On My Doorstep
Whenever the sun was shining in Houston, it seemed hot. But, to Josh, today it the heat was intolerable. The weather had been cold and cloudy when he left Washington DC, or should he say when he left in dark jeans and a chocolate brown linen shirt. Now, in hot and steamy Houston, Josh was starting to kick himself for his wardrobe. Even with his sleeves rolled up, Josh was sweltering in the Texas sunshine.
Dinner the night before with Sam had left Josh feeling excited and energized. Just as Josh had known that Sam would have made an incredible congressman, he knew that he'd make an equally amazing governor. Josh knew he couldn't take time off to help Sam with his campaign, and he definitely couldn't quit to go and run Sam's campaign, but Josh was determined to ensure that Sam won this election. And for that one reason, Josh was enduring the pure Texas sunshine and one incredibly hot day.
Josh's cab rolled down a quaint residential street. The neighborhood was just outside of downtown Houston and was lined with ideal, cottage-like homes – each with a perfectly manicured yard. The whole neighborhood looked like it came out of a magazine. When his cab came to a stop, Josh double checked the address and climbed out. He paid the cab driver, grabbed his backpack and watched the cab drive away.
Josh looked around and took in his surroundings. A small brick sidewalk wound its way up to a small, square house. It was yellow, with black shutters and a windowed sun room off to one side. Each window had an exquisite flowered window box and the front doorstep was lined topiaries. As Josh walked up to the front door, he shook his head and smiled in relative disbelief. It took a few minutes, but Josh finally found the nerve to ring the doorbell and set his plan for Sam's success in action.
There was no answer at the door. Nervously, Josh shifted his weighted from foot to foot and looked around. He was beginning to think that maybe this hadn't been the best idea. Josh rang the bell again and listened for sounds of movement inside the house.
"Come around back!" A voice yelled from around the house.
Josh assumed that it was coming from the back yard. Following the brick path around the side of the house, he let himself through a gate in the white picket fence. When Josh stepped into the backyard, he was brought to a standstill by what he saw. On the other side of the lawn, really only about 10 feet in front of him, Josh gazed at Juliana lying across a large hammock. She was wearing what he knew were her favorite pink running shorts, a small pink and orange bikini top and her large sunglasses that hid her eyes. Even though he couldn't see her eyes, Josh knew that they were focused on him.
Josh walked across the lawn, with his eyes down and his dimples showing. Juliana didn't move, except to take lift her can of diet coke to her lips. Josh was still sauntering across the lawn when Juliana lifted her head and spoke.
"Watch out for the…"
"Umph." Josh exclaimed as his shin connected with something hard, almost causing him to somersault forwards.
"Bench." Juliana finished. She giggled girlishly and she watched Josh hop around and rub his shin. He had walked right into it…a large wooden bench at the other end of the yard. "You really have a problem with those things, don't you?" Josh didn't reply. He simply smiled and walked closer, keeping an eye out for more benches. Juliana sighed and propped herself up in the hammock. "I was wondering when you would show up on my doorstep."
"What made you think that?" Josh asked coyly.
"Call it woman's intuition." Juliana stated matter of factly.
"Can I sit down?" Josh asked. He didn't wait for a reply as he made his way towards Juliana.
"Yes. But, not on the…" Juliana didn't have time to finish. She landed on the ground with a thud. Josh had decided to sit on the hammock with her.
"You know, Josh, there's a funny thing about hammocks. They really don't accommodate two people very well without careful planning." Juliana chided as she regained her composure and brushed the grass off of herself. Josh didn't offer to help her up off the ground. He shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled.
"He's running." Josh said quietly as Juliana stood up.
"What?" Juliana could barely tell that Josh had spoken, let alone make out what he said.
"Sam's running for Governor."
"Really." Juliana said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.
"Yes! He's going to…"
"Josh," Juliana interrupted. "He's my brother, not some stranger off the street. I've known for close to a week. Did you come all the way out to Houston to tell me that Sam's running for governor?"
