TITLE: Connected, Part 6 - Misdirection
AUTHOR: Jacinta
SUMMARY: Amy's plan to set Donna up on a date has an unexpected stumbling
block
SPOILERS: Anything up to Constituency Of One
CHARACTERS: Ensemble
RATING: PG
DISCLAIMER: Not mine, I'm just borrowing them,
Amy's now convinced that something is going on between Josh and Donna. She'd suspected a month ago at Camp David, but couldn't find anything concrete, now she's almost sure, and she has a plan to test her theory. She sees Joe sat eating his lunch in the corner of the mess and walks over to him. She feels a little guilty about using him like this, but only a little - after all he is a man and a Republican.
"You don't mind?" she asks, indicating the empty chair.
Joe looks up from his magazine. "No," he replies.
Amy sits down and takes a drink of her tea. "I wanted to talk to you."
"Is there something the first lady needs from me?"
"No, this is a personal matter. No shop talk," Amy smiles.
"Okay." Joe's starting to feel a little nervous.
"Do you know Donna Moss, Josh Lyman's assistant?"
"I've been here a few months now," he points out. "Josh interviewed me, I met Donna then. Why?"
"Of course," Amy smiles. "And you like her?"
"She seems very nice, yes," Joe replies.
Amy decides to take the bull by the horns. "Are you seeing anyone right now?" she asks.
Joe tries to hide his shock and amusement at the question. "Not at the moment, no." He studies Amy, "I'm sorry but, are you trying to set us up here? 'Cos this is beginning to sound like, 'my friend likes your friend'."
Amy laughs, "Sorry, I was trying to be a little more subtle than that. Yes, I am. I know that she likes you and I thought I'd test the water for her."
"She likes me?" Joe smiles.
"Yeh. You're a good looking guy. You're smart, funny and a Republican."
"See, you mention four things there. In this White House, three of them are good, but the fourth is usually a bit of a turn off. I mean there's a reason I'm eating alone."
"Not for Donna it's not. She always dates Republicans."
"Just how many has she dated?"
Amy tries hard not to sigh, this is proving harder than she imagined it would. "Three or four." In truth she doesn't really know, but she remembers Josh moaning about Donna and Republicans one time.
"Did she actually ask you to talk to me?"
"No," Amy admits. "But it seemed a pity if you like her, seeing as how she liked you from the day she met you."
"I got the impression that her and Josh may be........."
"No," Amy cuts Joe off a little sharply. "They're just good friends."
"So you think I should ask her out?" Joe asks with a smile.
"I think if you did she'd say yes."
"Okay," Joe nods. "Well, I've got a meeting, so I have to go now, but thanks, I'll certainly think about that."
Joe walks back to his office wondering what the hell just went on. He'd not got the impression that Donna and Amy were friends, though he knows that Amy use to date Josh. He's trying to decide what she's up to as he walks round a corner, smack into Josh.
"You okay there, you look a little stunned?" Josh smiles.
"I just had a strange moment in the mess."
"Chef's special?" Josh grins as he walks beside Joe.
"Amy Gardner."
"Ah."
"Is Donna seeing anyone?"
Josh is momentarily thrown, but he recovers quickly. "Not as far as I know. Why?"
"Amy thinks I should ask her on a date."
"Why would she......?"
"That's what I can't work out. I didn't think her and Donna were friends, but she implied that Donna had told her she liked me."
"Really?" Josh asks.
"You think she does?"
"Like you?"
"Yeh."
"It's not something Donna and I talk about."
"I guess not."
"You going to ask her?"
"No."
"Why?" Josh asks, trying hard not to sound offended.
"She's not really my type."
"You don't go for blondes."
Joe smiles, "Not when they're women so much, no."
"Definitely not your type then," Josh smiles. "Did you tell Amy that?"
"No."
"Why?"
"She seemed to have a hidden agenda in there somewhere."
'I bet' Josh thinks. "So what are you going to do?"
Joe smiles, "Are you and her together?"
"Me and Amy? Not for over a year now."
