Scarecrow and Mrs. King
“Our Little Secret”
Written by Anne Riener
A little tag extension for the episode "Three Little Spies" written by Tom Chehak which originally aired on April 7, 1986.
For Séverine who wanted a late third season Lee and Amanda story.
“Our Little Secret”
Written by Anne Riener
A little tag extension for the episode "Three Little Spies" written by Tom Chehak which originally aired on April 7, 1986.
For Séverine who wanted a late third season Lee and Amanda story.
Amanda King watched the streetlamp posts pass by while sitting in the passenger seat of her partner and best friend’s Corvette. Turning her head slightly, she slipped a glance and studied Lee as he skillfully maneuvered the high-performance sports car through the suburban streets of Arlington. She analyzed his profile for a moment, alternating between thinking and observing him. He had been oddly quiet this evening. She then turned back to staring out the window. Fingering the heart pendant on her necklace, she wondered what was going on inside his head.
Lee Stetson glanced over at his passenger, as she watched the passing landscape. A moment later, he turned his attention back onto the road, and pondered the woman sitting next to him. Amanda had been mysteriously quiet since they had returned from the airport and he wondered what she was thinking about. Sensing her eyes on him, he turned his head, catching her, stealing a glance and then she quickly went back to looking out the passenger window. He chuckled softly and smiled at her.
Blush furiously spread up her neck and face as she realized she had been caught. She ducked her head shyly, but from the glass reflection of the passenger window, she saw him smiling at her—that infamous dimpled grin that made her go weak in the knees. She then saw him turn his attention back to his driving. A slight chill in the air caused her to shiver.
From the corner of his eye, he saw her tremble, so Lee reached across the dash to turn up the heat. Then keeping one hand on the steering wheel, he clasped Amanda’s hand and stroked the back of hers with his thumb. She looked down at their joined hands and then gazed up at him and
smiled—that beautiful smile that made his heart skip a beat.
A few moments later, they arrived at their destination. Lining up with the curb, Lee parked the car in front of Amanda’s house and turned off the ignition. “Home, sweet home,” he announced.
“Yes,” Amanda replied.
“Are you doing anything, umm, well, I mean, do you have anything special planned for this evening?” The words tumbled out awkwardly. Lee cleared his throat and nervously ran his hand through his hair. “Would you care to join me for dinner?”
“I would love to, Lee; however, I promised Mother I would spend some time with her when I got back.”
Trying not to look disappointed, Lee lightly shrugged his broad shoulders. “A rain check then.”
Amanda nodded. “Yes, sure, a rain check.”
Neither one was eager to part company and for a moment the two of them simply focused on each other.
Lee broke the comfortable silence between them and in a gentle voice, he told her, “You seem a bit distracted tonight.”
“I was just thinking.”
“About?” He draped his arm across the passenger seat.
“Not much.” She casually shrugged. “It certainly has been an interesting week, working with Russian and Chinese Intelligence to find those missing detonators.”
He gently squeezed her shoulder and he knew they both felt the jolt of electricity initiated from the contact. “You were great.”
“Just doing my job.”
He shook his head firmly. “No. Level heads prevailed and you were indispensable in helping keep the peace.” Hazel eyes met brown once more, and he continued, “You amaze me.”
“I do?” A warm tingling sensation coursed through Amanda’s body.
He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Mm-hm. I meant what I said on the plane—a friendly face makes all the difference.”
Color rose to Amanda’s cheeks again and she lowered her eyes. Her heart pulsated and she took in a shaky breath. She then felt Lee’s other hand move beneath her chin, while his fingers gently lifted her face upward.
“I don’t know what I would have done without you.” Lee began to move closer to her, feeling intoxicated by her sweet perfume. He watched her eyelids lower. Then his gaze fell to her mouth and he observed her tongue came out to moisten her lips, before she answered, “We work well together.”
“I agree.”
“Well, at least we agree on something.”
“I think we agree on a lot, Mrs. King.” Lee held her face in his hands and instinctively bridged the short distance between them. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do all evening.”
His breath was hot against her face and sent chills down her spine. She heard a soft sigh escape her lips. “Yeah? What?”
“This.” He leaned in capturing her lips. The kiss began softly, almost tentatively at first, their lips barely touching. It was a gentle kiss, not too demanding, but hinted at the devotion he felt for her. He then deepened the kiss.
