Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The West Wing and its characters are the property of Aaron Sorkin, Warner Brothers, and NBC. No Copyright Infringement is intended
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Bar Stories
Aka --Puppy Dog eyes and a pit bulls' bite.
--
The name Danny Concannon was never the name that sent the girls swooning, but he was still a confident man. Perhaps it was the hardware on his mantel, or his age in life, but Danny knew he could converse with the best of them and capture the girl's heart. It couldn't hurt to have puppy dog eyes and the determination of a pit bull, not to mention he wasn't a bad kisser. Now that was what made the girls swoon.
Of course it had been five years since Danny had really used his wooing skills or even felt the urge to put on the charm. Mostly it was used, if at all, when out with friends, or drinking with Josh, where Danny, pushed by a certain Mr. Lyman, would approach a woman at the bar. He would walk up, cocky, smiling back at Josh as if to say "watch this," and soon find a drink thrown in his face followed by a loud and friendly "oww," in the general direction of a crowd of men led by Josh and his cronies.
This was different.
--
"You're stuck on CJ!" Josh yelled in the crowed bar, only a face distance in front of Danny.
"I'm not still stuck on CJ!" Danny yelled back in great defense and umbrage, gesturing with his drink and leaning in.
"Yes, you are. I see it in your eyes. Ever since you got back." Josh was screaming so much one wondered if he could even hear himself. "You got to get over this, man!" Josh leaned in, yelling over the crowd again. "I hate to say it Danny, but it ain't gonna happen!"
"I'm OVER her!"
"Not by my estimation." Josh smirked, looking to the side before taking a swig of his beer. Danny shook his head and took a swig of his own beer trying to find the words to speak.
"Haaa…well, you're wrong."
"I don't think so"
"Yeah….well…." He looked away and took a swing of his beer. Doing the same, Josh surveyed the bar, seeming to catch something.
"Prove it." Josh spoke into Danny's ear.
"What?" He turned his head toward Josh with a tilt.
"Prove it!" He yelled to be heard. "Over there." Josh pointed toward the bar. "The blonde! Buy her a drink. Use the Concannon charm."
"Just go up to her and hit on her."
"Yeah!" Josh held a big grin.
"She's got to be 28."
"Soooo."
"I'm NOT!"
"I say a crisp fifty dollar bill says you don't have the guts to go up to her."
"Yeah, this isn't like the last bet you made with me?" Danny sounded suspicious.
"You didn't win!" Josh spoke, as if they had had this argument before.
"I won. And I'm still waitin' on that---"
"—You didn't---she threw a drink in your face—"
"--Yeah, well…."
"Unless you're scared—"
"I am n—"
"She's waiting---all beautiful—"
"I'm not scared---"
"--just sitting there, waitin' for a certain…..red-headed Irish reporter from the Post to buy her a drink—
"How do you know she's not waiting for a dark-haired Jewish guy to buy her a drink?"
"Cause we know these kinds of things." Josh smirked. "Go."
"Okay?" Danny smiled and smirked and walked toward the bar, looking back at Josh one last time with a smile and an eyelift.
"What's going on?" Charlie asked, approaching from the crowd, holding a drink, as Josh looked on.
"Danny's becoming a man." Josh took a swig of his beer, watching on and Charlie soon did the same.
Toby walked by with a cigar in his mouth and a scotch in his hand.
"Toby! Toby!" Josh grabbed Toby by the neck and pulled him close. "You got to see this." Toby, Charlie, and Josh watched Danny sit down and look over at the men as a few other people from work crowded around them. They watched as Danny talked with the young woman, and things seemed to be going well. They reacted as men do, to cheer him on and wince when it didn't look good, but it was starting to look good as Danny gave one look back to the group. It looked like he was buying her a drink.
A few people parted the way and CJ came between Josh and Toby. A few people lowered their heads, as if what they were doing was wrong and mommy just walked in.
"What's going on?" CJ looked at the men who were obviously watching something.
"Josh bet Danny he couldn't hit on the blonde at the bar?" Will told CJ, gesturing with his beer. Toby and Josh and Charlie all looked for her reaction while trying not to look like they were looking for a reaction.
"Why!?" CJ looked around and a few men giggled.
