Title: Escape
Author: Cathy Miller
Genre: AU
Timeline: Begins at Bartlet for America and veers sharply off course.
Chapter 1
“Donna?!” My master calls. I’d complain about it, but the truth is, the more dependent
he is on me, the more job security I have. I just got on salary two weeks ago and
although it isn’t much, it’s more than the volunteers are getting.
“It’s on the floor on top of the box marked ‘policy files’.” I call back.
“Thanks!” He replies and I smile that I got a reply, most of the time it’s just silence. At
first, he’d ask me how the hell I knew what he was asking for before he asked for it.
Now he just enjoys the mind reading benefit. Honestly, I’m not sure how I know what
he needs or wants but I seem to be tuned to him. It’s something that’s working to my
advantage so I don’t question it any more than Josh does.
“You’ve got ten minutes before the conference call.” I remind him from his doorway.
“You take it.” He shoots back without looking up from his papers.
“I think they’re expecting someone with a much deeper voice and a much broader
understanding of Presidential primaries.” I point out.
“You can fake the voice and you’ve been picking up quite a bit around here so you
can probably fake the political part too.”
“Much as I appreciate your confidence in me, I really think Leo would prefer that
you…”
“Yeah, yeah… but you need to be on the call too to take notes.” He sighs
dramatically and drops the paper on his desk before rubbing his tired eyes with his
fingers. He hasn’t had much sleep lately. None of us has, but Josh gets less than
anyone else I swear. It’s like he’s personally going to see to it that Governor Bartlet
gets the nomination.
“Okay. After the call you have a free hour. You should sack out on the couch for a
bit.” I recommend.
“How did I end up with a free hour?” He asks with his eyes still closed.
“Because you have a paid assistant now who looks after you and makes sure you get
food and rest.”
“Didn’t you do that when you were unpaid too?” He finally opens his eyes and smirks
at me.
“Yes, but that was only because I was trying to ingratiate myself enough with you to
get on the paid staff.”
“Ah.” He rolls his eyes. “I thank you for the thought but I really think my free hour
would be better spent learning the names of all the people who are going to be at the
Charleston thing tonight than taking a nap.”
“That’s where you are wrong.”
“Wrong?” He repeats while his eyebrows wing up to his forehead. Josh never thinks
he’s wrong. Once in awhile he’ll admit to having made an error based on the
erroneous information he was given by others, but an original mistake? Made by
him? Nah-uh.
“Yes, Joshua, in this case you are wrong.” I take joy in telling him. “I have made note-
cards with all the important names and information you’ll need tonight along with
mnemonic devices to help you retain that information. We’ll cover it on our way over
there tonight. However, if you don’t get some sleep, you’re going to end up yawning
or worse yet, falling asleep in front of these very important people. So you will be
taking a nap during your free hour after your call.”
He laughs. “Donna, you realize that as my assistant you’re really not empowered to
force me to nap, right?”
“Force you?” I feign confusion. “I could never force you to do anything, Josh, you’re
in charge here. However, as your assistant, it’s very important that I keep track of
where you’re supposed to be, what you’re supposed to be working on, and who you’
re supposed to return calls from. If I’m worried about you not eating or sleeping, who
knows what I’ll forget.” I shrug and his eyes narrow on mine.
“30 minutes of resting.” He opens negotiations. I love negotiating with Josh.
“45 minutes of sleeping.” I counter.
“I can’t just fall asleep at the drop of a hat, Donna.” He complains.
“That’s why I scheduled it for an hour.” I retort.
“40 minutes of resting.” He tries.
“40 minutes of resting with the lights off, the door closed, and no cell phone.”
“What if someone needs to talk to me?” He demands.
“Then I, your trusty assistant,” he scoffs here but I ignore it, “evaluate the situation
and determine whether or not it is urgent enough to wake you or it can wait for forty…
whole… minutes.”
“Fine,” He agrees. “But I think we should define what is considered urgent.”
“No need. That’s what you pay me the big bucks for. I will make that determination
right there in the moment.”
“Donna…” He whines a bit.
“It’s your decision, Josh. It’s completely up to you.” I remind him and walk away. I don’t
even have to look back or continue the negotiation. Yes, I am that confident in my
abilities to control Josh Lyman, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am no longer the insecure
young woman who walked into the Nashua campaign office begging for table scraps. I
know my abilities. I know my value here. And I know Josh Lyman will be napping for
an hour after the conference call.
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“Don’t even think about touching that door!” I jump when the voice yells at me and
turn to face HER. Lord, I was hoping the dairy maid from Wisconsin would have run
back home to the cheese capitol by now.
“I don’t need an appointment.” I point out.
“Good, because you can’t have one right now - He’s sleeping.” She informs me.
“Sleeping?” I laugh, disbelieving. “It’s 4:38 in the afternoon. Josh Lyman is NOT
sleeping.”
The blond whirling dervish moves expertly between me and Josh’s office door. “He is
and he’s got 12 minutes left of his nap. Then he’ll be up. In fact, you can wake him if
you’d like, Mandy.” She smiles winningly at me, but I don’t smile back. Ever since this
waif showed up and Josh felt compelled to save her unemployed but young, adorable
ass, I’ve had more trouble reaching him, meeting with him, and spending time alone
with him. His little shadow never lets him out of her sight!
“I’m not his wife or his assistant.” I reply. “It’s not my job to wake him from naps. Just
make sure he calls my cell after he has his milk and cookies.”
“Sure.” Donna smiles again, but it’s a little more strained now. Good, she’s not
completely stupid. She knows when she’s being insulted. “It will be a great surprise
for him to hear you’re here. He wasn’t expecting to see you until after we left South
Carolina.”
“I find it’s good to keep men on their toes with little surprises now and then, don’t
you?”
“Sure.” She agrees but her smile falters a bit. She’s wondering, I’m sure, how much
Josh has told me about her sordid little tale. The answer is very little, but I know it
involves a bad decision about a guy so I can improvise around the rest.
“Don’t worry; when I was your age I made plenty of mistakes in how I handled
relationships. You just need to shake it off and move on with your life.” I advise her
and see the arrow hit home. She pales.
“I’m sure you’re right.” She answers quietly. “I’ll let Josh know you’re waiting for his
call as soon as he wakes up.” She promises. It’s really no fun to poke needles in
someone if they’re not going to poke back. I turn with a sigh and look for CJ.
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“Josh? Josh, it’s time to get up.” Someone shakes me gently. Wait, it must be Donna.
She’s the only one who’d bother being gentle. Anyone else would just push me off
the couch.
“I just laid down. I thought you were going to insist on 40 minutes.” I mumble.
“That’s true. We did agree to 40 minutes.” She tells me. “But when the timer went off
at 40 minutes, I was right in the middle of making cards for Toby, so I finished them
first before I woke you. You actually slept for 65 minutes.”
I shoot straight up, “65 minutes?!”
“I had to finish the cards for Toby. He actually appreciates them Josh.”
“65 minutes!” I repeat and stand up even though I’m still a little groggy from my nap.
“Now we’ve only got what? 30 minutes to shower, get dressed for this thing, and get
out the door?”
“When I told you about the schedule earlier? I may have been overstating things a
bit.” She admits and I groan, “It’s how I keep you on time. You have an hour.”
“What about you?” I ask. “Doesn’t it take you females a lot longer than that to get
ready for something like this?”
“It can, but it turns out that I don’t have to go after all.” She smiles a bit but it’s a fake
Donna smile not a real one. Believe me, I can tell the difference.
“What are you talking about?”
“Mandy arrived just a little while ago to surprise you. She’s going to go with you to the
thing.” She tries the fake smile again and my eyes widen in shock. “See? Surprise!”
I sit back down on the couch deflated. My girlfriend has arrived unexpectedly to
surprise me and will be accompanying me to the thing tonight. I should be happy
about this development, right? Then why I am feeling nothing but bummed? “But you
said you’d go with me.”
“That’s because you had nobody else to go with. Now - Mandy is here. So I’m staying
behind,” Another fake smile.
“No.”
“What do you mean ‘no’? I assure you Mandy is just down the hall. I had to bodily
block her from coming in while you were sleeping.”
“I’d have loved to have seen that.” I chuckle picturing that in my head. “I mean, no,
you are not staying behind. You’re going to the thing… with me.”
“But Mandy…” Donna does not look anxious to go anymore. That makes me sad too.
She’s really been looking forward to the fancy party tonight.
“This isn’t a date. It’s business. She’ll be doing her thing. We’ll be doing our thing.” I
reply before I stand up again and walk around a little to wake myself up. God, I feel
so much better now. Donna was right… again. But I’m not going to mention that.
“Our thing?” She asks skeptically.
“Right… with the cards and the… keeping me on track all night,” I wave my arms
around as a substitute for words.
“I think Mandy is counting on doing that herself.”
“She’ll ditch me after five minutes and forget all about me until we get back to the
hotel.” I reply quickly and then wince. For some reason it feels wrong to mention my
sleeping arrangements with Mandy to Donna. It’s not like Mandy and I are ‘in love’ or
anything. We tend to drift back and forth between being intrigued by one another and
wanting to kill one another. Still, neither one of us is under any illusions. This is a
campaign fling… more or less. I just don’t like to bring that up around Donna. It’s…
not polite. Yeah, that’s it - not polite. I’m a stickler for being polite.
“I REALLY think you should talk to Mandy first. She wanted you to call her on her cell
as soon as you woke up.” Donna insists.
