"Mom, I'm not going to...Mother!"
Donna glanced over at Josh who was sitting in the driver's seat of his car arguing with his mother. Donna heard her Mother ranting and raving about how Donna never told her anything.
"Donnatella Moss, I can't believe I had to hear about this through the news before I heard it from my own daughter."
"What did Daddy say?"
Donna heard Josh stop in mid-sentence at that question. "He can't believe you're actually part of a scandal."
"Momma, we're not a scandal. The press got some bad information, C.J. is going to take care of it."
"I don't care, they made you sound like some kind of hussy."
Josh let out a frustrated cry. "Mom, don't you think that I would tell if you something like that had happened. I wasn't not telling you, this all happened very quickly. The President lectured me and so did Leo, you were my next call."
Donna smirked. She knew that Hannah Lyman was chastising him as much as her mother was chastising her.
"Is he there with you now?" Mrs. Moss asked.
"What?" Donna squeaked. This wasn't good.
"He's sitting there next to you right now, isn't he?" Her voice grew insistent.
"Yes, Momma."
"Put him on."
"I can't right now, he's busy talking to his mother."
Josh looked over at Donna with a panicked look on her face. He started shaking his head adamantly. Donna shot him a glare. Then as if on cue, Josh said, "Yeah, she's sitting right here." He glanced over at her. "She's on the phone...yes, Mother." Josh pulled the phone from his ear. "My mother would like to have a word with you."
"My mother would like to have several with you."
They exchanged phones.
"Hello, Mrs. Moss." Josh greeted.
"Hi, Mrs. Lyman."
"Donna, dear, how are you?"
"I'm well. How are you?"
"I'm good, very good. You looked pretty on television this morning."
"Thank you. Mrs. Lyman, I want you to know that Josh and I were really planning on calling you, it's just that we can't even seen to find a minute to talk to each other let alone anyone else."
"I understand, dear. I have to read Josh the riot act, it's my job as a mother, but I just wanted to tell you that you've always been part of the family. I know Noah liked you, he thought you were good for Josh. And I just love you to pieces. You make it easier sometimes."
"Make what easier, Mrs. Lyman?"
Josh laced his fingers through Donna's as if he knew what they were talking about. "Joanie." That was the only words that she had to say and Donna understood. She felt her chest tighten with emotion.
"I know that you and Joshua have a lot to talk about, I just wanted to tell you that I'm thrilled that you guys are finally figuring it out."
"Figuring what out?"
"That you're meant for each other."
Donna smiled and squeezed Josh's hand. "Thank you, Mrs. Lyman."
"Oh, call me Hannah, dear."
"Mrs. Moss, I assure you that I love your daughter more than I have ever loved anyone in my entire life," Josh announced.
"Who's Josh talking to?" Hannah asked.
"My mother."
"I'm sure she's as happy as I am."
"She's just mad that she didn't find out before the rest of the block. She loves to be the block gossip especially when it comes to my love life."
"It's a mother's right."
"I haven't gotten to that yet, Mrs. Moss." Josh sounded exasperated. "That's what the President said," he chuckled. "I'm going to hand you back to your daughter now. It was very nice to talk to you."
They exchanged phones again. "Hello, again, Mother." Josh said placing his arm along the back of Donna's chair, gently playing with her hair.
Donna let out a small sigh. "Mom?"
"He's a fine young man, Donnatella."
"Yes, Mom."
"You'll keep me posted from now on."
"Yes."
"I don't want to find out that you were married on the news."
"Yes, Momma, I promise that won't happen."
"Go be with Josh and call me later."
"I love you. Tell Daddy I love him too."
"I love you too, pumpkin, and I will."
Donna flipped her phone shut just as Josh did.
"How did it go?" Donna asked.
"Better than expected. Your father isn't going to hunt me down and kill me is he?"
"I think you're safe, just don't knock me up before we're married." Donna's eyes widened. "I mean, not that we're going to have kids or get married for that matter."
"Donna?"
"Yeah?"
"You ready for some lunch?"
Donna scurried into her bedroom while Josh flipped on the television to check the news. Donna caught a glimpse of their story as she was passing by. She shed her dress and lingerie and jumped quickly into the shower. She wandered into her bedroom and picked out her favorite pair of panties and bra to match. She opened her closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a low cut, black, v-neck, shirt with three quarter sleeves. She blow dried her hair and left it down. Her golden hair glimmered as it cascaded down her shoulders. She applied a little make-up and slipped on a pair of black-heeled boots.
