Title: Leo Has an Itch Private Times 4/?By: chipmunk
Pairing: Leo/Margaret
Rating: PG-17
Spoilers: None
This is not strictly cannon by the show.
Doesn't matter the year or the situation.
Beta and Mentor By: Lee
Disclaimer:
The characters are from the NBC, WB, A John Wells Prod.,
TV show, 'The West Wing'.
They own them; therefore, they do not belong to me.
They are the creation and property of Aaron Sorkin. I only borrowed them.
No copyright infringement is intended.
No monetary benefit is received or anticipated.
A 'grateful' and 'enormous' thanks, to the actors and actresses,
who portray the characters 'brilliantly' and bring them to life in my head.
Feedback: I would love it hear your opinion! PLEASE! It helps to improve my writing!Archived at:Summary: Leo itches and Margaret helps.
Note: CURSE WARNING: Leo's having a bad day and is cursing his way through it.
Leo's up early, as usual, and he checks the news and weather first thing. The news is the same old crap in DC, but he talks back to the commentator anyway. The weather comes on, "Even the weather is the same crap every day this summer. Hot and humid. Who in their right mind decided to build the nations capitol on drained swamp," he asks the meteorologist on the screen. He gets dressed in a clean t-shirt just back from the hotel laundry. "Ah, hell," he complains loudly. "They used that damn industrial bleach again. I can smell it. Those asses! I told them not to, it bothers me." Accepting his first problem of the day, "I'll have to go ahead wear it and it better not drive me crazy this time." He grumbles as he continues to get the rest of his outer clothes on and flips his suspenders up on his shoulders. He puts it out of his head and promptly leaves for the office.
Leo strides through Margaret's office and she's already at her computer printing out his schedule for the day. He drops a kiss on the top of her head as he pauses on his way into his office. "Morning, Margaret." He complains to her, "Can you believe it's hot and sticky outside already? Damn, when's this heat gonna break?"
"Well, one of us is in a cheery mood this morning," Margaret greets him back. "I'd guess you haven't had your coffee." He leans his head to the side and gives her a guilty look that confirms her suspicion. She now stands and helpfully adds, "I think I'll just pop over to the machine and grab some for you, before I even hand you your schedule." He rolls his eyes to the ceiling at her subtle hint of the day to come.
Leo has halted his progress at his doorway at her welcoming comments. "Sorry, Margaret. The coffee would be nice. Thank you." He enters his office and is trying to decide if it's too early in the day to remove his jacket. He decides to wait till after the staff meeting with the president.
Leo's standing with the President waiting for the senior staff to arrive and as they enter the President invites them all to sit. Leo first leans back and then tries leaning forward. During the meeting he shrugs his shoulders and flicks his arm out a time or two as if trying to adjust his cuff. He's not really paying attention to the fact that he's doing these movements.
After the meeting the President asks, "Leo, is there a problem that you need to tell me? I noticed you seem a little nervous."
"No, Sir. I'm just a little twitchy from the heat, I guess." Leo gives him a plausible explanation, "Everyone's tired of it and a little on edge." He smiles, " I'll try to 'not twitch' around you today, Sir." Leo answers his friend in a slightly sarcastic tone.
The President smiles back at his best friend and orders Leo, in the same banter, "Well, see that you don't. I don't allow that in 'my' White House."
"Sir, before I leave." Leo pauses, feeling brave, "I'd just like to point out that it's not 'your' White House. It really belongs to all of the citizens of this country." Leo's grinning at him, for that dig, first thing this morning.
The President glances up a glare, noting the dig in Leo's favor, from the file he's reading, "Go, Leo. I sure you have better things to do than torment me in this heat," the President dismisses him with a wave to Leo's office door.
"Thank you, Mr. President," Leo smirks on his way out.
The President looks at him with a small smile and happily reflects that on many different occasions, Leo can get 'so much' communicated to him with just that short sentence and knows his best friend uses it to his own advantage.