“Mandy is not in charge of my life, that’s your job.” I smile and see a more genuine
smile on Donna’s face. “I’ll call Mandy, but you’re going with me to this thing. I refuse
to suffer alone, so go get ready.” I shove her out the door and prepare to do battle
with Mandy as I dial her cell.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Thanks for letting me get ready in here with you Ceej.” I tell CJ Cregg. I want to be
just like CJ when I grow up. She’s smart, classy, and does not take crap from
ANYONE. Plus she’s wickedly funny.
“I’m glad for the company.” She calls back to me from the bathroom where she’s
taking her turn applying makeup in front of the mirror. “We women have to stick
together.”
“I’d have thought you and Mandy stuck together.” I comment. I hear CJ laugh from the
other room.
“We do… to a point.” CJ allows. “But she’s not exactly a team player you know? You
can’t count on her to stay on your side if a better offer comes along. You can even
see it with how she treats Josh. You just watch. She’ll hang on his arm until she gets
introduced around so she can make it clear to everyone that they’re together. Then
she’ll drop him like third period French and schmooze the place until we get back
here without acknowledging him once.”
“So…why do you think he puts up with it?” I ask cautiously. I don’t want to seem too
eager for the answer.
“I think it must be awesome sex.” I nearly spit out the water I was drinking. “Guys will
put up with nearly anything for awesome sex. I guess it also helps that he’s not in love
with her.”
“You don’t think?”
“Please.” CJ rolls her eyes at me as she comes out of the bathroom adjusting her
shoulder straps. “It’s just two people hooking up over a political campaign who enjoy
the battle more than the spoils of war. It will have completely fizzled out by the
convention. You just watch.”
Nobody would be more pleased about that than me, but only because I care about
Josh and I don’t think Mandy is very good to him or for him. He deserves better. He
didn’t have to hire me in Nashua or get me on salary so soon. He’s a decent, caring
guy… most of the time. The rest of the time… I can handle just fine.
“You look fantastic.” I tell CJ and she does. She could be a model. She has all these
gorgeous clothes. Suddenly I feel like wren next to a peacock.
“A happy byproduct of working in LA, I have LOTS of clothes for evening events.”
She smiles. “Of course then I had a paycheck to buy them.” She sighs. “Let’s see
what you’ve got to wear for tonight.”
“Listen… now that Mandy is here, I really think it would be better if I stayed here.” I
honestly didn’t realize how dressy this was going to be. Josh, in his usual style, just
said ‘any dress you have will be fine’. Like. Hell.
“Josh was pretty adamant about you coming with us.” CJ warns.
“I know, but the more I think about it…” I pick up the garment bag containing the nicer
of the two dresses I have with me that I spent precious money getting dry-cleaned
today and edge toward the door.
“Donna?” CJ stops me with a quiet voice. “Is this about your dress?”
“No! Who cares what I’m wearing? I’m just an assistant there to work the party. The
less I stand out the better right?” I chuckle.
“We’re all just working the party.” CJ agrees. “But everybody likes to look nice at
these things. Why don’t we look in my closet to see if I have something you could
borrow?”
“CJ, I really think Mandy would prefer it if she worked the party with Josh.” I attempt to
leave again but CJ puts her hand on the door.
“What have I taught you about the sisterhood, Donna Moss?”
“We stick together no matter what.” I parrot. “But isn’t Mandy part of the sisterhood
too?”
“She’s only an auxiliary member until she can prove she’s not a fembot. Let’s just see
if I have anything that might work for you.” She leads me over to her closet and
throws it open - My eyes bug out at the number of dresses and other outfits she has
crammed in there. She digs around for a few minutes discarding this and that as a
potential dress for me to wear. When she finally makes a selection and holds it in
front of me, I’m speechless. I am SO going to the party tonight.
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“Why does it take them so long to get ready?” I ask.
“A question for the ages to be sure,” Sam sighs. “Usually they’re worth the wait,
though.”
“I guess,” I pace in the lobby of our hotel, “It’s just that Donna isn’t usually so girly
about this stuff.”
“Donna doesn’t usually get to go to this stuff.” Sam corrects me. “This is her first time,
isn’t it?”
“Oh… yeah,” That thought startles me. It seems like she’s been here forever. I’ve
actually forgotten what it was like before she worked with me. No, wait…I remember
being late all the time and never being able to find things; also, eating junk food
alone a lot.
“Hey, she’s just lucky to be on salary so fast. Leo must have been very impressed
with her.”
“I guess. Who wouldn’t be impressed with someone who can keep me in line and my
work in order?” I shrug but I must give away something in my tone because he’s
looking oddly at me.
“Right,” Sam pauses. “Donna told me she’s been on salary for two weeks now.”
“She would know. I don’t keep track of those things.”
“Maybe that means finances are opening up a bit. Maybe Toby and I could share an
assistant. I’ll ask Leo about it.” He’s fishing and we both know it. But I also know I can’t
risk him going to Leo and mentioning how Donna is ‘on salary’ now. Sam just bats his
eyes at me with a smug smile and waits for me to cave.
“She’s not… officially on salary, okay?”
“What does that mean?”
“The campaign can’t afford to put assistants on salary yet, Sam.”
“That much I get. But Donna clearly said she’s on salary, so who’s… Oh!” The light
goes on.
“Look, she’s in a bad place right now because of that asshole ex-boyfriend of hers.
She does an awesome job and she deserves a salary. So let’s keep this between us
for now, okay?” I request urgently.
“I guess, but do you really think it’s a good idea for you to be paying her out of your
pocket? What if she finds out? What if LEO finds out? God, Josh, what if someone in
the press finds out?”
“Believe me when I say I’d be thrilled by that level of coverage from anyone in the
press.” I point out.
“She’s a young, beautiful blond with zero political experience and the political strategy
Director is paying her cash out of his pocket to ‘assist’ him?” Sam lays it out.
“Hey!” I grab Sam’s sleeve in protest over what he’s insinuating. “It’s not like that!”
“I know that.” Sam agrees and unwraps my fingers from his sleeve. “Donna’s a sweet
girl, and you’re a decent guy, but that’s not how it’s going to look to anybody else.”
He warns me.
“It’ll be fine.” I wave it off. “Leo will get her on salary very soon and then everything
will be on the level. It’s just for the time being. Besides, who’s going to look at Donna
that way? She’s a kid from Wisconsin for God’s sake!”
“I guess…” Sam ponders this but then his eyes widen. “They sure grow them nice in
Wisconsin.”
Confused, I follow his gaze to where the elevator doors just opened. Donna and CJ
are standing side by side looking back at us. I can’t seem to produce sound, or you
know, breathe. CJ is wearing one of her favorite cocktail dresses in red. But I barely
notice because my eyes are busy traveling down the length of Donnatella Moss in
this black dress that hugs every curve of her body. The straps are more on her arms
than her shoulders and there’s nothing but milky white skin all across her…
“Josh!” Sam says urgently. I get the idea that it’s not the first time he called my name.
“What?”
“Trouble at 3 o’clock,” He reports cryptically. It takes me a few precious seconds to
figure out what he’s trying to tell me. When I finally turn in the direction of ‘3 o’clock’ I
see Mandy and Toby walking toward us and Mandy does not look pleased at where
my attention has been occupied.
“Joshua, I’ve been looking for you.” She announces.
“I’ve been here waiting. Haven’t I Sam?”
“Right here… the whole time.” Sam confirms. “CJ, Donna, you two look fabulous.”
“You’re not kidding.” Toby agrees and holds his elbow out for CJ who takes it smiling.
I’m about to hold mine out for Donna, when Sam butts in and gets there first. I’m
about to protest when Mandy puts her hand on my elbow.
“Shall we?” She asks pointedly. I nod dumbly. This isn’t going at all like I’d thought it
would.
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Chapter 2
“Mr. Chairman, I’m delighted to meet you. Josh has shared so much about your
career here in South Carolina.” Mandy schmoozes. She’s very good at it. I really don’t
need to be here at all. We’ve only been here an hour and all I can think about is
making an escape from this event, from Mandy’s vice-like grip on my arm, and go
back to the office; do something that really matters.
“Excuse me, Josh. Leo needs you for just a moment. Would you excuse us, Mr.
Chairman?” Donna appears at my side like an angel.
“Certainly,” Chairman Hadley says magnanimously. “I’m sure Ms. Hampton can keep
me well entertained in the meantime.”
“Thanks, Bill.” I nod and follow Donna. I don’t know where she’s leading me but I’d bet
even money that it’s not to Leo. My hunch was correct. She takes me straight out to
the patio and gets me a drink; water.
“I can have a, you know, grown up drink, Donna.”
“You’ve had two already.”
“Yes, but be fair, I as shackled to Mandy. I needed some kind of escape.”
“I’m providing you with a different one now.” She says without meeting my eyes.
“Drink your water and take a couple deep breaths of the clean night air. You still
have to see Jacobs and Holliman about some joint appearance for the Governor.”
I sigh. “How much longer are we imprisoned here?”
She laughs. “We’ve only been here an hour! Look at this place! It’s like something
out of the lives of the rich and famous - A gorgeous ballroom, a private orchestra for
dancing, everyone wearing elegant clothes and sipping champagne. Most people
would kill for a chance to be here and you’re bitching about it.”
I look back through the windows and try to see it through her eyes. If I didn’t know
most of the people inside were snakes and sycophants I could be fooled into thinking
it was something out of a movie. My eyes are drawn back to Donna. Her face is lit up
and she has this dreamy look in her eyes. She must sense me looking at her.
