"Look it's my big brother! A sight for sore eyes!" Juliana exclaimed loudly as she sauntered up to her older brother and his friends. The group was already seated around a large, wooden table in the back of Arnold's. The men at the table rose as Juliana walked quickly over to her brother and embraced him in a hug. After breaking from her brother's hug, she shed her coat to reveal a slim figure clad in slimming gray slacks, a white sweater that hugged in all the right places, and a sleek satin ribbon tying everything together around her waist. As Juliana started unwinding her scarf from around her neck, she focused all her attention on her brother, who was eyeing her with wonder and admiration.
"It's good to see…my god, look at you. You're like a real adult now!" Sam Seaborn said to his sister Juliana. Sam turned to his colleagues who were beginning to reposition themselves in their seats. "Guys, this is my sister Juliana. Juliana, this is CJ Cregg, Toby Zeigler and well, you remember Josh."
Juliana shook hands as they were offered and then took a chair for herself at the table. She looked at her tablemates. They were all much older than she. Juliana was only 27 and she took great pride in looking even younger than that. On top of actually being older, the group looked tired.
After Juliana sat down, CJ, Josh and Toby resumed their earlier conversation as if she weren't there. Juliana listened to the banter and talk of insider politics and beltway gossip. Suddenly, CJ turned the attention to Juliana.
"So, Juliana, Sam has never really talked about having a sister. In fact, I was a little shocked when he said that his little sister would be joining us tonight. Why don't we know about you? Are you an embarrassment to your family? Or, oh wait – is Sam the embarrassment and you, well, you know, ignore him completely?"
"Hey!" Sam countered. "I resent that implication. Why would people want to ignore me? Well, people other than Toby I guess."
"Though Sam can be a little embarrassing at times, I don't think that humiliation or mortification are the reasons that Sam doesn't talk about me. I'm his little sister by eleven years. When Sam was going to college, I was in first grade. We didn't really know each other growing up. I went to school out of the country and then spent a little time in Europe. And I guess you can blame me for the distance between us, because I haven't been very good at keeping in touch with my family. When you're half way around the world and not coming home for every holiday, it gets easier to let communication slip. Plus Sam is so very busy running the country that it's hard to keep up with him."
Juliana said the last bit with drama and sarcasm. Just enough to make Sam blush and his friends roll their eyes. In her opinion she had explained it perfectly. She had offered an answer and explanation, without exactly revealing what she had been doing for the past 5 years since graduating.
Toby rose from the table and left CJ and Josh chatting with Juliana. Sam was lost in thought as he stared at his sister. He had been dumbfounded when Juliana called him two days ago to say that she was moving to Washington DC. Even though it was a surprise that she was moving to Washington, it was an even bigger surprise that she had called him. The love and regard that Sam held for his little sister knew no bounds. Sam had always wished that he could have been the protective older brother, meddling in her affairs, scaring off boyfriends, giving college tips, fielding heart broken phone calls, doing everything he thought an older brother should do. But the reality was that Juliana had never needed that from him, or from anyone else for that matter and while Sam worked and studied hard in college and at law school, Juliana grew up independently without her older brother around. Sam simply didn't mention his sister, because he truly knew very little about her. Yesterday when Sam told CJ and Josh that his sister would be joining them for dinner, he had felt a pang of guilt in his stomach at CJ's shock and questioning looks. Josh hadn't been surprised much, but then again Josh has met Juliana once.
Sam returned his attention to the people and conversation at the table. Toby had returned and was chatting with Juliana, while CJ and Josh were engaged in a conversation about Donna.
"So, mi amor, where is Donna tonight? Don't tell me she's still working while you're enjoying a night out on the town!" CJ questioned.
"No! God, why does everyone assume that I have her chained up in my office like a slave?" Josh complained with annoyance and whining in his voice. "I'm a nice guy. She's not at work. I even let her leave early today. In fact, I invited Donna to come with us tonight."
"And why isn't Donna here with us tonight?" Sam asked with a knowing tone.
Josh dropped his head to his hands and turned it slightly away from his friends at the table. His response came quietly as he mumbled, "She has a date tonight."
"A date?" CJ started. "Well good for her. Wait…Donna has a date and you haven't created, I don't know, some type of national disaster to keep her in the office?"
A huge smile spread across CJ's face as Sam started laughing. Toby broke his conversation with Juliana to smirk and try to conceal his laughter. Juliana studied the four adults. She could see the embarrassment and mortification navigate Josh's face. As Juliana studied the others, she could tell how much they were all enjoying tormenting and teasing Josh. It made Juliana think that this was not the first time this had come up.
"Who is Donna?" Juliana asked innocently, while she squirmed with anticipation for an answer. Already she could see that this group was quite a bit of fun to be around.
"Donna is Josh's assistant. " Sam explained. "It seems that every time Donna has a date, Josh finds a way to call her in to work, keep her at work late, or just plain disrupt her plans in general."
"I do not sabotage her dates!" Josh exclaimed defensively. "They have all been authentic reasons for needing her to work. And just look at tonight. Donna's out enjoying her date and I'm not making the slightest move to disrupt her."
"Only because I took your phone away from you and forced you out of the office." Toby offered.
Josh slumped in mortification and the group had a good laugh. The conversation resumed, this time focusing on the group's interest in Juliana.
