Disclaimer and notes Chapter 1. Okay I posted Chapter 1 on Saturday and have not seen it anywhere on fanfiction.net unless I search for it. I have received reviews (and thank you for taking the time!), so I know some people have read this. Hope you enjoy!
Outside of Donna's Apartment
He stood outside her door long after he heard her turn the locks. He didn't know what to do; this wasn't supposed to be the end. This was supposed to be the beginning.
He pulled out his cell phone and called Sam.
"Josh?" Josh could hear loud music in the background and CJ laughing.
"Sam? Where are you?"
"CJ's apartment. Why are you calling? You should be consummating your.Oh God you chickened out," then yelling to the others, "CJ you owe Toby twenty dollars, he chickened out."
"No Sam. She said no.She said no."
"Oh god Josh. I'm sorry I mean I .what did you say?"
"Um listen are you guys going to be there, I'd rather not do this over the phone."
"Yea come by."
"Bye"
Donna's Apartment
She stayed behind the door listening to him. She didn't move until she heard him hang up his phone and walk down the stairs to the street. Silent tears streaming down her face she headed down to her bedroom. She couldn't do this. She couldn't get wrapped up in him again. He was a man for the chase and she would be discarded once someone that presented a greater challenge came into play. She would not let him hurt her. He was slightly right. She had loved him, but these past months the comments, the looks, the fights they had placed her toll on her and her affections. There was only so much one person can take and she was past her breaking point.
CJ's Apartment
By the time arrived at the apartment the music had been turned off. He found the three of them in CJ's living room. Josh grabbed a beer from the fridge and plopped own on the couch between CJ and Sam. The three of them stared at Josh waiting for him to offer an explanation. He looked up at them and repeated himself from earlier, "she said no."
"Josh what happened?" asked Toby.
"I don't know. I mean we were drinking tea and next thing we
were yelling."
"Yelling?" Sam asked
"Yea we were fighting about Cliff and Amy and next thing I know I was yelling that I loved her. And then she got mad at me."
"Well women do like to be wood Josh., not yelled at"
He rolled his eyes and drank from his beer, "I know CJ I'm not a complete idiot. I told her how much she meant to me and how she makes me a better person and she asked me to leave."
"She kicked you out?"
"Yea."
"But."
"I know. I .just.I know. All of this time and nothing," frustrated he ran his hand through his hair.
CJ consoled Josh by rubbing his arm and, "Josh she probably was just was confused. I mean it was kind of sudden and you two were not on the best of terms."
"It's just, it wasn't supposed to be this hard you know? It's not the way I thought things were going to happen."
"Honestly neither did we Josh."
Josh smiled at his friend, "Thanks Sam."
He sighed, finished off his beer and stood, "I should be going it's getting late. Thanks guys for hearing me out. I'll see you tomorrow."
The White House: the following morning
Donna came in earlier then usual. She figured she couldn't sleep any longer and hoped if she appeared busy when Josh arrived, he wouldn't say anything to her about last night. She headed into his office to place his schedule and messages on his desk. While in there she spied his overcoat and suit jacket hung up in his office, she concluded that Josh had beaten her to work this morning.
"Morning."
Donna jumped, surprised by Josh's entrance.
"You scared me. What do you think your doing?"
He smirked at her, "well it's my office, I was thinking of getting some work done."
"Your schedule is on your desk, along with your phone messages prioritized by importance. Sam and Toby asked for a lunch meeting. Your 2 o'clock meeting with the Whip has been pushed back to 3 and Leo wants some time around 6," she recited to him as he briefly scanned his schedule.
He looked up and smiled at her, "Thanks Donna."
She left the office confused. He was taking this much better then she had hoped, of course she saw right through his little act. She knew he was hurting and knew he was a professional, but she expected him to be a little bit more subdued, sulky even. Maybe she was right, maybe he went home and thought about it and realized that it was a stupid idea. 'Well,' she reasoned with herself,' if he isn't going to act bothered then I won't.'
All day the charade went on, he acted as if nothing happened and she played along, however they did not seek each other out for anything that wasn't absolutely necessary. Communication between the two was mainly he making requests and she fulfilling them, or she letting him know about adjustments to his schedules and missed phone calls. Josh tried to start small conversations with her and she entertained him by answering back, but both knew something was missing from their exchange.
While things with Josh seemed to be at least more comfortable then she could have imagined relations with the other staffers were less desirable. She wasn't oblivious to the looks that she received from CJ and Sam. Toby was harder to read. She couldn't tell if it was disgust or disappointment or what he was feeling. She knew that Josh had gone over to see Sam last night. She wasn't surprised that the others had heard about last night. She just wasn't expected to be punished by the entire Senior Staff. The other assistants noticed it as well and questioned Donna at lunch. She brushed it off as a minor argument she had with Josh earlier in the day. She wasn't sure they believed it and she wasn't sure they really cared.