"Cause she's hot!" Josh spoke with great enthusiasm. "'Cause it's what men do." He gestured, looking over at Danny.
"But isn't she a little out of his league?" CJ insinuated with her voice.
"Jealous." Josh joshed her.
"NO!" CJ shook it off, flipping her hair with her head.
"Ahh…I think he's got it." Josh looked out and pumped up the men with his words, getting them riled up for the fun of it. The group of men started to chant Danny's name as they looked on. CJ pursed her lips and held onto her the strap of her handbag, looking on and trying to pretend she wasn't upset.
"Ohhhh." The group yelled as Danny got the drink he thought he was buying the woman in his face. The men laughed and howled, including Josh with the largest howl, and CJ pushed her way out of the crowd. Josh and Toby watched her leave and gave each other looks.
---
"Yeah, I'll have a Corona." CJ told the waitress and dug into her purse, emerging with a cell phone and placing it on the table. She threw her hair back as Josh slid onto the stool in front of her.
"Hey." Josh spoke with a big grin, trying to elicit one from her. "You okay?" He asked after he didn't get a grin from her. CJ didn't respond as she set her purse down next to her. "CJ, you have to be fair. You can't just string him along like this…" Josh looked up and saw Danny approaching.
"Well there's the man of the hour." Josh joked as Danny approached. Danny didn't smile as he kept an eye on CJ, who didn't look at him.
"Hey, CJ"
"How ya doin' Danny?" She took a glance his way. "Is that egg on your face?" Danny walked in front of CJ as Josh moved over for Danny to sit. "No, I guess that's just a vodka gimlet."
"Ha, ha, very funny." Danny sat next to Josh while CJ gave an evil smile. Josh looked at the transaction and couldn't believe his eyes.
"What's he doing here?" CJ said to Josh.
"JOSH invited me." Danny asserted.
"Well, we're not supposed to consort with the press…"
"Oh REALLY---" Danny asked with his joking tone.
"—Hey, hey—can't we all just get along---we're not in the White House right now—can't we just pretend were normal---NEUTRAL people---Okay?"
"Yeah." CJ spoke as Danny said "fine."
"Good."
"So I want my fifty bucks." Danny put his attention to Josh.
"You didn't win!"
"I did too!"
"She threw a drink in your face!" He paused. "Again!"
"Hey, I did what you told me to do—and yeah, how did that happen to happen again—I think she was a dup—"
"—Oh, really---" Josh insinuated as CJ's beer arrived. CJ took a swig and tried to get interested in something else in the bar.
"—Yes, yes, I do."
"Fine, you pick this time—"
"I think I will—"
"Go ahead—look around, pick the girl who'll succumb to the Concannon charm—" Josh motioned with his beer. "Hit on something---any—"
"--Excuse me." CJ threw her cell in her purse and walked away. Danny watched her leave and was frozen out of his good mood. While this was happening Josh paid close attention, afraid of what his friend was going to do, and he was right, for Danny followed her out, calling her name.
--
"CJ!" Danny yelled after her as he saw CJ leave the smoky bar for some air. She took a breath in for only a moment as Danny exited behind her. "CJ?"
"Go back inside, Danny." She wouldn't face him and her face looked hurt.
"CJ, come on. Come back inside?" He said trying to be jovial.
"I need some air."
"CJ…" He sounded concerned, looking for the right words to say, but CJ could always read beneath the lines.
"No, I'm fine. Go head. Do whatever it is you were doing…"
"You can't….you can't do this….CJ. I didn't even want to…I mean Josh... No…no. you are not gonna keep doing this to me…I'm NOT GONNA keep doing this to myself. I'm going back inside. CJ?…" He waited for a response.
"Go inside and date any little co-eds your little heart desires, Danny, really."
"… Yeah." Danny didn't believe her. He threw his hands up as if to say he'd had enough. Danny was too many beers over the line to deal with her today.
--
Finally CJ went back into the bar, to find all her men sitting at the same table.
"What's going on?" CJ asked, placing her purse down.
"I thought you had a date?" Will asked.
"Canceled." she spoke. Danny caught her eyes. Danny pulled in his words with his bulldog bite, though he was dying to make a comment on the subject.