A moment later, they broke apart and he placed a gentle kiss on her nose. Gazing down into her passion-filled brown eyes which twinkled with flakes of gold illuminated in the soft glow of the streetlights, he smiled at her. “You really do have a cute nose.”
Laughing, she playfully slapped him. "Stop that."
He gave her a sly wink. "Stop what?" he asked. "This?" Lee leaned in to kiss her again, when suddenly; they heard the sound of a car horn and saw a bright pair of headlights behind them.
Lee and Amanda jumped apart. They both turned around to see who had interrupted them and saw Joe’s BMW pull up behind Lee’s Corvette.
Startled Amanda asked Lee, “What day is today?”
“Friday,” he answered.
“Joe has the boys this weekend. I better go inside and make sure they're ready.”
Amanda was out of the car before Lee had a chance to open his door. Lee popped open the trunk, stepped out of the Corvette, and walked behind the vehicle. He took out Amanda’s suitcase, which Joe grabbed.
“Amanda,” Joe said warmly, followed by a gruff, “Stetson.” With his free hand, he extended a handshake.
“Joe,” Lee returned.
“Sweetheart.” Lee bristled; hearing Amanda call her ex-husband ‘sweetheart’. He gritted his teeth and the muscles in his face twitched slightly.
“What were you two doing?” Joe asked them.
“Ummm.” Amanda blushed three shades of bright crimson.
Lee cleared his throat, swallowed hard, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants.
“Never mind. I know enough about the Agency to know I don’t want to know.”
Amanda's hands fluttered and she gestured wildly. “Here Joe, let me take my bag and I will go check on the boys.” She took her suitcase, walked down the pathway and up the stairs to the front door and then entered the house. “Mother, I’m home,” Amanda called out.
Dotty came around the corner and entered the front entryway. “Amanda, you're back! Why didn't you call?” She gave Amanda a motherly hug.
“Are the boys ready? Joe’s outside wanting for them.” Amanda put the suitcase down on the floor.
Dotty opened the door to wave at Joe, when she saw him talking to another man. “Who is Joe talking to?” Amanda did not answer. “Is that Mr. Steadman?”
“Stetson,” Amanda mumbled under her breath and blew her bangs out of her eyes.
“What, Dear?”
Amanda walked over to the foot of the stairs and hollered. “Fellas, your Dad is here!”
“We’ll be right down,” Phillip’s voice echoed from the hallway.
“Does he drive a silver sports car? Wasn’t there a silver sports car parked in front of the house last week?”
Amanda picked up her suitcase again and shoved it into the coat closet. “I don’t know, Mother. You know those sports cars; they all look alike.”
“Harrumph.” Dotty took another long look at Lee and shut the front door. “And how does Joe know Mr. Steadman?”
Amanda grimaced. “They met when Joe returned from Africa.”
“He has a strong profile,” Dotty remarked.
“Joe?”
“No, Missy. Mr. Steadman.”
“I hadn’t noticed.”
Dotty pursed her lips skeptically. “Well, then I think you better set up an appointment with Dr. Olsen.”
“The optometrist? Why?”
“Because you need to have your eyes examined.”
Amanda turned her back away from her mother and rolled her eyes heavenward.
At that moment, they both heard the thundering noise of the boys running down the stairs, carrying their overnight bags. At the same time, the doorbell chimed.
“I’ll get the door,” Dotty said, opening the door for Joe. As he stepped in, she glanced outside, but was disappointed to see the sports car was gone.
“Alright, Fellas. Did you pack clean pajamas and a toothbrush?” Amanda asked them both.
“Yes, Mom,” Jamie answered. Phillip nodded affirmatively, then smacked his brother on the shoulder.
Amanda broke them apart before Jamie had a chance to retaliate. “Okay. Have a great time with your Dad and I’ll see you Sunday.” She leaned down and pointed to both of her cheeks. Phillip kissed the right cheek, while Jamie kissed the left one. Then Joe, Jamie, and Phillip headed out the front door. Amanda waved to them one more time. “Love you.” She watched them drive away, then shut the door and turned around to face the inquisition from her mother. “How about I make us some tea and we can have a nice trip down memory lane like you wanted.”
Dotty folded her arms across her chest. “Sounds good.”