“What?”
“Nothing,” I assure her. “You just… help me see things differently.”
“Is that good?”
“Yes. Yes, I think it is.” I hold my hand out to her. “Donnatella, would you care to
dance?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be dancing attendance on the matrons here, or at least their
daughters?”
“Dancing attendance?” I chuckle and take her hand in mine. “That sounds
suspiciously like Sam you’re describing. I handle the politicos; he handles the
matrons and their impressionable daughters. He’s much prettier than I am.”
“You’re not SO bad.” She shrugs and allows me to pull her into my arms for a dance
to the low, bluesy music we can hear through the glass doors.
“You do amazing things for my ego, you know that?”
“I thought that was part of my job description.” She quips but glides effortlessly with
me across the patio.
“I haven’t seen this so called job description of yours. I think you’re purposely
keeping it from me because if I see it, it will unequivocally state that you’re supposed
to bring me coffee.”
“Sure. That’s it.” She teases and closes her eyes while we dance which gives me an
opportunity to look at her without her knowing.
“You look very nice tonight, Donna. I told you whatever dress you had would be fine.”
At my words, her eyes pop open and she hits me on the back of my head with her
purse.
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you about that, Joshua.” Her eyes snapped angrily now.
“This event, for your information, is not a ‘whatever dress you’ve got will be fine’
event. This is a couture type gown event - Do you know what a couture type gown is,
Joshua?”
“Very expensive?” I guess.
“Yes!” She smiles like I gave her the winning answer to the final question in a spelling
bee, but again I can tell it’s a fake smile. “And did I, or did I not, tell you that Dr.
Freeride cleaned out every dollar of mine from our bank account?”
Yes. Yes, you did.” I remember that story very clearly because the whole time she
was telling me about it while she cried into her beer I had to stifle the urge to buy a
ticket to Wisconsin and rip the asshole’s lungs out with a spoon.
“So just how, in that warped brain of yours, did you figure I would have access to or
could in anyway afford a formal gown like this?”
“I… didn’t think about it?”
“That sounds about right.” She agrees. “If I had shown up in the nicest dress I own, I
would have looked like one of the housekeeping staff and been incredibly
embarrassed!”
“That would have been bad.” I agree readily. “I’m… I’m sorry, Donna, I just don’t
register those things. I’m not… wired that way.”
Her eyes narrow on mine and must read the truth of what I’m saying. “No. I guess you’
re not. But from now on I will be checking with more reliable sources about the dress
codes for all the events I’m required to attend. You’re just damn lucky, CJ was able to
loan me one of hers.”
“I sure am.” I repeat quietly. “It looks like it was made for you.” I spin her around in a
fast turn and she giggles.
“Josh!”
“Just follow my lead, Donnatella, after years of prep school I am a master of the
dance,” I brag and she now she laughs.
“Joshua?” Mandy calls from the doorway with her hands on her hips I stop abruptly
and Donna crashes into me. “Holliman would like a word when you and Cinderella are
done with your dance.”
“We’re… done. I’m coming.” I smile wryly at Donna and follow Mandy inside. I’m not
thrilled to be back in Mandy’s clutches, but it was probably for the best.
“What did Leo want?” Mandy asks when I get alongside her.
“He… had a question about how to approach Jacobs.” I lie easily.
“I thought it was your job to approach Jacobs.”
“It is… was. Leo wants first crack at it. That was the other thing he wanted to tell me.
Then I just needed to escape for a few minutes and get some fresh air.”
“With your assistant,” Mandy states quietly.
“She was with me at the time, that’s all. Don’t make this into something it’s not.”
“I’m not. I just hope you aren’t either.” She smirks and leads me over to Holliman to
make the introductions.
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It’s perhaps POSSIBLE that I’ve had a little too much champagne this evening.
Contrary to Josh’s prediction earlier, Mandy has been stuck to his side all evening
except for the one dance we managed to steal on the patio. Not being needed by my
boss, I figured I’d drink a little. There was no shortage of handsome southern
gentlemen offering to get me drinks or escort me around the dance floor. It should’ve
have been one of the best nights of my life. I mean it WAS one of the best…
whatever.
I lean my dizzy head against the head-rest in the van we traveled to the event in. CJ
is seated next to me, talking over me to Toby who is sitting on my other side. They’re
arguing about… something. I’m studiously avoiding looking anywhere that would give
me a view of the seat behind us where Josh and Mandy are sitting very close
together and are silent. I’m sure that just means that they’re tired, not that they’re
engaged in any kind of… activity back there. That would just be tacky right?
“Sam? How many phone numbers did you get tonight?” I ask the man sitting up front
with the driver and look over at him to see his reaction to my teasing.
“Please, Donna, gentlemen don’t reveal that kind of information.” Sam smirks.
“Oh, he totally scored.” CJ surmises. “More numbers than at the fundraiser in
Manchester?”
“What is this reputation I have?” Sam pretends to be affronted. “I was brought on this
campaign for my speech writing abilities.”
“That’s what we told you that you were brought here for.” Toby chimes in. “In reality
we just needed someone to charm the female donors into parting with their old family
money.”
“Then I served my purpose tonight.” Sam grins outright and it makes me grin too. “If
only you or Josh could muster either the charm or the boyish good looks to pull it off.”
CJ and I both explode in laughter. Sam really is adorable. And I for one; love it when
he gives Toby and Josh shit.
“So, Donna, what did you think of your first big fundraising event?” Sam asks me.
“It was very interesting.” I mull it over, “Certainly very glamorous with the mansion and
all the southern gentlemen being so attentive.” I giggle over at CJ whose eyes are
sparkling with humor.
“They were only trying to take advantage of your Midwest naïveté.” Josh offers from
the back. I turn in my seat to give him a dirty look and see Mandy cozied up to him
and I wish I’d just ignored him. Toby comes to my rescue and throws his binder at
Josh.
“Watch it.” He warns darkly.
“Hey!” Josh protests the assault by deadly binder. “It’s the truth.”
“Josh you are such a yutz.” Sam shakes his head at him.
“They were surrounding her like vultures at a…” Josh tries again.
“You - Shut up.” Toby points at Josh before turning to Sam. “You - Don’t ever use the
word ‘yutz ‘again - Ever.”
Sam and I share a grin but he obediently drops the argument. The rest of the ride
back is silent, which suits me just fine. After all the drinks tonight I am truly buzzed.
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><>
I find her at her desk, big shock. She’s eating a bagel and working feverishly on some
project or other that Josh has convinced her is critically important. She hasn’t yet
learned that EVERYTHING is critically important to Josh. She’ll get it… eventually… if
she sticks around.
“Morning, Donna.”
“Hi, Mandy, Josh isn’t in yet.”
“I know.” I smirk. “He’s still sleeping. I thought he could use a little rest.” Her face
immediately cuts away from mine and pinks up, “I wanted to stop by and thank you for
your help last night.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I don’t know how you manage to keep that man on track but for the first time since I’
ve known him he’s organized, never late, and seems to be consuming something
other than caffeine and sugar.”
“I’m just… trying to keep things on track; earn my salary.” She shrugs.
Salary? How did she get on salary so soon? I decide to leave that for now and pursue
my original line of discussion. “Well you do. Josh has been going on and on about
how valuable you are as an assistant. He doesn’t know what he would do without you
running his office.”
“That’s… very nice to know.”
“He doesn’t tell you? That’s criminal. He tells everyone else.” I remark. “You should
have heard him tell Leo how he’d lucked out getting an assistant who’d work long
hours, do whatever he needed, and for free.”
“Yeah… pretty lucky.” She takes a deep breath and turns away from me. “If you
would wake him now, that would be good. He needs to be in a meeting with the media
people in 30 minutes.”
“Sure. I’ll take care of that.” I agree. “This is kind of a nice arrangement, you know?
Like a partnership… You take care of him at work and I take care of him everywhere
else.”
Sure that I’ve made my point; I walk away and pull out my cell phone to dial. “Get your
ass out of bed. You need to be down here in 20 minutes.” Then I hang up while he’s
still sputtering.
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“Where am I supposed to be right now?” Josh asks all out of breath.
“You have the media meeting in ten minutes.” I answer carefully. He looks very
stressed.
“I’m not… late now?” He confirms.
“No. Why did you think you were?”
“Mandy said… never mind.” He wipes his brow with his jacket sleeve. “Can I have a
copy of my…”
He breaks off when I hand him his updated schedule. “Here are your messages. You
should return the top two before your meeting because you’re going to need their
info FOR your meeting.”
“Yeah… yeah… okay.” He scans the messages as he walks into his office. “Buzz me
when I need to go.” He absently shuts his door and I shake my head at what Mandy
considers humor. Bitch.
“Donna, the Governor and Leo want Josh ASAP. What’s his schedule look like?”
Margaret asks me.
“He’s got media in ten minutes and that should take a good hour at least. After that I
can shuffle things around enough so he can meet with them then. How long do they
need?” I reply.
“It sounds pretty heavy duty. Better block out 2 hours. I’ve heard… that if they can
get Wiley to drop out after this primary…” Margaret’s voice drops to a whisper.
“Margaret!” Leo’s voice booms down the hall.
“Leo and Josh can finagle Wiley’s money people into financing the Governor, gotta
go.” She scrambles to answer Leo’s call. I’ve learned very quickly that if you need to
know anything, and I mean anything about this campaign, you go to Margaret. She
knows all.
