Disclaimers et al. in part 1
Previously…
"By the way, I'm stealing Donna, I'm offering her a job on the campaign. And there's no way I'm taking no for an answer."
The excitement of having my little sister back just wore off.
Chapter 5
***
January 2003.
***
Present day.
Josh is here before me, and I'm not sure why I'm surprised. He's been acting strange lately, and I know he's keeping secrets from me. I mean, he's having these 'meetings' with Hannah, and well-- he's just acting weird.
He's been doing an amazing job kicking Republican ass lately. The White House, now no longer worried about re-election, is going with a 'we're-unleashing-our-pit-bull-to-kick-ass-kind-of-policy'. Obviously, Josh loves this, hence the amazing job performance.
He and Amy haven't had any fights, so it has nothing to do with fixing a screw up. In fact, he and Amy have been…
Wait.
NO. He wouldn't, would he?
***
I'm in my office looking at the ring.
It's a very nice ring. In fact, it's perfect.
Leo, the President, and Hannah all agree. And everyone else would too, if they knew about the ring, that is.
Leo knows because he's like my father, and I guess I felt I needed his blessing. The President knows because Leo told him. I forgot to mention that my mother knows, and has yet to see the ring. But that's a given, right? She'll be here for inauguration and see it then. Hannah knows because I needed both an alibi and some help in picking the ring.
And, before you say anything, she only helped a little. I did most of the work.
I dragged her butt to every jewellery store in the area and then back again. Finally, three weeks ago, she decided enough was enough. She contacted one of her old friends—a total nut who gave up a lucrative career in politics to design jewellery for Harry Winston. Then, she talked to the owner of said store - who also happen to be friends of her in-laws - to create the ring.
Hannah's payback for the 'dragging her butt' thing was to get the President to give me a four hour lecture - yes four hours - on every thing to do with engagement rings.
Payback is undoubtedly a bitch.
Anyway, we spent an entire afternoon getting the design perfect. I have no idea why this was so important to me. Don't get me wrong, the ring had to be perfect, but I went to unbelievable lengths to make sure it was. I never saw myself as the kind of guy who would do that.
I'm not romantic. Actually I am, but not that kind of romantic. You know, the soppy romance novel kind. I'm not that.
I guess with everything it took to get us here, the fact that we finally are should be marked in an extraordinary way. The strangest thing is, that I'm not actually going to be proposing anytime soon, or at least I don't think I will be. I know I'm beginning to think of her as my wife, and imagining my life without her is impossible - also very painful - but it isn't the right time.
My wife. That, for the record, does not freak me out.
I hear Donna, and throw the ring in my drawer just as she comes into my office with a steaming cup of coffee.
This is strange, she won't look me in the eye, and she looks… upset?
***
June 2002
***
In exactly three days, twenty-one hours and… Thirty… two minutes Donnatella Moss will no longer be my assistant.
The short story is that my incredibly supportive, intelligent and exuberant friend/sister - you heard the sarcasm there right? - decided that she would offer my overworked and underpaid aide a new job, with the possibility of a raise and better job title, and of course, more responsibility.
The long story is actually pretty much the same.
It all however amounts to one thing: Donnatella Moss will almost never be here.
I am not upset about this. I am pleased for Donna. She deserves this.
It's just that… we've worked together for almost five years, constantly in each other's lives and as a result our friendship has always been intertwined with our working relationship. I guess it's safe ground for us, I've never had to question some of the simple things we do for each other, like her sometimes calling me in the morning to make sure I'm awake or tying my tie's for me. She won't be here to do that anymore or even if she is, she won't have a reason to.
Our friendship is going to change.
We're almost never going to see each other and it's going to feel different. She hasn't even left yet, and I already miss her.
"Donnatella Moss!"
Hey, I have her for four days; I might as well take advantage of it.
"DONNATELLA MOSS." I believe that Donna refers to that decibel level with which I just said her name, as bellowing.
"What?" she shouts back.
See, this right here? This is one of the things that will be sorely missed.
"DONNA!" I shout back.
"Good God Josh, you really should get out of the habit of bellowing, " she says as she saunters into my office.
"Forgetting the fact that I do not bellow, let's just agree with your statement for a moment. Why on earth would I have to give up that endearing habit?"
"Ok, first, endearing Joshua?"
"It's part of my charm," I say shrugging my shoulders.
"It's really not."
"But you agree that I do, in fact, have a certain charm." Now I'm grinning.
"If you'd like me to be mendacious in order to inflate your already considerably sizeable ego, and give credence to your delusions, then, of course Josh, you do in fact have a certain… No, wait. Still can't do it. Sorry, but it would be a gross overstatement on my part, and not to mention of course, untrue." And now she's grinning too.
