Teller hopped into the shower and scrubbed himself thoroughly. It had been an unseasonably hot autumn day and he felt slimy with sweat. He washed his hair with a modestly scented shampoo. Flowery shampoos were for dandies and ladies. He stepped out of the shower and blow dried his hair. After a quick shave, he put on a little cologne and lotioned his hands. Opening his closet, he scanned his wardrobe for clothes for the evening, settling on black slacks, a charcoal gray shirt and an ochre sportscoat. Teller dressed, put on his two-tones and, scooping up his wallet and keys, headed out the door. He checked his watch. It was only five eighteen.

Where should I go for dinner? he wondered, climbing into his rental car. I'm in the mood for something different. I could try that new Thai restaurant everyone's been raving about. He headed for the restaurant, A Touch of Thai, located on the fringe of Center City. It was convenient to the gallery, the parking wasn't painfully expensive, and the evening called for a departure from the routine.

{Insert Thai dish and decor here}

After his delicious meal at A Touch of Thai, he headed towards the gallery. It was only six forty-three by this time and the gallery was a ten minute walk away. He decided to take his time and look into some of the shop windows along the way. He saw some intriguing things but nothing that really grabbed him the way he wanted. He finally arrived at the gallery. The night was pleasantly cool so he loitered outside a little longer. Finally, at about quarter to eight, he went inside. The room was nearly empty but the people who were already there seemed to be trendy young people. Black seemed to be the color of choice for the evening. The few early arrivals were chatting quietly and he felt strangely conspicuous.

Just as he decided to take a look at the paintings, someone bumped him from behind. "Oh geez, I'm so sorry," a woman's voice behind him said, sounding more than a little embarrassed. "I'm such a total clutz." He turned with a gracious smile and a genial response on his lips but, when he saw the offender, the words died in his mouth. The woman was similarly speechless. Meeting his stunned gaze were the all too familiar white streaks of hair, dark blue-gray eyes, and slightly large ears.

"Manny? Sweet evil Jesus, what are you doing here?" Teller asked, laughing happily. He hugged his old friend. When he released her, he took her hands in his. "It's been what? A year and a half?"

Amanda, or Manny as she was known to her friends, looked back at him, the good humor twinkling in her eyes meeting the happy surprise in his hazel. "Yeah, it's been about that long. My cousin's the featured artist. People think he's disturbed, but none of them had to grow up with him." She favored Teller with another of those smiles he remembered so well. That's a smile that could melt tungsten, Teller thought, smiling back. "Wow! It is great to see you again." Her smile grew wider as they let go of each other's hands.

"So, have you had a chance to look at the art on display?" Teller asked cheerily, suddenly remembering why he came here in the first place.

"Unfortunately, yes." The smile dropped immediately from Amanda's face. "Brrrr! Talk about chills. Some of those paintings will freeze the base of your spine. I know I'm going to have nightmares tonight." She shuddered violently, cupping her elbows in her palms as if to hold herself together. "Come on. I'll show you my favorite." The last word was positively dripping with sarcasm.

"Lead the way."

"It's near the back." As Amanda led Teller toward the rear of the gallery space, he took the chance to look her over. She had lost a little weight it seemed, but then again, how could he be sure he could trust his memory? She was wearing black slacks, a black shirt, an ochre vest and what looked like black leather workboots. She had cut her hair a little shorter, but it looked good this length. She looked good.

"Here it is." She stopped in front of a canvas that didn't look particularly impressive at first glance. It was a very well executed depiction of a Victorian sitting room with all the furnishings. Aside from the obvious skill of the artist, there was nothing remarkable about it.

He looked at Amanda and shrugged, completely unimpressed. The painting wasn't exactly what he would call art and definitely not disturbing.

"Look closer." She nodded back towards the canvas. As he turned back toward the painting, she took a step closer to him. Upon closer examination, he saw that the walls, the floor, the ceiling, even the furniture in the room seemed to be covered in demons, imps, and other creatures of darkness. As he looked, the creatures appeared to swarm about, writhing in throes of agony or wicked, gleeful ecstacy. After a few moments more the very room seemed to be alive. He suddenly had the disquieting sense of the painting watching him. He recoiled from the painting and the spell was broken. Goosebumps had broken out on his arms and the little hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"See what I mean?" she asked, noticing him shudder slightly. She swept a hand toward the room at large. "All of his art is like that." She shivered. "Freaky."

Once everyone had arrived, things formally got started. After the speeches and toasts were made, Amanda introduced Teller to the artist, Rez Mortenson, who insisted on being called Dark Rezonance, or Dark Rez for short. Teller felt that the critics' views on Rez were frightful understatements. He couldn't be sure if Rez was a genius or simply deranged.

As soon as he could politely beg out of the conversation, Teller convinced Amanda to view the rest of the exhibit with him. She reluctantly accompanied him, instinctively holding his hand for courage.

If Rez was mindbendingly disturbing, his paintings were even more so. They seemed to defy the logic of the mind and the eyes. A few of them were immediately alarming, done in violent purples, blacks, reds and neons, filled with screaming, tormented souls and gouts of blood and gore. These paintings stood out and more than earned Rez his reputation. Most, however, upon first glance, seemed completely innocent, even a little predictable or boring. On closer examination, however, there was always some chilling detail, something you missed, some little part that seemed out of place. Look a little closer, and you saw that there was nothing cute or innocent about the piece at all. In fact, the paintings all seemed to have a presence, a life of their own after a few moments of close study. The canvases chilled Teller to the very depths of his being, but he could not tear himself away until he had seen all of them.

As it was getting late, Teller, being quite through with the exhibit, thought to excuse himself. After saying goodbye to the few people he knew or got on with earlier in the evening, he offered Amanda a ride home. "If you don't have a ride lined up, I'd be glad to drop you off. After all, it's getting close to eleven o'clock and you shouldn't have to walk the streets alone this late at night."

"Well, I was going to just ride the rails. I brought my bindle along and everything. But, sure, I'll take a ride." Amanda said goodbye to her friends and her cousin, then headed out with Teller. They walked towards Teller's car almost shoulder to shoulder. As they made their way to where his car was parked, they chatted easily, like old friends falling into a familiar rhythm.

"So, did you get all of the letters I sent you?" Teller asked, his hands stuffed into his pockets. Amanda's arms swung casually at her sides as she walked in step with him.

"Yeah I got them. The letters were so vivid and poetic...and the pictures were great, too. I had a chance to visit some of the places you described to me. It was awesome. Australia was absolutely incredible! The Great Barrier Reef, the ocean, the vast untamed outback. The Nevada desert is like the landscape of an alien world. I think I spent hours sitting on the hot boulders after dusk. Las Vegas is awesome-o, too. I got lost in a casino and needed a compass, a map, and a guide to get out."

"I loved reading about the places you've been, too. I wish I had some pictures though." He looked at her slyly from the corner of his eye.

"You would." She gave him a playful shove. "I'll think about letting you see them sometime." They arrived at the parking lot where he left his car. He unlocked her door and held it open for her. "Always the gentleman." She smirked at him as she slid into her seat.

He raised an eyebrow. "Not always." He closed her door gently before she could respond. She unlocked his door as he walked around to his side of the car. "So," he began as he slid into the car and closed the door. "Where to?"

"I'm still in the same neighborhood in West Philly. I'm not very big on moving around. That's way too much redecorating." Teller laughed as he started the car. As Teller drove towards her neighborhood, they sat in companionable silence with Amanda occasionally instructing Teller to turn.

