Title: Apartment 2/8 Daylight Series 9/?
By: chipmunk
See disclaimers in Part one
Archived at:
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Saturday evening in Leo's office
'Margaret," Leo called loudly. He wanted her to come to him, but it wasn't work related, so he didn't quite bellow!
"You need me, Leo," she asks automatically, not stopping till she was in front of his desk.
"All the time, Margaret," he answers with a grin. She rests the notepad in her hand and grins back at him.
"I'll keep that in mind for later, Leo. She's being subtle about his personal remark in the office. She then asks, since he's willing to be in a non-work mood. You are coming over tonight to look at Rent.com with me?"
"Yes, Margaret, I plan on it, especially since I get to cook two nights in a row." He comes up with a different suggestion and he still gets to prepare vegetables. "How about us fixing tacos tonight? It's something easy. I can have mine hot and you can be a sissy." He likes to tease her about the fact that she can't stand the 'heat' in her food and he has a cast-iron stomach.
"Fine by me, Leo, I'll set out the antacid tables, she has that 'we'll see' sound to her voice. It may be a long night! I wouldn't want you to suffer, Leo.
"Save them for yourself, I not be needing them," he smirks at her, as in we'll see who can take the heat.
"Now, about your problem of having to find a new apartment. I warned the President that we'd be pulling long days or nights probably, at your place to deal with this." Leo looks at the top of his desk like it's really interesting and sounds like he's confessing a bad thing. "I mentioned that I might redirect some of the workload around, so that we're not here till midnight every night, during the next month." He looks at Margaret to see if she's ready to call the men in the little white coats for him. ~She must think I'm now out of my mind. She won't believe I gave up any control as COS.~ "The President agrees, and says it's about time I let someone else have a try at running the White House and quit trying to do all by ourselves." Leo looks at the ceiling as he remembers the delight his friend took in that comment. "He thought he was being very funny, but I didn't think so."
"I just bet he did, Leo, good thing he took it well. By telling him you're easing off on the workload, you might have scared him," Margaret teases him also. She's happy; she gets more time with Leo.
Now, he breathes a sigh of relief. He broke the news to her that he's worked out a way for them to have extra time and she took it well, judging by her happy face. He was afraid she would balk at them rearranging work to help her. "Monday, I'll inform the senior staff that I'm willing to share the load, just for a little while and I plan on telling them why. He grins at her and explains, "They know that when you're upset, that I'm upset, so I'm positive that they'll be supportive in this," he has a confident look on his face and a pleased sound to his voice.
"Leo, you make it sound like a threat to them, instead of them helping us," she not to sure she wants their help that way.
"Just on of my perks, Margaret." He looks like he enjoys that part of his job. "How do you feel about dragging Josh and Donna into helping us?" He looks at her for approval and he then rationalizes, "We're going to need help, to accomplish getting you moved in less than a month?" He gives his opinion waiting for her, "I think they would be willing to help out."
"Sounds like a good idea to me, the more help, the easier the move will be," she definitely agrees, especially since Donna and Josh are good friends to them.
"OK, next time we see them, we'll ask them." He gets back to office work. "What have we got left for the day?"
"'Not much, Leo." She answers him as she looks at the days schedule clipped to her notepad. "We're still waiting for Senator Mann to return your call, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that happening this weekend." He looks at her, lost as to why she thinks that. She rolls her eyes and explains, "It's graduation weekend and the politicians have all returned to their districts to smooze with the voters at Grad ceremonies. The hill is practically deserted. ~Now we're back to the basics again and I'll have to tell him what day it is or what month!~
"OK, screw the senator," he snaps knowing that she's right and waiting for a call that's not going to happen, is a waste of both their time.
With a straight face, she gives him deadpan answer, "I don't think so, Leo."
"'Margaret? Not like that," he looks shocked, as if he can't believe she took it seriously. Like he would suggest she sleep with someone else.
"What, Leo? You said it, not me." She innocently looks at him like don't blame me. "I just refused your suggestion, it not in my job description."
"Margaret," he growls. He adds, for her ears only, in a stage whisper, "I do 'not' want you to… You know… with anyone." He blows his breath out like, 'did she really take me seriously'. He looks at her to gage her mood.
'Is present company excluded?" Margaret asks sounding so sincere. "Here I thought that we were getting along so well. She pauses and doesn't look him in the eye, because she'd never get the next sentence out, if she did, "Guess then I'll be the one needing that cold shower, one of these days."
