********

I'm still pondering the situation when I hear Josh

say, "Then who are you talking to?"

There's something you should know about Sam Seaborn:

The man cannot lie under pressure. "Nobody."

"Sam, tell him you're on hold."

"I'm on hold," he says proudly, and once again I save

a man's life with my deft tongue and quick wit.

Ego? What ego? I don't see any ego.

"With who?" What's with the persistence, huh?

"A person you don't know," he says defensively.

"Just hang up. I'll talk to you later. Oh, and Sam,

have fun," I add with malicious glee.

"No!" Sam yelps, making me jump.

"What is wrong with you?" Josh asks, and I hear him

grab the phone from Sam's hand.

Uh oh. We're about to get busted. Not that we did

anything wrong.

"Josh!" Sam has really got to get over this yelping

thing.

"It's my phone, Sam. Who is this?" He sounds more

amused than irritated. I have a feeling that's about

to change. I could just hang up, but that would be

silly. Childish, even. So I was talking to Sam.

Big whoop.

"Hello, Joshua."

"DONNA?" I wince and pull the phone away from my ear.

Ouch.

"How's the weather down in DC?"

"You were talking to Sam!" Sam must have run away a

long time ago. Chicken.

"I talk to people all the time, Josh. Sometimes I even

talk to people who aren't you." Burn, baby, burn.

"You were talking to *Sam* in my office!"

If I had any sense whatsoever, right now I would

calmly explain that I had called his office and Sam

had picked up the phone. Simple as that.

But what right does he have to be upset about this?

Forget right, what *reason* does he have to be upset

about this? I talk to Sam all the time at work and he

doesn't bat an eye; now all of a sudden it's an issue?

"I don't see your point," I say coolly. This is none

of his business, and I fully intend to tell him so.

"Why didn't he say it was you on the phone in the

first place? Why'd he lie?"

"Maybe he didn't want you to interrupt our

conversation." I regret the words the second they come

out of my mouth, but there's nothing I can do.

"Oh. Well, so sorry to butt in like that. Perhaps you

two could continue your simulating conversation if he

picked you up from the airport tonight," he says

stiffly, his voice icier than the snow outside my

window.

"That won't be necessary. Take a look at your

television, Josh. I'm not flying anywhere."

"I guess I'll call the temp agency for help on

Monday," he says coldly, and hangs up.

He hung up on me! Incredible. What the hell did I do

to offend him? Sam and I are friends; Josh knows that.

Why on earth-

As I hear the pieces snap into place, I realize two

very important things.

One: Josh is an idiot.

Two: Sam is a politician.