On The Road With Danny Concannon: Boston

Title:"Mandyville."

Companion Piece The Supremes. 5.18

Danny sat at another table in yet another bookstore signing copies of his new book. It was a thankless job, but part of his contract with his publisher, and Danny was happy to oblige, yet unhappy to be away from his work. Of course he did need a break.

Maybe he'd give himself some time to kick back and watch a basketball game, crack open a beer. These of course were all the things going through his head as he tried to remain present in the moment. Danny loved people, it was one of the great things he loved about the job; and he wanted to give everyone who had come out to see him all the attention he could.

It was hard of course after signing and signing, but each time Danny tried to bring himself back. Maybe it was age, but he found his mind drifting off a lot lately. He just didn't want a repeat of Chicago where through most of the book signing he kept imaging C.J. standing in the back of the room, taunting him, calling him over into the stacks, right between the heath, fitness, and non fiction sections. He soon found his body standing at the podium, but his mind was sliding along side the bookshelves, kissing her neck, and running his fingers through her hair. An active mind is an agile mind his grandfather use to say. Danny just hoped he wasn't going crazy. This time, no C.J., no fantasy, only the Barnes and Noble in Bean town. All was safe in Concannonville.

Danny was amazed how in each town, once he walked into the bookstore, all life seemed the same as the last store, and all the stores before it. Just the accents changed.

The signings would usual start with Danny reading portions of the book. The laughs varied at different times, but came like ebbs and flows in the same places. So much so Danny knew by now which parts to punch and which ones to let lie in the air to be absorbed like pollen: Through the senses and the nose.

There were always the few small groups of fans, those carrying worn down copies of his previous books in their hands, covers torn from reading, waiting impatiently in line for their turn. They were few, but it was still strange for Danny. They were all nice, only one a little strange, and one guy had come all the way from Vermont. That was flattering. He didn't have throngs of screaming fans like Josh, but he still had people who knew who he was and that was still nice. He also didn't have as many screaming woman as Josh, but he was always shocked when he found out he did. It was still amazing to his ego to have the occasional young thing in each town walk up to his table and finger the pages of his book for him to sign the inside. She'd smile in her short skirt, obviously flirting, flip her hair; bat her eyes and lean in close. Danny couldn't help but laugh sometimes at the young girls old enough to be his daughters. It scared him in many ways how easy it would be to take one of the girls back to his hotel with him. He knew men like that, he covered men in politics like that, and he wasn't that guy. It scared him even more that other men were that kind of guy. How many women did he know who weren't safe he thought to himself. Who did he know who was at risk or had been? Besides Danny knew they wouldn't be going to bed with him, they would be going to be with his words. Not him, never him.

Danny signed the copy in front of him, closed the flap, and pushed the book forward to the young woman in front of him. She smiled holding the book to her chest, flipped her hair, batted her eyes and thanked Danny. Danny sheepishly thanked her never knowing how to deal with the situation. He still took a moment to watch the girl walk away and laugh. If only he was a different type of fellow. But he wasn't. Never could be. Never would be.

"What's a girl gotta do to get a book signed around here?" Danny knew that sharp voice. He looked, arching his eyes up to see a familiar brunette hanging in front of him.

"Mandy." Danny spoke with a nod of the head.

"Hey Danny." She smiled.

"Come over here." Danny motioned her to the side of the table. "How ya doin'?" Danny took the next book and asked the man's name before signing it for him.

"Good. Good." She nodded her head. "Nice book." Danny took a copy of Danny's book making it face her, opening the flap and fingered through the papers.

"You read it?" Danny asked with a glint in his eye.

"Am I in it?" She said looking down at him slyly.

"You got to read it."

"Yeah." She smiled with sarcasm. "I guess I will." Mandy picked up the book and held it with two hands. She looked at the back. "You got time after this?"

"Yeah, I'm almost done. Give me a few minutes."

"Okay." Mandy walked away while reading the back cover.

"Mandy?" Danny called after her stretching her name in the process.

"Yeah?" She looked up.

"Ah, that's my personal copy." He said in his all-knowing way, his eyeballs looking up at her.

"Oh." She slid the book across the table to him.

"Yeah." Danny smiled placing his left hand on his book and signing another book with his right hand. "Mandy." Danny whined as he felt her hand try to get the book back. Mandy snorted off and once her back was to Danny, he couldn't help but laugh at her.

"I was just doing my job, Mandy." Danny leaned in toward her on the diner's formica table.

"I don't blame you I know that." She picked at her French fries. "Can someone get some service around here!" Mandy looked around.

Danny looked at her as if to say, "That's old Mandy," and leaned his arm over the back of the booth. He leaned his eyes under his sunglasses and caught the eye of a waitress who looked at him with a question mark look.

"What do you want?" Danny asked looking Mandy's way. Mandy took the waitress's eye.

"Another refill." The woman walked away.

"Make it decaf?" Danny told the woman wondering when the hell Mandy would ever calm herself down.

