For personal use and select distribution only © February 2002 by Amber Stockton All that Glitters - tagalogueWritten by D. C. Black (excerpts from the episode belong to him)
"We haven't met." Alyssa extended her hand toward Amanda, her eyes quickly sizing up the woman in front of her. Amanda accepted Alyssa's handshake. "Uh, Amanda King." Lee cleared his throat and stammered slightly. "She's my partner." He nodded at Amanda and gestured toward himself with a slightly nervous smile. "Partner?" She gave Lee a knowing look, then shifted her gaze back to Amanda. "Yes, so wonderful to meet you." Her voice was as smooth as honey. "It's nice to meet you too. I've heard so much about you." Amanda smiled, and Lee glanced out of the corner of his eye to see the confidence in her expression. "Well, I haven't heard nearly enough about you," she stated with purpose, grasping Amanda's shoulder while pulling her forward. Amanda stumbled but righted herself and stepped toward the door. "Come on in, we need to talk...alone." Alyssa cast Lee a mischievous look, then continued to gently propel Amanda into the room, closing the door behind them. "Uh..." Lee was left standing out in the hall, holding the bouquet of flowers he had brought, unsure of what to do, but certain the conversation taking place inside the room was not a good thing. He sighed. There was no way he was going to get into that room, so he resignedly walked down the hall to the nurse's station and found a seat in the waiting room. If they talked longer than fifteen minutes, he was going to interrupt them, no matter what it took. * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * Inside her room, Alyssa relaxed in her seat with measured calm and faced Amanda, who sat in a chair opposite her. She formed a triangular tent with her fingers and crossed her right leg over her left before giving Amanda her undivided attention. "So..." she began, pausing for effect, "how did you manage to turn a confirmed bachelor into a one-woman man?" Amanda smiled. This woman was obviously quite the smooth operator when it came to getting what she wanted. It didn't take much imagination to see her as the type Lee would have found attractive during his bachelor days. However, Amanda knew she had no reason to worry about anything Alyssa would say. She knew whose ring she had and whose last name she shared. That along with the knowledge of Lee's love were enough to give her the assurance and calm she needed to face whatever roadblocks Alyssa would try to place in her path. "What makes you think that Mr. Stetson is a confirmed bachelor?" "Amanda, I know men. Our dear Lee was as confirmed a bachelor as they come. Believe me," Alyssa replied, her fingertips tapping against each other as she carefully watched Amanda over the top of her hands. "When he came to my home a few days ago, and didn't immediately join me in the hot tub ... well, let's just say the reception wasn't exactly as warm as I would have expected from him. It had been some time since we had last seen each other." "Did you stop to think that maybe he just wasn't interested?" "That thought did cross my mind, which was why I asked what her name was. He wouldn't say, of course, but when he introduced you a moment ago as his partner, I saw it in his eyes." Amanda still wasn't sure about Alyssa, and she wasn't ready to confess anything yet. "So, what makes you think that Mr. Stetson and I have anything more than a business relationship?" Alyssa lowered her hands to her lap, but continued to rest her elbows on the arms of the chair. "Come now, Amanda, we are women. Let's not pretend not to know when a man finds us attractive. After all, these games are what make it all worthwhile." She leaned forward. "And if I don't miss my guess, you've had quite a run of it with our dear, Lee, have you not?" Amanda nodded. "Mr. Stetson and I have had our ups and downs." "And has he pulled his suave little number of appearing in a tuxedo, trying to wine and dine you while making plans on whether you would go back to his place or yours for the night?" Unfazed by Alyssa's frank words, Amanda shrugged. "Well, he tried. I'll give him that." "And you expect me to believe that you actually turned down a chance to be with a prize like Lee?" "Let's just say that I'm not exactly the type to have a one-night stand," Amanda countered. Alyssa raised her eyebrows, and Amanda could detect a hint of admiration in her look. "Touché, Amanda! So, what type are you?" "A divorced mother with two boys," she replied honestly. "So, Lee's going for the family now? I am impressed!" If it had been anyone but Alyssa Danton, Amanda would have found the woman's honey-coated words an annoyance. However, she knew Alyssa was genuine. "It wasn't exactly very easy to convince him of that, though," Amanda said without thinking. "No," Alyssa replied and nodded, "but you just revealed to me that there is more going on with the two of you than you've been willing to admit so far in this conversation." Amanda knew she'd let it slip, but she also didn't get the feeling that there was any animosity coming from Alyssa. For some reason, Alyssa seemed more interested in learning more about her than in making any attempts to lure Lee away again. "So, let's dismiss the formalities, shall we? You no longer have to refer to Lee as Mr. Stetson, and we can be completely honest with each other." Amanda folded her hands in her lap. "What would you like to know?" "For starters, how long did it take to persuade Lee to keep his ball in your court alone?" "Well, that all depends on when you would consider him retiring from playing the field," she countered. "However, I'd say about a year-and-a-half." "And how long had you known each other by then?" "A little over two years." Alyssa smiled. "Ahh, so it took you a little while before baiting the hook." "As I said, I wasn't exactly one to involve myself in a midnight assignation. I have two boys that were