I Want You to Want Me
Characters: Josh, Donna, Charlie, Zoey
Pair: Josh and Donna
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't own them, just a fan!
A/N: Title and lyrics belong to Cheap Trick (but I prefer the Letters to Cleo version from 10 Things I Hate About You).
He glanced over at her after Matt and Leo walked off stage. He watched her drain her beer and set it on the table, next to the other two empty bottles. They had been the only ones in the room for awhile. He remembered Will saying something about hiding under the covers on his bed and never coming out but, for the life of him, he couldn't remember what happened to the other people who had been in the room when he had entered.
She sighed and looked over at him.
"Get me out of this room."
"With pleasure" he said as he placed his empty bottle on the table and grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room.
They walked out of the convention center and into the crisp night. Even thought his body clock was telling him that it was very late in DC, it was still relatively early here in California, so there were still tons of people milling around.
He turned and faced her.
"Well, Donnatella, where to?"
An evil grin slide across her face as she cocked her head, raised her eyebrows at bit and crossed her arms across her chest. It took him a minute, but he recognized that look.
"No way."
"Joshua…"
"No way Donna. Not after the last time…"
"Oh come on!"
"No! You laughed at me…"
"I did not!"
"Yes you did. You laughed. I thought I was being smooth and impressive until you laughed at me."
"Josh, I never…"
"LIES! Just admit it."
"OK, fine, I laughed."
"HA!"
"Joshua Lyman, you just kicked my ass tonight and I think I deserve to…"
"Oh sure, pull out that card. You realize you only get to use that excuse a couple of times, tops!"
"Humor me, will you! Besides, I don't expect anything from you tonight. Tonight, it's all me!"
"I don't know Donna. What if someone sees us?"
"So what! I am officially unemployed as of midnight – since that's when my contract expires. And besides, aren't you the boss?"
"Yeah…"
"And don't you set the rules?"
"Well, I like to think of them more as guidelines…"
"Whatever. I don't really the see the issue here, Joshua."
He sighed. He knew he was beaten. "Fine, you win."
"And that's the only time I'll hear that tonight, so…"
Josh looked directly into her eyes and grabbed her hands. "Donna, look, I just wanted…"
She squeezed his hands. "I know, Josh, I know we need to talk, but not tonight. Tonight I just want to enjoy…"
"You really find it enjoyable?"
"Only when it's done right" she said, smirking.
"Oh god. Fine, let's go." He just laughed as she pulled him across the street.
Donna threw open the door and took a deep breath. "Now this is what I'm talking about."
Josh just groaned as Donna pulled him inside.
"Do you really have to get all worked up about this?"
"Josh, when was the last time I go to do this?"
"Dunno."
"The last time you got to do this, unless you've been…"
"Oh, dear God no! When would I have had time and seriously, why would I do this on my own."
"You never know, Joshua."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
"Look, I'm gonna go…"
"Yeah. Tequila?"
"Two please."
Josh walked up the bar and motioned for the bartender. "Two tequila shots and a beer."
The bartender poured the shots and handed the beer to Josh. "You hear for the karoke night?"
"Apparently" Josh sighed as he took a swig of his beer. He turned back around to look for Donna when he came face to face with Charlie and Zoey.
Charlie chuckled. "You're the last person I expected to see here."
"Blame Donna. Her idea."
Zoey looked around and found Donna talking to the DJ. "What's she going to sing?"
"No idea."
"Your not…"
"Hell no. Not after the humiliation of last time. I can't believe I even let CJ and Donna talk me into the last time."
Donna came and joined Josh, Zoey and Charlie. She quickly downed the tequila shots when she heard the DJ call her name.
"That's me. You all enjoy, now" she said, smiling brightly at Josh.
Charlie leaned over as Josh watched her walk toward the small stage. "Hey, Josh, is there something…"
"Does that question ever get old, Charlie?"
"Has anything changed?"
"Not yet."
"Well, then, the question will get old when something changes."
Josh smiled and took a swig of the beer. The three of them heard the drums start.
"Oh, god, I love this song" Zoey cooed.
Josh was about to question Zoey about it when he heard Donna start to sing.
I want you to want me
I need you to need me
I'd love you to love
I'm beggin' you to beg me
You could have knocked Josh over with a feather at this point. Donna had her eyes trained on Josh and she never broke the gaze. He was mesmerized at the way she moved and sang.
I'll shine up the old brown shoes, put on a brand new shirt
I'll get home early from work if you say that you love me
Zoey and Charlie looked at each other and smiled at the reaction Donna was getting out of Josh.
"Hey, Josh…" Zoey whispered in his ear.
"Shut up. I'm concentrating."
Josh about dropped his bottle when she wiggled her hips.
Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin?
Oh didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin?
Feelin' all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dyin'
Josh never once looked away as she sang her way through the song. The entire room erupted into applause. Several men tried to get her attention as she crossed the room, but she didn't even hear or see them, since her sight was still set on Josh. He put his bottle down on the bar and reached out for her when she was finally close enough. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she snaked her hands up his arms and into his hair. Zoey and Charlie took a couple of steps back and watched.
"Donna, you are very good at that. Really, excellent, I would even say."
"Why thank you Joshua."
He gulped as he stared into her eyes.
"What's that song called again?"
She leaned into him and brushed her lips against his ear as she whispered "I want you to want me."
So, here in this bar, surrounded by Charlie, Zoey, 4 Secret Service agents and who knows how many campaign staffers from the Santos, Russell, and Hoynes' campaigns, Josh gave into eight years of denial and misdirection and planted the mother of all kisses on Donna. The kiss quickly moved from perfectly acceptable in public to something that you only see on Cinemax after midnight. Finally, Charlie interrupted when he heard Donna give a loud moan.
They broke apart and looked at Charlie while Zoey laughed.
"Yeah, maybe you two want to take that… anywhere else."
Josh started to dig for his wallet to pay for the drinks when Charlie stopped him.
"I've got it covered. Just get out of here before you give the media something else to put on the front pages tomorrow."
Josh nodded at Charlie and grabbed Donna's hand and pulled her out of the bar. When they were gone, he finally looked back at this girlfriend.
"So, I'm she sang that song…"
"On purpose? Absolutely!" Zoey said.
"Yeah, ok. Bartender!" Charlie yelled as the next singer started in on their song of choice.
THE END