Amanda sighed as she closed her front door to the sanctity of her
home. Leaning against the door, she dispelled the last twenty-four
hours from her mind and mentally, she relaxed. Having to keep her
feelings in check had proved to be emotionally draining. At least
here, for the moment, she wouldn't need to keep them guarded.
Mother was out with old friends, and the boys had gone camping with
Bobby Taylor from next door. Since Bobby's father owned a wilderness
store, the boys jumped at the chance to test out any new
equipment. 'Camping,'she thought. 'I'm sure the boys' camping
experience will be nothing like the one Lee and I had last night,'
she chuckled at the finished thought, an indication of the stress she
had been through.
Willing her tired legs to move away from the front door, she walked
to the hall closet and opened it. Dropping what was left of her
camping gear in the closet, she shut the door and headed into the
kitchen. Glancing around the empty house, she mentally made plans for
the rest of her evening. 'I definitely should start with a long, hot
bath. Followed by dinner and a late night classic movie. '
Amanda opened the cupboards, searching for an idea of what to have
for dinner. Finding a box of angel hair pasta and a bottle of pasta
sauce with vegetables, her choice was made. Pasta was always good
comfort food and equally filling. Lastly, she went to the pantry and
took out a can of grated parmesan cheese. To tide herself over until
dinner, she grabbed a banana from the bowl on the kitchen counter
top. At least she would get a little nourishment after missing over a
day of eating. But right now, her body was in need of what a warm
bath could do to relieve her tired soul.
Leaving everything out, she started unpeeling her banana as she
walked up the stairs. As she pulled back the skin of the yellow,
ripened fruit and took a bite, Amanda stepped into her bedroom. She
walked straight into the bathroom to start a bath. The sooner the
better, she didn't want to hesitate any longer to relieve the stress
and the soreness in her muscles.
Reaching for her usual bubble bath, Amanda picked up and shook the
near empty bottle. Not to be diverted from her goal, she turned and
opened her linen closet behind the bathroom door. She reached in and
pulled out a new bottle. As she read the label, she unscrewed the cap
from the bottle and said to herself, "Hmmm...Strawberry Dreams. Must
be one of mother's fragrances."
Amanda held the cream colored bottle up to her nose and inhaled the
sweet smells of strawberries and a mixture of something else she
couldn't quite place. Feeling more relaxed from the scent alone,
Amanda started to pour the thick pink liquid into her bathe. She
dipped her right hand in to judge the temperature of the water as it
rised. Finding the water just right, she got up and walked away to
let the tub continue to fill.
Finishing the rest of her banana, she threw the remains in the trash.
She then pulled a pair of gray sweat pants and an old white T-shirt
from the dresser and rummaged through her underwear drawer for a
comfortable pair of cotton panties. Setting them all on her bed, she
walked back to the bathtub and turned off the running water.
Quickly shedding her clothes, she stepped into the bubbled filled
bath. The hot water began to do wonders before she sat all the way
down. As the water slowly swallowed her in it's warmth, she leaned
her head back and exhaled. With that release of breath, the release
of tension and all the worries she held back for the last few weeks
came immediately.
Closing her eyes, she allowed her body to absorb the soothing effects
of the heat. At the same time her senses were reaping the therapeutic
qualities of the strawberry smelling bubble bath. It reminded Amanda
of going strawberry picking with her aunt and uncle on her
grandmother's farm up north...the warm sun on her face, the taste and
smell of sweet sun-ripened strawberries and the pies, tarts and
preserves they would all make together.
As Amanda continued to soak, she let her mind wonder on it's own. In
it's relaxed state, her thoughts traveled to the source of her
earlier tension. Lee Stetson.
She thought back to their conversation in the Agency hallway and,
placed a hand to her head. 'What was I thinking, hinting to my
feelings for him by answering "not exactly"?' After pondering the
thought further, she came to the conclusion that she just wasn't
thinking. At least she wasn't thinking about his question. She was
too busy thinking about his eyes and how they seemed to see right
through her...and how his mouth could be both seductive and playful
at the same time...and how could she forget about his hands. How
they... 'Wait, I need to stop those thoughts right there!' she chided
herself, 'There's your answer Amanda, you were too busy thinking
about all the things you love about him to think clearly!'
Amanda knew that she had loved Lee for some time now. She didn't know
what to do about it. Lee always goes out of his way to "set the
record straight" about their working relationship when things start
to get a little intimate.