"How long are you in town this time?" she asked after a while, talking over the classical music station playing on the car radio.

"Oh, I'm here for about a week. How about you?"

"I'm home for a month or so. Then it's back to the nomadic life of a basketball player." As Teller concentrated on his driving, Amanda studied him. He was still as sharp a dresser as always. He cleaned up very well. He had put on a little weight, but he still looked good. He was still the comfortably approachable, attractive man that he was when she met him years ago. She couldn't stop staring at him.

Conscious of her gaze, Teller glanced at her. "What? Is there something on my face? Do I have a blood sucking Martian on my neck? A brain leech on my head?" Amanda laughed and shook her head. "Come on, what is it?"

"I just missed seeing your face, that's all."

"You missed this ugly mug? Ugh! Why?" She laughed again.

"I just did. I actually happen to like your face."

Teller smirked. "The rest of me isn't so bad either." Amanda laughed herself into a mild coughing fit. She quickly subsided into little hiccupping bursts of laughter. "What's so funny?" he asked, laughing a little himself.

"Maybe I didn't take it the way you intended," she said. She was blushing slightly, or was she just red from laughing?

"Maybe you did," he suggested seriously, glancing at her pointedly. She became a slightly deeper shade of red. She was definitely blushing.

She laughed and cleared her throat nervously. "You'll want to take this next left."

Teller glanced at her again. The red had gone from her face and she was staring vacantly out the window. "Are you all right? I didn't..."

She spared him a brief glance. "Huh? No, I'm okay." She smiled, her voice a little distant. Dreamy, maybe? No, never dreamy. Not her. "I'm just thinking. Sometimes it seems like my mind never shuts off. Er, take the second right." Teller felt uncomfortable in this new silence. Had he come on too strong? After a few minutes, they had arrived at Amanda's house. The silence in the car was so loud it made Teller's ears ring.

Amanda looked at Teller, an eyebrow arced in concern. Here it comes, thought Teller. "If you're not busy tomorrow, do you want to come over and see the pictures I took when I was in Italy last year?" Her voice sounded strange. Teller couldn't put his finger on what was wrong with it, but there was something different about her tone.

That was the last thing Teller expected to hear. Or at least pretty close to it. "Uh, sure... On one condition."

"Oh? What's that?"

"A condition is..." he began, trying to recover some of his composure, a little of the easy flow the evening once had.

"I oughta clock you. What's the condition, smart ass?" The corner of her mouth bent upwards in a shadow of the incredulous smirk she often wore.

"You have to come to the art museum with me. No excuses. I don't want to hear how you didn't wash your car, or how you promised to help your grandmother with the community bake sale, or..."

"How about if my best friend's uncle's wife's sister's cousin's house was blown up by the Albanian soccer team?" she suggested.

"That either."

"Darn. That one always works. Okay, deal." She took out a small stack of business cards and scanned through them quickly. "That's my mom's... that's my lawyer... my other lawyer... some guy I will never call back... that's the fake one... Ah, here it is." She handed him a blue business card. "Call me when you get back to your room. I want to make sure you got to your room okay and that the Turkish hockey players didn't kidnap you on the way."

He raised an eyebrow at her incredulously. "Uhhhh, okay..."

"Dot, dot, dot..." She smiled at him. "I had fun."

He smiled back. "I had fun, too. I'll walk you to your door." He got out and opened her door for her.

"Always the gentleman."

"Not always." He walked her to her door. She unlocked her door and opened it a little, then she turned to look at him. They stood gazing at each other for a few beats, Teller trying hard not to fidget. Suddenly, Amanda leaned forward and kissed him. Teller, thoroughly surprised, gripped the railing behind him for support. After a little of the shock wore off, he returned her kiss.

She gently broke their kiss. "Good night," she said softly, smiling that dazzling smile that always made him weak in the knees.

"Good night," he responded almost mechanically, still in a state of shock. Amanda went into her house, smiling shyly at him again before closing her door with a quiet click. Teller finally steadied enough to walk back to his car after a few seconds. He sat behind the wheel in a daze, bringing his fingers to his lips. She had kissed him like it was the most natural thing in the world and here he couldn't get his hands to stop shaking long enough to put the key in the ignition. He rubbed his hands together, massaging his fingers to steady them. He took a series of deep breaths and, once he pulled himself together, started the car and drove back to his hotel.

When he got into his room, he sat on his bed and stared at the phone. He didn't trust himself to call just yet. How could such a small appliance seem so menacing? He practiced a few openers in the silence of the room. When he finally found a tone that didn't sound so much like a school boy calling his first crush, he dialed. "Hello?" Amanda answered, picking up on the third ring.

He cleared his throat quietly. "Hi, it's me. Just calling to let you know I got back okay." Did he sound as giddy and breathless as he felt? He sure as hell hoped not. He played with the phone cord nervously, his palms beginning to sweat. What was wrong with him? He had talked to hundreds of women, some of them more beautiful than Manny. So why was he having such a hard time talking to her? It was like being in high school again.

"Oh, good. I was a little worried." Oh, geez. Here it comes, he thought, steeling himself for a massive embarrassment for what felt like the thirtieth time that night. "You were a little pale when we left the gallery. I didn't want to say anything, but I couldn't help thinking about it after you left. I know it seems like such a girl thing to say, but, sitting here in the dark got me really freaked about my cousin's art and... now I'm rambling. Gah, what is wrong with me today?"

Teller heaved a silent sigh of relief. So she hadn't noticed, (Or chose not to notice, he thought bitterly), his trembling on the stoop. "No, I'm fine. Those painting were a little..." He couldn't find adequate words to describe the paintings.

"The word 'brrrrrrrrr' definitely comes to mind." She sighed audibly, sounding incredibly drained. "Those ghastly images are enough to give the most stubborn skeptic pause. And yet..." She cleared her throat. "So, about those pictures I promised to show you..." The cheerfulness in her voice sounded forced. He couldn't stand the tension there.

Teller cut her off. "I'll be over at ten to pick you up."

"Pick me...?" she began, confused.

"I'm taking you out. Dress casually."

"But..."

"No buts, no excuses, remember?"

"Yeah, but..."

"No buts."

"But," she started again, talking over him. "Tomorrow? Isn't that...?"

"The day after this one? Yes, it is." He laughed teasingly, giant monster movie butterflies attacking his innards, but, afterall, the best defense is a good offense someone, not to mention any names, once told him. "You've been putting this off for four years. I'm calling in that rain check, buddy."

"But..."

"Now, what did I just say?" he chuckled, his voice firm nonetheless.

"Oh fine. Okay. You win." Amanda laughed resignedly. "Shall I wear my super short cut-offs, hot pink halter top and clear heels?" she asked, her voice completely serious.

"Cle--clear heels?! Good grief, woman! What's wrong with you?!" he exclaimed, feigning shock and disgust. She really knew how to make him forget about his worries. He laughed so hard that the butterflies were pushed out of his mind.

"All right. I'll wear the black leather hooker boots, a short dress and my fishnets." Her voice shook with suppressed laughter.

"That sounds good. But here's a better idea: wear clothes." Amanda laughed along with him and the last of the butterflies bellied up and died. "I'll see you tomorrow. Ten o'clock."

"Eleven thirty, got it. See you then."

"There really is something wrong with you, isn't there?" Teller asked jokingly. He knew that whenever she got this goofy, it was a sure sign of nervousness. So he was having the same effect on her that she had on him.

"My therapist says I'm perfectly normal for someone my age... with a history of massive head trauma. I'm going to let you go now. At the very least, you should be able to get some sleep tonight."

