CHAPTER 9
~Donna's POV~ –
The sunlight breaking through the blinds pulls me from my peaceful slumber. I don't remember the last time I've slept so well. I move to stretch, but quickly realize I am locked in the embrace of a lovely warm, hard body. Memories of the previous night's activities come rushing back and I smile as I open my eyes to see Joshua Lyman's sleeping face mere inches from my own. He looks younger as he sleeps. The lines around his eyes fade and he appears as serene as I feel. I glance over his shoulder to the clock on the bedside table, realizing we need to get moving if we're going to meet Sam on time. Well, if we're going to have any fun before we need to get moving to meet Sam on time. And after last night, let's just say my appetite is peaked.
I decide to be a little naughty. I slide my hand between our bodies and take Josh's morning erection in my hand, stroking him to full attention. Did I mention how beautiful his cock is? And I mean, despite never going to the gym, Josh has an amazingly toned body. And last night, my suspicions were confirmed. Joshua Lyman is VERY well endowed. Be jealous ladies. He's all mine!
His even breathing quickens as he wakes from peaceful slumber. Hearing his sigh of pleasure and feeling the evidence of what I do to him in my hand arouses me beyond belief.
"Mmm, if you're going to be waking me up like this every day, I just may have to keep you," he says through a lazy smile.
I giggle at his playfulness, my hand continuing to stroke him under the sheet. "Well, I do believe I once told you that you may find me valuable."
"Mmm, for so, so many reasons," he says before leaning in and kissing me, morning breath be damned! Things heat up fast and I feel the rush of wetness between my legs. Years of waiting and now my body is apparently making up for lost time... I need Josh Lyman and I need him now! I pull him above me and spread my legs to accommodate him.
"Donna?" Josh asks, confused by my haste.
"We have to hurry. We need to meet Sam still, remember?"
"Right... So..."
"Joshua, we can do slow later. Right now, I need you hard and fast. Think you can handle that?" He smirks down at me and snakes his hand between us, running his fingers between my thighs as if to confirm my readiness. I can't stop the resulting moan from escaping my lips.
"Who am I to argue with such a pretty lady?" He's still stroking me and my hand is still on his cock. God, I need him so bad. He moves to enter me, but a thought occurs to me suddenly. "Josh, wait!"
"What? What did I do?" he asks as he freezes, the tip of his penis an inch from my opening. I reach up to caress his face and reassure him. I see the fear leave his eyes, but confusion remains. I turn over beneath him and pull myself up on to my hands and knees.
"Like this. I want you to fuck me like this," I say, wiggling my backside against him.
"Fuck you? Donna?" he squeaks out.
"Josh, last night was amazing. With you, it's always going to be amazing. I also have a feeling no matter how we do this, as long as I'm with you it's always going to be 'making love'... but sometimes, it's also going to be fucking. Right now is one of those times." I rub myself against his engorged dick, needing to feel him so badly.
"Ah-kay." He finally gets on board with what I'm aiming for here and quickly pulls himself up behind me, taking his dick in hand, guiding himself inside me. I'm wet beyond belief so he slides in easily. We both sigh in relief before he drops his hands to my hips and pulls me further against him. Then he pulls out almost completely and slams back in. I squeak out a whimper of approval as he repeats his movements, crashing back home. His dick fills me so completely; I love the feeling of him moving inside me. He reaches places I never thought possible. In this position, I can't see him so I concentrate on the feeling of his long, hard cock slamming in to me over and over. I start to push back against his thrusts, encouraging him and increasing my own pleasure. "Ah yeah, baby. That's it Josh, fuck me harder baby. Harder. Faster. Oh god, you feel so good."
He grabs my hips and pulls me harder against him, and doing just as I ask he starts fucking me with abandon. The room is silent except for my cries of pleasure, Josh's moans of bliss, and the sounds of our bodies slapping and sliding together. "Oh god Donna. I'm already close baby."
I can feel my orgasm building low in my abdomen. Josh feels so good slamming in to me. I look back over my shoulder, seeing Josh in a state of near ecstasy. His arms and abdominal muscles are contracted, making them even more defined. He has a thin sheen of sweat coating his body, making it glisten in the morning light. And his head is thrown back, eyes squeezed shut, and mouth open as he gasps for breath with his exertion. The image drives me to the edge. God, this man is so sexy. "Josh, I'm gonna come baby. I'm so close." I can feel my body tightening as Josh's rhythm becomes sporadic and he slams hard in to me. I know he's about to come and I want to come with him, so I reach my hand down and rub my clit in time with his thrusts.
"Yes... yes... yes... fuck me, Josh. Fuck me harder baby."
"Donna, ahhhh, fuck..." Just as I feel Josh's hot cum coat my inner walls, I fall over the edge right with him. I cry out his name and convulse almost violently as he drives in to me one last time. He leans over me, pulling my back up against his chest, still buried in me. He reaches around, cupping my breasts before pulling me in to a hug and peppering kisses down the side of my face and neck as our breaths return to normal. I turn my head toward him and pull his mouth to mine, conveying my love for him with our kiss. Our kiss breaks and he rests his forehead against my shoulder. I can feel him drawing deep breaths against my back. My hands wind through his hair, stroking him back to earth. I squeeze my internal muscles around his softening cock once more before pulling away and letting him slip out of me. He whimpers and bites down lightly on the top of my shoulder.
