The Political Engagement: Episode 1
By: The Writer
Rating: PG
Note: Sorry! I know it took me a long time! I hope you find this and it was worth the wait!
Caution: It gets a little fluffy!
Scene 3: Okay…and Action! Cue the Romance!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Le Restaurant Silencieux De Rose
Donna stabbed her last slice of chicken with her fork and eyed Josh. He had eaten most of his vegetables, but when he couldn't swallow any more of them he pushed the remaining pieces around on his plate. The Deputy Chief of Staff had been giving her looks for the past ten minutes. "No, Josh."
He feigned innocence; "What?"
She pulled the chicken off the fork with her teeth, chewed the morsel slowly, and licked her lips. "This is my meal," Donna pointed, "you have your own."
"Humph. If you really cared you would have pity on—
She rebuked him, "Joshua Lyman, you know I care. Now eat your vegetables."
Josh closed his eyes and messaged his temples. "Donna…the mike."
"Oh, right."
Francois walked up to their table. "May I get you some dessert?"
Josh was about to refuse, but this time Donna cut him off, "We'd love some! What do you have?"
The waiter smiled and replied, his voice thick with a French accent, "Well, mademoiselle, one of my personal favorites is le White Chocolate Mousse topped with fresh raspberries."
Donna smiled back. "That sounds delicious."
Josh sat back and balled up his cloth napkin as he watched Francois bow his head to Donna before hurrying off to fetch the dessert. But, for once, he didn't comment.
Donna turned back to her dinner companion with the corners of her lips still upturned. She tilted her head to the side as she viewed her boss' expression. The light bulb clicked on in her brain and made her eyes twinkle. "Josh are you…jealous?"
Why? Why, after the thousands of times he'd commented on the losers she'd dated, did Donna choose now to ask him such a question? It was national TV! "I didn't say anything."
"I know." She finished off her drink.
You might think a Fulbright scholar could come up with an eloquent response in a snap, right? That's not so. Josh looked at his sparkling grape juice for inspiration. 'Like the bubbles rising to the surface and bursting my soul doth long for…' No, that wasn't any good.
Just then Francois came back, saving Josh from saying something best not revealed on national television. The French waiter set down a crystal bowl piled high with white mousse. "Bon appetit."
Donna took a spoon and dug into the dessert. "It's good, Josh, try it."
"I thought you'd want to share it with Frenchy."
"Come on, Josh, I know you want some." Donna filled her spoon with mousse and held it in front of her boss' face.
Instead of eating what he was offered, Josh reached across the table and wiped a glob of the cream off of Donna's lip with a finger. He licked the mousse off of his finger. "Not bad."
Donna blushed and licked her lips. She looked up to see a cue card being waved in the air. Feed him a raspberry
She raised an eyebrow. "They want me to feed you, Joshua."
"What?" Josh spun around, ready to punch the cue card guy. Feed her a raspberry
The Deputy Chief of Staff plucked a berry off of the mousse and aimed at Donna's face. "Open up."
"Why?"
"Come on, Donna."
"Fine."
Josh threw the raspberry at her open mouth and missed by a good six inches. Donna laughed, "Nice try." She threw one at him and he caught it. "Aim before you throw."
"I did." He squinted at her mouth, threw, and (again) missed.
"I guess I just have a bigger target," said Donna, smiling.
"Funny, Donnatella, very funny."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In the White House
C.J. walked back into the Viewing Room. "Somebody tell me why the hell I was just asked if all the White House staff members exude poor etiquette."
Sam piped up, "To their defense, I think someone off-screen is telling them what to do."
"What are they doing?" C.J. demanded.
"Well, Josh was just throwing raspberries into Donna's mouth."
"You've got to be kidding me…"
Sam shook his head. "I kid you not."
C.J. raised her hands in surrender. "I don't care if the President himself is standing behind them, demanding that they throw fruit—don't they realize they're on national television?"
"Actually, if it was the President you would care," exclaimed Charlie.
C.J. glowered. She grabbed a bag of popcorn away from Toby, ripping the bag in the process.
"Hey! I was eating that!" complained Toby.
"Don't you have something better to do?" C.J. suggested, "What about yelling at Sam?"