She grabbed a sweater just in case it got chilly in the evening. She stepped out into the living room to find Josh yelling at the television. This was nothing new mind you, but it was always amusing.
"Joshua."
Josh turned around and felt his heart jump into his throat. Donnatella Moss had always been beautiful, but right there in that moment she had never seemed so beautiful and it was because she was dressed and made up just for him and him alone. He felt himself get all puffed up when he realized he was going to have the hottest lunch date in the history of hot lunch dates.
"You look amazing."
Donna beamed at him. "Are you ready or did you want to yell at MSNBC some more?"
He shut off the television without taking his eyes off of her. "I'm ready." He stood up and held his hand out for hers.
"Stop that."
"What?"
"Looking at me like you haven't seen me in years."
"You don't understand, Donnatella Moss, this is the first time that I get to look at you and know that you're all mine, plunging neckline and all."
Donna glanced down at her chest and back up at Josh. "Feed me, Joshua."
They arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later. He opened the doors for her and pulled out the chair for her. He was being the perfect gentleman. They were seated in a corner of the restaurant away from the main hustle and bustle of the dinning room.
They ordered their food and chatted lightly about things.
"J!" Donna felt herself glaring at the woman approaching their table.
Josh turned around in his chair and then glanced back at Donna. "Amy, hi."
"Donna." Amy didn't hide her dissatisfaction.
"Amy." Donna didn't either.
"I saw a silly little news cast today that said you two were having an affair," Amy sputtered.
"Funny, I saw the same one. Well you know what they say, if it's on television it must be true," Josh sneered.
"You're a couple now? Did you resign from the White House?"
"Yes and no. In fact the President gave his blessing along with Leo, Toby, C.J. and the entire White House Press Corp and I think, yeah, Sam too."
"I guess that answers that, huh, Donna?" Amy peered over Josh's shoulder to Donna.
"I guess it does."
"Answers what?" Josh asked looking between the women.
"Just girl talk," Amy sneered.
"It was lovely bumping into you like this," Donna dismissed Amy casually.
"I just wanted to ask Josh why he didn't come by last night like he said he was."
Donna registered the guilt on Josh's face and knew she wasn't lying. "Funny, when I found him he wasn't going anywhere in his socks."
Amy glowered at both of them. "It's okay, I'm not into pity fucks anyway."
"Really? I thought you'd be used to them by now." Amy snorted something and turned around making sure to give her hips an extra shake as she walked out. Josh wasn't even facing her.
"Listen, Donna..."
"Josh, spare me the excuses, okay. You were mad at me so you were going to go sleep with her. Why? Just to make me jealous?"
"I called her that's true and yeah a part of me wanted to hurt you the way you had hurt me by going out with Jack, but once I hung up I had no intentions of following through."
"You know what, Josh, we're not a couple, I mean I don't know what we are, but maybe we should just stop this before we end up drowning in guilt and regret." Donna stood up.
"Donna, please." He stood up to block her.
"Are you going to call her every time you get mad at me?"
"Are you going to go out on a date with an ex-boyfriend every time you're mad at me?"
"This was a mistake. We're obviously not ready for this. Maybe we never will be." Donna knew that Josh would reach for her if she tried to pass him. She looked over at him, his pained expression and his sad brown eyes.
"Donna," he whispered.
She turned away from him and walked out.
"What do you mean you walked out?" C.J. cried on the other side of the line.
Donna was sobbing in the cab on the way back to her apartment. "What was I supposed to do, just sit there and be okay with the fact that he called her?!"
"Donna, you went out with Jack and Jack proposed to you and Josh was just happy you came to him instead. Shouldn't you be glad that he wasn't with her at all?"
Donna thought about it for a long time.
"Donna? You still there?"
"Yeah."
"You and Josh have come too far for all of it to be ruined by Amy Gardner before you even get a chance to really start."
Donna heard a voice in the background. "C.J., do you have company?"
"Yeah."
"Who?"
"Never you mind. You have to go back and find Josh and tell him that you want a clean, clean slate and start over."
"C.J., we told each other we loved each other like six hours ago and already we're having issues. This isn't a good sign."
"Ye have little faith, mi compadre." C.J. paused and the male voice in the background was talking again. "That's right. Donna, do you remember Inauguration night when he came to you after you lied to everyone about the quote and you called you on it. He threw snowballs at your window. It doesn't get more romantic than that."
