TITLE: People Move On
AUTHOR: Micky Fine
DISCLAIMER: Blah, blah, blah. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Add a little bit of please don't sue me. Then stir in some I don't own them. Then enjoy the yummy goodness.
SUMMARY: If you haven't read it why are you here? Go back and read it!
SPOILERS: Check the first chapter.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: First of all, thank you to all you lovely people who reviewed. You're the reason I keep writing. This chapter is entirely from Josh's POV. Reviews placed on a pedestal and worshiped.
----
I wander into the Maine Bartlet for America office and muffle a yawn. No one should have to come in to work before eight o'clock, and yet I'm here at 7:30, after going to bed only three hours before. I stop at the coffeepot before continuing on my way to my office. As I carefully sip the steaming liquid I watch the sunlight begin to stream over the horizon and then squint in pain. Guess I'll be harboring some vampirish tendencies today.
I turn away from the windows and head towards the latest cubicle that has been labeled as my office. I'm only three feet away from the doorway when I hear familiar laughter. Instead of entering I stand at the window and watch my assistant sitting cross-legged in my chair and talking on my phone. Based on the fact that her suitcase is sitting just inside the door she didn't sleep at all last night but there she is nonetheless. I now know what the picture of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed should be in the dictionary: my assistant spinning around in my chair, talking on the phone and laughing at 7:35 in the morning.
I spend another few seconds standing in the doorway attempting to determine just who is on the other end of the line but find it impossible because she seems to only be swapping juvenile jokes.
"What did one snowman say to another snowman?"
Apparently the person on the other end is as baffled as I am.
"'Do you smell carrots?'"
Donna giggles but stops when I clear my throat.
"I have come to suck your blood."
She turns and gives me a wry smile.
"Well, Count Dracula has arrived. Yeah, that was him. I'll talk to you later this week, ok? Take care."
She hands me the phone and mouths to me, "Your parents." Then she pilfers my foam coffee cup and goes out to her desk, closing the door behind her.
I sit down in the chair Donna has just vacated and put the phone to my ear.
"Mom? Dad?"
"Joshua."
"Hey Dad, how are you?"
"I'm doing good today."
"That's great."
"I must say that your new assistant is a very charming young woman."
"Donna? How could you possibly know that? You've never even met her."
"I'm right though, aren't I?"
I smile, "Yeah, she's what you'd call charming. I'd more accurately describe her as annoying."
"Josh."
"Ok, she's charming."
"You're nice to that girl, Joshua?"
"Yeah, Dad, I am."
"Good, I like her. She makes me laugh."
"You talk to her frequently?"
My mother suddenly chimes in from the other line in our house.
"More often than we talk to you, Joshua."
"Well, I am kind of busy trying to get Governor Bartlet elected, Mom."
"Donna helps you and she's not too busy."
"Ok, fine, I promise to call more often."
"Good."
"So, what's going on up there?"
"Julie just got engaged. Her fiancé is a veterinarian and has three cats and two dogs. I don't know how you're uncle will survive visiting her seeing as he's allergic."
I chuckle, remembering the last time my uncle encountered a fluffy cat and ended up sneezing for fifteen minutes.
"Tell Julie congratulations from me."
"Yes, I will Joshua. Now, when are you going to tell us you're getting married?"
"As soon as I know myself Mom."
My father now chimes in on my parents' latest favorite subject: my future marriage and their potential grandchildren.
"What about Donna?"
"Dad, what about Donna? She's my assistant."
"So what? I married my assistant."
This is scarily true. My parents met when my mother started working for my father as his secretary. I quickly skirt past this idea and tune back in to what my father is saying.
"Is she Jewish?"
"No."
"Ah, well, no one's perfect. But otherwise she's a very lovely girl?"
"Yes, Dad, aside from not being Jewish, Donna is lovely. Would you like me to set you two up?"
My father gives a deep laugh that always causes me to smile.
"No, Joshua, I already found my perfect woman."
I can almost hear my mother smile and my own smile deepens at the thought of just how happy my parents still are.
"Now, Joshua, from what I hear from Leo, Donna is truly amazing."