Leo reaches his desk and promptly removes his jacket and rolls his shirt cuffs to half-mast on his forearms. He's starting to have doubts about his t-shirt and his good mood in the Oval office wears off quickly. "Margaret," he bellows and then snaps, "I need the files for my next meeting and when is the senator due here."
"Here's the file, Leo, and Senator Gray is expected here in 30 minutes, according to the schedule," she informs him with an innocent look.
He gives her an irritated look that shows he's not appreciating her unspoken way of pointing out that the schedule 'was' handed to him earlier.
"I just 'love' meeting with Republicans that have so little brains that I wonder how they got elected." He flips the file folder open with undue force and continues his tirade to himself as much as to Margaret. "Especially this one, the Republican party must have been desperate to back him for election." Leo's really in a bitch and moan mood today.
"I'll just refill your coffee, Leo." She adds, being helpful again on her way out the door. "Maybe some ice water will help to cool you down in this heat," giving him another hint.
He just growls at her chipper attitude at his 'undisclosed' discomfort and mood. He shifts his shoulders to test his growing suspicion that his problem is not just the heat. He decides to ignore it and sits to review the file.
He meets with the expected senator and afterwards decides to speak immediately with Josh about a new detail. He scowls as he dons his jacket that he feels he needs to walk the halls to Josh's office. He sighs with irritation when he settles his jacket firmly on his shoulders with a tug on the lapels.
He finds Donna at her desk and he stops there first. "Hey, Donna. Is Josh here? I need to speak with him," Leo asks briskly. He slides a hand up under his jacket and adjusts a suspender strap. He pulls his hand out to then adjust his tie, sliding his hand down the length of it, making sure it is straight down inside his buttoned jacket.
" He's on the phone, but should be off shortly," Donna quickly assures Leo, after seeing the grim look on his face. Even though Donna is more casual with Leo away from the White House, the foursome is always professional, but friendly, as usual. It just strikes her odd that Leo would adjust his clothing outside his office. He strives to reflect the total package of being collected, proper and in charge to the staff of the west wing. She knows that he has the reputation of being the 'dapper' Leo. " Anything I can get you while you wait, Leo?" She notices that he's shifting from foot to foot, with his hands jammed into his pants pockets under the still buttoned jacket.
"Nah, I'm fine." He replies with a short response, as he looks around the bullpen at the blatantly busy staff, not really paying attention to the answer he gives to Donna. This doesn't bode well for the staff today.
The light on Donna's phone flicks off. "Leo, he's off the line now," Donna's informs him, a little thankful that she doesn't have to keep Leo occupied any longer, in his grumpy mood.
Leo steps to Josh's office door and raps with his knuckles and barely waits for a response from inside. He flips the door closed and immediately starts tearing into Josh, "What'd think that dumbass, Republican senator wanted to add to the economics bill?"
"Gee, Leo. Which dumbass republican senator would that be, this time," Josh asks, not quite sure if he's really being asked or is going to be blamed in some way.
"Senator Gray, that's who!" Leo looks at Josh like somehow he should know that. Leo now leans his weight, on both of his fists, on Josh's desk, "He had the audacity to tell 'me', mind you. He demanded that we 'have' to include, a section with the provisions for PR relations for the IRS!" Leo pushes off the desk and drops his arms, with palms out, and states, " The mans a total moron."
Josh grins at Leo's agitated state, "Like that's going to happen, Leo. Talk about a total waste of money on that cause." Josh states the oblivious and agrees with Leo, "No one going to like the IRS, no matter how much PR money it has."
Leo nods his head once in mutual agreement, "That's what I tried to explain to him, in really small words." He pauses slightly, reflecting quickly on his recent meeting. "Dumbass!" Leo is unbuttoning and buttoning his jacket, wiggling his shoulders the whole time that he's been in Josh's office.
