A Friend in Deed Chapter 2:
Sam wandered into Josh's office to find him slamming drawers and
digging through piles of paper.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"No…yeah, I'm just looking for something."
"Why don't you ask Donna for help? She knows where everything is in
here."
"Yeah, but no, I better just find this by myself."
"What are you looking for?"
"Sarah Cole's business card. She gave it to me at the fundraiser last
month. I can't find it anywhere."
Sam surveyed the disaster area otherwise known as Josh's
office. "Gee, that's almost hard to believe. Who is she and why do
you need her business card?"
"She's a beautiful woman who wants to experience my company, Sam"
"But you stuck this beautiful woman's card somewhere in your office
for the last month? Why do you need it now?"
"Because I would like to make her an offer of dinner tonight."
"Tonight? It's like, 4:45 Josh!"
"The dinner reservation isn't until 7. Two hours is plenty of time."
Sam laughed, "You made dinner reservations for a woman you haven't
even asked out, yet?"
"I didn't. Ben and Donna did."
"I think you need to back up a second. Who is Ben and why are he and
Donna making dinner reservations for you and Sarah Cole?" Josh took a
deep breath and told Sam the entire story. Sam just shook his head.
"Good luck with that, but you don't have much time. If I were you,
I'd ask Donna to help you find the card."
"I …don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not?"
"Last time I asked her for help finding a woman's number, she threw
things at me."
"Why?"
"I'm not exactly sure. There was this whole rant thing going on about
respect for women, and planet sized egos, but the result was that she
threw things at me and then didn't speak to me the rest of the day."
"Yeah, you're going to have to find the number yourself."
"This is what I'm saying. Did you need something?"
"Believe it or not, I was going to see if you wanted to go get
something to eat in the mess."
"Maybe that's what I should do; just back out of dinner entirely…No,
I better stick around and make sure Donna's okay with Ben."
"Haven't you known Ben for like 20 years? Why wouldn't Donna be okay
with him?"
"I don't know. Anything could happen!"
"Josh is there something else going on here?"
"What do you mean?"
"There seems to be a lot of subtext here; Donna throwing things at
you, you worrying about whom she's having dinner with."
"Subtext? I don't even know what you mean by that. I look out for
her, just like you do for Cathy." Josh brought up Sam's assistant.
"Not even remotely like me and Cathy. Just think about it while you
are searching for Ms. Cole's number, or, you know, sitting by
yourself across the table from Ben and Donna."
Josh's POV
I have died and gone to hell. There is no other explanation for it.
We are at a wonderful Italian restaurant, but Donna has not monitored
a single drop of my alcohol intake, she let me order a high fat, high
calorie meal without comment, and she has not stolen a single bite
off my plate. She has completely ignored me. Ben has tried to bring
me into the conversation a couple times, but Donna quickly turned the
conversation back to Ben. Well, not entirely…she did mention me a
couple times. She told him all about my secret plan to fight
inflation and about my inability to tie my own ties. After those
comments, I was happy to change the subject.
I try to look at my watch without being obvious, but Donna catches me
and makes a face at me like I AM the one being rude. Just as I am
contemplating stabbing myself with the dinner knife, my phone rings.
Please God, a national emergency of some kind.
"Hello?...Oh, hey Margaret, what's up?...Tonight? No, no problem,
I'll be right in." I snap the phone shut and give the happy couple a
regretful smile. "Sorry, duty calls." I tell them and pull a key off
my ring. "Here's the key to my place. Make yourself at home…or on
second thought, don't. Come on Donna." Donna and I rode over together
and met Ben here. I can drop her off on my way back to the White
House, or better yet, bring her with me.
"That's okay, Josh. I'll see Donna home after we have dessert." Ben
smiles winningly at her. No, no, no, this was not how it was supposed
to go.
"The thing is, I might need Donna's help with this thing tonight." I
hedge. There is no way Donna can help me talk through this amendment
in the Oval tonight, but it makes me feel better when I know she's
waiting for me in the office when I'm done. And it makes me feel a
lot better knowing she is waiting in the office for me than knowing
she is having dessert with Ben. Is that subtext? Damn Sam Seaborn!
"What thing, Joshua?" Donna asks.
"The President wants to go over the policy implications on the
Rowlings amendment." I answer a little too quickly.
"You don't need me for that. But if the President is waiting for you,
you had better hurry." Donna isn't even looking at me. She's just
staring at Ben.
"See you later, Josh." Ben ignores me too as he says goodbye.
"Right…later." I leave the restaurant from hell, but I don't feel any
better once I'm outside.
It's past midnight when I let myself into my townhouse. I open the
door quietly, not wanting to disturb Ben on the night before he has
an important interview. I walk inside and freeze. Donna is in my
townhouse! Donna is in my townhouse with Ben. They're sitting all
cozy on my couch, drinking my wine, and laughing. Laughing at 12:26
in the morning! What the hell?
"What the hell?!" I demand of them.
"Oh, hey Josh." Ben acknowledges me. `Hey, Josh'? Was he not
expecting me to sleep in my own home?
"Do you two know what time it is?"
"No, Dad, have me missed curfew?" Donna asks smirking.
"As a matter of fact, you have. You-" I say pointing to Donna, "have
to be at work in 6 and ½ hours. And you-" I turn to Ben, "have an
important interview tomorrow. Yet, here you both sit at 12:26 in the
morning, laughing and drinking my wine."
"It's my wine, Josh. We bought a bottle on the way over." he tells me.
"That's not the point!' I tell them.
"What is the point?" Ben asks.
"The point is, that it's 12:26 in the morning and you two should be
in bed!" I yell. Wait…that came out wrong. I try again. "Asleep. You
both should be asleep." Nope that wasn't it either. Once
more. "Separately. You should each be in your own bed, asleep." That
was it. I smile with the victory.
Ben and Donna exchange looks with each other and then look at me
again.
"Have you been drinking, Joshua?" Donna looks at me concerned. "You
know you can't handle much alcohol because of your delicate system."
Ben bursts out laughing; I send him my evil glare.
"I have spent my evening in the Oval Office with the President of the
United States."
"You are a very powerful man." Okay, she is just mocking me now.
"Get your stuff and I'll take you home." I tell her.
"I can take a cab."
"No, you can't, it's too dangerous at this time of night."
"Since when?" she laughs. "How many nights have I taken a cab home
after working this late?"
"Just get your stuff, would you?" I stand right next to her as she
gets up and gets her purse and coat. She pointedly moves past me and
gives Ben a kiss goodnight on his cheek.
"Goodnight, Donna. Thanks for spending your free evening with me."
"Thanks, Ben. I had a wonderful time." she tells him. Wonderful? She
had a wonderful time? What was so wonderful I would like to know. I
give Ben another glare as I walk her out.
What kind of friend is he, anyway?
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