Chapter 2
Donna had come into the bar to get drunk. She’d told the barman outright that she wanted something that would make her head spin. The concoction that had been presented to her looked like a fruit basket on speed.She’d eyed it suspiciously.
What’s in it?
Do you want your head to spin?
Yes.
Then don’t ask.Whatever it was, it was sweet, it was fruity, it was full of alcohol… and she just couldn’t face it. She’d been contemplating getting up and heading back to her room when Josh had turned up at her table.
Donna couldn’t be mad at Josh. Well… she could – and she had been on any number of occasions, but she could never stay that way.
This, right here, was a perfect example of why. Sitting in front of her was a fully grown man whose expression could only be described as being like that of a little boy who’d just been scolded.
His forehead was wrinkled, his wonderfully deep brown eyes pleading with her to make it right. His eyes got to her every time. For all he hid, for all he blustered, his eyes would give him away. If you looked closely enough, everything was there – everything he couldn’t or wouldn’t say. She had never really believed the old adage that the eyes were the windows to the soul – until she met Josh Lyman.
In his eyes she could see everything; every hurt he had endured, every success, every failure. And yet, for all that, there was always one tiny part that had remained guarded, tense. Sometimes, on those rare occasions she had caught him watching her, she’d thought, for the briefest of instants… that she’d seen a flicker of… something. But then the walls would snap back into place and she would be left with memories… and yearnings…
For the better part of six years Donna had toyed with the idea that those glances meant something more than friendship. In the early days, when she’d been prepared to admit to herself that she had a huge crush on her boss, Donna had had her fantasies of Josh professing his love in the most outrageous situations. In her mind’s eye he had done so in every imaginable situation – some had been very touching – others down right screamingly funny.
But any chance they may have had of becoming... more to each other had been abruptly swept aside with the arrival of Amy Gardner. So Donna had started to resign herself to the fact that her relationship with Josh was destined to be nothing more than friendship, Amy and Josh had broken up and Donna found reason to hope again. But then it was time to focus on the election and with everyone running full throttle towards it there was little time for anything else.
When Jack had come on the scene Donna had tried to push her thoughts of Josh to the side. And when that relationship had fallen apart, Donna found herself watching – longing – for those little glances again. But then Amy had come back for a second bite of the apple. This time Donna was convinced that she was destined to be nothing more than a friend to Josh Lyman. Then, she had gone to Gaza and everything changed.
She had gone on the CODEL because Josh had offered; she had slept with Colin, because he had offered. But when she had woken in that hospital room in Germany, it wasn’t Colin she wanted to see. And she hadn’t been disappointed. She had opened her eyes and the first thing she had seen was Josh’s careworn, stubbly face. She’d learned later that he’d dropped everything, left the White House without so much as a change of clothes and boarded the first flight he could get to Germany. He had come to her. Through the grogginess induced by the pain killers she had seen him, his face, his eyes, brimming with concern, and yes, again she thought something more.
When she had returned to the States, Donna had hoped something would change. He had been so… ‘not-Josh’ in Landestuhl. She had allowed herself to hope again… only to find everything falling into the same old patterns. Finally, Donna couldn’t stand the situation any more. It hurt too much. She was ready to move forward and Josh seemed to be determined to preserve the status quo – so she’d decided she needed a break. That was probably the closest she had ever come to hating Joshua Lyman. And she would never do it again.
Their road to recovery had been bumpy for sure. The fact that he refused to hire her the first day she had gone to see him still stung a little – even though she was pretty sure she understood his reasons. Once the anger and hurt had disappeared she could look at things objectively. Three days after the convention, the nominee’s manager hires the face of the Russell campaign – he couldn’t have hired her even if he had wanted to. And she had gotten the feeling he had…
But now they were together again – the same, but different. And as of this morning… very different. The first kiss had been a surprise; the second had turned her legs to jelly. She was glad he had held on to her because she didn’t think her knees could have taken much more. It seemed he was finally ready to take the next step which was why she had given him the key – and yet he had turned down her invitation. Had she been too pushy?
And now, an hour later, here he was, sitting in front of her wearing his best hangdog expression, words tumbling out his mouth as he tried to tell her how he felt, and how he was so afraid that he had screwed things up even before they had begun. He wasn’t shunning her, he wasn’t backing away now, he was here and he was very real.
As the story of the classic “missed it by that much” Maxwell Smart moment with the key came to light, Donna couldn’t help but see the funny. It was classic Josh.She smiled.
“So – did you end up sending Vinick the big German nurse?”
Josh’s dimples appeared as he grinned boyishly.
“Nah… thought about it.” He paused, mischief twinkling in his eyes. “But I did send the vapor rub, and some Cod Liver Oil”
“Josh!” Donna gasped. “You didn’t!”