"Oh." Will didn't get at all what he was seeing. "Danny and Josh are having a drinking contest."
"What? Is he insane?" CJ yelled.
"Here we go." Josh set the shots down on the table: five tequila shots in all.
"Josh, don't do this." CJ demanded
"Let the man do whatever the hell he wants, it's his money." Danny snapped and smiled at Josh.
"And mine." Toby smirked and looked at Danny, and they shared a grin.
"I'm gonna drink you under the table my friend!" Josh yelled in his drunken haze.
"My eighty-five year old aunt Minnie could drink you under the table, Josh." CJ reprimanded back.
"Don't listen to her—Ready?" Josh lifted his drink.
"Fine, if there's money to be had, I'm in." CJ signaled a waitress.
"Whoa, wait, no…" Danny set his drink down and waved her off.
"I'll have whatever they're having." CJ motioned toward the drinks and the waitress walked away.
"You really want to do this?" Danny asked in his sweet yet condescending way.
"Afraid you're gonna lose, there, Daniel?"
She stayed tough, and so did Danny, each not wanting the other to see their weakness, as they stared each other down.
"Let's get this going." Danny smirked. The crowd cheered and Toby laughed at CJ's behavior.
"I can drink any of you under the table." CJ said, as her drinks were set in front of her.
"Okay." Danny looked at her in his humoring way before downing his first shot with a flash, followed by CJ lifting her shot with a smirk before downing it with fast precision.
--
Time passed and more than a dozen empty shot glasses sat on the table. By this time it was just down to Danny and CJ, since Josh actually had been drunk under the table hours before.
CJ took a drink, looking a little worse for wear. Looking over the crowd, she saw Danny was a little ragged himself, but he didn't want CJ to know it. Danny felt the same way.
They were both pretending very well
"Hey CJ. I can see up your skirt." Josh mumbled from below. "Oww" was then heard as CJ kicked Josh from under the table. "Hey that hurt." The table then pumped up as Josh hit his head on it trying to escape. "Oww…that was me….my bad….hey, I think I'm not as drunk as I was…….where am I?"
"CJ?" Danny looked at her. 'I think you've had enough---"
"I'm gonna beat you." CJ pounded her fist on the table.
Toby laughed at CJ's behavior while CJ stood and attempted another fist stomp, but missed the table and fell to the ground.
"Hey, CJ." Josh was heard saying.
"Okay, that's it." Danny spoke and he and Toby went for her.
"I'm fine." CJ stood up. "Let's continue this…" She looked at the two men.
"We're taking you home, CJ. Don't you think you've had enough?" Toby looked at her like a father at a child.
"Whose home?" CJ asked, almost slipping out of Danny's arms.
"Whoa, girl" Danny laughed, supporting her weight as their eyes met. Being too drunk to notice, CJ didn't get the feeling Danny felt as he looked away and tried to push his feelings back where they came from.
"Your home." Toby told her.
"His home?"
"No, we're taking you home. To your home. And then we're finding a home for Ponce de Leon over there." He gestured toward Josh under the table.
"Yes, I drink from the liqueur that is the fountain of my youth."
"More like the fountain of your sophomore year, frat boy." CJ spoke and then laughed.
"Ahhh….she knows me so well." Josh slumped farther against the table leg.
"Danny, get Josh. Will, bring my car around." Toby threw Will his keys.
"Check." Catching Toby's keys with a click, Will was soon out the door.
"Hey. I don't need an escort, thank you very much." Pulling herself away from Danny, CJ made herself clear on her position.
"Wow, Toby... I never noticed this before, but the shape of your head is enormous."
"Really? Well, thank you."
"You know what a big head means." Danny mocked and Toby nodded his head in agreement with the gentlemanly joke"Yeah, I think we all do." Josh insinuation toward Toby.
"Will you kick him hard, please? And with great force if possible." It was directed toward Danny, but Toby wasn't speaking to anyone particular.
Turning his head to see CJ still staring at him, Toby looked at her oddly as she moved closer and closer to his head.
"What is she doing?" Toby asked the group. "What are you doing?"
"I'm tellin' ya, Toby…your head is the size of….now, not enormous, but just strange, I mean, what do you do to that thing….maybe you were dropped on your head."