Josh can't stand watching Leo pace the floor and acting nervous any longer. In exasperation he demands, "What is wrong with you, Leo? You're acting like a cat on a hot tin roof. Is there a problem?" Josh asks as he watches Leo's face in real concern, now that Leo stops pacing and sighs.
"It's nothing, Josh. I have an itch," Leo calmly confesses trying to play down any personal problem.
"An itch, Leo," Josh asks, now with a smirk and a grin. Josh then suggests, "Maybe you should take a long lunch today. Like at Margaret's apartment."
"Josh, what's your point?" Leo is losing what little patience he has today.
Josh just shrugs, "I just didn't think the two of you were advancing your relationship along that fast, Leo."
"NOT that kind of itch, Joshua," Leo gives him a sharp glare.
Josh just grins at him, not intimidated at all by the full use of his name by Leo.
"Ah, Leo. Josh knows he has the perfect dig at Leo, "I don't think Donna quite heard all of that, out at her desk." His dimples are showing now at his joy in Leo scowling face. "Could you be a little louder for her benefit? She so loves to exchange good gossip at the water cooler with the rest of the Sisterhood."
Leo huffs out his held breath and he knows Josh is right, about keeping some information from the water cooler.
Leo wags his head back and forth, then grudgingly admits to Josh. "My damn t-shirt reeks of bleach and it's irritating the hell outta me in this heat," Leo grumbles out in a lower voice.
"Man, Leo. You're gonna be a real piece of work by evening. If it has you snapping at people, already today." Josh is just glad it's something commonplace and not a serious problem, after all Leo has been through.
"Probably," Leo agrees. "Keep it to yourself or I'll make sure to take my mood out on you today." Leo warns in slight embarrassment. "Deal?"
"Sure. Deal, Leo." Josh can't resist, "Just don't get hot under the collar."
"Funny, Josh." Leo's not angry with Josh for the good-natured fun at his expense. Josh gets away with a little more than most of the staff in that regard, due to his close friendship to Leo. Leo turns to the door, "I'm outta here then. If you need see me, I'll be in holed up in my office." Leo feels better about the meeting, now that he's blown off some steam with Josh. He reminds Josh, "Don't forget to let me know what happens with your meeting on the Hill this afternoon."
"Sure, Leo." Josh is still smiling at the grumpy Leo, since he's not at the receiving end of it. "I'll do that and I'll check on Margaret then, too." He continues to tease Leo. "She may need a lawyer to bail her out after she snaps and pounds you, while I'm on the hill."
Leo finally breaks a smile at that. "She probably will at that," he admits in agreement. "I'll try to stay holed up in my office, to keep down the body count."
"Good idea, Leo." Josh recommends in a lower voice before Leo opens the door, "Be sure to take care of that itch today." Josh doesn't make it sound like the one caused by Leo's shirt.
Leo hears what Josh is really hinting at and replies sadly, "Like that's gonna happen either, today."
Leo returns to his office, not in a friendly mood with those he passes on the way. Margaret's not at her desk as he strides through into his. He removes his jacket and the itching on his back is getting worse. To try and ease the itching, he rubs back and forth on the closet door casing to scratch. Margaret enters after returning from the copier and laughs at Leo. "What's cha doing, Ballou," she can't resist asking.
"Margaret," he growls at her laughter. "My back is driving me crazy and who the hell is Ballou," Leo asks, his grouchy attitude not improving much.
"Ballou is a Disney cartoon bear in the movie Jungle Book, who is always rubbing his back on trees and other things to cure his itching back". She cheerfully explains, since she thinks Leo looks cute scratching that way. "I'll take a wild guess here, Leo, and assume you have the same problem." She also assumes that it must be serious for Leo to be distracted by it. "Is there anything I can do to help? I could scratch your back for you," she suggests.
Leo gives up on scratching and moves back to his desk, "That might not help and the door casing didn't either." He sighs and mutters, "I must be rubbing it 'in' more."