"And another plate of French Fries!" She yelled as Danny threw his sunglasses on the table.

"Whoa, girl. You want to eat the plate too? Maybe I can get them to have the silverware wrapped up for you. Maybe send a few more red bulls over with that caffeine high you're already chasin'."

"I'm hungry, so sue me."

"I would if I could, but I think you'd eat me.'

"Funny."

"Ahh, I try." He let it go and looked away for a moment.

"Listen Danny."

"Yeah?"

"I don't blame you?'

"Good."

"I do, however, want to know how you got it?" Her words ran fast.

"I told you then and I tell you now. I can't do that."

"Yeah, Yeah."

"So what ya been up to? I heard you got engaged." Danny took a drink of his coffee.

"How'd you know?" She looked up at him flabbergasted, her mouth still full of food as she swallowed.

"Josh told me?" He leaned his arm back against the booth running it along the edge and dangling his hand over the end while giving her that cocky look.

"Josh?"

"And the ring on your finger pretty much-"

"Josh told you?" She wanted to hit Danny on the arm, but missed he was too far from her."How the hell did he find out!"

"He knows people." Danny joked.

"He's been asking around about me? He's so territorial. I haven't seen him in five years - haven't dated him in six and he still feels the need to keep tabs on me and the men in my life."

"Mandy, it's not just Josh. That's all men. Of course were territorial. We're hunters. That's what we do. I know Josh wishes you nothing but good things on this one."

"I'm sure he wishes me something."

"Well, yeah-"

"-Josh is different. Any man that tapes a Fullbright scholarship letter to his forehead has problems."

"I thought that story was funny." Danny smiled.

"Funny - that's his problem - he knows how funny and smug he is and people except it."

"'Cause he's a good guy Mandy." Danny defended his friend out of habit.

"Yeah." She didn't want to admit it. "Yeah, he is."

"You were always so good at getting his goat."

"He always got worked up over the smallest things!"

"Look who's talkin'-."

"-He always got so worked up!"

"I'm sure he did." Danny insinuated.

"Hey!"

"Sorry."

"What about you? 'Secret plan to fight inflation'." Mandy smirked her famous smirk.

"Hey, he dissed my cred." Danny made use of slang for a joke. "I had to get him back. He deserved it." Danny laughed whole-heartedly. "That was funny." He signed. "I miss that guy." He ran his hand around his coffee cup and took a drink.

"Yeah he deserved it all right." Mandy said with humor as she chewed on another morsel of food. "So who ya think is gonna be the new justice?" Mandy wanted the gossip.

"What do I know what's going on in The White House anymore?" He threw it off.

"Rumor has it Josh is pushing for Judge Baker Lang?"

"Yeah, Josh would." He picked up his coffee with one hand and took a swig not giving Mandy his eyes.

"Come on Danny. You always know everything before anyone else. You know?" She teased him. "You always win the bet."

"Who's betting?" He said with his cocky inflection looking at her this time.

"Not if you're in." She joked back.

"If Josh is in on this - she has a chance. But we'll find out tomorrow. Hey, they got Mendoza on the bench."

"Yeah I know! I was there dumb ass!"

"Amazing, such words from just a scholarly girl." He said with amazing sarcasm.

"Takes one to know one." She threw it back.

"Was that an underhanded compliment?"

"Yeah, sort of. But then I haven't read your book yet, so who knows." She tried to change the subject. "You know you should let your beard grow in more?" The waitress finally came and refilled Mandy's coffee and offered up a new plate of French fires.

"Ya think?"

"Yeah, it looks good that way."

"Okay."

"Sure you don't want anything?" She started in on her new plate of French Fries.

"Nay, I'm good." He leaned forward. "Listen, Mandy mind if I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why'd you leave The White House?"

"On or off the record?"

"On."

"No comment."

"Allllright." Danny turned his head to the right and leaned back. He tried. He gave her a look and tried again. "Off the record?"

"Off the record?"

"Off the record."

"Shoot."

"Was it 'cause of the memo?"

She paused for a moment before speaking, "Partly." Her voice became serious. "They never forgave me for that-."

"-Yeah-."

"They never did. The tension was palpable. It was like walking on eggshells all the time. I stayed longer then I should have. By May I knew my days were numbered. June was too long and by July...well...I couldn't even let myself see Josh in the hospital when...I couldn't even go into work - I felt so sick to my stomach - I didn't even see him in the- "She stopped in her thoughts. "How is Josh?"

"Good." Danny nodded his head to reassure her. "Good. I don't see him so much since I've been on the road."

"He still dating the First Ladies Chief of Staff-Amelia something-"

"Amy Gardner? I really don't know- I just get the random email from him. He didn't mention it."

"But he mentioned I was engaged."

"Yeah."

"Yeah." She gritted her teeth.

"Hey, we both know you."

"Same old Josh." She said to herself. "Josh in your book?"

"No."

"C.J."

"Are we making a list?"

"How is C.J?"

"I wouldn't know!"

"Don't be so defensive. You're worse than Josh."