"You're amazing, Joshua," I sigh. He giggles and the vibrations echo through his body and mine.
"You're pretty stellar yourself there, Donnatella," he replies. I turn around in his arms, looking deep in to his eyes. "I love you," I tell him.
"And I, you," he replies through lidded eyes. I place one last kiss to his lips before jumping off the bed.
"Alright, funs over for now. Time to get ready. We gotta leave within the hour to be on time to meet Sam," I say as I gather my clothes off the floor to put back in the other room, which I hope won't be getting much use in the next few days.
Josh has collapsed in the middle of the bed, naked and looking adorable, and just for a second, I wish we didn't have to go meet Sam. I do miss my friend, but staying in bed with Josh all day sounds pretty great right about now.
"Ah-kay. I'd suggest we share a shower to save time, but I have a feeling we'd never leave. So you go first and I'll try to, you know, find the strength to move. You've worn me out, my little minx," he says through a self-satisfied smirk.
"Hey, we make it to meet Sam on time, and I promise you'll be handsomely rewarded when we get back tonight," I promise.
"Really?! Then I shall ensure my lady makes her appointment on time," he replies with a horrible English accent.
"Josh, let's skip the accents please. Feel free to use the sex voice whenever you'd like though. Well, not at work, but any other time is fine."
"Sex voice?"
"Yeah, the moaning and groaning my name thing. I kinda like that."
"Oh yeah?" he asks with a smirk.
"Definitely. Gets me hot." I wink at him as I leave him on the bed, looking both frustrated and delighted. I head to hurry and shower, yelling to Josh for his turn once I'm done and getting dressed. We manage to only make out once more in the bathroom before we leave (Hey, he was wearing only a towel... what was I to do?). He gets dressed and I get our bag with towels and our swimsuits together.
Once we're finally ready to leave the hotel, Josh and I head out front. I am expecting to see a black SUV and our driver. Instead, I only see a dark green convertible. I look around confused. The driver must be late. I look over to Josh to ask if he gave the driver the right time and notice Josh, smiling from ear to ear, staring at the sports car with the look of a young boy who just opened the toy he always wanted for Christmas.
"Ooh, ooh, oooohhh," he says as he starts jogging over to the car. I look down at my watch. If we don't leave soon, we'll be late meeting Sam.
"Joshua!" No reply. He's too busy walking around the car, eyeing it wantonly. If it weren't just a car, I might even be jealous. I walk over to stand beside him and wave my hand in front of his eyes. "Earth to Josh. What time did you tell our driver to meet us? If we don't leave soon, Sam is going to be left waiting."
"I didn't call the driver," he replies. Just perfect. The one thing he had to do this morning other than put on his clothes.
"Josh! What the hell? Sam was nice enough to invite us out on his boat for the day and now we're going to be rude right away by being late?" I ask, starting to get very annoyed.
"Oh, don't worry Donna, we won't be late. In fact, we just may be early," he says before turning to admire the car again.
"And how is that going to happen? Even if we call for a driver now, he won't get here for at least 15 minutes."
"Because we're not getting a driver. We're driving this beauty," he tells me with a flourish.
"Wait… what?" Now I'm confused.
"Donna, this is a classic 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. I called my new buddy, Chad, while you were in the shower and he hooked us UP! This little beauty is our transportation for the rest of the weekend. Zero to 60 in 5.6 seconds. We'll get there in plenty of time," he says with a wink and megawatt smile plastered on his face. "Come on, better get going. Wouldn't want to keep Sam waiting," he says, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek and opening the passenger door for me.
"Why can't I drive?" I ask. I admit… it is a nice car. Might be fun to take it for a spin.
"Do you know how to drive stick?"
I raise my eyebrow and shoot him a knowing smirk. "I don't know… you tell me."
I swear he blushes slightly and lets out a deep breath. "Donna, keep talking like that and Sam can take his boat out alone today," he warns. I giggle in response, "Josh, I grew up in Wisconsin. I used to drive my father's pickup truck all the time. Of course I know how to drive standard, thank you very much."
"Okay, how about I drive today, you can drive tomorrow?"
I can tell he's eager to drive this thing. He's practically jumping out of his skin in anticipation. "Fine. I suppose after all you did for me last night, I can wait until tomorrow for my turn." He jumps up and down twice before pulling me in to a hug.
"Yes! I knew you'd see it my way. Okay, let's go then," he says, running over to the driver's side. I toss our bag in the backseat and slide in to the car.
Josh starts up the car and revs the engine a few times. "Oh yeah, baby! Feel that power. All American muscle," he declares. I just roll my eyes.
"Alright Steve McQueen, enough."
"Better buckle up, Donna. My foot is feeling mighty heavy this morning."
"Just get us there in one piece please. I don't think we'll be able to properly fulfill my shower fantasy if one or both of us are in casts."
"Point taken. Wouldn't want to spoil our fun later. I'll keep it just above the speed limit," he says with an evil grin, putting the car in first and pulling out on to the street. Once we hit the freeway, Josh accelerates quickly, showing off the cars power. "Come on Donna, you have to admit, this thing is pretty fun."