"You and Donna?" Joe amends.
"No."
"Okay, it's not that then."
"Not what?" Josh asks.
They enter Joe's office in the part of the White House that he suspects is kept especially for any Republicans who are foolish enough to work here. He sits down and looks up at Josh. "She still likes you."
"Amy?"
"Yeh., according to Celia and her friends." Joe sees Josh blank expression. "Celia's an intern in the Counsel's Office, one of her friends works in the first lady's office and one in your bullpen."
"And they think...... Okay, well that's kind of frightening."
"Sue, who works in the first lady's office, doesn't like Amy, she bullies her a little apparently. Celia talks to me, constantly, while she's sorting out files and papers down here. Sue's really quiet, she's a nice girl. If you need any help with Amy....." Joe gives Josh a knowing look.
Josh considers that. If Amy's trying to fix Donna up with Joe it can only mean one thing, and that's bad, very bad. He sits in the visitors chair and wonders briefly about trusting Joe, deciding that he probably keeps far bigger secrets than this. "It is what you think, Donna and I are dating, but no one knows."
Joe smiles, "I think Amy may."
"Yeh. So you'd seriously be willing to do this? You'd be willing to pretend you and Donna were together?"
"Donna's nice, it wouldn't be a strain going out for a meal or two. And if it'll through Amy off the scent....."
Josh grins, "Leave it with me, I'll talk to you later."
Josh walks past Donna's desk. "Come in here," he tells her. "We've got a problem."
"What?" Donna asks as she closes the door.
"Amy." Josh fills her in on what just happened.
"Joe's gay? That's a real shame for women, I can tell you."
"Excuse me?"
"He's a good looking guy."
Josh grins, "You want to go out with him?"
"He's gay."
"Amy doesn't know that."
"Ahh. What does Joe think about your plan?"
"Joe doesn't like Amy. He's willing to help in any way he can."
"Interesting. Everyone will think me and him are dating."
"Yes. It's perfect misdirection."
"It is," Donna agrees. "I wonder where he'll take me?" she smiles as she leaves the office.
Joe and Donna go on their first 'date' the following Thursday. Although neither of them have told anybody that it was a date, they're both pretty sure that it won't take long for the office gossips to read it that way. Donna did have one reservation about this whole scheme though. Eventually they're going to have to come clean and then everyone will know the dates were for Amy's benefit and Joe's gay. Joe assured her that he isn't in the closet and he doesn't mind people knowing, it's just that at the moment they don't. Still they decided not to say they were dating, just that they were meeting up for a meal or a drink, and if people read more into that, then okay.
On Friday morning Josh walks up to Donna desk with a grin, "How was your evening?"
"It was good, Joe's really nice."
"Good," Josh smiles.
"You can't do that," Donna warns.
"Do what?"
"Be pleased. You have to mock him. You have to complain, poke fun, ridicule."
"Why?"
"Because you always do. If you don't this time then people will suspect."
"That's just untrue."
"Oh please," Donna laughs. "You always make fun of my dates."
"But it wasn't a date. Plus, I like Joe."
"If he was straight and I was dating him, how would you feel about him then?"
"I'd be pretty pissed, since you're dating me."
"If I wasn't......"
"I'd ridicule him," Josh grins. "But there's no need. I've got a meeting, I'll see you later."
Donna sighs and watches Josh walk away.
"It's none of my business and I don't really care," Toby begins, as him and Josh eat lunch in his office later that day.
"But?"
"CJ mentioned that Donna had a date with Joe Quincy?"
"They just went for a meal."
"And you're okay with that?" Toby asks.
"Yeh." Josh sees Toby's skeptical look and grins, "Amy set them up and it seemed like good misdirection."
"Okay. Well, is that fair on Joe?"
"Not that you care?" Josh teases. "Joe knows what's going on. He's fine with it. Joe's gay."
"That'll take some explaining when it comes out."
"Yeh," Josh agrees, "but for now it just seems to have confused Amy."