Amanda walked into the kitchen with her mother close at her heels. She looked at the worn doll she had left on the breakfast bar. Then she took a teakettle from the stove and filled it with water from the sink. Placing the kettle back on the stove, she turned to face her mother and watched her pick up the doll, gently rocking her.
“You couldn’t have been any older than four when we gave you Lois Ann. You would hold her, and rock her, and tell her all your secrets. I guess even back then you were secretive. But I don’t want to hear about your old rag doll. I want to know more about your Mr. Steadman.”
“Mother, he’s not my Mr. –” Amanda rolled her eyes in exasperation and groaned. It was going to be a long night.
*****
Several hours later, Amanda was curled up on the sofa watching TV. She was wearing a nightgown and housecoat, when she heard a familiar soft knock on her backdoor. Smiling, she waved Lee in.
He opened the door and took a couple tentative steps inside. “Is the coast clear?” he asked.
“Mother’s upstairs. She took a hot bubble bath and then went to bed.” She then patted the adjoining cushion on the sofa, picked up the remote, and turned off the television.
Lee walked over to the couch and sat down beside her.
“What are you doing here?” Amanda asked knowingly.
“I just stopped by to see how things were with you. Did the boys get off okay?”
“Yes.”
“Good. And did you have a good evening with your Mother?”
Amanda shifted uncomfortably. “She had a million and one questions about you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. She thinks you have good posture, a strong profile, a beautiful sports car, and she wants to know why I haven’t invited you over for dinner.”
A look of pure male satisfaction crossed his face and she shook her head. The man was just too charming for his own good. “In other words, she was impressed with what she saw.”
“She doesn’t know you very well.” A smile teased the corner of her lips.
“Why you.” He reached over to tickle her, when he noticed her clutching a doll close to her chest. “Hey, who is this little lady?”
“Lois Ann, I want you to meet Lee Stetson. Lee Stetson, Lois Ann.”
“Pleasure.” He tipped an imaginary hat.
“I still can’t believe my mother kept her all these years.” She hugged the doll tightly, and then continued. “She was my best friend for a long time.” Amanda paused for a moment and looked straight at Lee, her voice low and serious. “However, now that honor goes to you.”
“Nice to know I rate better than an old rag doll,” he teased, then wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he pulled her closer to him.
She snuggled against his chest. “We make quite the pair, don’t we?”
He laughed quietly. “That we do. And it will only get better with age.”
Amanda raised her head and turned to look at him again. “Such as?”
He leaned over and whispered into Amanda’s ear. Seeing her face flush, he acknowledged with a wink, “It will be our little secret.”
Lee Stetson glanced over at his passenger, as she watched the passing landscape. A moment later, he turned his attention back onto the road, and pondered the woman sitting next to him. Amanda had been mysteriously quiet since they had returned from the airport and he wondered what she was thinking about. Sensing her eyes on him, he turned his head, catching her, stealing a glance and then she quickly went back to looking out the passenger window. He chuckled softly and smiled at her.
Blush furiously spread up her neck and face as she realized she had been caught. She ducked her head shyly, but from the glass reflection of the passenger window, she saw him smiling at her—that infamous dimpled grin that made her go weak in the knees. She then saw him turn his attention back to his driving. A slight chill in the air caused her to shiver.
From the corner of his eye, he saw her tremble, so Lee reached across the dash to turn up the heat. Then keeping one hand on the steering wheel, he clasped Amanda’s hand and stroked the back of hers with his thumb. She looked down at their joined hands and then gazed up at him and
smiled—that beautiful smile that made his heart skip a beat.
A few moments later, they arrived at their destination. Lining up with the curb, Lee parked the car in front of Amanda’s house and turned off the ignition. “Home, sweet home,” he announced.
“Yes,” Amanda replied.
“Are you doing anything, umm, well, I mean, do you have anything special planned for this evening?” The words tumbled out awkwardly. Lee cleared his throat and nervously ran his hand through his hair. “Would you care to join me for dinner?”
“I would love to, Lee; however, I promised Mother I would spend some time with her when I got back.”
Trying not to look disappointed, Lee lightly shrugged his broad shoulders. “A rain check then.”
Amanda nodded. “Yes, sure, a rain check.”
Neither one was eager to part company and for a moment the two of them simply focused on each other.