With all the people coming and going around here I felt pretty overwhelmed trying to
learn everyone’s name and title until Margaret clued me in. She said there were only
a few key people I needed to know and since I worked as an assistant to one of them;
the rest of these people ought to be learning MY name. Margaret is very funny. I’m
just not sure she’s always trying to be. Nevertheless, she’s been a good friend, and
as I said, a great informant.
I buzz Josh at the appropriate time for his meeting and go about re-shuffling his
schedule to fit in two hours with Leo and the Governor. Once that’s accomplished, I
report to the grand dame of the Bartlet for America campaign and no, I am not
referring to Dr. Bartlet… though she’s scary too.
“Good morning, Mrs. Landingham. I’ve rearranged Josh’s schedule so he can meet
with Leo and the Governor as soon as the media people leave - Would you like me to
give you a ten minute warning when that’s about to wrap up?”
“That would be perfect, dear.” Mrs. Landingham makes a notation on her schedule
book. “Are you alright?”
“What? Oh, I’m fine; thanks. Things just move very fast here and I’m still a little tired
from the event last night.” I admit.
“Just wait ‘til we get to the White House, Donna. You haven’t seen fast yet.” She
smiles. “Would you like a cookie?”
“Yes, I would, thanks.” I take a bite. “Mmmmm… these are delicious. Do you share
your recipe?”
“Sometimes,” Mrs. Landingham’s eyes twinkle. “These Snicker doodles were my boy’s
favorite. Ah. Back to work,” She sighs and moves to intercept the Governor.
“Governor, we’ve made a few changes to the schedule…”
I watch her match her stride to Governor Bartlet’s as she fills him in on all he needs to
know. They’ve worked together for quite some time and you can tell there’s a
connection, and respect between them. For just a moment, I wonder if I’m looking at
my own future standing in front of me. Will I be trailing Josh Lyman 30 years from now
giving him updates to his schedule and organizing his professional life? That thought
makes me sad. Not that my work isn’t exciting and important in its own way. I just want
more in my life than just work. Since I’ve proven repeatedly that my judgment where
the opposite sex is concerned, well… sucks, maybe I should just concentrate on work
for a while. Yes, that’s what I’ll do.
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><><><>
This is it. What we’ve been working toward for weeks; the South Carolina primary. I
know we told the Governor we only had to take second, but I’m gunning for first. And
let me just tell you something, we MIGHT pull it off. We’re within the margin of error
and we have some momentum coming our way.
Here’s the thing you might not know about me - On Election Day… really just about
any kind of Election Day… I can get a little… wired.
“So help me God, Joshua, if you don’t stop trying to juggle my office supplies I’m
going to shove them…” Donna starts.
“Ah, ah, ahhhhhh…” I cut her off. “I don’t think that the way a lady speaks to her
boss.”
“I quit.” She shoots back. “And after working with you and your motley crew for the
past several weeks I am long past behaving like a lady.”
“I’m not sure you should be sharing this kind of… personal information with me here
in the office, Donna. Let’s go back to the hotel where we can discuss this in private.” I
wiggle my eyebrows at her and watch steam come out of her ears.
“I know what this is Josh Lyman. You’re wound tighter than a top so you’ve decided to
amuse yourself at my expense because you figure I’m paid to take it.” She’s getting
louder with every word and people are starting to watch. This is better than any
movie I swear. She’s so adorable when she’s pissed, “Except you’re wrong. This is
NOT what I’m paid to deal with and I know how to play just as dirty as you now.”
She picks up the phone and starts dialing… someone. “Why Donnatella… I had no
idea you wanted to play dirty. I didn’t think wholesome farm girls from Wisconsin even
knew how to…”
“Hi, it’s Donna from Bartlet for America, he’s free now… No, he doesn’t have anything
scheduled for the next two hours… I’ll put you through.” She puts the caller on hold,
“DNC on two for you.”
“The DNC? This is your idea of playing dirty? After I get rid of this loser on line two,
you and I can have a private conference about what constitutes playing dirty,
Donnatella.” She looks unimpressed, but it’s all a cover… I can tell.
I leave the door open so she can hear how I blow off the DNC people and marvel at
my superior intellect. I sit back in my chair, prop my feet on my desk, and pick up the
phone. “Josh Lyman.”
“Joshua! It’s so good to hear your voice. You never have time to call us anymore and
to know that you set aside a couple hours? I’m simply touched.”
“Hi… Mom.” I drawl, my eyes meet Donna’s laughing ones. I guess they do teach dirty
in Wisconsin, or she’s learned very quickly from me since she started here.
“Just a second, Josh, let me get your father on the other line. He had chemo again
today, so hearing your voice will be just the thing to make him feel better.” I dutifully
hold the line while she gets the other phone for Dad. Donna walks slowly to my office
and grabs the door knob.
“I’ll just close this to give you and your mommy a little privacy.” She bats her eyes and
closes the door. I’d be pissed, but I’m stuck admiring her style instead. Donna Moss is
quite something.
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He left his blinds open, so I can see when he hangs up the phone. Instead of looking
more relaxed, like I thought he would after he spoke to his parents, he looks tense
and sad. This is not good.
After only a brief hesitation, I get up from my desk, quietly open his door and shut it
behind me. He’s staring unfocused at the papers on his desk. “Josh?”
He still refuses to meet my eyes and starts frantically shuffling papers, “Yeah?”
I put a hand over both of his to stop his wasted motion. “What’s wrong?”
“I…I…” Now I’m alarmed because it looks likes tears are welling up in his eyes. “I
need to get out of here. I’ll take my cell, but I need to get out of here.” He stands
abruptly and walks hurriedly to the door. I’m after him in a flash.
“Josh, wait. I’ll come with you.”
“Donna, I don’t need a babysitter.” He snaps.
“I never thought you did…well, sometimes I think you do, but right now I think you
need a friend.” He stops and turns back to me. I can see the tears clearly now. “Let
me come with you?”
He nods, just a little, and continues toward the door. I catch up to him so that by the
time we reach the sidewalk outside the campaign office we’re walking side by side
and I’m matching him stride for stride even though he’s walking pretty fast. We
continue silently for a few minutes, then I grab his cell phone off his belt and call
Margaret to let her now we’re going to be out of the office running errands for a bit,
but that we have the cell with us.
When I hang up and hand him back his phone, he chuckles and shakes his head.
“Donnatella… always taking care of the details for me.”
“That’s what friends do, right? Talk to me Joshua. Is your dad okay?” Josh has
shared his dad’s battle with cancer and his concern about his father’s health is
always just under the surface. But usually things get so busy here that it keeps him
distracted. Now it appears that my childish need for payback has resulted in bringing
all of it to the surface.
“He’s… having a pretty tough time right now.”
“But that’s pretty normal on days when he gets chemo, right? Has the doctor
changed the prognosis at all?”
“No - At least not that they’re telling me.”
“They wouldn’t keep that from you Josh.”
“Wouldn’t they?” He scoffs.
“No, absolutely not,” I assure him.
“And you’re an expert on my parents after meeting them how many times?”
“None,” I admit. “But I’ve talked to them both on the phone a lot and I’m an excellent
judge of character.” He sends me a dry look. “I’m an excellent judge of the character
of parents. I only wish I had parents as supportive and proud of me as yours are
about you.”
“I doubt neither their support nor their pride.” He tells me, “Just their honesty on this
one particular topic. They know I want to be here, to do this with Leo and the
Governor. They also know that if Dad’s health is getting worse I’d leave the campaign
and go back home. So if they don’t tell me his health is getting worse then they aren’t
forcing me to leave the campaign.”
“They wouldn’t keep that from you Josh.”
“You should have heard him today, Donna. He could barely speak!” Josh pauses in
our walk to pound on the tree next to us with his fist, the tears he’s been holding back
finally finding their release down his face. “He was weak, his voice sounded gravelly
and coarse. He asked me the same question 3 times! My father doesn’t forget what
he’s asked me within minutes of asking me it. Hell, not within years of asking it!”
“But those things can all be normal side effects of chemotherapy. They’re difficult to
experience and I’m sure difficult to see and hear in your father, but that doesn’t mean
his condition is getting any worse. That’s normal, Josh.”
“How do you know?” His angry gaze lands on me.
“Know what?”
“What the normal side effects of chemo are?”
“I did a little…”
“Research,” He finishes for me and peers at me critically. Then he gives me a sincere
smile. “Nobody does it better.”
“The more you know…” I trail off.
“Why did you do research on my father’s condition?”
“So I could help you.”
“You’ll… make me some note cards?” He asks.
I can’t help the smile that blooms over my face, “Of course. In fact, I’ll do you one
better. Give me your phone.” Looking confused, but still trusting me, he hands me his
phone. I hit his first speed dial number so I can confirm things with the woman I’ve
gotten to know so well over the past several weeks.
“Hi Sarah, it’s Donna again… I got him to eat salad last night with his charred burger
so that has to count for something… He’s freaking over nothing. The numbers look
good here in South Carolina… I know, he just can’t help it. Speaking of things he can’
t help, he’s been pretty upset since he spoke to Noah. He’s worried that Noah isn’t
doing very well and that you’re keeping it from him…” Josh’s eyes bug out but I wave
him off. “Okay… that’s what I thought. He’s just very adamant that you don’t keep
anything from him about Noah… Of course… Sure, I’ll make sure he understands this
is just routine for chemo days if you promise to call me if anything changes…? Deal…
It’s good to talk to you too, Sarah. I’m sure we’ll be talking again after the numbers
start rolling in. Bye.” I hand him back his phone.