“Hey – he’s not going to know who sent it!”
“I think Bruno will have a pretty good idea!” She sighed. “You’re a bad man!”
“Well, y’know!” He shrugged, his grin growing wider.
“So. Where to from here?” she asked as a waiter brought over the drink Josh had ordered.
“I was talking to the Congressman on the way over. We may be tied nationally, but I’m still not confident with the numbers that are coming out of California, Arizona, and Oregon. We still need to get him and Leo out there, ride the wave while we have the momentum.”
Donna nodded. “Did you get a chance to talk to Leo about his meeting with the President?”
Josh shook his head as he sipped his drink. “Not yet.” He paused and looked over towards the piano on the riser. “Was it just me, or was it a little weird there today? CJ and Will kept giving me the strangest looks”
Donna half snorted back down the straw of her drink, causing it to bubble and froth like a cauldron.
“Really?” she squeaked, hoping Josh didn’t notice she was starting to blush.
Josh squinted at her. “Did you see either of them today?” He left the question hanging in the air.
Donna was looking for a convenient out and breathed a sigh of relief as the Congressman, Helen, Leo and Annabeth came into the lounge.
“So this is where you’re hiding!” Santos called heartily over the music, as he crossed the dance floor. Reaching their table he held out his hand to Josh. “You did great. Both of you. I know I don’t say it enough, but thank you.” He looked down at the drinks on the table in front of them. “So what are we drinking?” Helen grabbed her husband by the elbow and started to pull him away.
“Matt, they were enjoying a quiet drink.” she commented pointedly. “I think it’s time we did the same!” The emphasis on the we was unmistakable. “We’ll leave you alone.”
Josh made a move to get up, “But… didn’t you want to go over…” he was cut short by a look from Helen.
“We’ll be over there! You will stay right here. I’m declaring this a Politics Free Zone for the next….” she looked at her watch, “five hours. I’ve had it up to here with graphs, and charts and electoral math – I don’t think I’m ever going to look at a map of the United States the same way again – and I need a break. So no more politics until dawn!”
Donna watched as the Congressman rolled his eyes whilst allowing his wife to lead him away.
“Think we should do as she says?” Josh grinned at Leo and Annabeth, who had remained behind.
“I heard that!” Helen called back to them.
“How did she….?” Josh half squeaked
“Mother of two, Josh… mother of two! Superman doesn’t have ears that good.” The Congressman sighed as his wife playfully swatted his arm.
Leo chuckled and sat down at the opposite edge of the booth.
“How is he?” Josh asked, suddenly serious.
“The President?” Leo replied.
“Yeah, well I only got to talk to him for a moment this morning, and that was just to have my ass handed to me on a plate.”
“Josh, you worked in the place for six years. You should have known better.”
“Yeah well,” he grinned, “I didn’t learn much then, did I?”
“Apparently not.” Leo replied dryly
“So anyway.. how…?”
“He was good. He’s got this whole China/Kazakhstan thing happening, but he seemed fine.”
Donna listened contentedly as Josh and Leo discussed random aspects of the campaign, keeping their voices low so not to incur the wrath of Helen Santos. She smiled as they went back and forth about math and maps and what should be done from here and what Leo had done the first time round. Glancing up, Donna’s eye was caught by a movement near the stage, and she saw Annabeth sit down next to the pianist. The young musician finished his number and started talking quietly to Annabeth while playing a random collection of chords and riffs whilst he decided what to play next.
As she watched surprised, he swung the arm of the microphone stand arm across to Annabeth. She wasn’t – was she?”
Apparently, she was.
“Good night my someone; Good night my love.
Sleep tight my someone; sleep tight my love.”Her voice was remarkably good. It took the others a few seconds to realize just who was singing, and Donna watched in amusement as both Josh and Leo stopped mid sentence, mouths hanging open. They looked at each other, at Donna and finally at Annabeth who was clearly enjoying herself up on the piano bench seat. All three of them looked over to where the Congressman and Helen were sitting to see that apparently this had come as a surprise to them too.
Leo was the first to recover the power of speech. “Did you know she could sing like that?”
Josh frowned. “With that speaking voice?”
Leo looked shell shocked. “I mean, I’ve heard her humming occasionally, and she sounded OK. But this?”
“Yeah,” was all Josh could manage in response.
The five of them sat mesmerized, as Annabeth continued to sing, applauding enthusiastically when she’d finished.
“Excuse me,” Leo said as he got up and went over to join her.
“Wow, that was… unexpected.” Josh sighed as he slumped back into the seat.
“But nice, don’t you think?”
“Yeah,” he grinned as he looked over towards the piano where Annabeth was now speaking to Leo. “Very nice.” Josh scooted closer to Donna in the booth and gently draped his arm around her shoulders
As she snuggled into his side she smiled. Yes, it was.