Part 3 Balneario Sun Bay Vieques
“Here she is. I told you I wasn’t making her up.” Josh announced when he and Billy arrived at her
desk. Donna looked over at Billy in surprise and then her eyes cut to Josh for just a moment. She
could tell what he was thinking. He was thinking that she wouldn’t be able to keep up this not talking
stuff in front of Billy Molina. Well… he had grossly underestimated her skills.
“Mr. Molina, what a pleasure to meet you.” Donna gushed. “I was sure Josh was lying about even
knowing you. How could such a fine, upstanding man associate with my ass of a boss?”
Billy sputtered out a laugh while Josh steamed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Anyone who can work
hours a day with my ass of a friend must be an incredible woman.”
“Thank you. I can’t tell you what it means to have someone like you appreciate what I go through
here.” Donna turned her smile up to its full wattage. Josh groaned.
“Give me a break.” He muttered.
“How did it go today, Mr. Molina? I’ve been waiting on pins and needles to find out what you were able
to accomplish with the President.” Donna told him.
“What HE’S been able to accomplish with the President?” Josh repeated but was ignored.
“Please… call me Billy.” Molina invited her and smiled right back.
“Oh, for God’s sake!” Josh shook his head.
“There you are!” Amy called out to Josh and tipped her head in the direction of Molina, cuing him to
introduce her.
“Amy, this is Billy Molina. Billy, this is Amy Gardner. Amy is… the President of the Women’s Coalition.”
Josh decided on her professional title rather than her more recent personal one; a move that was lost
on none of them.
“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all day. Haven’t you gotten any of my messages?” Amy’s sent an
accusatory gaze at Donna who barely refrained from rolling her eyes.
“I’ve been in the Oval all day. We just got out after I negotiated a temporary truce with the
Government of Puerto Rico.” Josh emphasized the word “I” and tried to make eye contact with Donna
but she only had eyes for Billy.
“That’s wonderful.” Amy gushed. “Let’s go out to dinner to celebrate; we’ll bring Mr. Molina with us.”
Amy included him in her invitation.
“Thanks, but I’ve had enough of Lyman’s company for the day and we’ll be back in negotiations
tomorrow.” Billy refused politely. “I was hoping Donnatella would join me for dinner.”
“Donnatella?” Josh repeated in the high, squeaky voice that made Donna’s eyes twinkle with delight
because she knew it meant this was getting under his skin. “How do you know her name is
Donnatella?”
“You must have told me.” Billy replied.
“I. Did. Not.” Josh refuted.
“How about it, Donnatella?” Billy asked again.
“Would you stop calling her that?” Josh demanded.
“I can’t believe this!” Donna answered. “I am such a huge fan of yours, and I’m not just talking about
your acting career. The way you’ve put your very life on the line to bring awareness to the injustice
that’s been done in Vieques.”
“I’m gonna hurl.” Josh mumbled.
“What was that?” Sam asked.
“Nothing,” Josh said through gritted teeth.
“Don’t hold me responsible for my dinner companion’s poor manners.” Amy smiled. “I promise if you
put a burnt steak in front of him he’ll be unable to speak for at least ten minutes. Come with us.”
“Thanks, but I’m really looking for a… different kind of dinner.” Billy turned to Donna again. “Shall we?”
“Now?” Donna finally looked over at Josh who kept his face bland. “I… I’d love to!”
“Then let’s go.” Billy suggested. “We’ll find someplace quiet and casual. Does that sound okay?”
“That sounds perfect.” Donna beamed and grabbed her purse and coat.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Josh.” Billy smiled and waved to Josh and Amy but Donna didn’t even look
back. Once they cleared the gate, Billy stopped and turned to Donna again.
“Confession time,” Billy announced.
“I just met you and I’m not Catholic.” Donna replied.
“But I am and I have to confess the truth now.”
“Oooookay…” Donna sent a nervous look back at the White House gates. Was it possible Billy Molina
was a little nuts? He was a friend of Josh’s, of course it was possible.
“I asked you to dinner because Sam promised me it would bug the hell out of Josh,” He ‘fessed up.
“I see.” Donna’s face fell.
“Not that I wouldn’t want to ask you to dinner of my own accord.” Billy hastened to add. “You’re a
beautiful woman who has to be very smart to keep up with Josh, but I would normally never impose on
a woman I just met to go out to dinner.”