I stick my hand out the side of the car and let the wind flow through my fingers. "Yeah, okay, it may be a slightly more interesting ride than the black Suburban," I relinquish. He smiles and reaches his free hand over to take mine, pulling it to his lips before threading our fingers together. He'll have to let go as soon as we get off the highway so he can shift, but I am enjoying our connection while it lasts.
"Oh, Donna. So I kind of wanna mess with Sam a bit before we tell him about the recent upgrade to our relationship."
"Upgrade?"
"Yeah, I'd call it an update, wouldn't you?"
"I guess I never really thought about it in those terms..." I trail off, thinking about what he means. It better not be just the sex.
"Well, we went from being coworkers and best friends, laboriously hiding our feelings from each other, to coworkers, best friends, and 'everything'… I don't know about you, but the 'everything' part is a nice upgrade in my opinion?"
I squeeze his hand and smile at him, silently communicating my agreement as he glances at me for a second before turning back to the road. "So what did you have in mind to torture our good friend, Sam?" Yes, he's nice enough to bring us out on his boat, but he'd think we were ill if we didn't give him some sort of a hard time.
"I'm thinking of just pretending things are the way they were a few days ago. Before… all this. I may have suggested I was getting my head out of my ass finally. If he thinks I'm still dragging my feet, it could be fun to see him get steamed."
"So no touching? No intense eye contact? For the whole day?" I'm not sure I like this idea. I just started being able to touch him. I don't know if I can keep away now.
"Not all day, just long enough to get a rise out of him, then we can come clean and do all the touching we please."
"Well, not all the touching… not in mixed company at least," I tease.
"We'll just have to send him to his room so I can ravage you on the sundeck."
"Joshua! We are not going to send Sam to the bowels of his boat so you can get some boat nookie!" I'm pretty sure when tact was being distributed to the masses; Josh was too impatient to wait in line for his dose.
"Fine. But I don't know how I'm going to be able to stay away all day, Donna. Honestly. We just finally got to go there and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to stay away anymore." Funny how in synch we truly are… I was thinking the same thing.
"You're going to have to settle for this," I say raising our joined hands between us, "until we get back to the hotel later."
"You are going to be the death of me, Donnatella."
"I will if you try anything on the boat. Control yourself, loverboy."
"I'll do my best. That's all I can promise," he says with a smirk. I just raise an eyebrow. He's a pain in the ass, but he's my pain in the ass.
I look up and notice the sign for our exit, pointing it out to Josh. He downshifts and navigates us over to the exit lane. A few minutes later, we park in the marina lot and Josh gets out of the car. I wait for him to come over and open my door for me, but he just starts walking toward the dock. "Joshua!" I shout as I get out of the car and grab our bag.
He turns around and I hold my hands out in question. "Game on, Donna. Gotta keep up the charade for Operation Psycho Sam."
I catch up to him and smack him on the back of the head. "Ow! Hey, what was that for?"
"Keeping up appearances, Josh. And Operation Psycho Sam?"
"That's what he'll be once he thinks I've put on the brakes. He seemed pretty relieved we were finally going to be together when I talked to him the other night. He was like a teenage girl with the questions."
"Ahh, that's sweet. Now I don't know if I want to mess with him," I whine.
"Come on… the payoff will be worth it. What's better than seeing Sam get all worked up to the point where his oratory skills become that of a seven year old?"
"Alriggghhhht," I agree. It is fun to see the normally eloquent Sam Seaborn reduced to sentence fragments and sputtering.
"So we keep up the façade that nothing has happened, then what?" I ask.
"Then, once we have him rev'd up, I'll grab you, pull you tight, and kiss you so passionately, you may have to rethink that whole 'no boat nookie' thing."
"In your dreams, babe," I roll my eyes, but he just might have my number here.
"You don't even know the half of it," he fires back with a smoky look in his eye. Yeah, practicing restraint today is going to be tougher than I thought.
"Josh! Donna! Hey, over here!" I hear Sam's voice yelling from somewhere ahead. I look toward the voice, spotting Sam at the dock waving excitedly. I wave back to let him know we see him before pulling my sunglasses over my eyes and mumbling, "Okay, game on." Josh nods discretely and lowers his sunglasses as well. It'll be easier for us to deceive Sam if he can't see our eyes. And it'll be easier to resist each other if we can't see the heat lying just under the surface as well.
Sam jogs up to us with a full smile, pulling us each in to a hug. "I'm so glad you guys are here! Come on, let's get on the boat and we can catch up. Don't want to waste daylight," he says before turning and waving us down the dock. He looks good. Sam has always been an attractive guy, but the Californian sun has given him a nice tan and lightened his hair a little. He's dressed casually in navy shorts and a pale yellow polo shirt with boat shoes. He looks… relaxed. That's not a term normally used to describe someone working on a presidential campaign or at the White House. And I think this is probably the first time I've seen Sam this rested. A part of me wonders what a few months away from the hustle and bustle of the West Wing would do for Josh and my complexions.
We walk up to a large, white boat with blue striping. Actually, I think it would more accurately be described as a small yacht. There's a lounging area at the stern with two bench seats, almost like two couches facing each other. In front of that is the captain's chair and navigation area. At the bow, there's a small table with built in booth chairs surrounding it. It's not huge, but it's not a tiny fishing boat either.
