CJ stood in front of her sister, who causally glanced up from her typing. Neither of them said a word.
The older woman narrowed her gaze and studied her younger sister, trying to determine what exactly was off for her today. She cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms before announcing her conclusion with finality.
"You had sex."
Josh, who was strolling back into his office at precisely that moment, choked on his coffee. He turned to stare at Donna, grateful that CJs back was turned to him.
Donna's fingers stilled briefly on the keyboard and she glanced over at CJ, saying nothing.
"Get out of here, idiot boy, this doesn't concern you." CJ spouted playfully, very aware that Josh was now stopped dead in his tracks.
Donna rolled her eyes at both of them, hitting print on her document.
"He needs this," she gestured to Josh as she rose from chair to walk away from the conversation.
"Aww, come on, Donna," CJ pouted, letting her arms fall defeatedly to her side. "Take pity on me and give me all the juicy details. I've had a long week."
Donna turned and gave her sister a smirk. "Let's just say I don't have any complaints."
CJ returned a mischievous grin but Josh pulled Donna into the office before those two had anything else to say. He peeked his head out of his door, glaring at CJ for a moment. "If that will be all, some of us have work to do around here." He slammed the door and shoved his hands into his pockets, staring at Donna.
She was grinning at him.
His steely facade quickly cracked. "No complaints, huh?"
Donna giggled for the second time that morning, closing the space between them as she kissed him on the cheek. "None."
He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her, but he let out a deep sigh once she was nestled contently against him.
"Josh? What does this all mean?"
He let out a sigh. "Honestly, Donna, I don't know. I'm sure of my feelings for you- please don't ever doubt that- but I'll admit. I didn't exactly have a plan. I just knew I didn't want to live without you anymore." He kissed her forehead. "This situation is no less complex than it was last week."
She sighed.
"Will you come over for dinner tonight? Maybe we can talk about this?"
She glanced up at him, worried what that conversation would entail.
He sensed her fears and immediately erased them. "I'll resign tomorrow if I need to. I'm not going to lose you again, Donna."
"We'll figure something out," she assured him, caressing his stubbled cheek with her thumb.
They separated from their embrace, both needing to get back to work. "I've gotta run to The Hill for s meeting," he told her, throwing his coat on and fishing around in his pocket. He pulled his wallet out and handed her his credit card. "Take CJ out to lunch. I work you too much. You guys deserve a break. Plus, I owe her $20. Tell her I said we're even now," he smirked.
She handed him his backpack and kissed him quickly goodbye as he headed for the door.
Josh's hand was on the knob as he turned to look at her one final time. "Donna? Tell her. Don't tell her. It's completely up to you."
She nodded her understanding as Josh swaggered off through the bullpen.
OooooooO
Donna reached over with her chopsticks to eat another of the snow peas that Josh was avoiding in his meal. They'd been eating Chinese out of the box on his couch.
After he'd invited Donna over Josh began to worry. He'd spent the afternoon obsessing about how she'd remember their "first date." He didn't want to let her down with a night holed up in his apartment. He was a man of occasion, after all.
But in true Donna style she'd showed with Chinese take out and quickly changed into a pair of his old sweats before curling up with him on the couch. He should have known better- known she wouldn't care about how their evening looked to others. It was one of the things he loved most about her.
"Thanks for brining dinner," he offered, looking for the words do convey how he felt. "You didn't have to do that."
She shrugged her shoulders casually. "Don't thank me- you paid. I still had your credit card from earlier."
Josh let out a hearty laugh as he rooted around with his fork for a bite of her chicken, avoiding the vegetables lurking in the container. "Of course you did."
"This is nice," he remarked casually.
She raised an eyebrow at his word selection. 760 verbal and all he chose nice? But she knew Josh, and she understood the sentiment that he was trying to convey.
She nodded her head slowly in agreement. "It is... nice," she told him, letting a small smile quirk up on the side of he mouth with the last words. "But it's hardly the first time we've eaten Chinese on your couch," she noted. "And all of those times were pretty nice too."
"I'm just glad I don't have to hide the way I feel anymore," he confessed, opening his arm to her. She sat her dinner down and crawled over to him as he pulled her close.
"You never had to hide it before," she admitted.
He gave her a small squeeze but remained silent.
Donna spoke after a few moments. "I didn't tell her."
"What?"
"CJ," Donna clarified. "I didn't tell her."
Josh shifted a bit, honestly surprised by her answer.
"I just wanted it to be us for a while," Donna continued. "I mean, I knew she'd have questions and I didn't want to speak without you or to make any assumptions or-"
"Slow down," Josh interrupted her rambling. "That's why I wanted to, you know, actually talk about this... about us." He swallowed hard. He hated talking about his feelings. He'd always been bad at this. "Donna, I meant everything I said last night. I love you. I want to be with isn't some kind of... of... experiment. You're the beginning and end of everything to me. This, you, are all there is to me. I want everything. The white picket fence, the kids, the dog and the soccer games on weekends."
