A Little Push
by matahari2
Summary / Disclaimer, Etc.: See Chapter One.
Chapter Ten - Anticipation Rewarded
Amanda King hadn't cornered the market on that heady mix of anticipation and nervousness. No, Lee Stetson definitely had his fair share of both. He'd been on pins and needles all day, not knowing what to say (or not say) to Amanda, and he was thankful that the Stadium security meeting had gone on as long as it had. He'd only had that brief exchange with Amanda, before she left to go shopping with Emily, shopping for something red, he hoped. She did look terrific in red. Oh well, at least he could keep busy through the evening, checking in with Frank Duffy and his security crew for the invitation-only mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
Two hours after the church doors had opened, the special mass ended and all of the invited guests exited the magnificent structure. Happily, nothing unexpected had marred the occasion. So the first event could be removed from the Agency's checklist. When the other agents left to follow the papal entourage back to the hotel, Lee Stetson headed for his apartment in Georgetown. He drove past the Lambda Chi fraternity house and checked in with the surveillance team there by radio. So far, they hadn't seen or heard anything unusual, but it was just after 10:00 p.m., and they had at least ten more hours to stay on the alert. There would be a staggered shift change between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., so that it wouldn't be so obvious as it would have been if there were five or six watchers, all trading places at the same time. He'd done what he could do for tonight. It would be a short night and an early morning. The Agency's security team for the youth rally at RFK Stadium had to be in place by 7:00 a.m., long before the audience would begin to spill out of the 300-plus buses and vans which would start arriving shortly after 8:00. Lee felt as though he was mentally exhausted enough to finally get a little sleep, and for once, it was true. Trouble was, he missed 'The Dream'.
After Amanda's shopping excursion with Emily, she had a little explaining to do when she arrived at home with her brand-new ball gown. "Hello, Mother! I'm home!" Amanda called into the kitchen as she carried her treasures in through the back door.
"My goodness, Amanda, what is the occasion? What a lovely new dress!" Dotty exclaimed. "Did I hear you correctly, you went shopping for it with your friend Emily?"
"Yes, Mother," Amanda began, "You remember Emily, Lady Emily Farnsworth? She was here for a visit last December...we painted the dining room..."
"Gray. Yes, I remember. I remember re-painting it later on. But yes, I do remember Emily, too. Such a nice lady," Dotty said. "What brings her to our fair city?"
"Well..." Think fast, Amanda. "Emily's late husband Charles was a close friend of the current British Ambassador to the U.S., and he invited her for a special party that will be held tomorrow night at the embassy."
"All right, Amanda," Dotty said, "that explains Emily's invitation. How did you get invited?"
"I asked Emily about that, and she said that she had asked the Ambassador to invite us, too, because we're her good friends," Amanda admitted. 'Oh my gosh!' she thought, 'did I say US?'
Dotty doesn't miss a trick. She didn't miss this one, either. "Amanda! Did you say 'us'? Does that mean your family is invited? What on earth would I wear? And there's Phillip and Jamie...what about them?"
"Motherrrrr!" Amanda cried, trying to stem Dotty's flood of questions. "I didn't mean 'us' (pointing between Dotty and herself), 'us'. I meant me and someone else, 'us'."
"Ohhhh," Dotty said, with one eyebrow threatening to reach the ceiling. "Was your 'Mr. Steadman'..."
"Stetson, Mother. Lee Stetson," was all Amanda could get in edgewise.
"All right, Stetson. Was he invited, too?" Dotty asked.
Amanda nodded slightly and answered meekly, "Yes, Mother."
"There's no need to explain the beautiful new dress, Amanda...I understand, dear." Dotty said as she rolled her eyes and turned to ascend the stairs. "I hope you two...er, three...have a wonderful time."
'I love my mother. I really do. I just wish she'd leave well enough alone sometimes!' Amanda thought, as she gathered her packages and went upstairs to put them away and check in with Phillip and Jamie before bedtime. Bedtime...sleep...she didn't hold out much hope for that, but it had been a long day, with so much to think about.