uppermost in my mind. Despite what I wanted, I had to think of them." She paused for a moment, then smiled. "Lee may have resisted for quite a while, but he eventually came around to my way of thinking." Amanda slid forward in her chair. "I saw past the walls he'd carefully built and a man that was worth the pursuit," she said and stood. Alyssa placed her hands on the arms of her chair and gave Amanda a measured look. "And you're the only woman I know who has succeeded at that. You deserve a commendation." "Well, I already have my reward," she replied with assurance as she walked toward the door. Alyssa also stood. "So, are there wedding bells in Lee's future?" "There are just some things that a woman doesn't tell!" Amanda retorted with a smile, then reached for the handle to the door. * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * Having waited long enough, Lee tossed the magazine he hadn't really been reading on the table by the chair and stood. He grabbed the bouquet of flowers and resolutely marched back down the hall to Alyssa's room. Just as he raised his hand to knock, he heard laughter and the door came flying open. Amanda was startled at seeing him standing in the doorway, but she shared a secret smile with Alyssa and brushed past him without a word. Lee stood there, dumbfounded, looking from Alyssa to Amanda, who was walking down the hallway. He wasn't sure what he should do. Alyssa stepped toward him, took the bouquet from his hand, then placed a kiss on his cheek and whispered in his ear. "Congratulations." She pulled back and pinned him with an intent stare. "Now, don't let her get away." Giving his chest a little shove, she encouraged, "Go on." Lee gave Alyssa a nervous smile of thanks, then turned and half-jogged down the hall after Amanda. Catching up with her, he matched her stride and tried to think of what he would say. When she remained silent, he cleared his throat. "Uh, you're not gonna tell me what you two discussed, are you?" he asked, already knowing the answer. "Nope," Amanda replied, what appeared to be a grin tugging at the corner of her lips as she continued to walk. He couldn't help but smile at her attempt to maintain an air of superiority mixed with just the right amount of teasing to make him really curious. It was one of the things he loved about her. In this instance, he was worried. Neither Alyssa or Amanda was very innocent. The thought of the two of them talking together in private about him didn't exactly give him a comforting feeling. They walked through the double-doors leading outside and headed for Lee's car parked in the short-term parking lot off to the left. Not a word was spoken as Lee unlocked the passenger-side door and Amanda slid into the seat. He closed the door, then walked around front, smacked the hood of the car in frustration and unlocked his own door before settling himself into the seat. He put the key in the ignition, but paused before starting the car. "Amanda..." "Just drive, Stetson," she interrupted. Sighing, he placed his foot on the clutch and started the car, put it in gear and left the hospital. As he drove down several streets, Amanda's silence continued to worry him. Lee wasn't sure if she was really angry or if this was another one her games she was playing, courtesy of whatever Alyssa had told her in that room. Somehow, he had to find out what was said. The only way he was going to do that was to get Amanda on his own turf. She already had the upper hand, but he was going to even the score a little. It was nearing time for dinner, anyway. Lee wasn't going to let her leave without satisfying his curiosity, no matter what it took to get her to talk. That thought brought a smug grin to his lips. This could prove to be a very entertaining interrogation. Pulling alongside the curb in front of his apartment, he caught the little grin on Amanda's face as he shut off the engine and got out of the car, but pretended not to notice. He walked around the car to her side and opened the door for her, then helped her get out. As had long ago become a habit, she dangled his keys from her fingers and dropped them into his hand when he held it out. Together, they turned and walked toward the stairs to his building, ascended them to go inside, then proceeded to head for the elevator to his apartment. The silence was nearly driving Lee mad, but he schooled his expression and masked any frustration that might show. When they reached his door, he quickly unlocked it and pushed it open, allowing Amanda to enter in front of him. Once they were both inside, he closed the door and followed her into the main room. She walked around the couch and flopped backward onto the soft cushions, lifting her legs and propping her feet on the coffee table in front of her. For all appearances, comfortable and right at home. "So, do you have anything to eat around here?" she asked with obvious controlled nonchalance as she reached for a magazine and began flipping through the pages. Lee tossed his keys on the table by the answering machine and fought hard to control himself. "Eat?" was the only thing he could manage to say. "Yeah," she replied, "I am kind of hungry, and it is nearing dinner time." Lee came to stand partially in front of the couch and stared at her. He watched her eyes scan the pages, appearing to be interested in whatever she was reading, then took two steps toward the couch and sank onto the cushions to her right. Unable to resist, Lee leaned toward Amanda and placed his lips next to her ear, then whispered, "Me too," as he nibbled on her ear. