Epilogue to the Epilogue to the Epilogue

Twenty-five years later

 

Authors:  Lisa Cline and Cheryl Paulk

 

Lee thumbed through the evening paper.  Francine and Ephraim were due for dinner at any time.  Their kids had both done well for themselves.  They actually became partners at the Agency.  Together they had an even better record than all of their parents combined.  Lee looked through the obituaries to see if there was anyone he recognized.  To his surprise he saw a name he knew quite well.

 

“Hey, Amanda, listen to this.  Dr. Austin Smyth died.”

 

“Oh Really?  What’s his obit say?”

 

“Let’s see.  Forty years in government service, blah, blah, blah.  This is interesting.  He is survived by two children.  Butch now owns a successful gay bar and strip club in San Francisco and Elvira is the host of a highly rated cable dominatrix show.  “Elvira’s House of Pain.”   Says it airs on HBO.”

 

“I always knew there was something not quite right about those two.”

 

“I guess the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

 

Lee turned the page and read the local news.  “Check this out.  Some guy just made it into the Guiness book of world records for the most consecutive inaccurate weather forecasts.  Some guy named Dan McGuire.”

 

“Lee, you don’t think that could be Dean’s son do you?  I think he had a boy right around the same time Jenny was born.”

 

“Like father, like son, it sounds to me.”  Lee chuckled.

 

“Look at this.”  Amanda pointed to an article on the front page.  “It says Prince Rheza Alexander Khan’s coronation will be held next month at the palace.  I bet that’s why Penny called me this afternoon.”

 

“What did she say?”

 

“I don’t know, I wasn’t home.  She left a message on the answering machine saying she had exciting news and hoped we were up to traveling next month.  We’ve been playing phone tag all day long.”

 

Lee pushed his reading glasses up the bridge of his nose.  “Do you want to go?”

 

“Of course.  I can’t wait to see Penny again.  It seems like ages.”  Amanda picked up her coffee and took a sip.  “You know for a while Penny and I both thought Jenny and Alex would end up getting married.  Just think our daughter could’ve been a princess.  Oh well, life goes on,” she sighed.

 

Lee knew both of them had high hopes that their children would make a go of the relationship.  But he could’ve told them that it wouldn’t work.  Jenny, since the day she found out about the Agency, lived and breathed the world of international intrigue.  Alex was a nice enough boy, but not near enough of man to tame his daughter.  It would take a special man to do make that accomplishment.

 

“Oh my gosh!”  Amanda exclaimed.  “Would you look at this.”  She began reading the headline.  “Newly elected Republican Senator Tiffany Banes joins her brother Democratic Senator Jerome Jefferson on the floor of the Senate when it reconvenes after the holidays.  Leatherneck must be so proud of his offspring.”   

 

Lee ran his hand through his hair as he remembered seeing Leatherneck check out with Bambi and Candi on each arm.  “I still can’t believe that Leatherneck fathered two children from the ménage a trios he had with those two blondes twenty-five years ago.”

 

“If he’d practiced safe sex he wouldn’t have been put in that predicament.” 

 

“Sweetheart, I don’t think any safe sex was practiced that new years eve.”

 

“I think you’re right,” Amanda winked.  “A lot of children were conceived that night.”

 

Lee turned to the sports page and scanned the scores.  A photograph of a young man caught his eye.  “Speaking of children, look who signed with the Kansas Wizards.”

 

“Paul must be so proud of Johnny.”

 

“I’m going to call Paul later maybe he can get me some good seats for a game.”

 

“Here it is!”  Amanda exclaimed pushing the paper in front of him.  “Mother’s book signing tomorrow night.  Doesn’t she look good?”

 

Lee looked at the photo of his mother-in-law.  He could hardly believe this was a woman in her 80’s.  As spry as the day he met her.  And now they had a best selling author in the family.  Ten years ago Dotty started writing, unbeknownst to the rest of the family.  They’d been flabbergasted when she brought home a book with her picture on the back cover.  Especially, since the author’s name was Dorthea Bond.  When asked about the alias she explained what better name to use than Bond, since the stories were all spy/romance novels.  That was the first book in what became a best selling series.  Now her latest book had been published, ‘The Spy and the Housewife.’  It made the top ten list of romance novels the first week it came out.  Now he knew what Dotty did with all the stories he and Amanda told her about their time with the Agency.  They became best sellers.  

 

“I almost forgot.”  Amanda said folding the paper in half.  “My package from Rebecca’s Fantasies arrived today.”