At 5:30 a.m., Gianni Costello was already inside the Lambda Chi house. The fact is, he'd been there since before any of the agents had arrived to watch the place. He'd hidden up in the attic since Wednesday morning, two days ago. Aldo had provided him with the drugs he would need to keep the students in the back bedroom on the third floor from interrupting his activities, when the time came. It took him a little while to store the blowgun and the curare-tipped darts within the tubing of Calcagno's wheelchair. He had to be careful not to touch any of the poison-coated tips. The prospect of dying by curare poisoning isn't a pretty one. The victim simply stops breathing when their skeletal muscles become relaxed and then paralyzed. The poor guy is wide awake, but can't call for help, because he can't move. Gianni shuddered involuntarily, just thinking about it. Aldo and Gianni had decided not to replace Larry Calcagno. They would let him attend the rally as planned. They would just make use of his wheelchair. The other kid, what was his name, Giannetti? Well, Gianni could easily pass for him, so he had already taken some of Jimmy's clothing, along with the all-important ID badge, driver's license, and his ticket for the rally. The Giannetti kid was safely tucked away in the attic. Not to worry. Gianni would just make sure he was the last one out of the building, act all rushed, and hurry onto the bus.
Paolo Cusanelli, the third member of the Red February team, was across town in a dorm room at George Washington University. He would replace Enrique Rodriguez, a student who had transferred in late and wasn't very well known on campus. Better yet, this guy didn't have a roommate. Once again, the photo ID would be close enough to pass, and Paolo would blend right into the crowd.
Aldo Necci would take a different route. He would attend the rally in priest's garb. Father Scardelli, the young priest he would replace, was the lone pastor of the small St. Anthony's parish in Arlington. He hadn't been in the area for very long, and wasn't well known. Another good choice.
By 7:30 a.m. all of the Agency's security personnel were in place. Because of her contribution to their advance preparation for the event, Mr. Melrose had allowed Amanda King to attend the rally, just as another pair of eyes and ears, so to speak. Amanda had been given a Press pass, and she brought her camera, just as she had done on one of her first assignments. Come to think of it, that had been at a football stadium, too.
"Good morning, Lee," Amanda greeted him warmly. "Everything all set?"
"Good morning, Amanda," Lee either smiled or was squinting against the sun, it was hard to tell. "I guess everything's as set as it can be, for now. We just have to keep our eyes wide open until the rally's over and everyone's gotten away safely. Then, and only then, will I be sure!"
"I understand. Well...I guess I'll move along, somewhere close to the front, so I can be in place to uh...take pictures, you know, 'play my cover'," Amanda said, with a nervous little laugh.
"Yeah," Lee said, smiling for sure this time. "You do that. And if you see anything that we should know about, don't be afraid to sing out!"
She was already a good ways down the stairs by now, but she gave him a wave and a smile, saying, "Okay. See you later!"
Thirty minutes later the buses started arriving. 'Okay, now the real fun begins,' Lee thought. He passed from one checkpoint to another around the stadium, as the agents carefully checked two forms of ID and each person's ticket. Lee was there when Larry Calcagno came in at one of the wheelchair- accessible entrances, and he was surprised to find that Larry had not been replaced as the radio transmissions had indicated he would be. Since he was close to the front of the stadium seating area, Lee looked to see if he could spot Amanda. He knew she would think that this change of plans was somewhat strange, too. Lee finally caught her eye, but didn't call attention to the fact. He just looked over toward Larry Calcagno, and Amanda knew just what he meant. She would watch Larry and anyone who came near him.
After another thirty minutes had gone by, Lee walked close to the area where Amanda was sitting, but didn't make eye contact. He just said, "I saw your young friend, Jimmy..."
"Giannetti," she finished for him.
Lee continued, as he moved on, "Six o'clock, coming your way."
Amanda did her best to act as though she hadn't heard a word. But she kept her eyes open, and a minute later, when she saw a young man wearing a badge that said, 'James Giannetti', she thought, 'Gosh! Is Jimmy still growing?' But other than being a little taller than she remembered, he looked pretty much the same. She'd keep an eye on him though. He was sitting right behind Larry's wheelchair, on the aisle.
Lee stopped at one of the outside entrances to the stadium where he checked in with Francine Desmond.
"Well, Francine, how are we doing so far?" Lee asked.
Francine replied wearily, "I suppose we're doing as well as can be expected. So far, we've seized 250 of those cute little 'pepper pens', about 30 of the 'pepper pagers', and about 100 canisters of mace, all told, but no guns, and no blowguns that we've been able to spot, either."
"Thank God for small favors, right?" Lee said, as he looked heavenward. "I'll check back later. Amanda's up front, watching the kid in the wheelchair, the one we thought was going to be replaced, according to the radio transmissions we picked up. And that kid from her neighborhood, Jimmy Gianetti...he's here too, sitting right behind Larry Calcagno's wheelchair. I told Amanda to let us know if she saw anything suspicious. So I guess for now, we watch and wait. Catch you later."
