Letting it loose

Josh walked out of his office and pushed himself up against the closed door. He felt like he had just found himself free from a war zone.

"You look like hell." Donna said.

"I feel like my insides were sent through a meat grinder."

"I'll get you a coffee."

"Yes, please. Lots off it." Donna ran off. "And then just shoot me."

"Josh." Leo approached Josh and scared the hell out of him.

"Leo!" His voice went up an octave. "Leo." He brought it down to normal.

"Hey." He took a look at Josh unsure what to think. "Let's go in your office—I want to talk."

"My office---." He tripped over his words. "We can't go in my office."

"Why?"

"It's….being painted. It's---we can't."

"Painted? When was this?"

"A few hours ago—its wet—we can't. The fumes."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." He walked forward.

"Leo—"

"Josh."

"Okay!" Josh yelled. "Were coming into the office now—!" Leo looked at Josh oddly as Josh yelled. Leo walked forward and Josh moved out of the way as Leo entered the room to find it empty. Josh stared with his mouth open. "They're gone!?"

"Who's gone?"

"Ahh---my papers." Josh turned around. "Donna!"

"What?" Donna appeared at the door.

"Where are my papers?"

"What papers?"

"You said they? They're gone?" Leo asked.

"Did I say papers----I meant the painters. The painters are gone?"

"I thought you said they painted an hour ago? Why would the painters still be here?"

"Oh, well. There ya go?" Josh looked at Donna and she gave him with an odd look. Leo's look was even stranger.

"Okay, I'm going to go back to my office and whenever-- whatever it is you were taking wares off. Come talk to me." Leo gave a last look and walked out of the office.

"What just happened here?" Donna asked.

"Again, I have no idea?" Josh had an odd look on his face before looking at the door connecting his office with CJ's. Josh ran past Donna who was still confused and toward CJ's office running into Danny as he coming from CJ's door.

"Danny!? Where did you go?"

"CJ's office. We used—."

"The door, yeah." Josh leaned in. "So, you two--?"

"Yeah." Danny said with his soft rasp looking down sheepishly before looking up.

"That's great." Josh spoke softly with a big grin.

"Listen, CJ wants to—"

"Yeah, yeah. I won't tell anyone 'till I get the heads up."

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

"She wants to figure out that best way to handle it."

"Yeah."

"I got to go."

"Yeah."

Danny and Josh parted.

"Hey." Danny appeared at the door.

"Hey." CJ was very busy with so much work it was driving her crazy.

"You tell them yet?"

"Tell who?"

"Them? People. Carol. Anyone."

"Oh. No not yet."

"When are you gonna?" CJ walked toward the door and stopped when she got to Danny in the doorway.

"I'm not." She walked out of the office and Danny followed "Carol!"

"Yeah." Carol answered having been there the whole time.

"Have this sent over to Toby's office would you."

"Yeah." Carol trailed off.

"CJ?" CJ walked into the hallway and took a page from the fax machine. She leaned into Danny and whispered. "I wouldn't have to tell anyone if you hadn't let it slip."

"Let it slip!" Danny followed CJ back toward her office. He lowered his voice. ""Letting it slip, makes it sound like I said something we both knew, I didn't know I was keeping a secret for both of us."

"You weren't." CJ entered Carol's office.

"See, I think it sounds like I was. I guess I didn't get that memo."

"Lower your voice." She entered her office. "I'm not telling anymore."

"Are you kidding?" Danny followed CJ.
"Shut the door." CJ crossed to her desk. Danny shut the door. "Danny, I've really thought this over and I think the best thing is if we don't tell anyone."

"Okay?"

"It's the best line of defense."

"I really don't think so?"

"Are you leaving your job?"

"No?"

"Then either we're a secret or I can't do it Danny. I just can't."

"So nothing's changed. We're back to square one."

"No. We're not back to square one. Square one was me not going out with you. This is me saying I will—I guess that makes this square two—."

"But as a secret?"

"Yeah."

"You're my secret girlfriend?"

"Ahh—yeah?"

"CJ, I'm 46 years old, I think I'm getting a little old to have a secret girlfriend."

"Well you got one or you got nothing."

"CJ, I don't see why we can't be adults about this?"

"And I know I can't be around here and no be with you."

"Don't do that."

"I can't Danny. It looks worse for you than it does for me."

'No---"

"Trust me it does."

"A secret?"

"Yes."

"You want me to sneak around with you in dark alley's and hotel rooms—"

"Danny—"

"I won't demean you like that."

"Danny take it or leave it. And it's not deeming me. It's what I want." CJ walked toward the door.

'Look, CJ--"

"You leaving your job?' She asked him as she passed him in the doorway.

"No?"

"Then it's secret or we got nothing. I have a meeting to go too" CJ pushed her door open and walked out. Danny wasn't happy.

