Part 7
During the ride towards the stable CJ didn't say a word. Josh and Sam anxiously looked at each other trying to get the other person to ask her what was wrong. Finally, Sam couldn't take it anymore. As Paul was showing Josh the horse he was going to have Sam pulled CJ aside.
"Is something wrong?"
She bit her lower lip and put her arms around her waist. "Um, I don't know Sam. I can't say anything." She looked up at him and he noticed she had tears in her eyes. "Not now, Sam."
Sam smiled gently at her and stroked her arm before Paul interrupted them.
"Come on, I'll show you your horses now."
To their surprise Josh actually was good at riding, CJ had some experience and Sam was a natural so everyone was pleased when Paul decided to leave them alone. Half an hour later CJ stopped her horse and jumped off.
"What's the matter, CJ? Tired already?" Josh teased.
"Yeah, in my ass," CJ muttered.
Josh and Sam laughed as they got off their horses as well. They walked with the horses on the open field, CJ in the middle. Sam and Josh did their best to have a conversation telling CJ everything about what was going on in D.C. but they soon noticed she wasn't listening.
"CJ, is everything alright?" Josh asked.
CJ shrugged and slowed down. "If I tell you promise you won't say something to Leo or the First Couple."
Josh and Sam looked over at each other then at CJ and both nodded.
"Really, guys, this isn't a joke or something like that," CJ ranted. "I need you two to give me your word."
"We promise," Sam said.
CJ turned to Josh.
"Yeah, we do," he said and smiled softly at her.
CJ took a deep breath before speaking. "When you two were up changing clothes I heard something. I heard Leo and the President talk in the library. Apparently, they had something to do with Toby leaving."
Both Josh and Sam stopped walking and turned to her with disbelieving eyes.
"Are you sure you didn't misunderstand?" Josh asked.
CJ shook her head as she felt a tear fall down her cheek. "The President said to Leo that he shouldn't have made him ask for Toby's resignation." She sobbed quietly. "And here, I've been going around thinking it was Toby's decision. That it was his choice to leave me."
Sam put his arms around her and held her tightly. Josh just stood still, stunned over what he'd just been told. He just couldn't believe Leo or the President would do something like that.
"Apparently, Leo thought it would hurt the President and our work," CJ said after she'd let go of Sam. "I can't believe Toby never said anything to me about it."
"He would never make a friend look bad in someone else's eyes with purpose," Sam said softly.
CJ snorted as she climbed up her horse. "Yeah, well quite a friend."
*
At lunch someone could have cut the tension with a knife. No one said a word except for Josh who commented on the good food and Abbey told them they had the best chef in New Hampshire. Toby didn't attend at lunch. When Josh, Sam and CJ gotten back from their ride Abbey told them Toby had come in an hour earlier and went straight up to bed to sleep.
"CJ, could you please pass me the salt?" Leo asked tiredly.
CJ didn't look at him, just kept her eyes focused on her plate. "I'd rather not."
Leo looked hurt for a short moment but then did his best to smile at Josh when he passed him the salt.
Then CJ suddenly rose. "Listen, if you guys don't mind I'm pretty beat."
Abbey nodded. "I'll wake you up later for dinner."
CJ walked towards the door but before leaving she turned around. "Something's come up. I have to leave first thing tomorrow morning."
Without waiting for them to say something she left and closed the door. It became quiet but then Josh angrily put down his knife and fork on the table.
"Is it true?" He asked directing his question to Leo.
Sam kicked Josh's leg under the table. "Josh!"
"No!" Josh said and looked briefly at Sam before turning back his attention at Leo. "Is it true? Were you the one who made Toby leave?"
"Josh, calm down," Abbey pleaded when she noticed how small Leo seemed in his chair.
Josh snorted and rose. He threw his napkin on the table.
"I just lost my appetite."
"I'll talk to him," Sam said and quickly ran after Josh.
After they had left Leo finished what was in his glass and then turned to Abbey.
"Great idea inviting them here, Abbey. Although, if I'd known this would be a feast of bashing me I probably wouldn't have accepted the invitation!"