Donna stared at Josh, mouth falling somewhat open as she tried to comprehend what he was telling her.
"Not right now," he assured her, taking her hand. "Right now I just want to be able to to tell you I love you. To spend time with you and to find our rhythm as a couple."
She smiled brightly at him. "I'd like that," she stated softly.
"Okay," he nodded his head, leaning in to kiss her. It was as easy as that. They'd learn to navigate their new dynamic and then live happily ever after.
She pulled away after a moment, having a few more things to say. "I think we should set a timeline," she announced. "90 days."
"90 days?"
She nodded her agreement. In 90 days we sit down again. We tell the people who need to know about us. And if either of us is unhappy before that time..."
"Let's not talk about that," Josh interjected.
"I'm just saying that you can always come to me with how you feel. I know we already spend a lot time with each other... if it doesn't work out I just want you to know you don't have to feel bad. We can be civil. We can be friends. We can work together."
"Kay," he told her, wanting to end the conversation and knowing that if he lost her again wouldn't make it though.
"But in order for this to work- for us to be able to be together and work together- I think we need to lay down a few Rules."
Josh groaned and flopped back against the couch. "C'mon, Donna. No rules. I hate the damn rules."
She rolled her eyes and reached over him to grab a pad of paper and pencil. She felt very strongly about this. "Josh, we both know we need a plan. If this gets out there will be... obstacles."
Josh nodded his head in defeat. "Leo will separate us."
"The press will have a field day..."
"The GOP will make you out to be..." he cleared his threat, "...something you're not."
They discussed rules to check their discretion and ensure their privacy for the next three months, laying down an outline that would avoid any unnecessary problems.
OooooooooO
The Rules:
1. No holding back.
2. No lying about their relationship
3. Work is work and it stays there
4. Only spend 1 night/ week together
5. Limit lunch to 2x a week
6. No public dates
7. No closed door meetings
8. No physical contact in the office
9. No leaving/ arriving together
OooooooO
Donna was content in his embrace, laying practically on top of him on the couch, her head resting on his chest as his thumb lightly caressed the small of her back.
They'd covered almost everything that night. They'd both been open and honest with each other and frankly Donna was relieved that he'd been so forthcoming with his feelings. But even with discussion on so many topics one question remained in Donna's mind. She had to know if they were going to start fresh.
"Josh?" She stirred slightly, not looking at him.
"Hmmm?"
"That morning in the airport... why'd you let me leave?"
Josh's arms tightened around her as though holding on now would somehow erase the memory of walking away from her. Of their time spent apart. He took a deep breath, trying to determine how to go about this.
"Because I knew you didn't feel the same way about me. I knew it was just a fling to you."
"What?!" Donna's head rocketed up and she met Josh's gaze. He looked so hurt just speaking about it.
"You really don't have to say anything," he cut her off, not wanting her to feel guilty. "I just- I wanted to remember all of the good. I didn't want to end the perfect week with a hard no from you. I wanted to do it right. To call you when we were both home and see if you, I don't know... wanted to go out sometime."
"Why would you have ever thought I didn't feel the same way about you? Josh that week was- we were perfectly in sync from the start."
"I, uh, overheard your conversation with CJ that morning," he confessed. "I know it was just sex to you."
Tears began to pool in her eyes and Josh panicked a bit.
"Donna, it's okay," he assured her hurriedly. "It's in the past."
Donna sniffled a bit. "But it WASN'T. It was never just sex. How could you think that? I thought you knew. I didn't think you could miss the way I felt about you. I was just calling CJ to tell her how much I didn't want to leave you. But I chickened out... I thought she'd think I was being naive about the whole arrangement. You just heard me appeasing her..." The tears began to fall down Donna's cheeks at the realization of everything they'd both wanted, and everything they'd both missed.
Josh felt like he'd been punched in the gut. All this time he'd thought it was strictly physical to her.
He wrapped her in his arms again, burying his face in her hair. "We're here now, Donnatella, and that's the only thing that matters."
Josh wasn't sure if he was reassuring Donna or himself with that statement, but he didn't examine the question too closely before continuing.
"It may not have been in the conventional sense, but you've always had me, Donna. From the moment I met you. And while I have missed being able to hold you more than I can possibly convey, I've been able to have to by my side through much, much more as my assistant and my best friend and there's a part of that I wouldn't change for the world. We've been through a lot together and I think that just makes us stronger. We're not the same people we were four years ago, right?"
She answered him with a soft kiss.