"This is it! There's a small galley, restroom, and cabin below the deck. Cooler is stocked with beers. I grabbed stuff for sandwiches if we get hungry. Otherwise, it's just us and the ocean," Sam informs us, leading us from the dock to the deck of his boat.
"What's next?" Josh says. "We go out on the water, Joshua. What did you think was next?" I reply. Dumb-dumb.
"No, Donnatella," he mocks, pointing toward the starboard side of the boat. "It says 'What's next?'. As in, Sam named his boat 'What's next?' And you call me the dense one." That little jibe better be part of the act or he's going to pay later.
"Wow, Sam. Miss us much?" I joke.
"It seemed like a fitting name. 'What's Next?' Represents the past but looks to the future." Leave it to Sam to come up with a double meaning for his boat's name.
"Ah-kay, Ahab, let's see what this bad boy's got. Bet it can't beat the hotrod I have in the parking lot," Josh challenges. I shake my head and make my way over to the seating area at the stern. I take out the sunscreen and a bottle of water and settle in while Josh brags to Sam about the rental car and Sam volleys back with the engine power of the 'What's Next?' Boys and their toys. And their egos.
Sam fires up the boat and I begin applying sunscreen to my exposed arms. I went with white shorts, a loose, navy blue, sleeveless top, and my leather flip flops. I have a light cardigan in our bag in case the air cools as we get out on the water, but I'm hoping it stays warm enough that I can get a bit tanner. God knows when I'll see any time in the sun again once this weekend is over. I notice Josh looking over at me hungrily as Sam explains the navigational features of 'What's Next?' He's not doing a very good job of fooling anyone at the moment. If Sam ends his monologue on the latest GPS system anytime soon, our cover will be all but blown. I take a quick glance at Sam to ensure he's not paying attention to our silent communication before spinning my finger in the air to indicate Josh needs to snap out of it and turn around. His face scrunches up in confusion and he looks down. Thinking we're in the clear and the rouse can continue, I proceed to spray down my legs, making sure to coat them evenly, before heading over to interrupt the boys and make sure they protect themselves from imminent melanoma.
"Sam, sunscreen?" I offer.
"I'm all set, thanks. I lathered up before I left. Waterproof SPF 30. Can never be too careful. The sun reflecting back off the water intensifies the UV rays. Josh, you better make sure you put some on too." I smile at Sam's little skincare lesson and offer the bottle to Josh. He takes the proffered spray and begins to coat his arms one at a time. He's dressed similarly to Sam, only Josh is wearing khaki shorts, a white polo shirt, and his cross trainers. I brought his Mets cap in case he wants if for later, but I kind of liking the windblown look so I'm hoping he won't be asking for it.
Sam is watching Josh intently as he continues to spray and rub the sunscreen in to his legs like he did to my entire body yesterday. Noticing Sam's furrowed brow, Josh stops what's he's doing. "What Sam? Never seen a guy put on sunblock before?"
"Not like that, no," Sam replies. I'm holding in my laughter. I'm about to be found out.
"What do you mean 'not like that'?" Josh fires back.
"Well, you're applying spray sunscreen."
"Yeah, so?"
"Josh, you don't need to rub that kind in. It's not a cream like the stuff that comes in a plastic bottle. You just spray it on evenly and you're done. That's the whole point. It's easier," Sam states matter of factly.
Josh bites his bottom lip and slowly turns his head in my direction, eyeing me pointedly. "Oh, really?" he asks through gritted teeth.
"Yeah, buddy. I know it's been a while since you've gotten away, but come on man," Sam replies.
"I guess I got some bad intel on how this stuff works then." I can't help it. I burst out laughing. Tears are streaming down my face. Josh is still staring at me with mock annoyance and Sam is looking at me like I've gone mad.
"Donna, it's pretty funny, but I don't know if Josh's stupidity when it comes to UV protection is quite that hilarious," Sam chides, shaking his head. "Did you inhale some of the fumes from the can or something?"
"No… sorry… can't explain… tell you… later," I choke out between fits of laughter.
Josh shakes his head in defeat and turns away from my mania. Hey, this whole Operation Psycho Sam thing was his idea. He wants to keep it up; he'll have to get me back for the sunscreen thing later.
At this point we've cruised a pretty good distance from the shore. We decide to let the boat drift for a while and have a beer. Yeah, it's still fairly early, but we don't have any responsibilities today, so I say a little day drinking is allowed. Sam hands us each a beer and we move to the bow of the boat. I take the seat closest to Josh and have to pull away slightly after I realize I'm sitting with my leg against his. I don't think Sam noticed under the cover of the table, so I inch away slowly. I swear I hear a sigh escape Josh's lips as I increase the distance between us. Like I said, this is his game.
We clink our bottles together and each take a long pull. Sam initiates the conversation. "So, how have you guys been? How's everyone back in D.C. doing?"
Josh and I proceed to fill Sam in on the latest and greatest from the White House, none of it all that exciting. We're all pretty busy so there's little time for anyone to have much of a social life. Most of the conversation is filling Sam in on the details around the policy initiatives we've been working on that he won't hear on CNN. He seems satisfied with our update and then we get the first opportunity to mess with him.
