A Friend in Deed Chapter 6:
Thursday night Josh, Ben, Chris, and Sam were all at the Hawk and
Dove indulging in some alcohol and college stories. Sam, Josh was
sure, was taking notes, but he really didn't have the energy to call
him on it.
Ben hadn't had enough to drink to be drunk, but he also didn't think
Josh had noticed that fact. Ben was concerned about his friend who
had been quiet and withdrawn all evening, not even retaliating when
he and Chris had told the most embarrassing stories to Josh's friend
Sam. When there was a lull in the storytelling, Sam changed the
subject.
"Josh said you're in town interviewing. How's it been going?"
"Great. I got a job offer this afternoon."
"That was fast! Where was the offer from?"
"Hogan & Hartson." Ben replied.
Josh's eyebrows met his receding hairline. "Holy Shit, Abrahms!
They're ranked #1 in D.C.! Why the hell would they want you?"
"Thanks buddy, I appreciate your confidence in my abilities."
"Please, you used to cheat off Elizabeth Brolin's papers all the
time."
"Which is why I practice civil litigation instead of tort reform.
Besides, Elizabeth Brolin worked very well in briefs." Ben leered.
"Oh my God. And you haven't been charged with sexual harassment
anywhere before because?"
"Because I have the good sense not to get involved with anyone I work
with."
`Direct hit, my friend.' Josh thought as his mood plummeted even
lower. Even Chris and Sam, who might not have been as informed about
the Josh/Donna dilemma as Ben, got the subtext of that comment.
"Getting involved with someone you work with isn't the kiss of
death." Chris interjected.
"It is in politics." Josh muttered as he finished his third drink.
"Not necessarily." Sam offered. "It would just have to be handled
carefully…" Sam's eyes met Josh's. "Otherwise it could be …bad."
"Disastrous. Catastrophic. Tragic. Ruinous." Josh opined from where
his head was laying on the back of the booth they occupied.
"We need to get him home." Sam suggested to the group at large.
"Yeah, when he starts sounding like a Thesaurus, he's truly toasted.
I'll get us a cab."
"Sam?" Josh called.
"Yeah?"
"It would be disastrous, right?" Josh confirmed with his friend.
"Maybe you could…yeah, it would be disastrous. Sorry." Sam agreed.
"Me too." Josh slowly got to his feet, heading home to sleep off the
drinks.
Chapter 7