Toby shakes his head and sighs. He wishes he didn't know about Josh and Donna because CJ's going to kill him. "You have to tell people soon, Josh."
"I know. I'll tell Leo soon. I can pretend you didn't know anything," he grins.
"No, that's fine," Toby replies unconvincingly.
On Sunday night at the Hawk and Dove, Charlie decides to find out what's going on with Joe and Donna. "Where's Donna?"
"Out with Joe."
"And you're fine with that?"
"He's a nice guy."
"But he's dating Donna," Charlie persists.
"Hey," Ryan says as he walks up to them. "You two want a drink?"
"Couple of beers, thanks," Josh replies.
"Why's he here?" Charlie asks as he watches Ryan walk to the bar.
"I felt sorry for him. He okay really, he just doesn't seem to be able to make friends, I don't know what his problem is."
Charlie shrugs, "He's a spoilt rich kid?" he suggests. "So Joe and Donna?"
"She likes him. What's the problem?"
"Okay," Charlie agrees skeptically.
"What?" Josh asks.
"When you where with Amy and Donna was seeing that guy from Ferdinand's office, you really weren't happy."
"He was a jerk."
"Only 'cos he was seeing Donna. What about Jack?"
"I liked Jack," Josh argues.
"No," Charlie replies. "Before the inauguration you asked me whether it'd look weird if you wore a saber and you were obsessing about the number of buttons on his pants."
"Who's pants?" Ryan asks as he returns with the drinks.
"Please don't take that the wrong way," Josh begs.
"A guy Donna was dating," Charlie supplies.
"Why?"
Charlie shakes his head and grins, "He was dating Donna." He turns back to Josh. "So? Joe?"
Josh is beginning to see that Donna may have a point, "He's a Republican, there's no need for me to ridicule him."
"So were Jack and Cliff and that guy with the blonde hair, Grant?"
"Can we do this later. The pool table's free," Josh takes his beer and stands up.
When Ryan goes to the bar again Charlie starts to quiz Josh. "Okay, it's just the two of us. Joe and Donna?"
"Do you ever give up?"
"No. So tell me quick before Ryan Rich gets back."
"There's nothing...... Amy set them up."
"Your Amy? Why?"
"She's really not my Amy," Josh tries to deflect the conversation but he can see Charlie's not going to be deterred and he decides on honesty. "She was testing her."
"I don't....."
"She was on to us."
"Who?" Charlie asks.
"Amy. She was onto me and Donna. She decided to test us and set Donna up with Joe. It seemed like a good idea to go along with her." Josh watches Charlie for a reaction.
Charlie stares at Josh as he tries to make sense of that. "On to you?" Josh nods and Charlie smiles. "You mean, you and Donna? How long?"
"Since Camp David."
"Wow. I mean, hang on that was over a month ago and you told me........"
"It's a secret, for now. Leo's gonna kill us, CJ would do even worse......."
"Not to mention Toby."
"He knows. He saw us sneak into the woods at Camp David."
"And he's okay with it?"
"Yeh."
"Okay. What about Joe?"
Josh grins, "What Amy didn't know is that Joe's gay and he doesn't like Amy, so he was quite willing to help."
"Excellent."
The following morning Josh has to admit that Toby has a point, they're going to have to go public, and soon. "Donna, do you have a minute?" he asks as he passes her desk.
"What's up?"
"I told Charlie," Josh replies when they enter his office. "About us."
"Why?"
"Because you were right. Okay I admit it, I was wrong. He thought it was odd that I was fine about you and Joe."
"Yes."
"Have I really been that bad, in the past I mean?"
"Oh yes."
"Toby knows about Joe, he was curious. This is starting to get out of hand. Charlie, Toby and Joe know about us. Amy suspects, I think Ryan suspects. We should think about telling our friends and family at least."
"If we're going to do that then we need to tell Leo as well."
"Yeh," Josh sighs.
"He may be fine with it?"
"I doubt it," Josh sighs. "He's not exactly been in the most tolerant of moods recently, especially where I'm concerned."
"No," Donna agrees.