At exactly 10:15 a.m., right on schedule, the 'Pope-mobile', as it's been dubbed, entered the stadium, and the crowd roared. The Holy Father himself stepped out of his vehicle and was helped up onto the raised platform. The audience stood to their feet and cheered again. Next, there would be a few greetings, one by the Archbishop of Washington, DC, another by the city's mayor, and another by the Vice President of the United States, before the Pope would stand to greet the audience.
While Vice President Anderson was in the middle of his greeting, Amanda detected movement out of the corner of her eye. A priest, was that Father Scardelli? It didn't look much like him, but that's what the name badge said. Anyway, this priest was moving closer and closer to the area where Amanda and the two young men from the Lambda Chi fraternity house were sitting. Just then, she saw Jimmy bending down...was that a screwdriver he had in his hand? And then the priest leaned over and seemed to be talking to Larry, when all of a sudden, Larry's head drooped forward. Amanda saw what looked like an aluminum tube coming up out of the top right portion of the wheelchair. Immediately, she did two things. First she took a flash picture of the Vice President, long before he'd said anything interesting. And next, she yelled, "GUN!!!"
The agents closest to the Pope immediately jumped between him and the blowgun, and one of them, Agent Jack Henderson, was struck by the first, and only, dart. Agents surrounded the two would-be assassins and took them into custody. Amanda rushed up toward the platform.
Lee had started moving forward at the sight of the flash, recognizing it as Amanda's signal. When he saw her going to try and help Jack Henderson, he rushed up to her and said sadly, "I'm sorry, Amanda, it's no use..."
But Amanda wouldn't be put off. She said, "No, Lee, you don't understand, as long as we can keep him breathing, he still has a chance." So she put her non-Agency knowledge to work again, and performed artificial respiration on the downed agent until the paramedics arrived. The EMT crew thanked her for not giving up, and keeping the agent's airways clear. Henderson would be sick for awhile, but he had a more than even chance of survival, thanks to Amanda King.
After the dust settled, the rest of the youth rally went on as planned. The agency had caught two out of three of the Red February terrorists. Aldo Necci and Gianni Costello were in custody. The third of them, Paolo, hadn't shown himself, so he was still at large.
When the last bus had pulled away, and most of the other agents had cleared out as well, Lee smiled, shook Amanda's hand, and said, "Well! It looks like you've saved the day one more time, Amanda. I'm sure glad Billy gave you that Press pass."
"I'm just glad I could help," Amanda said graciously. "And I'm glad to know that wasn't really Jimmy Gianetti. His mother would have died a thousand deaths!"
Lee just chuckled and took Amanda's hand in his as they walked to his car.
The afternoon consisted of writing up their case report, in which Amanda figured prominently. She tried to downplay her part, but Lee wouldn't hear of it. He was so proud of her, of the lives she'd saved.
Once their reports were finished and turned in to Billy's office, Lee turned to Amanda as they walked back toward the elevator, and said with a grin, "You have an invitation to the reception at the British embassy tonight, too, right?"
"That's right," she said, a little hesitantly.
"Well...in the interest of togetherness and friendship, and 'energy conservation'," he paused for a little wink, and continued, "...what do you say we go together? Would it be all right if I pick you up at your house, say, at 7:30?" Lee asked.
She couldn't stop herself smiling, when she answered, "Sure. That'll be nice. I'll be ready at 7:30." Talk about anticipation and nervousness. Now the butterflies in her stomach were dancing the jitterbug!
Lee walked Amanda to her car, and each left for home. Somehow, Lee couldn't stop hearing that old Carly Simon song, 'An-ti-ci-pa-tion, an-ti-ci-pa-a- tion...is making me wait'...it kept running through his mind, over and over again.
CONCLUSION
At 7:25 p.m., Lee Stetson turned the corner onto Maplewood Drive. Tonight, he wouldn't park halfway down the block. No. Tonight, he'd pull right up in front of the house...like real people. No guts, no glory, right? Right. He'd climb out of the silver Corvette, square his shoulders, and casually walk to the front door. This was easy. Piece of cake. Then he almost turned and ran, just after ringing the doorbell. 'Oh my God!' he thought, 'what if Amanda doesn't come to answer the door? what if it's Mrs. W-'
"Well! Hello, Mr. Stetson. How nice to finally meet you! We've spoken on the phone before, I believe. I'm Dorothea West, Amanda's mother," Dotty said, ushering him into the entryway. 'Very nice, Amanda. No one ever said you didn't have good taste,' she thought.