“I see.” Donna said again.
“I’m just making it worse, huh?”
“A little bit, yeah.” Donna nodded.
“I’d love to have dinner, but I just didn’t want it to be under false pretenses.” Billy tried to be a little
clearer without being any more insulting.
“You’re a true gentleman, Billy Molina.” Donna smiled. “However did you get to be friends with Josh
Lyman?”
“He’s a gentleman too…” Billy reminded her.
“He can be…” Donna agreed wistfully.
“So… dinner?” Billy asked tentatively. “I can’t stay out too late. I’m exhausted and I’ve got to be on my
toes to do battle with Josh and the President’s team again tomorrow.”
“Josh isn’t battling on your behalf?” Donna asked skeptically.
“Well… maybe a little.” He smirked.
“Come on. I’ll introduce you to a quiet place that’s indecently expensive.” Donna took his arm to go
out to a dinner she’d be telling her grandchildren about.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“We’re not discussing that now.” Josh stated.
“It’s part and parcel of the whole…” Billy tried again.
“We’re not discussing that now.” Josh repeated with a deadly glare leveled at Billy. “The only issue on
the table is Vieques.”
“That’s not the only issue between Puerto Rico and the United States.”
“It’s the only issue open for negotiation at this time… One thing at a time,” Josh cautioned.
“It’s hardly surprising that he wants a yard for the inch you offered him,” Thing 2 noted.
“Actually, I’d prefer the mile you stole from us, so…” Billy retorted angrily.
“Can we get back to the conditions for the US to ban testing in Vieques?” Josh demanded.
“Perhaps this would be better if we discussed terms without your… assistance, Mr. Lyman.” Thing 1
suggested.
“The President asked me to stay and oversee this. Until I hear differently from him…”
“You’re hardly an objective party.” Thing 1 pressed.
“You know what? I think we should break for lunch.” Josh determined and stood up to leave, “Before I
break one of you.” He muttered.
“I heard that.” Billy told him as he sidled up next to his friend. “How about I buy you lunch to make up
for the pounding headache I’ve given you this morning?”
“No thanks. I’ll catch something at my desk.” Josh said shortly.
“Then let me bring something back for you and we can…”
“Believe it or not, but I have more than Vieques on my desk right now.” Josh snapped and continued
walking back to his office. “In fact, being that Vieques isn’t domestic policy, it shouldn’t be on my desk
at all. Then I could concentrate on the 30 or 40 other issues that we’re dealing with right now.”
“I’m so sorry that our protest is interfering with your daily skirmish requirement with Republicans.
Have a nice lunch.” Billy waved and turned in the opposite direction without looking back. Josh saw
the press waiting outside for a comment from the popular activist/actor and shook his head. Great…
more pressure… and Donna still wasn’t speaking to him. How was he supposed to work out a solution
to all this without Donna to bounce ideas off of?
On impulse, Josh turned back to the Oval and after securing a nod from Charlie, knocked quickly and
entered.
“What have you got for me, Joshua?” The President asked.
“So far… a huge headache, sir.”
“Cleaning up a mess someone else made is never easy.”
“We may not have started this mess, Mr. President, but we’ve added to it.”
President Bartlet nodded in agreement, “Which is why I asked you to oversee the negotiations for a
possible solution.”
“The NSA guys are nothing but bureaucratic pains in the ass.”
“Welcome to my world.” The President retorted. “Why do you think I was so happy to pass things off to
you?”
“Thank you, sir.” Josh’s sarcasm was evident in his tone.
“Is this putting too much strain on your friendship with Billy Molina?” Bartlet asked shrewdly.
“My friendship with Billy has always been… tenuous.” Josh admitted. “We get impatient with one
another when we butt heads over stuff like this.”
“And yet, he trusted you enough to pull his people out of the live-fire target range when you asked
him to and you felt obligated enough to cancel plans to Tahiti to help facilitate all this.”
“Sir?” Josh asked in surprise.
“I hear things… like how popular Mister Molina is with certain members of your staff.” The President
shrugged with a twinkle in his eyes, “My point is that neither of you have given up on the other and it’
s been what? Twenty years now?”
“Yeah, but that’s because deep down, we understand and respect that what the other one is doing is
what they truly believe is right.”
“Then just keep believing that. Between the two of you, you’ll come up with a solution. Give me an
update after your afternoon session.” The President dismissed him.