Lee broke the comfortable silence between them and in a gentle voice, he told her, “You seem a bit distracted tonight.”
“I was just thinking.”
“About?” He draped his arm across the passenger seat.
“Not much.” She casually shrugged. “It certainly has been an interesting week, working with Russian and Chinese Intelligence to find those missing detonators.”
He gently squeezed her shoulder and he knew they both felt the jolt of electricity initiated from the contact. “You were great.”
“Just doing my job.”
He shook his head firmly. “No. Level heads prevailed and you were indispensable in helping keep the peace.” Hazel eyes met brown once more, and he continued, “You amaze me.”
“I do?” A warm tingling sensation coursed through Amanda’s body.
He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Mm-hm. I meant what I said on the plane—a friendly face makes all the difference.”
Color rose to Amanda’s cheeks again and she lowered her eyes. Her heart pulsated and she took in a shaky breath. She then felt Lee’s other hand move beneath her chin, while his fingers gently lifted her face upward.
“I don’t know what I would have done without you.” Lee began to move closer to her, feeling intoxicated by her sweet perfume. He watched her eyelids lower. Then his gaze fell to her mouth and he observed her tongue came out to moisten her lips, before she answered, “We work well together.”
“I agree.”
“Well, at least we agree on something.”
“I think we agree on a lot, Mrs. King.” Lee held her face in his hands and instinctively bridged the short distance between them. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do all evening.”
His breath was hot against her face and sent chills down her spine. She heard a soft sigh escape her lips. “Yeah? What?”
“This.” He leaned in capturing her lips. The kiss began softly, almost tentatively at first, their lips barely touching. It was a gentle kiss, not too demanding, but hinted at the devotion he felt for her. He then deepened the kiss.
A moment later, they broke apart and he placed a gentle kiss on her nose. Gazing down into her passion-filled brown eyes which twinkled with flakes of gold illuminated in the soft glow of the streetlights, he smiled at her. “You really do have a cute nose.”
Laughing, she playfully slapped him. "Stop that."
He gave her a sly wink. "Stop what?" he asked. "This?" Lee leaned in to kiss her again, when suddenly; they heard the sound of a car horn and saw a bright pair of headlights behind them.
Lee and Amanda jumped apart. They both turned around to see who had interrupted them and saw Joe’s BMW pull up behind Lee’s Corvette.
Startled Amanda asked Lee, “What day is today?”
“Friday,” he answered.
“Joe has the boys this weekend. I better go inside and make sure they're ready.”
Amanda was out of the car before Lee had a chance to open his door. Lee popped open the trunk, stepped out of the Corvette, and walked behind the vehicle. He took out Amanda’s suitcase, which Joe grabbed.
“Amanda,” Joe said warmly, followed by a gruff, “Stetson.” With his free hand, he extended a handshake.
“Joe,” Lee returned.
“Sweetheart.” Lee bristled; hearing Amanda call her ex-husband ‘sweetheart’. He gritted his teeth and the muscles in his face twitched slightly.
“What were you two doing?” Joe asked them.
“Ummm.” Amanda blushed three shades of bright crimson.
Lee cleared his throat, swallowed hard, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants.
“Never mind. I know enough about the Agency to know I don’t want to know.”
Amanda's hands fluttered and she gestured wildly. “Here Joe, let me take my bag and I will go check on the boys.” She took her suitcase, walked down the pathway and up the stairs to the front door and then entered the house. “Mother, I’m home,” Amanda called out.
Dotty came around the corner and entered the front entryway. “Amanda, you're back! Why didn't you call?” She gave Amanda a motherly hug.
“Are the boys ready? Joe’s outside wanting for them.” Amanda put the suitcase down on the floor.
Dotty opened the door to wave at Joe, when she saw him talking to another man. “Who is Joe talking to?” Amanda did not answer. “Is that Mr. Steadman?”
“Stetson,” Amanda mumbled under her breath and blew her bangs out of her eyes.
“What, Dear?”
Amanda walked over to the foot of the stairs and hollered. “Fellas, your Dad is here!”
“We’ll be right down,” Phillip’s voice echoed from the hallway.
“Does he drive a silver sports car? Wasn’t there a silver sports car parked in front of the house last week?”