"I could come over and keep you company," he offered.

She choked laughter. "Yeah. Right. Good night."

"Good night. Sweet dreams," he added ominously.

"Uh huh. You too." She hung up.

He set the phone back on the cradle slowly. "Only of you," he said into the stillness of his room, smiling. He stared at the wall and past it for a few minutes more, remembering her kiss so vividly he could almost feel her lips still pressed against his. He finally undressed and climbed into bed. He reached up and turned off the lamp, turned over and went to sleep.

Teller woke up early the next morning, at about seven fifteen. He lay in bed for a few minutes more, staring out the window at the clear, blue autumn sky. He finally rolled out of bed, showered, shaved, and dressed. He wore a white shirt, blue jeans, black boots and his black leather jacket. He pocketed his keys and wallet and headed out.

Checking his watch, he saw that it was only eight twenty. Since he had plenty of time, he stopped at a small, family-owned coffee shop for a fresh Danish and an espresso. He sat at a small table and allowed himself time to relish his small breakfast. As he ate, he read a newspaper he picked up at the news stand outside. At nine fifteen, he drained his second cup of coffee and folded up his paper. He chucked out his trash and carried his paper under his arm as he went to his car. He had to admit, the coffee at this place was pretty good.

He drove to Amanda's house and arrived almost twenty minutes early. He knocked on the door, rocking on his heels and looking around her neighborhood as he waited. He turned back to the door when he heard it open.

Teller laughed when he saw Amanda. She was wearing almost exactly the same thing he was. "Hi, Manny. Are you ready to go?" he asked, looking her over. She was staring at his outfit too.

"Aw, now people are going to think we called each other to set this up, or that we're a couple or something." She stood back to let him in and he entered her living room. It was decorated in shades of dark green and cream with gold accents and dark wood furniture.

"You say that like it's a bad thing or something. Oh, God forbid people should think we're, of all things, dating." Teller crossed his arms and looked irritated. She chose not to respond.

"Have a seat. I'm going to go and change real quick." She darted up the stairs quickly before he could stop her. Teller tossed a green and gold throw pillow aside in disgust and sat down on the cream colored sofa. What on Earth was so bad about the idea of them being a couple? If his memory served him correctly, she had kissed him last night, not the other way around. He didn't have long to sulk, however, before Amanda reappeared. His irritation was completely forgotten when he saw her. She had on close-fitting jeans, black sneakers, a black vest and a white T-shirt. Teller couldn't suppress a small smile.

"And this is the grand wardrobe change you were going for?" he asked, unable to refrain from a small dig at her. Amanda only smiled and shrugged. After she grabbed a windbreaker out of the closet, she and Teller headed out the front door.

Once they were in the car, Teller glanced at her. Before he could say anything, Amanda leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "So, where are we off to today?" she asked, leaning back in her seat and clipping on her safety belt.

Teller could feel his face getting warm. He cleared his throat quietly and pulled away from the curb. "The art museum, for starters. Then, I was thinking we can have a late lunch or early supper before we take in a movie. There's this new independent movie I want to see, but you can pick out the movie if you want."

"Well, since it was your idea, you should choose." Amanda sat back happily and watched the scenery outside the window. "It is a beautiful day today. A perfect day for a field trip." Teller glanced over and saw her smiling guilelessly. He smiled to himself, thinking of the possibilities the day presented.

By the time the duo arrived in Center City and found convenient, affordable parking, it was nearly 11 o'clock. Teller and Amanda toured the museum for a few hours, spending the majority of their time on an Egyptian art exhibit that was currently on loan from an assortment of other museums, universities and private collectors. Around 2:30, they left the museum. Amanda stretched and yawned as they exited. "That was a wonderful exhibit, but it definitely feels good to be back outside in the warm air and sunlight."

Teller blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the change in lighting. "I'm just glad to be looking at normal, sane, safe art after that gallery showing last night." He looked at her as they walked down the steps to the street. "So, where do you want to go for lunch? My stomach is telling me it's time to refuel."

Amanda casually linked elbows with Teller and grinned. "I know a few sidewalk cafes around here. Or we can always eat on the deck at TGI Friday's. It's up to you."

Teller sighed. "Friday's it is. It's between here and where we parked, so it's not going to be as far out of the way as a cafe." After lunch on the deck at Friday's, Teller took Amanda to a small art house theater where they watched a stirring drama about life in the streets of a small European town. As they left the theater, Teller noticed her brushing away a few tears.

"That was a great movie. I never really appreciated independent, low-budget movies before now. I mean, that ending... I'm still in tears." Teller put an arm around her shoulders and gently drew her closer.

"I know what you mean. That movie was a lot better than I thought it would be, but I should have expected as much from the director. Most of his movies have been outstanding." Teller let Amanda into the car and walked around to his side. By the time they were securely fastened in and rolling out of the parking lot, she had almost regained control of herself. Teller glanced over at her. "So, when are you going to invite me to spend the night?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

She scoffed in reply. "Yeah, it'll be a cold day in Hell before that happens, Romeo. You've got a better chance of finding Jimmy Hoffa working at a SubWay." Teller laughed.

"Well, I like a challenge. If I can get you to change your mind, you owe me a case of YooHoo."

"Oh, you are on," she replied, smirking at him. They pulled up to a red light and Teller brushed a few stray hairs out of her eyes as they waited for the light to turn green. Amanda blushed fiercely and playfully knocked his hand away. "Would you cut that out? You're going to give people the wrong idea."

Teller made a show of looking around. "What people?" he asked as eased his foot off of the brake and onto the gas with the changing of the light.

"Don't change the subject." She was still blushing and wouldn't meet his eye when he glanced over at her.

"So...I take it you don't want any cheesecake. I'm treating." He smiled winningly.

"Are you kidding? I'd kill my own father for a good slice of cheesecake. My father and his father, too," she responded excitedly.

"I thought you didn't want me to change the subject. But, since I'm starving for a slice of cherry cheesecake right now, I think I'll let that slide." He thought for a second. "And I really don't think it's necessary for you to actually kill your dad for a dessert. That's a bit extreme, even for you."

"Okay, now you're just being smart. I didn't mean it literally and you know it. And you've been treating all night. Let me treat you."

"Oh, I will. I will," he said with a devilish grin on his face.

"I am really not liking that smile. I was talking about buying the cheesecake, you pervert."

"Pervert? Whoa! You thought I meant...? Oh God no. I only meant that I can put away a lot of cheesecake. Now who's got their mind in the gutter?" Teller looked bemused. "Although, I wouldn't say no to a little..."

"You get cheesecake. That's it, just cheesecake." To Teller's amusement, Amanda looked completely flustered.

"You are making this way too easy. Come on, we're here," he said as they pulled up in front of a diner. They left their jackets in the car because it was still warm out and they didn't feel like the extra hassle of keeping track of them. Amanda had long since abandoned her vest and her t-shirt was completely untucked as they went into the diner. "You seem to be getting pretty comfortable," Teller had remarked casually when she took it off. She'd only shrugged noncommitally and grabbed his hand.

When they opened the door to the diner, a plethora of enticing aromas wafted out to them on the warm air from inside. The diner had a few other patrons inside, but there were plenty of empty tables and they didn't have to wait long to be seated and served. The two sat at a booth by the window, working their way through their second slices of cheesecake and drinking coffee when the first drops of rain began to fall. Before they had finished dessert, it was a positive downpour. The rain pounded on the roof so loudly that it drowned out the music from the vintage jukebox against the far wall.

