On The Road With Danny Concannon '05-'06
"Chaos and Blessings"
Companion Episode: Two Weeks Out 7.14
Notes: The title comes from something Bradley Whitford once said on a talk show. Please Review. It helps a writer know if they are making any impact. Good or bad. Thank you.
LATE FEBRUARY 2007
Santa Monica, California
The Concannon Household
"Yeah... No. I think that's a great idea." C.J. held her cell phone to her ear, while, at the same time, trying to hold onto her purse and a few groceries bags. She kicked closed the door with her foot.
She smiled at the sight of Danny, who greeted her with a kiss and helped her with her bags.
"Is this the advance copy?" he asked taking a magazine from her arm.
She smiled and nodded yes. "Okay, Carol. I'm home."
Danny made his way into the kitchen to drop off the bags.
"You're doing a great job. What?... No. I'm not... my first lecture date isn't until..."
"June!" Danny yelled from the kitchen.
She smiled. "June, I think I decided on June. I want to get to work on this as soon as I get in tomorrow...yeah. I'm home so I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks, Carol." She hung up the phone and sighed.
C.J. walked into the living room pulling off her scarf as she went. "It's nothing different from what I showed you," she called to Danny.
Danny walked into the living room looking at the magazine.
"Hello," he kissed her.
"Hello." She kissed him back.
"I wanna see what your editor did." He showed her the cover with pride. "Vanity Fair. Very nice." He kissed her again.
She looked nervous.
"Can't be that bad. They asked you to write another one."
"I know."
"See, see this is good. This is very good." His eyes shined with pride.
C.J. smiled with her shy happy smile. "Just wait to read it, okay."
Danny smiled back and laughed. "Okay." He paused. "New things," he smiled.
"Yeah..." She dazed off.
Danny walked toward the couch.
"I had lunch today with Burton Coleman."
"Burton Coleman." Danny stressed and sat down on the couch. "The man owns more of the world than God."
"Oh no... not more than God..." She shook her head in a sarcastic way stretching out the words. "Frank Hollis has the market on that one."
Danny giggled, "I do like a man who knows how to have just one monopoly." He took hold of his paper and folded it in half to finish reading his article. He looked around for his reading glasses.
"You'll have to tell that to Frank next time you see him. " C.J. walked closer to Danny in a slow saunter.
"Hummm..." Danny nodded his head and grabbed his glasses off the coffee table. He slid his reading glasses onto his head and started reading.
"Burton Coleman wants to give the Hollis Foundation 1.5 billion dollars..."
Danny let his paper drop below his head.
"Every year. Indefinitely."
Danny smiled huge and laughed, "Seriously..."
"Yeah..." She smirked.
Danny just nodded his head and smiled huge. How proud he was of her. He couldn't help but laugh at how amazing it all was.
MARCH 2007
Random House Offices, NYC
Danny shook hands with the man at Random House. Danny smiled.
"This is gonna be a big hit, Danny. I just know it. Congratulations."
Danny took a breath. He was officially back.
The Hollis Foundation Office's
C.J. walked down the hall in a new kind of walk and talk, like from those from her past, and yet not. This was a whole new ball game. Things were popping.
Flanked by three women, she walked toward her office. They talked about roadways and money issues. She was on her game. Everything she was working on was getting going. She was in the zone. Her phone rang.
"Hello, yes. No, I told you we can't wait until Friday. I want this thing signed by tomorrow and in front of those cameras by Thursday. Why? Because no one reads the paper on Saturday. Trust me." She hung up the phone and they turned a corner.
Carol came up to C.J. and showed her a few papers which she okayed and signed. A man came off the elevator and C.J. shook his hand with her wedding ring facing out. Chaos and blessings. Everything was happening at once.
APRIL 2007
C.J. laughed, leaning against the kitchen counter. Danny had made another joke. She threw a tomato slice in her mouth. She lifted a glass of wine and drank it.
Food steamed in the background. A great weekend together, as usual, with her husband.
Danny kissed her neck and she giggled.
She faced him and their arms and lips entangled. First he just kissed her softly and pulled slowly off her lower lip. She giggled and gave him those bedroom eyes. Soon they got carried away. The food would have to wait.
They sunk to the ground. Being newlyweds had added that extra spark back in their relationship, not that it ever left, but what an excuse. For the first time in their marriage and the third time in their relationship they both became very familiar with a parquet floor.
The Grand Ballroom the Hilton, LA
"Ladies and gentleman our business woman of the year. Claudia Jean Cregg," said the woman from the podium.