“I’m ‘freaking over nothing’?” He repeats.
“In regards to the primary,” I qualify. “The concern about your dad is legitimate, but
unnecessary. Your mom assured me that this is common for a chemo day.”
“But his voice…”
“It’s his second day of chemo. It makes him vomit and gives him sores in his mouth.
That’s why it sounds bad. His memory hasn’t been off; he’s just been so tired from
the treatment that it just seems like that. Sarah swore that it’s like this each time the
chemo is injected and that your dad bounces back each time.”
“You swear?”
“I do.” I cross my heart for good measure. “I would never lie to you about this and
your mom wants you to know she wouldn’t either. She might downplay some of the
chemo side effects so you don’t worry, but she’d never keep important information
from you either.” He watches my face carefully and after determining I’m telling the
truth, he nods and starts walking again.
“Thanks… for checking I mean.” He offers.
“You’re welcome.”
“I just… all of a sudden everything just got too big. The primary, the chemo, the
decisions… I just had to get out of there. I had to escape it all for a while.”
“That’s understandable.” I tell him. “In fact, I’d say that the first healthy choice I’ve
seen you make for yourself.”
“You obviously have a very bad influence on me.” He says with a straight face, but
his eyes are twinkling and he takes one of my hands in his. “So to remedy that
previous lapse in unhealthy behavior, I say we find some sort of junk food now to
offset it.”
“Junk food?” I question looking around us. There are a lot of little mom and pop
stores, but no fast food places.
“Ah! There it is!” He pulls me with him as he picks up his pace, “Ice cream shop. Just
think of all the crap we can put on the already unhealthy ice cream.”
“The choices are really limitless.” I can’t help but join in when I see the enthusiasm on
his face. We go inside and make our selections. Then fight about sharing our ice
cream concoctions on the way back to the office. He always ends of sharing with me,
but I have to guilt him sufficiently first. We’ve moved past this point with regular meals
already, but I still have to bring the guilt to get his desserts. Finally, just outside the
front of Bartlet for America, he stops, and holds out his sundae for me to try. I smile
my thanks and scoop up most of his whipped cream and place it on my sundae.
“Hey! That wasn’t ice cream. That was whipped cream. You said you wanted to taste
some of my ice cream!” He objects.
“I said I wanted a taste of your sundae. The whipped cream is part of your sundae.”
“Yeah, the best part and you just stole it from me.”
“I did you a favor. Do you have any idea how many calories and how much fat is in
whipped cream?”
“If you love it so much why not put it on your sundae instead of stealing it off mine?”
“I can’t put it on MY sundae. Didn’t you just hear me about the calories and the fat?”
“Then how does that change when you eat MY whipped cream?”
“It doesn’t count if it’s off someone else’s sundae.” I explain.
“Oh, really?” He confirms smirking.
“It’s an indisputable fact.”
“Fine then… Now that it’s on YOUR sundae it should be safe for me to eat.” He says
and quickly scoops up the stolen whipped cream and drops it directly into his mouth.
“Joshua!” Now I’m laughing. “You said I could have a taste of your sundae!”
“You can; what’s left of it.” He continues smirking, so I take a big scoop of his ice
cream and place it directly in my mouth. Now we’re both grinning like idiots.
“Josh! Hurry up. We’ve got exits!” Sam calls from the doorway and he’s smiling. That’
s got to be good news. We hurry to follow him inside, but Josh stops me once more.
“Donna…. thanks for… just thanks.” He tells me sincerely and it’s enough to set my
whole face aflame
“Anytime,” And I really mean it. I’d do anything for him, anytime at all. Then it occurs
to me. That might not be good news for me.
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><>
Chapter 3
“Awesome job, Josh” Leo tells me, “Second place in the South Carolina primary! And
only 3 points behind Hoynes!” He slaps me on the back and his grin is from ear to
ear, “How about this guy, Governor.”
“I’ve decided not to fire him this week.” Governor Bartlet replies. “If only because we’d
lose Donna if he went and we clearly need her around here.”
I see Donna’s face beam with pride. The Governor only remembers a handful of
names of his staff and he’s bothered to remember Donna’s. That’s quite a
compliment coming from him.
“She does make me look good, sir.” I reply and instantly feel Mandy bristle beside me.
“Maybe now that Josh has finagled how to get Wiley’s money in our account, we can
afford to put her on salary.” Mandy suggests and I turn to her in shock. I can’t believe
she just did that. My gaze quickly cuts over to Donna who looks equally stunned and
embarrassed.
“Absolutely!” Bartlet booms. He’s a brilliant man with a sharp mind, but sometimes
personal undercurrents are a little beyond him. “That will be our first order of
business.”
“Josh?” She holds my gaze and I need to have this discussion with her, but I don’t
want to have it here in the office…or with an attentive audience.
“Yeah, about that…” I begin and try to lead her off from the group.
“You told me I was already on salary.”
“You are.”
“Have you been siphoning money off from the campaign unbeknownst to Leo or the
Governor?” Her voice rises.
“Of course not,” I say in hushed tones.
“Then where did the money you gave me come from?!” She’s angry and hurt and I
can see the tears in her eyes clearly from where I’m standing just a foot or two away
from him.
“It came out of my salary.” I explain calmly. “It’s not like I need the money. You do
need it and you’ve been invaluable to me, so I…”
“Oh my God!” She whispers and runs from the room. I would follow her but Leo takes
me by the elbow.
“Let’s talk in my office a minute, shall we?” See, he poses it like a question but it’s
definitely an order, so I follow him back to his office while the group in the main lobby
parts like the red sea before us. I do have a moment to glare at Mandy as we pass by
her, but she doesn’t react at all.
Once the door is closed the tarring and feathering begins. “Would you like me to tell
you in how many ways that was a dumbass stupid move?”
“No.”
“Well, you’re going to hear it anyway.”
“Then why did you ask?” I ask tiredly.
“You’re going to bring the smart ass now?” Leo roars.
“Why not? In for a penny, in for a pound, I don’t regret giving her the money and I’d
do it again.”
“That’s what scares me!” Leo continues. “If someone found out you were paying
Donna CASH out of your OWN pocket, they would start wondering why you’re paying
your young, blond assistant that way and what the payment was for.”
“Come on, you don’t believe for one second…”
“It doesn’t matter what I believe, Josh. It’s what the press and the public believed that
would count. And it would be a scandal that neither this campaign nor this Governor
would tolerate for one minute.”
“Are you threatening to fire me?” I ask mildly, but my body posture is anything but
mild.
“I’m saying old friend of your father’s or not, I would cut you loose so fast your head
would spin.”
“Fine,” I clip out a response and open the door.
“And in the meantime, you get that girl on salary, and deduct what you’ve already
paid her from her next couple checks to pay you back as I’m sure you two agreed to
do.” Leo orders.
“Yes, sir,” I slam the door shut behind me and go off in search of Donna. There are
only a handful of places she would go, but she’s not in any of the places I put on my
list. I’m about to give up for the moment, when I walk by the hotel bar and see blond
hair in a booth in the back. I walk quickly back to her and take a seat across from her.
“Donna, let me explain.”
“I think everyone in the office has already come up with an explanation already,
Josh.” She takes another sip of her drink.
“No, they haven’t.” I shake my head ‘no’. “Nobody would ever think that of you.”
“Bullshit!” The word explodes from her mouth and my eyes widen in shock. I’ve never
heard Donna swear like that. “That’s what they’re ALL thinking about me… about us!
Tell me Leo didn’t haul you in for a lecture as soon as I left.”
“I can’t.” I admit. “But not because he believes that… the other explanation, he’s just
concerned it could look bad for the Governor; for the campaign.”
“Oh, God!” Donna laughs without any real humor. It’s not a pleasant sound, “The
press? He thinks the press might pick this up?!”
“No!” I hold out my hands in a calm-down gesture, but she bats them away. “He
doesn’t want it to continue because as the campaign gathers more steam, people will
be looking at all of us closer. His… suggestion,” Donna laughs again at my word
choice, “was that we deduct the salary we’ve been ‘advancing’ you from your next few
paychecks just to put everything clear and aboveboard.”
“Right! If only you had thought of that before you paid me cash from your personal
account!” She is SO pissed.
“I’m sorry. I truly am. All I was thinking about was getting you some much needed and
much deserved cash. You’ve been working your ass off here. If we’d had more cash I’
d have put you on salary that first day. I was just trying… to help.”
Her face softens a little. Now it just looks very sad. “I appreciate you wanting to help,
but now your help has cost me what little respect and personal integrity I’ve earned
here.”
“That’s not true.” I tell her.
“It is.” She smiles sadly and takes another sip of her drink. “There’s no way I can go
back there and work now.”
“Don’t say that!” I shout. “That’s… that’s bullshit.” I echo her words.
“That’s easy for you to say. It’s not you they’ll be whispering about, it’s me.”
“It will be forgotten by tomorrow when we leave South Carolina. I swear.” I promise her.
“I can’t go back there, Josh. God, what Margaret and Mrs. Landingham must think!”
She cries now; actually cries. It breaks my heart.
“They think what they’ve always thought; that you’re an amazing woman of integrity
who has the misfortune to work with a total moron.” She closes her eyes at my
declaration.
“You’re not a total moron - Just moronic on things outside of politics.” She amends. “I
can’t go back there.”