"No bleedin' way," Amanda swore, looking towards the ceiling. "There was no rain in the forecast for tonight. And I don't remember seeing any storm clouds on the way here." Teller looked at her mildly.

"Nothing we can do about it now. I'll pay the check and we can wait for a bit to see if it slacks up," he said, reaching for his wallet. Amanda stopped him and pulled out a few bills of her own. He had forgotten that she was treating for dessert.

Ten minutes later, the rain showed no sign of stopping. "Well, fuck me sideways, pardon my French, but this is ridiculous. We can't stay here all night," Amanda sighed as she ripped apart a paper napkin. Teller sighed too and stood up.

"Well, it's let up a little. I'll give you a ride home. I just hope it stops by the time we get there." They ran out to the car, getting drenched as Teller tried to fit the key into the lock on the door. By the time they were both belted in, they were soaked to the skin. Teller pushed his wet hair back from his forehead and started the car. Within two blocks of the diner, the rain began to pick up again and lightning could be seen in the distance. So much for clear skies and unseasonably warm weather, he thought bitterly, thinking of the morning's forecast on the radio. If these are clear skies, I'll eat Penn's jockey shorts.

Teller drove through the rain slowly, his wipers moving as fast as they could, not doing a thing to help the visibility, which was next to nothing. His nose was pressed almost to the windshield, trying to read the street signs as the rainwater ran in sheets over the glass. Amanda sat quietly, letting him concentrate on the road. She was shivering slightly, her wet shirt clinging to her skin. Teller glanced at her quickly, then, eyes on the road, he reached behind his seat and grabbed his leather jacket, handing it to her with another quick glance. He couldn't help but notice that she wasn't wearing a bra under her white t-shirt and the cold water in the fabric made her nipples stand out.

"Thanks," she said, putting it on. She inhaled the scent he left on the jacket and felt much warmer almost immediately.

"No problem," he muttered, carefully passing a stalled car. His brows were knit in concentration. He tried to focus on the road, but his mind kept shifting back to Amanda's nearly bare breasts. Not much later, after a few close calls which very easily could have ended up as traffic accidents, Teller pulled up in front of her house.

Amanda stared silently through the windows at the pouring rain. A flash of lightning lit up the night, followed almost immediately by a thunderclap so huge it set off car alarms in the distance. "You should probably come in. It doesn't look like it's gonna let up any time soon and it's way too dangerous for you to drive back to your hotel in this." Teller looked at her then at the rain.

"Better you than some psychotic stranger. At least I know that you're crazy." He shrugged. "All right, I'll come in, but only since you asked so nicely." He pinched her cheek and smirked.

Amanda gave him a look of impatience and rolled her eyes. "Get out of the car." She put his jacket in the back seat, then, taking a deep breath, she bolted out of the car, Teller doing the same behind her.

They rushed to the front door, the deluge soaking them in the few moments it took them to get from the curb to the step. Amanda rifled through her pockets looking for her keys. She found the key she was looking for and jammed it into the lock, shoving the door open and running in. Her hair hung in wet strings all over her face. Teller's hair was pasted flat against his head by the torrential rain. He shook himself like a dog, spraying water everywhere. Amanda laughed, holding her hands up to block the water droplets. Teller's wet clothes stuck to his skin like cling wrap.

"You look like a drowned rat!" she laughed, pulling a strand of hair off of Teller's forehead.

"And what do you think you look like?"

"A wet bird. Duh!" She began to wring her clothes out, adding water to the puddle forming at her feet. "Come on upstairs." Teller smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Don't get any ideas," she warned, wagging a finger at him.

"Too late." He followed her upstairs, dripping along the way. Amanda led him to her bedroom and handed him a towel from the towel rack on the back of her bedroom door.

"Take your clothes off," she said, walking into the adjacent bathroom. She pushed the door halfway closed and he could hear her shifting objects around on the other side.

"Wow. You do move fast." He ducked as she threw a second towel at his head.

She rolled her eyes at him as he laughed. "Your clothes are wet. If you don't dry off, you'll catch your death of cold. And..." She paused. "Where was I going with this? Oh, yeah. You need to dry off and change your clothes. I don't think my floors can take much more abuse."

"Change into what? I left my pajamas and sleeping bag at home. I didn't think I'd need them. After all, the forecast called for clear skies all week."

"I think I have some gym shorts and t-shirts around here that'll fit you." As she searched her dresser, her back to him, he studied her body. He could see that she was a bit more shapely than he originally thought. She had a trim figure, not very curvaceous, but softly contoured in all the right places. She wasn't a soft girly girl, but athletic and possessed of a mysterious sensuality. She bent to check the bottom drawer and his heart jumped into his mouth as he admired the view she presented. He shook his head as if to clear it. If he didn't pull himself together, he'd be in a very embarrassing situation indeed.

"Aha! Success!" Amanda whirled, holding a pair of black cotton shorts up. "These should fit." She handed him the shorts and a black Pink Floyd t-shirt. He took them carefully, holding the still folded towel in front of him. She turned and began to search her drawers for dry clothes for herself.

Whew! She didn't notice, Teller thought to himself, continuing to conceal a rather noticeable cause for embarrassment. "Do you mind if I take a shower? I feel a little chilly and a hot shower would definitely help me warm up."

"Huh? Oh. Knock yourself out." Amanda continued her search for clothes. She had found a shirt and shorts already, but was obviously searching for something else.

Teller entered the bathroom off of her bedroom, setting the towel and clothes aside. He began searching for a washcloth, trying to distract himself from the pressure of his wet pants against his crotch. Once he found a washcloth, he started the water and found a comfortable temperature before turning the shower on. He carefully undressed, which was a tricky operation. Wet clothes NEVER cooperate. As he pulled off his shorts, his erection sprang free. "Ah, jeez," he muttered. He climbed into the shower and began to lather up his body with liberal amounts of soap. As he rinsed the soap off, he attended to his now more pressing difficulty.

When he finished, he washed away the evidence, then stepped out of the shower, drying his skin thoroughly. As he dressed, he noticed a neatly written note in the fog on the mirror. "'Nice ass', huh?" he said, smiling at himself in the mirror. "I almost wish Manny really had come in. I could have asked her to join me." He rubbed away the nearly invisible soap on the mirror and turned to leave the bathroom. He paused in front of the mirror again and a mischievous grin spread across his face. He wet his index finger and rubbed it on the soap, then began to trace his finger briskly across the surface of the mirror. Two could most definitely play this game.

"Just leave your clothes on the floor. I'll drop them into the dryer with mine when I get out of the shower," Amanda told him as he came back into her bedroom. She was still wet and her t-shirt stuck to her skin even after she pulled it away in irritation. She gathered her things and walked past him into the bathroom.

"Ooh, can I watch?" he asked, taking a step towards her.

"Nope. You had your fun." She stuck her tongue out at him cutely and closed the bathroom door.

"Not yet I haven't." He grinned and sat on the bed to wait for her.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, the shower water cut off. Teller sat up on the bed, realizing that he was beginning to doze off to the sound of running water. He waited patiently for Amanda to come out of the bathroom and straightened his shorts needlessly. He heard an audible gasp followed by a soft chuckle. As Amanda opened the bathroom door, he stood casually, a roguish smile on his face. "So, 'naked is a nice look for me', huh?"

He tilted his head slightly. "I wouldn't know. Haven't had the honor of seeing it." Amanda tweaked his nose.

"I'm not a psychic, but somehow I don't see that happening in the near future." She picked up the pile of wet clothes on the bathroom floor and began to carry them downstairs. As she passed him, Teller gave her a playful pat on the butt. "The first one's free. The next one will cost you."