Opening her eyes, Amanda noticed that almost all the bubbles had
dissolved, and the water had cooled considerably. Along with a gentle
reminder from her stomach, Amanda decided to get out and pulled the
water stopper. She grabbed a towel as she stepped out and wrapped it
around herself.
Stopping near the bed in her bedroom, Amanda ran the towel over her
wet skin. Again, her thoughts flew to Lee's hands. Suddenly she
pictured those strong hands running over her skin, and a shiver ran
up her spine. She remembered the nearness of their bodies during
several occasions and his soft, but firm hands holding her close to
his body. She imagined those same hands lightly caressing her cheek
and then continuing to her shoulders and down her slender arms.
Amanda straightened her back as she forced herself back to reality.
She finished drying her skin and dressed. Picking up her discarded
clothes from the bathroom floor, she took them downstairs to the
laundry room. Throwing them on top of the washer for now, she left to
fix her dinner.
An hour and a half later, Amanda was in the family room watching old
movies from the sofa. She tucked the blanket, which she had pulled
from the hall closet, around her legs. Now settled she let her mind
open up to the fantasy future world of 'Barbarella'.
As Amanda watched a young Jane Fonda explore the strange planet in
her skimpy outfits, she thought about how different things would be
if their future was like this movie. How depressing it would be to
live in a future where sex was outlawed, only to be replaced by a
pill. A world where couples would never know the enjoyment of each
other's bodies. They would miss out on all the favorite things that
go along with touching someone and being touched. 'I wouldn't want to
give up that freedom, even if not enjoying that now.'
Looking back to the television scene, Barbarella had just encountered
a man who defies the laws and offers to make love to her, with body
to body contact. Amanda finds the interaction between the two
characters oddly familiar and trys to follow on as her eyes grow
heavy. Her last thoughts before succumbing to sleep were of
Barbarella's mission and her damaged spaceship.
*************
[Computer generated voice sings its morning revile]
"OPERATIONS ARE ONLINE,
BARBARELLA RISE AND SHINE"
"OPERATIONS ARE ONLINE,
BARBARELLA RISE AND SHINE"
The room is cast in white. It is a small spaceship with plush
furniture and shag carpeting. The carpet, like the walls, is white.
As the automated system plays its usual wake-up call, our heroine
awakens.
Blinking her eyes open, she shades them, with her hands from the
sunlight streaming in through the port windows. Amanda feels
something soft and warm surrounding her. She looks down at a fur
blanket across her body. The sensation of movement near her causes
her to turn her head. She finds a man sleeping next to her.
Bolting straight up to a sitting position, the blanket falls away
from her bare breasts. As a small gasp escapes her lips, she pulls
the blanket up to her chest. Her movements stir the stranger next to
her, whom also seems to be nude.
Studying him, she sees he has brown, shoulder length hair and a
short, well groomed beard that was lightly peppered like his hair. As
her eyes fell on his face, she takes in his ruggedly handsome
features. He has a strong chin, high cheek bones, and a sculptured
nose. His eyelashes are long and brown and he has laugh lines around
his eyes. Amanda smiles as she notices this. His features make her
feel less nervous and afraid.
As she watched him, she saw his chest rise and fall with each deep
breath. His chest was so smooth and muscular that Amanda had to grip
the blanket tighter to stop herself from reaching out to him.
She looked back to his face. Her focus now fell on his mouth. Amanda
thought, 'If there were ever a perfect mouth, created for pleasure,
this was it.' The corners had the beginnings of a smile. His lips
were full and inviting. Offering pleasure and enjoyment with their
touch.
Amanda unconsciously licked her lips at the thought and released a
breath she was unaware she was holding.
The unknown man moved again. Amanda's eyes widen as she watched him
roll towards her and wrap his left arm around her waist. He pulled
her closer to his chiseled body. Lying back down she allowed the
closure of their bodies. She noticed his hands for the first time.
They were large and held her securely.
Enjoying the nearness of him, she closed her eyes and inhaled his
scent. It was woodsy and masculine. Coupled with the obvious fact
that they were both naked and in bed together, made Amanda grow warm
and flush all over.
Releasing another deep sigh, she got the attention of the now awake
mystery lover. He opened his eyes and looked at her. His hazel eyes
looked deep into her brown ones. His eyes were engaging. She felt
them probing her, and with the morning light they almost seemed to
twinkle.
Amanda was lost in the moment. She was drawn to him. She didn't care
that she didn't know his name. She knew him on a deeper level, from
one soul to another. just by his eyes.