"How do you do, Mrs. West. It's nice to meet you, too," Lee said, politely.
Dotty saved him the trouble of saying more. "Amanda's just putting on the 'finishing touches'," she went on, "I'm sure she'll be ready any minute now..."
"I'm ready now, Mother. Hello, Lee," Amanda said softly, smiling brightly and pausing for effect. For just a second, she remembered their first formal meeting, when Lee had asked her to meet him at a party, for which she had been 'hideously underdressed', and she'd seen him standing there at the top of the spiral staircase, looking better in a tuxedo than any man on earth had a right to.
Lee Stetson turned around to look up the stairs at the stunning brunette standing there in her fabulous red evening gown, with her chestnut hair pulled up and held by diamond clips, and was very nearly speechless. She took his breath away. "Amanda! You look wonderful!" he said, in a rush.
As Amanda descended the stairs, she took in his appreciative glance, and she had to admit she was pretty pleased with herself. She did look wonderful. And tonight, she knew it, by the look on Lee's face. "You should talk!" she said with a sweet smile. Well, she had to give him his due. He still looked better in a tux than any man she'd ever seen.
Lee helped Amanda with her white fur wrap, and they managed to disengage themselves from Dotty's presence. Lee took Amanda's hand and guided her to his car, and they drove to Embassy Row in relative silence, stealing glances and offering smiles to one another whenever their eyes locked, which, as it turned out, was quite often.
When their names were announced, "Mr. Lee Stetson and Mrs. Amanda King...", Lady Emily Farnsworth turned her attention toward the entrance, where she saw the attractive couple, arm in arm. She left the small group of people she'd been chatting with and rushed forward to meet her American friends.
"Lee! Amanda!" she exclaimed, taking each of their free hands in hers. "You look positively amazing, both of you! I'm so glad both of you could come to the reception this evening."
"Thank you, Emily!" the two of them said, in unison. Then they looked into each other's eyes and smiled.
"Oh, my dears," Emily said, "Come with me, to the ballroom. In just a moment, they will start the music, and the dance floor will be opened. I don't remember if the invitation mentioned tonight's guest of honor, but it's none other than Richard Rodgers. We are in for some delightful music this evening."
Emily was right again. Just as the three came into the ballroom, the small orchestra started up the strains of "Some Enchanted Evening," and British Ambassador Richard Evans invited Lady Emily Farnsworth to dance.
Lee Stetson gazed at his lovely partner, took her hand in his and said, "Just dance with me?"
Amanda remembered a very similar phrase, the first he'd ever spoken to her, and said, " I most certainly will."
And dance they did. Each time there was a slow dance, Lee pulled Amanda a little closer, until, toward the latter part of the evening, his arm was wrapped snugly around her waist and his lips were brushing her hair. Her scent was nearly overwhelming him. When this dance ended, they'd have to go outside for some fresh air.
Lee linked their arms, and, in silent agreement, they strolled out onto the terrace. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Amanda said, with a sense of wonder, looking up into the night sky.
"It most certainly is," Lee answered quietly. But he wasn't looking at the stars.
Somehow, she felt his penetrating gaze, and turned to look into his eyes. So much for fresh air. Lee pulled her into an embrace, and kissed her lips tenderly. Then the two of them just stood there, holding each other for a moment.
Lee pulled back slightly, and started to say what was in his heart. "Amanda...I...well, I guess what I'm trying to say is..." and then he forged ahead, after a slight shake of his head, "what on earth took me so long? I mean, here you are, this beautiful, wonderful woman, and I've wasted so much time..."
Amanda placed a finger on his lips to silence him. She whispered, "It's a two-way street, Lee. I guess we both made wrong assumptions about each other in the beginning. But we've come a long way in the last two years, and I for one am glad to have taken that journey...with you."
Their lips met again, this time in a more passionate kiss. All right, several of them. But when things were beginning to feel a little too intense for 'public display', Amanda pulled back. Lee had a puzzled look on his face, but Amanda settled his fears. "Lee! I'm as glad as you are that we've come to this point, but we don't have to make up for all our lost time tonight. Can we just take one step at a time?" she asked, smiling reassuringly.
"Yeah...of course we can," he said with a sheepish grin. They shared one more gentle kiss, and Lee led his lovely Amanda back into the ballroom.
Emily Farnsworth had seen the last part of their 'conversation' through the doors to the terrace. As she spied the two of them, Emily thought, 'Mission accomplished. I'm really glad I gave them a little push. It seems that's all they needed.'