The crowd of dinner guests applauded. C.J. stood smiling shyly. She kissed Danny and walked to the stage.
Danny looked at her with such pride. He used his fingers to whistle. He smiled his huge-cheeked smile and laughed. He nodded his head as C.J. accepted her award.
A sunny Saturday in Santa Monica
Danny sat at his laptop in the California sun, a hat and sunglasses on his head. C.J. swam in the pool. A copy of Fortune Magazine sat on the outdoor table. Its headline read: Hollis & Coleman are giving it away.
Danny looked out at C.J. and smiled. Life was good. Life was busy, but life was good.
LATE APRIL 2007
Danny fixed his lapel mic and looked into the camera. He put his hand to his ear to hear Tim Russert.
"I'm here, by satellite, with famed ex-Washington Post reporter Danny Concannon, he broke the Shariff scandal, Memo-gate, and a hosts of others, not to mention two Pulitzers to his credit. He has a new book out: Lexicon: A dissection of journalism today and tomorrow." Russert showed the book cover to the camera. "Danny, always a pleasure to have you on the program."
"Hey, Tim."
"So you really kick us all in the butt with this book."
Danny laughed. "It's just an honest account of the facts," he smirked.
"What's with the title, Danny? Lexicon. I wouldn't exactly call it a glossy of terms?"
"Well, my wife gets it."
"Yeah, C.J. would," he laughed.
"I think of it as collection of words in a language ... just on a certain topic. It's my reexamining of the language of journalism."
"Okay, let's start our round table..."
The Home of Danny Concannon & C.J. Cregg
Danny held a cup of coffee and watched the TV as the moderator spoke.
"Danny Concannon's book Lexicon, which just came out this week from Random House, raises a really good question. What are we in journalism really doing? Are we losing our vision? Our purpose?" He motioned to a person on the panel.
An unhappy woman in her late thirties started to speak. "Journalism has always been about an honest straightforward account of what happened that day–Concannon isn't capitalizing on anything different. Me good. You bad. Every industry has its share of bottom feeders."
A man on the panel got into it. "Oh, come on Jane. I don't think we as a business have been tittering toward this common denominator, I just think this book is here at the right time. We need a public debate on this topic. We need this debate, now. Maybe this will make the public a little more—"
"Oh, Paul, you and Ben Bradlee still think the pursuit of truth is the holiest profession. Get over yourselves."
"Why, Jane? Are you holding back some truth I should know about?"
Danny laughed and took a drink of his coffee.
C.J. came up behind him and ran her hands around him.
New York City
Hollis, Burton Coleman and C.J. all sat around Charlie Rose's round table. They laughed and talked business.
"Why this one?" Charlie asked. "Burton, why this foundation? Why now? Why not just start your own foundation. Hollis has been a success already. They don't need the money."
Frank Hollis laughed. C.J. smiled. They both looked Burton.
"Well..." He looked at C.J. "Because of this little lady, right her." He put his hand on C.J.'s hand.
C.J. smiled awkwardly.
"So, you got yourself a little find here?" Charlie joked with Frank.
"Looks like it."
The group laughed.
"Thank you both so much for being on the program." Charlie looked at his guests.
"Thank you, Charlie." C.J. said a few moments before Burton and Frank spoke together.
" Always a pleasure. Thank you and goodnight."
EARLY MAY 2007
Danny and C.J.'s mantel was no longer just crowed with Danny's achievements. The only piece of hardware C.J. had from her White House days was her Matrix award from Women in Communications. She was very proud of that, but now her trophies were more equal
If one looked at the fireplace, next to the photos and two Pulitzer prizes, one would now not only see C.J.'s Women in Business award and her Matrix award, but a small sliver thing in mention of her work in the non-for profit sector and a token for her Vanity Fair articles for her positive portrayal of strong and powerful women. It was nice and filled, and still waiting for more. Mixed in were photos from days past and days present, family friends and them.
Outside, past the fireplace and out the large glass window-door, in the California sun, C.J. lounged next to the pool, Jackson Browne on her I-pod radio, a small umbrella shading her alabaster, yet a little tan, skin from the heat, a diet Dr. Pepper in her hand. It was a day like she had dreamed of only a year or so earlier. All that was missing was the barbecue.
She bopped her head to the music, ignoring the world, as the blue water reflected as white flecks in her sunglasses. She set her drink back down on the table next to her and adjusted her long legs along the green deck chair, a kelly green, which managed to match her very small, but very present, bikini. She gave any woman in a music video to run for her money.
"C.J.?" She heard Danny's voice off in the front of the house. "C.J.?" he yelled. His voice sounded excited.
