CHAPTER 4
CJ's eyes widen as she sees me coming in her direction. Yeah, you better
hide, babe. I see her look around for a quick distraction, but seeing none,
she lets out a breath and stands there waiting for me.
"Why on EARTH would you tell me that, CJ?" I demand as soon as I'm
within striking distance.
"I thought you should know." She says holding up her hands.
"You only had half the information!"
"That seems to be the case."
"Do you not want me to go out with Josh? Do you think it's a bad idea?" I
ask hesitantly.
"Other than being surprised that ANY woman can put up with him for an
extended period of time…" she immediately falls back to what she calls her
wit, but seeing my death glare cuts herself off. "Okay, yes. He can be very
sweet, I can't deny that." I cross my arms and continue to glare. "He's a
slightly brilliant politician, that's also tough to argue with." I arch a brow at
her. "And he quite obviously delights in every minute in your presence."
"Well okay then. If he's so great, what's wrong with me?" I challenge. Her
eyes grow the size of saucers again.
"Nothing!" she yelps.
"Well, if it's not him, it's got to be me then right?" I demand.
"Wow, you're really good at the spin thing, Donna."
"I learned from the best."
"Thanks."
"I MEANT JOSH!" I shriek.
"Oh… right." She says. "Donna, you are a super smart, beautiful, caring,
FORGIVING woman, who is so much more than a valued friend to me.
You're like another sister."
Okay. That's tough to retaliate against, "Really?" I smile.
"Nobody on the staff can hold a candle to you." She rushes, seeing I'm
letting her out of the penalty box. "And you're my go-to girl on everything.
That's very valuable in a friend!"
"Well, so are you." I reluctantly confess and sweep my hand towards her
before crossing my arms again.
"I'm REALLY sorry. I underestimated what that information would do and
I've vastly underestimated the talent of your mind. It's now glaringly obvious
why, you know, Josh does everything you say."
"You would do well to remember that." I say squinting my eyes and pointing
my finger at her in warning. She nods her head complacently.
During this action, I catch sight of my watch. "Shit! I was supposed to save
Josh five minutes ago."
"What? We're getting ready to go."
"I'll get Josh and Toby from the soy fields."
"Well, what can go wrong with Josh and Toby in the soy fields?" she rolls
her eyes and I smile back and turn away. I wander out to the fields where I
saw them go earlier. I can see them in the distance. Josh is walking with
Cathy, the farmer's daughter, while Toby intermittently waves his arms. I
imagine he's got issues with the President's speech. It was a high blood
pressure day and Toby was banned from the President's line of sight.
Though why he thought coming way out here was the thing to do…
Josh smiles at me when he sees me approach and I can't help but smile
back. What I really want to do is run up to him, throw my arms around his
neck and get another one of those kisses because… damn, sir!
"They're wrapping up. Let's go." I say and turn back around. I idly listen to
Cathy tell Josh about subsidies and the farmer's need for help. Josh tells
her we already lost Indiana. Good one, sweetie. Guess we won't have her
vote!
We weave through the buses and I pick up our pace a bit. But suddenly, I
see something not at all comforting… actually, it's what I DON'T see that is
beginning to instill panic in me.
The motorcade.
It's not where we left it.
"Hold on." I say stopping dead in my tracks.
"What's wrong?" Josh asks.
"Where is it?"
He follows my line of sight and his jaw drops, "Holy shit." He whispers and
turns to a woman passing by to ask where the motorcade is. She points
way off in the distance and we see it driving away.
"Hey!" he yelps and starts jumping up and down trying to… I don't really
know what he thinks that is going to accomplish, but Toby likewise seems
to think it's a good idea and joins in. I'm more practical and pull out my cell
phone trying to flag it down by other means. Come on Charlie… answer
the phone… shit. It's his voice mail. I disconnect from that and try Carol…
then Ginger… since when does everyone shut their freaking phones off in
the motorcade?!
Maybe if it were Josh's number calling…
"Where's your phone?" I ask turning to him. He arches a brow at me, "The
stew."