"Well, she's been very helpful."
"She organized your office?"
"Yes."
"I love her already."
I laugh at my parents and then look up when I hear a tap at my window. I look up to see Donna making an exaggerated sad face and then pointing at her watch. I nod in acknowledgement and then return my attention back to my conversation.
"Ok, while this has been fun, I have to go back to work now."
"All right, Joshua. You stay out of trouble and make us proud."
"Yes sir."
"And take care of Donna."
I smile at the attachment my father already has to my assistant.
"I promise."
"We love you, Joshua."
"Love you guys. Bye."
I hang up and seconds later Donna enters my office bearing a folder which she places in front of me. Then she exaggeratedly drains what I assume was my coffee cup and throws it in the trash while making a sound of satisfaction. I glare at her but she studiously ignores me as she begins to thumb through a carton of files sitting on the floor of my office. I start to read the file she just gave me but I'm still a little distracted after my phone call from my parents.
"My parents are quite taken with you."
"That happens, its one of the side effects of my charm."
She smiles at me cheekily and then goes back to thumbing through her box.
"Do you talk to them often?"
Donna's reply is somewhat distant as she is also reading one of the files while she speaks.
"A few times a week I guess."
"You talk to my parents more often than I do?"
"You're busy sometimes. They still want to know what's going on with you. I update them. While maintaining campaign secrets, I assure you."
Donna now walks behind me, pulls a large binder off the shelf and begins to rifle through it. I watch her while still going over my conversation with my parents. I suddenly realize I came in early for a reason and shake my head to clear it of thoughts stirred up by the call from Connecticut. I turn my attention back to the file Donna gave me and which she has already highlighted for important details. I'm already making multiple mental notes when I sense that Donna is about to leave. Without looking up, I speak quietly.
"Thanks for talking to them. And thanks for making him laugh."
"You're welcome."
I hear the door click closed and return my attention to the folder.
----
I yawn, stretch, glance at my watch, and feel my eyes widen when I realize that it's almost 1:30 a.m.
"Donna."
A soft, "Mm-hmm," wafts its way up from the floor where my assistant is sitting cross-legged.
"It's kind of late."
"So?"
"Maybe you should go back to the hotel. No, wait, you haven't even been to the hotel yet. That sentence should have been you should go to the hotel."
"Ok, I'm not even going to bother mocking your sentence structure there and just skip on ahead to more important things. Are you leaving?"
"No."
"Then I'll stay."
"Donna, you don't have to prove yourself to me anymore. I know how hard you're willing to work. But I don't want you to collapse from exhaustion. I've had my fill of your collapsing."
"Funny. I'll go when you go."
I sigh and hear her give one in reply. I lean back in my chair, briefly consider going back to reading the latest polling data and decide against it. But somehow I'm reluctant to leave this small office where Donna and I are encompassed in the pool of light my desk lamp is emitting. It's comfortable and I know all that awaits me at the hotel is glaring fluorescent lights and that awful hotel smell. In an effort to avoid the inevitable retreat to room 378 I finally ask the question that has been nagging at me for over a week.
"Why don't you bring me coffee?"
"That's been bugging you for a while now, hasn't it?"
"Yes."
"I thought so."
It is silent and I can hear Donna shuffling papers around. I roll my chair to the edge of my desk so that Donna is within my sightline. She studiously ignores me.
"Donna?"
"What, you actually want an answer?"
"Yes."
"Don't you have work to do or something?"
"Nah, I'm done for the night."
"Then let's go to the hotel."
"Not until you answer my question."
"That's not fair. You're manipulating my dependence on you for transportation."
"What can I say, I'm a manipulative guy."
"No you're not."
Her tone has suddenly changed from playful to serious and I alter my mood accordingly.
"You say that like you've known one."
"Oh, yeah."
She gives a harsh laugh that has no real humor in it.
"Brett was very talented. Everyone said so. He was a talented physician. And he was charming. Everyone liked him instantly. Including me. He swept me off my feet with his smile, his laugh, his charm, and his talents. And the next thing I know he's convinced me to drop out of school until he's finished his residency. What I hadn't really noticed until about year four was that he was a master manipulator. He could get anyone to do anything and he was especially adept at making sure I did just what he wanted. You know when I made that realization?"
