TITLE: Barriers
AUTHOR: Jacinta
SUMMARY: They've worked together for six weeks and the barriers are
starting to fall.
SPOILERS / EPISODE: Anything up to S4
CHARACTERS: Josh, Sam, CJ and Toby
RATING: G
DISCLAIMER: Many, many people own these characters.
SATURDAY JANUARY 3 1998
"Tobus," CJ knocks on Toby and Sam's office door. "Come for drink."
"I'm working," Toby replies without stopping what he's doing.
"All work and no play, Tobus."
Toby gives CJ an irritated look. "Will you stop calling me that."
"Then come for a drink. Josh and Sam are coming."
"Good for them, I've got to finish this for tomorrow."
"Fine, then it's just me and Josh," CJ says as she turns to leave the small office.
"What about Sam?" Toby asks.
"Won't leave until you do. I think he may be a little scared of you."
"Good," Toby smiles. "Have a nice time."
CJ turns back into the room and stands in front of Toby's desk. "Toby," she pleads. "Just a couple of hours, come on, be sociable."
"Sociable?"
CJ grins, "I know that's a alien concept for you. But give a try, you might find that you like Sam and Josh."
Toby seriously doubts that. No matter what Leo says, he doesn't trust Josh. It doesn't seem very loyal or professional to Toby, that Josh just up and left Hoynes. It worries him that if Josh can do that to a man he'd worked for almost a year, then what's to stop him doing it to them.
"You coming?" CJ hold Toby's jacket out to him.
Toby sighs, he knows when he's beat. "Yeh."
____________________
The four of them walk to the Hansom Cab, the only bar that serves food, has a pool table and reasonable music and is within walking distance of the headquarters. The four of them walk to the Hansom Cab, the only bar that serves food, has a pool table and reasonable music and is within walking distance of the headquarters. Toby's walking along in silence, puffing on a cigar and CJ's listening as Josh laughs at Sam's sailing ability, or should that be lack of ability. As she listens to the banter, she decides that she has to find some common ground between them and Toby. She's not sure how anyone can not like Sam, he's open and honest, he willing to help and to learn, but he's also very good at his job. She can however see how Josh could irritate if you take him at face value, but underneath the arrogance and the cockiness and the swagger is a charming, intelligent and funny man, who's also a brilliant politician.
As they enter the bar the talk's turned to the campaign and the weeks ahead. "You know what we need?" CJ says as they find a table.
"Food?" Toby asks.
"Yes," Josh agrees.
"I meant the campaign, but yes you're right we need food. Sam go and order some," CJ tells him with a grin, as she sits down.
"What am I your servant?" Sam asks, as CJ's grin turns to a glare. "I'll go and order some fries and chicken and stuff,"
"What do we need?" Toby asks, sitting next to CJ.
"A media consultant," CJ replies.
"I thought that was your job," Josh asks.
"No. The press is my job. Releases, briefings, interviews."
Josh looks slightly confused, "OK. So what does a media consultant do?"
"Analyze. How long have you been doing this job?" CJ asks him.
Toby looks doubtful, "Do you really think we can afford one?"
"Well I'd say that's Leo's problem and if he wants to win then he should find a way to afford one."
"Which will probably be by cutting our salaries," Josh points out.
"If we don't get the nomination we won't have any salaries," CJ replies.
"Fair point," Josh nods.
Sam sits down and asks, "What do we need?"
"A media consultant," Toby supplies.
Sam smiles mischievously and turns to Josh "What about Mandy?"
"What about Mandy?" Josh asks.
"She's a media consultant."
"She has a job," Josh protests.
"Who's Mandy?" CJ asks.
"Josh's girlfriend," Sam supplies.
"I think that may be overstating it a little. And she has a job."
CJ grins, "You never mentioned a girlfriend, Joshua, tell us more."
"Yeh. I don't think so, 'cos she's not my girlfriend and I'm not suggesting to Leo that we hire her."
____________________
The food arrives with more drinks and they start discussing campaign strategy. "We're not being taken seriously enough," Josh tells them, between mouthfuls.
"Which is one of the reasons we need a media consultant," CJ reasons. "Setting aside that she may or may not be your girlfriend, is Mandy any good?"
