. Please can I come in, I know the boys are not home and I saw you mother just leave," he pleads.
She steps back so he can come in and says, "okay, what is it?"
"Amanda I need to know what you meant earlier, when you said, 'not exactly?" he says now with more aggravation in his voice.
"Lee, what difference does it make? I just said it," she says with a wicked smile.
Lee getting even more irritated by her, says "come off it Amanda there is more to it than that and you know it. Now spill it."
Now by this time she is getting a little upset herself. She was remembering the time when they kissed on that cruise they took to get married to keep their cover. And he said that is was business, nothing more. So why is it that he is so upset by her comment. "What is it with you 'Scarecrow'? I say something off the top of my head and it drives you crazy. You tell me that it was just two lonely people seeking a little warmth and I am suppose just let it go right? Well not this time, Stetson. This isn't 'St. Angelo'. We weren't trying to protect our cover this time. Matter of fact there was no one but the two of us out there at the time, so explain that?" she snaps.
Lee is stunned by her. Trying to figure out this woman is like trying to pull teeth. 'What is it about 'Amanda King' that drives me crazy?' he thinks to himself. "Amanda!" was all he got out before she continues.
"Lee, how long have we known each other? I thought we could tell each other anything. I guess that is only a one-way street, huh? Cause you expect me to open up to you, but when things get just little too hot for you, you run." she says, takes a short breath and continues, "You are a chicken, 'Scarecrow' Just a chicken."
Lee finally sees an opportunity to jump in and and starts to say, "Right I run. From what Amanda? What am I suppose to run from? There is nothing for me to run from here," he says, trying to cover the truth.
She finds herself snapping at him again with a good comeback, "Nothing to run from, huh? What about a housewife from Arlington, VA? How's that, Lee?" she says as it sinks into his head.
"Ha! Running from you? What would I be running from you for?" he says with just a little hesitation.
Amanda sees the opportunity to bring up the kiss and pounces. "How bout last night, Lee? Are you going to say that just because we were cold that that prompted you to try and kiss me." Thinking she has gotten something over on him she smiles, slyly.
"Like I said, Amanda we were cold and trying to keep warm. And I thought...." his words trailed as he couldn't come up with a good answer for this beautiful housewife.
"Yes, Lee. What were you going to say?" she prods.
He just stands there, stunned. "Amanda was right. For the first time, there was no excuse. He wanted to kiss her then , and even now he wants to. 'So why am I not doing it', Lee thinks to himself.
Finally Amanda goes over to the sofa, sits down and sighs says, "Lee, I wanted you to kiss me. I was hoping you would and when you looked at me and you started to come closer I thought to myself, gosh he's really going to kiss me, then those men interrupted us." She looks up at him still standing there, and continues, "I was so disappointed, and hoped you would try again later. But then you kept it business, just like always. Pretending nothing had almost happened. Lee I couldn't just let you think that it was two cold people seeking a little warmth, cause for me it wasn't that." By this time he was sitting on the sofa next to her looking into her eyes.
"Amanda, I... I..." He tries to tell her that he wanted it to but couldn't. Damn Stetson , tell her you wanted it too. "I..." he stops and takes her hand in his and kisses her softly on the lips. They both jump back startled at what just happened. Lee breaks the silence that had over taken the room. "Amanda, I wanted to kiss you last night too... Why do you think I pretended to have a cramp, having you that close to me was driving me insane. And that is the only way I knew how I could do it without you thinking I was coming on to you." He finally says.
She sits there not too surprised by his admitting that he didn't have a cramp. She couldn't believe he wanted to kiss her. It was what she had been hoping for the last few months, since she had noticed him looking at her in a different way. "Lee," she says.
"Yes," he replies.
But before anything was said they started to kiss again. Lee's hands were doing some exploring on her lower back as her hands was doing the same. Both trying not too go to far with what their feelings were really telling them.
After they finally broke the kiss, Lee says, "You're right Amanda, 'Not Exactly.' And they both smiled as they knew what he was talking about.