"Rubbing what 'in' more, Leo," Margaret is trying to understand his problem, in order to help.
Leo knows he can reveal the truth of his irritation to her, "The bleach in my T-shirt that the morons at the hotel used on my whites."
Margaret replies with sympathy and disappointment. "Oh, Leo, you were going to wash them at my place."
He grudgingly admits he was wrong in a low voice, "I know. I forgot that they always use that strong bleach with the whites. I should have kept to our deal and washed them at your place." He looks like a kid confessing, " I was out of clean shirts and I had the hotel wash them for me."
Margaret's working on a solution, "A more important question, which I just have to ask, is: Are you wearing anything else that's white, under your suit," she boldly asks with a knowing look.
"No, luckily," he snaps back. Then he relents, lowers his voice and leans toward her, "My socks and boxers are dark colored."
He now tries to disregard his dilemma, "I'll just trying to ignore it and stay hidden in my office as much as I can today. That should help with the damage control, with the damn mood I'm in today." Spoken like a warning to her.
"You sure, Leo?" She keeps pushing for a solution and tossed out an option, "You could go to the hotel and change."
"No, I don't have any others to change into." He's getting upset now and does not want to discuss it anymore, but she will not let it go. "I'll have to rewash my whites," he states. Trying to end this and get to work, he had the final word, " Let's just see how it goes. Go have lunch, now," he practically orders Margaret, to get her to let him work in peace.
"Leo, I could go buy you some new shirts," is her next helpful suggestion.
"That won't work either. They come starched, Margaret." He growls to himself. "This is gonna be a thing with you today? It's not helping, Margaret. Go, get outta here." She still doesn't move, just looks at him knowing he's still itching. Leo smiles falsely and takes her by the elbow to escorts her to the door. "Have lunch with that dangerous bunch you call the Sisterhood," is his last suggestion as he guides her through the door and shuts it.
She talks to him through the closed door, "I'm going, Leo, but I'll think of something." She's just reassuring him that help will be coming at a later time. She's his Margaret.
Margaret is sitting with the other assistants. Munching on her salad. She's thinking of a way to help Leo and not really paying attention to the conversation around her.
"Hey, Margaret. What's with Leo, today," Donna asks, bringing Margaret back to the group. She and the others have noticed that Margaret's not adding to their lunchtime support group, which keeps them ahead of their bosses. Ginger pipes in her opinion, "He's in such a bad mood this morning, Margaret. Has he taken your head off this morning? You're not this quiet at lunch."
"No, he's OK. He just has an itch," she calmly answers, not realizing how it sounds after her distracted attitude.
"OHHH, Leo has an itch, does he?" Bonnie can't resist teasing Margaret.
Ginger looks around at the other females and back to Margaret, like something is not right in this conversation. Ginger wants to find the flaw; "You're just sitting here having lunch with us?"
Margaret nods her head and looks questionably at them.
Ginger decides to ask a few questions with a sly smile, "Are you crazy and are you going to relieve him of that itch?"
Donna can't resist keeping out of the fun at this point and clarifies what they really want to know, "You know, scratch it for him."
"NOT that kind of itch!" Margaret looks shocked at her friends and then adds upon reflection, "But that might not be a bad idea to contemplate." She sighs and gives a simple explanation, "I just gotta get his t-shirt off him."
"OHHHHH, that sounds interesting, too!" Bonnie teases her again and starts the whole bunch laughing.
Margaret tries to finish telling them why, "It's itching him," she pauses and then gives into the teasing, "and yes it does sound interesting," she grins back at the other assistants.
Margaret returns from lunch and glances into Leo's office to see him hunkered over his desk with great determination to read the files in front of him. He's grumbling to himself while he reads. Margaret can tell he's not getting any happier and to be honest about it, he's progressively getting grumpier. He's too stubborn to go the hotel and change. She finally has had it with him being a martyr and practically orders him, "Leo, in this heat, just go down to the locker room and take off the damn t-shirt and see if that helps."
