February 2003
I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. Dr. Bartlet hired Amy to be her COS? Amy is
going to be working in the White House? Every day? For the next four years? I’m going to
vomit.
More troubling than my reaction to this news was Josh’s reaction; he looked stunned.
What I couldn’t figure out was whether it was a “Holy shit! I’m going to have to interact
with my ex-girlfriend every day and that’s going to suck’ stunned or a “This is awesome; I’
ll get to see Amy every day and get a chance to get her in bed or the nearest White
House supply closet after staff meetings” kind of stunned. This will be a whole new
chapter indeed.
I guess I should be happy that Josh isn’t out in California with her right now, but
considering her new job title, it’s really only delaying the inevitable.
When’ her royal bitchiness’ is installed in the East Wing, Josh and his gang of hooligans
start with the pranks on her. Honestly, it’s like they’re back in junior high and he’s using
the pranks to let her know he likes her. He dissolves into hysterical laughter every time
they get all the stuff to fall off her walls. Yes, he is most certainly smitten again and these
daily interactions are only making the symptoms worse.
********************************************************
This is painfully awkward and it’s painfully awkward in two very different ways.
1) I’m shadowing a guest at the DAR because he was convicted of a drug related felony
years ago and can’t be in the building without someone with him who is credentialed. This
is bad enough; I never wanted to come to this event in any capacity let alone shadowing
a guest that has no idea why I’m attaching myself to his hip. Awk-Ward.
2) While I am playing James Bond’s blonde bimbo sidekick, I have the dubious pleasure
of watching Josh and Amy in action. They’re not all over each other, this is the White
House and Amy has an official role her tonight, but if you watch them (and I’ve had plenty
of opportunities while hanging out with Mr. Felon here) you can see it. There’s a look
between two people who are intimate, not to mention the lingering touches. His hand is
on the small of HER back tonight. My stomach pitches. I turn away from them, but my
attention keeps wandering back.
They do look good together; the classic Washington power couple. They schmooze, the
debate, and they play the whole inside the beltway game so well. But I see beyond the
surface and I know what’s they’re both like on the inside.
Amy is only concerned about Amy; what gives her the edge, the control, and the power.
She likes Josh, I’m confident in that, but she doesn’t love him. Not in the “I’d do anything
for him” kind of way. Not even in the “I’d do a lot of things for him”. Just in the “I’d do
things for him if it’s personally or professionally expedient for me” kind of way. Josh
deserves better than that.
Don’t get me wrong. Josh can be a ruthless political animal. He’s built his entire
professional career around the fact that he can be a pit bull. You certainly don’t want to
cross the man or try to do an end run around him. He’ll make you pay for it, believe me.
But that’s professionally speaking. As a friend, he is compassionate, loyal, and tender
hearted. That’s one of the things that puzzle me about his relationship with her.
She took information from him about the welfare bill while they were dating and used it
against him, the bill, and this administration. Still, instead of cutting her off at the knees,
he went back to her again and again to try to reason with her about it. He could have
bought her boss off right away and ended the whole fiasco then and there. But he didn’t.
He even took a tongue lashing from the President about her in front of a bunch of
staffers! Even after he took the last step to end the battle, what did he do? He went
straight to her to explain and work things out. It just doesn’t jive.
This leads me to a painful conclusion; regardless of the level of her feelings for him, his
feelings for her must be very serious.
I need a drink and it doesn’t take much to get the drug dealer to go to the bar. If only the
rest of my dilemmas could be solved so easily.
****************************************
Great happiness…Amy has left the building…okay, it’s only for the night, but I’ll take it.
Josh is here and she is not. Good news all around. He’s decided to spend the evening
with the President and senior staff who are all playing poker. I’m going to have to bust
him out for a little while to interview an associate counsel applicant, but other than that, it’
s just the gang.
I walk with him to the Roosevelt room where the handsome attorney is waiting to meet him
and indulge in some of our banter. He smiles and reciprocates and it feels like old times.
Knowing the interview will take awhile, I decide to take this opportunity to catch some food
in the mess with Carol, who is also working late.
We’re halfway through our ‘dinner’ when we crash. We’re not allowed to leave the mess
and a couple secret service agents are at the door to make sure we stay put. That
doesn’t stop me from asking what’s going on though. I figured it was probably another
fraternity stunt. We get these crashes fairly often these days and it’s never turned out to
be anything to worry about; just precautionary.
When the agent tells me someone is shooting at the White House, my blood turns cold
and I start shaking. I know the agent so I have no problem pressing the matter.
“I need to get to Josh Lyman. Right. Now.”
“I’m sorry Miss Moss, everyone is being held where they’re at right now. I can’t make an
exception.”
“You don’t understand.” I explain in a low intense voice. I use this voice to scare the
assistants of Republican Members of Congress. “I need to get to Josh now.”
The agent drops his gruff demeanor for a moment and looks me in the eyes. “I DO
understand, but unfortunately I can’t let you go to him until we’ve cleared the zone. I can,
however, check with my counterpart to see where he is and make sure he’s alright.”
“Yes, please.” I beg and wait very impatiently while he does the wrist mic thing. It takes
forever…at least 2 minutes.
“Mr. Lyman is in the Roosevelt room and is completely safe. We have the shooter in
custody and should be lifting the lockdown shortly.”
I don’t hug the agent because I know that will really annoy him right now, but if he was
anyone else I would. Then it occurs to me that even though Josh is physically fine, it
doesn’t mean he’s not having a psychological reaction. Just as quickly I realize that I’ll be
able to get to him and check on him faster than I could explain to the agent outside the
Roosevelt room what to check for. I pace in front of the agent in the mess until I get
permission to leave.
I’m off like a rocket to the Roosevelt room and wave Josh out of his interview once I get
there. We talk a couple minutes and he assures me he’s fine. I suggest that I call Stanley
and let him know that Josh might want to talk later. Josh claims it’s not necessary and
goes back to Joe Quincy. I wouldn’t mind staying and watching these two handsome men
for awhile, but I need to call Stanley. Yes, I know he said he didn’t need to, but he didn’t
think he needed to that Christmas Eve either, and who was right that time?
I give Stanley a call and get his cell phone number for Josh, just in case. Stanley asks me
a few questions and once I answer them he says it sounds like Josh is fine. How can
Stanley evaluates Josh by asking ME a few questions? I know he did a great job for Josh
the first time he came out, but now I’m questioning his credentials.
When Josh finally finishes the interview, he sends me home and goes back to the poker
game with Stanley’s number in his pocket. I stay a few minutes longer and peek in on the
poker game. Everyone is eating and laughing and Josh looks fine.
That’s good. That’s fabulous. But I’m going to keep a careful eye on him for the next few
days. If I had picked up on the signals earlier that Christmas…In any case, I won’t let him
down again.