(no subject)
A little more setup for my story. It's sad but slm76 can use it as a good excuse to cry.
“Amanda, we’ve been over this. The security team has been over it. My eyes are starting to cross,” Francine complained. “Let’s call it a night.”
Amanda waved her hand. “You go. I still think there’s something about the ambassador’s reception that’s, well, off. I’m going to go over the file one more time.”
Francine walked to the office door. “If I’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s that your hunches are usually right. Call me if you find anything.”
Amanda nodded and continued reading the background check of the ambassador’s secretary. She barely noticed her partner’s departure and completely missed the door opening ten minutes later.
“Hello, Amanda.”
Amanda slowly put the paper she held on her desk. She raised her eyes and looked at her husband. Lee Stetson had changed. His hair was much shorter, almost shaved. He had a beard and dark tan. He was still the most handsome man she had ever seen.
“Lee, when did you get back?” Was that really the best she could do? It had been over a year since they had seen each other.
“Yesterday. I’ve been debriefing.”
“Oh.” Amanda searched for something to say. “Are you okay?”
He nodded.
Amanda stood up and approached him. They awkwardly hugged and quickly pulled away. She hated this and thought maybe he did, too. “Have you got a place to stay?”
“There’s an Agency apartment here in Georgetown that I can use for a while.” Lee ran his hand over his head. Amanda missed seeing the locks of his hair fall back into place. “I was thinking we could grab some dinner. That is, if you don’t have to head home because of the boys.”
“No, they’re with Joe,” Amanda replied. “Dinner sounds nice.”
Lee smiled for the first time. “Emilio’s?”
She returned his smile, beginning to feel a little hope. “Sure.”
~smk~
Lee and Amanda spoke very little during dinner and the ride back to the Agency. Once again in the Q Bureau, Amanda asked the question to which she already knew the answer. If he had come for a reunion, Emilio’s would have been the perfect spot to bring it up. “Are you back for good?”
Lee shook his head. “No.” He exhaled loudly. “There’s been a major shake-up in the West Berlin office.”
“I know. I read the briefing.” She waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she sat down on the couch. “Was that your assignment?”
Lee nodded. “It’s been a real mess, two double agents and the Russians bankrolling the whole thing. I guess you heard that Horner’s out?”
“Yeah, it’s a real shame. He was clean, wasn’t he?” She wanted to steer the conversation in a more personal direction but let him lead for now.
Lee sat down beside her. “He was but it all happened on his watch.” Lee stood up again. “That’s where I come in.”
Amanda understood now that he was taking over the West Berlin office. He was finally taking the desk job that would make it possible for them to live and work as husband and wife. The only problem was that the job was an ocean away from Arlington. “Shouldn’t we have discussed this before you accepted?”
Lee winced. “Amanda,” he started and then paused. He once again sat beside her on the couch. “I don’t think there is a ‘we’ anymore.”
Tears quickly formed in Amanda’s eyes. She looked away and took several deep breaths. It was happening again. A job was costing her a marriage. Worse still, the same job that brought Lee into her life was now removing him from it. “I, uh, I guess that’s it then. I’ll see my lawyer soon.”
Lee took her hand. “This isn’t what I wanted.”
“It isn’t what either one of us wanted but that doesn’t matter now, does it?”
Lee stood and walked over to the door. “I’ll get my new address to you as soon as I’m settled. You can have your lawyer, well, you know.”
Their eyes met, both wet with tears. Amanda stood. Lee placed his hand on the doorknob. “Lee…”
They met in the middle of the office. Hands quickly found familiar holds and lips met almost brutally. It was rough and wet and over all too soon. Lee’s index finger traced Amanda’s cheekbone. He kissed her forehead and left without another word. Amanda cried herself to sleep on the couch.
“Amanda, we’ve been over this. The security team has been over it. My eyes are starting to cross,” Francine complained. “Let’s call it a night.”
Amanda waved her hand. “You go. I still think there’s something about the ambassador’s reception that’s, well, off. I’m going to go over the file one more time.”
Francine walked to the office door. “If I’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s that your hunches are usually right. Call me if you find anything.”
Amanda nodded and continued reading the background check of the ambassador’s secretary. She barely noticed her partner’s departure and completely missed the door opening ten minutes later.
“Hello, Amanda.”
Amanda slowly put the paper she held on her desk. She raised her eyes and looked at her husband. Lee Stetson had changed. His hair was much shorter, almost shaved. He had a beard and dark tan. He was still the most handsome man she had ever seen.
“Lee, when did you get back?” Was that really the best she could do? It had been over a year since they had seen each other.
“Yesterday. I’ve been debriefing.”
“Oh.” Amanda searched for something to say. “Are you okay?”
He nodded.
Amanda stood up and approached him. They awkwardly hugged and quickly pulled away. She hated this and thought maybe he did, too. “Have you got a place to stay?”
“There’s an Agency apartment here in Georgetown that I can use for a while.” Lee ran his hand over his head. Amanda missed seeing the locks of his hair fall back into place. “I was thinking we could grab some dinner. That is, if you don’t have to head home because of the boys.”
“No, they’re with Joe,” Amanda replied. “Dinner sounds nice.”
Lee smiled for the first time. “Emilio’s?”
She returned his smile, beginning to feel a little hope. “Sure.”
~smk~
Lee and Amanda spoke very little during dinner and the ride back to the Agency. Once again in the Q Bureau, Amanda asked the question to which she already knew the answer. If he had come for a reunion, Emilio’s would have been the perfect spot to bring it up. “Are you back for good?”
Lee shook his head. “No.” He exhaled loudly. “There’s been a major shake-up in the West Berlin office.”
“I know. I read the briefing.” She waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she sat down on the couch. “Was that your assignment?”
Lee nodded. “It’s been a real mess, two double agents and the Russians bankrolling the whole thing. I guess you heard that Horner’s out?”
“Yeah, it’s a real shame. He was clean, wasn’t he?” She wanted to steer the conversation in a more personal direction but let him lead for now.
Lee sat down beside her. “He was but it all happened on his watch.” Lee stood up again. “That’s where I come in.”
Amanda understood now that he was taking over the West Berlin office. He was finally taking the desk job that would make it possible for them to live and work as husband and wife. The only problem was that the job was an ocean away from Arlington. “Shouldn’t we have discussed this before you accepted?”
Lee winced. “Amanda,” he started and then paused. He once again sat beside her on the couch. “I don’t think there is a ‘we’ anymore.”
Tears quickly formed in Amanda’s eyes. She looked away and took several deep breaths. It was happening again. A job was costing her a marriage. Worse still, the same job that brought Lee into her life was now removing him from it. “I, uh, I guess that’s it then. I’ll see my lawyer soon.”
Lee took her hand. “This isn’t what I wanted.”
“It isn’t what either one of us wanted but that doesn’t matter now, does it?”
Lee stood and walked over to the door. “I’ll get my new address to you as soon as I’m settled. You can have your lawyer, well, you know.”
Their eyes met, both wet with tears. Amanda stood. Lee placed his hand on the doorknob. “Lee…”
They met in the middle of the office. Hands quickly found familiar holds and lips met almost brutally. It was rough and wet and over all too soon. Lee’s index finger traced Amanda’s cheekbone. He kissed her forehead and left without another word. Amanda cried herself to sleep on the couch.