Chapter 8 "Your Fan Club Was Out In Full Force"

I really need to work on my temper.

That probably sounds weird but what can I say? I do. I have absolutely no temper. And when I do get mad enough to express one, I'm not likely to hold it as a grudge for long.

My problems are more complicated than normal people.

Normal people would want to get over something quickly and move on. Normal people would like to have a temper easily under control. Normal people would want to be a lot less like Toby.

"CJ!"

And as I hear his voice, I wish I could keep a temper like him. It would make this argument a lot easier.

"Claudia Jean." I quickly get up and close my door as he enters it.

"Toby."

"What the hell is she doing here?" He gets straight to the point, doesn't me?

"Toby."

"What is the girl you had Josh kick out three days ago doing in his office today?" I open my mouth. "What is she doing on his schedule for the next four days?" Again I open my mouth. "Is it possible that everyone's LOST THEIR MIND!"

"Toby, it's not like this was something we planned."

"Maybe not but it sure seemed to be planned for the next four days."

"She threatened to sue if she lost the story. I know your pissed but guess what, this is no longer just about Josh and just about some stupid interview he's been roped into. This is about me protecting this White House and if you've got a problem with that then you can walk out of here and take it up with Leo or Josh themselves." I take a deep breath. Silence settles between us. I didn't do too bad.

"I don't want her in this office." I give a small nod. "I mean it CJ."

"I'm handling it, Toby. As soon as he's done with the meeting, Donna's having him talk to me." He goes to object and I jump to it, trying to stop him. "When he does, I'll be sure to make it clear that any further meetings he has with this girl are held outside of the building and that he is to not have any social engagements with her there after."

"No. No, no, no." Toby grabs at his forehead, running his hand back. "CJ, you're going to tell him he can't date her?"

"Toby."

"You're just going to make him want to." I look at him like he's crazy. What is it I can do to please this man?

"Well then what am I supposed to say? 'Josh, Please don't bring your crazy into the White House. Take her out for a few social occasions through the interviewing process and then if you feel like it, feel free to let her into your life.'"

"Tell him..." He pauses and sighs. "Tell him that he is not to bring her back into the White House. Should he choose to continue his associations with her then it should be clear that there are chances of him coming into conflict because of her own associations."

"Would you like me to issue a press briefing about it too?" He stares at me. "I'm just saying."

"What, CJ? What are you saying?"

"Well it sounded more like I was talking to the press than Josh. I think you're taking this a little worse than it really is. I admit I was bent out of shape about this before."

"CJ, you threw one of my balls at Josh."

"At Josh! At! I did not actually hit Josh with the ball."

"Not for lack of trying."

"Toby, I'm not going to tell Josh he can continue a relationship with this girl! Not with this other thing hanging around our neck. Now either you can let me handle this or you can do it yourself."

"Fine. I'll do it myself." He turns to make his way to the door but I quickly run in front of him and stop him.

"I'm kidding. I'm kidding. You can't handle this."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll loose it." He opens his mouth and I can tell he's about to blow. "It's not a surprise to anyone that you have the worst temper of this building. I, on the other hand, can remain cool while explaining–"

"Screw explaining, CJ. I want it clear that he's to halt all associations with her after this article."

"Fine. But don't be going in there ready to kill him, is all I'm saying." He sighs.

"You'll handle it?"

"Yes."

"Let me know how it goes." I nod and open up the door. Toby walks through, stopping Carol from speaking a message from Ginger as he walks by.

"Carol." She looks to me. "Get me Donna. I want to know if Josh is out of his meeting yet." Carol nods and picks up her phone, dialing the extension.

I'm starting to not worry about my temper anymore. It seems to be flaring up nicely. Josh's interview meeting lasted up until his next meetings with three Congressmen. He's been in meetings all day and I think Donna even brought him lunch from Au Bon Pain.

He's avoiding me. He's avoiding me and I know it.

And that's making this fester even more.

Josh is not someone that takes confrontations well. And the fact that he's avoiding me just signals that he feels like he's in the wrong. And as much as it pains me to admit it, he's not. Josh didn't ask for the woman. He never once made advances. He had no idea that she was the dictatorial leader of his insane fan base.

So why am I getting so mad at him?

I hear a knock on my door and look up. Donna's standing just outside it.

"Yeah Donna."

"He's alone in his office." I stand up quickly.

"Thanks." Then I stop. Donna's been avoiding me all day. Something's up. "Donna, why are you telling me?"

"Josh shouldn't be meeting with this girl. And every time I try to tell him it's a mute voice. I think he should hear it from the right angle."

"Josh can't avoid her."

"Josh doesn't really want to avoid her."

"If there's one thing I've learned about Josh it's he doesn't take well to advice."

"If there's one thing I've learned about Josh it's he needs a swift kick in the--"

"Okay." I smile at her. I gotta admit, she knows the way of things. I follow her out of Carol's semi office and out into the hall. She heads one way as I go the other. His door's open so I knock on it lightly. He doesn't look up from his paperwork. I push the door closed behind me and when it clicks loudly, he looks up startled.

"I thought you were Donna."

"I'll bet."

"I'd like to start off by saying I didn't have a choice."

"Okay."

"She threatened a lawsuit and I didn't think it would look good."

"For her."

"Besides– what?"

"It wouldn't have looked good for her. If she'd made a lawsuit she'd have to disclose claims. She'd have to say it was due to her associations with the web site. The thing would seem like she was using her reporter status in the article to get close to her obsession. She would have been made a fool of and she knew it. She played you." Josh is staring at me, dumb-founded. "She played you and if you'd only run it by me before you'd known that. But what you going to do?"

"Okay so I had that coming."

"You had a lot more than that coming."

"Okay, but we're going to ignore that fact for a moment."

"Okay."

"You're going to ignore that because you know that I can take care of myself. I can keep this a non-story."

"I'm not sure if you can or can't take care of this, Josh. But I know it's my job to make sure things like this don't become an issue. I'm not going to tell you that you can't do this because I already know you're going to ignore it. You did. But I just want you to keep in mind that this article is going to get publicity seeing as how you're an influential man in the home of the President of the United States. Katie's got this story in the palm of her hands but she's holding it because she's a good friend. But I can't promise you someone else isn't going to figure it out." I take a deep breath and sigh. "So just be careful. The only other thing I ask is for you to keep her out of the White House. Just for security safety."

He nods to me and I turn to go out the door. I stop and turn back as I reach it. "By the way, I don't think hiding out in your office all day was that great an idea. You made it seem worse than it was."

"Thanks." I turn again but his voice stops me. "Hey CJ?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you try to keep this away from Toby?"

"Sorry, me amor. Toby's already got it. But if it makes you feel any better I took this meeting when he wanted to."

"Did he mention any of my libs being removed in that conversation?"

"No, but I think some of it was implied in his tone."

"Right." And with that I turn and leave the room.

My day is complete as I walk back to my office at a quarter after one. Maybe to others that would have seemed a lot less temper than it should have been. Well, actually, some might ask about the lack in my temper. But you got to understand something.

If Josh really did eat Au Bon Pain for lunch, he's suffered enough for one day.

But it's okay. Tomorrow's another day and I'm confident in knowing that something else will screw up in Josh's face.

Call it clairvoyance.