"Yesss," He hisses and I arch an `Oh no you just did not' brow back at him.
"What stew?" Toby demands.
"The she-devil threw it in stew and he hasn't gotten a new one yet." I drone.
"Your taste in women has drastically improved." Toby says to Josh.
"Give me yours then." I say to Toby holding out my hand.
"It's in the motorcade." Toby says pointing off to the distance.
"WHY!?" Josh shrieks.
"Ginger's got it. She started confiscating it during speeches so I couldn't
call and bitch at her."
The perky little Cathy comes over and promises to give us a ride the
airport in her truck. I look over at Toby and Josh and smile sweetly,
"Shotgun."
I’m not sure exactly what God is punishing me for today, but after having to
watch and listen to Josh and Donna for the past half hour, I’m sure I have
paid for the sin and then some. One thousand yards; it doesn’t sound like
a terribly long ways away, does it? Cathy said the gas station was only
about 1,000 yards away; ten football fields. No problem, right? Well, we
barely get out of the truck we were hitching a ride from that ran out of gas,
I mean bio-diesel, when Donna started asking very pointed questions
about wholesome, blond farm girls. Yes, it got ugly for a while. Josh, with
his fairly good debate skills wormed his way out of that one, but it lasted
long enough to give me a raging headache.
When we finally arrived at the gas station, the ignorant, jackass owner
doesn’t even want us waiting there so we stay outside in the hot sun and
bake until our ride arrives. I only mention this because under any other
circumstances I would have never engaged in a bet with Josh Lyman,
which now requires that I introduce myself to everyone I meet as “I’m Toby
Ziegler; I work at the White House”.
So when this kid from the campaign office pulls up in his jeep, I practically
leap into it to escape.
“I’ve got an extra water bottle, Toby.” Donna offers and after a moment’s
hesitation I take it from her. Donna’s a good kid. What she sees in Josh I’ll
never know. But there they sit in the backseat together, hands wandering
places that I want no knowledge of. I keep my eyes carefully trained on the
road in front of us… until Josh decides to start trouble. He goes on and on
about the new speeches and the change in direction of the campaign.
“You and Bruno and the President are calling audibles!” He complains.
“That's because we're coming to the line and we're seeing a hairdo from
Florida in pass coverage and so that's where we want to put the ball...
What's your concern?” I shoot back and hear Donna sigh.
“I have any number of concerns, not the least of which is we'll lose.”
“I don't think so.” I toss back and I don’t. I think Josh is more concerned
about being out of the loop than a change in strategy.
“When did we decide to make this about being the smartest kid in the
class? What meeting did I miss?” Josh asks. I want to say, ‘Just one where
the President nearly threw me out of the building’ but I restrain myself.
“Tyler, why are we slowing down?” Donna asks from the backseat.
“I just need to pull over for one minute.” He informs us and my eyes narrow
when I see three girls walking with their bikes on the side of the road this
can’t be good.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
No, no, no… this can’t be happening. Tyler is getting into what appears to
be a plea for the attention of the love of his life and she is rejecting him. In
the meantime, we are just minutes away from the airport where Air Force
One is due to take off in 15 minutes. I jump out of the jeep and try to run
interference but then… Josh helps; or thinks he’s helping. One sentence
and he’s gotten into an abortion debate with a few teenage girls. How can
he do that so fast?
Then one of the girls deals us a fatal blow. All times are local - Daylight
saving time. Air Force-One has already left! No wonder I can’t get anyone
to answer their cells; talk about being out of the calling area! I start to
panic but it is NOTHING to the reaction from my guys. I think Tyler is
contemplating just driving away without us when he sees Josh and Toby
having their own individual nutties over missing the plane ride home. I have
to say, I don’t blame him.
“Josh…” I call his name softly… “JOSH!” That got his attention. “Take a
breath and calm yourself. It’s true that we missed the flight back, but that
doesn’t mean we’re stuck in Indiana forever.”
