"You're kidding me. You just kissed him out of nowhere!" Sam exclaimed, looking at Abbey.
The senior staff had joined the Bartlets in the Residence, inadvertently of course. They came to talk to the President about an important matter, all of them together for moral support, and got sucked in by the First Lady and got hooked on the story she and Jed were telling them about how they first got together. Now, they were leaning in, listening intently to every word of the story. They all, especially CJ, loved hearing about the President's past, particularly when it involved the First Lady.
"Sam, would you just let the First Lady talk please?" Toby said, annoyed. He was thoroughly engrossed in the story, and no one expected him of all people to get so into it.
"I kissed him on the cheek, Sam," Abbey replied.
"Still! Out of nowhere!" Sam laughed at the thought. "You kissed a priest, Mrs. Bartlet."
"Hey, hey, hey, I was not a priest yet," Jed corrected.
"I guess I did kiss a priest. Well, that just changes things entirely."
"Please go on, ma'am," C.J. begged.
"Yes, go on!" Donna implored.
"You're such girls," Josh said. They shot him back an evil look and he immediately backed down.
"If you guys would all shut up, they could continue," Leo said.
"Leo, you only like this story cuz you're in it," Josh countered.
"Maybe. But it's still a good story."
"Ya know, one thing I wasn't aware of was that you knew the First Lady before the President did, Leo," CJ pointed out.
"We try to forget that bit, CJ," the President said.
"And Leo didn't think they would get along," Donna said, sighing. "It's so romantic."
Josh rolled his eyes.
"And so the story goes…"
Three hours later, Abbey was resting in her room. She was exhausted and couldn't put her finger on why. But she had a hunch it had something to do with the goings-on in her mind of late. Though she wanted to, she couldn't fall asleep and she couldn't make her mind wander. It was focused on only one thing.
Then there was a knock on there door, a loud knock which startled her.
"Hey, Abbey?"
It was Leo.
"Come in," she called.
He opened the door.
"How ya doin?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Just tired."
"You look distraught," Leo insisted.
"Nope. Just tired, Leo."
"Ok. Well, I just wanted to tell you that we'll be at the Vineyard in an hour. We were gonna go out to dinner someone near the docks, so wear something nice."
"Will do. Thanks."
He nodded and left the room. He was replaced, however, by Jenny and Amanda came running in the room, squealiing as they closed the door behind them.
"Whoa. What's going on?" Abbey asked.
Amanda and Jenny jumped onto the other bed, excitedly.
"What happened?"
"With what?"
"With Jed!" Jenny exclaimed.
"What are you talking about?"
"You and Jed. You were gone for at least half an hour," Amanda stated.
"We were just talking, what do you think?"
"We know you just talked, Abbey, but what did you talk about?" Jenny questioned.
"Um, politics. Nuclear warfare, in fact," she answered.
"You didn't!"
"Yes, we did."
"Oh, Abbey," Jenny sighed.
"What!"
"You don't see it, do you?"
"See what?"
"Jed. He's totally gaga for you."
"He's gaga for God, girls, now go away."
"Why?" Amanda inquired.
"Because I have to get dressed for dinner. And so do you."
"What's so important about dinner?" Jenny wondered.
"You'll see."
When Ron came into his room, he saw Abbey sitting on her bed putting on a pair of stiletto heels. She was wearing a slinky, backless black cocktail dress and her hair was put up with a few lone strands loose.
"Jesus God."
She turned around.
"Oh, hi! Where've you been?" She asked.
"I have no idea but apparently I was missing a whole lot," he answered.
"Uh uh. Stay back. I want to look perfect and stay that way. I won't have you messing me up," Abbey protested.
"You're so beautiful."
"Ron."
"You are. You put Jenny and Amanda to shame."
"Ron, please.It's not a competition."
"It should be," he said.
She wasn't sure why, but something about him began to repulse her. She used to love it when he told her she was beautiful and now it was making her physically sick.
"Why won't you let me touch you?" Ron asked, quietly.
Abbey was taken aback by the question.
"What? No. I just want to look perfect for tonight."
"Why? Got a hot date?"
"Shut up, Ron. Could you be any cruder?" Abbey said, looking at him with disgust.
"Is it so horrible to tell my girlfriend that she's beautiful?"
"No." She felt bad. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's the matter with me."
He sighed.
"It's all right, honey. Let's just get out there, ok? Leo says we're docking soon."
She smiled.
"Ok."
They all waited on the deck of the yaht as it pulled into the harbor at Martha's Vineyard. The sun was setting and the view was incredible. They stared at the sight before them with awe.
"We're acting like we've never been the Martha's Vineyard before," Ron commented, laughing.
"That's true. I mean, who here hasn't spent at least one summer here in their lifetime?" Amanda asked.
Nobody responded.
"I guess we all have then."
"I've actually only been here once or twice," Jenny stated.
"My cousins live here, so I've spent a fair share of time in these parts," Ron added.
"My parents make me come here with them every year for Labor Day weekend. They have a huge annual cook-out," Leo said.
"I used to spend every summer here with my sisters and my grandmother," Abbey said.
Jed seemed startled when he looked at her.
"So did I!"
"Oh, that's right, Jed. I forgot your parents made you go stay with Uncle George every year. Lucky I got out of that one," Said Amanda.
But Jed wasn't paying attention…again. He had lost control of his eyes to Abbey...again. However, this time his mind was full of flashbacks and he struggled come back to earth.
"Jed, you're doing it again," Leo whispered to him, noting Ron's angered expression.
Abbey looked at him curiously, and he snapped out of it.
"Are you ok?" She asked, with concern.
"Uh." He blinked, still not completely together. "Yeah. Fine. Thank you."
Ron glanced at Abbey, with an angry expression on his face still.She shot him back an even angrier glance, signaling for him to back down.
As the boat pulled up next to the dock, its passengers all stood silently, as if a wall divided all of them. And then there were two. Only two, who felt more connected to each other than anyone, with no indications as to why, and no hopes for the future as far as they could see.
TBC.