Note: Items in parentheses with italics are overheard conversations

"C.J.! C.J.!" Everyone's looking at me as I weave around them, doing the 100-yard dash towards her office.

I burst through her door, panting. "C.J… I'm…now… 90%… sure… I've… got… solid… proof."

"Proof of what, Sam?" came a voice from behind.

Oh, God. Please don't let that be him. Please! I slowly turn around to see…

"Leo! Hi, how's it goin'? I thought you had a meeting with Josh?"

Leo looks at me, arms folded. "Cancelled it. What do you almost have proof of, Sam?"

"Um, um it's nothing really. It's not that important."

Leo tilts his head and cocks his eyebrows. He looks like my father used to look at me when he knew I was lying to him. Jeez, I'm still getting caught. "Sam, I'm not going to ask again."

C.J. stands up and walks over to Leo, handing him the copy of The Post from this morning. "He's talking about this."

Leo puts on his glasses and reads the column. His expression remains the same.

"Leo, please. C.J. and I are working on a way to find out if Donna actually wrote that."

C.J. spins around. "Whoa, there, babe. What do you mean by we? All this was your idea. All I want to know is how to handle this with the press if it is in fact true."

"C.J., aren't you the least bit concerned for Donna? Just because she's not an actual member of the Senior Staff doesn't mean that we should just toss her aside. Just imagine Josh without her-he'd be…well, he'd be up a creek without the proverbial paddle. She is one of the most caring people in this entire west wing!"

"Sam, I understand that. I'm just looking out for the interest of the President. We dodged the bullet with the possible firing of Josh. Don't get me wrong; I do care about Donna. She's the best thing for Josh. But she is an assistant. She could possibly be reassigned…or fired if she wrote that comment. People who work for the President are held at a higher level than the rest of society. What they do or don't do ultimately reflects back to the President."

"C.J., come on. This by no means…"

Leo slams the paper against the arm of the couch. "Would the two of you just shut up?!"

C.J. and I turn to look at Leo. "Sam, what have you found out so far?"

"Well, Leo, First, Donna won't give back Josh's copy of The Post. Second, she was acting very defensive when I questioned what she was reading. Finally, when I asked her if she was reading that column, she denied it at first, but then admitted it. I think she was reading her letter and wanting to know what the response was. Come on, we all know how she feels about him. And, I think Josh's starting to feel the same way."

Leo stands up and removes his glasses, placing them in his jacket pocket. "Yes, I know that. I want the entire Senior Staff together at 4:30-Donna, too. Sam, I want you to tell Donna she's coming."

"Leo, why do we need the entire staff? Can't you just talk to Donna?"

"No, Sam. If she did write this-which I highly doubt-I want the entire staff there to formulate a strategy. This column is in The Post, which I remind you both, is read by every major Republican and Democrat in this city. And not to mention, this "Eve" person probably knows Danny. And if he finds out that it is Donna, we all can kiss re-election goodbye."

C.J. shakes her head. "That may not be the case, Leo. Most people who write to these columns don't give their actual names and even if they did, "Eve" would withhold their real name. Kind of like reporters and their sources. If they ever wanted the good scoops again, they'd never divulge the names."

"Well, C.J., let's hope you're right. I know we'd all like to see the two of them together. If we can just get through re-election, people. I don't want this to deter from re-electing the President. If we win again, then we'll deal with this potential romance. Clear?"

C.J. and I nod. "Good. I'll see you both at 4:30." And with that, Leo heads out the door.

"Well, I guess I'll go tell Donna about the meeting." I head out of C.J.'s office and retrace my steps from earlier. But, this time I'm in absolutely no hurry to get to Josh's bullpen. How do I go about telling them that Leo wants to see them? I stop and lean against a wall in order to think of the right way to approach this. I'm standing there for thirty seconds when Toby walks by.

"Sam? Don't you have the VAWA thing to work on?"

"Yeah, but that's been put off. We now have a Senior Staff meeting at 4:30 with Leo."

"Really, what about?"

"Did you read The Washington Post yet?"

"No, I've been working on the President's upcoming speech at the NEA convention. But I'll try to fit it in with the other 48 things I've got to do today."

"Toby, read it-especially "Ask Eve." But don't go and get all worked up about it. Leo knows about it already and that's the reason for the meeting."

"Fine." Toby turns and heads for his office.

Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. How to approach Josh and Donna.

"Hello, Sam." Damn. Ainsley-she's the last person I need to see right now.

"Hi."

"What 'cha doing standing up against the wall?"

"Thinking."

"About what?"

Oh for the love of… "Ainsley, I need to tell two people to come to a meeting without telling them the reason for the meeting."

"Oh. Well, for starters, just tell Josh and Donna that Leo wants the two of them along with the rest of the Senior Staff for a possible crisis situation."

I turn to look at her. "How in the hell did you know it was Josh and Donna? I never said it was them."

"Sam, didn't anyone ever tell you I'm just like The Amazing Kreskin?"

"What?"

Ainsley places her hand on my arm. "I'm kidding Sam. Leo told me when we passed in the hall. He wanted someone in the Council's office to be aware in case we're needed."

"Jeez, so much for handling this quietly."

"Kind of like dominos falling, huh Sam?"

"Go get yourself a muffin or something." I stand up from the wall and turn towards Josh's bullpen. Here goes nothing…

I don't see Donna at her desk, but I do hear Josh yelling in his office.

(I don't want to do this Donnatella!)

(Joshua, please change your shirt. You've got ketchup all over it.)

(My meetings have been cancelled; I'm not meeting anyone else today.)

({Sigh} All the girls love you in this shirt.)

(That doesn't work anymore.)

(Okay…I love you in this shirt.)

(Fine. I'll change. Did you bring me the VAWA stuff?)

(Yes. I did 65 index cards on it.)

(Donna, how many times do I have to tell you, no more than 5 index cards?)

(But, this is important information, Josh. You need to know why the President and First Lady want more than the current $270 million grants that are given out. We want stricter rules regarding criminals crossing state lines to continue the abuse of the women. We want the offenders to pay restitution and states to…)

(Donna, why do you say we?)

(Josh, we means all women in general. If something like that were to happen to me, wouldn't you want the toughest laws to protect me?)

(Donna, if that ever happened to you, the guy wouldn't survive to stand trial. I'd have my hands wrapped around his throat so hard…)

(Oh, Josh…)

Okay, that's my cue. I knock on the door. "Hey, you two got a minute?"

"Sure Sam, what's up?" Josh peers around Donna while she's fixing his tie.

"Good. Leo wants you and the rest of the Senior Staff for a meeting at 4:30."

"Okay."

"He wants Donna there, too."

Donna drops Josh's tie and turns around. "What? Why does he want me?"

My eyes focus on the dogwood tree outside Josh's window. "Uh, don't know. Something about a potential crisis and he wants all of us there. Gotta go, bye!"

"Sam, what about our meeting on VAWA?"

"That can wait until after this meeting. See you both in Leo's office at 4:30." I head out the door and hide from their view so I can catch what they say.

(Well, Donna, that was weird.)

(Yeah, but when have you known Sam not to be cryptic?)

(Good point. Thanks for the help with the tie.)

(Sure…I'll just be at my desk until 4:30.)

Oops…better go before she catches me!

To Be Continued....