He gives her a glare for interrupting him, since he's having enough trouble just concentrating as it is, "I can't take it off, I don't have another one here to put on."
"Leo," Margaret now has that tone of, 'you're being difficult and I'm not having any more of it," she points out some common sense to him, "no one will know that you don't have a t-shirt on under your dress shirt and it might help." She then tries to sway him with, "The younger guys aren't wearing t-shirts underneath their dress shirts."
He looks at her and demands, "How would you know what they have on under their shirts, Margaret?" He asks with at scowl.
"Well, green eyes, what do you think the Sisterhood talks about at lunch? Bills, amendments, proposals or other political policies," she grins at him.
He grumbles, "Well, you did leave me out of the younger men category." He sounds injured.
She softens at his hurt look, "My poor, Leo. He's having a bad day and I have to remind him he's a maturing male." She adds softly, "That's all mine."
Leo grudgingly agrees and lets her know with he not happy about it, "Ok, I'll go take off the damn t-shirt." Then under his breath he adds, "If you really think it'd help." There's nothing like an unhappy male that has to give in and take someone else's advice.
Margaret tries to add a bright note to cheer him, "Good and stop by the mess to grab yourself something to bring back here and eat." She lowers her voice, like she doesn't want to be over heard. "I think the staff is avoiding you today."
Leo's beginning to feel that she may be right, "OK, I'll be right back." He then is sarcastic, "I'll try to smile in the mess, while I'm there."
"Leo, don't over do the smiling." Margaret decides to tease him and see if she can help his mood, "They'll have Ron Butterfield here, checking to see if you murdered me and stuffed me in the closet." She points over to the offending closet for emphasis and tries to look serious at him, "He won't be happy with you, either way."
He gives her another sarcastic reply, "I'll try not to scare the staff while I'm gone, Margaret." He glances a scowl at the closet and back to her, "I don't want Butterfield up here with you when I'm gone anyway. I still haven't got that damn little bug out of my head, yet."
Margaret knows what he's referring to and tears him, "Fine, Leo, just don't mention your bug in front of Carol." She confides why, "She has Ron 'staked out' at the moment and I'm not going to explain your 'green eyes' to her." She looks pointedly and straight into his eyes, "You can! And quit damning everything."
He shoves his hands in his pockets and refuses to comment on her last order and redirects by asking, "Why is it the Sisterhood never bashes Ron or the agents," Leo complains, his moodiness is still evident.
"They're our heroes, Leo," She softly replies as she holds his jacket, while he rolls his sleeves down.
He grumbles at that remark about the Sisterhood. "Why, they're paid to do their job you know?" He states the ridiculous, "They don't go around wearing red capes."
"Leo, they're our heroes," she again softly explains the obvious, "because they keep you and the rest of the senior staff safe for us." After a pause and watching the expressions of his face, she can see he does understand why. To help with his 'green eyes', "Anyway, Leo. What you sacrifice for this administration is brave enough for me. You're 'my' hero right here and now." She kisses him gently.
"Thank you, Margaret." He gives a backhanded apology, "I'm just in a pissy mood today."
She smiles and scores one for the Sisterhood, "That's just a small taste of PMS for you, Leo. We deal with it every month."
"Thanks a lot," he growls unhappily at the comparison.
"Well, get outta here and get that 'damn' shirt off." She emphasizes the damn part to remind him how often he has used it today and points him to the door this time. "See you in a little bit, Leo."
Leo gets to the locker room and strips to the waist and with great satisfaction slams the offending T-shirt in the trash. He then backs up to look in the mirror and he does notice a slight redness to his back and partway down his arms, the area the t-shirt covered. He redresses again and is relieved at the coolness with one layer of shirt and not two. With a glance in the mirror to check that his neat appearance is once more intact, he makes a quick and uneventful pass though in the mess. Nodding to the senior staff, which is there, but not engaging them in conversation.