"That's great. I'm glad everyone is doing okay. I how about you two? Other than the fact that you still finish each other's sentences, you neglected to provide any further updates," Sam asks, looking like a kid about to be given his birthday present. I look to Josh to answer. I want to see how he's going to handle this.
"Not much to report. Same old, same old. Donna still won't bring me coffee and still insists on trying to control me," he starts, smiling evilly at me.
"And Josh is still an insufferable slob who would never make a meeting on time if I didn't keep his ass in line," I finish, pursing my mouth at him.
Sam looks first to me, then to Josh, his smile fading. "So… nothing new to report? I mean, between you two?"
"Like what?" I ask him dumbly. He glares at Josh, almost in anger.
"Oh, I don't know. Just… you know… wondering if there were any big revelations or anything," Sam seethes. Okay, Josh said Sam seemed invested. But I guess I didn't realize just how much.
"Nope. Nada," Josh says half-hazardly, studying his beer bottle. Sam is seeing red now. I'm going to take this opportunity to leave Josh to deal with this mess of his own creation. "Ugh, anyway, sun's warmed up nicely. I think I'm going to go change in to my swimsuit. Maybe we can take a little swim before lunch? Don't want to swim on a full stomach of course," I say as I stand to go get changed.
"Sure, Donna. Water's a bit cold still but fine for a short swim. You can change below deck. Help yourself to whatever," Sam suggests, still glaring at Josh. And by the semi-frightened look on Josh's face, I'd say he might just be regretting Operation Psycho Sam.
"Okay, thanks," I say, grabbing our bag from the back of the boat and heading downstairs to change. The galley, restroom, and sleeping quarters of the 'What's Next?' are small but the space is used well. I don't know if I'd really be able to sleep in here, though. Small spaces make me feel claustrophobic sometimes. I quickly change in to a yellow bikini and pull my hair up in to a ponytail before folding my clothes and laying them on the small bed to change back in to later. I grab my towel and head back upstairs, leaving Josh's suit and towel laid out for him to change in to.
As I climb the ladder back up top, I can overhear Josh and Sam. I probably shouldn't be eavesdropping, but I figure they know I'm on the boat so it's not really eavesdropping. Plus, I want to hear Sam chew Josh a new one for the little joke. If he takes the brunt of the abuse, I won't have to later.
"Josh! What the fuck, man?!" Sam says.
"What do you mean?"
"I thought you said you'd figured out what's been right in front of you."
"Maybe I have. Maybe I just haven't done anything about it yet," Josh whisper-yells back.
"You're dumber than I thought, my friend. I mean, come on! The vibes between you two that were there before I left are still very obvious. And what better opportunity? You finally get away from D.C. for a few days with Donna and you can't get your shit together enough to finally act on what every single other person who knows both of you figured out a hell of a long time ago? Do you actually even care? After everything you two have been through? How the hell can you put it off any longer? The rest of us can't wait and we aren't even in this… this… whatever the hell this thing is between you two!" Wow, Sam is really laying in to him!
"Sam, Sam, calm down. Shit! Of course I care. I've never cared more about anything in my life than I do about Donna… and that includes my job. What do you want from me?" I mean more to him than his job? How is that even possible? His job is his life.
"I want you to grow some goddamn balls and stop wasting time. She doesn't deserve this limbo bullshit. It's not fair to her. You're only hurting her if you keep stringing her along. You keep waiting around for the perfect time and she may not be there when you finally are ready," Sam warns.
"Don't worry Sam. I have a plan. I already called Mom. She's ready to send me the rings as soon as I say go. And I don't plan on waiting around long to make that happen… if Donna is onboard with that of course," Josh says with conviction. Wait. What rings? He didn't mention anything about rings. Could he mean those kinds of rings? No. Not possible. We've only been seeing each other on a romantic level for a few days. He couldn't mean that.
"Sam, I know what I can live without. I can live without glory. I can live without notoriety. I can even live without working at the White House. I CANNOT… absolutely CANNOT live without Donna." That seems to shut Sam up temporarily. And stops me in my assent again too. I hear Sam clear his throat.
"Good. I'm glad you know that. Now do something about it, okay?"
"Yeah, okay…" I can't stand here and listen in anymore. Josh has told me some of what he told Sam, but the whole caring more about me than his job and rings thing… that's very new. And a tad confusing. But also, not at all unwelcome. Hell, if those rings he's talking about are the same ones I'm thinking (but refuse to put a name to in fear of tempting the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing), I think he'd find I would be very much onboard. Because what I haven't told Josh explicitly yet, but still know deep down… I can't live without him either.
~Josh's POV~
Wow, that conversation with Sam was a little more heated than I was anticipating. He must have good money in the pool. Yes, I know there's a pool. I'm not completely blind. Just as I've finally calmed him down and we've gone back to drinking our beers, Donna emerges from below the deck looking far too tempting in a yellow bikini. This is trouble. Good thing I found out the truth about the sunscreen not needing to be rubbed in because if she were to ask me… cover blown. And if Sam tried to jump in on that task, they just might be fishing him out of the ocean.
