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"Good morning," the cheerful voice sang out as its owner breezed into the office setting down a plate of goodies that looked as delicious as they smelled.
"Morning," Callie responded. The first time she heard that upbeat greeting she had cringed. Now she looked forward to the days when Amanda Stetson entered the bullpen. Her mentor, though semi-retired, was proving to be an amazing combination of teacher, supporter, and sounding board.
Callie couldn't believe her good fortune when she found out that she had been assigned to the Agency's DC office. Although the Agency had quality bureaus located around the world, Washington DC's reputation as the best was well known.
Amanda was one half of a legendary Agency partnership. Her entry into the Agency was incredibly unusual, but her record was nothing less than impressive. Drafted as a civilian in an emergency moment, she has risen from civilian office worker, to apprentice agent, to trainee, to full agent, and supervisor. It was a career that even the most seasoned agent would be proud of.
The other half of the team was Callie's section chief, Lee Stetson. Under the code name "Scarecrow" he had built up an impressive resume before literarily dragging Amanda into the Agency life with him. Together they had successfully solved numerous important cases saving untold lives in the process.
Through Amanda, Callie had gained some insight into "The Silver Fox" as many of the women (and some men) referred to Lee. She had to admit that his boyish good looks and dazzling dimples were a potent package despite the fact that he was in his 50's. She had heard from a couple of agency long timers that Scarecrow once had quite the reputation as a romancer of women. It had all come to a stop shortly after Amanda entered his life. Having witnessed his eyes lighting up upon seeing his wife walk into the room, Callie had no doubt that the stories was true.
Callie found that true partnership intriguing. Growing up she had only ever witnessed the negatives of aspects of relationships. What little she remembered of her parents could only be described as frightening. The house was full of yelling, threats, and danger. She was barely six when they deserted her. She was literally dumped with a grandmother who provided food, shelter, and clothing but not much else. She had definitely never experienced the trust and closeness that were the foundation of Lee and Amanda's professional and personal partnership.
Amanda had immediately zeroed in on Callie standing amongst the others at the orientation reception. There was something about how the young woman had managed to be a part of the group while still keeping her distance. She'd laughed at all the appropriate times and contributed to the conversation, but still…. her years of experience told her that Callie Jackson would benefit from her guidance. Which was why she decided to take her on as a mentee despite the fact that Amanda hadn't participated in the mentoring program for years.
"A-man-da," Lee questioned when she had broached him about it privately in his office. "What is going on? Do you think there's a problem with Jackson? Say the word and we'll pull her from active duty and do a throughout reinvestigation of her background."
She smiled at her husband, touched by his automatic faith and trust in her opinion. "No," she quickly reassured him covering his hand with hers. "It's just I think she needs somebody who is less of an authority figure. I read her file. She's smart, a quick thinker, excellent with strategy, and a hard worker. She could go really far and be a fantastic asset for the agency. And yet I have a gut feeling that what she really needs is someone to open up to, someone who will show her how to trust." Amanda winked and added, "Besides, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for lone wolves."
Lee gave her that glance he always did when he knew she was about to get her way.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied. This was quickly followed by a wink that indicated otherwise.
Lee's superior at the time, Billy Melrose, had paired him with Amanda despite Lee's annoyance and insistence that partnering with an inexperienced housewife was the single worst idea in the history of the agency. Growing up with an emotionally distance uncle after being orphaned at the age of 5, Lee hadn't really formed many trusting relationships prior to meeting his now wife. The rare times he had let down his guard had resulted in emotional pain that caused him to put up even thicker walls than before.
In spite of those experiences, he found himself more and more drawn to Amanda as they had gotten to know each other. After being around Amanda's open, straightforward, honest personality for just a short time he found himself wondering what it would be like to let her past his emotional roadblocks. Bit by bit Lee had let a little more of his true self show. To his surprise, Amanda wasn't deterred when he showed her the person behind the Scarecrow facade. Instead, she had patiently encouraged him while sharing her true nature at the same time.
That friendship had blossomed into a sincere love beyond anything he could have imagined. Every day, Lee thanked whatever forces had led to him handing that package to Amanda out of all the people at the train station that morning. Without that chance encounter he might very well have ended up a true lone wolf…..or worse.
He knew first-hand what Amanda's influence could do and trusted her implicitly. So, when she explained her reasons for wanting to mentor Callie, he set it up.
