The Bubble Room
By: Eve Karma
Disclaimer: I don't own West Wing (gee, how do you
figure...) and The Bubble Room is a restaurant in Sanibel, Florida that I
absolutely adore.
Spoilers: A small one from "Mr. Willis of Ohio."
Other: Yet another Kate Montgomery story.
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Sam had been acting weird all week.
I mean, his "normal" is a little abnormal, but this time he was just acting weird.
Friday morning he stopped at my desk on his way into his office.
"Morning, Kate," he said.
"Hey," I mumbled.
Sam stood there in front of my desk, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.
"What do you need, Sam?"
"Um...Kate, I was thinking, if you weren't doing
anything tonight, would you want to, uh,
"Thanks, Sam, but I can't."
"Oh.
He turned and walked into his office before I had a chance to stop him.
When I got off the phone, I knocked on his door and went in.
"Hey, Sam."
"Hi."
"Sam, I just wanted to tell you that I can't go out with you tonight because I already have plans."
"That's okay."
"Well, I wanted to see if you wanted to come along."
Sam seemed to perk up a bit.
"Zoey, Charlie, and I are going to a club.
"Eh, I don't know, Kate..."
"Why not?
"I think I'm too old to go to a club."
"No, c'mon, Sam, you're not too old."
"Wait, isn't Zoey a bit too young to be going to a club?"
I put my hands on my hips and glared at him.
"Fine."
~~~~~
At five, I went into Sam's office to pry him away from his work.
"Sam, time to go."
"What's with the coat?"
"You'll find out later, Sam, just stand up and get yourself out of here."
He followed me into the lobby, where Charlie and an overly
excited Zoey were waiting.
"I can't believe we're going to The Bubble Room!"
"The Bubble Room?"
"Yeah," I replied, turning around to look at him.
"Uh, no.
We all left the White House and walked towards my fire engine red Jetta in the parking lot.
"Kate, you have one cool car," Charlie complimented.
"I get shotgun!" Zoey sang out and ran over to the car.
"Hey, what rule says that you get to ride in the front?" Sam called after her.
"I'm the youngest," Zoey shot back, smiling.
Charlie and Sam squeezed themselves into the backseat, and as we entered the streets of DC, Zoey proceeded to play with my radio.
"Oooh, stop there," or "I love this
song!"
"Why can't we just choose one station and stick with it?" Sam piped up from the back.
"And what station would you choose, Sam?
"Zoey!" I took a hand off the wheel and slapped her arm.
"I wonder where the Secret Service guys are?" Charlie mused.
"Probably two cars behind us or something. Hey, maybe they're undercover!" She laughed.
"Um, speaking of undercover, can I ask what the coats are for?" Sam inquired.
"Well...Kate, you want to take care of this one?"
"Sam...we just...didn't want to get stopped by someone
at the White House and have to answer any questions about our clothing.
"That's all?
By this time we had found a parking space outside the club.
"It'll be fine," I shook my head.
The three of us slipped off our coats and put them in the trunk while Sam stared.
"What?" Charlie asked him.
"Hey, why are you always shocked by what I'm
wearing?"
"Because Eve wrote it that way."
"It happens quite often, though, I'm just saying...does she have some kind of fetish or--"
"Hey!!" Zoey yelled and threw up her hands.
"Fine," we both grumbled.
I was wearing a short black skirt and a shimmery red tank
top.
Charlie just made me laugh.
Sam was wearing khakis, a dressy white shirt, and a maroon
tie.
"Guys, maybe I shouldn't be here.
"Babysitting is for the Secret Service, Sam, not
you," Zoey told him before turning to me.
"Why do they call it the Bubble Room?" Sam asked.
I squinted at Zoey's wrist, struggling with the band.
Machines near the ceiling blew hundreds of bubbles that
slowly drifted down around us.
"I can see why this is your favorite place to party," Charlie told me, admiring the atmosphere.
"C'mon, let's hit the dance floor!" Zoey cried and disappeared into the crowd.
