TITLE: Positive thinking.
AUTHOR: Melissa Orr
DISCLAIMER: Don't own them, never will.
"Can I have another?" Toby pushed his empty glass towards the waitress.
"This would be your eighth." She said concerned.
"Are you getting paid?"
"Yes."
"Then get me another."
The waitress glared at him for a moment, but did as he said.
"Right away."
"Thank you." Toby said as the waitress walked off. He had been coming to this bar for three years now. And it wasn't anything special. As he looked around, he noticed the same faces that he sees every time he's there. The most he's ever seen in that bar was about five. It was a wonder how it kept in business.
"Excuse me, but are you Toby Ziegler?" A woman walked up and stood over him.
"That depends on who wants to know." Toby said without even looking up.
"My friend and I have a bet going. She says you're nobody, and I say you're Toby Ziegler."
"How much was the bet for?" He asked.
"Twenty bucks."
"Well, you just won yourself twenty bucks, congratulations." He said unenthused.
"I'm sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?" She asked.
"It's always a bad time." He mumbled to himself.
"Here's your drink." The waitress snapped and slammed the drink in front of him, but he didn't even flinch.
"Thank you."
"You're impossible, you know that." The waitress snapped again and stormed off.
"So, you've been here for a while?" The woman asked.
"Can I help you?" He said while he finally looked up at her.
"I just wanted to see if you were Toby Ziegler."
"Yes, I am. I thought we covered that."
"We did."
"Why are you still here then?"
"I've been a fan of yours for about five years now."
"Why are you a fan of mine?" He asked confused as he drank his scotch in one sip. "I need another one." He smiled sarcastically at the waitress.
"Well, when I was in high school, Mike Grady spoke at my school."
"Yeah," Toby moaned.
"Yeah, he was running for Congress and you were his speechwriter. I just loved the speech he gave."
"He lost the election."
"Well, I know. But the speech was great."
"Thank you."
"I'm sorry that he lost."
"Yeah."
"Why did he lose?"
"Because I wrote for him."
"I'm sure that's not true."
"He told me the night of the election that if he lost, it was because I wrote for him."
"Oh."
"Oh, indeed," Toby said. "Where's my drink?" He yelled over at the bar.
"It's coming," The waitress said sarcastically.
"Her tip is going to be small," He moaned.
"What are you doing now?"
"What?" He looked up at her. "Are you still here?"
"Yep," She smiled. "What are you doing now?"
"I'm writing a speech for Governor Bartlet that he's giving next week."
"Wow, you're working for the Governor?"
"No, I'm just writing a speech for him."
"He's planning on running for the Presidency, right?"
"How did you know that?"
"I read it in the newspaper."
"Oh yeah."
"Here," The waitress slammed three drinks down. "This should tide you over for a few minutes," She said and walked away.
"Okay, now she might get a good tip."
"You're going to help him get elected?"
"If the speech goes well, Leo McGarry will decide if he wants to hire me or show me the door."
"I'm sure the speech will be great."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," He raised his glass and toasted her.
"You seem depressed."
"Why are you still talking to me?"
"I admire you."
"And why's that?"
"Because you're not afraid to put anything down on paper. Most writers are very careful when they write, but not you. You say it how it is."
"Well, I think you just found out the reason that I lose every election I work for."
"I think it's great."
"Yeah, well. Start getting more voters to believe that, and then we'll talk."
"What if you win this election?"
"We won't."
"But what if Josiah Bartlet turns out to be the next President of the United States?"
"He'll do it without my help, because after he gives the speech I wrote for him next week at that Chicken place, I'm fired."
"What if they like it?"
"I doubt it."
"They might."
"Why do you think positive all the time?"
"I'm a positive girl."
"Speaking of which, how did you get into a bar? What are you, eighteen?"
"Twenty one today." She smiled.
"Well, Happy Birthday," Toby said as he inhaled another drink.
"You should start thinking positive."
"I will if I ever win."
"What if you win this?"
"Then I'll think positive."
"So, if you get this job, and the Governor wins, you would be the Communications Director of the White House?"
"Yeah."
"That would be so cool."
"Cool," Toby rolled his eyes back.
