Title: A New Direction, Part 2
AUTHOR: Anjsunicorn
SPOILERS: None for now.
RATING: PG-13.
CATEGORY: general, new character, may move into couples in later stories
SUMMARY: A job opening could bring in a new Senior Staffer.
DISCLAIMER: The recognizable characters belong to Aaron Sorkin. The rest are mine.
NOTES: Thanks to those who reviewed the first part. It helps to know I'm on the right path.
Part 2
Leo chuckled softly at the stunned silence that met his announcement. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen these four people speechless. While Toby and Josh both looked surprised, it was Olivia's face that he was watching. She gaped at him, opened-mouth.
"Well that's the best news you've had for me all day," remarked the President, hugging Olivia. "It's great to have you aboard."
"Wait," she sputtered, still trying to grasp what Leo had said. "Wait, hold on a second. What did you say?" she asked Leo.
"Did you go deaf in the last 10 seconds? I want you to take the position as our new Deputy Press Secretary."
"I didn't know we were looking for a Deputy Press Secretary," Toby commented softly.
Leo turned to face him. "I've been thinking about it since Mandy left. We need someone to handle PR events and CJ could use some help. I mentioned Olivia's credentials to CJ and she wanted to see her." Toby nodded, signaling his agreement with the idea.
Leo turned back to Olivia. "Well, what do you think?"
"I think," she broke off, glancing at the others in the room. Leo nodded. "Gentlemen, if you'd excuse us, I'd like to discuss this with Olivia in private. And if you see CJ, tell her we'll be there in a few minutes."
"Will do," said Josh as he and Toby left the room. The President hugged Olivia again. "Stop by before you leave." Leaning in, he whispered, "We could use you." As he walked into the Oval Office and closed the door, Livy turned to face Leo. "Are you serious?"
"Most things around here are serious, but you'll quickly pick up on that." Moving towards the sideboard, he poured her a glass of water. Handing it to her, his eyes narrowed. "Why wouldn't I be serious?"
"Maybe because I have little experience with anything like this." Nerves came to the surface as Livy set the glass on the end table and began to pace. "Leo, what's going on? Why me?"
Leo stood behind his desk, shifting from loving godfather to the Chief of Staff. "Because this is what you've spent the past few years working towards. What were you going to do with your Masters? Teach?" He looked at her sternly. "You'd be bored in a week. You loved working at the newspaper, the excitement and the speed of the job. This wouldn't be much different."
"Yes, I did love it. But you know that unpredictable lifestyle doesn't work for me right now. Maybe someday I can go back to it, but I have obligations," she said wearily.
"I know that. We can be flexible in some of your hours and you can do some work from home." Leo leaned forward against his desk. "Olivia, you were made for this position and unless you come up with a good reason now as to why you shouldn't take it, you're going to talk to CJ." He could practically see her mind racing as she tried to come up with an excuse. "Ok, times up."
"Leo!" she protested, laughing. "Now who needs to learn patience?"
He moved around the desk and steered her towards the door. "I'm too old to learn new tricks. Besides, I already know the answer, so why wait. You're going to meet with CJ, then we'll discuss the specifications."
She turned to glare at him as they navigated the hallways. "Don't think you're pulling one over on me with your assumptions about my taking this job. If I don't like what I hear from CJ, nothing you say will make the job more appealing."
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye as they walked into CJ's office. "Take the meeting. Then we'll talk."
AUTHOR: Anjsunicorn
SPOILERS: None for now.
RATING: PG-13.
CATEGORY: general, new character, may move into couples in later stories
SUMMARY: A job opening could bring in a new Senior Staffer.
DISCLAIMER: The recognizable characters belong to Aaron Sorkin. The rest are mine.
NOTES: Thanks to those who reviewed the first part. It helps to know I'm on the right path.
Part 2
Leo chuckled softly at the stunned silence that met his announcement. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen these four people speechless. While Toby and Josh both looked surprised, it was Olivia's face that he was watching. She gaped at him, opened-mouth.
"Well that's the best news you've had for me all day," remarked the President, hugging Olivia. "It's great to have you aboard."
"Wait," she sputtered, still trying to grasp what Leo had said. "Wait, hold on a second. What did you say?" she asked Leo.
"Did you go deaf in the last 10 seconds? I want you to take the position as our new Deputy Press Secretary."
"I didn't know we were looking for a Deputy Press Secretary," Toby commented softly.
Leo turned to face him. "I've been thinking about it since Mandy left. We need someone to handle PR events and CJ could use some help. I mentioned Olivia's credentials to CJ and she wanted to see her." Toby nodded, signaling his agreement with the idea.
Leo turned back to Olivia. "Well, what do you think?"
"I think," she broke off, glancing at the others in the room. Leo nodded. "Gentlemen, if you'd excuse us, I'd like to discuss this with Olivia in private. And if you see CJ, tell her we'll be there in a few minutes."
"Will do," said Josh as he and Toby left the room. The President hugged Olivia again. "Stop by before you leave." Leaning in, he whispered, "We could use you." As he walked into the Oval Office and closed the door, Livy turned to face Leo. "Are you serious?"
"Most things around here are serious, but you'll quickly pick up on that." Moving towards the sideboard, he poured her a glass of water. Handing it to her, his eyes narrowed. "Why wouldn't I be serious?"
"Maybe because I have little experience with anything like this." Nerves came to the surface as Livy set the glass on the end table and began to pace. "Leo, what's going on? Why me?"
Leo stood behind his desk, shifting from loving godfather to the Chief of Staff. "Because this is what you've spent the past few years working towards. What were you going to do with your Masters? Teach?" He looked at her sternly. "You'd be bored in a week. You loved working at the newspaper, the excitement and the speed of the job. This wouldn't be much different."
"Yes, I did love it. But you know that unpredictable lifestyle doesn't work for me right now. Maybe someday I can go back to it, but I have obligations," she said wearily.
"I know that. We can be flexible in some of your hours and you can do some work from home." Leo leaned forward against his desk. "Olivia, you were made for this position and unless you come up with a good reason now as to why you shouldn't take it, you're going to talk to CJ." He could practically see her mind racing as she tried to come up with an excuse. "Ok, times up."
"Leo!" she protested, laughing. "Now who needs to learn patience?"
He moved around the desk and steered her towards the door. "I'm too old to learn new tricks. Besides, I already know the answer, so why wait. You're going to meet with CJ, then we'll discuss the specifications."
She turned to glare at him as they navigated the hallways. "Don't think you're pulling one over on me with your assumptions about my taking this job. If I don't like what I hear from CJ, nothing you say will make the job more appealing."
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye as they walked into CJ's office. "Take the meeting. Then we'll talk."