"Yeah, yeah." Toby took CJ's coat off the back of her chair and put it over her shoulders as he nodded his head, and began to usher her out.
"Have you ever thought of just shaving the whole thing off…" She started to laugh her hysterical laughter letting her head fall back and her mouth open to its almost full capacity. "And look at my hands. My god. I never noticed how detailed the lines on my hands were, I wonder which one is my life line…"
"Danny!" Toby yelled as they neared the door.
"Come on, Josh." Leaning down, Danny placed his friend's arm around his neck, lifting him up with a grunt.
"One more round! On me." Yelling, and being dragged out as he dangled off Danny's neck, Josh still wouldn't let the day end.
"Yeah, I think more like all over you. Come on, Josh. I think you're done" was all Danny could say as he and Josh made their way past Toby and CJ at the door.
"Hey, Toby." Josh smiled. "I'm just about sober again."
Always being the odd man out in all times of his life, Will came up to the group not knowing what to do. "I got the car, who wants to drive?"
Toby and Danny looked at each other and then at Will. "You." They spoke together.
"You alright, Danny?" Will looked at him. "You're looking a little peaked?"
"No, no, I'm good." Danny shook it off.
Toby looked over at Danny and then toward CJ and Josh. "I can't believe I'm the most sober out of all of you.—"
------
Holding CJ in his arms, standing in CJ's bedroom, Danny could feel he was about to fall himself as her weight shifted toward him.
"I'll be right back?" Josh excused himself fast into CJ's bathroom.
"Toby!" Danny yelled as he felt CJ's dead weight fall more into his body.
"Be right there?"
"TOBY!" He yelled as CJ fell into him, sending him onto the ground. They landed together on the floor with a thud, and although their resulting positions had been a fantasy of Danny's, this certainly wasn't the ideal situation. Following the calls at his own pace, as fast as he could, Toby entered CJ's bedroom to find Danny and CJ on the ground.
"Help?" Danny spoke with a rasp as CJ lay on his chest.
Toby looked at CJ, dead asleep on top of Danny, and couldn't help but laugh. This didn't seem to make Danny smile. Not for the fact that he was being laughed at, but for the fact he was not being helped. Offering his apologies, Toby, still not able to contain his smile, helped CJ off of Danny. Both men tried to pick her up once they were able. CJ perked up and looked over at Danny.
"Well, there's our sleepy head." Toby spoke with humor as CJ started to speak.
"Danny, I love you." She spewed out, causing both men to keep quiet. She looked at Toby. "And you, Toby, I love you too." She began to giggle. "And Josh….I love all my men…"
"Yeah." Danny and Toby looked at each other and helped set CJ on her bed. She fell backwards, laughing, and tried to make herself comfortable on her bedspread.
"I don't think I've ever seen her this drunk." Toby mused looking down at her.
"Really?" Danny looked at him.
"Yeah."
"You okay?" Toby asked him again.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Danny felt his eyes starting to glaze over and white out as he tried to fight it. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good." Not sure what was happening, Danny felt himself fall into a chair, his eyes growing more and more heavy.
"Danny?" Danny heard Toby's voice echo and that was the last thing he remembered.
--
CJ woke up still drunk, not recalling how she got home, and yet she was home. She made her way into the bathroom. Still in the corner, Danny woke up into a dark blackness and rose, taking a step, hitting the bed and falling into it, and wrapping the covers around himself. Having finished what she needed to do in the bathroom, CJ made her way back to bed, tripping over Josh Lyman with a thud in the process. Used to her own clumsiness, CJ pulled herself up off the floor and crawled into the other side of the bed.
--
She felt him graze against her and it felt great. She felt the sheets against her body and it felt great. It wasn't the same feeling she felt every night, day in and day out, as her body rubbed against the cotton sheets. Something was different. She wasn't just feeling the sheets, she felt him wrapped in them. Rustling under the sheets, as the sun rose in the east making everything golden with shards of light hitting them, they were the only ones in the room even though Josh slept on the floor below. The sheets twisted and billowed around them, it was like a grown up game of parachute, making it hard to see anything but whiteness. Even in her half stupor, CJ knew what was happening. It was more kissing than they had ever done and more touching then they had ever felt, but that was all that happened as they slowly fell back into drunken sleep.