"Margaret?" He pauses, "You're going to get some mileage out of this, aren't you?" He can tell that he just boxed himself into a corner. He decides that since he's a man of action, action is what's called for. He rounds his desk and Margaret can see the gleam in his eye.
"Leo, you wouldn't? Not here! I said the hill was deserted, not the White House, someone might come to your office.
'Leo just grins at her, time to get a little payback in. He has her escape route to her office cut off and she's cornered in the sitting area, with just the door to the Oval office available and she's not going to just run in there. "I think I can convince you that present company 'is' definitely excluded. We have a couch here after all," he reminds her in a playful threat. If you are that much in a hurry, Margaret?"
"I believe you, Leo. Looking over her shoulder to see where she's backing up to, "I'm not it a hurry, just remember, the last time you got carried away here in your office, the President walked in on us. He might get mad this time." She's now past the couch and is backed up again his soft chair in front of the window.
"So, what if he walks in on us necking. He likes you, not as much as I do, but I can guarantee that he'll approve. You trust me?" Leo reaches for her and she smiles back and moves into his arms. Their lips join for a much-needed respite from the craziness of the White House and to get lost in a world of their own.
"Hey Leo," Josh, with Donna at his back, bounces in unannounced, as is his bad habit. "See Donna, I told you they were hiding in here," Josh's pleased that he could make Leo and Margaret spring apart.
"Josh, do have to do that every time I get a quiet moment around here," Leo growls at him, but he's not really mad at Josh, more exasperated with him. It's like your kid walking in on you and then making fun of you.
"Sure Leo, it's one of my new perks." He sounds so pleased with himself. "I catch you two kissing when ever possible and see if I can make you jump apart. Just to rub it in Josh admits, "I'm keeping track, by the way. I'm up to three times this week now! Next week I'm trying for four," he lets his anticipation shine on his face as his dimples are showing.
"Well Josh, I'll try to keep that in mind and see if we can be of any assistance to you," is Leo's sarcastic reply, but he chuckles afterwards to let Josh know that it would not be a hardship to help.
"Ouch!" Two male voices complained at the same time.
Margaret had just pinched Leo on his chest and he grabbed at the pain, like he was looking for blood, as she had her hand inside his coat and could get to him, through his shirt undetected. Donna's bolder, since she couldn't whack Josh on the back of his head. She went for a more tender area and pinched him on the back of his thigh, probably removing some leg hair at the same time, by the way Josh buckled the leg so quickly. The women definitely knew how to keep the guys in line.
The guys both look at their assistants. Wondering if it's safe to point out that attacking their bosses at work might be a bad thing to try. The males then look at each other and communicated by eyesight, that it would probably go worse for them, to point that out. It can get mighty lonely at home, all by yourself on a Saturday night.
Leo, decides quickly to change the subject, he was not about to share what he and Margaret were doing when the younger couple walked in. "Josh, luckily, you two are just the people we wanted to talk to."
"See Donna, he's not mad we barged in," Josh says this as he moves out of Donna's arm reach. "What do you need us for, Leo?"
"We need your help in finding Margaret a new apartment," Leo announces, like this is going to be fun and easy.
"What's wrong with her old apartment," is Josh's dumb question before he can stop himself.
Leo answers him like he might really be a kid, "They're going to remodel it and Margaret's floor that is next." He let's them in on the best of the news, "The bad part is that she just has 30 days to vacate."
"Wow, that's short notice," Donna is amazed at the short time frame. She knows Margaret must be going crazy about now, trying to move in 30 days.
Leo explains some of the details, "Well, they did inform the tenants at the first of the year, but the construction crew's ahead of schedule and it caught Margaret off guard." He starts by telling them what plans they have made so far on the apartment search, "We're going to look at Rent.com tonight on the Internet and see what's available for her." He adds why, "Mallory used it last time she moved and was please with it."
"That sounds neat," Donna's impressed and she loves to research on the Internet. "That way you can weed out the ones you don't want and just look at the ones that fit your needs."
Margaret has a great suggestion, "Leo, how about they come over to my place tonight and check out what we find on the apartments. We can feed them tacos and discuss what we need to do." She adds the part the females will like best, "Maybe a movie afterwards. A nice quiet evening with friends really sounds great," she adds this to convince Leo, who doesn't need convincing when it comes to movies.
"You two game enough to eat what I cook?" He makes it sound like a boastful challenge.
"You got hot sauce for the taco," Josh asks like that's the decision making point.