"Yeah." Josh said sheepishly. Suddenly, Josh's excitement boiled over and spilled out. "But, Jules, he's the real thing. He could really win this thing. He just needs the right people working with him."
"And who are those people, Josh?"
"Well, I would be an obvious choice, but I already have a job." Josh paused for a moment to see how Jules was taking his speech. "You've got to go out to California and help him. People don't just win when you work with them, they slaughter the competition. He needs you. We all need you."
Josh stopped and took off his sunglasses so he could look Juliana in the eyes. The sun was still beating down on them. Josh hadn't noticed how tan and fit Juliana looked standing before him. He thought that she looked better than she ever had when she was in Washington, if that was even possible. Jules seemed to still be staring at him, she hadn't said a word. Silence had always made Josh a little nervous, but for some reason this silent pause was excruciating.
"Wow, you look great!" Josh whispered, breaking the silence.
"It's the bikini." Juliana said with a smirk. "I didn't get to wear it a lot in DC."
"Couldn't match it to a suit, huh?"
"Yeah. The Capitol Hill dress code is the real reason I never wore my bikini in DC… in February."
"Jules, what are you doing here?" Josh implored. Juliana sighed and began to answer.
"I'm trying to get someone elected to congress, Josh. Houston has a great mayor, and I want him to be their next congressman. You should know that, though. This is a big enough battle that we're on your radar."
"Jules, Sam needs you." Josh said, simply. "I need you to go help him win."
"You know, Josh, Sam could probably win without me."
"Jules, you just don't get…"
"Josh." Juliana said, holding her hand up in front of him to stop him. "Did you even talk to Sam first, you know, before going out to recruit a campaign staff for him?"
"No." Josh whispered, suddenly wondering if he should have done that.
"You know, last time he didn't want my help. He sent me away."
"Sam was a fool."
"Well, that much is obvious."
Josh and Jules both stared at each other for a few seconds, neither one saying anything. Mostly, they were both taking in the experience of being together again.
"Josh, you should meet my candidate, the mayor. He's the real thing too, you know. You'll want him on your side when he comes to town."
"Jules, I can't. You know that any member of the white house meeting your candidate looks like an endorsement from the president. I can't."
"Can't blame a girl for trying." Juliana smiled. Josh sounded genuinely disappointed. She hated that he had taken her request and it's dejection so seriously. She picked up her diet coke and began walking to the backdoor. "Josh, let's go inside."
"Jules! What about Sam? Are you just going to let him go it alone and screw it up like he did last time?" Josh shouted after her. His voice was a mix of desperation and disbelief.
"Joshua, first of all I don't think that Sam will screw anything up. I think he learned too much when he lost the 47th. And second, if you had talked to Sam before coming here he would have told you that as soon as I wrap up some things here in two weeks that I'm flying out to California to run his campaign."
Josh was dumbstruck. Leave it to Juliana to string him along and let him make an idiot out of himself.
"Josh, don't just stand there with your mouth hanging open. Come inside. You look like you're roasting out here."
"It's hot." Josh whined.
"It's eighty eight degrees."
"It's hot." Josh asserted.
"Get inside." Juliana held the door open for Josh and they walked inside.
Juliana called in to the office and said that she would be in the next day. She cooked dinner, and Juliana and Josh ate almost in silence. Every now and then there would be some small talk about senior staff members or current events. After dinner, Jules cleared the plates as Josh stood in the kitchen watching. Josh was lost in memories of other times that they had enjoyed dinner together. Suddenly, Josh was shaken out of his thoughts when Juliana thrust a beer into his hand.
"Come on. Let's go outside." Juliana didn't wait to see if Josh would follow, she walked to the door and out onto the patio. When Josh came outside, Juliana was sitting in a comfortable looking Adirondack chair. There was another empty one, right next to hers.
Josh took a swig of his beer and looked up into the sky. The sunset was beautiful. It was casting deep red and orange shadows across the clouds that were beginning to set in.
"Have you belittled any Republicans recently?" Juliana joked.
"You know, just keeping up the usual quota."