"You wound me, Donnatella." I shoot back.
"I shall forever remain in sorrow for having wounded you." She deadpans.
"That seems fair."
"Anyway, getting back to the original topic of conversation, I do not think that bellowing Caitlin's name across the bullpen will work in your favour."
I never thought of that.
I will never bellow the name Donnatella Moss again.
I shall never bellow again.
Well yeah, ok, I will. But…
I'm getting depressed.
"What's wrong?"
Evidently, my pain is written all over my face. Before I can come up with a plausible excuse the phone rings.
"Josh Lyman. Yeah, sure, Amy, he's right here."
She hands me the phone and gives me a strange look I file away for later analysis. I answer the phone as she walks out of my office closing the door.
*
"Hey Josh, I'm leaving early tomorrow." Donna announces as we walk back to my office. It's eight o'clock in the evening and with the exception of the Senior Staff, almost everyone has left.
Another thing I shall miss, conversing while walking – or perhaps in my case, as I'm told by numerous fans, swaggering - through the many corridors of the West Wing with Donnatella Moss.
"You know, I'm still your boss for the next few days, and I think that in that capacity I should be in charge of this dynamic."
"You'd think that wouldn't you?"
"Why do you need to leave early?"
"When I say early, I mean at least three hours after the rest of DC has left work. And considering that is the time I'm actually officially supposed to finish too, I wouldn't technically be leaving early."
"Why do you need to leave early?"
"I'd also like to point out that you will also be leaving early tomorrow since you have a date with Amy, so my leaving early really isn't going to be a problem."
"Why do you need to leave early?"
"I have a date," she finally relents.
I had a feeling that was the answer. And unlike previous situations, that statement does not bother me.
Huh.
"So can I leave early?"
"I don't see why not. Barring an international crisis, Donnatella Moss you are free to go out on a date with this gomer." Hey, I wouldn't be me unless I didn't make some sort of reference to her bad choice in men.
"He's not a gomer."
"And he would be different from the other gomers because…?"
"Because Hannah would not set me up with a gomer."
Ok. That stopped me in my tracks. Fortunately we've reached my office, so my stopping looks normal. I am now beginning to experience some of my previous reservations. She's right; Hannah would not set her up with a gomer. Therefore, this date has potential.
But again, this does not bother me.
Nope. Not. At. All.
"Josh?"
I really have to learn to pay attention when people talk to me. "He could be a gomer." Yeah, I know, that was a lame comeback.
"He's not." She's not telling me something. I flash back to Donna in a grey cardigan fixing my tie and then later telling me that she went on a date. I really don't like it when my stomach suddenly takes a detour down south.
"And you know this how exactly?" I just asked a question I'm pretty sure I do not want the answer to.
"This would not be our first date," she quietly replies.
"Oh." Is all I can manage to say.
Donna tumbles into an explanation, her hands anxiously trying to enunciate every word; "You remember we went out for drinks on Hannah's first day here? Well, Nathan happened to be at the bar when Hannah and I went to buy the drinks. He was with some clients so he couldn't join us, but he asked me out and Hannah set it up."
She's been seeing this guy for three weeks and I was there when he was picking her up?
Still not bothered.
Seriously.
"Ok. I'm glad it's working out for you. Maybe we could double date sometime."
Did those words just come out of my mouth? Double date? There has to be something wrong with me, I am not the kind of man who goes out on double dates, let alone suggests them. Not only that, but to suggest a double date with Donna and her… her… I am not that kind of man. Obviously Donna thinks so too. I can't quite understand what Donna's face is expressing and before I can ask, she makes her excuses and leaves my office.
At first knowing this could be a serious relationship, made me feel… well, terrible. But now… I'm… this proves she doesn't have feelings for me, and that's… that's ok.
But then again, I'm with Amy and… you know what? I'm not going there.
My feelings for Donna that were once possibly romantic are now purely platonic.
Really!
I am not going to think about this, I'm with Amy now.
Ok, maybe not completely platonic, just, you know….
Not. Thinking. About. This.
*
It's actually quite late now, so I tell Donna to pack up her things and go home. Half an hour later, I'm on my way home to Amy's apartment contemplating the changes that will occur in my relationship with Donna when she finally leaves. I've had over two weeks to adjust to the idea of Donna not being a consistent part of my life - for the next few months at least - nevertheless, I still can't seem to imagine a tomorrow without her. I know it will happen and that as it transpires I'm almost certainly not going to reflect - or rather brood - over this as much as I have been recently, but still, I find myself trying to commit to my memory the little things we do together that have made us what we are to each other.
Home to Amy's.
That just doesn't sound right.
On second thought, I think I'll just go back to my place.
TBC…