“Yes, sir, Thank you Mr. President.” Josh returned to his office in a melancholy mood. Sam found him
there shortly.
“I brought you a burnt burger.” Sam supplied.
“Thanks.” Josh took a bite, but mostly played with his food.
“No luck so far this morning?” Sam guessed.
“If I could just get the damn NSA guys out of the room,” Josh groused.
“Yes, negotiations are SO much easier when they’re one-sided.” Sam agreed.
“They really are.” Josh played with a French fry.
“I thought you’d be scarfing those down without Donna to steal them from you.”
“Scarfing?” Josh repeated. “We really shouldn’t let you write for the President.”
“I step it up for him.”
“I would hope so.” Josh replied but didn’t eat any more fries. “They’re really not that fun to eat when I
don’t have to fight anyone for them.”
“Anyone? Or just Donna?” Sam asked pointedly. “Cause if you just need somebody to fight over them I
can pretend to care.”
“No… Donna.” Josh admitted quietly.
“Then go out and talk to her, man!”
“She’s the one not talking to me!” Josh objected.
“Because of what you said to her about Amy. You need to apologize. Then you’ll get your mojo back on
the rest of this.”
“I’m NOT apologizing. This is about work. She’s supposed to come in and needle me about Vieques
until it triggers some flash of genius and we come up with a plan.”
Sam chuckled, “Just like she did with the land use rider on the banking bill.”
“Yes! Exactly like that!” Josh readily agreed. “That’s what I need here, another land use rider solution.
AND DONNA MOSS IS AT LEAST HALF RESPONSIBLE FOR COMING UP WITH IT!” Josh shouted out his
open door but got no reply. God! She didn’t go out to lunch with Billy too, did she? He quietly wheeled
his office chair over enough to peer out his doorway and was relieved to see her sitting at her desk
with her ear-buds in her ears.
“It would be easier to apologize.”
“I’ve never taken the easy road, Samuel.”
“No kidding.” Sam murmured. “It’s your funeral… or you know, the funeral of many people in Vieques,”
Sam played the guilt card.
“I’ll figure it out… on my own.” Josh insisted and tossed the food into his trashcan. He wasn’t hungry
anyway. He went back to the Roosevelt room and paged through his rather thick file on Vieques… the
file that Donna had put together. He figured that was as much help as he was going to get from her on
this. As he paged through it, he saw something he hadn’t noticed before; a hand written note by
Donna. He held it further away from his face in an effort to puzzle out her handwriting there. There was
an arrow that pointed to someplace called Balneario Sun Bay on the map and written next to it, he
thought, was ‘Vieques deserves more study from the DCOS and he’ll certainly need his assistant for
research purposes… I say we start here’.
The pictures looked gorgeous. Josh smiled. God, Donna would love it there! Maybe if he brought up a
possible trip she’d start talking to him again? He tried not to dwell on the thought that a vacation on
the tropical beach spurred thoughts of Donna and not his new girlfriend because he just couldn’t deal
with THAT at the moment. Sam was right. He needed her to spark an idea just like she had with the land
use rider. Josh started reading about Balneario Sun Bay and the other areas of Vieques like he hadn’t
looked at it all a hundred times before.
Then it hit him. It was JUST LIKE the land use rider. Just. Like. It. He laughed and he’d have admitted it
had a semi-hysterical tinge to it, but it had been a hell of a week and he just found the perfect
solution… arguably due to Donna again. When Billy came back, Josh took him directly to his office,
completely avoiding Thing 1 and Thing 2, and pitched it to him. Billy loved it and together they took it
to the President, who after consulting with Leo; decreed it to be a brilliant idea… again. They sat down
with CJ, Toby, and Sam and put together a statement CJ would read from the podium at her next
briefing.
Having accomplished his mission he and Billy took a triumphant walk back to his office.
“Donnatella, your boss is going to need a travel voucher request.” Billy told her.
“To where?” She asked.
“Vieques,” Billy said with his eyebrows wiggling. “Drinks are on me tonight, mi amigo.” Billy shook his
friend’s hand and went out the lobby doors while Josh turned, went into his office and shut the door.
Donna hesitated a full two minutes before she followed him. She gave a perfunctory knock, followed
by immediately opening Josh’s door, entering and then closing it again behind her.
“Was he being serious before? About travel to Vieques?” She asked. Josh was about to make a snarky
comment about her speaking to him again, but then thought better of it.
