Title: Stay Anyway 7/?
Author: Amber (Ambino1111@prodigy.net)
Disclaimers & other notes in Part 1
Previously, in Stay Anyway…
Part 1…
… Josh and I are working our butts off on the latest Health Care Package, an amendment to H.R. 206.
… The President, CJ, Toby, and Charlie are in China until Monday evening.
… Josh lets out a snort. He wiggles his index finger in my direction. "You
were engaged to this woman, you haven't seen her in years, and all you can
say is 'she got a haircut'?" "Well, she did," I defend, looking down at my hands briefly. "That, and a baby."
Part 2…
… I can remember Sam leaving as if it were yesterday, yet... it's been over three years and, at times, seems decades longer.
… She shifts in her seat suddenly and thrusts a manicured hand in my direction. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Donnatella Moss, Josh Lyman's assistant." I chortle in amused sympathy, which causes Donna to grin. "I somehow doubt Josh's personality has changed much in three years." I pause. "You're a very brave woman."
… The door opens again and I sigh. Gathering my courage I stand, ready to face my ex-fiancee.
Part 3…
… Lisa and I are staring at each other, and Donna coughs slightly, backing into the Roosevelt Room. "I'll be in here, if you, uh, well, we'll be here." Then she's gone, and it's just Lisa and me... and Alex.
… Why does politics always come between Lisa and me?
Part 4…
… His face brightens and he smiles one of his killer smiles. I always loved his perfect white teeth, and it has nothing to do with professional appreciation.
… "I - I... we... why does everyone think we should date? Donna is my friend and a fine assistant, and we are both professionals."
… "You can both be professionals and be in love," I tell him truthfully. He doesn't meet my eyes.
… My body tenses immediately. "Sam, I don't want to do this right now," My voice carries with it a silent plea. Sam either misses or ignores it. "Lisa, please. I think we need to talk about it."
… Then Sam coughs and the spell is broken, and he leads the way to Josh's office.
Part 5…
… I stand up, more furious than I should be but unable to help it. "No. You know what? No! We're not getting into this. I know you mean well, but frankly, this is none of your goddamn business. Yes, I was engaged to Lisa, but that was before the campaign and has no relevance to anything. And unless I express them verbally, my thoughts and feelings are mine and mine alone. I'm sick and tired of being 'Poor Little Innocent Sam' whose life's purpose is to amuse the White House Staff with tales of his misadventures.
… Oh great. This is fitting; this is perfect. I take it back - the last thing I want to do right now is talk to Lisa.
… "Oh, Sam," Lisa sighs. I look up at her as she gestures vaguely with her left hand. "This - this was never supposed to happen; this wasn't supposed to be us... How did we get here?"
Part 6…
… I'm standing still, staring at this man in a most unprofessional manner but unable to stop. I never believed in love at first sight, but... "Uh, I'm Sam Seaborn. I have an eleven-thirty appointment to fill some cavities?" He sounds like he's trying to jog my memory, and he has.
… He laughs, and I can tell that despite his cavity problems he has a terrific smile. I wonder if he uses whitening toothpaste...?
… "I thed, 'ow woo fwee Fwiday night foh dinnah?'" I feel Helen's eyes boring a hole into the side of my head as I force my brain to respond coherently. "Y-yes. Yes, I am."
*****
"Within you I lose myself
Without you I find myself
Wanting to be lost again."
-Unknown
*****
"I think she's starting to suspect something," I whisper into the phone, leaning back to see if Lisa is home yet. It doesn't look like it. "I don't want her to find out, but if she asks, I don't think I can lie to her."
"It's not lying; it's misdirection," Josh insists.
"No wonder you're a politician," I mutter playfully. I can almost see his grin. "You're going to be here to help me, right? You're flying in on Thursday?"
There's a shuffle of papers on the other end, and I hear Josh's muffled voice speaking to a man.
"Sorry about that, Sam. I'm still working, you know."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm so upset that _I_ don't get to work on Sundays like you do."
"Trust me, you don't know what you're missing," I can hear the smile in his voice.
"Okay -what was your hotel number again?" I grab a pencil and jot down the information he gives me on the nightstand notepad. As I put the pencil back down I hear the door close, making me jump. "Lisa's home. I gotta go."
"Sam?" Lisa calls out. I hear her approaching our room.
"In the bedroom, honey!" I yell back. "Josh, I'll talk to you later. Give me a call when you arrive."
"Okay. Bye."
I hang up and rip off the sheet just in time. Lisa enters our room and tosses her purse on a chair.
"Hi, Lisa," I say, walking up to her while discreetly tucking the paper in my back jeans pocket. She raises her eyebrows at my apparently _in_discreet actions, and I answer her unasked question with a kiss.
"How was your morning?" I wrap my arms around her and she sighs, leaning into my embrace.
"Well, I managed to fix poor Mr. Wyder's botched root canal in under three hours," She looks exhausted. Perhaps that's because she was called into work at six thirty.
I move around behind her and rub her shoulders as she describes the dental emergency that woke both of us up early.
"At least Dr. Anderson will be back from vacation tomorrow," She concludes, leaning her head back to look up at me. I kiss the tip of her nose and she smiles.
"Want me to make breakfast?" I offer. Her smile grows wider and her eyes dance mischievously.
"I don't know. You and an open flame?"
I make a face and she laughs. Ah, how I love her laugh.
"Pancakes would be great."
I nod and lean down to kiss her. "Chocolate or blueberry?"
"Hmm... chocolate sounds heavenly."
"All right," I reluctantly break our embrace. "Chocolate pancakes it is."
I hear the creaking of the mattress springs as I leave and surmise that Lisa's going to take a nap. Good. That will give me time to make a few more phone calls.
She's going to love her surprise party.
TBC