Josh frowns and considers how to answer that. "Yeh," he reluctantly admits. "She's very good, ruthless, but good."
"Then suggest her to Leo, or I will," CJ tells him.
"He might think I'm suggesting her 'cos we dated."
"Is that something you'd do?" Toby asks.
"No."
"Then he won't think that will he. It's not like you're here 'cos he knows your father, are you?" Toby's statement comes out as a question.
"Is that what you think?" Josh asks.
"I don't know," Toby admits, while CJ and Sam quietly watch. "Leaving Hoynes to come here seems like a strange career move."
"Not if we win," Josh points out.
"I guess," Toby agrees without much conviction.
"Say what's been on your mind for the last six weeks, Toby."
"I just don't understand," Toby mutters.
"And therefore you don't trust me, because you think if I can do that to Hoynes then I can do it to you," Josh adds.
Toby's startled at Josh ability to read his mind so clearly. "Maybe."
Josh takes a drink of beer and looks at CJ, "You been wondering that?"
CJ shakes her head. "No. You didn't believe in Hoynes, you do believe in Bartlet so why would you leave him."
Josh nods and smiles, "Sorry," he tells CJ.
Toby's not convinced though. "If you didn't believe in Hoynes why did you work for him?"
"I was working for Earl Brennan, he thought about running for the nomination. Ruth, his wife, wasn't too keen, she thinks that the first black president is going to be the target of assassins."
"She's probably right," CJ interjects.
"Yeh," Josh nods. "He was still considering it though. Then he was became ill and he resigned, just as Hoynes was setting up his stall for the nomination. Hoynes approached me and asked me to work for him. I didn't know that much about him to be honest, but Earl thought he was in with a good chance and had recommended me to him. He told me not to stay if Hoynes didn't change his strategy of only covering the safe ground. He didn't change, no matter how hard I argued with him," Josh smiles ruefully at the memory of some of their arguments. "You seem to think that he'd have made me his chief of staff. Maybe he would, but I'm not sure we trusted each other enough for that to have worked. When Leo offered me this job, it was the perfect opportunity. Believe me no-one was more shocked than me and Hoynes wasn't shocked at all." Then Josh grins, "My dad was pretty pleased though."
Toby studies Josh's face and finds that he likes what he sees. Josh is slightly drunk and Toby's learnt that most people aren't so good at hiding their thoughts when they're drunk. Josh's explanation appears to be genuine and honest. Trust isn't something that comes easily to Toby, but for now he's prepared to give Josh the benefit of the doubt.
____________________
Two Hours, and much alcohol, later they've moved onto another bar. The discussion has turned to what happens once they win the nomination, something's that's a along way off happening yet, but they're all drunk and enjoying the dream.
"OK hang on a minute," Sam interrupts. "You're saying we should roll over?"
"No," CJ tells him, "I'm saying that we should listen to what they have to say. They may be Republicans, but they're allowed to have a point of view."
"OK," Josh nods. "But once we've listened to them, can we tell them where they're going wrong?"
CJ laughs, "Wed be surrounded by Republicans all day, you do realize that?" she asks Josh and Sam.
"We're not scared of them," Josh tells her.
"We laugh in the face of danger," Sam rather drunkenly agrees.
"And we poke fun at..... " Josh looks at Sam for help.
"The thing that needs fun poking at it," Sam helpfully finishes.
"Yes," Josh gives a satisfied smile.
"You two shouldn't drink, at least not without supervision," CJ tells them.
"You're our supervision," Josh tells her.
"I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of responsibility just yet," CJ laughs. "You two are light weights. You," she points her finger at Josh, "have been a professional politician for a good number of years and my ten year old niece could drink you under the table."
"You let your ten year old niece drink?" Toby asks with a smile. "Not that she'd need that much obviously."
"Hey," Josh protests.
"Everyone's leaving," Sam complains to Josh.
"It's not my fault. I didn't do anything."
"We should probably go while these two can still stand," Toby tells CJ.
"Back to the hotel," Sam suggests. "I have a minibar."
"So do I," Josh tells him, making sound like he's amazed at the coincidence..
CJ glances at Toby and sees him smiling at Sam and Josh. "Back to the hotel and sleep. We've an early start," she tells them.
"Wow, she's strict," Sam tells Josh.