"Well, you do know that Communication Directors need secretaries?"
"I'm well aware of that, yes."
"Oh, so you have a secretary?"
"I did, many times, but they seem to leave after a few weeks of no check."
"Here," The woman went into her purse and grabbed some paper. "When you get this job, and I know you will. Call me," She wrote her number down and gave it to him.
"Why?"
"Because I would make a good secretary. Besides, you need someone working with you that thinks positive."
"Why?"
"Because you don't have a positive bone in your body."
"I won't get this job."
"I think you will."
"See, that's the positive side of you talking. Come back to reality."
"That was my reality talking," She smirked. "I'll make a bet with you."
"You've already won a bet tonight," Toby pointed out.
"I know, I like my luck tonight," She smiled. "Next week, after the Governor gives his speech. If Leo McGarry tell you that you're hired, I'm your first phone call."
"And if he shows me the door?"
"Then throw away my number. But if you get this, you hire me."
"Why would I hire you?"
"Because it's going to be my positive attitude that get you and me to the top."
"I doubt that."
"It's worth a shot. Come on. I need a job you need a job. What do we have to lose?"
"I don't have anything else too lose," Toby pointed out and finished his second drink.
"Then it's a bet?" She put out her hand.
"Fine. If by some lucky chance I get hired, you can be my secretary," He shook her hand.
"You don't sound enthused."
"Because I know that I'm going to shown the door."
"We'll see. I have to get back to my friend."
"If she's still here. You've been over here for like an hour."
"Positive Toby. Just think positive," She started to walk away.
"Wait, you didn't tell me your name."
"My name's Ginger."
"Ginger," Toby said to himself as he watched Ginger and her friend leave. "Ginger, you're crazy my dear," He shook his head.
"Well, more scotch?" The waitress walked up and put her hands on her hips.
"Do you know who I am?" He asked her.
"Besides a pain in my ass?" She glared.
"I'm Toby Ziegler," He smiled. "The future Communications Director of the White House."
"Yeah, whatever. Here's the bill," The waitress threw the bill at him and walked off.
"See, I can think positive," He smiled at himself.
The End
"Can I have another?" Toby pushed his empty glass towards the waitress.
"This would be your eighth." She said concerned.
"Are you getting paid?"
"Yes."
"Then get me another."
The waitress glared at him for a moment, but did as he said.
"Right away."
"Thank you." Toby said as the waitress walked off. He had been coming to this bar for three years now. And it wasn't anything special. As he looked around, he noticed the same faces that he sees every time he's there. The most he's ever seen in that bar was about five. It was a wonder how it kept in business.
"Excuse me, but are you Toby Ziegler?" A woman walked up and stood over him.
"That depends on who wants to know." Toby said without even looking up.
"My friend and I have a bet going. She says you're nobody, and I say you're Toby Ziegler."
"How much was the bet for?" He asked.
"Twenty bucks."
"Well, you just won yourself twenty bucks, congratulations." He said unenthused.
"I'm sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?" She asked.
"It's always a bad time." He mumbled to himself.
"Here's your drink." The waitress snapped and slammed the drink in front of him, but he didn't even flinch.
"Thank you."
"You're impossible, you know that." The waitress snapped again and stormed off.
"So, you've been here for a while?" The woman asked.
"Can I help you?" He said while he finally looked up at her.
"I just wanted to see if you were Toby Ziegler."
"Yes, I am. I thought we covered that."
"We did."
"Why are you still here then?"
"I've been a fan of yours for about five years now."
"Why are you a fan of mine?" He asked confused as he drank his scotch in one sip. "I need another one." He smiled sarcastically at the waitress.
"Well, when I was in high school, Mike Grady spoke at my school."
"Yeah," Toby moaned.
"Yeah, he was running for Congress and you were his speechwriter. I just loved the speech he gave."
"He lost the election."
"Well, I know. But the speech was great."
"Thank you."
"I'm sorry that he lost."
"Yeah."
"Why did he lose?"
"Because I wrote for him."
"I'm sure that's not true."
"He told me the night of the election that if he lost, it was because I wrote for him."
"Oh."