“Look, it’s been a stressful, emotional day and now you’re drinking. That’s not a good
combination for making important decision. Wait until tomorrow and then if you still
think you need to leave, I can see about transferring you to another office. Please?”
Reluctantly she nods her head and I can’t help feel like I’ve gotten a reprieve…but I
also wonder if the reprieve is only temporary.
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><>
Who the hell could be knocking on my door? I already told everyone that I was too
tired to go out and celebrate our second place win in South Carolina. I just want to
stay under the covers and sleep off my alcohol enhanced depression. I don’t want to
see anyone and I don’t want to talk to anyone. Maybe Josh is right. Maybe it will all
blow over by tomorrow when the team gets on the campaign bus, but I’m not banking
on it. Nevertheless, the knocking starts again and it doesn’t sound like whoever it is
will give up until I answer. Shit.
I get up and open the door, fully expecting to see Josh on the other side. He just can’t
leave well enough alone. So imagine my shock when it’s Mandy standing there
instead of Josh.
“I brought you some food.” She holds up a bag and a box in front of her. “I figured
you must be hungry and might not want to go out to get something.”
“That…was very nice, thanks.” I open the door further to let her in. She empties the
contents of the bag on the small table of the room I share with Margaret. Then she
pulls a chair out for me to sit, so I do, and she joins me.
“I got a double order of fries because it’s the best comfort food as far as I’m
concerned.” She tells me. I take a couple and dip them in some ketchup. She’s also
got pizza in the box and I have to admit it smells incredible.
“Between that and the pizza, all we really need is some Ben and Jerry’s to round it
off.” I joke.
“I can arrange that if it would help.” She offers with a smile. “I’m really sorry for the
position Josh put you in. He didn’t do it on purpose. He really only wanted to help.”
“I realize that but he lied to do it. Now everyone is going to be looking at me funny
and who can blame them? I know what I’d think if the situation was reversed, what I’d
think.”
“It will blow over.” Mandy assures me. “Nobody who knows either of you think
anything like that. You’re twelve years younger than he is and hang on his every
word. What man wouldn’t enjoy that attention? He doesn’t even realize you’re in love
with him. His motives were purely fraternal.”
I nearly choke on my bite of pizza.
“He’s just basking in the glow of having an adoring assistant that he can teach and
impart his political wisdom to. He doesn’t see you the way you’re thinking other
people will assume. In fact, you’re feelings aren’t that obvious either. You have
nothing to worry about.”
“Mandy… I don’t know what makes you say… that, but I swear to you…”
“That there’s nothing romantic going on between you? I know that Donna. You just
have these little tells that crop up once in awhile. You’ll learn to bury them and
nobody will be the wiser, even Josh, which is very good because if he suspected how
you really felt… he’d be moving you to Toby or Sam’s office pretty damn quick…
Anyway, he needs you professionally in a big way right now. Like I said before, we
both trust you to take care of him at work and you do that better than anyone I’ve
ever seen. So you need to get back in gear. Eat some food, get some sleep and start
over tomorrow.”
I feel sick to my stomach. If Mandy can tell how I feel about him, it’s only a matter of
time before Josh can and then… If I thought today was embarrassing and
humiliating…
“I… Maybe it would be best if I transferred to another Bartlet campaign office.” I
suggest.
“Josh would be devastated. He depends on you for everything. Why do you think he
was willing to pay you out of his own salary?”
“Things are in good shape for his office, if he got a replacement right away, she
could just pick up where I left off without hardly a ripple, I’m sure.” I point out.
“Donna, I don’t know.” She shakes her head. “That seems awfully drastic.”
“It seems perfectly logical to me.” I shrug. “I’ll tell him in the morning.”
“When? As you’re getting on the bus? He’ll make a scene. It will get ugly.”
“What choice do I have?”
“He’ll never accept you transferring to another office. And if you get into it with him
verbally, he’ll not only win but make a huge scene in front of everyone in the
process.” She opines.
“Then what do I do?” I’m crying again, but I really can’t help it. It’s been quite a day
and I’ve been drinking quite a bit.
“I’d write him a letter of resignation and leave it for him. Then he’ll have no choice to
argue about it.” She pauses. “Are you sure you want to do this?” I nod. “Don’t give
him a professional reason for your departure, make it personal. You miss home, your
family, you miss your old boyfriend; something like that - Something that he won’t
fight you on.” I nod again.
“I’m sorry you feel this is the only option, Donna. You have a lot of potential. If you
need a reference of any kind, use my name.”
“That’s very kind of you. Thanks. I appreciate it, Mandy.”
“No problem. You just let me know if you ever change your mind or there’s anything
else I can do for you. Finish eating and get some sleep. After the partying they’re
doing tonight nobody will be up early tomorrow. Would you believe Josh is bummed
that he wasn’t able to beat Hoynes here? He closed a 13 point lead to 3 points, and
he still calls it a loss. Can you believe that?”
“Yes, amazingly enough I can.” I nod. Josh thinks in terms of black and white, right
and wrong - Coming in second here, no matter how difficult a feat that was to pull off;
wouldn’t be good enough for him. Given his drive and ambition I’d be shocked to see
Governor Bartlet ever come in second again.
“Goodnight and good luck, Donna.” Mandy offers as she leaves me alone. I choke
down another couple bites of pizza and then pull out the standard logo stationary
found in hotel rooms everywhere to compose my thoughts before I write my
resignation letter. It takes me three tries and many tears before I get it as right as I’m
going to be able to get it. I seal it in an envelope and write Josh’s name on the front. I’
ll slip it under his door tomorrow before I leave.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
I see the envelope when I get up to take a shower and I recognize the handwriting
immediately even though I don’t see it as often as Josh does. This can only be
trouble. Reluctantly, I pick it up and walk over to rouse Josh.
“Josh, you need to get up.”
“Sam, I swear to God, if you don’t back away and let me sleep off the mother of all
hangovers right now…”
“There’s a letter here for you. I think it’s from Donna.” That gets him and he sits up
immediately though he looks like hell.
“Why would she be leaving a letter for me? Did she say?”
“I didn’t see her. It looks like she slipped it under the door.” I offer the envelope to him
and he takes it from me like it might contain some deadly poison inside.
“I’m just going to go take a shower… so you can read whatever it is alone.” I slip into
the bathroom and take my shower, being sure to take my time. But when I come out,
he’s still sitting where I left him, the unopened envelope still in his hands.
“You’re going to have to open it sooner or later. Better now than on the campaign
bus.” I remind him. He hands it back to me.
“You open it. You read it.”
“Josh…”
“Please?” He asks with bloodshot eyes. Unenthusiastically, I take it back and slit it
open to pull out the letter inside.
“You want me to read it out loud?” I ask and he nods. This is not a good idea. Josh
was very upset last night. He said it was because we finished behind Hoynes, and I’m
sure it was partly true, but there’s no doubt in my mind that the bigger part of his
mood was Donna’s absence.
“Okay…’Dear Josh, I want to thank you for all you’ve done for me over the past
several weeks. You have a good heart as evidenced by your willingness to take a
chance on a college drop out who needed to build her confidence and start over. But
don’t worry, I’ll never tell anyone what a softie you really are. I know how you like to
protect your pit bull reputation. I had some time to do some thinking last night after
we talked. I called home and spoke to my parents for a while. They relayed that Alan
wanted to talk to me but didn’t know how to get a hold of me.’ Who’s Alan?” I ask Josh
in a break from my reading.
“Dr. Fucking Freeride.” He says in a monotone voice.
“Huh? ‘So I called him directly and we spoke for over an hour. He’s very sorry for
what he did and he’s even put the money together to pay me back. He realizes the
magnitude of his mistake and wants another chance. I’m not sure where this is going
to lead, but I feel I owe it myself to find out if we have a future together. Maybe this all
coming out yesterday was for the best. I miss my Wisconsin, my family, and my
friends. I don’t know if I really could have ever fit in, in this high power world of politics
you inhabit. I do know that the strength and confidence I’m going back to Wisconsin
with is due in large part to your trust in me. I’m sorry not to give you any notice, but
now that your office is in good order, and the Governor is gaining momentum, you
shouldn’t have any trouble replacing me with someone who has honest to God
political experience and savvy. Take care of yourself, try not to worry about your dad,
and I wish you the best of luck, always. Donnatella Moss.” I fold the letter back up and
place it on the table.
“He’s gonna just fuck her over again. What he misses is the free ride he had with
Donna, that’s all.” Josh opines. I really don’t know enough the situation to comment
so I stay silent. “Shit. I really blew it didn’t I?”
“Your motives were altruistic. Your methods were a little lacking.” I hedge.
“Yeah, now she’s doomed to a life in Wisconsin with a loser med student.”
“Some people like living in Wisconsin. Some people voluntarily choose to move and
live there.”
“Show me one.” He scoffs. “What a mess. Now what am I going to do?”
“I’d suggest starting with a shower. I can call Margaret to get someone on packing
your stuff up for the trip.”
“Donna already did that while we were waiting for returns yesterday.”
“Of course she did.” I smile and then I notice something in the envelope; note-cards. I
pull them out and Josh notices them too.
“What are they?”
“Note-cards… on cancer treatments and side effects,” I pass them over and see Josh
clench his mouth shut. I know what this is about so I simply set the cards on the
dresser. “Hit the showers, buddy. We’re going to be on the road soon. He lumbers
into the bathroom and I hear the water running so I take that moment to call and
update CJ. She sounds sad, but not surprised at the news. Josh is going to be a bear
for a while I’m afraid, but between CJ and me, we can watch his back.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Would you like me to send a copy out to the press?” I ask.
