The intercom in Donna's office bleeped the next day...
"Yes Anna?" Donna said, she had a shuffle around of assistants so that they were all up to doing each other's jobs in an emergency.
"The President is here to see you."
"Don't keep him waiting show him in." Donna blushed with embarrassment as she quickly put her jacket on as she rose.
"Good evening Donna."
"Mr President. I'm sorry you were kept waiting." She said.
"It's okay. New assistant?" He questioned.
"I have them on a rotation sir. That way if there is a problem someone is qualified to take over."
"It's a good idea." He said still standing.
"I'm sorry Mr President would you like to take a seat?" She asked.
"Thank you." He sat down.
"Would you like some coffee sir?" Donna asked.
"That would be nice." He smiled.
"Can I make it from my coffee machine or would the Secret Service prefer it if I asked the steward to bring us coffee?" Donna asked not sure of the protocol.
"Are you planning on poisoning me?" Jed questioned.
"No Mr President, of course not."
"Then I'm sure it will be fine if you make it yourself."
"Yes sir." Donna quickly made them both a cup of coffee before sitting down. "Was there something I could do for you sir?"
"I was just wandering the halls so I thought I would stop by and ask how the bill was going?"
"Well sir. We've got another meeting tomorrow to finalise the language, I have several members of congress coming, I cleared it with Leo about using the Roosevelt room for the meeting. Once the wording is finalised I'll set up a meeting to discuss it with your staff."
"I understand you really don't need our support, that you should have enough votes to get it passed whether we support it or not."
"Yes Mr President, but we would like your support."
"I was speaking to Josh about it earlier; he didn't seem to know any details."
"He hasn't been involved sir; Sam has been helping me out along with Anisley Hayes and several people from legislative affairs."
"Why didn't you get Josh to help out, this is what he does?" Jed asked.
"With all due respect sir, I needed to prove to the people who are still questioning how I got this job that I can do this with any input from Josh. I know that maybe hard to understand sir."
"No, I understand. Let's forget the bill for now, did you know that most common invention of the 19th century was the washing machine. Between 1804 and 1873 the US Patent Office had issued at least 1676 for various designs."
"No Mr President. But did you know that in 1850 to two hundred and twenty six soldiers lost their lives when they crossed a suspension bridge that spanned the Maine at Angers in France. Because they were marching in step it caused increased vibrations in the bridge. Ever since soldiers have been ordered to march out of step when crossing a bridge."
"I didn't know that. But did you know that Madame Marie Curie used the prize money from her two Nobel Prize wins to change the wallpaper and put in a modern bathroom in her Paris home." The President offered.
"Actually I did know that sir. Did you know President William McKinley has a pet parrot called 'Washington Post'?"
There was a tap on the door an hour later.
"Yes." Donna called.
"Sorry to interrupt Mr President but Mr Lyman is here to see you Donna."
"Send him in." Jed replied.
"Yes sir. You can go in Mr Lyman." Anna said.
"It's Josh." He corrected. "Donna... Sorry Mr President I didn't realise you were here."
"The Secret Service Agents didn't give it away Josh?" Jed asked.
"I just presumed it was Mrs Bartlett or Zoey sir. Am I interrupting something?"
"No Donna and I were just trading trivia. I suppose I should get back to being President." He rose as did Donna.
"It was nice to see you sir."
"You too Donna and we'll set up the Trivial Pursuits game soon."
"Just ask Charlie to let me know when you have a few hours to spare sir and I'll make time in my schedule." Donna smiled.
"I'll do that. I'll see you later Josh."
"Yes sir." The President left. "You've been trading trivia with the President?" Josh questioned.
"Yes. He was out wandering the halls and he dropped by. I think he's missing Mrs Bartlett she went up to Manchester for a week this morning."
"Was she supposed to?"
"No, one of the horses about to foal and she wanted to be there. CJ is going to mention it in her briefing." Donna picked up the cups and moved them to the tray. "Did you need something or are you just out wandering too?"
"I got tickets to the new play at the Kennedy Center on Saturday night. I was wondering if you wanted to go?"
"I thought we were trying to keep things quiet until at least until to the Child Homelessness bill is passed?" Donna asked.
"I know we were but I still want to go."
"Are you sure?" She questioned.
"I knew you might see it like that so I got two extra tickets. We could have chaperones so it just seems like an outing."
"Try Sam and Anisley." Donna suggested.
"Please tell me you don't want to set my best friend up with a Republican?"
"Anisley is a perfectly nice person and Sam likes her anyway."
"How do you know that?"
"The same way I knew you were in love with me and weren't going to do anything about it without someone dropping a tonne of bricks on your head. Invite Sam and Anisley and I'll come. If not I'm sure CJ, Charlie and Zoey would like to go with you."
"If they say no, I'll invite Charlie and Zoey." He countered her deal.
"You're on Mr Lyman. Now get out I have to finish preparing for my meeting tomorrow and I'm an hour behind."
"What time do you think you'll be finished tonight?"
"11 probably if you've already left I'll come over when I'm done."
"Okay and don't work too hard."
