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ricochets2011-12-25 03:53 pm
quirkyandquiet) wrote in ricochets2011-12-25 03:53 pm
fanfic » at the auction (scarecrow and mrs. king, 2/4)
Francine was sitting in Billy's office the next day, waiting for Amanda to come in. She had insisted on apologizing to Amanda in private. She had asked Billy if she could use his office while he attended a meeting and told Mrs. Marston to send Amanda straight to the office. She swore both of them to secrecy. The fewer people who had to know she was apologizing to Amanda King, the better.
"Why didn't I just keep my big mouth shut?" Francine asked herself.
'Because of, maybe, your pride?' she thought to herself.
"Who else is given a package, and suddenly gets a job here? I went through years of training and lots of hard work to get my position. Yet, everyone here respects Amanda; I don't get half of the respect she does. The final straw was when she became Lee's partner. Lee wouldn't let me become his partner. A housewife from Arlington, with no training, got what I wanted, what I deserved."
'Francine,' she admonished herself, 'you've got to be sincere with your apology. You should have known better than to say what you did to Amanda. You don't have to admit she was right about anything.' Before Francine could respond to her thoughts, Amanda came in the office.
"You wanted to see me Francine?" Amanda pondered
"Amanda, I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday. I shouldn't have said what I did. I hope you accept my apology. You had every right to yell at me."
"Francine, I appreciate your apology. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I was taking my problems out on you."
Billy entered as Francine and Amanda shook hands.
"Sir," Amanda turned to face Billy, "I want to talk to you about Lee."
Billy looked at Francine. "I need to talk to Amanda privately."
Francine nodded her head and left the office. As soon as she was gone Billy asked, "What about Lee?"
"I don't think I can work with him any longer."
"Amanda, please wait a little while longer before you make any decisions." Billy gave her a weak smile as he attempted to convince her not to change her mind.
"Mr. Melrose, I don't know if I can wait any longer," she gave her head a shake, "I'm getting tired of the way he treats me."
"Please try. I'm sure things will change soon," He consoled.
"I'll try," Amanda sighed.
"Good. Amanda, you can take the rest of the day off. Lee won't be in today."
"Thank you, sir," Amanda said as she left the office.
********
"Lee, it's good to see you," Harry said.
"Thanks for meeting with me," Lee said. He met Harry at his cabin, and they planned on spending the afternoon together.
"My pleasure, Lee," he smiled warmly at his friend. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"
"Billy told me, practically ordered me to talk to you about . . . my feelings about… Amanda."
"How do you feel about Amanda?" Harry asked gently.
"She's my best friend." Lee looked up at the older man and smiled.
"Lee, you're not telling me the truth about how you feel about Amanda. Don't even try to fool me." Harry walked over to Lee and put his hand on his shoulder. "I know you have deeper feelings for Amanda. Why can't you admit that to yourself?"
"Harry, you told me to never become romantically involved with anyone I worked with," Lee tried to squirm around the issue.
"Lee, since when do you listen to me, or anyone else for that matter? From what I've heard, that hasn't stopped you before."
"Ah, yeah," Lee said nervously, "but this is different."
"How is it different?"
"It's just…different."
"Lee, is it because you have deeper feelings for Amanda than you're used to?"
"Yes. Are you happy?" he snapped.
Harry fixed Lee with a fatherly look. "Lee, you don't have to admit your feelings about Amanda to me, Billy, or anyone else, except yourself. Just realize that if you don't admit it to yourself, you can lose her. Could you live without Amanda in your life?"
"I don't know, Harry. As the old Lee Stetson who doesn't need anyone, yeah, I could, but the Lee Stetson I think I've become in the last few years? I don't' know."
"Okay, I'm going to get our lunch. You can use this opportunity to try and figure out your feelings about Amanda."
Harry left the room and Lee began to pace. "How do I feel about Amanda? Oh, admit it, Stetson, you're in love with Amanda King. I love her, I really love her." He stopped and took in a deep breath. A smile began to cross his face. "That wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I'm not ready to admit that to her, yet, but I already feel better."
Harry came back carrying a tray with some chicken salad sandwiches, cole slaw, coffee, and two cups. He looked over at Lee and arched an eyebrow. "Well, my boy, were you able to admit your feelings to yourself? Please, tell me you did," Harry said as he placed the tray on the table.
Lee looked up and offered a wan smile, then nodded his head. "I did Harry. I feel better, but how do I show Amanda that I have feelings for her?"
"When you phoned yesterday, you told me that Amanda will be participating in a box social. Why don't you go to it and bid on her?"
Lee gulped and shook his head. "After what happened yesterday, she'll just think that I'm bidding because I pity her. Besides, I don't know which box is hers "
"Lee, this box social will be the best way to show Amanda that you care for her. You can easily beat out the competition," Harry reassured him.
"I don't know when it will be. I'm sure Amanda won't tell me." Lee danced around, trying to avoid committing himself to attending the social.