"You know Josh's right!" He yelled after her. "You do belong in the looney bin! "Cause your crazy!"

CJ stopped before exiting her office and walked back toward Danny who was still framed in her office doorway. She framed herself in the doorway almost touching Danny before leaning in and whispering to him as softly as she could.

"Did I mention this would involve a lot of sex--"

"--You know I'm okay with that."

"I thought you would be." CJ walked away from Danny and gave herself a smirk. Danny watched her walk away.

"So I made a list of Hotels." CJ looked up. "Good ones. Classy ones. Places you'd want to take your mother. Not that I'm taking my mother-I mean that would just make it weird."

"Hotels?"

"Hotels." Danny shut the door behind him.

"Why?"

"You wanted to keep this a secret."

"You were gone for like an hour?"

"Two. And I'm fast. I'm just that good. In fact I'm just that good at a lot of things--Of course fast is not a word—"

"I'm not going to a hotel."

"You wanna go to motel?" Danny was confused.

"I don't want to go to a hotel, a motel or anything with the word tel in it."

"Where are we doing to go?"

"My place."

"Okay. But your place is two blocks from The White House. In fact, I think I once saw a reporter have to park his car across the street from your house, so—"

"Fine, your place—wait, that's too obvious." She looked down.

"Obvious?" CJ looked at Danny as he spoke.

"If someone sees us going into your place they're going to think—"

"Well, they're going to think no matter--."

"Maybe a hotel?"

"Okay. But if we're looking at what's obvious and what's not-- I think a hotel is completely obvious."

"You brought it up?

"CJ!"

"No, no. Okay we'll go to my place—" She took a breath. "I can't think of a reason why-

"Why what?"

"Why---how we would explain why I'd—we'd be seeing each other, at my place, outside the office."

"Well, if you want a place no one will be suspicious-- you call me into—." He gave her eyes and took a step into the office. CJ gave him a horrified look as he sat down on her couch.

"No. No. I'm not—not in my office—." She whispered to Danny. "People will hear us." Danny stood up and walked forward again.

"People will hear us?"

"Yeah?" CJ had no idea how Danny did it but she knew how she did it.

"Sorry, it just gave me an image, an image I like by the way, and believe me I don't want to stifle any of your creative energy."
"Danny."

"I'll go and do whatever you want CJ. I said I would. But you got to tell me what that is?"

"Leave your job Danny."

"I can't do that CJ."

"I'm at an impasse Danny, really I am." CJ seemed tired and agitated.

"Fine, then what are we suppose to do? I need a straight answer CJ."

"This. We do this."

"What is this?"

"I really don't know." She shrieked.

"I know." Danny took a breath. "Come here?"

"What?"

"Come here?"

"Okay?" CJ walked around her desk and circled it to Danny. He put his hand on her hip.

"I love you CJ. And I can't sit out there---now that this is out—and I know that's what you're thinking too—saying—wow that was weird." He took a pause. "I could go away."

"Don't go away."

"I won't." he paused. "I don't want to. Don't make me."

CJ looked down. Danny took her chin with his fingers and lifted them up.

"Whatever you want. But we opened the can of warms—"

"You opened the can of worms—"

"Yeah, that was me. It's open, but if this is gonna—"

"No, no. I can deal with it. Just give me time."

"Okay." Danny walked away and CJ took his hand and pulled him back.

"I didn't mean away from me."

She kissed him.

"Okay." They stood in their glow for a moment.

"So what do we do know?"

"That's up to you."

CJ got a sly look on her face.

"Come by my place tonight?"

"Tonight?" Danny looked like a kid on Christmas.
"Yeah."

"What time?"

"Twelve."

"Am."

"Danny?"

"I'll figure it out."

"I should get you my address."

"I know your address?"

"Oh, yeah. You do?"

"I'm the reporter who parked in front of your house."

"Should I be worried?' She lifted her eyebrow.

"Just a little."

Danny reached his hand behind CJ's head and pulled her close for a kiss. It ran shivers down CJ's body.

"Just a little preview of tonight."
"Why do you have to do that?"

"Do what?"
"Be so good at that—if you're weren't so good at that--." CJ kissed him back. "Ahh- if you just weren't so good at that."

"Hey I like to think you help too."

"You bet your sweet ass I do."

"I have a sweet ass?"

"Go Danny?"

"Okay." Danny took one last look at CJ before he left his office. Watching her as he left was his second favorite thing to do. The first was watching her as he entered her office. He couldn't wait to find a new favorite thing that night. CJ couldn't help but give him the same look back.

CJ and Danny tossed in the sheets.

"You know you're really good at this." Danny told her looking at her over him.