The Communication's Director turned to his deputy; "Did you take that joke out of the President's speech?"
"What? The one about a buck walking into a bar and—
Toby rubbed his face. "Yes, that one."
"Come on, Toby, it's funny, they'll laugh—
"They will not laugh! Half of the state hunts! They don't want to hear about some stupid deer—
"But you didn't like my last five drafts!"
"'Cause, Sam, the jokes in those weren't funny, either."
Just then an intern none of them knew walked into the room, probably preventing a full-scale war. "The pile of phone messages to Donna and Mr. Lyman are overflowing my desk. Does anyone want to hold onto these two?"
"I'll take them," said Sam, grabbing the papers and scanning them. "This one's Donna's. It's from 'Jake make-'em-pay Swift' about suing Josh for sexual harassment in the workplace." He ripped it up. "And this one is to Josh, from a single 26-year-old woman who likes to wear lace and cooks to-die-for lamb chops… Someone get me a phone!"
"Here." C.J. handed him her cell.
Sam dialed the phone and walked out of the room. "Hello? Darla?"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Le Restaurant Silencieux De Ros
The waiter returned to Josh and Donna's table with a check. "Is there anything else I can get for you, monsieur?"
Josh gave the Frenchmen a sneaky smile that worried Donna. "May I ask you something?"
"Why certainly," said Francois.
The Deputy Chief of Staff leaned forward in his chair. "Is it true Paris is the city of love?"
Francois looked proud. "Paris is indeed a very romantic city."
"So, as a Frenchmen, would you consider yourself romantic?"
The waiter smiled at Donna; Josh could hardly contain himself as he awaited Francois' response. "Well, monsieur, I would."
"And as a romantic you don't pride yourself on breaking young girl's hearts?" asked Josh, causing Donna to wonder what he was up to.
Francois looked appalled. "Of course not!"
"Good man," Josh patted the waiter on the arm, "because you're only going to be here for what, another few weeks or a month? And then you'll be gone."
"Yes?" Francois looked confused.
"So, of course, you mustn't even consider dating anyone while you're here…even Donna, for instance. Because you'd just end up breaking her heart when you left, and as a romantic you said you would never do such a thing."
"I…Well, monsieur…"
Josh handed the check and his credit card to the waiter. "Merci, Francois."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Outside Le Restaurant Silencieux De Ros
Donna and Josh walked out of the restaurant, heading for their cars. Zack and Jacob, the cameraman, followed.
"Josh!"
Her boss feigned innocence, "What?"
"I can't believe you did that!" said Donna, shaking her head at him.
Josh shrugged. "He got a tip."
"I know, Josh, but you—
"Wished him a swift trip back to France, is that a bad thing?" asked Josh with a smirk on his face. He watched as Donna unlocked her car. He reached for the handle and opened it for her.
They both stood, awkwardly staring at each other…both constantly think about the camera filming them. Josh leaned on the open door and read the cue card. "Well…"
Donna smiled nervously. "Yeah…"
Kiss. Kiss!
Josh leaned down and kissed her quickly. Donna blinked in surprise and pulled back, licking her lips. "Josh!"
He shoved his hands in his pockets. "What?"
"What was that?"
Josh avoided her eyes. How many times can one be humiliated on national TV in one day? "A kiss…they wanted me to—
Donna laughed. "You call that a kiss?" She pulled him close and kissed him passionately.
Zack dropped him cue cards and muttered, "Thank god!"
Jacob faded the shot out.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In the White House
There was complete and utter stunned silence as all the staffers stared at the screen.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
On TV
The screen slowly went black and the credits began to role. In a prerecorded voice-over, Arnold's voice boomed through millions of television speakers, "That concludes the first episode of The Political Engagement. Please tune in next week to see two other White House workers find love on a 'blind date'! Good night."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The End
PLEASE RESPOND!
Note: I told you it was something that wouldn't ever happen! But I hope you liked it anyway!
Another Note: Keep your eyes out for The Political Engagement: Episode 2! Two other people get set up and this time Josh is the matchmaker! Boy, does he get revenge! (S/? and (a little more) J/D)