"C.J., he got back together with her right after Zoey was brought back safely. They broke up right before all the crap happened last October. I can't and I won't compete with her."
"Oh for crying out loud, I'm pretty sure he couldn't stand her half the time. This isn't some romance movie. Shit happens. Look, you guys are past all of that, you finally admitted your feelings which means that the games are over now you can just be together."
"I think...you know this is just all wrong. I'm his assistant, C.J., and I shouldn't be dating my boss." She took a long, shaky breath in. "I think it's for the better."
"Donna," C.J. sighed. "Don't do this, you'll regret it."
"I have to go." Donna disconnected the phone before C.J. could argue. The cab pulled up in front of her house. She paid the cab and got out. When she arrived Josh was sitting on her front steps.
Donna stood frozen on the sidewalk. He stood up and approached her.
"Let me say what I have to say, Josh. I've spent six years being your assistant and most of that six years loving you. But right now I don't think we should be together. I think that it's too confusing. We're both still raw from many other things. I just think that maybe we rushed this. I think we should take some time and reflect and figure some things out. Maybe after the term, three more years, it's nothing after the last six. I'm your assistant and we're supposed to be held to a higher standard. I think as long as you're my boss we shouldn't be together. It all gets far too complicated."
"I quit then," Josh said simply.
"Josh, this is your dream job, you can't quit."
"Then you're fired."
"Josh!"
"Tell me what to do, I'll do it. I refuse for this to be the end of something we never even got started. I can't be so bad at relationships that I end one before it even starts."
"It's not your fault. The last month things have been so out of control. Starting with the whole abortion clinic incident. It started a chain reaction and we started being selfish. We're in the White House, Joshua. We need to act like it." She looked down at the ground so she wouldn't have to see his face.
"Donna, I won't give up on us."
"There's always hope, but I think it's better this way."
"Donna."
She headed for her apartment. "Josh, go home, I promise in a couple of hours you'll see it my way."
He didn't say anything; he just watched her walk up the steps and into the apartment building. He stood there for a long time, he thought he saw Donna's silhouette in her window. Finally he turned around and left leaving his future behind him.
Donna glanced over at Josh who was sitting in the driver's seat of his car arguing with his mother. Donna heard her Mother ranting and raving about how Donna never told her anything.
"Donnatella Moss, I can't believe I had to hear about this through the news before I heard it from my own daughter."
"What did Daddy say?"
Donna heard Josh stop in mid-sentence at that question. "He can't believe you're actually part of a scandal."
"Momma, we're not a scandal. The press got some bad information, C.J. is going to take care of it."
"I don't care, they made you sound like some kind of hussy."
Josh let out a frustrated cry. "Mom, don't you think that I would tell if you something like that had happened. I wasn't not telling you, this all happened very quickly. The President lectured me and so did Leo, you were my next call."
Donna smirked. She knew that Hannah Lyman was chastising him as much as her mother was chastising her.
"Is he there with you now?" Mrs. Moss asked.
"What?" Donna squeaked. This wasn't good.
"He's sitting there next to you right now, isn't he?" Her voice grew insistent.
"Yes, Momma."
"Put him on."
"I can't right now, he's busy talking to his mother."
Josh looked over at Donna with a panicked look on her face. He started shaking his head adamantly. Donna shot him a glare. Then as if on cue, Josh said, "Yeah, she's sitting right here." He glanced over at her. "She's on the phone...yes, Mother." Josh pulled the phone from his ear. "My mother would like to have a word with you."
"My mother would like to have several with you."
They exchanged phones.
"Hello, Mrs. Moss." Josh greeted.
"Hi, Mrs. Lyman."
"Donna, dear, how are you?"
"I'm well. How are you?"
"I'm good, very good. You looked pretty on television this morning."
"Thank you. Mrs. Lyman, I want you to know that Josh and I were really planning on calling you, it's just that we can't even seen to find a minute to talk to each other let alone anyone else."
"I understand, dear. I have to read Josh the riot act, it's my job as a mother, but I just wanted to tell you that you've always been part of the family. I know Noah liked you, he thought you were good for Josh. And I just love you to pieces. You make it easier sometimes."
"Make what easier, Mrs. Lyman?"
Josh laced his fingers through Donna's as if he knew what they were talking about. "Joanie." That was the only words that she had to say and Donna understood. She felt her chest tighten with emotion.
