Disclaimer: Not mine-belongs to NBC and Warner Bros Television
"Orange Crush"
'I'm going to ignore your list. Cause I think it's ridiculous. Also because I have a crush on you."."
--Danny "In Excelsis Deo"
The door to the dusty diner opened ringing the chimes above as it did and revealing Danny to another truck stop and another unknown place soon to become known. The woman at the register made eyes with Danny as if to ask both what he wanted to order and what he, a stranger, wanted in this place. Danny took the eye to approach and make himself known with his reporter charm.
"What can I get ya?
"I'm only waiting—just look' in for a drink—what kind of pop you got?"
"Pop?"
"Soda." Danny had to remember where he was.
"We got coke, sprite, orange—"
"What kind a orange?"
"Orange Crush."
"In the bottle?"
"Yeah."
"I'll have one of those."
"I'll get ya one? You sitt'in?"
"For a bit—can I take a booth?"
"Knock yourself out."
Danny found a booth near the window and took his notebook from his back pocket to examine his scribblings. He rolled over the front flap and placed it on the table writing a few notes and looking over others.
Once he had finished the drink Danny picked up the cap from the table and fingered the top with his thumb, feeling the sleekness as his hand ran over the word Crush, and his fingers dug into the perforations under the cap. He looked at it fondly before flipping it over and digging his thumbnail into the back. He took the cap after a moment and breathed it in through his nose: oh how it reminded him of her.
2000
Danny walked into C.J's office holding two orange soda bottles in one hand.
"Danny?" C.J. walked from behind her desk.
"Hey. Thought you might be thirsty." He handed her a bottle. "It was this or Cornea, but this was all the Mess had."
"What a shocker." She opened her bottle and tossed the cap toward her desk. She took a swig. Danny looked at her and walked closer. "Where's your stash?"
"My stash?"
"I know you have a case of beer around here." He looked around. C.J. paused before answering.
"It's in the shop."
'Ahh, Pop it is." Danny leaned on the edge of C.J.'s desk and opened his bottle taking a swig.
"To what do I owe the honor of your presence?"
"Just thought you might be thirsty--work' in late and all." He watched C.J. take a drink from the bottle. " And I like to bring a little someth'in the morning after I kiss a woman. I think it's gentlemanly to bring a little someth'in--."
"It's not morning Danny?""Yeah, I'm a little late." He took a breath. "Plus you were giving me googly eyes all day during the briefings." He took a swig.
"No I wasn't.--" C.J. walked closer to him as Danny walked away from the desk causing C.J. to take his place by the desk.
"---I beg to differ--"
"No I wasn't!"
"--Okay, maybe just a little eye--"
"--I wasn't!"
"Okay." He walked up to her and they were face to face.
C.J. looked girlish in his presence as they looked into each other's eyes. C.J. grabbed his tie and pulled him closer into a full kiss, up and down, side-to-side, longer than they had kissed before. It was as if they were kids at a drive in. He tasted and smelled the crush on her tongue as he was amerced in the orange aroma and flavor of the drink lingering in her mouth.
There was a knock at the door. They stopped and Danny lifted his lips from C.J.'s. C.J. took a breath in as Danny backed off.
"Yeah." C.J. asked as Carol entered the room.
"They want you in the Oval." Carol lingered by the doorway.
"Yeah." C.J. looked in Carol's direction, but not really at her.
"I'll go." Danny said softly and walked away.
"Yeah." She said watching him walk away. "Thank's for the Pop."
Danny turned.
"No problem." He said in his Michigan tones walking backwards a bit before turning back in the other direction.
C.J walked over to the door and held onto to it as Danny hit the doorway and walked out. C.J. rocked the door between her fingers, Danny could hear it, she yelled to him.
"Danny! I need to ask you one more thing—about your follow-up--?"
-
"Yeah." Danny said as he entered the room again. But as soon as he was clear of it C.J. shut the door behind Danny, grabbing him, pushing him up against the door and wrapping her arms and her lips around him. Danny soon took control and they rolled over the door. He could taste and smell the orange crush between her teeth and tongue. It was inside him, his month and his nostrils. C.J. rolled back and she was in control soft and slow still taking her time until she lifted up.
"You can go know." She said to him as she lifted away.
"Yeah." He said with a confused satisfied air.
Back at the diner Danny brought the cap to his nose and breathed it in: oh how it reminded him of her.
"Danny, the governor will see you now?" Danny turned and saw C.J. as she was when he first saw her: pulled up curly hair, tied button up burgundy blouse and glasses. Danny blinked and when he opened his eyes he saw the real women who was in front of him, a Press Secretary, but not C.J.
"Danny, the Governor with see you now." The woman said with a smile.
"Yeah-- let me just pay. "
Danny took his wallet out and placed a few dollars and a great tip on the tabletop. He placed his wallet back into his back pocket and picked up the cap again. Danny smiled remembering the moment and thumbed it one last time over it's top, before grinning, and deciding to keep it. He put it in his pocket and walked off.
In her office C.J. looked through her drawer like a mad women.
"It has to be here?"
"I can get you another—." Carol demanded.
"No its here---I know it—is." She reached her arm back and took out some post its and pencils. ' She reached back in again. What is this?" C.J. removed her long arm form the drawer and in her palm was an orange Crush bottle cap. C.J. eyes widened and her mouth opened in awe remember the memory herself.
"What is that?" Carol asked.
"A bottle cap?," C.J spoke, still in awe of the memory. C.J. fingered the top with her thumb before pressing the inside up to her nose and taking it in: how it among other things reminded her of Danny. "It's a bottle cap." She repeated again
"Okay?" Carol didn't know what to do with it.
C.J. looked over at Gail swimming in her bowl and took in the cap again with a breath.
"It's a bottle cap." She took a girlish sign of regret.
Danny leaned up against the pillar, holding together the porch of the diner, as a smooth breeze ran past following the sun as it set. He put his hands in his pocket and felt the cap between his fingers, hitting him in all the right places. He took the cap and flipped in between his right knuckles for a moment before popping it into his left hand. The cap landed face up and Danny just looked at. After a moment he put it in his pocket for later.
Song:
Waiting in Vain
(as song by Bob Marley and Annie lennox)
don't wanna wait in vain for your love;
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love.
From the very first time I rest my eyes on you, girl,
My heart says follow t'rough.
But I know, now, that I'm way down on your line,
But the waitin' feel is fine:
So don't treat me like a puppet on a string,
'Cause I know I have to do my thing.
Don't talk to me as if you think I'm dumb;
I wanna know when you're gonna come - soon.
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love;
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love;
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love,
'Cause if summer is here,
I'm still waiting there;
Winter is here,
And I'm still waiting there.
Like I said:
It's been three years since I'm knockin' on your door,
And I still can knock some more:
Ooh girl, ooh girl, is it feasible?
I wanna know now, for I to knock some more.
Ya see, in life I know there's lots of grief,
But your love is my relief:
Tears in my eyes burn - tears in my eyes burn
While I'm waiting - while I'm waiting for my turn,
See!
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love;
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love;
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love;
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love;
I don't wanna wait in vain for your love, oh!
I don't wanna - I don't wanna - I don't wanna - I don't wanna -
I don't wanna wait in vain.