“No… at least not for a few years,” Josh amended. “The US Fish and Wildlife Service need at least that
long to clean things up.”
“The US Fish and Wildlife Service?” Donna wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly.
“The US will not officially apologize, but it will agree to no further testing in Vieques and take
responsibility for cleaning up the mess we made there.” Josh explained as he got up from his desk to
walk around it and face her directly. “We’ll also be responsible for establishing wildlife refuges for
land there so that it’s protected from harm in the years to come.”
“A National Park type solution?” Donna teased.
“Between Billy and the President, they were able to come up with six different species that needed to
be protected off the top of their heads.” Josh nodded. “The President also gave me a break with the
NSA guys and promised he’s going to break the news to them that Vieques is no longer our testing
playground.”
Donna beamed. “That’s… incredible! I’m so proud of you.”
Josh just stared into her eyes for a minute. “Thanks. I had to do it alone this time.” He complained.
“Hmmmm… that must have been very hard on you.” She noted.
“You have no idea.” Josh groaned. “So… once Fish and Wildlife gets their act together, I was thinking
we should check out their work… maybe start at Balneario Sun Bay?”
“So this is like the Government response to Vieques?” She inquired.
“Huh?” It really shouldn’t surprise Josh that she’d lost him in this conversation already.
“You’re not going to officially apologize, but you’re attempting to ‘clean up the mess’ by offering me
something I really want?” Donna clarified.
“Ummm… maybe?” Josh answered tentatively.
“Okay.” Donna replied and turned to leave.
“Wait a second! That’s it? Two days of not talking and then it’s just, ‘okay’?”
“Like the people of Vieques, I’m willing to forgive and start over given the incentives.” Donna
smirked. “You did good, Josh. You should call Amy back. She’s called three times while you were in
negotiations and I’m sure she’d like to celebrate with you.”
Josh watched her leave his office, but was unwilling to pick up the phone to call Amy as she
suggested. He was melancholy to discover that he was more excited about a possible trip to Balneario
Bay with Donna a few years from now, than he was about celebrating tonight with his new girlfriend.
He was going to have to something about that soon, he supposed, but sadly not tonight.
He could only handle one diplomatic negotiation at a time.
“Here she is. I told you I wasn’t making her up.” Josh announced when he and Billy arrived at her
desk. Donna looked over at Billy in surprise and then her eyes cut to Josh for just a moment. She
could tell what he was thinking. He was thinking that she wouldn’t be able to keep up this not talking
stuff in front of Billy Molina. Well… he had grossly underestimated her skills.
“Mr. Molina, what a pleasure to meet you.” Donna gushed. “I was sure Josh was lying about even
knowing you. How could such a fine, upstanding man associate with my ass of a boss?”
Billy sputtered out a laugh while Josh steamed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Anyone who can work
hours a day with my ass of a friend must be an incredible woman.”
“Thank you. I can’t tell you what it means to have someone like you appreciate what I go through
here.” Donna turned her smile up to its full wattage. Josh groaned.
“Give me a break.” He muttered.
“How did it go today, Mr. Molina? I’ve been waiting on pins and needles to find out what you were able
to accomplish with the President.” Donna told him.
“What HE’S been able to accomplish with the President?” Josh repeated but was ignored.
“Please… call me Billy.” Molina invited her and smiled right back.
“Oh, for God’s sake!” Josh shook his head.
“There you are!” Amy called out to Josh and tipped her head in the direction of Molina, cuing him to
introduce her.
“Amy, this is Billy Molina. Billy, this is Amy Gardner. Amy is… the President of the Women’s Coalition.”
Josh decided on her professional title rather than her more recent personal one; a move that was lost
on none of them.
“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all day. Haven’t you gotten any of my messages?” Amy’s sent an
accusatory gaze at Donna who barely refrained from rolling her eyes.
“I’ve been in the Oval all day. We just got out after I negotiated a temporary truce with the
Government of Puerto Rico.” Josh emphasized the word “I” and tried to make eye contact with Donna
but she only had eyes for Billy.
“That’s wonderful.” Amy gushed. “Let’s go out to dinner to celebrate; we’ll bring Mr. Molina with us.”
Amy included him in her invitation.
“Thanks, but I’ve had enough of Lyman’s company for the day and we’ll be back in negotiations
tomorrow.” Billy refused politely. “I was hoping Donnatella would join me for dinner.”