Slowly and tiredly, he rose and walked towards the door but Jed stopped him by stepping in front of him.
"Now, you listen to me."
"Jed!" Abbey said and shook her head.
Jed sighed and walked over to her. No one of them noticed Leo slowly leaving the room with his shoulders slightly shaking.
"I'm sorry, Jed," Abbey whispered. "This really was a stupid idea."
Jed took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. "It wasn't, Abbey. We'll fix this."
"Okay," she whispered kissing him on the forehead.
*
Sam knocked on the door to CJ's room and opened it. CJ was half-lying on the bed leaning against a pile of pillows. Josh sat next to her doing his best to comfort her. Sam entered the room, closed the door and walked over to the bed and sat down on the other side of CJ.
"So, what are you doing?" Sam asked after a while.
CJ smiled through her tears at him. "Just talking about stuff like the weather and all."
Sam smirked then looked over at Josh. "How are you feeling?"
"I just can't believe he would do such a thing. Yeah, I know his job meant everything to him but that much.! This week has turned out so weird and we just came here!"
"Are you going to talk to Leo?" Sam asked CJ carefully. "I mean, ask for an explanation."
CJ shook her head and closed her eyes. When she opened them Sam looked at her with pleading eyes. She shook her head again.
"No, Sam! And don't even try to give me that look. I won't do it anyway. For years I've believed Toby left without saying goodbye because he never cared enough about me, because I wasn't as good as Andi. I've felt like shit, I've only accepted three invitations for a date and I didn't even enjoy them. I've been thinking about him everyday, I've missed him every second since he left and every night before I went to sleep I've wondered what I did wrong, what was wrong with me that made him leave." She took a deep breath. "No, I'm just not going to do it, Sam. He didn't even have the guts to come clean about it and he isn't even a bit a shamed of what he's done!"
It was quiet for a while until Sam moved on the bed a bit uncomfortably. He nervously gestured with his hands in the air and then turned to both of them.
"You know, he's dying," he said quietly.
Neither CJ nor Josh said something. Then Sam moved uncomfortably on the bed again and he got CJ's and Josh's attention.
"While the three of us are in here there's something I'd like to tell you," he said avoiding looking at them.
*
Toby walked into the kitchen and poured up a glass of water. He didn't understand where everyone was. He had just woken up and it was dinner in an hour so everyone should be back at the house. He sighed and walked towards the library, the room that had become his favorite. He noticed smoke above one of the chairs and walked over there expecting it to be the President. He stopped in his tracks when he realized it was Leo. Then he decided it was time now whether Leo liked it or not. He sat down in the other chair and even if Leo had seen him he didn't show any sign of it.
Toby didn't take his eyes from the fireplace. "Should you really be smoking?"
Leo glared at him.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Toby mumbled waving with his hand in the air.
"I want to be alone," Leo said suddenly.
"No, I don't think so."
Leo turned to look at him again and his eyes were small and black. He put the cigar on the ashtray and held up a glass with brandy. It was first now that Toby noticed the glass and he raised his eyebrows.
"Not thinking so much about the cigar right now, huh?" Leo said sarcastically and then put down the glass on the table again to Toby's relief. "You know, I've been sitting here for hours staring at the glass wondering who's the strongest."
"Did you win?"
"It isn't over yet."
Toby didn't say anything. He was thinking of how to bring up what he wanted to talk about without making Leo leave as he had done earlier night. Before he said anything Leo opened his mouth.
"You should be glad to know everyone here has turned against me, including Jed," he said lighting another cigar.
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, this has turned out to be "Hate-Leo-Week"." He paused and took a deep breath rubbing his temples. "CJ heard Jed and me talk about what happened earlier today so she knows about it. Apparently she told Sam and Josh so it isn't a secret anymore. I've got to give you credit for not saying anything to anyone."
Toby shrugged taking one of Leo's cigars without asking. "I think we should talk."
Leo nodded and looked at him. "Yeah, we probably should."
Tbc.
