"CJ"
"CJ"
"CJ"
CJ Cregg stood at her usual podium, presiding over the White House Press Corps as they raised their hands and shouted her name anxiously. "Chris." "CJ, word has it the White House received the results of the Time Magazine poll early. Is that true"
"Yes, it is," CJ replied.
"Can you tell us the results"
"Well, I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise"
An overwhelming response from the press followed, indicating that the surprise was not particularly important to them. "This information is not to be published until tomorrow, when the issue is out on newstands. The White House received an early copy of the issue late last night. The results are as follows: Jacqueline Kennedy, 32. Abigail Bartlet, 68. Thus, the White House is proud to declare Mrs. Bartlet the Sexiest First Lady of All-Time, according to the American people"
"CJ, how are the Bartlets reacting to this news"
"They would have been content no matter the results of the poll. That being said, the President and First Lady are thrilled. And they're both sore losers, so I think this is for the best. Mark"
"Will they be doing anything to commemorate this occasion"
"Yes," CJ answered. "They will be a bit of a soiree this evening in the East Room. And before you get all excited, there's to be no press at this event. Staff and friends of the Bartlets only."
Jed Bartlet sat in his bedroom doing his usual crossword puzzle as he waited for his wife to finish primping for the evening. He had been through this more times than he could count and thus, knew it was best to just sit quietly until she was through. Needless to say, of course, he himself had been ready for nearly an entire hour—and he'd been late, too. Abbey finally emerged from the bathroom, wearing a chic burgundy spaghetti strap cocktail dress which fell only to her knees. She had pulled most of her hair off her neck into a clip, with a few strands loose. She stood in the doorway and waited for her husband's undivided attention. He glanced up at her, his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, and within seconds, he had dropped the crossword puzzle and hopped to his feet, a grin plain on his face.
"See, this is why you won." "Like the dress?" Abbey asked, coyly.
"Love the dress." "Somehow that doesn't surprise me"
Jed moved closer to her, closing the gap between them.
"As often as I've been fortunate enough to see you in such flattering ensembles, you never cease to amaze me"
Abbey smiled gratefully, and even blushed a little, in response.
"Thank you," she said, leaning in to kiss him lightly. "Ready to go?" Jed asked, holding his hand out to her. She accepted it willingly and followed him out the door. "Can you believe we're about to celebrate the fact that I've just won Sexiest First Lady of All-Time?" Abbey questioned, as they made their way to the East Room. "I can"
"Twenty years ago, who'd have guessed? It's not like it's a huge honor I prize above all things, because it is, at its core, superficial"
"Right," Jed agreed, waiting for her to continue.
"But it is gratifying nonetheless. Of course, compared to your Nobel Prize"
"Let's leave my Nobel Prize out of this"
"Fine. My point is, is it wrong that I'm so thrilled about this?" Abbey asked.
"Winning? Please. No matter the game or contest, it's never wrong to be thrilled about winning. Especially when you're a Bartlet"
"I feel like this is an insult to the memory of Mrs. Onassis"
"Abbey, you know I have all the admiration in the whole for Jackie, but just because a person has died doesn't mean they deserve every award under the sun. It's not like she would be able to enjoy it anyway," Jed replied. "She was much more beloved than I am"
"What are you talking about? Your approval rating has surpassed mine every year I've been president. That's pretty extraordinary"
Abbey shrugged, thoroughly unimpressed.
"First Ladies, as a rule, surpass their husband's in approval. It's because we don't do enough to be hated"
"You do plenty," Jed said.
"Ah, plenty, yes. But not enough to be hated"
"Okay, where is this conversation going"
"I'm only stating a fact." "Sure you are"
Still hand-in-hand, they reached the East Room, which was bustling with people. For the first time in a long time, they were going to spend the evening mingling with people they actually knew and loved dearly. Friends and family had flown in from New England to celebrate with the President and First Lady on this joyous occasion. They were greeted with overwhelming applause, and even a few whistles, hoots, and hollers. Certainly not the reaction they would have received from a room full of congressmen, senators, and Cabinet members. They greeted everyone happily, and thanked them all for coming individually. For the next few hours, the party raged on and was undoutedly a complete success. "Josh"
Amy Gardner found her ex-boyfriend at the bar, of course, and cornered him.
"I take it there's something you'd like to say to me," Josh quiped. "I happen to know some startling information about you, Lyman, and I must say, I am shocked"
Josh rolled his eyes. She could be so dramatic sometimes.