“Donnatella?” Josh repeated in the high, squeaky voice that made Donna’s eyes twinkle with delight
because she knew it meant this was getting under his skin. “How do you know her name is
Donnatella?”
“You must have told me.” Billy replied.
“I. Did. Not.” Josh refuted.
“How about it, Donnatella?” Billy asked again.
“Would you stop calling her that?” Josh demanded.
“I can’t believe this!” Donna answered. “I am such a huge fan of yours, and I’m not just talking about
your acting career. The way you’ve put your very life on the line to bring awareness to the injustice
that’s been done in Vieques.”
“I’m gonna hurl.” Josh mumbled.
“What was that?” Sam asked.
“Nothing,” Josh said through gritted teeth.
“Don’t hold me responsible for my dinner companion’s poor manners.” Amy smiled. “I promise if you
put a burnt steak in front of him he’ll be unable to speak for at least ten minutes. Come with us.”
“Thanks, but I’m really looking for a… different kind of dinner.” Billy turned to Donna again. “Shall we?”
“Now?” Donna finally looked over at Josh who kept his face bland. “I… I’d love to!”
“Then let’s go.” Billy suggested. “We’ll find someplace quiet and casual. Does that sound okay?”
“That sounds perfect.” Donna beamed and grabbed her purse and coat.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Josh.” Billy smiled and waved to Josh and Amy but Donna didn’t even look
back. Once they cleared the gate, Billy stopped and turned to Donna again.
“Confession time,” Billy announced.
“I just met you and I’m not Catholic.” Donna replied.
“But I am and I have to confess the truth now.”
“Oooookay…” Donna sent a nervous look back at the White House gates. Was it possible Billy Molina
was a little nuts? He was a friend of Josh’s, of course it was possible.
“I asked you to dinner because Sam promised me it would bug the hell out of Josh,” He ‘fessed up.
“I see.” Donna’s face fell.
“Not that I wouldn’t want to ask you to dinner of my own accord.” Billy hastened to add. “You’re a
beautiful woman who has to be very smart to keep up with Josh, but I would normally never impose on
a woman I just met to go out to dinner.”
“I see.” Donna said again.
“I’m just making it worse, huh?”
“A little bit, yeah.” Donna nodded.
“I’d love to have dinner, but I just didn’t want it to be under false pretenses.” Billy tried to be a little
clearer without being any more insulting.
“You’re a true gentleman, Billy Molina.” Donna smiled. “However did you get to be friends with Josh
Lyman?”
“He’s a gentleman too…” Billy reminded her.
“He can be…” Donna agreed wistfully.
“So… dinner?” Billy asked tentatively. “I can’t stay out too late. I’m exhausted and I’ve got to be on my
toes to do battle with Josh and the President’s team again tomorrow.”
“Josh isn’t battling on your behalf?” Donna asked skeptically.
“Well… maybe a little.” He smirked.
“Come on. I’ll introduce you to a quiet place that’s indecently expensive.” Donna took his arm to go
out to a dinner she’d be telling her grandchildren about.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“We’re not discussing that now.” Josh stated.
“It’s part and parcel of the whole…” Billy tried again.
“We’re not discussing that now.” Josh repeated with a deadly glare leveled at Billy. “The only issue on
the table is Vieques.”
“That’s not the only issue between Puerto Rico and the United States.”
“It’s the only issue open for negotiation at this time… One thing at a time,” Josh cautioned.
“It’s hardly surprising that he wants a yard for the inch you offered him,” Thing 2 noted.
“Actually, I’d prefer the mile you stole from us, so…” Billy retorted angrily.
“Can we get back to the conditions for the US to ban testing in Vieques?” Josh demanded.
“Perhaps this would be better if we discussed terms without your… assistance, Mr. Lyman.” Thing 1
suggested.
“The President asked me to stay and oversee this. Until I hear differently from him…”
“You’re hardly an objective party.” Thing 1 pressed.
“You know what? I think we should break for lunch.” Josh determined and stood up to leave, “Before I
break one of you.” He muttered.
“I heard that.” Billy told him as he sidled up next to his friend. “How about I buy you lunch to make up
for the pounding headache I’ve given you this morning?”
“No thanks. I’ll catch something at my desk.” Josh said shortly.
