November 2002
After a long day of trying to get ANYONE to trade votes with me, I can
finally kick back and enjoy the celebration that’s going on in every
corner of the White House. Josh is high on life and I have to admit, he’
s adorable when he’s like this. I’m enjoying watching the Josh Lyman
‘Victory is mine’ show when SHE shows up. She doesn’t acknowledge
my presence at all. Ever since our telephone conversation the night
Simon Donavon was killed, neither of us even pretends to be civil.
She asks if she can leave her coat in his office and he agrees. They
disappear for a few minutes; actually 6 minutes and 28 seconds. I just
happen to have a clock in my line of sight, okay? When they come
back to the party, I almost fall off my chair. Amy is wearing this little
red dress and it has certainly caught Josh’s attention. I, of all people,
know how much Josh likes red dresses.
Suddenly afraid of just what might be showing on my face, I quickly
exit the party and go up to my desk. My celebratory mood has fizzled
considerably. It’s not too much longer before Josh appears and asks
me to get him in to see Leo. I do as my boss requests and tell him
Leo can see him now. Just then I notice something…or rather
someone. It’s Commander Reese; the officer and gentlemen who
agreed to swap votes with me.
I immediately jump up to see if I can help him find his way around.
When I look up I notice Josh has stopped in his tracks and is giving
me his ‘another gomer, Donna?’ look. I blow him off and focus on the
handsome naval officer. That’s right! It’s after Election Day. It’s time
to start dating again and who should literally walk right into me, but
Commander Jack Reese. It’s a sign from God, I swear.
I flirt and smile for all I’m worth until he finally begs off to unpack his
things. Amazingly, it coincides with Josh’s return. I tell him all about
my new hero and Josh gets all pouty about it, but I don’t let it ruin my
mood. Feeling celebratory once again, I convince Josh to go back
downstairs to dance with me. What? I’m in the mood to dance and he’
s standing right there. I can share a re-election celebration dance
with my boss without letting it get to me. Besides, I can dance with
Josh and think about the Navy Commander at the same time….piece
of cake.
We’re dancing and I notice Amy watching us, but it doesn’t bother me.
Josh is just my boss and I have met a man who is smart, handsome,
and charming who works in the building but isn’t ‘in’ politics. I believe
he has met all my dating criteria and the election is over. Life is good.
*************************************
I like Jack Reese. I like him a lot. After he got settled in his office and
staved off a coup in Venezuela, I got him to come back to the party
with me. It was great. We laughed and talked and generally hit it off
really well. Josh was doing his usual big brother routine, but luckily he
was easily distracted by the Ho- I mean Amy- and her darling red
dress.
But after that great start…nothing. He made no move; not even a
note or a phone call. Desperate times call for desperate measures,
so I have to call in a favor and get Josh to set me up with Jack. It’s not
the ideal situation but it does have the advantage of proving to myself
that my feelings for Josh have dissipated. Plus, on the off chance that
he suspected I had more than platonic feelings for him at one time,
asking him to set me up with Jack should remove any lingering
suspicions he might have.
But Josh, being, you know, Josh, screws that up too.
“Josh.” I call out to him.
“Perfect timing.” He beams at me. This should be good.
“Why?”
“I just talked to him.”
“Jack?” He did it? He actually did it?
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“I think I did well. I think I fanned the flame.” He boasts.
“Does he want to go out?” I fish for more details.
“I think he does.”
“What did he say?” This is too much. Josh had a personal
conversation with someone that didn’t go in the toilet?
“He said he thought it was cool that you were looking for someone to
trade votes.”
“And what did you say?” I prod a bit.
“I told him there are plenty more where that came from.” He looks at
me and grins. Wait! What did he just say?
“What do you mean?”
“I told him about Ilie Nastase.” Josh wiggles his eyebrows at me like he’
s done something wonderful.
“Why?” You complete idiot!
“What do you mean?” Now he’s confused. I seriously should have
sent him into this with a script.
“Why did you tell him that?” My volume went up substantially and
people around the bullpen are starting to stare.
“I thought it went with the vote swapping theme.” He shrugs.
“No, it goes with the crazy theme. What else did you tell him?” I
correct him.
“The scented Minsk candles.” He says, like it is no big deal.
“Josh!”
“These are endearing stories.” He explains.
“If you know me, if you know me well, if you already like me, these are
not stories for instance, I would have told you when I was trying to get
the job.” I point out.
“When you were trying to get the job, you were pretending that you'd
already gotten the job, so it's not like your underwear at an art gallery
was going to change my mind.” He laughs.
“You told him about the underwear?!” I think I’m going to have a heart
attack, or kill my boss, but it’s definitely one or the other.
“Again, endearing.” He argues.
“Karen Cahill had me flummoxed. Did you tell him I was flummoxed?” I
ask desperately.
“I think the underwear on the floor speaks for itself.” He laughs again.
He is going to die.
“You have to go back.” I tell him as I move closer to where he is
standing in his office doorway.
“Why?”
“'Cause he going to think I'm flaky.” I nearly shout.
“Maybe, but he's not going to care.”
“Why not?”
“Guys will go out with anybody.” He shrugs.
“That hasn't been my experience. Go back.” I beg.
“I'm not gonna...” he whines and I grab his arm.
“I have done many humiliating things for you.” I remind him.
“Okay, but I'm going to work for a while on making people's lives
better.” He says and I can tell he’s just placating me.
“How long's that going to...” the man shuts the door in my face. “...
take?”
What is with that man? Is he doing the protective big brother thing
where he sabotages my dating prospects for my own good? Can he
possibly be that clueless that he thinks his line of conversation with
Jack was appropriate? He has to go back. He has to fix it. And then I
can kill him.
After a few painful missteps, he finally gets his act together and gets
the Commander to call me. I’m feeling a sense of hopefulness that I
haven’t felt in a long time as I get ready for our date. What makes it
even better is that Jack is not a Josh substitute. Jack is the anti-Josh;
he’s Republican, military, and enjoys a life outside of the White House.