“That would be great.” Joe replies. Joe is no Josh Lyman, but he’s much easier to
work with too, so there is a tradeoff there. Mostly I’m glad that I don’t have any urges
to get him healthy food or monitor his sleeping hours. I thought maybe I’d feel that
overprotective streak with anyone I worked for, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“I’ve also got cards for you on the media market proposals.” I tell him.
“When did you do those?” He eyes me critically. “How late were you here last night?”
“I’m used to the late hours and I don’t need that much sleep.”
“Maybe so, but the windy city has a lot to offer bright young women in the way of
evening entertainment. You should take advantage of it.”
“I need a few more paychecks under my belt before I can manage fun out on the
town.” I say honestly.
“If that’s a hint for a raise…”
“It isn’t, Joe.” I assure him. “Honestly. I had a debt I had to repay and that’s taken a
few chunks out of my last few paychecks.” I’ve been sending Josh cash to repay him
for my ‘advance’ ever since I got hired here. I enclose a brief note telling him how well
I’m doing in Wisconsin and then mail it to my brother Jake to mail it from Wisconsin,
so Josh doesn’t trace it back here.
“Okay, but you know if you need a little extra in the short term…”
“You’re very sweet, but I’m fine I swear.” I give him a genuine smile. Joe is the
stereotypical politico right down to the cigar smoking. He’s a grumpy old curmudgeon
but underneath he has a soft side, especially for young women who remind him of his
daughter. “I’ll take care of the release.”
When I get back to my desk I find an envelope there from my brother. Usually he just
calls me on my cell, so I admit I’m a little puzzled. Jake is a great brother, but he isn’t
much for written correspondence. I open it and read the note attached to another
envelope inside the larger one.
D~
I wasn’t sure what to do with this when it arrived. He’s called a couple times, but I’ve
told him you’re not staying with me anymore, just like you said to do. Anyway, I
thought it was best to pass it on.
J~
With trembling hands I open the smaller envelope and see the unmistakable
handwriting of Josh Lyman. And he says my handwriting is illegible!
Dear Donna,
This crap you’re doing with the cash is really starting to piss me off. I don’t need or
want it and I’m taking it as an insult. I swear I’m keeping it all and will return it to you
personally when the campaign comes through Wisconsin. I don’t think your Alan will
like a dirty politician giving his girlfriend cash so just keep that in mind.
The campaign is going well. I don’t know if you keep on top of the news, but the
Governor’s numbers are really popping and I think we’re going to have quite a few “W’
s” in our column at the end of Super Tuesday. I’m on assistant number 5 since you
left. Everybody says I need to be nicer to them, but I don’t treat them any differently
than I treated you and you could handle me just fine. So they’re full of it.
I’m glad to hear things are going well for you. You deserve that. Selfishly, I wish you
were still here, but I care about you enough that I’d rather have you in Wisconsin and
happy, than here and unhappy or lonely. I didn’t realize how lonesome you were for
home when you were with us. You never seemed to be lonely to me, but as CJ points
out I’m not always that observant about stuff like that. Anyway, I’m sorry you were
unhappy and I didn’t even notice.
I hope you know, though, that if anything ever changes, the door here is always open
for you. Always.
All my best,
Joshua
P.S. It wouldn’t hurt you to call or email once in awhile would it?
I smile through my tears as I finish the letter. No, I guess it wouldn’t.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Chapter 4
TO: jlyman@BFA.com
FROM: dmosswi@yahoo.com
Subject: Writing once in awhile
If you wanted a letter or email you could just say so instead of guilting me about it.
You will continue to get cash until my debt is paid, what you choose to do with it is
entirely up to you. As if you would EVER step foot in Wisconsin! Perhaps you could
donate it to a worthy political candidate?
My family is doing well. How about your mom and dad? I have a new job, which I’m
enjoying quite a bit. My NEW boss loves my note-cards and appreciates my
organizational skill. He doesn’t even bitch about it when I organize his desk. I was
dumbfounded!
Yes, I follow the campaign with great interest and impress everyone here with my
friendship with CJ. You and Sam and Toby are less impressive to them for some
reason. The Governor is doing so well. Please tell him I’m proud of him and all of you
for the kind of campaign you’re running . You’re going to win the nomination… I can
just FEEL it.
I saw you on Meet the Press last week. You looked like hell. It wouldn’t hurt you to get
some sleep once in awhile, would it?
Donna
I laugh out loud at the wit that is Donnatella Moss and open my laptop to form my
reply.
TO: dmosswi@yahoo.com
FROM: jlyman@BFA.com
Subject: Writing once in awhile
Donnatella,
I’ll have you know I got rave reviews from my MTP appearance. I even have a fan
club now called LemonLyman.com. You should check it out. The outpouring of
adulation and the number of women willing to carry my children are simply amazing.
Mom and Dad are fine. Dad’s spirits are up even though he’s going to need another
round of chemo. Mom said the doctors are cautiously optimistic about his prognosis. I’
ll take it.
I’ll tell the Governor how impressed you are with how I’m running the campaign. If you
want him to know differently, you’ll have to come here and tell him yourself.
I think you’re making up both the job and the boss. No way any self-respecting boss
would welcome people coming in and messing with their desk… and for the record? I
liked your note-cards; they were very well organized and had great details. What I
didn’t like was trying to figure out the hieroglyphics you wrote on them. My eyes hurt
just thinking about them!
How are things going with you and Freeride? You don’t have to answer that if you
don’t want to. I guess.
Josh
TO: jlyman@BFA.com
FROM: dmosswi@yahoo.com
Subject: Writing once in awhile
Things are different between Alan and me. He hasn’t repeated any of his previous
mistakes and I’m hoping that doesn’t change.
I checked out your disgusting fan club at Lemonlyman.com. What a bunch of ho’s!
You should be ashamed to have that site in any way connected to you. Some of them
are children and some of them are men! I know we’re Democrats and everything, but
I didn’t realize you played on both teams.
How are things with you and Mandy? You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want
to.
Donna
TO: dmosswi@yahoo.com
FROM: jlyman@BFA.com
Subject: Writing once in awhile
Donna,
Toby assures me we’re all going to have to set foot in Cheese-land before this is all
over, so since I’ll be there anyway… Look for the big ugly bus coming your way on
the 18th… less than a week until the Bartlet invasion.
Mandy is fine. We’ve been traveling in opposite directions a lot lately - which seems
to do nothing but make my life better.
I told CJ about you dining off her friendship and she says she’s sending an
autographed picture your way. She also wants to know if you can set her up with
some hot guy form the heartland while we’re there.
Just for the record I do NOT play for both teams, as I’m sure you’re well aware… not
that there’s anything wrong with it.
Josh
TO: jlyman@BFA.com
FROM: dmosswi@yahoo.com
Subject: Writing once in awhile
I’m sorry, Josh, I’ll be out of town on the 18th. I’ll be in Chicago on business. What
were the odds? But while you’re there, be sure to take advantage of all the cheese
options available to you. I’m including a list of cheeses that are must tries:
Limburger
Roquefort
Epoisses
Munster
Let me know which one is your favorite.
Donna
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
I ring the doorbell again and pace on the porch. Someone has to be home. They just
have to. The door opens up and a decidedly cranky blond Adonis type creature looks
at me curiously. Shit.
“Uh… Alan?” I ask tentatively, hoping I’m wrong.
“You got the wrong place and you just woke me up after a double shift, he starts to
close the door.
“No, wait! I’m looking for Donna. Donna Moss?” I spit out before he can shut me out.
“Who are you?”
“Josh Lyman. I worked with Donna on the Bartlet…”
“For America campaign, sure… Donna’s not here.”
“Right, Chicago, I believe she said.” I fill in to let her know we’ve been communicating.
“And you are?”
“Her brother, Jake Moss,” He holds out a hand and I shake it while he crushes the
bones in mine. “If you know she’s not here, why are you stopping to see her?”
“I wanted to drop something off for her… for when she gets back.” I hold up a
package in front of me and he immediately backs up.
“What the hell is that?”
“Uh… cheese? Munster to be precise,” I try to smile. “She gave me a list of favorite
cheese to try while I was here and I brought some back for her as a thank you. I also
have this for her.” I hand Jake Moss the envelope that contains every last dollar she’s
sent to me.
“I don’t know what kind of game my sister is playing, but I am not keeping Munster
cheese here. Have you not noticed how it reeks?”
“I did actually. In fact all the cheese on her list smell like a graveyard of overused
athletic socks. I think she was messing with me. So I thought I’d return the favor. It
can just sit on the counter and… odiferize her kitchen until she gets back.” I grin at
my newfound co-conspirator.
“That would be a great plan except this isn’t her kitchen it’s mine.” Jake shakes his
head. “Why don’t you come in a minute… without the cheese,” He opens the door the
rest of the way and leaving the box of cheese on the porch, I follow him inside. I
ponder why Donna would send the cash from her brother’s address rather than mine.
I guess she didn’t want Freeride asking questions about the cash she was sending or
mail I might send back to her address. That thought really saddens me.
“I probably shouldn’t leave this at Freeride’s address, then. I mean Alan’s.”
Jake is smiling broadly at my Freudian slip. “I’d have no problem at all with you
leaving that smelly concoction at Freeride’s place. That asshole deserves every
smelly cheese on that list. I’ll even help you break in to do it.”
“Wait a second. You don’t like Freeride?”