“Then let me bring something back for you and we can…”
“Believe it or not, but I have more than Vieques on my desk right now.” Josh snapped and continued
walking back to his office. “In fact, being that Vieques isn’t domestic policy, it shouldn’t be on my desk
at all. Then I could concentrate on the 30 or 40 other issues that we’re dealing with right now.”
“I’m so sorry that our protest is interfering with your daily skirmish requirement with Republicans.
Have a nice lunch.” Billy waved and turned in the opposite direction without looking back. Josh saw
the press waiting outside for a comment from the popular activist/actor and shook his head. Great…
more pressure… and Donna still wasn’t speaking to him. How was he supposed to work out a solution
to all this without Donna to bounce ideas off of?
On impulse, Josh turned back to the Oval and after securing a nod from Charlie, knocked quickly and
entered.
“What have you got for me, Joshua?” The President asked.
“So far… a huge headache, sir.”
“Cleaning up a mess someone else made is never easy.”
“We may not have started this mess, Mr. President, but we’ve added to it.”
President Bartlet nodded in agreement, “Which is why I asked you to oversee the negotiations for a
possible solution.”
“The NSA guys are nothing but bureaucratic pains in the ass.”
“Welcome to my world.” The President retorted. “Why do you think I was so happy to pass things off to
you?”
“Thank you, sir.” Josh’s sarcasm was evident in his tone.
“Is this putting too much strain on your friendship with Billy Molina?” Bartlet asked shrewdly.
“My friendship with Billy has always been… tenuous.” Josh admitted. “We get impatient with one
another when we butt heads over stuff like this.”
“And yet, he trusted you enough to pull his people out of the live-fire target range when you asked
him to and you felt obligated enough to cancel plans to Tahiti to help facilitate all this.”
“Sir?” Josh asked in surprise.
“I hear things… like how popular Mister Molina is with certain members of your staff.” The President
shrugged with a twinkle in his eyes, “My point is that neither of you have given up on the other and it’
s been what? Twenty years now?”
“Yeah, but that’s because deep down, we understand and respect that what the other one is doing is
what they truly believe is right.”
“Then just keep believing that. Between the two of you, you’ll come up with a solution. Give me an
update after your afternoon session.” The President dismissed him.
“Yes, sir, Thank you Mr. President.” Josh returned to his office in a melancholy mood. Sam found him
there shortly.
“I brought you a burnt burger.” Sam supplied.
“Thanks.” Josh took a bite, but mostly played with his food.
“No luck so far this morning?” Sam guessed.
“If I could just get the damn NSA guys out of the room,” Josh groused.
“Yes, negotiations are SO much easier when they’re one-sided.” Sam agreed.
“They really are.” Josh played with a French fry.
“I thought you’d be scarfing those down without Donna to steal them from you.”
“Scarfing?” Josh repeated. “We really shouldn’t let you write for the President.”
“I step it up for him.”
“I would hope so.” Josh replied but didn’t eat any more fries. “They’re really not that fun to eat when I
don’t have to fight anyone for them.”
“Anyone? Or just Donna?” Sam asked pointedly. “Cause if you just need somebody to fight over them I
can pretend to care.”
“No… Donna.” Josh admitted quietly.
“Then go out and talk to her, man!”
“She’s the one not talking to me!” Josh objected.
“Because of what you said to her about Amy. You need to apologize. Then you’ll get your mojo back on
the rest of this.”
“I’m NOT apologizing. This is about work. She’s supposed to come in and needle me about Vieques
until it triggers some flash of genius and we come up with a plan.”
Sam chuckled, “Just like she did with the land use rider on the banking bill.”
“Yes! Exactly like that!” Josh readily agreed. “That’s what I need here, another land use rider solution.
AND DONNA MOSS IS AT LEAST HALF RESPONSIBLE FOR COMING UP WITH IT!” Josh shouted out his
open door but got no reply. God! She didn’t go out to lunch with Billy too, did she? He quietly wheeled
his office chair over enough to peer out his doorway and was relieved to see her sitting at her desk
with her ear-buds in her ears.
“It would be easier to apologize.”
“I’ve never taken the easy road, Samuel.”
“No kidding.” Sam murmured. “It’s your funeral… or you know, the funeral of many people in Vieques,”
Sam played the guilt card.