Teller smiled and followed her into the living room and sat on the couch. As soon as he sat down, Amanda's pet pit bull, Suki, jumped into his lap. Teller started violently, then began to cautiously pat Suki's cream and coffee-colored fur. The dog's tail wagged happily as he licked Teller's hand. "G-good boy. Good doggie." Suki jumped down and ran into the dining room, returning with a silk rope, knotted at both ends. He dropped it in front of Teller and panted, wagging his tail rapidly. Teller picked it up and immediately Suki began to playfully tug the other end.

As Teller played with Suki, Amanda came back into the living room. "That is so cute. He remembers you." She patted her thigh. "Here, Suki. I got a treat for you." She tossed the overgrown puppy a smoked pig snout and watched him begin chewing on it. Satisfied that he was occupied, she grabbed a photo album from an end table and sat next to Teller. "He likes you. And they told me he was a good judge of character. Feh."

"You're a good one to talk. So, are you finally going to show me those photos you keep teasing me with?" he asked, reaching for the album.

"Well, it was that or Scrabble, and I can barely spell my own name." She opened the photo album on his lap and began to point out interesting photos. "Oh, this one is of my trip to Camberra. While I was in Australia, I did some diving on the Reef. It was awesome. I have the pictures in there somewhere."

"Whoo hoo. Pay dirt!" Teller exclaimed, grinning broadly at one picture on the next page.

Amanda looked mortified. "How did that get in there?" She tried to turn the page but Teller gently knocked her hand away.

"Is that a picture of you naked? Wow, you did Miss Cleo proud with your prediction." He gave her a smile and pinched her red cheek. "Not bad."

"Cut it out," she said, snapping her teeth at his fingers. He laughed and turned the page, purring seductively. "You're not nice."

"These are great pictures. Especially this one. Is this Halloween?"

"Yeah, Halloween in New Orleans. I'm the vampire." Manny was trying to rub the red out of her cheeks, but she was still blushing furiously.

"This is a really great Gothic picture. The architecture is awesome." By the time he got to the last page, she was back to herself, joking and smiling as usual.

"That's the end of the world's cheapest vacation slide show. I hope you enjoyed it." Amanda flipped back through the album casually. She stopped suddenly. "Er, Teller, where's the photo I had on this page?"

Teller tried to arrange his face into an innocently confused expression. "I have no idea. You sure it didn't fall out onto the floor?"

"Teller, you could sprout wings and a halo, and I still wouldn't buy the innocent act. Where's the picture?" She raised an eyebrow slightly and held out her hand. Teller placed the nude photo in her palm and smiled.

"Sorry. I just could not help myself." He laughed as Amanda replaced the photo in its proper spot. She looked up at him incredulously and rolled her eyes. Suddenly, she stifled a yawn and shook her head as though to clear away some mental cobwebs. Teller checked his watch. "Wow, I had no idea it was that late. It's nearly two in the morning. You should turn in; you're absolutely exhausted."

"Okay, Dad. I'll go to bed. I'll show you where you're sleeping while I'm at it." She stood up and stretched languidly before moving toward the stairs. As Teller drew even with her, she playfully swooned against him. "Wow, I don't know if I have the energy to walk up all those stairs. Can you carry me?" She batted her lashes coquettishly.

"Oh, much as I would love to, I think you'd have a better chance of me carrying the stairs over to you. You see, I don't think I can get me up those stairs let alone carry you." He smiled and shrugged. "Sorry."

"No you're not. Come on." She smiled and took the stairs briskly as Teller straggled behind, stifling his own yawns. "If you're not going to carry me, the least you can do is keep up." She laughed kindly and stopped at the second door on the left. "You're sleeping in here. The bed's already made up for you. Well, not you specifically, just for overnight guests. If I had known you were spending the night, I'd have prepared the dungeons."

Teller walked past her as she clicked the light on. The room was furnished comfortably he noticed, with warm peach walls and pine furniture. The full-sized bed with its cream and peach bedding beckoned him. "It looks great," he said, striding over to the bed. Without bothering to turn down the sheets, he collapsed full-length onto the bed and closed his eyes. "Good night," he muttered, his voice muffled by the pillows.

"Good night to you, too," she responded, but she was fairly sure he was already asleep. She turned out the light and turned in herself.

Sometime before eight the next morning, Teller crept silently into Amanda's room. Seeing that she was still asleep, he opened the blinds slightly, watching as thin bars of light fell over her body and face. She stirred, but when she didn't wake up, Teller tiptoed over to the bed and kissed her gently on the forehead. He stood and gazed at her as she slept on, her mouth open slightly and her hair tousled from the pillows. She was adorable; unable to help himself any longer, Teller leaned forward and placed his mouth on hers, kissing her gently.

Feeling someone's lips on hers, Amanda opened her eyes slowly. When she saw Teller looking down at her, she practically rolled off the bed in shock. "You get a kick out of scaring the hell out of me, don't you?" She sat up on the bed, rubbing her eyes irritably.

"I didn't want to wake you. You looked so cute, lying there in your Hello Kitty underwear, I thought it seemed a shame to disturb you." He sat next to her on the bed.

"Yeah, only you would think morning breath is attractive." She stretched lazily and collapsed back onto the bed, her legs hanging off the edge.

"Don't you know the best sex is messy, morning-after sex? Sure, it's not exactly pretty, but there's nothing like waking up to your partner sitting on your chest." Teller laughed at the exasperated look on Amanda's face.

"I don't see that...." She stopped.

"Go ahead, finish what you were saying. 'You don't see that happening any time soon.' You're already oh-for-three, Kreskin. Care to make it an even four?" Teller quipped. Amanda laughed.

"I don't see that as a very appealing image to wake up to, actually. In fact, it makes me want to cry just thinking about it." Teller leaned over her slightly.

"That's just because you've never done it with me," he said, only half-jokingly. Amanda held up a hand to stop him.

"Now, hold on there, Casanova, don't you think you're rushing things a little? I mean, we barely know each other."

"You're absolutely right; it's only been, what? Five years? I don't know what came over me." He grabbed her outstretched hand and kissed her again. He broke the kiss before Amanda could thoroughly recover from the initial shock. "Now, I know it seems a little unorthodox, but I think I'll make breakfast first. Then, well, we'll just let nature take its course." He stood up and headed for the stairs. Amanda followed, a slightly worried frown on her face.

Down in the kitchen, Teller had already begun gathering the necessary ingredients and cookware for breakfast. Once he had everything set up, he began mixing homemade pancake batter. He greased a skillet and poured the batter in as Amanda watched. "So, how many pancakes do you want?" he asked casually, flipping one over.

"Two or three. Whatever's fine really. I don't usually eat breakfast." She idly picked at the edge of a dish towel as Teller cooked.

"Hmm? Why not?" Amanda just shrugged. "Not exactly a healthy habit, skipping breakfast."

Amanda smiled. "Well, I also don't usually get up before noon. Or cook. Or stay in the house this long after waking up, so I guess skipping eggs and bacon isn't so bad."

"I take it you stay up late and party with the team, huh?" Teller put the pancakes onto two plates and wiped out the skillet before throwing some sausage links on to fry.

"No sir, usually I'm in bed by 11 o'clock. If I don't get my twelve hours of sleep, I can't function in the morning." As if to punctuate the statement, Amanda stifled a tremendous yawn.