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" Amanda replied with deadpan humor as she continued to read. Lee could tell she was struggling to maintain her focus on the words she was reading, and he didn't intend to make it any easier. "Hmmm," she murmured, making Lee smile at her attempt to take her mind off of his touch. "RCA's come out with a new VCR. Supposed to allow you to program it days in advance so you don't miss your show." Clasping her chin with his thumb and forefinger, he turned her head to face him. "A thing like that could come in handy for us. I can think of a few reasons why you would miss something on TV," he murmured in a low, husky voice, before closing the distance between them and initiating a kiss. Amanda was unresponsive at first, but he felt her begin to react. All of a sudden, she stiffened and pulled away. "You know, you really do need to work on your methods of persuasion," she teased. "If this is the best you can do..." She left the sentence dangling. Lee smirked and began softly stroking the side of her face. "Who said anything about persuasion? And believe me, this is *not* my best." Amanda placed a hand on his right sleeve. "I thought you were really interested in what Ms. Danton had to say." "Ohhh, there's ways of finding that out," he stated with calm self-assurance, while running his fingers across her shoulder and down her arm. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, then moved back a little toward her ear. Lee wasn't really concerned about what Alyssa had said. If it had been bad, Amanda wouldn't have willingly come with him back to his apartment. One point in his favor. "Oh? Something you learned in Interrogation 101?" she teased. "Nope," Lee answered simply, then lowered his voice and moved his lips to her neck, amazed at her self-control. "Something I learned while getting to know you." He raised his head to place a quick kiss on her lips and nose, then pulled away and leaned against the back of the couch. Although he would have much rather continued his soft interrogation, there was time later for that. Crossing his right leg over his left knee, he placed his hands behind his head. "You'll tell me, eventually." "Ha-ha!" she exclaimed in triumph. "Don't bet on it, Stetson." Casting a look in his direction, she scooted forward and stood, then walked around the coffee table and over to the desk by the wall. Lee watched her pick up a couple of papers and sift through them, then she remarked. "You know, in all that stuff I found while cleaning out your apartment, I don't remember seeing anything with Alyssa's name on it. For someone who was supposed to have had such a steamy relationship with you, you didn't have anything around to remember her by." Lee chuckled and uncrossed his legs, then stood and walked over to the bar. "That's because we always met at her place." He poured a little scotch into a small shot glass. "Still, it must not have been too serious," she continued, "or her name would have come up already." Lee tossed the scotch down his throat, set the glass back down, then walked toward Amanda. "You're not jealous are you?" She looked up when he came to stand in front of her. "No." He wrapped his arms around her and drew her forward a little. "So, what did Alyssa tell you?" he asked, slowly and methodically running his hands up and down her back. Amanda smiled with a glint in her eyes, obviously at his bad attempt to not sound curious. "Enough," she answered simply, a mischievous gleam stealing into her eyes as she rested her hands at his waist. "Enough for what?" "Enough to know that she doesn't stand a chance," she replied with certainty. Lee reached up and undid her tie, slowly sliding it from around her neck before tossing it carelessly on the couch. "So, did she spill all of my deep, dark, secrets?" he whispered, kissing her cheek, jawbone and neck in succession as a punctuation to the last three words. "Not all of them," Amanda breathed. Lee smiled at her obvious reaction to him. He placed his hands at her shoulders and pushed her green vest from her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor. Then, he undid the first two buttons of her blouse and slid his hands underneath the collar of the fabric as he leaned forward and returned his lips to her neck. She lifted her chin, allowing him better access. When he kissed the sensitive spot just below her left ear, she moaned. A chuckle escaped his lips as he raised his head to look at her. "So, are my methods of persuasion improving?" "Not bad," she rasped, a twinkle in her eyes. "Oh really?" He feigned surprise at her remark, but knew she was merely doing an admirable job at pretending to not be affected. "Well, let's see what I can do about that," he playfully threatened then lowered his hands once more to her waist as he pulled her blouse from the waist of her skirt, then immediately slipped his hands beneath the fabric to make direct contact with her bare skin. His hands methodically moved up and down against her waist and ribcage, then slid to her back where he began to massage his fingers into her soft skin. Feeling her relax against his ministrations, he pulled her forward. Amanda's hands slid up his chest to rest on his shoulders. Her eyes drifted shut. Lee could tell Amanda was rapidly losing the ability to ignore his touch. Moving his hands back to her waist, he slowly slid them down over her hips, then back up again. This time, he locked his fingers behind her back, the ends of her blouse bunched a little against his arms. With the slightest forward motion, Lee covered Amanda's lips with his and initiated a kiss that was full of promise for what was to come. A moment later, he pulled back and gazed down into her upturned face, waiting until her eyes fluttered open before speaking. "Have I convinced you yet?" "Mmm. I'd say you're off to a good start," she replied with a smile. Lee chuckled. "That's good, because I have no interest in the kind of life I used to lead. You should know that by now. You're everything I've ever wanted or needed. Alyssa was just one distraction among many until I figured it out." Leaning forward, he placed his forehead against hers and spoke in a low tone. "And speaking of distractions..." Amanda smiled and gazed into his eyes. "I'm looking forward to it..." (THE END) |