"Oh, indeed," Toby said. "Where's my drink?" He yelled over at the bar.
"It's coming," The waitress said sarcastically.
"Her tip is going to be small," He moaned.
"What are you doing now?"
"What?" He looked up at her. "Are you still here?"
"Yep," She smiled. "What are you doing now?"
"I'm writing a speech for Governor Bartlet that he's giving next week."
"Wow, you're working for the Governor?"
"No, I'm just writing a speech for him."
"He's planning on running for the Presidency, right?"
"How did you know that?"
"I read it in the newspaper."
"Oh yeah."
"Here," The waitress slammed three drinks down. "This should tide you over for a few minutes," She said and walked away.
"Okay, now she might get a good tip."
"You're going to help him get elected?"
"If the speech goes well, Leo McGarry will decide if he wants to hire me or show me the door."
"I'm sure the speech will be great."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," He raised his glass and toasted her.
"You seem depressed."
"Why are you still talking to me?"
"I admire you."
"And why's that?"
"Because you're not afraid to put anything down on paper. Most writers are very careful when they write, but not you. You say it how it is."
"Well, I think you just found out the reason that I lose every election I work for."
"I think it's great."
"Yeah, well. Start getting more voters to believe that, and then we'll talk."
"What if you win this election?"
"We won't."
"But what if Josiah Bartlet turns out to be the next President of the United States?"
"He'll do it without my help, because after he gives the speech I wrote for him next week at that Chicken place, I'm fired."
"What if they like it?"
"I doubt it."
"They might."
"Why do you think positive all the time?"
"I'm a positive girl."
"Speaking of which, how did you get into a bar? What are you, eighteen?"
"Twenty one today." She smiled.
"Well, Happy Birthday," Toby said as he inhaled another drink.
"You should start thinking positive."
"I will if I ever win."
"What if you win this?"
"Then I'll think positive."
"So, if you get this job, and the Governor wins, you would be the Communications Director of the White House?"
"Yeah."
"That would be so cool."
"Cool," Toby rolled his eyes back.
"Well, you do know that Communication Directors need secretaries?"
"I'm well aware of that, yes."
"Oh, so you have a secretary?"
"I did, many times, but they seem to leave after a few weeks of no check."
"Here," The woman went into her purse and grabbed some paper. "When you get this job, and I know you will. Call me," She wrote her number down and gave it to him.
"Why?"
"Because I would make a good secretary. Besides, you need someone working with you that thinks positive."
"Why?"
"Because you don't have a positive bone in your body."
"I won't get this job."
"I think you will."
"See, that's the positive side of you talking. Come back to reality."
"That was my reality talking," She smirked. "I'll make a bet with you."
"You've already won a bet tonight," Toby pointed out.
"I know, I like my luck tonight," She smiled. "Next week, after the Governor gives his speech. If Leo McGarry tell you that you're hired, I'm your first phone call."
"And if he shows me the door?"
"Then throw away my number. But if you get this, you hire me."
"Why would I hire you?"
"Because it's going to be my positive attitude that get you and me to the top."
"I doubt that."
"It's worth a shot. Come on. I need a job you need a job. What do we have to lose?"
"I don't have anything else too lose," Toby pointed out and finished his second drink.
"Then it's a bet?" She put out her hand.
"Fine. If by some lucky chance I get hired, you can be my secretary," He shook her hand.
"You don't sound enthused."
"Because I know that I'm going to shown the door."
"We'll see. I have to get back to my friend."
"If she's still here. You've been over here for like an hour."
"Positive Toby. Just think positive," She started to walk away.
"Wait, you didn't tell me your name."
"My name's Ginger."
"Ginger," Toby said to himself as he watched Ginger and her friend leave. "Ginger, you're crazy my dear," He shook his head.
"Well, more scotch?" The waitress walked up and put her hands on her hips.
"Do you know who I am?" He asked her.
"Besides a pain in my ass?" She glared.
"I'm Toby Ziegler," He smiled. "The future Communications Director of the White House."
"Yeah, whatever. Here's the bill," The waitress threw the bill at him and walked off.
"See, I can think positive," He smiled at himself.
The End