Author's note: With this chapter just assume that Donna has walked out of a press conference and there's about two months left till election day. Things did not going well. I lreally like this chapter, its one of my favorites.
Thanks for the feedback.
"I know what I'm doing Lou!" She bellowed back at her boss. I have no clue what I am doing. "We're going to go up in the polls and beat Vinick by four points." Lies. Why must I compound this problem with lies? "The Southern stations will cover the story." What they will be saying I have no clue.
Lou spun around and hissed back, "you better be right, or you're going home, Moss."
Donna Moss' last press conference didn't go as well as the Santos campaign had hoped. She might have told the country not to vote for Santos. Maybe. That's the way some people could have construed it. She didn't. But others might. Apparently Lou did.
She went into her office and slammed the door. Still in the center of the room and looked around. Damn it and I really liked this office too. This was the moment when the half of a banana muffin she ate three hours ago decided to come up for a visit. She ran to the ladies room.
Once the remains of the muffin were flushed down the toilet, she washed her face. A part of her had to laugh how one glib comment could ruin her career and life forever.
She walked out to be greeted by Josh, offering a small white tablet. "Here."
Donna instantly swallowed it, she didn't notice the horrified look on Josh's face until it was half way down her throat. "Um that was an Altoid."
"Oh."
"You know to get the taste out of your mouth," Josh offered her another one.
"Oh." She leaned against the wall Josh mirrored her stance. "Are you going to fire me?"
"You're screwed up worse then this before…"
"Not really."
Josh nodded, "No, you're right that was pretty bad, but I've screwed up worse and wasn't fired."
"Are you going to lecture me?"
"Nope, right now I'm not your boss. For nearly nine years now you've taken care of me when I was recovering, sick, depressed and flat out miserable. You've rubbed my back when my done damage to my "delicate system" I figured just once I could be the one who helped you out."
A small smiled escaped her lip for him "You've saved me plenty of times."
"Yeah but I've never held your hair back as you puked."
Donna rolled her eyes, "Nice vocabulary there."
"Hey, if you're right about the news and points I'll take you out to dinner."
"If I'm still working here," Donna muttered flatly.
"Yeah." Josh gently elbowed her, "Shake it off. Game on."
She smiled at him, "Game on."
The next morning she walked into her office, although for how long it was hers she didn't know. Mentally she took note of her personal items, wondering how heavy it would be to carry them to her car.
One coffee dup with the president's logo which she stole from Toby four years ago.
One picture of her family, which she never looked at.
One Far Side desk calendar.
That was it.
She had been working here for a month and she only had three items. For a moment she pondered how pathetic that was.
"You were wrong you know." She spun around to see Josh leaning in the door frame. Her face dropped.
"Oh."
"You said the ' The Southern stations will cover the story' and 'We're going to go up in the polls and beat Vinick by four points.'" His tone was flat and impossible to read. She glanced back at her desk to start the collection process.
"Oh." Well the Far Side calendar wasn't even mine, it was here when I got here. Hell, I'll take it anyway.
"We're up by eight points."
She spun back around to see Josh's famous cocky grin. Her face radiated, her body leapt into the air and landed in Josh's arms. "Eight points?"
"Yep."
Donna walked into hallway and bellowed to her co workers, "Today I am victorious. Today I drink with the Gods! Bring me the finest bagels and muffins in the land!"
Josh still had his smug smirk, "You were wrong Donnatella, I'm not buying you dinner."
She glanced over her shoulder, "Oh yes you are, Joshua, and you're eating a salad."