"So why did you move to DC?" CJ asked. "I mean, don't get me wrong, DC is a great city, but it's not quite the type of place that you move to on a whim. Usually you have a purpose for moving inside the beltway."
"Job opportunities."
"Really? Where are you working?"
"I don't really know yet. I was consulting for a firm, and I was told that there was a job waiting for me here. I really haven't looked much into it. I'll find out about it eventually. As long as it's fun, I'm not too picky."
"Who were you consulting for?" Josh asked inquisitively.
"I worked…" started Juliana.
Juliana couldn't finish her sentence. She was but off by the arrival of a tall woman with auburn hair.
"Hey guys."
"Mallory!" The whole table exclaimed at once.
"How are you doing Mal?"
"I good." Mallory replied. "I'm meeting someone here, I must be early."
Sam remembered that his sister was sitting at the table. "Mallory O'Brien, I want you to meet…"
"Juliana!" Mallory exclaimed. "I didn't expect to run into you again so soon, and especially not with this group. How did you end up with them?"
"Wait a minute! You two know each other?" Josh interrupted.
"Yes. We met a week or so ago at a party and then again at a luncheon a few days ago." Mallory explained.
As everyone else listened and let the information sink in, Josh spoke up again. "And you didn't figure it out? You know, put the names together?"
"Josh, as is sometimes the norm, you're not making sense. What should I have put together?" Mallory countered.
"Juliana's last name. She's Sam's sister. How many Seaborn's can there be in DC?"
"You're Sam's sister?" Mallory asked, directing her question to Juliana, full of disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"How was I supposed to know that you know each other? In fact, how do you know each other?" Juliana asked curiously.
"Juliana, Mallory is Leo McGarry's daughter. Leo McGarry, you know the Chief of Staff. And, funny story, at one time Mal and Sam were almost dating. That was right after he told her about accidentally…" CJ was cut off by Sam's hand slamming into her upper arm. "Ow! Watch the arm please! Anyway, Sam and Mallory know each other. But, Mal that still doesn't explain how you couldn't have recognized Juliana's last name."
"Juliana's last name isn't Seaborn." Mallory offered.
"Please, let us solve this mystery so that we can move on." Toby announced as he spoke up.
"Maybe I should explain." Offered Juliana.
"Please." Countered Toby.
"My last name is Wexler. Before any of you ask, let me explain. Yes, Sam and I are siblings. I was married once."
"My god, what did you do? Get married when you were 12?" CJ asked in humored, disbelief.
"No, I was 21, having fun gallivanting around Europe and desperately in love. I took his last name and kept it. Wexler. Definitely not Seaborn. Mallory had no way of knowing."
"Where is your husband now? Or did you leave him behind?" Josh asked casually.
"He's dead." As Juliana spoke these words the table fell silent. Toby and Sam started looking for small objects unseen on the floor, CJ and Mallory stared pitifully at Juliana unable to speak and Josh looked down at the table and run his hands through his hair as he tried to think about how to apologize. "No, no. Don't feel bad. It was a long time ago. We were only married for 4 ½ months before he passed away. It's all in the past."
Mallory left the table as the person she was meeting entered. Sam, CJ, Josh and Toby began talking again, but the conversation was not nearly as lively as before. A few moments later, Juliana looked at Sam and started to rise from the table.
"Sam, I need to get going."
"Are you sure you can't stay? We have so much more catching up to do."
"Hey, I know this talking and getting to know each other is something new and different for us, but we do live in the same city now. You can call me and we can continue to catch up some other time. Right now, though, I need to head home." Juliana explained with a smile on her face.
Turning to talk to the rest of the table, "Everyone, it was very nice to meet you. I'm positive I'll be seeing everyone again soon."
Goodbyes were said all around, and Juliana walked towards the door. As she opened the door, she was struck by the cold wind that had picked up while she been inside. So this is Washington in December, she thought. The night was cold, but the dark sky was clear and without clouds. These were Juliana's favorite kind of nights, so she decided to walk. As she set off towards her apartment, Juliana heard a man's voice shouting in her direction.
"Hey!"
Juliana turned around to see Josh jogging towards her, waving one hand while the other was shoved deep into his pocket.
"When I said I'd be seeing you soon, I didn't mean this soon." Juliana said with a laugh.
Josh smiled. "I wanted to apologize for before. You know, the comment about your marriage. The last thing I wanted to do was bring up unpleasant memories."
"I said it was fine. It really was a long time ago. It's part of my past, and I don't dwell on my past."
Juliana had continued to walk while she talked to Josh, and she noticed that Josh continued to walk next to her. A gust of wind blew around a corner, and Juliana pulled her coat tighter around her body.
"Are you planning on following me home?" Juliana asked Josh.
"You're new in the big city. I want to make sure you get home safely. It's what Sam would want me to do."
"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." Juliana chided. "Not once in the past 27 years has Sam ever decided to play the big brother, and now he has his best friend out here walking me home. Go figure. Really, Josh. Go home. I'm fine."
"Okay. Well, don't say I didn't try."
"I'll even tell Sam that you walked me all the way to my doorstep." Juliana assured Josh as she shook her head.
"Have a good night. Maybe we'll see each other around."
"Like I said, I'm positive that we will."
Juliana smiled at Josh and turned the corner walking towards her apartment. Josh watched Juliana disappear down the street and then stepped to the edge of the sidewalk to hail a cab.
"Where to sir?" the cab driver asked.
"The white house please."
7