"Yes, of course I do, Josh," he reassures him. "Margaret has the antacids ready for herself, she's a sissy with hot food," he teases her in front of the other two,
"I can tell it's going to be a long night if he's already teasing me. She directs her statement to Donna, "To be honest, the way he eats hot sauce, he needs a fire extinguisher. You should see what he does to a Mexican omelet."
"Oh, Boy, my kind of food, blazing hot!!" Josh whole-heartedly agrees with Leo's food choice.
"Not mine," Donna defends her mild eating habits. "I'm with Margaret, I don't like to inflict pain on myself. See looks at Margaret with an understanding look, "They must be related by blood somehow or it must be a guy thing.
"We'll, everyone." Leo gets their attention, "It's six o'clock now, since it's Saturday how about we call it an early evening at work. Wrap up what we're all going and we'll meet you two at Margaret's at 7:30. Smiling he adds looking at Donna, "Tonight is definitely casual attire."
"Leo, casual attire?" Josh can't believe he is hearing correctly.
'Don't worry Josh," Leo calms him. " Donna has already seen me in my jeans, she'll not be shocked and appalled."
"Jeans on Leo," Josh's still amazes at the thought of Leo that relaxed. "I can't ever remember you in jeans, he looks at Leo with a smile. "I'm definitely going to be there."
"Yes, Leo in jeans. Margaret confirms for Josh. Donna smiles at the conversation they had the day she visited Margaret and Leo was there. "He's looks even better in sweats, Margaret can't resist adding like she is gossiping to Donna.
"I get to bring my sweats too then," Josh pipes up. "Sounds like my kind of movie watching."
"Sure, Josh, what ever you're comfortable in, it'll be just the four of us there." She smiles thinking ahead to the evening. ~Leo and josh are so alike. It'll be just like a family night.~ "Donna has seen you in less when you have been sick, so she'll not be shocked seeing you in sweats," she lets him know that he's not safe from the teasing.
"I wasn't surprised or impressed either," Donna can't resist getting a dig in at Josh's ego.
Leo just laughs at the hurt look on Josh's face. Margaret's proud at the way Donna works Josh.
"Donna, I thought you liked my manly physic." He sounds wounded, so he bends his arm to show his muscle.
"Sure, Josh, a real he-man and you won't even move a box of files for me, she rolls her eyes at him and his antics. It may be a long night for her also.
"Hey, it's not in my job description," he's making a feeble excuse, which Donna's not buying.
Josh and Donna head for the door, "We'll see you two at 7:30 at Margaret's and I'll let Josh bring his sweats, he has to have his way some of the time. I'll pack a bag for me, with something nice to wear. Sounds like fun!!" Josh turns back to her with an interested look on his face.
Leo calls after them, "Hey Donna. Bring soda. Josh won't like the healthy stuff Margaret has." This earns Leo a poke in the ribs. He looks at Margaret with at phony hurt look. "Well, it's the truth and he won't drink beer in front of me, even though I told him several times that it's OK." He rubs the area she poked, "You know, Margaret, I might have bruises now?"
"That's OK, I'll kiss them better," she assures him.
"Promises, Promises." He has a flash of inspiration and has his leering grin on, "I better get to your place early tonight to change then,"
'You're welcome there anytime and you do have a key,' she reminds him, not a bit worried about his suggestive look.
"I going to have to take you up on that more often, late at night worked out pretty well for me one time," he smirks.
"You're pushing it, Leo," she has a laugh in her voice as she warns him. He tries this tactic all the time.
"Yeah, I never know when I might get lucky, he replies hopefully. OK, so it not going tonight either," he states the obvious.
"Start clearing up the paperwork and I'll finish my files and check with the President. That should take us about 30 minutes and then we can stop at the grocery for more vegetables," is his plan.
'Leo you brought vegetable last night," she points out.
"Those were anther kind of vegetables, we need different ones for tacos. And more hot sauce for Josh, I'm not sharing," he sounds greedy.
"Good, I want to pick up lots of shredded cheese for mine and Donna's," she gives in to the stop at the Grocery store.
"Cheese does sound good. Remember to get enough for Josh and me also," he adds so the guys are not left out.
"You two would eat the kitchen sink, if there were nothing else left. We better grab snacks too. I do need some eggs for Sunday morning," she adds to the growing list.
"Sunday, Margaret? Is that an offer for me to cook?" he has that hopeful sound again.
"We'll see how it goes, Leo. Depends on how good you are tonight," she half promises.
"I can be real good," he gives her a quick kiss.
"Leo, get started on your files," she tries to sound stern, but fails as she's already heading to her office to get things put away for the weekend.