"You're sounding like a jealous person!" Amanda King accused the obviously angry secret agent, Lee Stetson, who stood in front of her.

"I am not j…" he began indignantly, obviously not believing what he was hearing.

"You have no right to act like a jealous person!" Amanda interrupted in no mood to hear his denial.  Her own anger was fast rising with each second and Lee looked at her in astonishment as she suddenly grabbed the bugged brooch from his hand and took the microphone out.

"What are you.." was all he managed to get out before she shoved the microphone back into his hand and continued her tirade, "Here. Look. You just take this little thing, get it out of my life! Go back in your truck and do whatever you're doing and don't eavesdrop on me!"

That said, she turned and touched up her hair then reattached the now 'debugged' brooch to her dress and walked angrily out of the door leaving him on his own.

Upon entering the main restaurant, Amanda stopped and pasted what she hoped passed for a happy smile on her face, which was no mean feat considering her teeth were so tightly gritted together it was a wonder her lips could move at all. She walked back to her table and sat down opposite James Delano, the man who she was supposed to be diverting for the evening so that the Agency could check out his house for incriminating information.

Delano smiled then reached across the table and took hold of her hand. Slowly, he raised it to his lips and gently placed a kiss on the back. Amanda watched the gesture with a smile that faltered suddenly when she saw Lee in the background staring at them.

Annoyed that he was still around, Amanda stared angrily back until Delano quietly said, "Your brooch isn't broken then?"

Amanda looked back and Delano and smiled. "No, there was just a little problem with the clasp but I fixed it."

Delano let out a soft sigh and stared at her intently. "You look beautiful tonight, have I already told you that?" He asked with a predatory smile.

"Only about ten times," Amanda replied awkwardly and gently removed her hand from his clasp.

"Only ten? Then, I'm slipping," he joked back, his eyes drifting downwards and noting her withdrawal. "I should have told you at least twenty times by now."

Amanda laughed softly and sat back in her chair. "Shall we order dessert?" she asked, effectively changing the subject.

"Certainly." Delano raised his hand and called over a waiter who supplied them with menu's.

Amanda opened hers and stared blankly at the page as all she could do was play the row with Lee over and over in her mind. 'Insufferable man', she thought angrily to herself. 'How dare he talk to me like that? I can handle myself, I've been married for goodness sake, I think I can tell when a man's sincere. Just because he's not interested in me doesn't mean other men aren't. Of all the conceited, high handed, arrogant…'

"Men!" she said aloud in indignation.

"Is there something wrong, Victoria?" came a voice from the other side of the menu.

Startled, Amanda abruptly lowered the menu and smiled in embarrassment at the man opposite her. She'd been so wrapped up in her internal grousing that she hadn't realised she'd spoken aloud. "No, nothing's wrong," she replied over brightly and looking extremely flustered. "I'm just not sure whether to have the profiteroles or the ice cream."

"I see." Delano looked at her oddly for a second then suggested, "I recommend the profiteroles, they're very good here."

"Thank you, I will."

Delano called the waiter back and ordered for them both. While they waited for their food, Delano took the opportunity to ask Amanda to a party he was giving on the following Saturday evening. "It's just a small gathering for a few friends of mine, only thirty people or so, nothing big," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Amanda succeeded in hiding her surprise well. A 'small' party for thirty people? How the other half lived! "Oh well, I'd love to come but I really don't know if I can, I'll have to check my schedule," she finally hedged.

"Of course," he replied looking a little hurt.

To Amanda's relief, their desserts arrived and she turned her attention to the profiteroles in front of her. Once they'd finished their desserts and their after dinner coffee's, Delano paid for the bill and they walked outside to his limo.

The journey back to Amanda's 'house' was short and filled with an easy silence. The limo pulled up outside and they turned to each other smiling. Delano asked if he could come in for a night-cap but Amanda declined, saying that she had to be up early the next morning. He pressed her again to attend his party but Amanda's answer was a vague as before. Not at all disheartened, he gave Amanda his card and told her the time to be there, then he leant forward and slowly kissed her.

Amanda was surprised by the kiss and could only smile shyly back at him before bidding him goodnight and leaving the limo. Halfway up the steps to her front door, she stopped and turned around to look at Delano one more time. He blew her a kiss out of the window and she smiled again before turning back and making her way up the rest of the stairs to the door and letting herself in.

Before she even had time to think, Frederick and Mary appeared and asked for all her jewellery back. She hastily complied and signed the receipt that Frederick held out for her. Assignment completed, they walked off and Amanda was left by herself in the hallway.

Feeling lost and incredibly alone, Amanda wished fervently that Lee was there to talk to. She knew that their row had been bad but, she'd still held out some small hope that he'd be there when she returned, even if it was to tell her off!

Knowing that it was late, she decided to head upstairs and get changed so that she could go back to her home. 'Time to turn back into a pumpkin, Amanda,' she thought to herself wistfully - she had enjoyed being Victoria Greenwich for a little while.

"It's way after midnight, Cinderella," came a soft voice out of the dimly lit hallway.

Startled, she looked up and saw Lee standing casually in the doorway to the lounge holding a glass of drink.

'And here's Prince Charming waiting up for me,' she added half-jokingly to herself. She smiled at him and felt suddenly brighter. It was nice to know some wishes did come true.

THE END

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