“I can’t TELL you what relief that is.” He snarks. I think he’s blaming me for
the time change thing and that’s hardly fair. If he hadn’t been loitering in
the soybean field with the wholesome, but not too wholesome, farmer’s
daughter we’d never have missed the motorcade to begin with!
“We’re going to get in the jeep, get to the train station and take the train to
a commercial airport where I will then use your gold card to purchase
tickets to fly home.” I explain but he’s still pacing and behind me I can hear
Toby ranting and hitting things with a branch of some kind; but he’s not my
problem right now.
“We’re supposed to be flying back home RIGHT NOW!” Josh explodes.
“I know.” I say calmly, hoping it’s contagious. In case you were wondering?
It’s not.
“We are supposed to be flying home now so we can get through a
horrendous day of meetings before we go back to my place to have what I
was hoping would be an incredible first date!”
Wow. I think of all that’s gone wrong today and contemplate the idea that
what bothered Josh most about all of it is that our date might be cancelled?
I think I’m pretty flattered.
“Josh…”
“What?!”
“We’ll still have our first date.” I promise and his eyebrows go up. “We
might have to have it at a restaurant in the Indianapolis airport, but we’ll
still have our dinner date, okay?”
“Yeah… okay.” He nods and takes a deep breath, “The train station?”
“The train station to the airport and then home.”
“Sure… what could go wrong?” He quips and throws his arm around my
shoulder. He calls to Toby as we pass him. “Toby! Come on or we’re going
to miss the train too.”
“Hey, there’s a great place for food on the way.” Taylor tells us. “We could
get some food to go so you’re not starving on the trip.” He offers and I give
him a smile. I think the kid has a bit of a crush on me since I consoled him
after the disastrous run in with Kiki. Kiki, for God’s sake!
“Sound good.” I tell him and turn to Josh. “You’d better call Sam and farm
your day out to him.”
“He’s supposed to have the day off to catch up on his sleep.” He reminds
me.
”Have you got a better idea?” I throw back and hand him my cell phone so
he can make the call.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
I pass the phone back to her and she gives me a look. “What?”
“Mean school girls?” She repeats, “Alpha girls?”
“You know, Donna, it occurs to me that half the trouble we’ve been having
today is directly related to you listening to conversations that didn’t include
you.” I point out and instantly regret it. “What I mean is, I was just, you
know, talking to Sam. I felt bad about waking him up and asking him to staff
the President so I may have exaggerated a bit. You’re familiar with that
technique, right? Overstating things a bit?” I tease and see her lips twitch.
“I may have some familiarity with that.” She allows and my lips twitch. God, I
love this woman! Whoa! Did I just say that? I don’t think so. Donna’s
expression hasn’t changed and I think it would if I’d said that out loud. But I
did mean it even if I didn’t say it out loud. I’m going to have to add this bit of
information to the plan already forming for our first date. Wait. That might
be a little much for our first date. Second date? Hmmmm… I’ll ask Toby if I
get a chance to speak to him alone… after his face turns from its current
shade of purple to it’s normal shade of red.
“Tyler, food and a train?” I ask and help Donna into the jeep. Really it’s just
an excuse to touch her in public, but what the hell?
“Yes, sir.” He agrees and puts us in motion once Toby drops resignedly
into the front seat.
“I want AIR FORCE ONE!” He shouts to nobody in particular.
“Feel better there buddy?” I ask.
“Marginally. Hey, you’re stranded in Indiana too. Why the hell are you so
damn chipper?”
“I’ve got a date to look forward to this evening… even though we don’t
have a location for it quite yet.” I share a grin with Donna and put my arm
around her shoulder again. She leans into me and it feels so right.
“Have you ever loved someone so much that it hurts? Physically hurts?”
Tyler asks Toby.
“Shut up and drive, kid.” Toby order and leans forward to hold his head in
his hands. We’re going to have to get that man some food and possibly
alcohol of some kind.
CHAPTER 6
I switch seats on the train to sit next to Donna. I'm tired of fighting with
Toby. She looks over at me long enough to give me a weak smile and then
looks back out the window.