Josh is coming into the mess, as Leo is going out. "Hey, Leo. Are you still 'kicking ass and taking names'?" Josh is smiling big at referring to Leo's bad day.
"Yeah, Josh, your next, if you keep asking me stupid questions like that," Leo warns him.
"Good to see you haven't lost your sweet personality today, Leo." Josh teases, but keeps walking out of Leo's reach, not wanting a swat to the back of his head.
Leo still just wants to hole up in his office till the itching gets better.
He enters his office from the main hall door. "Margaret, I'm back," he announces.
She comes to the door and asks, " Any better yet? Can I get you anything?"
"It might be some better." He concedes and places the Styrofoam tray on his desk, "At least it's not worse and, without the t-shirt, I'm at least cooler."
She smiles that he's sorta admitting that she was right about him feeling better without the shirt. "Does it still itch terribly? Need me to scratch now that the bleach in the t-shirt is off your skin?" Adding logically, "It should evaporate without the shirt holding it onto your skin."
Leo has removed his coat again, due to the heat. He's really is wore out with the whole ordeal and gives in to her helping him. He had no hope of keeping her from it in the first place, "That would be nice, Margaret." He now bosses at her helping him, "Be easy with those nails of yours. My back looked a little red in the mirror."
She rolls her eyes behind his back. "Sit, Leo," she orders as she moves around behind his desk chair.
"Gladly," is his one relieved response as he sits and leans forward and rest his forearms on his desk and hangs his head.
Margaret adds some nonsense before starting to scratch, "Do take note that this is 'not' in my job description."
"Duly noted," he answers to the desktop. He gets impatient at her hesitation, "Now scratch, please." She complies and she smiles at the moaning and shifting he's doing as she lightly scratches his back through his shirt.
Leo is in heaven at the relief from the itching, "Oh God that's wonderful. Be easy. Be easy."
The door to the oval office pops open and the President walks in to find Leo moaning over his desk. " 'What' are you two doing in here? Sounds like you need to get a room, Leo." The President sounds shocked and appalled.
Leo knows what his friend is doing, "Funny, Mr. President." Leo rises in the presence of the President.
Margaret's standing behind Leo, blushing a full bright red. She had jumped back when the President first addressed them.
The President stops right in front of Leo and seriously look him in the face, like he's mad, but blows out his breath and remarks, "She still blushes nicely, Leo." Leo was right! The President is grinning over Leo's shoulder at Margaret.
Leo returns him a smile of conspiracy, "Yeah, I think so too, sir. Making her blush is a real personal perk for you." Leo nods his head to the side and adds in a mock whisper, as he leans forward, "For me it's an ongoing challenge." They just exchange boyish grins of past adventures together.
Margaret hisses at Leo's back, "You two make it sound like a competition." Not looking the President in the face.
Leo still just grins at his friend. His eyes admitting that she figured them out, light years ago.
"So, Leo." The President points a finger at the desk, "Is this how 'she' keeps you in line here at the White House? Is this back scratching, in anyway, a payback for all the back rubbing you did, when her back is acting up?" He's trying to get back at Leo for the, 'My White House', dig this morning.
"No, sir." Leo seriously reminds him, "The back rubbing is purely enjoyment, except when you ordered me as a punishment." He grins and doesn't dare look at Margaret behind him. He wants to live longer. "Thank you, again." He pauses with a knowing grin at his friend. Then he confesses, "The truth is, I have an itch."
The president leans forward and in a mock whisper to Leo. "Ah, Leo. You've not been 'that slow' with the females, in your lifetime, but that's not the way to fix it when you have an itch."
Margaret loudly catches a breath and wants to melt into the floor or die right there. She may need ice later to get her blush under control.