He'd read Jackson's file with curiosity. Her background was so different from the other applicants. She'd spent a good chunk of her life in military school after a brush with the law. This had apparently turned out to be the ideal situation for Callie. She seemed to thrive in that consistently-regulated environment. In a short period of time, her grades had soared from dismal to the head of the class. She excelled in every challenge put before her physically and mentally. ROTC in college had identified her as an ideal candidate for military intelligence. When it appeared that her legal record might limit available opportunities in the service, one of her instructors had reached out to Lee. The two had worked together on a few occasions, and Lee had taken the reference seriously. Deemed a worthwhile recruit, she was approached by the agency and accepted the invitation to training camp. Although her results were not quite as impressive as her military school achievements, Callie had successfully completed her training and showed true promise. Although other supervisors were hesitant to accept her into their bureaus, Lee had trusted his gut and requested that she be stationed in DC. The fact that Amanda had singled her out only reinforced his decision.
Callie settled in fairly quickly. The first year of an agent's career was comprised of a lot of office duty. There were so many procedures and policies to learn. Most new agents griped about not being able to get into the field right away. Jackson completed all the mundane tasks seemingly without complaint.
According to Amanda, Callie had shared that it was no different than the academy had been. As you proved yourself to be reliable and capable, more responsibilities would be entrusted to you. She saw every report and background check as yet another step toward her ultimate goal of working in the field.
Despite her successes at work, Amanda was still concerned about her mentee. The other new agents had all make connections within the agency as well as friends outside. They had people to have lunch with or even get a drink or grab a bite with after work. Callie either ate a sandwich at her desk or went off by herself returning well before her the entire break time was up. The few times Amanda inquired about the weekend her mentee had referred to work or mentioned watching a movie that Amanda knew had been shown on TV.
Finally, Amanda insisted on inviting Callie over to the house for dinner. Lee protested, concerned that the other agents in his sector might see it as favoritism. His wife pointed out 1) Callie was her mentee, 2) that Callie never talked to anyone at the agency about her personal life, and 3) it was Amanda's house too. She had that look in her eyes that told him there was no point in arguing. Lee had been on the receiving end of that expression more times than he cared to remember. He did brave her annoyance by insisting to Amanda that the invitation would not be extended at the agency, and she agreed.
The next day, in spite of protesting that she had a lot of work to do and couldn't possibly go out for lunch, Callie somehow found herself seated across from Amanda at a bistro not far from the agency. The older woman guided the conversation chatting about how she had found the restaurant, what was good on the menu, and how glad she was they could get together outside of the office. Amanda then inquired about her weekend plans. Without thinking Callie had responded that she didn't have any.
It was only after Amanda said, "Great, then I'll see you at our house for dinner Saturday night 6 pm." that Callie realized she had fallen victim to one of her mentor's famously successful class C interrogation.
"I'll give you the directions tomorrow."
Dinner in a "normal" home would have been very low on Callie's list of how to spend an evening, but she knew better than to try to argue. Callie resigned herself to the fact that whether she liked it or not, she would be dining in the Stetson home.
The invitation posed many issues for the rookie agent. Never having been exposed to a true "real life" domestic situation, a stream of questions formed in her mind. What should she wear? Should she bring something to contribute to the meal? If so, what? What kind of food would be served? Which etiquette rules should she know and apply?
Then her thoughts went darker. Her formal education had prepared her to defend herself in a variety of situations. Strategy, deception, and survival had been topics she'd excelled in. The curriculum never covered making actual personal connections.
Callie had no doubt that Amanda's offer of friendship was sincere. Yet, it also reinforced Callie's deep fear that she herself was truly unable to make a real connection and was destined to be alone.
More so, her informal life education made her question if she was even worthy of someone caring about her. Her whole life Callie had felt she was nothing but a burden. Everyone, from her parents to her grandmother to her foster parents to the military school instructors forced to bring her home over school breaks, had both directly and indirectly made it clear that she was not a welcomed addition to their lives.
Lacking any practical experience Callie had implemented the "when in Rome strategy". She was friendly with her classmates, but never a friend. She shared facts about herself, but never her feelings. Safe in the knowledge that no one could really hurt her if they didn't really know her, she had forged her way forward.
This had served her well…. until now. Amanda was offering an opportunity for a true friendship. The idea of having someone to confide in was so tempting. However, Callie couldn't silence the tiny thought that if Amanda was given a chance to see past her defenses that offer would quickly be rescinded. The loss would be much more than just cheery greetings, warm smiles, and homemade goodies. Being rejected by Amanda Stetson, the kindest soul Callie had ever encountered, would confirm that she was in fact truly unworthy of being loved.
Callie did her best to push that thought down deep. No matter what, she knew there was no avoiding Saturday night dinner.