Uh-oh.
"What's wrong?" I ask lightly scratching her arm. She turns to me and
arches her brow. "I mean other than the obvious."
"The obvious just about covers it all." She says flatly and then turns to look
out the window again.
"Donna." I say quietly again and wait for her to give me her attention again.
"I know I'm a bit of a basket-case today. It's a very stressful situation and I
know Toby and I aren't handling it well. I'm sorry for that."
"No promise that you two will stop being insufferable? "
"I don't think I can keep that promise today." I confess.
"I don't either." She sighs.
"I'll make it up to you."
This piques her interest. "Really? How?"
"I don't know yet. But I'll think of something."
"Shoes?"
"Well, I was thinking something a little more physical…"
"I feel grimy."
"I wasn't talking about today."
She smiles again and this time it looks like she might actually mean it.
"Do you think that's me?"
"What's you?" I say, completely used to her lightning topic changes by now.
"Wholesome but not too wholesome?"
Shit. I knew she heard that. That's why she was peppering me with all
those questions earlier. She's never even gave an inkling before that she
was paying attention when I've talked about women, at least not a
conversation that's she OVERHEARD. She's had plenty to say on the
subject otherwise.
Oh.
Oops.
I think I can chalk it up to be extremely out of sorts today, traipsing through
the heartland in a Firado suit.
"Do I think you're wholesome but not too wholesome?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know." I say honestly. "My opinion of you has been formed over
four years of friendship and working closely with you. That was just
something I said to tick off Toby. Plus, given the look on your face all day
and the fact that you grew up in a condo, I'm not thinking you're real big on
farms."
"They smell funny." She says wrinkling her nose and it prompts me to lean
forward and kiss her on the end of it, which makes her smile and blush
slightly, which then makes me smile like an idiot because I can't remember
the last time I made a woman blush.
"So, you'd say your opinion of me was favorable then?"
"It's not glaringly obvious that I have a high opinion of you?"
"Well, maybe recent events…"
"Shit." I sigh and run a hand down my face. "Is this still about what CJ said?"
"Well, no… maybe a little…" she shrugs and looks down. "But, like, right
after this your saying that stuff about Cathy…"
See this is where I often get into trouble with Donna. She's very deceiving.
One minute, she's got skin like armor; the next, her heart is on her sleeve.
Actually, her guard is typically down with me and if I'm preoccupied, as I
most certainly am today, I won't notice until it's too late.
"You're so trusting, Donna." I say softly and she looks up at me. I can't take
my eyes off her. "I can't decide if that's something that I wish were different
or… I mean I know I have as big of an influence on you as you have on me,
and so sometimes I think that if any of my personality traits were going to
rub off on you that it would be to be more skeptical of people and their
motives, but then I think that if any of your personality traits were to rub off
on me, it would be that one, to not instantly think the worst of people. I just
hate to see you hurt or disappointed and you're both those things today
and I'm reasonably sure I'm to blame."
"Yeah." She nods with a shrug. "It's hard to deny that. But you're also
making it into maybe the best day of my life."
I grin widely and drop my head against the back of the seat. She picks up
my right hand and links our fingers, turning her body towards me and
drawing her legs up on the seat.
"If we ever find an airport, I promise to buy you a first class ticket home." I
say.
"That sounds nice."
"You deserve it."
"You'll sit with me though, right?"
"Of course, I don't want some rich businessman to think you're available."
"He wouldn't stay interested."
"I beg to differ."
"Once he finds out I'm not some rich heiress, he'll go back to his Scotch."
"If there's one thing you've taught me in four years, Donnatella, it's that
people's worth is not in their bank account or framed on their wall."
"You always know just what to say to me at the right time."
"I have years of saying the wrong thing to give me direction there."
"Would you get mad if I kissed you right now?"
"Believe me when I say that I will NEVER get mad at you for that."
"Even on this train in front of all these people?"
"Even on the floor of Congress."