"Birds of a feather."

"You guys ever hook up?" Mandy dipped her fries in the pool of ketchup on her plate.

"Mandy!"

"You had a thing for her since the campaign." Mandy sent the food in her fingers into her mouth.

"You eat like a pig Mandy."

"You still have a thing for her don't you?"

"Hey."

"So, did anything happen? Anything happening right now?" She kept on teasing.

"No."

"Why do I think you're lying to me?"

"I'm not."

"You got a thing."

"I don't have a thing?"

"After five years you still have a thing." She brazenly laughed.

"There is no thing. No thing. No such thing.'

"So Josh - you are." She laughed. "It's not like I'm saying you're in love with her." Mandy laughed. "Now that would be sad." Mandy laughed, but stopped when she saw the look on Danny's face. "Oh, Danny. I...you do - don't you - I'm so sorry I didn't-."

"Mandy don't." He said softly as he wrapped his hand around his wrist.

"No I just said something completely offensive to you. I should have known." She hit her head. "I always do this!" Danny lowered his head and looked away. "I'm sorry." She said in her smallest voice.

"Don't Mandy."

"Okay." She sheepishly wiped the ketchup from her mouth. They shared a moment of silence. Mandy leaned in pushing her plate to the side.

"You should send her a copy of your book."

"This book? I don't-"

"Why not?" Mandy's cell phone beeped and she grabbed it quickly taking out the phone and checking the read out. "Oh, I have to go. I have a thing with Greg." She said apologetically.

"Greg?" Danny asked. Mandy flashed her hand to Danny showing him her ring.

"Greg."

"Greg." Danny got it.

"Hand me my book." Mandy reached out her hand and Danny took a book from his right side and handed it to Mandy. "You signed it?" She said as if she was scolding him.

"Of course." He smiled. "Of course now you can't sell it. It's damaged."

"Damn." She joked like a little girl. "And I was going to hock it for a new fan belt for your car."

"And here I was selling my car to buy you a bookmark." He joked. Mandy smiled and put her hand on his shoulder.

"It was nice to see you Danny." Danny smiled at Mandy.

"Yeah - good luck on the whole marriage thing-"

"Yeah, good luck on the whole-." She smiled. "Well. Good. Luck." She paused and adjusted her purse strap. "Send her a copy. I think she'd like it." Mandy started to walk away, but Danny, after pondering something, stopped her.

"Mandy!" He yelled for her peaking his head out from the booth.

"Yeah?" Mandy walked forward as Danny motioned her to come back with his head.

Mandy stood in front of Danny, who looked around for a moment before leaning forward. He took a moment.

"I don't have all day Danny." She said with her shrillest voice.

Danny gave her a look before making his confession.

"Would you, in all honesty, as a woman... wait eight years for a man you loved?"

Mandy's face turned to a sweet grin for her friend.

"We wait a lifetime... what's a few more years?" She leaned in speaking soft and sweet. "And if it was you, I'd wait even longer if I had to." She leaned in and kissed Danny on the cheek. "Give her the book." Danny gritted his teeth as Mandy walked away.

"I never said-"

"Give her the book!" Mandy yelled waving her hand goodbye as she exited the diner.

"Carol let's do messages later?" CJ rounded her desk and noticed a package. It was a small package wrapped in brown paper and string. "What's this?" She pointed to it.

"It's a package?" Carol said in her perky voice.

"I see it's a package, but what is it doing here?"

"Beats me."

"Well, how did it get here?"

"I don't know I guess it came while you were out? It was there when I came in?"

"And you didn't think- it could be a bomb- what it just appeared here?"

"CJ do you really think someone got a bomb into The White House and onto your desk."

"True."

"I'm going to lunch." Carol walked away from her crazy boss and out the door.

"Yeah, just run away."

"It's not a bomb!" Carol yelled as she walked out her office door.

"Don't yell that in this building! You could be jumped by a secret service agent!" Carol was gone now so CJ just spoke to herself. "I should be so lucky." CJ sat herself down at her desk and looked at the package. "Well, she's right I'm being stupid." CJ ran her fingers along the string and broke it apart. She let the brown paper fall and found what was inside the wrapping a delightful surprise: Danny's book. She lifted it up with a proud smile and read the cover to herself.

"Eight Long Years: Inside Two Presidential Administrations from The White House Press Corp-by Daniel Concannon." CJ smiled and lifted the book up. She turned the back over and looked at Danny's picture. It was an old picture she knew that. Must have been at least five years old. "Couldn'a sprung for a new picture, could ya Concannon." She whispered to herself as she smirked.

She lifted the book parting the middle of the pages with her manicured fingers causing a small piece of paper to fall out. CJ placed the book down and picked up the paper. She read the note out loud. "Turn to the title page?" CJ gave a puzzled look and leafed through the front of the book to the title page. She grabbed her reading glasses from her desk and set them on her nose as she reached the page and leaned in.

Three more years to go.

~Always Danny

CJ looked at the inscription and smiled.