Amanda picked up her suitcase again and shoved it into the coat closet. “I don’t know, Mother. You know those sports cars; they all look alike.”
“Harrumph.” Dotty took another long look at Lee and shut the front door. “And how does Joe know Mr. Steadman?”
Amanda grimaced. “They met when Joe returned from Africa.”
“He has a strong profile,” Dotty remarked.
“Joe?”
“No, Missy. Mr. Steadman.”
“I hadn’t noticed.”
Dotty pursed her lips skeptically. “Well, then I think you better set up an appointment with Dr. Olsen.”
“The optometrist? Why?”
“Because you need to have your eyes examined.”
Amanda turned her back away from her mother and rolled her eyes heavenward.
At that moment, they both heard the thundering noise of the boys running down the stairs, carrying their overnight bags. At the same time, the doorbell chimed.
“I’ll get the door,” Dotty said, opening the door for Joe. As he stepped in, she glanced outside, but was disappointed to see the sports car was gone.
“Alright, Fellas. Did you pack clean pajamas and a toothbrush?” Amanda asked them both.
“Yes, Mom,” Jamie answered. Phillip nodded affirmatively, then smacked his brother on the shoulder.
Amanda broke them apart before Jamie had a chance to retaliate. “Okay. Have a great time with your Dad and I’ll see you Sunday.” She leaned down and pointed to both of her cheeks. Phillip kissed the right cheek, while Jamie kissed the left one. Then Joe, Jamie, and Phillip headed out the front door. Amanda waved to them one more time. “Love you.” She watched them drive away, then shut the door and turned around to face the inquisition from her mother. “How about I make us some tea and we can have a nice trip down memory lane like you wanted.”
Dotty folded her arms across her chest. “Sounds good.”
Amanda walked into the kitchen with her mother close at her heels. She looked at the worn doll she had left on the breakfast bar. Then she took a teakettle from the stove and filled it with water from the sink. Placing the kettle back on the stove, she turned to face her mother and watched her pick up the doll, gently rocking her.
“You couldn’t have been any older than four when we gave you Lois Ann. You would hold her, and rock her, and tell her all your secrets. I guess even back then you were secretive. But I don’t want to hear about your old rag doll. I want to know more about your Mr. Steadman.”
“Mother, he’s not my Mr. –” Amanda rolled her eyes in exasperation and groaned. It was going to be a long night.
*****
Several hours later, Amanda was curled up on the sofa watching TV. She was wearing a nightgown and housecoat, when she heard a familiar soft knock on her backdoor. Smiling, she waved Lee in.
He opened the door and took a couple tentative steps inside. “Is the coast clear?” he asked.
“Mother’s upstairs. She took a hot bubble bath and then went to bed.” She then patted the adjoining cushion on the sofa, picked up the remote, and turned off the television.
Lee walked over to the couch and sat down beside her.
“What are you doing here?” Amanda asked knowingly.
“I just stopped by to see how things were with you. Did the boys get off okay?”
“Yes.”
“Good. And did you have a good evening with your Mother?”
Amanda shifted uncomfortably. “She had a million and one questions about you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. She thinks you have good posture, a strong profile, a beautiful sports car, and she wants to know why I haven’t invited you over for dinner.”
A look of pure male satisfaction crossed his face and she shook her head. The man was just too charming for his own good. “In other words, she was impressed with what she saw.”
“She doesn’t know you very well.” A smile teased the corner of her lips.
“Why you.” He reached over to tickle her, when he noticed her clutching a doll close to her chest. “Hey, who is this little lady?”
“Lois Ann, I want you to meet Lee Stetson. Lee Stetson, Lois Ann.”
“Pleasure.” He tipped an imaginary hat.
“I still can’t believe my mother kept her all these years.” She hugged the doll tightly, and then continued. “She was my best friend for a long time.” Amanda paused for a moment and looked straight at Lee, her voice low and serious. “However, now that honor goes to you.”
“Nice to know I rate better than an old rag doll,” he teased, then wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he pulled her closer to him.
She snuggled against his chest. “We make quite the pair, don’t we?”
He laughed quietly. “That we do. And it will only get better with age.”
Amanda raised her head and turned to look at him again. “Such as?”
He leaned over and whispered into Amanda’s ear. Seeing her face flush, he acknowledged with a wink, “It will be our little secret.”
