"And this will be your desk." Donna said as she showed Alice around Josh's
bullpen.
"Hey Donna." Hannah said as she re-filed some things.
"Hey Hannah. Alice Kennedy I'd like you to meet Hannah Lyman, Josh's Mom. She's been subbing since my change in job."
"It's nice to meet you." Hannah said as she shook Alice's hand. "Forgive me for my son. I tried my best but."
"Mom, do you have the file on the thing?" Josh yelled from his office.
". but he has a tendency to do that." She finished. "Donna, any clue on the definition of thing today?"
"I'll take care of it." Donna grabbed a few files of the desk.
"MOM." Josh yelled from within the office.
"Quit bellowing Josh." Donna said from his doorway.
"Déjà vu. You don't work for me anymore and I still need the file on the thing."
"And what thing would that be? The new energy bill, the gun control legislation, the education speech or the amendments to the health bill that the Republicans want you to make?" She put all the files on the desk in front of him.
"I missed you." Josh smiled.
"Well my office is a lot quieter since no-one bellows at me."
"I'm sure I could squeeze five minutes out of my day to come over and bellow at you if it makes you feel better."
"I'll take that under advisement. Now I need you to be nice."
"When am I not nice?" He asked.
"Let me see, when there are any Republican's around, when things aren't going your way and do I have to remind you how much money you spent in the last few weeks on flowers and baskets for all the office-pool that you managed to upset."
"Fine. Why do I need to be nice?" Donna beckoned Alice to the door.
"Josh, I'd like you to meet Alice Kennedy your new assistant. Alice, I'd like you to meet Joshua Lyman, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Planning. But better know as Deputy Downer or as he prefers Josh."
"Alice right?" She nodded. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too Mr Lyman."
"Josh." Donna corrected. "It will only inflate his ego if you call him Mr Lyman. The only person who gets called Mr around here is the President; everyone else is called by their first name or hey you. Congressmen or women are Congressman this or Congresswoman that and Senators are Senator whatever."
"And thank you for this wonderful explanation." Josh said.
"Ignore him, like when he calls for all the bagels in the land."
"Are you starting today?" Josh asked.
"Officially I start on Monday. Today is orientation and learning your filing system."
"I have some free time since my staff are all learning how to do their jobs properly." Donna supplied.
"Since you're here anyway, can you get me a cup of coffee?" Josh asked.
"No." Alice replied.
"No?" Josh questioned.
"No. Josh, I'm going to be your assistant, not your secretary or your slave. Assistants don't get there bosses coffee, it's not a part of the job description. If you want coffee you'll have to get it yourself, along with your dry-cleaning and any personal shopping you want done."
"Donna, you've corrupted her already."
"No, I just told her the basics."
"Just for the record, Leo's assistant Margaret brings him coffee and has done since he was labour secretary. The President's secretary, body man and other assistants bring him coffee, well they call the steward to do it but it's the same thing. Bonnie, Ginger and Kathy bring Toby and Sam coffee and Carol brings CJ coffee and fish food."
"Fish food?" Alice questioned.
"Danny Concanon, a reporter for the Post has a major crush on CJ. Josh told him that CJ liked goldfish, so he went out and brought her a goldfish Gail. What Josh had actually meant was the goldfish crackers, but Danny didn't know that. So CJ got a goldfish which sits on her desk and Danny gets visitation rights." Donna supplied. "Speaking of CJ, Josh do you know if she's finished her briefing yet?"
"Just."
"I'll introduce you to her and she can induct you into the Sisterhood."
"The Sisterhood?" Alice questioned.
"The Alliance of secretaries and assistants. Basically the women who keep the place running. We make sure, everything is where it is supposed to be, everyone is where they're supposed to be on time and that they have everything they need. If we stopped working the place would grind to a halt."
"Would not." Josh countered.
"Would too. CJ is chairman and the First Lady is President."
"Since when?" Josh asked.
"Since we formed the Sisterhood on the campaign Joshua. If you have any problems with him, let either me or CJ know and we'll knock him upside the head."
"Hey." Josh said.