"When?"
"I was getting him his coffee, with exactly two and a half sugars and one cream, to have while he read his morning paper."
"And that's why you don't bring me coffee?"
"It's weird, I know…"
"No, Donna, it's fine. You stick to it. The only thing I ask is that you offer to bring coffee when I have guests in the office."
"No problem. It would be inhospitable not to."
I smile and we sit silently for several minutes. I'm staring at the ceiling when I let the question that's been hanging in the air slip through my lips.
"Why did he break up with you?"
I'm surprised when she doesn't tell me that it's none of my business. Instead, she leans back against the wall and stares off into space. Her face suddenly loses its expressiveness and I can see that she's attempting detachment.
"He said that we didn't fit anymore and asked me to move out. So, I packed up my clothes, told him I'd send someone to pick up my furniture and my books and left. Then I went to the bank and discovered that he had cleaned out our co-checking account. That was a hard blow. I'd been saving for a new car. Just before I left, one of my friends told me that he'd been dating some other woman for almost a year."
I'm briefly overwhelmed by an almost inexplicable rage. I've heard stories worse than this and yet the idea that someone had stole from and cheated on Donna appalls me. Donna sees the expression on my face and shrugs her shoulders as if to say, "What are you going to do? It's too late now." I give her a forced smile.
"What can I say? I'm an expert at skimming the scum off the top."
I laugh shortly.
"C'mon, Donnatella. I'd better take you home. You haven't slept since yesterday."
"Actually, I haven't slept since the day before yesterday but there's no real need to quibble over a couple hours."
"Did you just say quibble?"
"It's late."
"Or early."
She groans.
"Joshua, let's leave that one for tomorrow."
"Sure."
I help Donna slip into her coat, grab my own, and turn off the light as I close the door behind us.
----
I walk into my office for the first time today around noon. My morning has been spent talking up the governor to various potential contributors, having three breakfasts, five coffees, and one early lunch. I'm stuffed and in need of some amusement. Maybe Donna has some inane trivia to share. She usually does.
I go into the main area of the campaign office. Most of the staff has gone out for lunch today leaving the building relatively quiet. Of course, there is that one volunteer in the corner with the photocopier looking increasingly frazzled, but he doesn't really count. With all this silence, I'm surprised to see a small crowd around my assistant's desk. As I approach I recognize Margaret, Ginger, Cathy, Carol, and C.J.
"Well, he definitely has some good taste."
"Who has good taste, C.J.?"
My voice causes the flock of women to whirl around and give me an amazing range of looks from startled to guilty. The guiltiest face is that of my assistant, which puzzles me because I'm pretty sure she hasn't done anything wrong today. Or ever. But don't tell her I said that, she'd hold it over me.
"C.J.?" I prod.
"Umm…I have to go talk to Danny. I'll see you later Donna. Save some of those for tonight. I have intentions of raiding the mini-fridge and those would go great with a certain tiny beverage."
C.J. quickly skirts past me and is soon followed by the other women who all murmur excuses and then head off to their own desks. After watching the mass exodus I turn back to Donna who gives me a false smile and then holds a box out to me.
"Chocolate?"
"No thanks."
I watch her as she places the box of Godiva chocolates in a drawer of her desk. Inside I spy something fuzzy that I pull out before she can shut it again.
"Josh!" she cries, reaching out for the stuffed bear but I hold it just out of her reach. Then I read the embroidery on the chest of the bear.
"I love you, Pooky. Donna, who's Pooky?"
"Joshua, so help me, if you don't give me back that bear I'm going to tell your mother…"
"Ok, hold on. First of all, did you just call me Joshua?"
"Yes."
This briefly throws me mentally. The only people who have ever called me Joshua are my parents. I've never liked anyone else calling me that. But when Donna said that just now it didn't bother me at all. Weird.
"Josh?"
"Yes?"
"Are you done pondering my calling you by your first name?"
"Yes."
"Good. Can I have my bear back now?"
"No. You threatened to tell my mother something. What exactly would you tell her to get me into trouble?"