"You know, there are at least three things wrong with that statement, not the least of which is that you profess not to get up before noon, so if you're asleep in the morning, how exactly are you functioning?" Teller set two plates of pancakes and sausage on the dining room table and sat down.

"Well, obviously not very well. Weren't you paying attention?" Amanda sat across from him. As she began to eat, a small object hit her in the forehead. "What the hell?!" She looked at the floor where the object fell and spied a plastic grape from the fruit bowl on the sideboard. "Really funny."

"Not very good reflexes there, I see. And you're sure you play sports for a living?" Teller asked. He dodged as the grape came sailing back across the table. "Great aim, too." Amanda smirked as she returned to her breakfast.

"So, what are your plans for today?" she asked conversationally.

"I'll probably visit my parents, take care of some business I have in the area, go consult my psychic friend and then get my nose pierced." Amanda nearly choked on a mouthful of pancake.

"You... do not... have a psychic friend," she coughed. Once she composed herself, she wiped her mouth on a napkin and smiled. "But I'd pay money to see you with a nose ring."

"Oh no, you still owe me a case of YooHoo."

"What for?" she asked, a forkful of sausage suspended halfway between her plate and her mouth.

"You told me you'd get me a case of YooHoo if you invited me to spend the night. Well, here I am. Where's my YooHoo?" Amanda laughed as she finished eating.

"I'm a little short on YooHoo right now. I'm going to need an extension on that."

"I don't know. You'll probably find some way to worm your way out of our deal. What guarantee do I have that you'll hold up your end of the bargain?" Teller stood up and began clearing the dishes.

"You have a point there. I am remarkably untrustworthy." Amanda followed Teller into the kitchen, a pensive look on her face. As he was putting the dishes in the sink, Amanda snapped her fingers decisively. "How about this? In lieu of a case of YooHoo, will this suffice as payment?" Amanda pushed Teller's back against the fridge and locked her lips over his. Teller wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. After a few moments locked in a passionate embrace, she gently broke their kiss. "Was that worth the cost of a case of YooHoo?"

It took him a second to respond. "Wow, uh, I am speechless. I was expecting an offer to do the dishes."

"Me? Do dishes? This early in the morning? You're crazy." Amanda fixed her t-shirt carefully. "I should probably give you back your clothes so you can get dressed. I think your parents might have a few questions if you showed up at their house wearing my shorts."

"Does this mean we're not finishing this upstairs?" Teller asked, feigning disappointment. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll take that as a no."

"Well, not today anyway. Let me go grab your duds out of the dryer." Teller reluctantly released her and watched her skip down the steps to the basement. When she reappeared with his clothes, he took them out of her arms.

"Okay, very funny, Manny. Where are my underwear?" He held up a pair of bright pink panties that had been hidden under his shirt. Amanda held up a pair of boxers.

"I was hoping I could keep them," she said, yanking them briskly out of reach when Teller made a grab for them.

"No, now give them back," he sighed, slightly irritated. When he reached for them again, she dropped them into his hand.

"You're no fun," she said, pouting.

"I'm plenty of fun. Maybe one of these days I'll show you how much fun I can really be." He brushed the hair away from her face and, lifting her chin, planted a brief kiss on her pouty lips.

Amanda punched him in the arm as he left the room. "You're a real pain, you know that?"

"So are you," Teller said. "But I still hang out with you." After Teller had gone upstairs and changed, he came back down to find Amanda, still in an undershirt and Hello Kitty panties, sitting on the couch watching television. "Aren't you going to get dressed, Little Miss Nakedity?"

"Eventually. Can't a girl lay around her living room in her underwear anymore? And is 'nakedity' even a real word?" She stretched out on the couch, her flat stomach showing just above her drawers. Teller found himself staring at her. With only a thin layer of cotton separating him from her bare flesh, he began to rethink his priorities.

"Well, as much as I would love to stay and bum around with you today, and believe me I would, I have to get going. Call you later?" Teller said, heading for the door.

Amanda stood up to see him out. "Sure. Just try to call before midnight." She kissed him on the cheek. When he stood by the door expectantly, she gave him a worried frown. "Something wrong?"

"I'm waiting for a smart comment. Nothing, huh? No comments about making obscene phone calls, keeping the porch light on for when your man is away, nothing?"

Amanda looked at him with a bemused expression and shrugged. "Can't be on all the time. You should probably hurry if you don't want to be late for your appointment." Teller turned to leave but, just as he got the door open, she grabbed his shoulder and spun him to face her. She grabbed his shirt front and pulled him close, kissing him firmly on the lips before giving him a gentle shove out the door. "Just something for you to think about when you call me later. Now get outta here before I change my mind."

Teller smirked all the way to the car. It wasn't exactly the send-off he had in mind, but it would do. He drove back to his hotel, rushing up to his room to shower and change. He had enough time for a shave before he had to get to his first appointment, so he wasn't too worried. He had two appointments that morning and plans to spend the afternoon with his parents. He looked forward to seeing his parents as always and it would be a wonderful cap on the day.

He finally got back to his hotel room at around 11:00 PM. After he left his parents, he went for a drive down Route 611 to relax. He and Manny had talked about going for a drive on 611, picking an open space at random and maybe having a picnic. After driving through and seeing it again by moonlight, he thought it wasn't such a bad idea. The weather would be warm for a few more days and the leaves were changing colors already. He had seen quite a few spots that would be ideal, especially since the crew teams would be practicing on the river for a while yet.

He flopped onto his bed, kicked off his shoes and relaxed. Reaching up past his head, he grabbed the phone and began to dial Amanda's number. As usual, she picked up on the third ring. "Pronto," he heard her say, followed closely by the sound of a dog barking. "Suki, it's not for you. You know your friends aren't allowed to call after 10." Once the dog had quieted, Amanda's voice came over the line again. "Y'hello. What's shakin', bacon?"

"Hello, Amanda." Teller couldn't help picturing her on the couch in a pair of panties and an undershirt that rode up on her stomach slightly.

"Okay, only two people I know have the brass ones to call me Amanda, and since you're not my mother, you must be Teller. I almost thought you weren't going to call." Her voice sounded light and cheery he was pleased to note.

"I said I was going to call. Why wouldn't I call?" Teller rolled onto his stomach so that he could turn one of the bedside lamps off. It was shining right into his face and the light was starting to make his eyes hurt.

"It was getting late. I figured you might think it was too late to call or something."

Teller paused. Sure, she had told him to call before midnight, but she could very easily have been in bed already. "It wasn't too late to call, was it? I hope I didn't wake you." He wrapped his fingers in the phone cord tensely as he waited for her answer.

"No, I actually won't get to bed for a few hours yet." Teller relaxed and rolled onto his back again. He put a pillow under his neck and made himself more comfortable. "I took a nap this afternoon so I could stay up and watch this weird Japanese horror movie marathon on cable. It's not really that good, but I only wanted to see Ringu, so I have to sit through this other crap anyways. At least now I have you to distract me from the absolute horridness of this tripe. So, how were your meetings?"

"Oh, they were fun and informative. I am glad that I went. On a completely unrelated subject, I hope you won't consider it too forward of me to ask what you are currently wearing?" Teller began playing with a deck of cards he kept on the night stand, just so he would have something to do with his hands.

"Well, I'm wearing crotchless panties and a peek-a-boo bra from Frederick's of Hollywood," she said without missing a beat.

Teller had to concentrate hard to keep from spraying his cards all over the room. "Really?" he asked, trying not to sound too eager.

Amanda giggled. "No... But you would love that wouldn't you?"