C.J. rolled the sunglasses off her nose and looked out from under them.
She took long strides, along the side of the pool, careful not to fall in, of course, her sheer robe flowing behind her. She slid open the large window leading into their living room.
"Number one!" Danny yelled, looking at her draped in the doorway.
"You're kidding!" she took off her sunglasses, her face large and full of teeth.
They walked hurriedly toward each other.
"Number one, NY Times Best Seller list. Number one!" He couldn't believe it.
C.J. squealed in glee. She ran her fingers over her husband's face.
"None of my books has ever been number one, not even the Bartlet bio." He was in shock.
"I know," she smiled large. "Did I tell you?" she laughed again from the back of her throat.
He kissed her.
She kissed him back and they got caught up in the excitement for a moment.
"I couldn't have done this—" He was overcome with emotions. "I never could, not without you." Danny had his faith again. Faith and joy of his work and the book showed it. Danny finally noticed what C.J. was wearing. "You look amazing?"
"What?" But her words were stopped by a kiss.
"You...I mean..." He kissed her neck.
C.J. let out a sound, and they caught each other's eyes. C.J. let out a laugh of glee and they looked at each other with evil eyes; sneaking to the ground. She did look good.
ALMOST FIVE WEEKS LATER
Northwestern University, IL
C.J. walked down a long underground hallway, to the large auditorium, Carol and Charlie flanked her at either side. She put out her hand and Charlie handed her a Starbucks cup. She downed it as much as she could and sent it back to Charlie.
Carol threw a paper in her face. "This is a list of the sponsors for the Sullivan Project."
"We don't start talks on that until next week."
"Yes," Charlie chimed in. "But, this is your first lecture event—"
"I know that..."
"And it's a good idea at these events," Carol chimed in
"–To know the names of people sponsoring to your organization—" Charlie continued
"Helps to bring about other donations in conversation—" Carol went on.
C.J. watched Charlie and Carol finish each other's sentences like a ping pong match.
"Not that we need it. But, it's good to let people know that other people wanna do the work you and Mr. Hollis are doing—"
"With interest brings donations."
"Other people's money brings other people's money."
"Okay, you two need to stop doing that." She paused for a moment, feeling lightheaded. "You two are giving me a headache." She took the paper from Carol as they rounded a second corner and looked over the paper.
Charlie saw a strangeness on C.J.'s face. "C.J. you, okay?" Charlie asked.
"I'm fine." She snapped. "I'm just..." She felt uneasy. "I'm just a little nervous."
Carol looked at her strangely.
"About speaking in front of 500 people?" Charlie asked with a snide verve in his voice.
C.J. gave him a look.
"I'm just sayin'. You spoke to millions of people on television for a living for like...I don't know almost six years so—"
"That was a long time ago."
"And after that you spoke to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on a regular basis." He had sass.
"I'm fine. I'm just having one of those -getting back on the horse moments."
"Okay. But, after everything you've done I don't know why you're getting nervous about talking to a few hundred women and a couple 'a co-eds."
C.J. gave him a look. "When do you go back to school?"
"I got like three weeks left on my summer vacation, I could knock off early, get a couple of months worth of reading done for my law boards-But, I'm gonna guess you're gonna wanna deal with the pleasure of my company for a little while longer." He smiled.
A phone was heard ringing.
"Is that my phone?" C.J. asked.
Charlie nodded and answered the phone he was holding for C.J. "Yeah."
"I'm not here." C.J. looked over at a second page Carol was showing her.
Charlie put his hand to the phone. "It's Danny."
C.J.'s face smiled and she put her hands out.
Charlie handed her the phone.
"Hi," C.J.'s voice changed to a puppy dog. She handing the paper back to Carol.
They turned another corner.
Charlie held onto to C.J., giving her a little push, to make sure she turned the right corner.
"Hey." Danny spoke in all his love at the other end. "When are you coming back?"
"Oh, haven't you heard? I'm not – I've run off with a pool boy named Pedro."
"Well, that's good since I'm hanging with a hairdresser named Harriet."
C.J. giggled.
Charlie gave her a strange look.
C.J. coughed to regain herself. "How's the book tour?"
"Pretty much like all book tours. Small venues and writer's cramp."
"No young women throwing their underwear at you?" she smirked.
"Oh, sure. Nothing makes the twenty somethings hot like political intrigue and terse
debate."
"Sure did for me." C.J. smirked.
Danny laughed in his devilish way. "Lucky me," he trilled out the words. "When are you coming home?" he said in the slow soft tones he reserved for all his sweet seriousness. He missed her.