"I know I am." Danny tossed CJ so she was now under him, they were now nodded up in the sheets and they had only just begun. He kissed her neck as CJ let out the noises she had promised Danny in her office. She had gotten Danny all hot and heavy and they still were only rounding third.

"Danny?" She said breathlessly.

"Yeah." Danny caught his breath looking up at her again.

"Are you—"

"Yes—"

"Danny--."

"Yes." He lifted himself up to her and nestled himself in her neck and feeling her hair on his neck.

"You need to leave your job."

"What?" He looked at her with bated breath.

"You need to leave you job." She said with painstaking clarity.

"Ahh!" Danny fell back onto the bed. CJ leaned over him and blew in his ear.

"Ah CJ." He kissed her and ran his hand through her hair.

"You'll leave your job." She said softly and seductively. There was a pause as Danny lifted from the kiss and spoke with great pains.

"No." he squinted his eyes at the hurt he had and knew would get.

CJ lifted her body off of Danny grabbing her white silk robe as she went. Danny watched her walk away only catching a glimpse of her naked outline, as her robe flapped in the wind of her walk, before she secured the tie around her waist.

'This isn't fair!" Danny held his head and collapsed back on to the bed.

"Life's not fair Daniel" She said in the doorway of her bathroom as she tugged right her robe.

"You got to be kidding me!"

"Danny!"

"CJ, don't be one of theses woman. Come on. This isn't like you. This isn't you." Danny sat up and noticed how tangled in the CJ's sheets he was.

"What woman?"

"Those woman who get a man and then they try to change him. Don't be that woman CJ—"

"I'm not—"
"I'm who I am. I'm not gonna change?"

"I'm not trying to change you! I love you the way you are thank you. That's what makes this so difficult."

"Oh."

"—But I'm not asking you to give up sports, or drinking—"

"—Don't ask me to give up sports--?"
"--Or even journalism. I'm asking you to give up the White house while I'm the press secretary. You can get a job anywhere and still do what you love—"

"I love working at the White House—"

"So do I." She paused. "I thought you loved me?" She asked shyly.

"I do." He looked at her fondly and tilted his head looking for what to say. "You see my dilemma"

"You see mine.'

"Great were on the same page."

"I'm not one of those woman!"

"I know." He said with a sweet wine.

"I didn't come in here—"'

"Well I came in—" CJ threw him a look. "Okay, I'm being quiet."

"I didn't come in here with some agenda." She walked closer to the bed. "It just happened. I just thought to myself. I can't do this. I'm just not built this way Danny. I'm not one of those women who can separate their emotions like that." CJ was now standing over Danny. "I guess that makes me a bad Press Secretary." Danny took her hands.

"It makes you human." Danny nodded his head over to single CJ to sit down. CJ obliged and knelt on the bed across from Danny.

"CJ—" Danny noticed he was still tangled up in the sheets. 'I can move here."  CJ moved the sheets so Danny could move. He adjusted the sheets himself feeling foolish. "Where was I?"

"You just said my name? That's all?"

"Oh? Yeah, okay." Danny got it. "I understand this is hard for you. But even if I'm outside of the White House, and I'm not saying I'll leave yet—" CJ showed a face of protest. "Let me finish. I'm just letting you know that just because I'm out of the White House doesn't mean I won't get into any stories that have to do with The White House—I mean I fond out about Sharif while I was on vacation so---"

"You won't write about it—"

"CJ, I can't promise that. I'm a journalist. It's like waving a piece of meat in front of a dog—a wolf really—I can't not write about it—But I guess you know a little bit about showing a man what he can't have." Danny laid his hands on her outer thighs and CJ let him. He could feel her skin through the sheer fabric. He didn't know if he liked the fabric or her skin more between his fingers.

"Would you write a story about me?"

"Are you asking me too?"

"No, if you found a story about me—that had to do with me—"

"And it was bad?"

"Yeah."

"I'd burn it."

"Danny---."

"I would." He looked her really in the eyes. " You're the only thing that takes me away from being a journalist—"

"It'd be wrong Danny."

"Then we'd talk about it."

"What if it was really bad."

"About you?"

"Don't wear blinders Danny."

"I think when it comes to you I'm pretty clear headed."

"I don't want to be that girl, Danny?"

"Then don't. "CJ took a breath.

"I'm scared Danny?"

"Of me."

"No. Of this. This is going to make things so different."

"If you don't want to—"

"I want to I want to. That's the problem I want to."

Danny took a gulp as he looked into CJ's troubled face.

"I'll leave."

"Now?"

"No, the White House! Where have you been for this whole discussion?"

"Okay sorry."

"I mean me I can understand—the blood's not exactly—"

"I get the point Danny."

"I'll go away, but I can't promise."

"Danny?"

"Yeah."

"Just promise if you get involved in a story about me—"

"I won't"

"If you do. You come to me first."

"Okay? Yeah."

"Good."