THE END
by matahari2
Summary / Disclaimer, Etc.: See Chapter One.
Chapter Ten - Anticipation Rewarded
Amanda King hadn't cornered the market on that heady mix of anticipation and nervousness. No, Lee Stetson definitely had his fair share of both. He'd been on pins and needles all day, not knowing what to say (or not say) to Amanda, and he was thankful that the Stadium security meeting had gone on as long as it had. He'd only had that brief exchange with Amanda, before she left to go shopping with Emily, shopping for something red, he hoped. She did look terrific in red. Oh well, at least he could keep busy through the evening, checking in with Frank Duffy and his security crew for the invitation-only mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
Two hours after the church doors had opened, the special mass ended and all of the invited guests exited the magnificent structure. Happily, nothing unexpected had marred the occasion. So the first event could be removed from the Agency's checklist. When the other agents left to follow the papal entourage back to the hotel, Lee Stetson headed for his apartment in Georgetown. He drove past the Lambda Chi fraternity house and checked in with the surveillance team there by radio. So far, they hadn't seen or heard anything unusual, but it was just after 10:00 p.m., and they had at least ten more hours to stay on the alert. There would be a staggered shift change between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., so that it wouldn't be so obvious as it would have been if there were five or six watchers, all trading places at the same time. He'd done what he could do for tonight. It would be a short night and an early morning. The Agency's security team for the youth rally at RFK Stadium had to be in place by 7:00 a.m., long before the audience would begin to spill out of the 300-plus buses and vans which would start arriving shortly after 8:00. Lee felt as though he was mentally exhausted enough to finally get a little sleep, and for once, it was true. Trouble was, he missed 'The Dream'.
After Amanda's shopping excursion with Emily, she had a little explaining to do when she arrived at home with her brand-new ball gown. "Hello, Mother! I'm home!" Amanda called into the kitchen as she carried her treasures in through the back door.
"My goodness, Amanda, what is the occasion? What a lovely new dress!" Dotty exclaimed. "Did I hear you correctly, you went shopping for it with your friend Emily?"
"Yes, Mother," Amanda began, "You remember Emily, Lady Emily Farnsworth? She was here for a visit last December...we painted the dining room..."
"Gray. Yes, I remember. I remember re-painting it later on. But yes, I do remember Emily, too. Such a nice lady," Dotty said. "What brings her to our fair city?"
"Well..." Think fast, Amanda. "Emily's late husband Charles was a close friend of the current British Ambassador to the U.S., and he invited her for a special party that will be held tomorrow night at the embassy."
"All right, Amanda," Dotty said, "that explains Emily's invitation. How did you get invited?"
"I asked Emily about that, and she said that she had asked the Ambassador to invite us, too, because we're her good friends," Amanda admitted. 'Oh my gosh!' she thought, 'did I say US?'
Dotty doesn't miss a trick. She didn't miss this one, either. "Amanda! Did you say 'us'? Does that mean your family is invited? What on earth would I wear? And there's Phillip and Jamie...what about them?"
"Motherrrrr!" Amanda cried, trying to stem Dotty's flood of questions. "I didn't mean 'us' (pointing between Dotty and herself), 'us'. I meant me and someone else, 'us'."
"Ohhhh," Dotty said, with one eyebrow threatening to reach the ceiling. "Was your 'Mr. Steadman'..."
"Stetson, Mother. Lee Stetson," was all Amanda could get in edgewise.
"All right, Stetson. Was he invited, too?" Dotty asked.
Amanda nodded slightly and answered meekly, "Yes, Mother."
"There's no need to explain the beautiful new dress, Amanda...I understand, dear." Dotty said as she rolled her eyes and turned to ascend the stairs. "I hope you two...er, three...have a wonderful time."
'I love my mother. I really do. I just wish she'd leave well enough alone sometimes!' Amanda thought, as she gathered her packages and went upstairs to put them away and check in with Phillip and Jamie before bedtime. Bedtime...sleep...she didn't hold out much hope for that, but it had been a long day, with so much to think about.
