And yes, I realise there's basically no plot.
~Beth/ladymacb29@yahoo.com
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Charlie, aren't you joining us?" asked the President as he was walking into the room.
"No sir, I have a date," Charlie replied, glancing at his watch nervously.
"Then have my daugher in by midnight, all right... 2 in the morning," came the reply.
"Yes, sir." Charlie took a quick glance at the poker players entering the room and left.
The rest of the White House senior staff started trickling into the room. Sam brought the cards, with plain backings this time instead of the almost-risque ones he had with him the time before. Leo came in with his hands full of the chips.
"You know, I've always loved how patriotic poker chips are with the red, white and blue," Jed commented.
"Where's the food?" Toby asked as he came in. "I was told there'd be food here, that's why I came."
"The food will be here soon. I ordered a pizza. No anchovies this time," he replied, the last comment directed towards CJ who made a grimace.
"I swear, those things were a little old. We're lucky we all didn't end up with food poisoning," she replied as she set down some beer and cans of pop next to the table.
"Well, Presidential order: no more anchovies on pizza when ordering from Paco's."
Just then Charlie returned, his arms full of pizza boxes.
"Food!" exclaimed Toby as he went to help Charlie open the boxes.
"Didn't you eat today, Toby? I swear I saw you with a salad at about 5," Leo remarked, wondering how the Director of Communications got so hungry.
"Yeah, I had a salad. I thought I should go on a diet, so I ate a salad. But now I realied that I can't go through life only eating lettuce. Ah ha! The cheese pizza. And I was beginning to think only pepperoni was ordered."
"Are you going to deal or just sit there shuffling cards all night?" CJ asked Sam.
"I was waiting until everyone had their pizza. Pizza sauce has a tendancy to..well, get the cards dirty," Sam replied.
"Since when do you care about cleanliness?" Josh questioned.
"You in a hurry, CJ?" Jed asked.
"No, I just want to win back the money I lost last time," came her reply.
"All right, Sam: deal. Toby: get a napkin so you don't dirty Sam's cards." Jed wanted to play cards for the same reason as CJ - Josh and Leo had cleaned everyone out the last game.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Leo, maybe we shouldn't let you play with us anymore. Or maybe I'll just give everyone else a raise to make up for what they've lost," the President said after Leo had cleaned up yet another hand.
"Are there anymore cold beers?" Josh asked.
"Don't you have a sensitive stomach?" Sam replied, grinning.
"Who told you? Donna?"
"No, a little bird flew into my ear..."
"Josh, CJ had the last beer about an hour ago," Toby replied.
"I do not have a sensitive stomach!" Josh replied indignantly.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"So, has anyone else caught a certain senior staff member grabbing a certain red-headed reporter in the halls recently?" Jed asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about," came CJ's reply as she was shuffling the deck.
"Aw, be nice to her. Her birthday's coming up," Leo said as he came to CJ's defense.
"Thank you, Leo." She wondered why all of a sudden Leo was being nice to her about Danny.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Did you know that you can feed 24 people with an ostrich egg?" Another random fact burst forth from the President's lips.
"24. Wow," Sam said.
"Imagine how many hungry third-world kids you could feed on that," Toby mused.
"That's an idea, instead of sending them vegetables and stuff, send them ostrich eggs," Leo replied.
"But we don't have many ostriches in our country."
"So we bring them over from wherever they are and get the eggs."
"Imagine how big the egg cartons for them would have to be..." Sam thought out-loud.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"What time is it?"
"Almost 2."
"Zoey should be getting home soon."
"So should we," came an answer from one of the staffers.
"Aw, come on. I thought we were having fun! You know how much I like my crew to have a little 'outside the office' time together!"
"I'd stay, Mr. President, but I have a certain speech to finish writing before 5 this evening for a certain Head of State," replied Toby.
"Well, I guess I can let you off the hook. But I expect to eventually win back what I lost this time and the last time from you, Leo."
The group stood up, some of them stretching after having sat for so long. One by one they trickled out the door..
CJ walked up to Leo in the hall as they were walking out.
"What was that in there?"
"What was what?" asked Leo.
"About me and Danny. Coming to my defense. I didn't expect it, but thank you."
"Let's just say I had an epiphany. You're an adult and as long as you remember who you are and who he is, there shouldn't be a problem."
With that, he walked off leaving a bewildered CJ standing in the middle of a darkened hall.