"What about Toby?"
"He's in the bar car."
"Of course." She smiles.
She looks at me a second and then leans in and kisses me. My head goes
back against the seat as she turns in more towards me and my hand
comes up to her face. It's deeper than it was before, filled with hours of that
giddy feeling of wanting to kiss someone again. YEARS of that giddy
feeling, if I'm truthful here. My hand moves from her soft cheek to her silky
hair and I pull out the clip that's holding it up. It might be more
advantageous to me if I were to devour her neck, which unfortunately I'm
not going to do on this train, so instead I opt for feeling her hair fall over
my hands.
She brings her free hand up and places it gently on my chest. Just that
action alone sends shivers shooting through my body. That's what her
hand touching me through clothes does. I can't fathom what it'll feel like
when she touches bare skin.
<><><><><><> <><><><>< ><><><><> <><><><>< ><>
"I know something you don't know." The President sings as I enter the Oval
Office. Is he kidding me?
"Dare I ask what?" I groan.
"It's about Josh and Donna."
"Tell me the three of them are on an airplane right now bound for DC." I
mean, the greatest minds in the country getting left behind by the
motorcade. The three of them don't own a watch?
"No. Last I heard they were buying a house."
"Then what's with the song and dance?"
"When they finally get back here, they're going on a date."
My eyes widen and my jaw drops. "No."
"Yes."
"No, tell me you're joking."
"I am not."
"This is very bad timing, sir."
"Please." He scoffs waving his hand at me. "You don't think this is great?
They're very excited."
"I think it was inevitable. I'd be much happier if it happened after the
election."
"Josh Lyman going out on a date is not going to cost me the election. Do
you know what's costing me the election today? Rolling pins and my wife,
according to Bruno. I've got big problems today, my friend, not the least of
which is Charlie's freaky Mayor of Shantytown right outside the door."
"Well, it's worse than that actually, Nancy and Fitz need to see you."
"Those are the seven worst words I can hear in a day." He shakes a finger
at me.
"She's calling him Admiral Sissy-Mary."
He rolls his eyes and follows me out of the Oval Office. "Now this thing with
Josh and Donna is the best part of my day."
"You don't think it's a little funny that they got left behind by the
motorcade?"
"I think it's even funnier that they're stuck with Toby."
"I'd kill for a video camera." I chuckle.
"Don't worry about Josh and Donna. It's going to be okay."
"You're a hopeless romantic."
"One of us needs to be."
"Uh-huh."
I am happy for them. I am. But I'd be a lot happier for them if they waited
until after the election.
CHAPTER 7
“I’m now ordering you to tell me why you were fired.”
“I’d really prefer another topic.”
“Such as?” I ask.
“Well, you’re the President of the United States. I’d imagine there are a
number of subjects on your mind right now.”
“At present, aside from the drop in the stock market, I’m trying to figure out
the political implications of my Deputy Chief of Staff taking his senior
assistant out on a date.”
“Okay, I was thinking something a little more big-picture, but…”
“My Chief of Staff thinks it’s going to cause trouble in the middle of a re-
election campaign.” I fill her in a bit, because talking to this woman is the
most fun I’ve had all day and just because she’s completely wrong to fill
Mrs. Landingham’s shoes doesn’t mean she isn’t a good conversationalist.
“I don’t understand, sir. I know Josh Lyman is single, is the woman involved
married?” She looks confused.
“No! Do you think I wouldn’t have a problem with it myself if one of them
were married?”
“I have no idea, sir. I was just asking. Why would anyone have a problem
with two single adults going out on a date?” Debbie asks me.
“Leo seems to think that it would look bad, Josh being her boss and all…”
“Leo’s a prude, Mr. President.” Debbie waves away his concern. “Josh is a
good man; one of the good guys around here.”
“That’s what I think!” I agree. “And you should see the two of them
together. It’s like they were made for each other. Josh hired her during our
campaign in New Hampshire, when she was in a bad place in her life. After
Josh was shot… Donna single handedly brought him back from the brink of
all that.”