"I would actually," he said in a would-be casual voice as he resumed shuffling. "I'll tell you what I have on. I'm wearing black pants and dress socks and a sand-colored shirt with a button-down collar."

Amanda giggled again. "Okay, well, I'm wearing blue cotton boy-cut panties, a matching undershirt and a pair of Hanes Her Way sweat socks. I was going to wear my Happy Bunny boxers, but the shirt that goes with it is in the hamper, so... y'know."

"So, what are you doing tomorrow? Anything important?" he asked, beginning to unbutton his shirt.

"Well, after I find the cure for cancer, I'm going to solve world hunger, cure athlete's foot and then initiate a huge choreographed, yet somehow spontaneous dance number in the streets of Center City, thereby ending the violence and war on drugs singlehandedly. Then I'm going to wake up, take a shower and start my day, soooo, no. Why? Did you have plans?"

"Since you're not doing anything, I was thinking maybe you would like to spend the day together? I saw a great spot for a picnic and I thought you might be up for a day in the open air and sunlight." When she didn't respond, Teller sat up slowly and looked towards the cradle of the phone, wondering if the call had been disconnected. "Um, hello?"

Amanda cleared her throat slightly. "Sorry, had a mouthful of Gummi Bears and had to wash them down with something before I choked. Note to self: Mom was right. Talking with your mouth full is a bad idea." Teller didn't know whether to laugh at that or not. "Thanks for not laughing at my misery. As to the whole picnic thing, sounds like a great idea. I'll make up some sandwiches and so forth if you pick up the drinks and paper goods. Probably be a good idea if you swing by after 12:00. The Doggie Day Camp should have picked up Suki by then. Otherwise we have to take him along with."

"Okay, sounds like a plan. Be there around 12:00. Enjoy your movies." They exchanged good-byes and hung up. Teller then proceeded to undress and get ready for bed.

The next afternoon, Teller rode to Amanda's house, a mini cooler full of sodas, YooHoo and water bottles already in the backseat. When he arrived, he had barely turned off the ignition before she came flying out of the house. She had an insulated lunch pack on her back and her jacket in her hand. After throwing her things into the backseat, she got into the passenger's seat, slammed the door and snapped on her seat belt. "What the hell?" Teller managed before Amanda planted her lips over his. "I'm happy to see you, too," he gasped when she let him go.

Amanda looked at him as though she hadn't been so happy to see anybody in her whole life as she was to see him just then. "I am so glad to see you! You have no idea how much I need to get away from my house right now." Teller pulled away from the curb as she settled into her seat. "I've been cleaning and washing so much since yesterday that I swear my vacuum was talking to me."

"Here I thought you were just glad to see me. To think, you would have reacted that way for anybody that showed up," he said, only partly feigning his wounded expression.

She looked at him, sincerely apologetic. "No, don't say that. I am glad to see you. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather see. I mean, you're probably the whole reason I even bothered to clean so thoroughly. I usually go over it once with a vacuum and pronounce it liveable."

"You went to all that trouble, for me?" Teller smiled, batting his eyelashes. "You shouldn't have."

"Cleaning's not the half of it. I've been working pretty hard since you left yesterday. Maybe I'll show you the fruits of my labors later. So, where is this perfect picnic spot?" No sooner had the words left her mouth than Teller had pulled into a parking lot near a park. He got out and grabbed the cooler and lunchpack. Without waiting for her to follow, he headed towards a bend in the river near a footbridge. Amanda lost sight of him for a moment, but when she rounded the bend, she saw him laying out a blanket on the grass in a spot she soon realized couldn't be seen until you were practically on top of it unless you were on the water. "Nice picnic spot," she said, whistling appreciatively at the view.

Teller smiled up at her and propped the cooler open. "I thought you would like it. A nice view, relative privacy, cold drinks. What more could you want?" Amanda sat on the blanket next to Teller and looked around. They were right under a group of trees. Every time a good breeze blew, a shower of orange and gold leaves fell around them. Without answering Teller, she took a sandwich out of her pack and ripped it in half. She held half of a tomato sandwich out to Teller. "Tomato sandwiches. Okay, now it's perfect."

They sat quietly for a while, eating sandwiches and drinking sodas. As they ate, a college crew team rowed by on the river. "I love beautiful afternoons like this," she said, pulling a couple of oranges from her lunch pack. While peeling the first orange, she didn't notice Teller had stretched out on the blanket until she felt his head in her lap. She looked down to see him staring out at the water. He glanced up at her then turned his attention back to the river. "Okay..." Amanda finished peeling the oranges. Dropping the last peel, she saw that Teller's attention had returned to her face.

"What's wrong? Am I spoiling your appetite?" Teller asked, offering no indication that he planned to move.

Amanda pulled a section from the orange and popped it into her mouth. "Not at all." She saw him eyeing the orange. "Did you want some?" Instead of answering, he looked back towards the water. She ate a few more orange sections before he caught her eye again. Smirking slightly, she held a piece over his mouth. Without a word, he bit into the orange section, pulled it out of her hand and ate it. "Wow, that's a cute trick. Do that again," she said with a laugh. She hand fed him two more orange sections. "That's so cool."

Teller raised an eyebrow and looked at her, bemused. "You know, Manny, you're a strange one. I can never tell whether or not you're being serious." She shrugged and picked up the other orange. She popped two orange sections into her mouth then fed him the rest, one section at a time. Smiling, she put the last section between her teeth and leaned over him. Without any hesitation, he leaned up, bit off the exposed half and kissed her, enjoying the taste of the orange on her lips. He broke the kiss then lay back on her lap, brushing her hair back from her face.

Teller sat up beside Amanda, putting his fingers through her thick hair as he pressed his lips to hers again. A gentle wind blew, swirling red and gold leaves around them. Amanda had a vague notion that the scene would have made an excellent photograph. Teller's questing tongue soon drove all further thought from her mind.

After a few eternal moments, they broke their kiss and Amanda nestled her head on Teller's shoulder as he draped an arm around her. As she shifted her head into a more comfortable position, her lips just barely brushed his neck, sending a small shiver along his spine. They sat for a while, watching the sunlight wink off of the river. "Want to throw this stuff into the trunk and take a walk?" Teller finally asked, almost reluctant to break the comfortable silence. Amanda nodded and helped him gather the picnic things and stow them in the trunk before walking along the river hand in hand.

During their walk, they talked quietly about minor events, catching up on the little things that happened while they were apart. Seeing Teller smile, hearing him laughing and chatting away, feeling his warm hand in hers beat a stack of letters or a month of phone calls any day and she knew he felt the same. As Amanda pointed out a crew team from one of the local schools, Teller slipped his hand into her back pocket casually. Amanda simply put a familiar arm around his waist.

Eventually, the temperature began to fall slightly and the wind picked up a little, so they walked back to the car. "This was a great afternoon," Amanda said, planting a kiss on Teller's cheek as she buckled her seatbelt.

A small smile lifted one corner of Teller's mouth. "Well, the day isn't over yet. What do you say we go back to my room, order some Chinese, watch a couple of bad movies?"

"Sounds good to me." Teller started the car and drove back to his hotel. When they got to his room, Teller tossed his keys onto the nightstand, picked up the phone and called the Fu King Chinese Restaurant. An hour later, Teller and Amanda were sharing an order of fried dumpling and ignoring some low intelligence comedy movie on the TV.

Manny sat barefoot, legs crossed, on Teller's bed as he swiped one of her pineapple shrimp. "There is no way on earth that you can gross me out," she protested, jabbing him the hand playfully with her chopsticks as he reached for another shrimp.