"So, how have you been?" Juliana asked tentatively. "How have you really been? And remember, you can't lie. I talk to CJ."
"The same really. The election was tough and so were the months after it. It's been rough at times, but I still like the work." Josh waited for a moment, unsure about how to phrase the next part. "And, since you've been gone it's been less complicated. But I've missed that."
"What, no torrid love affairs?"
"There been the occasional girlfriends…okay, girlfriend, singular. But that didn't really work out."
"What did you do?"
"Why must you assume it was something I did?" Josh asked with mock astonishment. After a moment, and an interrogating stare from Jules, Josh continued. "Okay, I managed to get her fired."
"Well, that's definitely a relationship killer." Jules smiled warmly and looked back at the sunset.
"We never really talked, you know, after, well…" Josh's voice fizzled out as he tried to figure why he had brought this up and where to go from here. "You left, and I never wanted to do it over the phone…" Juliana reached over and gently placed her hand over Josh's.
"It's okay. I understood."
"No. I said some things to you. Things I didn't mean. I never should have said those things."
"While that may be true, you were never the only one who needed to apologize."
Josh looked at her confused.
"I understand, Josh."
"No, you don't." Josh stood up and started pacing. "I was frustrated and stressed out. I was scared of how things were changing. I didn't know if I could handle it."
Juliana didn't move. She stared at Josh and watched him walk back and forth, between her and the sunset.
"I loved you. I may still. I know I never said it enough, it's just that I didn't know…"
"I loved you too, Josh. And I know I still do." Juliana said quietly.
Josh stopped and watched Jules. When she didn't say and do anything more, he sat back down. Josh didn't know exactly what he had expected from this trip. The energy that Sam's announcement had caused to surface had almost been too much, and the next thing he knew he had been on a plane to Houston to see Jules. While Josh had expected to involve her in Sam's campaign, he definitely had never envisioned himself sitting here with Jules and having this conversation.
Josh's thoughts were cut off when Juliana rose up out of her chair. Josh watched her every movement. Jules slowly walked the few short steps over to his chair and turned to face Josh. In a slow, graceful movement, Juliana lowered herself over Josh so that she was straddling him. Juliana leaned over, placing one hand firmly on the soft linen covering Josh's chest and the other on the back of his neck just where little stray hairs turned up in curls, and kissed him. It took Josh a moment to realize that Juliana's lips were connected to his. When the realization hit, he returned the kiss deeply and wrapped his arms around Jules, pulling her in to him.
The more Josh thought about the possible outcomes of this moment, the more he wanted it. Josh was used to power struggles, though he was usually in control when he went toe to toe with people on the hill. The amount of control that Jules had over him was electrifying. Josh felt a chill go up his spine, despite the lingering heat, as Juliana's hand moved across his chest.
Jules and Josh were still kissing and reacquainting themselves with each other when, like out of a dream, a horn sounded three times in the distance. Josh didn't react and Jules barely paused, until she heard it again. Juliana pulled away from Josh, slightly, putting both of her hands on his chest. Josh's mouth seemed to chase hers, but she stopped him. Jules was contemplating what to say next, trying to find something that didn't sound melodramatic.
"Your cab is here."
For a moment Josh didn't understand. All of a sudden the pieces came together and he realized what she was talking about. Juliana moved off of Josh and out of his arms, sensing that they both needed to feel some distance from each other. The cab's horn honked three more times.
"You need to go." Juliana said. Just like many times back in Washington, Josh couldn't read the emotion in her voice, it contained a whirlwind of feelings. "You have a job to do and now, so do I."
Josh shook his head because he simply couldn't reply. He didn't want to leave her. He wanted to try and explain what he was feeling. Josh pulled Jules into his arms one last time.
"Do you have any idea how hard this is?' He asked quietly.
"Yes. I think I might." Jules thought about how much she had missed Josh and how much more she would miss him now that they had spent time together. Juliana simply leaned into Josh's embrace and whispered in his ear. "I love you."
There was really nothing more either of them could say. Josh smiled, nodded knowingly, kissed Jules and walked out of the backyard to the waiting cab.