At 5:30 a.m., Gianni Costello was already inside the Lambda Chi house. The fact is, he'd been there since before any of the agents had arrived to watch the place. He'd hidden up in the attic since Wednesday morning, two days ago. Aldo had provided him with the drugs he would need to keep the students in the back bedroom on the third floor from interrupting his activities, when the time came. It took him a little while to store the blowgun and the curare-tipped darts within the tubing of Calcagno's wheelchair. He had to be careful not to touch any of the poison-coated tips. The prospect of dying by curare poisoning isn't a pretty one. The victim simply stops breathing when their skeletal muscles become relaxed and then paralyzed. The poor guy is wide awake, but can't call for help, because he can't move. Gianni shuddered involuntarily, just thinking about it. Aldo and Gianni had decided not to replace Larry Calcagno. They would let him attend the rally as planned. They would just make use of his wheelchair. The other kid, what was his name, Giannetti? Well, Gianni could easily pass for him, so he had already taken some of Jimmy's clothing, along with the all-important ID badge, driver's license, and his ticket for the rally. The Giannetti kid was safely tucked away in the attic. Not to worry. Gianni would just make sure he was the last one out of the building, act all rushed, and hurry onto the bus.
Paolo Cusanelli, the third member of the Red February team, was across town in a dorm room at George Washington University. He would replace Enrique Rodriguez, a student who had transferred in late and wasn't very well known on campus. Better yet, this guy didn't have a roommate. Once again, the photo ID would be close enough to pass, and Paolo would blend right into the crowd.
Aldo Necci would take a different route. He would attend the rally in priest's garb. Father Scardelli, the young priest he would replace, was the lone pastor of the small St. Anthony's parish in Arlington. He hadn't been in the area for very long, and wasn't well known. Another good choice.
By 7:30 a.m. all of the Agency's security personnel were in place. Because of her contribution to their advance preparation for the event, Mr. Melrose had allowed Amanda King to attend the rally, just as another pair of eyes and ears, so to speak. Amanda had been given a Press pass, and she brought her camera, just as she had done on one of her first assignments. Come to think of it, that had been at a football stadium, too.
"Good morning, Lee," Amanda greeted him warmly. "Everything all set?"
"Good morning, Amanda," Lee either smiled or was squinting against the sun, it was hard to tell. "I guess everything's as set as it can be, for now. We just have to keep our eyes wide open until the rally's over and everyone's gotten away safely. Then, and only then, will I be sure!"
"I understand. Well...I guess I'll move along, somewhere close to the front, so I can be in place to uh...take pictures, you know, 'play my cover'," Amanda said, with a nervous little laugh.
"Yeah," Lee said, smiling for sure this time. "You do that. And if you see anything that we should know about, don't be afraid to sing out!"
She was already a good ways down the stairs by now, but she gave him a wave and a smile, saying, "Okay. See you later!"
Thirty minutes later the buses started arriving. 'Okay, now the real fun begins,' Lee thought. He passed from one checkpoint to another around the stadium, as the agents carefully checked two forms of ID and each person's ticket. Lee was there when Larry Calcagno came in at one of the wheelchair- accessible entrances, and he was surprised to find that Larry had not been replaced as the radio transmissions had indicated he would be. Since he was close to the front of the stadium seating area, Lee looked to see if he could spot Amanda. He knew she would think that this change of plans was somewhat strange, too. Lee finally caught her eye, but didn't call attention to the fact. He just looked over toward Larry Calcagno, and Amanda knew just what he meant. She would watch Larry and anyone who came near him.
After another thirty minutes had gone by, Lee walked close to the area where Amanda was sitting, but didn't make eye contact. He just said, "I saw your young friend, Jimmy..."
"Giannetti," she finished for him.
Lee continued, as he moved on, "Six o'clock, coming your way."
Amanda did her best to act as though she hadn't heard a word. But she kept her eyes open, and a minute later, when she saw a young man wearing a badge that said, 'James Giannetti', she thought, 'Gosh! Is Jimmy still growing?' But other than being a little taller than she remembered, he looked pretty much the same. She'd keep an eye on him though. He was sitting right behind Larry's wheelchair, on the aisle.
Lee stopped at one of the outside entrances to the stadium where he checked in with Francine Desmond.
"Well, Francine, how are we doing so far?" Lee asked.
Francine replied wearily, "I suppose we're doing as well as can be expected. So far, we've seized 250 of those cute little 'pepper pens', about 30 of the 'pepper pagers', and about 100 canisters of mace, all told, but no guns, and no blowguns that we've been able to spot, either."
"Thank God for small favors, right?" Lee said, as he looked heavenward. "I'll check back later. Amanda's up front, watching the kid in the wheelchair, the one we thought was going to be replaced, according to the radio transmissions we picked up. And that kid from her neighborhood, Jimmy Gianetti...he's here too, sitting right behind Larry Calcagno's wheelchair. I told Amanda to let us know if she saw anything suspicious. So I guess for now, we watch and wait. Catch you later."