A/N: Facts come from http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/directory/
"Yes Anna?" Donna said, she had a shuffle around of assistants so that they were all up to doing each other's jobs in an emergency.
"The President is here to see you."
"Don't keep him waiting show him in." Donna blushed with embarrassment as she quickly put her jacket on as she rose.
"Good evening Donna."
"Mr President. I'm sorry you were kept waiting." She said.
"It's okay. New assistant?" He questioned.
"I have them on a rotation sir. That way if there is a problem someone is qualified to take over."
"It's a good idea." He said still standing.
"I'm sorry Mr President would you like to take a seat?" She asked.
"Thank you." He sat down.
"Would you like some coffee sir?" Donna asked.
"That would be nice." He smiled.
"Can I make it from my coffee machine or would the Secret Service prefer it if I asked the steward to bring us coffee?" Donna asked not sure of the protocol.
"Are you planning on poisoning me?" Jed questioned.
"No Mr President, of course not."
"Then I'm sure it will be fine if you make it yourself."
"Yes sir." Donna quickly made them both a cup of coffee before sitting down. "Was there something I could do for you sir?"
"I was just wandering the halls so I thought I would stop by and ask how the bill was going?"
"Well sir. We've got another meeting tomorrow to finalise the language, I have several members of congress coming, I cleared it with Leo about using the Roosevelt room for the meeting. Once the wording is finalised I'll set up a meeting to discuss it with your staff."
"I understand you really don't need our support, that you should have enough votes to get it passed whether we support it or not."
"Yes Mr President, but we would like your support."
"I was speaking to Josh about it earlier; he didn't seem to know any details."
"He hasn't been involved sir; Sam has been helping me out along with Anisley Hayes and several people from legislative affairs."
"Why didn't you get Josh to help out, this is what he does?" Jed asked.
"With all due respect sir, I needed to prove to the people who are still questioning how I got this job that I can do this with any input from Josh. I know that maybe hard to understand sir."
"No, I understand. Let's forget the bill for now, did you know that most common invention of the 19th century was the washing machine. Between 1804 and 1873 the US Patent Office had issued at least 1676 for various designs."
"No Mr President. But did you know that in 1850 to two hundred and twenty six soldiers lost their lives when they crossed a suspension bridge that spanned the Maine at Angers in France. Because they were marching in step it caused increased vibrations in the bridge. Ever since soldiers have been ordered to march out of step when crossing a bridge."
"I didn't know that. But did you know that Madame Marie Curie used the prize money from her two Nobel Prize wins to change the wallpaper and put in a modern bathroom in her Paris home." The President offered.
"Actually I did know that sir. Did you know President William McKinley has a pet parrot called 'Washington Post'?"
There was a tap on the door an hour later.
"Yes." Donna called.
"Sorry to interrupt Mr President but Mr Lyman is here to see you Donna."
"Send him in." Jed replied.
"Yes sir. You can go in Mr Lyman." Anna said.
"It's Josh." He corrected. "Donna... Sorry Mr President I didn't realise you were here."
"The Secret Service Agents didn't give it away Josh?" Jed asked.
"I just presumed it was Mrs Bartlett or Zoey sir. Am I interrupting something?"
"No Donna and I were just trading trivia. I suppose I should get back to being President." He rose as did Donna.
"It was nice to see you sir."
"You too Donna and we'll set up the Trivial Pursuits game soon."
"Just ask Charlie to let me know when you have a few hours to spare sir and I'll make time in my schedule." Donna smiled.
"I'll do that. I'll see you later Josh."
"Yes sir." The President left. "You've been trading trivia with the President?" Josh questioned.
"Yes. He was out wandering the halls and he dropped by. I think he's missing Mrs Bartlett she went up to Manchester for a week this morning."
"Was she supposed to?"
"No, one of the horses about to foal and she wanted to be there. CJ is going to mention it in her briefing." Donna picked up the cups and moved them to the tray. "Did you need something or are you just out wandering too?"
"I got tickets to the new play at the Kennedy Center on Saturday night. I was wondering if you wanted to go?"
"I thought we were trying to keep things quiet until at least until to the Child Homelessness bill is passed?" Donna asked.
"I know we were but I still want to go."
"Are you sure?" She questioned.
"I knew you might see it like that so I got two extra tickets. We could have chaperones so it just seems like an outing."
"Try Sam and Anisley." Donna suggested.
"Please tell me you don't want to set my best friend up with a Republican?"
"Anisley is a perfectly nice person and Sam likes her anyway."
"How do you know that?"
"The same way I knew you were in love with me and weren't going to do anything about it without someone dropping a tonne of bricks on your head. Invite Sam and Anisley and I'll come. If not I'm sure CJ, Charlie and Zoey would like to go with you."
"If they say no, I'll invite Charlie and Zoey." He countered her deal.
"You're on Mr Lyman. Now get out I have to finish preparing for my meeting tomorrow and I'm an hour behind."
"What time do you think you'll be finished tonight?"
"11 probably if you've already left I'll come over when I'm done."
"Okay and don't work too hard."
A/N: Facts come from http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/directory/