Donna POV
Amy and the First Lady are crowing over how they put one over on Josh and I sit there wondering how they can possibly think this is a good thing. When they start calling him a jackass, it becomes too much for me and I forget protocol.
"Why is it that it's a great and wonderful thing when you are doing it to a man, but if a man had done the same thing to a woman you'd flay him alive?"
Both of them look at me with surprise.
"Excuse me? What do you know about it; you're just a secretary."
"I'm really not, Amy. I'm senior assistant to the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, and I actually think that I know a lot more about this particular subject than either of you do."
"Yeah right, you don't know anything about politics, all you do is answer J's phone and make his appointments."
At this, both the First Lady and CJ start protesting, but I cut in since I really don't need anybody defending me.
"That's not even close to all I do. I do all of Josh's research of him; do you really think he has the time, patience or skill set to do that, Josh Lyman, are you kidding me?"
"That may be true, but I still don't think that you know anything about this."
"Actually, I do; I'm the one who researched all the potential people for the positions on the campaign staff. I'm the one who cut the list down to five names out of which Josh has chosen two; and none of the five I gave him were women, by the way."
CJ and Dr. Bartlet both look shocked at the whole thing, but neither of them tries to interfere.
"Ha, you probably just hope that one of them will be interested in you so you can get yourself an influential man, not that you'd ever be able to hold on to one if you actually got him."
I think Amy has actually forgotten the company she is in at the moment because she looks positively dumbfounded when both Abbey and CJ almost fall off the couches to admonish her for that particular nasty remark. Me? I'm not even surprised, but I am pissed.
"You know what, Amy? I have never, not even once, said yes to all the congressmen, senators and top aides who have asked me out over the years because I know that most of them would try to get to Josh through me, whether they actually liked me or not, and there is no way I would ever do that to him."
That was a direct hit at Amy, who I know is using Josh to get her own agenda through and I really detest her for that; he deserves so much better from his girlfriend. I can tell by the look on her face that Amy knows it was for her too, and CJ has a hard time suppressing the smile on her face. Amy, on the other hand, looked like I slapped her and was just about to retort when Abbey spoke up.
"You are right, Donna. If a man had done that to a woman, we would have roasted him over an open fire. I think I should probably apologize to Josh. I knew that he had most likely had you help him with the research, that he doesn't have a problem with women in positions of power and that he was hired because he is very good at his job; he is just so annoying sometimes that I forget that."
"Trust me, ma'am, I know how annoying Josh can be, I don't think anybody knows that better than me; I just try to never undermine him in front of others when he annoys me, I just check his ego a little."
I smiled at the First Lady and she smiled back. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Amy was fuming, but I really couldn't care less.
"I'm sorry if I was disrespectful before; I just don't understand this joy people take in putting him down."
Abbey waves my apology away and I get up to go back to the party; I don't really feel like spending more time with Amy if I don't have to.
"Excuse me, ma'am, I think I'll go back to the party now that I'm finally allowed in."
"Sure, Donna, I'll go with you, apologize to Josh now. I think Jed might also have a couple of farm animals soon if I don't get down there."
CJ and Amy have no other choice but to go with us, it's not like they can stay in the residence without Dr. Bartlet.
We go down and all stand together when Josh comes over. He is just about to say something to Amy when the First Lady beats him to the punch.
"I'm sorry about before, Josh; I shouldn't have undermined you like that. I know that you are good at your job and if there were no women on the list, it was probably because there were no qualified women available."
Josh looks absolutely gum smacked and then he smiles.
"Thank you so much, ma'am, for acknowledging that."
"Don't worry about it, you can thank Donna, she's the one who made me realize that I would have been pissed if the shoe had been on the other foot and someone had done to a woman what I did to you."
I blush when Josh gives me his big dimpled smile and I duck my head a little to try and hide it. Josh turns to Amy then and can see that she is not a happy camper and that she most definitely doesn't share Mrs. Bartlet's sentiment.
He looks down and sighs and then he just turns away from her and asks me to dance. I happily agree and as we leave, I see the murderous look on Amy's face, but that really doesn't mean that much to me; I have a feeling that after tonight there will be no more Amy in either mine or Josh's lives.