"I know that you and Joshua have a lot to talk about, I just wanted to tell you that I'm thrilled that you guys are finally figuring it out."
"Figuring what out?"
"That you're meant for each other."
Donna smiled and squeezed Josh's hand. "Thank you, Mrs. Lyman."
"Oh, call me Hannah, dear."
"Mrs. Moss, I assure you that I love your daughter more than I have ever loved anyone in my entire life," Josh announced.
"Who's Josh talking to?" Hannah asked.
"My mother."
"I'm sure she's as happy as I am."
"She's just mad that she didn't find out before the rest of the block. She loves to be the block gossip especially when it comes to my love life."
"It's a mother's right."
"I haven't gotten to that yet, Mrs. Moss." Josh sounded exasperated. "That's what the President said," he chuckled. "I'm going to hand you back to your daughter now. It was very nice to talk to you."
They exchanged phones again. "Hello, again, Mother." Josh said placing his arm along the back of Donna's chair, gently playing with her hair.
Donna let out a small sigh. "Mom?"
"He's a fine young man, Donnatella."
"Yes, Mom."
"You'll keep me posted from now on."
"Yes."
"I don't want to find out that you were married on the news."
"Yes, Momma, I promise that won't happen."
"Go be with Josh and call me later."
"I love you. Tell Daddy I love him too."
"I love you too, pumpkin, and I will."
Donna flipped her phone shut just as Josh did.
"How did it go?" Donna asked.
"Better than expected. Your father isn't going to hunt me down and kill me is he?"
"I think you're safe, just don't knock me up before we're married." Donna's eyes widened. "I mean, not that we're going to have kids or get married for that matter."
"Donna?"
"Yeah?"
"You ready for some lunch?"
Donna scurried into her bedroom while Josh flipped on the television to check the news. Donna caught a glimpse of their story as she was passing by. She shed her dress and lingerie and jumped quickly into the shower. She wandered into her bedroom and picked out her favorite pair of panties and bra to match. She opened her closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a low cut, black, v-neck, shirt with three quarter sleeves. She blow dried her hair and left it down. Her golden hair glimmered as it cascaded down her shoulders. She applied a little make-up and slipped on a pair of black-heeled boots.
She grabbed a sweater just in case it got chilly in the evening. She stepped out into the living room to find Josh yelling at the television. This was nothing new mind you, but it was always amusing.
"Joshua."
Josh turned around and felt his heart jump into his throat. Donnatella Moss had always been beautiful, but right there in that moment she had never seemed so beautiful and it was because she was dressed and made up just for him and him alone. He felt himself get all puffed up when he realized he was going to have the hottest lunch date in the history of hot lunch dates.
"You look amazing."
Donna beamed at him. "Are you ready or did you want to yell at MSNBC some more?"
He shut off the television without taking his eyes off of her. "I'm ready." He stood up and held his hand out for hers.
"Stop that."
"What?"
"Looking at me like you haven't seen me in years."
"You don't understand, Donnatella Moss, this is the first time that I get to look at you and know that you're all mine, plunging neckline and all."
Donna glanced down at her chest and back up at Josh. "Feed me, Joshua."
They arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later. He opened the doors for her and pulled out the chair for her. He was being the perfect gentleman. They were seated in a corner of the restaurant away from the main hustle and bustle of the dinning room.
They ordered their food and chatted lightly about things.
"J!" Donna felt herself glaring at the woman approaching their table.
Josh turned around in his chair and then glanced back at Donna. "Amy, hi."
"Donna." Amy didn't hide her dissatisfaction.
"Amy." Donna didn't either.
"I saw a silly little news cast today that said you two were having an affair," Amy sputtered.
"Funny, I saw the same one. Well you know what they say, if it's on television it must be true," Josh sneered.
"You're a couple now? Did you resign from the White House?"
"Yes and no. In fact the President gave his blessing along with Leo, Toby, C.J. and the entire White House Press Corp and I think, yeah, Sam too."
"I guess that answers that, huh, Donna?" Amy peered over Josh's shoulder to Donna.
"I guess it does."
"Answers what?" Josh asked looking between the women.
"Just girl talk," Amy sneered.
"It was lovely bumping into you like this," Donna dismissed Amy casually.
"I just wanted to ask Josh why he didn't come by last night like he said he was."