"Thursday—" She drew out the word like it was the bluest word she knew.
"Hummm." Danny was lost in thought for a moment. "I'll be home on Tuesday." He said with disappointment.
"You'll just have to wait." C.J. smiled but something made her body feel like it jerked. Maybe it was the walk. She slowed herself down. It had been a while since she'd done a walk and talk with so many turns.
"I gotta go. This thing is gonna start soon."
"Same here." C.J. sounded uneasy and Danny could tell.
"You, okay?"
"Yeah." She brushed it off. "Little bit of nerves."
"Back on the horse stuff?"
"Yeah."
"It'll pass as soon as you get back behind that podium." He paused. "I called to wish you luck."
"I don't need luck," she joked. "Haven't you heard, I'm magic."
"I'd say so," he said in his devilish voice. "Remember." He paused. "This is what you're best at," he said with all sweetness. "Love you."
"Love you."
They each hung up the phone.
C.J. handed the phone to Charlie. She felt strange again. She took a breath. They stopped short and C.J. didn't feel like herself. "Why have we stopped?" C.J.'s eyes didn't look so good. She looked pale.
"We're here." Carol could see something was wrong. "C.J.?"
Charlie pointed toward a door. "The entrance to the dais is though here, the chair, for when you're done, will be to your right, don't forget to greet Sandra Noel, she'll be at the left when you first come in. You can go directly to the podium, which will be in the center of the stage."
C.J. just looked straight ahead. She seemed to not hear Charlie.
"C.J.?"
"Bathroom?" she almost grunted
"What?" Charlie asked.
"Where's the bathroom?" She looked like she might pass out.
"Its right–" Charlie pointed behind him, but before he could finish talking C.J. ran into it.
Charlie turned away at the sound of gagging.
After a moment, C.J. appeared in the doorway, a little off center. She stood up straight and walked straight ahead. "I'm ready."
C.J. entered the stage to the sounds of "Ladies and gentleman Ms. C.J. Cregg."
An Hour & a Half Later...
"You go in?" Charlie protested in front of the bathroom.
"I'm not going in, you go in," Carol protested.
"Oh, no. This is not part of the bargain - I am not going into the ladies room. No way. No how."
The sound of gagging was heard, from C.J.
"No way," Charlie was firm.
"Fine. I'll do it." Carol gave him a nasty look.
"I'll go get her a soda." Charlie he defended himself. "I'm the man, this is what we do." He walked off
Carol walked into the bathroom tentatively.
"C.J.?" She looked around the empty bathroom, around one corner and then another.
"Here." Carol heard the sound of C.J.'s weary voice.
Carol caught site of C.J. pulling herself out of one of the stalls and leaning and sitting up against the wall of the bathroom. She took a breath. A deep breath. She let her head fall back to feel the cold tile.
"How are you doing?" Carol questioned.
"Okay." C.J. took a gulp, her head so far back against the wall her eyes saw the ceiling. C.J. took a breath.
Carol leaned down so that they were eye level. "Charlie went to get you a soda." She looked at C.J.
"I'll be fine." She took a deep breath. "Nerves."
"You don't get nervous about this kind of thing. Not like this."
C.J. was silent. They just looked at each other.
"C.J." Carol took her attention. "I think you should call Danny," she said softly.
She saw Carol's face and C.J.'s face fell.
"I think you need to call Danny."
The rest of the blood left C.J.'s face, she looked drained. "I need to go home." She tried to get up.
Carol made sure to help her.
Once on her feet, C.J. lost her footing and Carol had to take hold of her.
"Be careful."
"I need to go home." She repeated in a haze. Her hand ran over the cold tile wall for leverage. Not here, I don't want to do this here," she stammered in a daze. "I wanna see my own...doctor.
"You still have two lecture dates."
"Cancel them." C.J. took an uneasy step. "I need to go home."
Carol took hold of C.J. "Okay."
C.J. looked scared out of her mind.
The Home of Mr. Danny Concannon & Mrs. C.J. Cregg
Tuesday
Danny walked into his own home a happy man. He was a success. A big red dog ran in and attached him sweetly. He petted the dog vigorously for a moment, running his hands under the dogs ears as he barked.
"Hey, Aster. Hey boy."
The dog ran away, through the living room, and out the back door.
"C.J.?" He caught site of C.J. sitting in the living room.
C.J. looked like a zombie, just sitting there, looking straight ahead, her hands resting on her lap.
Danny dropped his bag in the foyer. "What are you doing home? I though you weren't coming home until Thursday." He smiled, an evil smile, wondering if she had come home early for him. "C.J.?" He walked down the small set of stairs.