"Hey boys, what were you two boneheads talking about while I was gone?" Donna asks as she slides back in to her seat.
"The weather!" "Healthcare reform!" Sam and I both say simultaneously. Neither Sam nor I ever did have a good poker face. I look down, knowing we're caught in a lie and she nudges her shoulder against mine.
"Really? Huh… well let's drop both those boring topics and get in the water, shall we?" I look up at her and she gives me a quick wink that I don't think Sam noticed. I think she knows what the conversation was about and is continuing to play along with our game. She'd be right about the topic of conversation… but I may have let a few details fly that we haven't discussed fully yet.
"Josh, I left your suit downstairs if you want to go change. And by that I mean, get your ass downstairs so we can enjoy the water! Sam, you brought a suit right?"
"Yeah, it's downstairs too," he replies.
"Okay fellas, last one in makes lunch… so go!" I take a split second to figure out that means making the sandwiches later and there's no way I'm doing that. I leave my empty beer bottle on the table and scramble toward the ladder leading below deck. Sam arrives first but I shove him out of the way and climb down.
"Hey, not fair!" Sam yells in protest as he hurries behind me, almost stepping on my hands.
"Too bad sailor boy. I'm NOT making lunch," I tease back. I'm glad the tension that hung between us seems to have steamed out. I'm in unfamiliar territory below deck so it takes me a second to acquaint myself before I see the open door leading to a tiny room with a tiny bed. Donna's clothes are folded neatly beside my new swim trunks and a towel. I hear Sam land with a guff and run toward the waiting shorts, tearing my shirt off in the process. I haven't been this quick to get dressed since… well, last night. I hurry up and change my shorts, kicking my sneakers against the wall before I grab the towel and rush back up the ladder. Sam steps out of the bathroom just as I start climbing.
"Yes! Take that Seaborn. Still too slow," I taunt.
"Shit! Wait… Donna said 'last one in'. You'll never get in that water before me. You're too much of a pansy boy," Sam challenges.
"Pansy boy?! Look who's talking buddy!" I shout as I emerge back on the deck. I spot Donna sitting on the stern of the boat, feet already in the water. Upon seeing me, she quickly slides the rest of her body in to the water. Hell, if Sam's name calling and the threat of making lunch weren't enough incentive, the knowledge of seeing Donna in a clingy, wet, quite possibly semi-shear bikini does the trick. I toss my towel next to Donna's and run toward the water, cannon-balling in.
Holy shit! That water's cold. I thought the Pacific was supposed to be warmer. Fuck! I surface quickly, using my hand to clear the water from my eyes. I notice Sam laughing from the deck, still not in the water. Donna is wiping at the water I splashed up in to her face upon impact.
"Joshua! What the hell? Did you have to splash me?" she demands.
"Hey, you set the race in motion. These are the consequences," I shoot back. Sam's laughing has slowed. "Now who's the pansy boy, buddy?" I yell up at him.
"Yeah, yeah. At least I'm not freezing yet," he says as he tosses his towel aside and eases in to the water beside Donna. I start making my way back over toward them.
"Oh, and by the way, I like my sandwich with the crust cut off. Double meat too."
"You're getting bread and butter my friend. Deal with it," Sam replies in jest.
"Okay you two, enough. It's like I'm with 12 year old children for god's sake," Donna interjects.
"Come on Donna, I think we're a bit more advanced than 12 year old's. Maybe 13, 14?" I tease back.
"I'd shut up Lyman. You got my hair all wet."
"We're in the ocean, Donna. What? Did you think this was going to be like taking a bath?"
"No, I just was planning on easing my way in to it. Getting used to the water."
I stealthily reach my arms toward her below the surface of the water, grab her ankle, and tug her under with me. She quickly surfaces, sputtering and gasping.
"That's it. You're a dead man!" she calls before diving after me and dunking my head. I surface and grab her wrists before spinning her around and pulling her back against me.
"Not so fast missy!" She squirms in my arms, freeing one hand enough to reach behind her and pinch my ass. Hard. I release her, rubbing the injured spot. "Ouch! Hey, come on, that was dirty!" She lunges back at me, attempting to shove my head under water again when I catch her at the waist, pulling her quickly against me. Our eyes meet and our laughter fades. She's flush against my chest and I can't help but notice what the cold water is doing to her anatomy. I pull her closer with my free arm, needing more of her but also needing to keep us afloat. We drift over toward the boat and I grab on to keep us above water. She's still smiling and I'm sure I'm wearing a similar goofy grin, our eye contact only intensifying. Finally, I can't take it anymore. I lean in capture her mouth with mine, tangling our legs together below the surface. The kiss deepens and she wraps her arms around my neck, both pulling me closer and using me as a floatation device. I grind my hips against her and swallow her moan. I open my eyes and catch sight of Sam looking very happy and very confused, floating a few feet behind Donna.
Breaking the kiss, I laugh and hide my face in Donna's shoulder. I can feel her tense, probably wondering what the hell made me stop. "I think our cover is officially blown," I whisper in her ear. She must have forgotten about Sam's presence too. Her hand comes up to smack against her forehead and she starts laughing as well. We slowly untangle ourselves and turn toward Sam who is wearing an inquisitive smile.
