Disclaimer: "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. The plot is mine, but not the characters. This story is meant for enjoyment purposes only. No infringement is intended.

Reflection

She took her time getting dressed, feeling the need to look as perfect as possible. After all, this was Lee Stetson and she'd heard all about his 'way' with women and she wanted to be sure that his mind was only on her. She knew that it might seem silly. After all, he had chosen to spend time with her, had chose to attend the upcoming embassy party with her as his date, so what did she really have to worry about? Still, she couldn't shake that nagging pinch of self-doubt because, let's face it...she just wasn't like the other women who'd come before her.

Examining herself in the mirror, still dressed in her work clothes she smiled at that thought. No, I'm different, she thought with a firm nod as she began to pull the pins that had held her hair neatly in place during her work day, except for those few stray tendrils that simply wouldn't stay put no matter what she did. She recalled all the times that he'd brushed those stray locks out of her face with just the barest touch of his fingertips, that light contact sending shivers up her spine.

As she began to brush out her long dark mane, she smiled and that same shiver of anticipation travelled up her spine again as she thought of what the night might bring. They hadn't been seeing each other for very long, but she felt sure that she was more than ready to take their relationship to the next step. She was sure that he was too in the way that he looked at her as if searching for...something...her permission maybe? She couldn't quite say because she'd given him plenty of hints that this was what she wanted, yet something had always held him back.

"That'll change tonight," she stated decisively as she set down her hairbrush and reached for the black evening gown with the spaghetti straps that he'd liked so much. She held it up to herself and gazed at her reflection, her smile widening as she thought of her dark eyes being reflected back at her in his hazel ones, his dimpled smile mirroring her own when they were together. Yes, tonight was going to be the night. She'd make sure of that even if she had to come right out and say it to get his attention.

Setting the dress aside for a moment as she worked on the buttons of her neat, starched white blouse, she couldn't help thinking once again that she was different from the women of his past. The fact that she might have to resort to such tactics proved that much. This Lee Stetson was so much different than the swinging playboy image he had. It was obvious that he wanted her. She saw that reflected in his eyes, yet he'd held back out of respect for her. That told her that she WAS different to him...special and this was going to be a special night.

While she finished getting undressed, she thought of how she had made her plans for the night so carefully, preparing a romantic dinner for two for them, the candles, the chilled champagne. She let out a little sigh as she slipped the dress on, loving the feeling of the smooth fabric against her skin, the way the skirt flowed and the bodice that made her bust appear more ample than it was. As she zipped it up, she admired herself in the mirror for just a moment and figured that she knew just why Lee liked this dress because it really was a perfect fit for her, hugging her figure in all the right places.

She reached for her brush again, and swept back half of her hair, securing it with a clip and letting the rest flow loosely at her shoulders, leaving those tiny tendrils that wouldn't stay put to fall as they may. Who knows? That might even be the way to get things started tonight if he were to reach to brush them away from her face the way that he often did. Finished with that task, she stepped into her black sling-back heels, then added the finishing touches of the appropriate jewelry and did a slow twirl in front of the mirror to survey the whole look.

Giving her image a nod in the mirror, she smiled nervously as she hoped to see her true reflection in his eyes once he saw her. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she finally stepped out, her heels clicking on the tile in front of the fireplace to see him with his back to her, pouring the champagne.

"Amanda," his voice sounded huskily.

An hour later, Leslie O'Connor stood in her hotel room, tears in her eyes as it hit her that the reflection she'd seen in Lee's eyes was never about her. She had simply been the mirror image of the woman he really wanted.