“Sounds like a match made in heaven.” Debbie comments.
“Yeah… yeah, it does.” I nod. “They’ve each been slaving away for years;
first to get me elected, then to help me Govern, and now to help me get re-
elected. They’ve finally figured out what’s been right in front of them all
along and, as you say, they’re two single adults. Why shouldn’t they have
the opportunity to find happiness together that every other adult in this
county has the opportunity to find just because they work for me in this
building?”
“I can’t think of a reason, sir.”
“This whole thing…” I wave my arm in the air to encompass the Oval office.
“The re-election, the Governing… sometimes it becomes the be all, end all
and we miss life’s little moments. Josh and Donna, amid all the rest of this
nonsense have found a moment.”
“Absolutely,” Debbie shrugs like all this is self-evident, but obviously it isn’t.
Because if it was, one of the brilliant thinkers employed here would have
come up with it years ago. We’re talking years people! Anyway, now that
we’ve bonded, I think I’ve lulled her into a false sense of complacency.
“Then why were you fired?”
“Nice try, Mr. President.”
“I know you know I’m the President because you’ve used the title several
times. So why do you ignore my direct order to tell you why you were fired?”
“I really can’t help you with that, sir, but if you want help with the
Josh/Donna situation, I’ve got your back.” She tells me conspiratorially.
“Okay, I think we’re done.” I stand up and effectively end the interview.
“Okay, but let’s do this again from time to time.” She smiles sincerely and I
have to smile back even though she’s exasperating. She and Sam cross
paths as she leaves and he enters.
“Was she funny?” He asks me.
“She was insane!” I reply. “I’ll tell you one thing though; she agrees with me
about Josh and Donna.”
“What about Josh and Donna?”
“That the two of them going out on a date is no big deal.”
“It’s a very big deal to them.” He qualifies. Sometimes, Sam can be such
a… lawyer.
“Yes, to them it’s a big deal.” I agree. “But outside of our little family here,
nobody is going to give a damn, right? Leo keeps spouting off about
waiting until after re-election but Debbie and I think…” I stop midsentence
as I realize what I’m saying. “Sam… call the gate, Have security stop
Debbie at the gate.”
Sam picks up the phone to comply while I go after her at a half run. I’ve just
found my new assistant.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Hi, We need a room please.” I tell the desk clerk while we drip all over the
lobby. We’ve just run three blocks to the airport hotel in pouring rain and
we are; each of us, soaked.
“Two rooms?” He replies.
“No, we just need one room for what did we say? A half hour?” I ask the
guys. The man behind the front desk gives me an odd look. What the hell?
Sure, the three of us are dripping wet and we have no luggage so we can’t
even change into some dry clothing and… Oh, God! What a pervert! He
sees the three of us, with no luggage, asking for one room for a half hour
and just assumes…?! Well, okay, when you put it that way it does look
pretty bad. Fortunately, Josh jumps in... I don’t get to say that very often.
“No!” Josh moves next to me shaking his head. “We’re just looking for
someplace to dry off and watch the news for a little bit because our flight
was delayed.” He must make the right impression, because the clerk nods,
takes the credit card I held out for him and promises to see what he can do.
Tears start to pool in my eyes and that seems to alarm Josh.
“Hey, hey…stop that. It’s okay.” He rubs my arm and speaks in a low tone.
“It’s not okay, we’re far from home, soaking wet, and that hotel guy thinks
I’m some kind of hooker!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not dressed anything like a hooker.”
“Joshua!”
“I’m just saying…”
“I might as well not be wearing…I mean with everything soaked, it must be
mostly see through.” I pull my suit jacket tighter around me.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Damn, she’s right.
“I’m going to take care of that right now.” I decide.
“How?” She looks at me skeptically and I look around me for inspiration.
Low and behold it strikes! Hotel gift-shop.