At exactly 10:15 a.m., right on schedule, the 'Pope-mobile', as it's been dubbed, entered the stadium, and the crowd roared. The Holy Father himself stepped out of his vehicle and was helped up onto the raised platform. The audience stood to their feet and cheered again. Next, there would be a few greetings, one by the Archbishop of Washington, DC, another by the city's mayor, and another by the Vice President of the United States, before the Pope would stand to greet the audience.
While Vice President Anderson was in the middle of his greeting, Amanda detected movement out of the corner of her eye. A priest, was that Father Scardelli? It didn't look much like him, but that's what the name badge said. Anyway, this priest was moving closer and closer to the area where Amanda and the two young men from the Lambda Chi fraternity house were sitting. Just then, she saw Jimmy bending down...was that a screwdriver he had in his hand? And then the priest leaned over and seemed to be talking to Larry, when all of a sudden, Larry's head drooped forward. Amanda saw what looked like an aluminum tube coming up out of the top right portion of the wheelchair. Immediately, she did two things. First she took a flash picture of the Vice President, long before he'd said anything interesting. And next, she yelled, "GUN!!!"
The agents closest to the Pope immediately jumped between him and the blowgun, and one of them, Agent Jack Henderson, was struck by the first, and only, dart. Agents surrounded the two would-be assassins and took them into custody. Amanda rushed up toward the platform.
Lee had started moving forward at the sight of the flash, recognizing it as Amanda's signal. When he saw her going to try and help Jack Henderson, he rushed up to her and said sadly, "I'm sorry, Amanda, it's no use..."
But Amanda wouldn't be put off. She said, "No, Lee, you don't understand, as long as we can keep him breathing, he still has a chance." So she put her non-Agency knowledge to work again, and performed artificial respiration on the downed agent until the paramedics arrived. The EMT crew thanked her for not giving up, and keeping the agent's airways clear. Henderson would be sick for awhile, but he had a more than even chance of survival, thanks to Amanda King.
After the dust settled, the rest of the youth rally went on as planned. The agency had caught two out of three of the Red February terrorists. Aldo Necci and Gianni Costello were in custody. The third of them, Paolo, hadn't shown himself, so he was still at large.
When the last bus had pulled away, and most of the other agents had cleared out as well, Lee smiled, shook Amanda's hand, and said, "Well! It looks like you've saved the day one more time, Amanda. I'm sure glad Billy gave you that Press pass."
"I'm just glad I could help," Amanda said graciously. "And I'm glad to know that wasn't really Jimmy Gianetti. His mother would have died a thousand deaths!"
Lee just chuckled and took Amanda's hand in his as they walked to his car.
The afternoon consisted of writing up their case report, in which Amanda figured prominently. She tried to downplay her part, but Lee wouldn't hear of it. He was so proud of her, of the lives she'd saved.
Once their reports were finished and turned in to Billy's office, Lee turned to Amanda as they walked back toward the elevator, and said with a grin, "You have an invitation to the reception at the British embassy tonight, too, right?"
"That's right," she said, a little hesitantly.
"Well...in the interest of togetherness and friendship, and 'energy conservation'," he paused for a little wink, and continued, "...what do you say we go together? Would it be all right if I pick you up at your house, say, at 7:30?" Lee asked.
She couldn't stop herself smiling, when she answered, "Sure. That'll be nice. I'll be ready at 7:30." Talk about anticipation and nervousness. Now the butterflies in her stomach were dancing the jitterbug!
Lee walked Amanda to her car, and each left for home. Somehow, Lee couldn't stop hearing that old Carly Simon song, 'An-ti-ci-pa-tion, an-ti-ci-pa-a- tion...is making me wait'...it kept running through his mind, over and over again.
CONCLUSION
At 7:25 p.m., Lee Stetson turned the corner onto Maplewood Drive. Tonight, he wouldn't park halfway down the block. No. Tonight, he'd pull right up in front of the house...like real people. No guts, no glory, right? Right. He'd climb out of the silver Corvette, square his shoulders, and casually walk to the front door. This was easy. Piece of cake. Then he almost turned and ran, just after ringing the doorbell. 'Oh my God!' he thought, 'what if Amanda doesn't come to answer the door? what if it's Mrs. W-'
"Well! Hello, Mr. Stetson. How nice to finally meet you! We've spoken on the phone before, I believe. I'm Dorothea West, Amanda's mother," Dotty said, ushering him into the entryway. 'Very nice, Amanda. No one ever said you didn't have good taste,' she thought.