"So, what's all this guys?" he asks waving his hand between us.
I look over to Donna, pulling her against my side and suddenly glad that the water is masking any signs of just how turned on I am right now. She wraps her arm around my back and I hold us up against the boat.
"Well Sam, you know that little talk we had earlier? When I said maybe I just hadn't done anything about it yet… I never said I absolutely hadn't done anything about it yet," I tell him with a smile. I turn to look at Donna and she back at me before leaning in and giving her a quick, much more PG kiss to seal my meaning for our friend. Donna laughs in to my mouth and turns back to Sam. Who's own mouth is now, appropriately, doing an excellent imitation of a fish.
"What's the matter, Sam? Did you swallow some sea water?" Donna teases.
"I just… I mean we just… What the hell guys?! Why didn't you say something when I first saw you?" Sam asks.
Donna simply shrugs her shoulders and tells him we wanted to mess with him a bit first. Sam fiends hurt, holding his hand to his chest a moment before breaking out in a grin and wrapping us both in a bear hug which also happens to dislodge my grip on the boat.
"Finally! I mean, what the hell took you so long?! I'm so happy for you guys, I really am…" Sam gushes as we start sinking below the water.
"Ugh Sam," I say, trying to pull out of the hug. "Sam, we appreciate it, but if you don't let go, we're all going to drown out here."
"Huh?" he says before I see the light bulb turn on over his head. "Oh, right. Sorry," he says before quickly detaching himself. I grab a hold of the side of the boat and Donna again, making sure my love doesn't drown and leave me with this doofus.
Sam is still grinning from ear to ear. "When did this happen? Tell me everything."
Donna turns to me in silent question and I nod my assent to go ahead and tell the story.
"Do you mind if we get out and dry off first, Sam? I'm starting to shiver," Donna suggests. I instinctively pull her close, trying to share my body heat with her and also starting to notice the deep chill.
"Of course. Come on up." Sam leads us to the ladder built in to the side of the boat and climbs up on to the deck. I have Donna follow him up and am rewarded for my chivalry with a great view of her ass as she makes her way on to the boat. Thankfully cold water is doing its job. Otherwise Sam might be getting a bit of a show. I climb up and Donna hands me my towel. We all dry off and decide to lie out in the stern's lounge area. Donna and I snuggle in to one seat while Sam grabs us each a fresh beer and wastes no time prodding about the new developments.
"Okay, spill," he demands.
Donna proceeds to fill him in on most of the details. The looks back at the office that were becoming unbearable, the kiss on the beach outside Gladstone's, and our time at the beach yesterday (here she fills him in on the little spray-on sunblock game that led to my earlier confusion). She tells him about the dinner I had Chad help me set up and gushes over how sweet it all was. I just smile with pride and can't stop admiring the joy I see on her face as she recounts our journey to Sam. To know that I helped to give her that joy makes my heart swell and love her even more. I notice she leaves out the private confessions we made to each other and I am relieved she's done so. Those are special moments we will hopefully share forever with only each other. As she tells Sam about the dance we shared, I lean over and kiss her shoulder.
"…and then he had a song picked out for us to dance to so we danced under the stars for a while," she tells him. I notice she hesitates, not wanting to share the rest of the night's details.
"And so now we're together," I interject. "So you can cash in on whatever pool you have going with C.J., Toby, and Margaret," I say to steer the subject away from our post dancing activities last night. Sam doesn't need to know those details.
"I'll have to double check, but I think the President may have taken the cake on this one."
"What?" I ask turning quickly to Sam. I know my voice went high just then.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure the rest of us had you holding out until the end of the administration. I guess the President was the only one who thought you just might have the balls to act, Josh," Sam fills in.
I think on that for a minute and decide I'm not sure if I should be happy that the President had that kind of faith in me or worried that he didn't think I could hold myself together long enough to wait. I decide not to worry about it right now. I plan on sitting down with both he and Leo once we get back to town anyway. We agreed not to hide anything. I intend to make good on that agreement immediately.
I can feel Donna tensing up. I'm sure my silence at Sam's revelation that the President suspected there was something deeper between us is not helping to make her feel at ease. I relax and pull her closer. "Huh. Well that should put him in a good mood at least," I assure Donna.
Her uneasy gaze slowly turns back in to a smile as grin and I try to silently communicate not to worry. She always could read me well.
"Well, I meant what I said. I'm really happy for you guys. Donna, I've got to say you're a brave woman for taking a chance on this lug," Sam says pointing to me. "But you guys are the real thing. I've never met two people more in synch and more right for each other. You give me hope that I might find that someday."
"He's not easy," Donna teases, nudging me in the ribs. "But I love him and wouldn't want him any other way," she says, looking me straight in the eye. I lean in and kiss her.
"I love you, too. So much…" I reply, leaning my forehead against hers.
"Okay… Um, how about some lunch? I'll go make our sandwiches," Sam says uncomfortably, but honestly, I couldn't break away from Donna's gaze right now if I wanted too. And I really, really don't want to. "Yeah, sure. Thanks," I tell him half-hazardly as he gets up and heads below deck.
"I do you know. Love you," I reiterate.
"You better. Wouldn't want to be the only one," she teases before leaning in to kiss me again.