"You want to tell me what this is about?"

"No." She laid her hands on his chest. "Can it wait?" She said softly.

'Yeah." He said with concern.

"I'll tell you. Just not now. I promise. Just not now?" Her eyes filled with tears, but they never fell. "Let's just have this."

"Okay." He kissed her.

'Okay?" She smiled.

"Okay."

They shared a moment and CJ smirked. She rolled herself backwards onto her bed and propped herself up on her white pillows and the bedpost. She smiled at Danny and lowered her robe off her shoulder making herself look seductive.

"So what are you waiting for." She said with her sly charm.

Danny looked into her eyes, smirked back, and raised his eyebrow. Danny crawled up the bed and up to CJ, his stomach and hers rumbling for other reasons than hunger. They locked eyes as CJ smiled at him and ran her hand over his face. Danny cleared his throat and lowered his eyes to CJ's body. CJ did the same following his eyes and smiled. They locked eyes again. CJ took hold of the end of the bow she had made with her robe slash and pulled on it. She pulled it and handed the end to Danny who raised his eyebrow at the sight of opening his present. Danny pulled on the tie causing her robe to part, showing the loveliness of her body.

"I never dreamed it would be this amazing."

"You dreamed about me?"

"Yes."  He pressed himself up against her. "Always." CJ smiled. "You can't tell me you never did."

"Well, not never."

"Okay."

"But I'd say not as much as you."

"This I can handle. Considering the position I'm in now. I'm not an insecure guy."

"This I know."

"You know were talking why too much and not nearly doing enough for my taste."

"I would agree." She smiled.

"Ahh… I love you."

"I love you too."

Danny moseyed himself into CJ's office.

"So my editor assigned me some on the road interviews, possible candidates that kind of thing."

CJ looked up from her paper as she laid herself out on her couch. Danny took her in.

"There are so many images going through my head right now."

"Close the door Danny."

"Yeah." Danny shut the door behind him. CJ sat up on the couch revealing her amazing long legs draped over themselves. "You know, now that I've seen you naked it makes imagining you naked so much easier." CJ gave him a fake cross look.

Danny sat down on the couch next to her.

"I missed you this morning."

"I got beeped. I had to leave. I'll make it up to you." She ran her hand through the hair on his forehead.

"No problem."

"When are you leaving?"

"Today's technically my last day."

"Are they throwing you a party?"

"No I think they're happy I'm leaving. I steal all the exclusives."

"Hence me asking if they're throwing you a party." She joked.

"Ha. I get that." He smiled.

"So how long will you be away, then?"

"Three weeks." He said in a disappointment.

"There's always a downside…to everything I do."

"But I'll be back. In three weeks, we will see each other. It's better than nothing. We'll be together. Every time I came back it will be to you CJ. That's what matters."

"Yeah." She said sweetly. "It's so odd."

"You gonna tell'um?"

"Yeah, I think I'll wait, 'till after you leave. Wait some time—"

"—Whatever you want---"

"It's best if you're not around."
"Yeah."

"I have brothers you know. It's best if you're not around."

Danny laughed. CJ smiled.

"Can I kiss you here. In the office."

"Please."

Danny leaned in and kissed CJ. It reminded her of the night before and how amazing and passionate it had been. They weren't sure who let up first, but they knew they had to stop.

"Hey, I wanted to give you this." Danny took his press tag off his neck.

"No, Danny you don't have to hand that in, they just void it—"

"No, I wanted to give it to you." He handed it toward her.

"To me?" She was so touched.

"Yeah." Danny smiled. CJ took the pass in her hand rolling her thumb over. "Just hold onto it until I get back."

CJ looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Okay."

"I'm coming back."
"I know." She smiled. "I'm just so happy."

"You don't look it." Danny joked.

"Believe me I am." She smiled holding back her tears.

"I'll take your word for it." He took a breath. "I should go. You have work to do." He stood. "Plus, I'm just suppressing the urge to rip off all your clothes."

"Understood." She said dryly. CJ stood. "I do have that effect on men." She joked.

Danny took sight of her as he stood next to the door.

"And with good reason." He put his hand on her hips and pulled her close.

"So by the way, when you said you were great in bed, you were wrong." He paused to get a rile out of CJ. "Your amazing." He said with soft intensity.

"You ain't so bad yourself—." Danny took the words out of her mouth and kissed her hard as he held her in his arms.

"It's gonna be a long couple of weeks." He reached for the door.

"Call me."

"Yeah." He gave her an intense look.

CJ bit her lip as Danny opened the door.

"And CJ?"

"Yeah?"

"Hold on to that for me. I'll be back for it."

CJ waved him goodbye holding onto the pass. Danny turned for the door and vanished. CJ looked down at Danny's picture being held in her fingers. Oh, how this man would change her life.