“I’ll figure it out… on my own.” Josh insisted and tossed the food into his trashcan. He wasn’t hungry
anyway. He went back to the Roosevelt room and paged through his rather thick file on Vieques… the
file that Donna had put together. He figured that was as much help as he was going to get from her on
this. As he paged through it, he saw something he hadn’t noticed before; a hand written note by
Donna. He held it further away from his face in an effort to puzzle out her handwriting there. There was
an arrow that pointed to someplace called Balneario Sun Bay on the map and written next to it, he
thought, was ‘Vieques deserves more study from the DCOS and he’ll certainly need his assistant for
research purposes… I say we start here’.
The pictures looked gorgeous. Josh smiled. God, Donna would love it there! Maybe if he brought up a
possible trip she’d start talking to him again? He tried not to dwell on the thought that a vacation on
the tropical beach spurred thoughts of Donna and not his new girlfriend because he just couldn’t deal
with THAT at the moment. Sam was right. He needed her to spark an idea just like she had with the land
use rider. Josh started reading about Balneario Sun Bay and the other areas of Vieques like he hadn’t
looked at it all a hundred times before.
Then it hit him. It was JUST LIKE the land use rider. Just. Like. It. He laughed and he’d have admitted it
had a semi-hysterical tinge to it, but it had been a hell of a week and he just found the perfect
solution… arguably due to Donna again. When Billy came back, Josh took him directly to his office,
completely avoiding Thing 1 and Thing 2, and pitched it to him. Billy loved it and together they took it
to the President, who after consulting with Leo; decreed it to be a brilliant idea… again. They sat down
with CJ, Toby, and Sam and put together a statement CJ would read from the podium at her next
briefing.
Having accomplished his mission he and Billy took a triumphant walk back to his office.
“Donnatella, your boss is going to need a travel voucher request.” Billy told her.
“To where?” She asked.
“Vieques,” Billy said with his eyebrows wiggling. “Drinks are on me tonight, mi amigo.” Billy shook his
friend’s hand and went out the lobby doors while Josh turned, went into his office and shut the door.
Donna hesitated a full two minutes before she followed him. She gave a perfunctory knock, followed
by immediately opening Josh’s door, entering and then closing it again behind her.
“Was he being serious before? About travel to Vieques?” She asked. Josh was about to make a snarky
comment about her speaking to him again, but then thought better of it.
“No… at least not for a few years,” Josh amended. “The US Fish and Wildlife Service need at least that
long to clean things up.”
“The US Fish and Wildlife Service?” Donna wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly.
“The US will not officially apologize, but it will agree to no further testing in Vieques and take
responsibility for cleaning up the mess we made there.” Josh explained as he got up from his desk to
walk around it and face her directly. “We’ll also be responsible for establishing wildlife refuges for
land there so that it’s protected from harm in the years to come.”
“A National Park type solution?” Donna teased.
“Between Billy and the President, they were able to come up with six different species that needed to
be protected off the top of their heads.” Josh nodded. “The President also gave me a break with the
NSA guys and promised he’s going to break the news to them that Vieques is no longer our testing
playground.”
Donna beamed. “That’s… incredible! I’m so proud of you.”
Josh just stared into her eyes for a minute. “Thanks. I had to do it alone this time.” He complained.
“Hmmmm… that must have been very hard on you.” She noted.
“You have no idea.” Josh groaned. “So… once Fish and Wildlife gets their act together, I was thinking
we should check out their work… maybe start at Balneario Sun Bay?”
“So this is like the Government response to Vieques?” She inquired.
“Huh?” It really shouldn’t surprise Josh that she’d lost him in this conversation already.
“You’re not going to officially apologize, but you’re attempting to ‘clean up the mess’ by offering me
something I really want?” Donna clarified.
“Ummm… maybe?” Josh answered tentatively.
“Okay.” Donna replied and turned to leave.
“Wait a second! That’s it? Two days of not talking and then it’s just, ‘okay’?”
“Like the people of Vieques, I’m willing to forgive and start over given the incentives.” Donna
smirked. “You did good, Josh. You should call Amy back. She’s called three times while you were in
negotiations and I’m sure she’d like to celebrate with you.”
Josh watched her leave his office, but was unwilling to pick up the phone to call Amy as she
suggested. He was melancholy to discover that he was more excited about a possible trip to Balneario
Bay with Donna a few years from now, than he was about celebrating tonight with his new girlfriend.
He was going to have to something about that soon, he supposed, but sadly not tonight.
He could only handle one diplomatic negotiation at a time.