C.J. said nothing.
Danny dropped his laptop bag in the living room.
"C.J.?" He laughed since she wasn't answering.
C.J. still said nothing.
Danny walked up to her. "C.J.?" He sat on the glass table in front of her. "C.J." He put his hands on her shoulders.
C.J. jumped.
"Whoa, whoa it's just me." He ran his hands over her arms and onto her hands.
"I'm sorry..." she trailed off and looked around and back at him. "When did you get back?"
"I've been calling your name for like ten minutes," he laughed a little with concern. "I thought you weren't coming home 'til Thursday?"
"I came home early." She took a breath.
"I see that," he laughed. He could tell something was wrong.
"I wasn't feeling well..."
"Okay..." He nodded his head and held her hands.
"I wanted to see my own doctor..." Her voice seemed tired.
"You okay?" he got concerned based on how she looked. "I know you've been tired lately."
C.J. looked down and didn't answer him.
"C.J." He moved his head to get her eyes.
She didn't answer him again.
"You're scaring me here..." he laughed uncomfortably. "C.J." She didn't look at him. " C.J., look at me."
She raised her head and looked him in the eyes.
"What is it?" He paused. "Tell me. Whatever it is." His eyes got misty. "We'll deal with it... Just tell me what it is?"
Danny looked frighten out of his mind.
"I'm pregnant," she said breaking the air.
There was a long silence as Danny's mouth opened wide. "I'm sor...What?" his voice was a husky soft whisper. There was a short silence. "You're..." It took him a moment to say it. "Pregnant?" He was shocked.
"Yeah." She gulped.
"You're... sure?"
"Yeah..." she nodded her head.
"You're pregnant?" Danny's face was huge and filled with so much emotion one didn't know if he was happy or sad. He was moved. He was shocked.
C.J. nodded her head.
"How could—I mean...I know how... You're pregnant?" His face went ashen.
She nodded her head.
Danny's smile was huge. He laughed. He shook his head at her. His smile got serious in a scared instant. "Is this safe? I mean for you-if this isn't—"
"It's safe."
Danny took a heavy sigh.
"Women have heathly babies at 45 all the time . . . but I guess I'll be forty six." She sounded deflated near the end of that sentence.
"I'll be fifty," he bemused. Danny fell back in his seat.
"Yeah," she sighed.
"Yeah." He was still amazed.
"You're..." He couldn't even say the words. "Pregnant?" he could feel the emotions in the center of his forehead. "You're pregnant?" He took in a breath.
She ran her hands over his face; her face was full of emotion.
"Do you want..." Danny was so moved he couldn't really speak. "I mean do you...?"
"Do you?" she asked softly
Danny opened his mouth to speak and nodded his head. "If you... if you do..."
"I do." She almost cried out softly finishing his sentence. "I do." She said breathlessly, almost shocked herself. A huge smile came to her face. "I really do." She said with the knowledge that this would her last shot.
Danny laughed out his tears as the damn broke inside of him. He sighed in relief.
She nodded her head. "I do."
"So do I," he said with confidence. He ran his head against hers.
She laughed through her own tears.
"You're having my baby," he said in a joking matter.
C.J. laughed through her tears. "Yeah..." she smiled.
Danny smiled huge. He looked as if he had been hit in the head with a frying pan.
"How..." He looked her over. "How far along are you?" His voice had that amazing Michigan rasp filled with the emotion of utter amazement.
"What?" C.J. smiled through her tears.
"How far along are you?" He ran his hands over her upper arms looking at her with amazed eyes.
"Oh." She sucked in her tears. "A little over two weeks out on two months."
"Six weeks," he said with an exhale of emotion. Danny's voice was so full of quiet emotion, as if his heart might explode right there.
C.J. nodded her head.
."So, in about six more weeks, we can start telling people?" His grin was huge.
"Yeah..." She nodded her head. She was holding in her tears.
Danny started to laugh, "You're due in February..." He was agog.
"Yeah..." she nodded her head. "The first... three days before-"
"Our anniversary." He ran his hands over her arms. He was speechless for a moment. He was floored. "This doesn't seem real."
"I know."
Their heads met.
There was a huge pause.
"I'm scared, Danny."
Danny took a breath. "I know." He nodded his head, consoling her.
Their heads met as they both sucked in tears through huge smiles.
Danny kissed her hands and ran his face along her palms.
C.J. took a huge breath. It was just like Danny had predicted. New things were again at hand. Everything always seemed to happen at once: chaos and blessings.
THE END OF CHAPTER 14