"How do you do, Mrs. West. It's nice to meet you, too," Lee said, politely.
Dotty saved him the trouble of saying more. "Amanda's just putting on the 'finishing touches'," she went on, "I'm sure she'll be ready any minute now..."
"I'm ready now, Mother. Hello, Lee," Amanda said softly, smiling brightly and pausing for effect. For just a second, she remembered their first formal meeting, when Lee had asked her to meet him at a party, for which she had been 'hideously underdressed', and she'd seen him standing there at the top of the spiral staircase, looking better in a tuxedo than any man on earth had a right to.
Lee Stetson turned around to look up the stairs at the stunning brunette standing there in her fabulous red evening gown, with her chestnut hair pulled up and held by diamond clips, and was very nearly speechless. She took his breath away. "Amanda! You look wonderful!" he said, in a rush.
As Amanda descended the stairs, she took in his appreciative glance, and she had to admit she was pretty pleased with herself. She did look wonderful. And tonight, she knew it, by the look on Lee's face. "You should talk!" she said with a sweet smile. Well, she had to give him his due. He still looked better in a tux than any man she'd ever seen.
Lee helped Amanda with her white fur wrap, and they managed to disengage themselves from Dotty's presence. Lee took Amanda's hand and guided her to his car, and they drove to Embassy Row in relative silence, stealing glances and offering smiles to one another whenever their eyes locked, which, as it turned out, was quite often.
When their names were announced, "Mr. Lee Stetson and Mrs. Amanda King...", Lady Emily Farnsworth turned her attention toward the entrance, where she saw the attractive couple, arm in arm. She left the small group of people she'd been chatting with and rushed forward to meet her American friends.
"Lee! Amanda!" she exclaimed, taking each of their free hands in hers. "You look positively amazing, both of you! I'm so glad both of you could come to the reception this evening."
"Thank you, Emily!" the two of them said, in unison. Then they looked into each other's eyes and smiled.
"Oh, my dears," Emily said, "Come with me, to the ballroom. In just a moment, they will start the music, and the dance floor will be opened. I don't remember if the invitation mentioned tonight's guest of honor, but it's none other than Richard Rodgers. We are in for some delightful music this evening."
Emily was right again. Just as the three came into the ballroom, the small orchestra started up the strains of "Some Enchanted Evening," and British Ambassador Richard Evans invited Lady Emily Farnsworth to dance.
Lee Stetson gazed at his lovely partner, took her hand in his and said, "Just dance with me?"
Amanda remembered a very similar phrase, the first he'd ever spoken to her, and said, " I most certainly will."
And dance they did. Each time there was a slow dance, Lee pulled Amanda a little closer, until, toward the latter part of the evening, his arm was wrapped snugly around her waist and his lips were brushing her hair. Her scent was nearly overwhelming him. When this dance ended, they'd have to go outside for some fresh air.
Lee linked their arms, and, in silent agreement, they strolled out onto the terrace. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Amanda said, with a sense of wonder, looking up into the night sky.
"It most certainly is," Lee answered quietly. But he wasn't looking at the stars.
Somehow, she felt his penetrating gaze, and turned to look into his eyes. So much for fresh air. Lee pulled her into an embrace, and kissed her lips tenderly. Then the two of them just stood there, holding each other for a moment.
Lee pulled back slightly, and started to say what was in his heart. "Amanda...I...well, I guess what I'm trying to say is..." and then he forged ahead, after a slight shake of his head, "what on earth took me so long? I mean, here you are, this beautiful, wonderful woman, and I've wasted so much time..."
Amanda placed a finger on his lips to silence him. She whispered, "It's a two-way street, Lee. I guess we both made wrong assumptions about each other in the beginning. But we've come a long way in the last two years, and I for one am glad to have taken that journey...with you."
Their lips met again, this time in a more passionate kiss. All right, several of them. But when things were beginning to feel a little too intense for 'public display', Amanda pulled back. Lee had a puzzled look on his face, but Amanda settled his fears. "Lee! I'm as glad as you are that we've come to this point, but we don't have to make up for all our lost time tonight. Can we just take one step at a time?" she asked, smiling reassuringly.
"Yeah...of course we can," he said with a sheepish grin. They shared one more gentle kiss, and Lee led his lovely Amanda back into the ballroom.
Emily Farnsworth had seen the last part of their 'conversation' through the doors to the terrace. As she spied the two of them, Emily thought, 'Mission accomplished. I'm really glad I gave them a little push. It seems that's all they needed.'
THE END