Leo leans closer to him, almost nose to nose, "NOT that kind of itch, sir." He feels obligated to explain, "There was bleach in my t-shirt and you 'know' that just drives me crazy itching." He explains what he did to fix the problem, "I've trashed the t-shirt already and Margaret was scratching my back to relieve the itching." He growls under his breath, still a little moody at the total day, "You put a nice stop to that, my friend."
He looks around a Margaret and at her bright red face. Decorum dictates to her that she will not cover her face in the presence of the President. Leo agrees now with his best friend, "Bingo, Sir. That is the reddest blush I have seen on her yet."
Leo concedes, "I'll give you this, Mr. President. You might have just found her ultimate blush, with that last comment." Leo looks back at his friends smiling face, and now he adds a special bonus to his friends joy, "The best part of that is, Sir. After you leave, she gonna kill me!" He then points to the Presidents chest, "Since she can't kill you." Leo's trying to look serious, places his hand over his heart, "I will try, in my defense, to remind her to keep a list. Someday you 'will' be out of office and she can get in line to pummel your ass." Leo grins sweetly, "Right behind Abby and myself."
The President plans ahead to that day, "I think I'll hire Ron Butterfield, after I leave office, to guard me against the three of you."
"Not, Agent Butterfield, sir!" Leo is adamant, "I'll 'out pay' you, for him to refuse the job with you."
With the two of them talking like she's not in the room. Margaret can't help it and she snickers at Leo's comment. First she's mortified and now she's trying not to laugh. They're going to be the death of her yet. She knows Leo's not going to let Ron retire anywhere near where she might be. It's going to be an interesting time after the administration.
Margaret decides she needs to retreat and excuses herself, "Sir. Leo. I'll just go into my office and leave you two to talk."
The President grants her retreat with, "Thanks, Margaret, you made my day, again!"
"I service at the pleasure of the President, Sir," she replies back as a backhanded dig at the both of them.
The President crosses his arms and watches Margaret cross to the door. He tilts his head toward Leo and whispers, "I'll bet she 'is' making a list."
Leo watches as Margaret close the door after herself, "Yeah, one list for you and one list for me." He then smiles and turns to look at his friend, "Want to bet which one of us she goes for first?"
The President answers seriously, "Well, that would be you, Leo. I'll be busy keeping Abby from killing me first." He then grins back at Leo, with his hands jammed into his pants pockets, "I'll just bet Abby also has a list for you."
Leo doesn't even need to look at his friends face to see his reaction, "We're so dead when this is over, Sir."
The President nods, "I hear you, Leo."
The President switching to happier thoughts, "So, what did you bring back for your lunch? Anything good that Abby won't let me have?" He then warns Leo, " I'll steal it from you."
Leo opens the food tray and admits, "I've got fries and ketchup." He sees his friends face light up, "I guess I just lost them."
His friend snags a fry and orders, "Let's eat, Leo. Before someone finds out and rats me out to Abby."
Later in the evening, Margaret brings up to Leo the dilemma of the bleach in his clothes. It doesn't look like he's going to get out of the White House early enough to come over to her place and rewash them.
"Leo, I'm glad that your itching is going away without the t-shirt, but what are you going to do about tomorrow." She can tell he's thinking and she waits shortly before reminding him, "You know we're going to be here late tonight."
Leo has a plan, "How about this Margaret? I'm going to be in the Oval Office till late with the president, while he makes the phone call to the foreign embassy. If you would be nice, even though I've been terrible all day, and do me a favor?" He pauses before asking, not knowing how she'll view his request. "Why don't you leave early tonight, swing by my room and grab my whites." He quickly continues before she can say no, "Take them to your place, rewash them and I'll come over after I get out of here, to pick them up." He can see she's already skeptical on granting his plan, before he even got it totally said. "I know I'll owe you a big favor in return. Just think about how you'll derive great satisfaction in making me pay you back. Is it a deal?" She's good, she waiting for him to sweeten the deal. He knows just what to add, "You might even get time to make a trip to the hot tub tonight."