The next day, Amanda caught her as she was about to enter. "Here's the address and a map. The house is a white colonial style. Actually, I wouldn't call it colonial, but that's what the realtor called it. I always thought colonial meant it had to have columns. Anyway, it's white with a white fence in front. Don't look at the fence too closely. I keep meaning to paint it, but every time Lee and I plan to get on it, agency business comes up. Now, it's supposed to be a nice day so we're going to grill. Nothing fancy, just some burgers. We might eat outside so wear some comfortable jeans. Since you live near Peterson's Deli I was wondering if you could pick up some of their potato salad on the way. Lee loves their potato salad. Also, if it's not too much trouble could you pick up some buns for the burgers at the bakery. No, wait that's too much to ask. I'll just…"
Callie interrupted, knowing an "Amandaramble" (as it was called around the office) could go on for a while, "It's not a problem. I can get both." Amanda smiled and Callie smiled back relieved that all her question had been answered. Almost.
Saturday morning, she woke up at 5:30 am as her body had been conditioned to do after years in the academy. It made no difference when she went to bed or where she was. She dressed quickly and drove to the park. As she jogged along the running path, her mind was occupied elsewhere. Tonight was the dinner. Being prepared was a something that had been drilled into Callie at the academy so she spent the time formulating possible discussion topics.
Terrified of being late and offending Amanda, Callie left for the Stetsons far earlier than necessary. She had made sure to purchase the freshest potato salad and buns she could find. On impulse, she had also stopped at the florist a few doors down for a colorful bouquet.
"I'm an idiot," she said to herself as she sat in her car three blocks away from the Stetson residence. It was twenty-five minutes to six, much too early to arrive at the door. She couldn't stay here much longer though since she had attracted the attention of one of the neighbors. Callie pulled a map out of the glove compartment and pretended to be studying it as the woman pulled the curtain back for the third time. She glanced at the cooler on the passenger seat next to her relieved that she had decided to put the container of potato salad on ice. The last thing she wanted to do was give her boss food poisoning. After another five minutes, she drove off taking a right at the first corner intending to cruise around for a bit longer before she arrived.
It was 5:56 when Callie rang the doorbell. Hearing Amanda's cheerful "I've got it" let her know she was in the right place. The door was opened by her mentor dressed in jeans and a casual red top. Seeing Callie, a wide smile broke out on her face.
"Oh good, you're here. Any problem finding the place?" she asked with a wink. Callie wondered if Amanda knew about her tour of the neighborhood.
"No, your map was perfect," she replied as Amanda led her into the kitchen. Lee was standing at the counter chopping up carrots which he was probably going to add to the salad in front of him. He had on jeans and a denim shirt with the sleeves rolled back. He looked up and smiled.
"Welcome," he said, and it seemed he genuinely meant it. "Hope you're hungry," he added.
"Absolutely," she responded determined to be a good guest. "Everything smells delicious."
Lee chucked, and Callie realized there really wasn't anything to smell. She turned red and was about to try to explain when Amanda gave her a side hug and said, "Speaking of delicious smells, look at those gorgeous flowers!"
"They're for you." Holding them out, Callie awkwardly added, "A thank you for inviting me over."
"How sweet! Let's get them in some water." She walked to cabinet, opened the door, and pulled out a vase. As she walked to the sink and added water Amanda said, "Lee, Callie brought potato salad from Peterson's deli too."
"Peterson's?" his eyes lit up. "I haven't had that in ages." Callie smiled at Amanda knowing she had orchestrated the opportunity for her to earn a few brownie points.
"Come on," Amanda nodded toward a back door. "You can keep me company while I grill the burgers."
The backyard looked exactly the way Callie would have predicted. There was a white fence, well-manicured grass, and rose bushes lined the yard. Amanda noticed her looking up at the stereotypical tree house and said, "I once found a Russian who wanted to defect in a treehouse like that." Once again Callie was reminded that despite appearances Amanda was anything but the average housewife.
Amanda motioned toward a swing seat and Callie sat while watching her mentor at the grill. Lee would pop out from time to time to check on things or ask a question. Meanwhile, the two women casually chatted. Once everything was prepared, they sat at a small table in the kitchen since Amanda had decided there were too many bugs outside.
Despite truly enjoying herself, Callie gave a sigh of relief as she pulled away from the Stetson house. She had managed to avoid any serious social blunders and even entertained her hosts. Her story about the time her ROTC squad had gotten lost while on a training mission and had accidentally crashed a senator's fundraising picnic made both Stetsons laugh so hard they had tears in their eyes.
She couldn't help but feel proud that she had managed to successfully navigate her way though a "normal" dinner invitation.
"Mission accomplished," she said smiling to herself.