His smiled widened as he spoke," See...much better the old fashioned
way. Much better than your fancy pills."
As he spoke, he pulled back to the blanket, exposing her taut and
creamy breasts. He ran his hands over her stomach, gliding them over
her smooth, flat abdomen. His touch was electric. Amanda resisted the
urge to close her eyes. She didn't want to lose the connection she
had with him.
His hand changed directions, as he moved it up to cup her right
breast. He took a moment to break eye contact, glancing down at the
vision before him. His eyes roamed freely over her curves and he
appreciated the lovely body next to him. Inhaling sharply, he locked
eyes with her again.
Amanda felt the motions of his eyes run over her body and now she saw
the want and desire in his eyes. She licked her lips again, as she
watched his mouth open slightly. Growing impatient, Amanda lifted her
right hand to his cheek and caressed it. She raised her left hand and
placed it behind his neck, pulling him towards her. He went willingly.
When their lips meet, it felt like the end and the beginning of time
all rolled into one perfect moment. She was drowning in the warmth
and feel of his mouth, but she did not want to be saved. She felt him
shift his weight, covering her body with his own. Her hands glided
down his back. She was drawing him closer. She was urging him to
become one with her.
The kiss was endless. The need to breathe felt unnecessary compared
to their need to be joined.
He finally tore his lips away from hers to devour her neck. He
trailed kisses over her cheeks and down to her breasts. First, he
went to her right breast, where his thumb and index finger had
started their adventurous assault on her nipple. He wasted no time in
giving the hardened nub a thorough tongue lashing, before suckling it.
Amanda thrust her chest toward her lover's lips as she pushed her
head back into the pillow. The only thought left in her mind was how
much she worshiped his mouth and hands at that very moment. The feel
of them over her body was hypnotic and addicting. She would do almost
anything to keep feeling this way.
The only other part of his body that affected her equally, were his
eyes. His beautiful, hazel, soul searching eyes. Eyes that were
familiar, expressive and lonely. His eyes made her feel beautiful,
wanted, loved.
As his hands floated down her body, over her stomach and lower,
Amanda's mind began to register an outside sound. Her body was
shaking, but not with pleasure. Someone was shaking her. Turning her
head from side to side, she heard the sound again, a voice.
"Amanda. Amanda, dear. Wake up!" Still in an in-between state of
sleep and wakefulness, her brain focused on the last available
thought she had left.
"Lee?" Amanda asked
"Who?" said the unmistakable voice of...
"Mother!" she shouted. This brought Amanda fully awake. She looked at
her surroundings. Finding herself still on the sofa, she turned her
head towards the sound of static she heard. Seeing the snowy screen
on the television, she reached for the remote and turned it off.
Turning back to her mother with flushed cheeks she smiled and
asked, " Hello, Mother, what time is it?"
Holding up her arm to glance at her watch, Dotty answered, " 1:25 am.
It looks like you fell asleep again down here. Really Amanda, this
isn't a good habit to get into. Plus, you have a television in your
room."
"I know mother, but it's much cozier down here," she said then tried
to change the subject changing the subject, "How was your night,
Mother?"
"Oh, you know...a bunch of us got together to play cards and gossip.
Oh, the things I could tell you, Amanda. The secrets that people
keep. It would just make your face turn red," she said while studying
her daughter closer, "By the way Amanda, who is Lee?"
Amanda turned around in the sofa and got up to fold the blanket,
effectively keeping from making eye contact with her mother. "Who is
whom, mother?"
"Who is Lee? You said his name when I was trying to wake you.", Dotty
asked again as she continued to watch her secretive daughter.
"Oh! He's no one special. You know how strange dreams can be, you can
dream about anything and it can mean nothing. Or you can dream about
something that seems like nothing at all, but it actually means
something. But without one of those dream books to tell you what your
dream meant, you have no idea of knowing what your dream really
meant."
Dotty smiled at her daughter, "Hmm Mmm. Goodnight Amanda, pleasant
dreams.", with that, Dotty went upstairs and went to bed. Amanda soon
followed suit and both women had a restful slumber.
THE END
Story Notes:
DISCLAIMER: Scarecrow and Mrs. King is owned by Shoot the Moon and Warner Brothers. Nor do I own the movie Barbarella or Jane Fonda. I have not received any money for this story. I wrote it for my own personal enjoyment and entertainment. I do not have expressed written
permission to use the characters. I don't mean any harm, so please do not sue me.
permission to use the characters. I don't mean any harm, so please do not sue me.