 

Lee arched his eyebrow.  “Did you order what I think you ordered?”

 

“You’ll find out soon enough.  Let’s just say there’s something for you, something for me and something for us.”

 

Lee remembered that night twenty-five years ago.  How wild.  How erotic.  How they made love all night long.  He reached down and shifted himself.  He’d suddenly become very aroused.  He glanced down and saw an advertisement for the Grand Washington Hyatt.  Renovations were complete and they were having special rates for the grand opening.

 

“Amanda?”

 

“Yes, sweetheart.”

 

“How would you like to revisit the scene of the crime?”

 

“What crime?”

 

“Here.”  He pointed to the ad.  “Room 644.”

 

He watched as it dawned on Amanda which hotel he referenced.  Her eyes lit up.  “Oh my gosh, yes.  Call them now!”

 

Lee went to the phone and made the call.  Five minutes later he turned to his wife.  “Mrs. Stetson, next weekend we’ll be spending a fun filled night in Room 644.”

 

“I love you.”  Amanda said wrapping her arms around his waist.  “I think we’ll wait to open the things I ordered from Rebecca’s Fantasies until then.”

 

“Do we have to?”

 

“Yes, we do.  Think of the anticipation.”

 

“Okay.”  Lee sighed.  “If I must.  I love you, too.”  Lee placed his hand on the back of her neck and drew her lips to his in a passionate kiss.

 

“Do you think Francine and Ephraim might want to book room 643?”

 

“Bite your tongue.”  Lee groaned.

 

Amanda smacked his arm.  “At least this time we won’t have to worry about anyone catching us together.  Besides they’re our friends, it might be fun.”

 

 “Okay, I’ll show them the paper after dinner.  As long as they stay on their side of the hallway.”

 

The doorbell rang interrupting them announcing the arrival of their dinner guests.  “I’ll get it.”  He kissed her gently on the lips.

 

The following weekend Lee and Amanda, as well as Francine and Ephraim spent fun filled nights of adventure reliving their youth in rooms 644 and 643.

 

The only exception, this time no children were conceived.

 

And everyone lived happily ever after.

 

The End 

 

 

 

 

Really, we mean it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There isn’t any more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are you still reading for?  We said we’re done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hey, Cheryl?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Yeah, Lisa?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“How long do you think we can keep them scrolling down this page?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I don’t know.  Let’s see.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Sounds good to me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“What should we do?”

 

 

 

 

 

“I don’t know.  What do you want to do?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I asked you first.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We can play tic tac toe.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Okay.  I’ll start.  I’ll have an X in the middle square.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I want O in the upper right corner.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“X in the bottom left.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“O, upper left”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“X bottom right”

 

 

 

 

 

“O bottom middle.  Blocked ya.  Oh crap.  I coulda won with O on the top middle.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Na na na na na na.  X upper middle.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“O middle right”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“X middle left.  Cat’s game.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Okay, I’m tired of this game.  Now what?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I don’t know, what do you want to do?”

 

 

 

 

 

“Quit asking me right after I ask you.”

 

 

 

 

 

“What? Am I driving you crazy?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Crazy, I was crazy once.  They put me in a rubber room.  It was cold.  I died.  They buried me.  There were worms.  They tickled.  They drove me crazy!”

 

 

 

 

 

“Oh no, I’ve created a monster.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Crazy, I was crazy once.  They put me in a rubber room.  It was cold.  I died.  They buried me.  There were worms.  They tickled.  They drove me crazy!”

 

 

 

 

 

“Stop!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Crazy, I was crazy once.  They put me in a rubber room.  It was cold.  I died.  They buried me.  There were worms.  They tickled.  They drove me crazy!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Stop it right now or I’m going to post this and you won’t be able to type anymore.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Spoil sport.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I’ve been called a lot of names, but not usually that one.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“LOL.  Oh really?  So what does Jim call you?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“So what should we do next?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Okay, ‘Amanda.’ You changed the subject by answering my question with a question.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Does that mean I get to have Lee all to myself.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hold the phone.  That’s not fair.”

 

 

 

 

 

“But you said I sounded like Amanda.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Sounded like maybe, but getting the Bruce man all to yourself is another thing.”

 

 

 

 

“Do you think they’re still reading?”

 

 

 

 

“I hope not.”

 

 

 

 

“We told ya the story is over.”

 

 

 

“One more time.”

 

 

 

THE END