“I’ll be right back.” I tell her and leave her with Toby while I run across the
lobby. It costs me an arm and a leg, they ALWAYS rip you off at hotels, but
I find a lovely Indiana State University sweatshirt. I run back with my proud
purchase to find Toby and Donna staring at the TV set in the lobby; this
can’t be good.
“What happened?” I ask.
“Pipe bomb at Kennison state.” Toby tells me when Donna just shakes her
head and lays it on my shoulder with her eyes closed. “Forty-four people
dead, another 100 wounded.”
“My kingdom for a cell phone.” I mutter in exasperation.
“We couldn’t do anything anyway.” Toby replies.
“Miss Moss?” The clerk calls to us. “I have a room for you… all.”
“Let’s go upstairs.” I nudge Donna. “You can take a hot shower and
change into the lovely clothing I bought for you.”
Toby retrieves the key from the clerk and we all walk slowly and silently
upstairs. Toby opens the door and I hand Donna the sweatshirt while I pull
her toward the bathroom. “Forget the shower, take a bath. It looks like we
may be stuck here awhile anyway.”
“I’ll just take a quick shower. I’m saving a long, hot bath for when we get
home.” She tells me and rubs her hands down my arms. “Thanks.”
Oh. My. God.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“What, are you calling China?” I ask him. I think the man is physically
incapable of sitting still.
“No, I’m using my credit card to make a long distance phone call.” He
spouts back at me. “We are without cell phones right now, remember?”
“Who the hell are you calling?” I demand.
“Danny.”
“Danny? Danny Concannon?” He nods at me. “What the hell for?”
“Because I have a cunning mind and while I have been trapped on the trip
from hell, it has been hatching a plan… a plan to repay CJ for her
interference earlier.” Oh, man…
“I think she might be pretty busy, right now.” I indicate the television where
she’s currently answering questions about the bombing.
“Not now…” He rolls his eyes at me. “Obviously she’s got other stuff now.
But in a day or so, when things calm down and the press corps is more
interested in a diversion…” He grins this grin that makes me very nervous.
“She’ll never even be expecting it since she did this whole, ‘I’m so sorry
Donna’ routine and she’ll think Donna pulled me back into line and then…”
“Stop.” I request softly. “I’m begging you. Just stop.”
He shrugs and has his little tete-a-tete with Danny, which I totally ignore. I
want plausible deniability. Then he makes another call and hangs up
rather abruptly. “We’re delayed another two hours.”
Donna chooses that moment to come out of the bathroom in an oversize
sweatshirt and damp pants, looking like a bedraggled cat. Josh motions to
her and she walks immediately over to where he’s lying on the bed and
curls up next to him. He puts his arm around her and they both close their
eyes and appear to sleep. Did I just say that man never sits still? I guess I
was wrong.
CHAPTER 8
Toby and Max Kelly are engrossed in conversation. Each seems more
intrigued by the other. Toby, because he can utterly not relate to Max's
problems on any level; and Max because... well, Toby works for the
President.
I drain my beer and stretch. "Is the kitchen still open?" I ask the bartender.
"Yes, sir."
"I need to put in an order for a large plate of French fries." Maybe salty
comfort food will get me out of the doghouse with Donna. I'm the rookie
batter who finally gets on the roster and manages to strike out in the on
deck box. I think this day would have gone very differently had I not been
stuck with Toby... and stranded in Indiana.
But on the other hand, as stressful as this day has been, I've enjoyed it as
well. The stolen moments with Donna have made it all worth it... that is if
she ever forgives me. I could care less whether or not she forgives Toby.
"When the fries are done, can you send them over to our table with
another one of these?" I request holding up my pint glass.
"Will do." The bartender nods.
I slide off the stool, leaving Toby and Max Kelly to their conversation and
turn to our table. Donna's got her head down on her arms and her eyes
closed. I walk up behind her and slide my hands to her shoulders and start
kneading into the muscles there. She groans and tips her head forward in
permission to continue, so I hook my foot around the chair next to her,
slide it over and get comfortable.
"I don't know how many times in one day I can really expect to you accept
my apology." I say lightly.