"What'd I do this time"
"You voted for Jackie," Amy accused him.
"That's ridiculous," Josh answered. "Who told you that"
"I have my sources"
"I did not vote for Jackie"
"Yes, you did. And quite frankly, I'm disappointed in you," Amy said.
"Okay." Josh leaned in closer and spoke in a whisper. "Seriously. Who told you"
Amy grinned and stepped back.
"You just did"
"Damnit!" Josh exclaimed. "You are the only person who can outfox me like that"
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm sure there are plenty of people who could outfox you." "Don't tell anyone"
"Hmm"
"Promise me, Amy"
"All right, all right." She rolled her eyes. "I won't tell anyone"
"Thank you"
"Though I do enjoy watching you grovel at my feet. So, why'd you vote for Jackie anyway? I'm pretty sure the President could lock you up for treason." "It's just this thing I have"
"Could you be a little more vague please?" Amy replied. "Ever since I was a kid, I had a thing for Jackie Kennedy. That's all"
"Oh. That is adorable! Little Joshua Lyman was in love with Jackie Kennedy. One of two reasons I wish I had known you as a child"
"What's the second reason?" Josh questioned. "So I could kick your girly little ass around the playground at recess"
Sam and Toby had spent the better part of the evening preparing a few brief remarks for the President and First Lady to make at the party, knowing full well that said remarks would most likely be rejected in favor of the impromptu speeches the Bartlets were so fond of making. When Andrea Wyatt showed up at the party, however, Toby became distracted from the remarks and proceeded to follow her around like a dog on a leash. Sam was left to type up the last few lines on his own. Once he had finished, he made his way toward the East Room, though he wasn't prepared to hit a road block.
"Hi"
Mallory O'Brien stood before him, blocking the entrance to the East Room.
"Hi." "I know some startling information about you, and I must say, I'm shocked," Mallory stated. "Strangely, that doesn't surprise me a bit"
"I have it on good authority that you voted for Jackie Kennedy"
Sam laughed.
"Amy put you up to that"
"Put me up to what?" Mallory asked, innocently. "The voting thing. She pulled that one on Josh earlier"
"And she got him too"
"Sucker," Sam said. "I figured I'd try and get you as well"
"Not me, kid. I'm true blue and loyal to the end." "So you did vote for Abbey," Mallory assumed.
"There was absolutely no contest." "Good answer"
"Any chance you're gonna let me into the party any time soon?" Sam asked. "Maybe if you ask nicely." By the time 10:30 rolled around, the party was still going full swing and showed no signs of stopping. After Elizabeth Bartlet presented a slide show of her mother's photo shoot (embarassing the First Lady to no end and revealing the President's jealous streak), Leo McGarry suggested that the First Couple make their remarks. He stood on the stage and finally silenced the crowd, following nearly five minutes of failed attempts to do so.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the President and First Lady of the United States." Leo joined the audience in their applause as Jed and Abbey ascended up onto the stage. Leo handed Jed the microphone, kissed Abbey on the cheek, and faded into the crowd. "Thank you, Leo. And thank you all for coming this evening. Abbey and I truly appreciate it. Sam Seaborn and Toby Zielger prepared some official remarks for us to recite to you all this evening, but I'm sure it will come as no shock to them that we're going to chose not to use them"
Sam laughed and nodded while Toby shrugged indifferently. "We're thrilled that you could be here with us tonight, to celebrate my wife's newest title- Sexiest First Lady of All-Time. Now, I'm still not sure how I feel about that, but I don't suppose it matters all that much at this point. As you can see by her stunning outfit this evening, she clearly deserves this honor without question. Though she feels this award is superficial and possibly even shallow, she will be the first to admit that she is delighted by it. I won't monopolize the microphone any longer"
The guests applauded wildly as the President handed the microphone to his wife.
"Thanks. I would like to reiterate what Jed just said. We're thrilled you're all here and we thank you for coming. If you had told me twenty years ago that I would be standing here, in the White House, celebrating this particular distinction, I'd have poured myself a scotch straight up. But now that I'm here, I am, as my husband said, delighted and very grateful. I've come a long way in the past few weeks. Posing for photo shoots and making a fool of myself on talk shows, which I'm sure you all remember. Now that this all over, hopefully we can focus on reelection and not my bra size. Thanks again for being here, and enjoy the rest of the party!"