"That you were mean to me."
"Damn. That would work."
"I know."
Donna gives me a smug little grin and then before I realize what's happened, plucks the bear out of my hands and returns it to the drawer. I'm about to act extremely juvenile and re-open the drawer just to steal the bear back again when I spy the bouquet on her desk. The rather large bouquet on her desk. In fact, the overly conspicuous bouquet that I can't believe I missed seeing before. It's huge and holds flowers I've never seen before. And this massive floral collection is sitting in what looks like an Italian marble urn. What the hell is going on here?
"Donna, what are those?"
"Josh, I know some of them are exotic but I thought being the brilliant mind that you are, you could recognize flowers when you see them."
"Who sent them?"
"None of your business."
"That was a little hostile, Donna."
"Well, Josh, it really isn't any of your business."
"I don't think so. You see, these flowers seem to have affected your emotional state, and as your boss and your friend it's my job to aid you in your time of perturbation."
"You just want to snoop."
"Not true."
Donna gives me a withering glance, but I ignore it in favor of having just discovered the card in the greenhouse residing on my assistant's desk. Although the bouquet itself is gigantic, the card is just the regular size. I seize it from its holder and read it.
Donna-I was so wrong. Please forgive me. Come home. I miss you.
Love,
B.
"Who's B?"
"Josh, that's…"
"…none of your business," I finish for her. "And yet it is my business because all of these gifts seem to be distracting you from your work."
"I'm on my lunch break, Josh. They aren't distracting me from my work because I'm not working during my lunch break. And in case you haven't noticed, when I am working I spend a fair amount of time in your office, where, how novel, none of my gifts are."
"Ok. I'm sorry. I'll stop snooping."
"Thank you."
I turn to go back to my office when suddenly it dawns on me.
"'Love, B.'"
"Sorry, Josh, I missed that."
"The card. It said, 'Love, B.' 'B' is Brett. Brett is Dr. Freeride. The jerk who broke up with you is trying to get you back."
"Josh, don't call him a jerk."
"Donna…" I look at her mystified. Almost a week ago she was telling me how her boyfriend manipulated her, stole her money, and cheated on her. And now she tells me not to call him a jerk. I'm about to point this all out to her when C.J. sweeps past me, grabs my arm, and pulls me into her office. She calls back to Donna over her shoulder.
"Sorry, I just need to borrow him for a bit."
"Keep him. I could use some peace and quiet. For the next month at least."
I'd be hurt by this parting shot from Donna except that right now I'm in mortal fear of being torn apart by C.J. She points at a chair and then carefully perches on her own. She seems to be staring through me for a moment and then refocuses on my face.
"Josh, you've got to leave her alone."
"What do you mean?"
"I know you're her friend and you're worried about her. So am I. We both know this guy's a jerk. She knows it too."
"Are you sure? 'Cause just now she was telling me…"
"I know, Josh. But you have to think. She's young. She's spent six years with this guy who after being without her for almost two months is suddenly desperate to have her back. She's conflicted and confused. And I know you want to help her but she has to work this out on her own."
"But, C.J., this guy is a king manipulator. He's going to…"
"Donna's a smart girl. She knows when she's being manipulated. And despite what you think, she does realize that's what's going on right now. Just let her work it out on her own and everything will turn out fine."
"You promise?"
"Sure."
"That's not how it works and you know it. Now, do you promise?"
"I promise everything will turn out fine. Will you leave now?"
"Sure."
I get up to go by C.J.'s voice halts me.
"Josh?"
"Yeah?"
"You're a good friend."
I smile and leave her office.
----
I must admit that Donna is the queen of the cold shoulder. I've never felt so frozen in my entire life. The Human Popsicle, that's what I'm changing my name to. I'm in the process of planning how I can get Donna to forgive me without having to apologize when my phone rings. I'm about to answer it when I notice the area code on the call display. Then I smile. Donna will definitely be in a better mood after this and I won't have to do anything.
"DONNA!"
My assistant peeks her head into my office, a large stack of faxes in her hands.
"Yes, Josh?"
"The phone is ringing."