Harry would have none of it. "I'm sure you can think of a way to find out when."
"I know. I'll call and ask someone from 'Mothers for A Safe Environment.' for some information about the box social."
"You can do that later, now, it's time to eat."
next
"Why didn't I just keep my big mouth shut?" Francine asked herself.
'Because of, maybe, your pride?' she thought to herself.
"Who else is given a package, and suddenly gets a job here? I went through years of training and lots of hard work to get my position. Yet, everyone here respects Amanda; I don't get half of the respect she does. The final straw was when she became Lee's partner. Lee wouldn't let me become his partner. A housewife from Arlington, with no training, got what I wanted, what I deserved."
'Francine,' she admonished herself, 'you've got to be sincere with your apology. You should have known better than to say what you did to Amanda. You don't have to admit she was right about anything.' Before Francine could respond to her thoughts, Amanda came in the office.
"You wanted to see me Francine?" Amanda pondered
"Amanda, I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday. I shouldn't have said what I did. I hope you accept my apology. You had every right to yell at me."
"Francine, I appreciate your apology. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I was taking my problems out on you."
Billy entered as Francine and Amanda shook hands.
"Sir," Amanda turned to face Billy, "I want to talk to you about Lee."
Billy looked at Francine. "I need to talk to Amanda privately."
Francine nodded her head and left the office. As soon as she was gone Billy asked, "What about Lee?"
"I don't think I can work with him any longer."
"Amanda, please wait a little while longer before you make any decisions." Billy gave her a weak smile as he attempted to convince her not to change her mind.
"Mr. Melrose, I don't know if I can wait any longer," she gave her head a shake, "I'm getting tired of the way he treats me."
"Please try. I'm sure things will change soon," He consoled.
"I'll try," Amanda sighed.
"Good. Amanda, you can take the rest of the day off. Lee won't be in today."
"Thank you, sir," Amanda said as she left the office.
********
"Lee, it's good to see you," Harry said.
"Thanks for meeting with me," Lee said. He met Harry at his cabin, and they planned on spending the afternoon together.
"My pleasure, Lee," he smiled warmly at his friend. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"
"Billy told me, practically ordered me to talk to you about . . . my feelings about… Amanda."
"How do you feel about Amanda?" Harry asked gently.
"She's my best friend." Lee looked up at the older man and smiled.
"Lee, you're not telling me the truth about how you feel about Amanda. Don't even try to fool me." Harry walked over to Lee and put his hand on his shoulder. "I know you have deeper feelings for Amanda. Why can't you admit that to yourself?"
"Harry, you told me to never become romantically involved with anyone I worked with," Lee tried to squirm around the issue.
"Lee, since when do you listen to me, or anyone else for that matter? From what I've heard, that hasn't stopped you before."
"Ah, yeah," Lee said nervously, "but this is different."
"How is it different?"
"It's just…different."
"Lee, is it because you have deeper feelings for Amanda than you're used to?"
"Yes. Are you happy?" he snapped.
Harry fixed Lee with a fatherly look. "Lee, you don't have to admit your feelings about Amanda to me, Billy, or anyone else, except yourself. Just realize that if you don't admit it to yourself, you can lose her. Could you live without Amanda in your life?"
"I don't know, Harry. As the old Lee Stetson who doesn't need anyone, yeah, I could, but the Lee Stetson I think I've become in the last few years? I don't' know."
"Okay, I'm going to get our lunch. You can use this opportunity to try and figure out your feelings about Amanda."
Harry left the room and Lee began to pace. "How do I feel about Amanda? Oh, admit it, Stetson, you're in love with Amanda King. I love her, I really love her." He stopped and took in a deep breath. A smile began to cross his face. "That wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I'm not ready to admit that to her, yet, but I already feel better."
Harry came back carrying a tray with some chicken salad sandwiches, cole slaw, coffee, and two cups. He looked over at Lee and arched an eyebrow. "Well, my boy, were you able to admit your feelings to yourself? Please, tell me you did," Harry said as he placed the tray on the table.
Lee looked up and offered a wan smile, then nodded his head. "I did Harry. I feel better, but how do I show Amanda that I have feelings for her?"
"When you phoned yesterday, you told me that Amanda will be participating in a box social. Why don't you go to it and bid on her?"
Lee gulped and shook his head. "After what happened yesterday, she'll just think that I'm bidding because I pity her. Besides, I don't know which box is hers "
"Lee, this box social will be the best way to show Amanda that you care for her. You can easily beat out the competition," Harry reassured him.
"I don't know when it will be. I'm sure Amanda won't tell me." Lee danced around, trying to avoid committing himself to attending the social.
Harry would have none of it. "I'm sure you can think of a way to find out when."
"I know. I'll call and ask someone from 'Mothers for A Safe Environment.' for some information about the box social."
"You can do that later, now, it's time to eat."
next