"CJ"
"CJ"
CJ Cregg stood at her usual podium, presiding over the White House Press Corps as they raised their hands and shouted her name anxiously. "Chris." "CJ, word has it the White House received the results of the Time Magazine poll early. Is that true"
"Yes, it is," CJ replied.
"Can you tell us the results"
"Well, I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise"
An overwhelming response from the press followed, indicating that the surprise was not particularly important to them. "This information is not to be published until tomorrow, when the issue is out on newstands. The White House received an early copy of the issue late last night. The results are as follows: Jacqueline Kennedy, 32. Abigail Bartlet, 68. Thus, the White House is proud to declare Mrs. Bartlet the Sexiest First Lady of All-Time, according to the American people"
"CJ, how are the Bartlets reacting to this news"
"They would have been content no matter the results of the poll. That being said, the President and First Lady are thrilled. And they're both sore losers, so I think this is for the best. Mark"
"Will they be doing anything to commemorate this occasion"
"Yes," CJ answered. "They will be a bit of a soiree this evening in the East Room. And before you get all excited, there's to be no press at this event. Staff and friends of the Bartlets only."
Jed Bartlet sat in his bedroom doing his usual crossword puzzle as he waited for his wife to finish primping for the evening. He had been through this more times than he could count and thus, knew it was best to just sit quietly until she was through. Needless to say, of course, he himself had been ready for nearly an entire hour—and he'd been late, too. Abbey finally emerged from the bathroom, wearing a chic burgundy spaghetti strap cocktail dress which fell only to her knees. She had pulled most of her hair off her neck into a clip, with a few strands loose. She stood in the doorway and waited for her husband's undivided attention. He glanced up at her, his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, and within seconds, he had dropped the crossword puzzle and hopped to his feet, a grin plain on his face.
"See, this is why you won." "Like the dress?" Abbey asked, coyly.
"Love the dress." "Somehow that doesn't surprise me"
Jed moved closer to her, closing the gap between them.
"As often as I've been fortunate enough to see you in such flattering ensembles, you never cease to amaze me"
Abbey smiled gratefully, and even blushed a little, in response.
"Thank you," she said, leaning in to kiss him lightly. "Ready to go?" Jed asked, holding his hand out to her. She accepted it willingly and followed him out the door. "Can you believe we're about to celebrate the fact that I've just won Sexiest First Lady of All-Time?" Abbey questioned, as they made their way to the East Room. "I can"
"Twenty years ago, who'd have guessed? It's not like it's a huge honor I prize above all things, because it is, at its core, superficial"
"Right," Jed agreed, waiting for her to continue.
"But it is gratifying nonetheless. Of course, compared to your Nobel Prize"
"Let's leave my Nobel Prize out of this"
"Fine. My point is, is it wrong that I'm so thrilled about this?" Abbey asked.
"Winning? Please. No matter the game or contest, it's never wrong to be thrilled about winning. Especially when you're a Bartlet"
"I feel like this is an insult to the memory of Mrs. Onassis"
"Abbey, you know I have all the admiration in the whole for Jackie, but just because a person has died doesn't mean they deserve every award under the sun. It's not like she would be able to enjoy it anyway," Jed replied. "She was much more beloved than I am"
"What are you talking about? Your approval rating has surpassed mine every year I've been president. That's pretty extraordinary"
Abbey shrugged, thoroughly unimpressed.
"First Ladies, as a rule, surpass their husband's in approval. It's because we don't do enough to be hated"
"You do plenty," Jed said.
"Ah, plenty, yes. But not enough to be hated"
"Okay, where is this conversation going"
"I'm only stating a fact." "Sure you are"
Still hand-in-hand, they reached the East Room, which was bustling with people. For the first time in a long time, they were going to spend the evening mingling with people they actually knew and loved dearly. Friends and family had flown in from New England to celebrate with the President and First Lady on this joyous occasion. They were greeted with overwhelming applause, and even a few whistles, hoots, and hollers. Certainly not the reaction they would have received from a room full of congressmen, senators, and Cabinet members. They greeted everyone happily, and thanked them all for coming individually. For the next few hours, the party raged on and was undoutedly a complete success. "Josh"
Amy Gardner found her ex-boyfriend at the bar, of course, and cornered him.
"I take it there's something you'd like to say to me," Josh quiped. "I happen to know some startling information about you, Lyman, and I must say, I am shocked"
Josh rolled his eyes. She could be so dramatic sometimes.
