For notes and disclaimers, see part 1.
Part 15
"So, what's happening today?" Leo asked and looked at the senior staff gathered in his office.
No one answered and Leo could definitely feel the tension in the room. Toby refused to look at anyone and looked like he had a hell of a hangover. CJ looked down on her notes but Leo could tell something was bothering her. Josh and Sam looked at Toby and CJ, then at each other as if to give each other an answer of what was going on.
Leo sighed. "Okay, what's the matter? We have things to do today, you know?" Still no answer. "Josh, Sam, CJ, come back in five minutes."
Without a word they did as Leo had told them. When the door was closed Leo tried do get Toby to look at him. When he didn't he sighed.
"Toby, I don't know what's the matter with you today, or anyone else for that matter, but remember that you work in the White House for the President of the United States."
Toby looked up at him and Leo almost took a step back.
"Damn it, Toby! You look like shit."
"Thank you," Toby said sarcastically.
"Sorry, but have you slept anything?"
Toby didn't answer, just glared at him.
"Toby, if you need to go home do so, but if you're here then you have to do your job. Okay?"
Before Toby answered there was a knock on the door and Josh stuck in his head.
"Sorry, Leo, but if we're going to have staff this morning we have to continue now. I and Sam have to go the Hill in ten minutes."
Leo looked at Toby who nodded his okay.
"Its okay, guys."
Sam and Josh quickly walked back to their old seats with CJ slowly coming after them. Leo did a mental note to check if she was okay later.
"Okay, Sam, Josh, the Hill?"
"Yeah, we'll probably be there until lunch, if not later," Josh said.
"Okay, but I count on you two to take this home. Got it?"
Both Josh and Sam nodded. Leo turned to CJ.
"CJ, what do you have today?"
"Not that much," she said quietly and Leo noticed that she as well looked like hell. "Henry will take care of the afternoon briefing. I have a meeting before lunch. Don't really know what it's about, but."
"Okay," Leo said. "And Toby?"
Toby just shook his head. "I'm going to write a first draft for tomorrow."
"Okay, if everything goes well with that, can't you help CJ with the meeting she doesn't know what it's about?" Toby looked at him before slowly nodding.
"You know the two of you look like hell today. Maybe I should send you both to a health center or a romantic weekend together." He laughed but stopped when he realized no one else did and the awkwardness that spread around the room. "Oh, come on! Okay, get out!"
Sam and Josh quickly left and Toby also walked in quick pace towards his office. CJ followed him and when she caught up with him he didn't even turn to look at her.
"About the meeting," she said. "I can take care of that by myself."
They were right outside his office now and he turned to her but avoided her eyes.
"Good," he said quietly. "Because now I can't even stand looking at you."
He walked into his office and closed the door right in front of her face. CJ closed her eyes and leaned against the door for a short moment before noticing Ginger and Bonnie starring at her.
"What's up with Toby today?" Ginger asked slowly.
CJ shook her head and even managed to smile a little. "Just give him some space, okay?"
CJ returned to her office to prepare her morning briefing. The only problem was that she couldn't concentrate. She hated herself, hated herself for what she said to him last night, hated herself for once again hurting him, hated herself for being the reason he had been drinking all night, hated herself for being the reason he looked like shit in staff this morning. But mostly she hated herself for realizing that she had been wrong, all the time, and now she wanted it back.
TBC.
Part 15
"So, what's happening today?" Leo asked and looked at the senior staff gathered in his office.
No one answered and Leo could definitely feel the tension in the room. Toby refused to look at anyone and looked like he had a hell of a hangover. CJ looked down on her notes but Leo could tell something was bothering her. Josh and Sam looked at Toby and CJ, then at each other as if to give each other an answer of what was going on.
Leo sighed. "Okay, what's the matter? We have things to do today, you know?" Still no answer. "Josh, Sam, CJ, come back in five minutes."
Without a word they did as Leo had told them. When the door was closed Leo tried do get Toby to look at him. When he didn't he sighed.
"Toby, I don't know what's the matter with you today, or anyone else for that matter, but remember that you work in the White House for the President of the United States."
Toby looked up at him and Leo almost took a step back.
"Damn it, Toby! You look like shit."
"Thank you," Toby said sarcastically.
"Sorry, but have you slept anything?"
Toby didn't answer, just glared at him.
"Toby, if you need to go home do so, but if you're here then you have to do your job. Okay?"
Before Toby answered there was a knock on the door and Josh stuck in his head.
"Sorry, Leo, but if we're going to have staff this morning we have to continue now. I and Sam have to go the Hill in ten minutes."
Leo looked at Toby who nodded his okay.
"Its okay, guys."
Sam and Josh quickly walked back to their old seats with CJ slowly coming after them. Leo did a mental note to check if she was okay later.
"Okay, Sam, Josh, the Hill?"
"Yeah, we'll probably be there until lunch, if not later," Josh said.
"Okay, but I count on you two to take this home. Got it?"
Both Josh and Sam nodded. Leo turned to CJ.
"CJ, what do you have today?"
"Not that much," she said quietly and Leo noticed that she as well looked like hell. "Henry will take care of the afternoon briefing. I have a meeting before lunch. Don't really know what it's about, but."
"Okay," Leo said. "And Toby?"
Toby just shook his head. "I'm going to write a first draft for tomorrow."
"Okay, if everything goes well with that, can't you help CJ with the meeting she doesn't know what it's about?" Toby looked at him before slowly nodding.
"You know the two of you look like hell today. Maybe I should send you both to a health center or a romantic weekend together." He laughed but stopped when he realized no one else did and the awkwardness that spread around the room. "Oh, come on! Okay, get out!"
Sam and Josh quickly left and Toby also walked in quick pace towards his office. CJ followed him and when she caught up with him he didn't even turn to look at her.
"About the meeting," she said. "I can take care of that by myself."
They were right outside his office now and he turned to her but avoided her eyes.
"Good," he said quietly. "Because now I can't even stand looking at you."
He walked into his office and closed the door right in front of her face. CJ closed her eyes and leaned against the door for a short moment before noticing Ginger and Bonnie starring at her.
"What's up with Toby today?" Ginger asked slowly.
CJ shook her head and even managed to smile a little. "Just give him some space, okay?"
CJ returned to her office to prepare her morning briefing. The only problem was that she couldn't concentrate. She hated herself, hated herself for what she said to him last night, hated herself for once again hurting him, hated herself for being the reason he had been drinking all night, hated herself for being the reason he looked like shit in staff this morning. But mostly she hated herself for realizing that she had been wrong, all the time, and now she wanted it back.
TBC.