She answers his request with a question, "Want me to wait for you, so you can go with me to the hot tub?"
"No, unfortunately, I don't think the President will let me out that early." He kisses her quickly since she's not mad at him for his bad day. "You just enjoy the evening and I'll see you later, probably between 11 and midnight." He doesn't want to be any more of a bother to her, "If you're sleeping, just leave them in the living room and I'll just quietly get them."
Margaret gets serious at that suggestion, "Leo, you let me know when you're there, if I'm asleep. I might just have a heart attack hearing someone come and go in the apartment." She tells him in no uncertain terms, "If I'm asleep, just whisper to me that it's you. Promise me, Leo?" She looks him in the eye to show how serious she is about it, "That's a rule, I mean it!"
"Ok, Baby. Ill let you know I'm there." He adds a condition to her rule, "Just you promise me that you won't get up because I'm there. Ok?"
"Deal, Leo." She compromises, "Ill go get your things and see you later." She kisses him goodbye, in a way that's to hold them till later.
"Thanks, Margaret." He knows he's so lucky to have her to help him, " Enjoy your evening." He then adds before she leaves her office," Maybe Donna will come over and join you in the tub." He waves a pointing hand back and worth, "You two can bash us guys for a pastime." He teases her, glad to be back in her good graces.
"We don't always bash you." She smiles sweetly, "Some times we say nice things and plans things for all of us to do together."
He laughingly comments at that, "That makes me feel safe. See ya later. Luv you." He pulls her back inside his doorway and kisses her deeply.
She comes up for air, "Love you, Leo." She still adds as she's leaving his arms, "Wake me if I'm asleep."
"I will," Leo has his right hand up to promise her.
Margaret has a pleasant evening with Donna over. They enjoyed a quick dinner at the deli and the hot tub was wonderful as usual. She has no trouble getting Leo whites rewashed and is lovingly folding them for him to take back to the hotel with him. She's sad every time she thinks of him in that sterile environment of the hotel. Margaret just cannot figure out how to get him out of it. There's a couple of reasons she can't offer him the spare room or totally moving in together. They're not that far along in their relationship. She's still fearful of the ramifications. She is still slightly insecure and a little in awe of Leo being interested in her, after she discovered she had feelings for him. She's too happy to risk their blooming relationship. Granted the press has not be breathing down their necks, even when Leo stays the night, but moving in might be too much for them. It sure would make her happy if he was close by. Anything to get him moved out of that damn hotel. Wonder how long of a campaign it would take to get him convinced to leave it. Maybe she needs to bounce this problem off Abby first.
At 2:30 AM, Leo quietly slips in the apartment door, to find the lights down low in the living room, where Margaret left them on for him. " Margaret, it's me," he softly calls as he enters her bedroom as promised.
"Leo, it's late or early," she replies to his whispering her name. She had checked the clock when she heard the door shut. (It's a female thing.) "Did you have trouble with the call?"
"A little. They had some things to work out and we had to counter offer. The usual give and take." He jingles his keys in his pocket, not really in a hurry to leave, but he knows they both only have 3 or 4 hours before they start all over again at the White House, "I better get going. I'll need to return to the office early in the morning."
Margaret remembers another night he was in her bedroom in the wee hours of the morning. "Leo, take you suit off and get in. You can sleep here for the rest of the night," she offers, knowing he'll sleep better here.
"OK, thanks," he complies readily at her suggestion. He was dreading the drive to the hotel and a lonely bed waiting for him. It's been a rough day and he's feeling a little sorry for himself. He climbs in next to Margaret and pulls her close to cuddle. He's a little punchy with exhaustion, " You gonna take care of my itch now?"
Margaret's comfortable and drifting back to sleep in his arms, "I scratched your back at work, Leo."
"Not that kind of itch," he whispers in her ear.
"Forget it, Leo." She flatly answers.
"Damn," he chuckles.
The End
p.s. till the next adventure
Betty Lou Riley
8th July