"What'd I do this time"
"You voted for Jackie," Amy accused him.
"That's ridiculous," Josh answered. "Who told you that"
"I have my sources"
"I did not vote for Jackie"
"Yes, you did. And quite frankly, I'm disappointed in you," Amy said.
"Okay." Josh leaned in closer and spoke in a whisper. "Seriously. Who told you"
Amy grinned and stepped back.
"You just did"
"Damnit!" Josh exclaimed. "You are the only person who can outfox me like that"
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm sure there are plenty of people who could outfox you." "Don't tell anyone"
"Hmm"
"Promise me, Amy"
"All right, all right." She rolled her eyes. "I won't tell anyone"
"Thank you"
"Though I do enjoy watching you grovel at my feet. So, why'd you vote for Jackie anyway? I'm pretty sure the President could lock you up for treason." "It's just this thing I have"
"Could you be a little more vague please?" Amy replied. "Ever since I was a kid, I had a thing for Jackie Kennedy. That's all"
"Oh. That is adorable! Little Joshua Lyman was in love with Jackie Kennedy. One of two reasons I wish I had known you as a child"
"What's the second reason?" Josh questioned. "So I could kick your girly little ass around the playground at recess"
Sam and Toby had spent the better part of the evening preparing a few brief remarks for the President and First Lady to make at the party, knowing full well that said remarks would most likely be rejected in favor of the impromptu speeches the Bartlets were so fond of making. When Andrea Wyatt showed up at the party, however, Toby became distracted from the remarks and proceeded to follow her around like a dog on a leash. Sam was left to type up the last few lines on his own. Once he had finished, he made his way toward the East Room, though he wasn't prepared to hit a road block.
"Hi"
Mallory O'Brien stood before him, blocking the entrance to the East Room.
"Hi." "I know some startling information about you, and I must say, I'm shocked," Mallory stated. "Strangely, that doesn't surprise me a bit"
"I have it on good authority that you voted for Jackie Kennedy"
Sam laughed.
"Amy put you up to that"
"Put me up to what?" Mallory asked, innocently. "The voting thing. She pulled that one on Josh earlier"
"And she got him too"
"Sucker," Sam said. "I figured I'd try and get you as well"
"Not me, kid. I'm true blue and loyal to the end." "So you did vote for Abbey," Mallory assumed.
"There was absolutely no contest." "Good answer"
"Any chance you're gonna let me into the party any time soon?" Sam asked. "Maybe if you ask nicely." By the time 10:30 rolled around, the party was still going full swing and showed no signs of stopping. After Elizabeth Bartlet presented a slide show of her mother's photo shoot (embarassing the First Lady to no end and revealing the President's jealous streak), Leo McGarry suggested that the First Couple make their remarks. He stood on the stage and finally silenced the crowd, following nearly five minutes of failed attempts to do so.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the President and First Lady of the United States." Leo joined the audience in their applause as Jed and Abbey ascended up onto the stage. Leo handed Jed the microphone, kissed Abbey on the cheek, and faded into the crowd. "Thank you, Leo. And thank you all for coming this evening. Abbey and I truly appreciate it. Sam Seaborn and Toby Zielger prepared some official remarks for us to recite to you all this evening, but I'm sure it will come as no shock to them that we're going to chose not to use them"
Sam laughed and nodded while Toby shrugged indifferently. "We're thrilled that you could be here with us tonight, to celebrate my wife's newest title- Sexiest First Lady of All-Time. Now, I'm still not sure how I feel about that, but I don't suppose it matters all that much at this point. As you can see by her stunning outfit this evening, she clearly deserves this honor without question. Though she feels this award is superficial and possibly even shallow, she will be the first to admit that she is delighted by it. I won't monopolize the microphone any longer"
The guests applauded wildly as the President handed the microphone to his wife.
"Thanks. I would like to reiterate what Jed just said. We're thrilled you're all here and we thank you for coming. If you had told me twenty years ago that I would be standing here, in the White House, celebrating this particular distinction, I'd have poured myself a scotch straight up. But now that I'm here, I am, as my husband said, delighted and very grateful. I've come a long way in the past few weeks. Posing for photo shoots and making a fool of myself on talk shows, which I'm sure you all remember. Now that this all over, hopefully we can focus on reelection and not my bra size. Thanks again for being here, and enjoy the rest of the party!"