"We'll see about that. I've eaten live ants before."

"I accidentally laughed so hard a lo mein noodle came out of my nose. Tell me, which would be worse, sucking it back in or pulling it out?"

"I've eaten a giant hissing cockroach once."

"Okay, okay, I once drank a milkshake through my nose. Beat that!" Amanda grinned as she ate the last dumpling.

As she was chewing, Teller leaned forward and whispered something into her ear that caused her face to blanch. She swallowed the food in her mouth sickly, slowly turning a flattering green. "I guess I win." Teller smirked and polished off his egg roll with great relish.

"Oh, God, my brain!" Amanda clutched her head in agony. "That wasn't fair." Teller only laughed.

"That's enough of that. Done?" he asked, gathering up the trash.

"Oh, let's read our fortunes. They're always good for a laugh. My last one told me that my wife would be a great source of joy."

"Uh, okay." Teller picked up a fortune cookie and opened it. "My fortune says 'Stop searching forever, happiness is right next to you'." He looked at Amanda and shrugged.

"Don't look at me." Amanda picked up the other cookie and cracked it open. "'Your destiny lies ahead, choose wisely.' Pretty deep for a fortune cookie, huh?" Teller shrugged again. "Well, it's still pretty early. Want to actually watch a movie?"

"There is a horror movie marathon on tonight if you're interested," Teller said, reaching for the remote.

"Oh, I'm interested. I'm very interested." Teller grinned and began to surf through the channels until he found the right one. He and Amanda curled up together on the bed, propped up by pillows, to watch the first movie, Friday the 13th, Part 2. Amanda giggled every time Teller jumped. She didn't laugh half as much during the next movie. As they watched The Dentist, she spent the majority of the film cringing against Teller's shoulder. "I hate dentists, I hate dentists, IhatedentistsIhatedentistsIhatedentists."

During the small break between movies, Teller looked at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, spiffy, why do you ask?" She casually sipped a soda from the mini fridge.

"Oh. That. Neh, I'm okay. Dentists are just creepy. Not as creepy as you are, but pretty close. Now, if you really want to see me freak out, we should watch The Audition." Amanda did a fair job of pretending to be cool and collected, but Teller could still see the tension in her shoulders and around her jaw. He waited for her to finish her soda and toss the can, then began to tickle her aggressively. Amanda flailed around on the bed, trying to cover her most sensitive areas, but he merely rolled her onto her back and straddled her stomach, pinning her arms with his knees as he tickled more furiously. "Stop! You're gonna make me pee myself! Stop it!" she yelled through her laughter.

Teller stopped tickling her and kissed her gently on the mouth. Amanda returned his kiss then gave him a sharp poke just below the ribs. "Ow!" he gasped, holding his side.

"That's for tickling me. Next time, I'm going to hold you down and give you the sloppiest wet willy on record." She gave him a slightly amused scowl.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll probably just cover you in Post-Its while you're asleep."

"Uh, okay..." Teller rolled off of her and grabbed a soda for himself. As he finished the can, he belched. Amanda was visibly impressed. "Sorry about that."

"Ew, that was gross. Do it again!" She leaned forward with eager expectation.

"Aren't ladies usually offended by that kind of thing?" he pointed out with a dry grin as he tossed his can into the wastebasket.

"Oh please. Most of my cousins and brothers while I was growing up were boys. Burping was the least of my worries."

"Most of your brothers were boys? How does that work?"

"Long story. I'd rather not get into it right now. All you need to know what that my brother Maurice used to be 'Maureen', if you get my meaning."

"Ah. I see. Well, it's 21st century. I sure as hell am not going to judge. As long as he's happy, I'm happy for him." Teller snuggled with Amanda again. "You're not, y'know..." He gestured helplessly. "You're not still sore at me for tickling you, are you?"

Amanda pretended to think about it. "Neh. It's okay. Everybody gets one."

"Good, because I have no desire to wake up covered in fluorescent office products."

"You're just lucky Staples is closed right now," she said, stifling a small yawn. Teller chuckled as they settled down to watch The Ninth Gate. Barely halfway through the movie, Amanda had fallen asleep with Teller not to far behind her. Around 1:30 in the morning, Teller awoke to the sounds of an especially obnoxious cable ad. Seeing Amanda sound asleep, he turned off the TV and carefully slipped out of the bed. He carefully took her jeans off of her, laying them carefully across the desk chair before quietly undressing himself for bed. He lie down on the bed again, pulling the covers up over himself and Manny before turning off the bedside lamps.

When she awoke the next morning, Amanda found herself lying with her head on Teller's chest as he lie almost spread-eagled on the bed, one foot peeking out from under the blanket. She smiled to herself as she listened to his heartbeat. It reminded her of the metronome on her mother's piano. She dozed off listening to the comfortable, familiar rhythm of his pulse. She woke up some time later to the sound of the shower running. She sat up as she heard the water being turned off. A few seconds later, Teller came strolling out of the bathroom, naked but for the towel around his waist.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." He strode over to the dresser, looking anything but apologetic. "How did you sleep?" he asked over his shoulder as he pulled his clothes from the drawers. He selected an undershirt, some boxers and a pair of dress socks before turning towards her again.

"I slept okay. You?" She watched him unabashedly as he pulled on his undershirt.

"I've passed worse nights. I've got a little tension in my back, but it's not a big deal." He pulled on his underwear under the towel before letting it fall to the floor. "You are a sound sleeper, did you know that? I stubbed my toe on the damned bathroom door and let loose a stream of pretty coarse language, at a decent volume might I add, and all you did was roll over and mutter something about marmalade." He put on a pair of black slacks then sat on the edge of the bed.

"Marmalade? Seriously? I don't even like marmalade." Teller chuckled as he rolled his head back and forth, trying to work a crick out of his neck before pulling on his socks and shoes. Amanda rubbed a hand over his back and shook her head sadly. "Man, no wonder your back and neck are bothering you. You've got a hell of a lot of tension back here. Tell me if this hurts at all." She began to massage his back, neck and shoulders, trying to relax the tension in the muscles there.

Teller moaned softly, enjoying the kneading motion of Manny's hands on his sore back. "I think you may have missed your calling in life," he remarked, leaning forward slightly so she could reach his lower back.

"I'm not cut out to be a masseuse. You know me. I'm too easily flustered and grossed out by humanity." She squealed as he tickled her foot. "I'm going to get you back for that. Just you wait." Teller got up and finished getting dressed, pulling faces at her as he did. "That's not helping at all."

Teller stuck his tongue out at her as he put on a grinning skulls necktie. "Come on and put your pants on. I'll drop you off at home. I have some errands to run and having you threaten me with bodily harm while you're in your underwear is dangerously close to making me rearrange my priorities."

Amanda pouted cutely. "Aw dang. I was hoping to talk you back into that sexy white towel you had on." Teller just rolled his eyes. "I guess that's a no?" she said, putting on her own pants and shoes.

Teller kissed her lightly on the lips. "Don't tempt me. Come on, you, you're going to make me late." Amanda gave him a deeper kiss before kissing him lightly on the corner of the mouth. "What are the chances of you being this enthusiastic tonight?" he quipped, walking her out of the room and down to the elevator.

"Well, that depends. What are the chances of you coming over, oh, around about 7 o'clock tonight?" she asked, boarding the elevator and leaning against the back wall casually.

"If I can get another kiss like that last one, I'd say the odds are pretty damned good." Amanda smirked and kissed him again, breaking the kiss just as the elevator doors opened on the lobby. "Seven o'clock, right? I'll be there."