"We'll see you later. Come with me Alice."
TBC
"Hey Donna." Hannah said as she re-filed some things.
"Hey Hannah. Alice Kennedy I'd like you to meet Hannah Lyman, Josh's Mom. She's been subbing since my change in job."
"It's nice to meet you." Hannah said as she shook Alice's hand. "Forgive me for my son. I tried my best but."
"Mom, do you have the file on the thing?" Josh yelled from his office.
". but he has a tendency to do that." She finished. "Donna, any clue on the definition of thing today?"
"I'll take care of it." Donna grabbed a few files of the desk.
"MOM." Josh yelled from within the office.
"Quit bellowing Josh." Donna said from his doorway.
"Déjà vu. You don't work for me anymore and I still need the file on the thing."
"And what thing would that be? The new energy bill, the gun control legislation, the education speech or the amendments to the health bill that the Republicans want you to make?" She put all the files on the desk in front of him.
"I missed you." Josh smiled.
"Well my office is a lot quieter since no-one bellows at me."
"I'm sure I could squeeze five minutes out of my day to come over and bellow at you if it makes you feel better."
"I'll take that under advisement. Now I need you to be nice."
"When am I not nice?" He asked.
"Let me see, when there are any Republican's around, when things aren't going your way and do I have to remind you how much money you spent in the last few weeks on flowers and baskets for all the office-pool that you managed to upset."
"Fine. Why do I need to be nice?" Donna beckoned Alice to the door.
"Josh, I'd like you to meet Alice Kennedy your new assistant. Alice, I'd like you to meet Joshua Lyman, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Planning. But better know as Deputy Downer or as he prefers Josh."
"Alice right?" She nodded. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too Mr Lyman."
"Josh." Donna corrected. "It will only inflate his ego if you call him Mr Lyman. The only person who gets called Mr around here is the President; everyone else is called by their first name or hey you. Congressmen or women are Congressman this or Congresswoman that and Senators are Senator whatever."
"And thank you for this wonderful explanation." Josh said.
"Ignore him, like when he calls for all the bagels in the land."
"Are you starting today?" Josh asked.
"Officially I start on Monday. Today is orientation and learning your filing system."
"I have some free time since my staff are all learning how to do their jobs properly." Donna supplied.
"Since you're here anyway, can you get me a cup of coffee?" Josh asked.
"No." Alice replied.
"No?" Josh questioned.
"No. Josh, I'm going to be your assistant, not your secretary or your slave. Assistants don't get there bosses coffee, it's not a part of the job description. If you want coffee you'll have to get it yourself, along with your dry-cleaning and any personal shopping you want done."
"Donna, you've corrupted her already."
"No, I just told her the basics."
"Just for the record, Leo's assistant Margaret brings him coffee and has done since he was labour secretary. The President's secretary, body man and other assistants bring him coffee, well they call the steward to do it but it's the same thing. Bonnie, Ginger and Kathy bring Toby and Sam coffee and Carol brings CJ coffee and fish food."
"Fish food?" Alice questioned.
"Danny Concanon, a reporter for the Post has a major crush on CJ. Josh told him that CJ liked goldfish, so he went out and brought her a goldfish Gail. What Josh had actually meant was the goldfish crackers, but Danny didn't know that. So CJ got a goldfish which sits on her desk and Danny gets visitation rights." Donna supplied. "Speaking of CJ, Josh do you know if she's finished her briefing yet?"
"Just."
"I'll introduce you to her and she can induct you into the Sisterhood."
"The Sisterhood?" Alice questioned.
"The Alliance of secretaries and assistants. Basically the women who keep the place running. We make sure, everything is where it is supposed to be, everyone is where they're supposed to be on time and that they have everything they need. If we stopped working the place would grind to a halt."
"Would not." Josh countered.
"Would too. CJ is chairman and the First Lady is President."
"Since when?" Josh asked.
"Since we formed the Sisterhood on the campaign Joshua. If you have any problems with him, let either me or CJ know and we'll knock him upside the head."
"Hey." Josh said.
"We'll see you later. Come with me Alice."
TBC