"You'd be surprised." She says with another groan as I move down her
back. She turns her head back out and lays it on her forearms again. "It's
getting late." She says and we still have to get from here to D.C.
My hands still a moment as I catch on to what she's saying. I can't blame
her. "Yeah." I sigh.
Shit.
"But we're staying over in Boston tomorrow night." She offers hopefully.
"I'm still disappointed. "
"I know."
I continue massaging her shoulders and back for a little while until she
sighs in contentment and sits up. She drops her head back and looks at
me upside down. "You have very talented hands." She smiles.
"She says as she cancels our date." I reply with a smirk.
"Postpones until tomorrow." She frowns turning around. "Josh, it's 11
o'clock now and we're in Chicago. I want to actually, you know, be able to
spend time with you and not yawn the whole time."
I link my hand with hers and kiss her forehead. "I've been spending time
with you all day and it's been incredible." She smiles widely. I love it when I
put that smile on her face. I glance over to the empty dance floor and back
at her. "Dance with me?"
"Oh yes." She smiles standing up.
There's a half wall that has the jukebox on the other side of it and it
provides the perfect obstruction from the watchful eyes of the six other
people in this place. I wrap my arms around her waist and she drops her
head down onto my shoulder... exactly NOT how we're allowed to dance at
all the formal events.
We move slowly around our corner of the dance floor and she smiles
contently with her eyes close. I could stay like this forever, I really could.
Not including the night I got shot, because really that's in a league all its
own, this is probably the most surreal day of my life. I was literally backed
into a corner and pressured to finally do the one thing I've been dying to
do for four years and damned if I don't feel like a completely different man
for it. The difference between merely dancing with Donna and the innocent
flirting throughout the day and anything I had with Amy or Mandy, or even
Joey, who never got past the flirty stage, is like night and day.
There's no denying I was attracted to Donna's three most recent
predecessors, but I didn't go into any of those relationships, or lack thereof
in Joey's case, with a pre-existing emotional attachment. When Donna's
not around me, I feel like I'm missing a limb, she's that integral to my daily
life.
Sometimes, I just can't believe my friends/co-workers. Of all people, I would
expect Toby to be the one to flip out about Donna and me and give me shit
about it. He's the one in charge of image and message, and yet he's said
basically nothing negative about it all day. In fact, he even goaded me on
with Bruno. But CJ, who I would have expected to be a little more
supportive, pulled that bet crap with Donna. And I don't care what Toby
says, I'm not done with Claudia Jean, even if I have to employ Charlie's
help.
"Do you think we can dance this way at the next White House function?"
she asks in a sleepy voice. I might be the only thing keeping her upright at
the moment.
"Let's save it for the Inauguration. " I reply. I could give a shit about image
problems after the election.
"I can't believe you just said that." she chuckles against my shoulder.
"Toby would kill you if he heard that. YOU would kill someone if you heard
that."
"I'm having an off day." I shrug.
"I'll say!"
I see the bartender bring our French fries and beer over to the table and I
nod at him. "I have a surprise for you." I say against her ear.
"More surprises?" She picks her head up and looks at me. I nod and lead
her back to the table, sweeping my hand across the fries.
"You got me fries." She sighs happily plopping down in front of the big
plate.
"I thought you could use the comfort."
"You're doing a pretty good job without it, but it was very thoughtful. Only
one beer?"
"In all seriousness, Donna, what's the point of two?"
"This is why I love you so much." She says. I freeze up and her eyes widen
in horror at what she just revealed, but I'll be damned if I give her the
opportunity to walk it back so I kiss her soundly for it.
"It's been that kind of day, Donnatella." I laugh. "And I never thought I'd tell
you that I loved you in a hotel bar drenched in sweat, road grime, possibly
bugs from the Jeep and rain, but irresistible opportunities have been
presenting themselves all day."
She smiles radiantly as she dives into her fries. I, myself, sit back and
marvel how watching her delightfully devour a plate of French fries and
sharing a beer with her can make me so damn happy.