2003-03-01
During the ride towards the stable CJ didn't say a word. Josh and Sam anxiously looked at each other trying to get the other person to ask her what was wrong. Finally, Sam couldn't take it anymore. As Paul was showing Josh the horse he was going to have Sam pulled CJ aside.
"Is something wrong?"
She bit her lower lip and put her arms around her waist. "Um, I don't know Sam. I can't say anything." She looked up at him and he noticed she had tears in her eyes. "Not now, Sam."
Sam smiled gently at her and stroked her arm before Paul interrupted them.
"Come on, I'll show you your horses now."
To their surprise Josh actually was good at riding, CJ had some experience and Sam was a natural so everyone was pleased when Paul decided to leave them alone. Half an hour later CJ stopped her horse and jumped off.
"What's the matter, CJ? Tired already?" Josh teased.
"Yeah, in my ass," CJ muttered.
Josh and Sam laughed as they got off their horses as well. They walked with the horses on the open field, CJ in the middle. Sam and Josh did their best to have a conversation telling CJ everything about what was going on in D.C. but they soon noticed she wasn't listening.
"CJ, is everything alright?" Josh asked.
CJ shrugged and slowed down. "If I tell you promise you won't say something to Leo or the First Couple."
Josh and Sam looked over at each other then at CJ and both nodded.
"Really, guys, this isn't a joke or something like that," CJ ranted. "I need you two to give me your word."
"We promise," Sam said.
CJ turned to Josh.
"Yeah, we do," he said and smiled softly at her.
CJ took a deep breath before speaking. "When you two were up changing clothes I heard something. I heard Leo and the President talk in the library. Apparently, they had something to do with Toby leaving."
Both Josh and Sam stopped walking and turned to her with disbelieving eyes.
"Are you sure you didn't misunderstand?" Josh asked.
CJ shook her head as she felt a tear fall down her cheek. "The President said to Leo that he shouldn't have made him ask for Toby's resignation." She sobbed quietly. "And here, I've been going around thinking it was Toby's decision. That it was his choice to leave me."
Sam put his arms around her and held her tightly. Josh just stood still, stunned over what he'd just been told. He just couldn't believe Leo or the President would do something like that.
"Apparently, Leo thought it would hurt the President and our work," CJ said after she'd let go of Sam. "I can't believe Toby never said anything to me about it."
"He would never make a friend look bad in someone else's eyes with purpose," Sam said softly.
CJ snorted as she climbed up her horse. "Yeah, well quite a friend."
*
At lunch someone could have cut the tension with a knife. No one said a word except for Josh who commented on the good food and Abbey told them they had the best chef in New Hampshire. Toby didn't attend at lunch. When Josh, Sam and CJ gotten back from their ride Abbey told them Toby had come in an hour earlier and went straight up to bed to sleep.
"CJ, could you please pass me the salt?" Leo asked tiredly.
CJ didn't look at him, just kept her eyes focused on her plate. "I'd rather not."
Leo looked hurt for a short moment but then did his best to smile at Josh when he passed him the salt.
Then CJ suddenly rose. "Listen, if you guys don't mind I'm pretty beat."
Abbey nodded. "I'll wake you up later for dinner."
CJ walked towards the door but before leaving she turned around. "Something's come up. I have to leave first thing tomorrow morning."
Without waiting for them to say something she left and closed the door. It became quiet but then Josh angrily put down his knife and fork on the table.
"Is it true?" He asked directing his question to Leo.
Sam kicked Josh's leg under the table. "Josh!"
"No!" Josh said and looked briefly at Sam before turning back his attention at Leo. "Is it true? Were you the one who made Toby leave?"
"Josh, calm down," Abbey pleaded when she noticed how small Leo seemed in his chair.
Josh snorted and rose. He threw his napkin on the table.
"I just lost my appetite."
"I'll talk to him," Sam said and quickly ran after Josh.
After they had left Leo finished what was in his glass and then turned to Abbey.
"Great idea inviting them here, Abbey. Although, if I'd known this would be a feast of bashing me I probably wouldn't have accepted the invitation!"