She glares at me and then at the phone when it rings again.
"Well, could you maybe answer it? I've got my hands full."
"I would, except you'd still end up answering the phone."
"What do you mean?"
"The call's from Wisconsin."
A wide smile lights up Donna's face. She hurriedly sets down her stack of papers and scoops up the phone. I hear her greet the person on the other end of the line as I exit my office, closing the door behind me. I'm about to spy through the window when Sam approaches me.
"Hey, Josh."
"Sam."
"What's going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're outside your office while Donna is inside it, on the phone. Leo didn't give her your job already, did he?"
"No, he didn't give it to her. She's got a call from Wisconsin."
"On your phone line?"
"Well, back when Donna first started working for me she didn't have a phone line but she wanted to make sure that her parents could contact her if they needed to. So, I said she could give them my number. And that's what she's done at all the rest of the campaign offices."
"Ah, so you're hoping that by talking to her parents she'll forget all about whatever you did to annoy her today."
"How do you know about that? You weren't even here."
"Donna came by my office looking out for a co-conspirator to kill you. I think she and Toby may have teamed up. You'd better watch your back."
"Thanks for the heads up."
"My pleasure."
I'm about to ask Sam about the latest speech he's working on when Donna suddenly bursts out of my office. She starts walking past us but then, as if she suddenly noticed our presence, turns to me with the oddest expression on her face.
"Are you ok, Donna?"
"Yeah," she says distractedly.
"All's quiet on the home front?"
"What? Oh, yes, everyone at home is fine."
She's quiet for a bit, allowing Sam and I to exchange concerned glances. Sam attempts to bring Donna out of whatever she's in.
"Donna?"
"Oh, hey, Sam."
She gives him a brief smile that doesn't reach her eyes. I can practically see her mind working at light speed, churning over the problem it's been presented with.
"Josh?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you mind if I went back to the hotel early today? I'm still really tired. Guess it just goes to show that I should grab all the sleep I can get."
"Sure, go take a nap. I'll see you later."
Donna nods and starts to head towards the coat rack when I lightly grip her arm.
"Donna?"
"Yeah?"
"Everything's ok?"
"Yeah. Everything's fine."
She gives me the same smile she gave Sam and then gives my arm a light squeeze. I let her go and watch her walk out. She gives me a small wave as she slips out the door. Once she disappears from sight I get the oddest feeling like I may never see her again. Shaking my head to clear it of such absurd ideas, I turn my attention back to Sam.
----
"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."
I roll over to find Sam standing in the doorway of my hotel room.
"Sam, unless you've brought me coffee…"
Sam smiles and places a take-out cup on my bedside table.
"Ok, so I won't be killing you today."
"Thank you, that takes watching my back off my to do list."
As I pick up the cup of steaming liquid, I notice a slip of paper folded in half bearing my name in a scrawl that has become very familiar to me.
"Sam, did Donna come in here last night?"
"Yeah."
"Did she seem like she was still mad about the thing?"
"No, she didn't say anything about that. She had just come in to see you but you were dead to the world at that point and she didn't want to wake you. I offered to pull out the foghorn but she refused. She still seemed to be in that daze she had yesterday afternoon. She just came in, left the note, gave me the wateriest smile I've ever seen and then rushed out of here."
I apprehensively open the note and read the brief message.
Josh-I have to leave. I don't know what else to say. Thank you for everything.
-Donnatella
"Son of a bitch!"
I crumple up the note in my fist and slam it against the table.
"Josh, what's going on?"
"He got to her. He got to her with the flowers, the candy, and that stupid bear."
I flatten the note out and read it once again. And then suddenly it hits me.
"The phone call."
"What?"
"The phone call from Wisconsin. It wasn't her parents, it was Dr. Freeride. That son of a bitch!"
I'm about to continue raging when I suddenly change my mind and instead read the note for the third time. C.J. shortly thereafter comes in behind Sam, looking worried.
"Have you guys seen Donna? She was here when I fell asleep but when I got up this morning she and all her bags were missing."
"She's gone," I whisper to myself.
"What did you say, Josh?"
"She left. She went back to him. She left."
To be continued…