“How would you like the guy who lied, cheated, and stole, from your sister?” He
demands.
“I’d rip his lungs out with a spoon.”
“That’s a little more gentle than I’d be, but we’re on the same page.” Jake concedes.
“You want something to drink? I’ve got water, beer, and milk.”
“Given those options, I’ll take a beer thanks.” I call back to him while he goes into
what must be the kitchen. “So you’re against Donna giving him another chance?” I
hear something drop on the floor and break. Jake’s head sticks back in the living
room.
“She’s giving him another chance?!” He shrieks. “I’ll kill her.”
“She told me they were getting back together and that he wasn’t repeating any
mistakes from the past so maybe he’s learned his lesson.”
“Bullshit. That piece of shit was playing tonsil hockey with one of the nurses from the
ER two days ago at the bar and grill on 5th.” Jake hands me the unbroken beer bottle
and sits heavily across from me, “Unless it was just today that she decided. Did she
just tell you that today?”
“Several weeks ago,” I admit and wait for the second explosion. I don’t have to wait
long.
“How could she go back to that scumbag? She’s finally got a decent job and taking
classes to finish her degree and then she crawls back into the gutter with that…”
Jake loses some steam. “What else did she tell you about him?”
“Uh, nothing… That was it. It didn’t seem like wanted to talk about it, but she sounded
happy with the way things were going.” I share.
“What I don’t get is how they’re getting together. That crap car of hers wouldn’t
survive a back and forth from Chicago more than once or twice and he has to stay in
town because of being on call at the hospital, so how and where are they meeting?”
He wonders aloud and now I’m confused.
“Wait. She’s not living here? With him?” I ask.
“I’d burn his fucking house down before I let her move back in with him.” Jack
confirms. “But you told me she was in Chicago, so you must know she’s living there.”
“Living there?” It’s my turn to squeak. “No, she told me she was on a business trip to
Chicago for a couple days, that’s all.”
“Jesus, Donna, what are you doing here?” He asks the ceiling.
“Can you please explain what’s going on here?” I request as calmly as possible.
“Every envelope I’ve gotten from her had this address on it.”
“Well… that’s probably my fault. She told me that if you had her address, you’d just
send the money back to her and it seemed important to her to pay you back,
sooooo…”
“So you mailed her envelopes from here for her.” I complete his sentence and he
nods, embarrassed at his part in the deception. “And she’s been living in Chicago
this whole time?” He nods again. “What is she doing there?” I demand.
“Maybe you should be talking to Donna about this.” He decides.
“I’ll be glad to. Give me her number.” I pull out my cell and Jake eyes me carefully for
a full minute before he caves.
“608- 429-7752, but you did NOT get it from me.” He warns and I wave off his
concern.
“Donna Moss.”
“No, Josh Lyman.” I reply all smiles even though she can’t see me. Just hearing her
voice has cheered me up considerably.
“Josh? What…Where… I mean, how did you get this number?” She stutters. Perhaps
I should mention that that I love catching people off guard.
“I’m a powerful man with numerous Government connections, are you really surprised
that I could get your cell phone number?”
Short pause, “Put Jake on the phone.”
“Jake who?” I wince as Jake’s eyes widen with alarm.
“Don’t give me that. Hand the phone to my ignorant brother.”
“Your brother lives here? I’ll have to look him up next time I’m through. Right now I’m
at the airport - Leo’s sending me to Chicago to work with the field office there. I’ll be
there in a few hours. What hotel are you staying at? I can meet you for drinks.”
“Here? In Chicago?” Yeah, she’s forgotten all about Jake now.
“Are there two of them?”
“I… have lots of meetings. I don’t know when they’ll be done and I don’t know if I’ll
have time to meet you. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’ll be swamped with meetings too. But as you well know, I require
very little sleep, so I’ll just wait up for you.”
Another pause, I can all but see the wheels turning in her head. “Put. Jake. On. The.
Phone.”
“Sorry, Jake, we’re busted.” I hand him the phone. There’s a short terse conversation
before the phone is handed back to me.
“Are you really coming here?” She asks.
“To Chicago? Sure. There’s going to be a big, important primary there. We’ll be
spending lots of time there.”
“Today?”
“No, today I’m trying to drop off your cheese and return your cash, but I’m having
trouble with the first half of that. Your brother keeps refusing my dairy gift of Munster
cheese. And can I just say here how mean that was, sending me on a goose chase
for the smelliest cheeses on earth?”
“You’re always making fun of our cheeses. I wanted to make sure you got the full
experience.”
“Uh-huh… Donna, what are you doing in Chicago?”
“Going to school; University of Chicago.”
“While you work where?”
“Well, see, to get a credits for work experience I needed more time in a campaign
office, so…”
“No. You are not.”
“No, I’m not working for a Republican.” She deliberately misunderstands me.
“You’re working for Governor Bartlet in his Chicago office?!” My voice rises.
“Yes?” She squeaks.
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me? I could have sent you there myself and you’d have
been hired without a problem.”
“I was hired without a problem anyway.” She points out. “It was important that I get
this job on my own.”
“You got your last job on your own.” I note.
“Because you felt sorry for me,” She maintains.
“Because I trusted my judgment and you convinced me you’d be valuable.” I counter
and there’s silence. “Donna?”
“Yeah.”
“I would have helped you.”
“I know. That’s why I didn’t ask.” She replies. “But I knew you would have. I never
doubted that.”
“And… you’re not with Freeride?”
“Not so much, no.”
“Not so much?”
“Okay, no. No, I am not - Happy now?”
“Hell no! You lied to me Donna.”
“I may have… overstated things a bit, but I didn’t say anything untrue… exactly.”
I break out in a hearty laugh. “I’ve missed you and your unique brand of logic,
Donnatella. We WILL have that drink when I get to Chicago, got it?”
“Got it,” She agrees. “I need to go now.”
“Okay, but I’m sending this cheese to you regular mail. By the time you get it, it will be
so pungent…”
“It’ll never make it past the drug sniffing dogs. Josh…? I’m glad you called.”
“I’m glad I did too. It’s good to hear your voice.” I tell her. “We’ll talk again soon.”
“Soon… Bye!” She hangs up but I leave the phone to my ear a few more minutes.
“Well, Jake, I’d better be on my way. Can you give me directions to the nearest post
office? I have a package I need to send to Chicago.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
>
I peek inside his office. I don’t see anything unusually out of order in there. It doesn’t
look like he’s been throwing things, but then again it’s hard to tell. I tap lightly on the
door and he calls out to come in without looking up from the paper he’s scanning.
“Hey, Josh.” I say cautiously, not sure of the reaction I’m going to get here. I needn’t
have worried.
“Samuel! How goes the battle, my friend?” He grins at me. This looks good.
Promising, even.
“Uh…good, fine. I’m more interested in how your battle, I mean, trip to Madison went.”
“Great! Madison is a decent town, Sam. The folks at the post office are particularly
helpful.” He smiles again.
“Okay. Good to know. But the post office wasn’t your destination when you left here.”
I remind him.
“No, it wasn’t, was it?” He smirks now and I realize he’s playing with me.
“Fine, if you don’t want to tell me about how your meeting with Donna went then…” I
start to back out.
“I didn’t meet with Donna.” He admits.
“You…didn’t?”
“Nope. Turns out she isn’t in Wisconsin anymore.” He shrugs. “I did have an
illuminating chat with her brother Jake, though. Smart kid. Good head on his
shoulders.”
“Wait. I thought the whole purpose of going to Madison was to see Donna.”
“I just said I was going to drop some things off at Donna’s. I never said I was meeting
her.”
“You implied!” I protest.
“No, you read something else into it. Donna told me herself she wouldn’t be there. I
was just dropping some things off, as I previously stated.
“What things?” I ask. “Did she leave some of her stuff with us?”
“No…it was personal stuff.” He hedges.
“Josh…” I growl in warning. If he doesn’t spill soon…
“It was a private transaction. Not anything illicit.” He scoffs.
“So…you didn’t see Donna, and yet you return here full of smiles and cheer?”
“Yeah. Know why?”
“I can’t wait to hear.” I deadpan.
“Cause I’m looking at our schedule here and we’re going to be in Chicago in 6 days
and we’re staying there for almost three weeks.” He nearly beams now. “That’s plenty
of time to convince Donna to come back to the campaign.”
‘You lost me.”
“Imagine my shock.” He teases.
“Josh!”
“Donna is in Chicago. She’s living there now as well as working and apparently taking
some classes to finish her degree.”
“Good for her!” I say sincerely. I know Donna had some hang-ups about not finishing
her college degree. Then something occurs to me. “Wait. She’s living there, working
there and going to school there and you think you can talk her into dropping all that
and coming back to work on the campaign?”
“Of course!” He looks at me like I’m nuts.
“Don’t you think that’s a little…”
“Ingenious?” He suggests.
“Selfish.” I correct him and he looks wounded. I swear that thought never occurred to
him. “It sounds like things are going well for her there. She’s been very honest about
how insecure she feels about not having her college degree and now she’s doing
something about that. You can’t pluck her out of there just because it would make
your professional life better.”
“It’s not JUST my professional life. Donna’s been a good friend.” He protests again.
“Then it’s your turn to be her good friend. Encourage her to stay put and finish her
classes.” I suggest and watch Josh’s mouth turn into a frown.
“I was a lot happier before you walked in here.”
“No doubt. Just give it some thought; what’s bests for Donna?” I leave him with that
question and shut the door behind me.
Escape
Chapters 1-4