--
A new day and new morning was upon her, but unlike other mornings, it wasn't just lack of coffee that gave CJ the headache she felt when she woke up. Yet she still smiled as she felt the warm body next to her, before she realized where she was and the fact that she couldn't remember how she got there. Her eyes bugged out as she slowly turned her body and moved an arm off her torso, squinting, as she feared who might be on the other side of the bed.
"Oh, god." CJ cringed as she saw Danny sleeping beside her. "Oh my god. Oh no. Oh no. This is not happening." She repeated to herself at fast speeds as she tore out of the bed, taking some of the sheets with her. Thankful she was dressed, she wracked her brain to remember what had happened but couldn't for the life of her. "Danny." She pushed at him and stepped away. "Danny!" She tried again in her raspy voice as she shook him with her hands. "Danny!"
"What? What?" Danny shot up looking around in a harried voice. Danny was never good at being woken up from a deep sleep.
"Get up!"
"I'm up. I'm up."
"What are you doing in my bed!?" She screeched.
Danny had an expression of shock on his face as he looked around. "Truthfully, I have no idea."
"Well start getting one?" CJ paced at the foot of the bed as Danny looked down to check if he was dressed. "We didn't?"
"I don't think so." Danny insinuated with his voice how very unlikely it had been in their current states of dress.
"Do you remember?"
"No, you?" Danny was floored, for if he had done something with CJ he was sure he'd remember it.
"No." She seemed terrified.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I can't do much with my clothes on---you?"
"Woke up the same way." She started to pace.
"Okay, so we have that---"
"It doesn't mean—"
"Yes, it doesn't." Danny walked closer to CJ.
"What's that?" CJ heard her bathroom door opening as Danny turned his head. The door opened and CJ pushed Danny to the floor as the person exited the bathroom. Danny gave out a yell.
Sure he had heard something, Josh turned his head toward the bed before looking at CJ.
"Hey." He said in his worst groggy voice.
"Josh?"
"Do you know how I got here?"
"Do you know how I got here?" CJ asked him. "Ohh." She took her hand to her head.
"I'm having a hard time remembering my own name right now." Josh laid himself backward on to CJ's bed. "I think I can die here."
CJ looked down at Danny who mouthed to ask her if he could get up and CJ mouthed, "No, stay where you are."
"Damn, I'm still gonna be sick." Josh ran back into the bathroom.
"What is this?" Danny sat up.
"Get back down." She leaned down and pushed him down with her hand. "He could come back out here—" Danny grabbed hold of her arms as she kneeled in front of him.
"I'm tired and I have a hangover, CJ, so for my head's sake I'd really rather stay in one vertical position, thank you."
"CJ?" Josh's voice was heard.
"Shush." CJ put her hand over Danny's mouth.
"CJ." Danny mumbled, causing CJ to put her hand over his mouth again with such force it caused the two of them to fall over to the ground.
"CJ, I'm gonna call myself a cab." Josh's groggy voice trailed through the bedroom and the door shut.
CJ lifted her hand off Danny's mouth.
"Yeah, cause this doesn't look bad at all." Danny said sarcastically, causing CJ to give him a look before lifting her body off him.
"You have to leave." CJ spoke, not looking at him.
"CJ?"
"Yeah."
He knew the drill. Danny started for the door. "Okay, no."
"No?"
"Yes, no. I'm gonna go out on a limb here, CJ, and just based on your behavior in the last twenty four—" Danny looked at the clock. "Okay twelve hours, but..." He tried to find his footing in his own sentence structure. "If things weren't how they are—I mean…Do you really want me to leave?"
"Danny, we can't." CJ still wouldn't look at him.
"I know, I know." Danny looked around. "You're right. Why I thought—I just---yeah---Let me get my shoes." He reached for his shoes next to the chair he had been sleeping in before. He picked up his coat and held it in his fist.
"CJ?" Danny called to her as he reached the door.
"Yeah?" She turned and looked at him with a sad look on her face, arms folded, her neck leaning toward him not wanting him to go.
"Would it have really been so bad? I mean if we did? If we had?"
"You mean other than our reputations, our careers, and our objectivity."