Slowly and tiredly, he rose and walked towards the door but Jed stopped him by stepping in front of him.
"Now, you listen to me."
"Jed!" Abbey said and shook her head.
Jed sighed and walked over to her. No one of them noticed Leo slowly leaving the room with his shoulders slightly shaking.
"I'm sorry, Jed," Abbey whispered. "This really was a stupid idea."
Jed took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. "It wasn't, Abbey. We'll fix this."
"Okay," she whispered kissing him on the forehead.
*
Sam knocked on the door to CJ's room and opened it. CJ was half-lying on the bed leaning against a pile of pillows. Josh sat next to her doing his best to comfort her. Sam entered the room, closed the door and walked over to the bed and sat down on the other side of CJ.
"So, what are you doing?" Sam asked after a while.
CJ smiled through her tears at him. "Just talking about stuff like the weather and all."
Sam smirked then looked over at Josh. "How are you feeling?"
"I just can't believe he would do such a thing. Yeah, I know his job meant everything to him but that much.! This week has turned out so weird and we just came here!"
"Are you going to talk to Leo?" Sam asked CJ carefully. "I mean, ask for an explanation."
CJ shook her head and closed her eyes. When she opened them Sam looked at her with pleading eyes. She shook her head again.
"No, Sam! And don't even try to give me that look. I won't do it anyway. For years I've believed Toby left without saying goodbye because he never cared enough about me, because I wasn't as good as Andi. I've felt like shit, I've only accepted three invitations for a date and I didn't even enjoy them. I've been thinking about him everyday, I've missed him every second since he left and every night before I went to sleep I've wondered what I did wrong, what was wrong with me that made him leave." She took a deep breath. "No, I'm just not going to do it, Sam. He didn't even have the guts to come clean about it and he isn't even a bit a shamed of what he's done!"
It was quiet for a while until Sam moved on the bed a bit uncomfortably. He nervously gestured with his hands in the air and then turned to both of them.
"You know, he's dying," he said quietly.
Neither CJ nor Josh said something. Then Sam moved uncomfortably on the bed again and he got CJ's and Josh's attention.
"While the three of us are in here there's something I'd like to tell you," he said avoiding looking at them.
*
Toby walked into the kitchen and poured up a glass of water. He didn't understand where everyone was. He had just woken up and it was dinner in an hour so everyone should be back at the house. He sighed and walked towards the library, the room that had become his favorite. He noticed smoke above one of the chairs and walked over there expecting it to be the President. He stopped in his tracks when he realized it was Leo. Then he decided it was time now whether Leo liked it or not. He sat down in the other chair and even if Leo had seen him he didn't show any sign of it.
Toby didn't take his eyes from the fireplace. "Should you really be smoking?"
Leo glared at him.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Toby mumbled waving with his hand in the air.
"I want to be alone," Leo said suddenly.
"No, I don't think so."
Leo turned to look at him again and his eyes were small and black. He put the cigar on the ashtray and held up a glass with brandy. It was first now that Toby noticed the glass and he raised his eyebrows.
"Not thinking so much about the cigar right now, huh?" Leo said sarcastically and then put down the glass on the table again to Toby's relief. "You know, I've been sitting here for hours staring at the glass wondering who's the strongest."
"Did you win?"
"It isn't over yet."
Toby didn't say anything. He was thinking of how to bring up what he wanted to talk about without making Leo leave as he had done earlier night. Before he said anything Leo opened his mouth.
"You should be glad to know everyone here has turned against me, including Jed," he said lighting another cigar.
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, this has turned out to be "Hate-Leo-Week"." He paused and took a deep breath rubbing his temples. "CJ heard Jed and me talk about what happened earlier today so she knows about it. Apparently she told Sam and Josh so it isn't a secret anymore. I've got to give you credit for not saying anything to anyone."
Toby shrugged taking one of Leo's cigars without asking. "I think we should talk."
Leo nodded and looked at him. "Yeah, we probably should."
Tbc.
2003-03-01