Donna registered the guilt on Josh's face and knew she wasn't lying. "Funny, when I found him he wasn't going anywhere in his socks."
Amy glowered at both of them. "It's okay, I'm not into pity fucks anyway."
"Really? I thought you'd be used to them by now." Amy snorted something and turned around making sure to give her hips an extra shake as she walked out. Josh wasn't even facing her.
"Listen, Donna..."
"Josh, spare me the excuses, okay. You were mad at me so you were going to go sleep with her. Why? Just to make me jealous?"
"I called her that's true and yeah a part of me wanted to hurt you the way you had hurt me by going out with Jack, but once I hung up I had no intentions of following through."
"You know what, Josh, we're not a couple, I mean I don't know what we are, but maybe we should just stop this before we end up drowning in guilt and regret." Donna stood up.
"Donna, please." He stood up to block her.
"Are you going to call her every time you get mad at me?"
"Are you going to go out on a date with an ex-boyfriend every time you're mad at me?"
"This was a mistake. We're obviously not ready for this. Maybe we never will be." Donna knew that Josh would reach for her if she tried to pass him. She looked over at him, his pained expression and his sad brown eyes.
"Donna," he whispered.
She turned away from him and walked out.
"What do you mean you walked out?" C.J. cried on the other side of the line.
Donna was sobbing in the cab on the way back to her apartment. "What was I supposed to do, just sit there and be okay with the fact that he called her?!"
"Donna, you went out with Jack and Jack proposed to you and Josh was just happy you came to him instead. Shouldn't you be glad that he wasn't with her at all?"
Donna thought about it for a long time.
"Donna? You still there?"
"Yeah."
"You and Josh have come too far for all of it to be ruined by Amy Gardner before you even get a chance to really start."
Donna heard a voice in the background. "C.J., do you have company?"
"Yeah."
"Who?"
"Never you mind. You have to go back and find Josh and tell him that you want a clean, clean slate and start over."
"C.J., we told each other we loved each other like six hours ago and already we're having issues. This isn't a good sign."
"Ye have little faith, mi compadre." C.J. paused and the male voice in the background was talking again. "That's right. Donna, do you remember Inauguration night when he came to you after you lied to everyone about the quote and you called you on it. He threw snowballs at your window. It doesn't get more romantic than that."
"C.J., he got back together with her right after Zoey was brought back safely. They broke up right before all the crap happened last October. I can't and I won't compete with her."
"Oh for crying out loud, I'm pretty sure he couldn't stand her half the time. This isn't some romance movie. Shit happens. Look, you guys are past all of that, you finally admitted your feelings which means that the games are over now you can just be together."
"I think...you know this is just all wrong. I'm his assistant, C.J., and I shouldn't be dating my boss." She took a long, shaky breath in. "I think it's for the better."
"Donna," C.J. sighed. "Don't do this, you'll regret it."
"I have to go." Donna disconnected the phone before C.J. could argue. The cab pulled up in front of her house. She paid the cab and got out. When she arrived Josh was sitting on her front steps.
Donna stood frozen on the sidewalk. He stood up and approached her.
"Let me say what I have to say, Josh. I've spent six years being your assistant and most of that six years loving you. But right now I don't think we should be together. I think that it's too confusing. We're both still raw from many other things. I just think that maybe we rushed this. I think we should take some time and reflect and figure some things out. Maybe after the term, three more years, it's nothing after the last six. I'm your assistant and we're supposed to be held to a higher standard. I think as long as you're my boss we shouldn't be together. It all gets far too complicated."
"I quit then," Josh said simply.
"Josh, this is your dream job, you can't quit."
"Then you're fired."
"Josh!"
"Tell me what to do, I'll do it. I refuse for this to be the end of something we never even got started. I can't be so bad at relationships that I end one before it even starts."
"It's not your fault. The last month things have been so out of control. Starting with the whole abortion clinic incident. It started a chain reaction and we started being selfish. We're in the White House, Joshua. We need to act like it." She looked down at the ground so she wouldn't have to see his face.
"Donna, I won't give up on us."
"There's always hope, but I think it's better this way."
"Donna."
She headed for her apartment. "Josh, go home, I promise in a couple of hours you'll see it my way."
He didn't say anything; he just watched her walk up the steps and into the apartment building. He stood there for a long time, he thought he saw Donna's silhouette in her window. Finally he turned around and left leaving his future behind him.