"Yeah, yeah." Danny laughed. "You're right." He looked at her with his passionate eyes. "You're always right."
"Danny?" CJ called after him as he was about to open the door.
"Yeah?" Danny was hoping this was what he was waiting for.
"Danny." She paused. "You have to wait till Josh leaves."
"Yeah, oh, yeah. Sorry." He nodded his head and just looked at her.
CJ noticed this and looked away from him.
"Do you mind—while I wait." He motioned toward the bed.
"No, no. Go ahead."
"Thanks." Danny sat himself down on the edge of CJ's bed, feeling very foolish and awkward. After a moment CJ sat herself down next to him.
"If we did," she looked at him. "Which I doubt we did, I wish I'd remembered it." She said softly. "But I know we didn't. I mean beyond…" She looked into his eyes. "Cause we didn't." She was mesmerized for a moment.
"Yeah." He looked at her sweetly. "I'd never forget, no matter how much I—"
CJ took her hand and lightly slid her fingers under his chin and kissed him. She didn't even know she was doing it, as she acted on the urge. They lifted from the kiss both feeling very melancholy.
"If we could—I'd want to, Danny."
"You would?"
"We just can't."
"You thought…back—before—If I had become an editor---"
"I don't anymore—I'm sorry…" CJ hated the idea her mind had come too, but it was true. "I know better now. After what's happened…. I see now---no matter what happens and where your job takes you… for the next three years you'll always be a reporter and I'll always be the Press Secretary."
"Yeah." Danny understood. "It's funny how your emotions get the best of your better judgment."
"It's been officially tested. Love makes you dumb."
"Is that where my tax dollars are going---wait—did you just say—"
"I didn't mean it literally—"
"CJ—" Danny started to speak, but CJ rose and moved away from him.
"I think I hear a cab pulling away. You should see if he's gone."
Danny followed CJ and he slowly opened the door with CJ close behind looking over his shoulder
"CJ?" Toby's sleepy voice was heard. "You up?"
"Toby." CJ whispered with fright, slamming the door shut and finding herself pushed up against Danny. "CJ…"
"Shhhhh." She placed her hand over his mouth for a moment.
"You want eggs? I'm gonna make eggs?"
"Yeah, sure." CJ yelled and then winced.
"Is Danny still asleep in there?" Toby was now heard closer to the door.
"See, he knows I'm…." She covered his mouth again, and he rolled his eyes as she lifted her hand off.
"Ohhh… he's in the bathroom..." CJ didn't sound so sure and Toby could tell that in her voice.
"Alright?" Toby wondered as his voice trailed off toward the kitchen. Once she was sure Toby was out of ear shot, CJ pulled off Danny.
"We should just—I mean you—should wait a moment, before going out."
"Yeah." He smiled at her.
"What?" CJ asked, seeing something in his eyes and smile."Nothing" he said sweetly.
By now Danny's arms were wrapped around her waist taking her to him and curving her back toward him. He couldn't take it anymore and he reversed their position, sliding CJ against the door, then kissing his undeniable mark. There was one thing they both knew the boy possessed and that was his kiss. Maybe it was the fullness of his lips, or just the fact that he knew what he was doing. But a kiss from Danny Concannon, especially when CJ was the recipient, was never normal or mundane. It was sensual and slow when it needed to be, and fast and passionate when it was called for. He lifted up, leaving her stunned and hot under the collar.
"See, Claudia Jean Cregg, no manner how long we wait—or how many people tell me to get over you---I just can't. I don't care what happens in the next three years 'cause I'm pretty confident of this, CJ. I know I'll see you at the other end of that tunnel." He paused. "It all comes down to this." He reached for the door. "I'll always be waiting for you, CJ. Three years. I'll still be waiting. It's been so long I guess I don't know any other thing to do." He paused. "It's worth waiting for. And if you need me to, I'll keep on waitin'. Cause you and me, CJ. No matter what happens. You and me. We ain't done quite yet. And you have my word on that."
Danny opened the door and looked back at CJ, who still stood there, stunned.
"You coming?"
"What? Where?"
"Breakfast?"
"Yes, yes. Breakfast. I'm….yeah..." She walked up trying to appear composed, but Danny knew otherwise. He walked out after her and closed the door.