~Sam's POV~
I'm as happy as a little lamb. I'm actually whistling while I make us turkey sandwiches in the galley. After that little moment they were having, I figured it time I high tail it out of there and give them a few minutes to themselves. Making lunch was the perfect excuse.
I really am happy for Josh and Donna. I was ready to push him overboard and hit the gas when I was yelling at him about their situation earlier. Donna is great. She really is quite perfect actually. She doesn't deserve to be dicked around. Whatever made Josh wake up, I don't care, I'm just happy to see them both so happy.
And also maybe a bit jealous. The looks they were trading up there right before I came down here… Those were the faces of true joy. I don't know if I've ever felt that. Certainly not with Lori. I'm generally a happy person, but the level of euphoria that I believe you can only achieve through finding your true soul mate has escaped me.
They have found it with each other. I just hope Josh doesn't do anything to screw it up. I will kill him. The tension between those two drove me nuts before I left the White House and I know for a fact I was not the only one. As much as this may become a press nightmare, I know a big part of C.J. will be ecstatic. She's a hopeless romantic at heart. The President too. Toby won't care as long as it doesn't cause him any issues, which it shouldn't. Leo… Leo might be a bit difficult. He loves Josh like a son, but his loyalty to the President and protecting the office is a wildcard. This undoubtedly will cause some level of controversy. The Deputy Chief of Staff of the White House can't start sleeping with his assistant without someone sounding off about it. And I know neither Josh nor Donna is dumb enough to not realize that. Maybe I should test the waters. Suggest they at least talk about the possible repercussions. Not because I want them to forget about their newfound relationship, but because I would hate for the fallout of it to cause a rift between them. They have been through enough turmoil in their lives. They deserve the happiness they've found in one another.
Okay, sandwiches made. I need to grab the chips and we're set. Crap. How am I going to carry all this above deck? Just as I'm looking around for some sort of sandwich transportation device, Donna comes down the ladder.
"Hey, Sam. Thanks for making lunch. Figured you might need some help bringing it up."
See? Perfect. The woman thinks of everything. I smile, relieved. "Yes, please. I was just trying to figure that part out actually." While I have her alone for a second, perhaps I should bring up my concerns with her. She's the more levelheaded one of the duo. Josh can be a little… reactive would be a nice way to put it.
"Hey, Donna, before we go back up… I just wanted to reiterate how happy I am for you. Josh really doesn't deserve you and know that while he is my best friend, if he does anything to hurt you, I know a guy." I figure I'll start this little conversation on a lighter note.
"Thank you, Sam. And you don't know 'a guy'. Who are we kidding?"
"Right. Well, either way, congrats," I say as I pull her in to a friendly hug. As I step back and turn to pick up a full paper plate, I cringe inwardly at my next statement. "Donna, have you guys discussed how you're going to handle everything back in D.C.? I'm just asking as a concerned friend is all," I get out quickly. I chance a look at her face. She doesn't seem to pissed or taken aback. That's a good sign, right?
"Sam, relax." She must read the trepidation on my face. Never did have a good poker face. "Yes, we decided we're going to talk with Leo and the President as soon as we get back. We don't want to cheapen our relationship by making it some illicit, secret affair. I know we're going to have some backlash to deal with, but for the first time in my life, I really don't care what anyone else has to say or thinks about us. I watched Josh almost die. And I didn't have the guts to tell him I loved him. I can't do it anymore. I can't hide how I feel about him. And I don't want to. We're stronger together and I think we'll be able to fight for each other just fine. And as luck would have it, Josh feels the same way."
I beam at her. See, she has it all figured out. I knew she would. They know there's likely a bumpy road ahead of them but they finally trust in each other enough to know that their happiness is worth it. And that they can count on each other to get through whatever they are inevitably going to face. I'm secretly both jealous of what they have and inspired that maybe I too have a chance to find the Donna to my Josh.
"I know I'm not close by anymore, but if there's anything I can ever do for you guys, you better call me. All I ask in return is to be a nominee for Godfather of your first born," I tell her. A wave of shock crosses her face but quickly fades. I'm going to guess, judging by that reaction, that she and Josh haven't had the kid talk yet. But I have no doubts. Donna will be a natural mother and Josh… well he had a great father and behind that crass, egomaniacal exterior is a loyal and true heart. She may not see their future clearly yet, but those rings Josh was referring to are forever. And I doubt very highly that Josh's Mother will hand them over without the promise of grandchildren.
Donna leans up and gives me a kiss on the cheek. Don't worry, it's not like that. Donna is like the little sister I never had. Our relationship is nothing but platonic.
"Alright, should we go have some lunch before Josh starts getting curious and decides to try and drive the boat?" she suggests.
"Sure thing. Here, you grab your plate and the chips and I'll carry Josh and my plates. Drinks are deckside."
We climb up on to the deck and meet Josh at the table at the bow of the boat. I place his plate in front of him. "Double meat, crust NOT cut off. Deal with it," I tell him.
"Thanks Chef Boyardee. At least you got part of the order right."
"Bite me, Josh," I reply through a mouth of food.
"What took you guys so long? I shouldn't be worried should I?" Josh asks. Donna smacks him in the back of his head, causing him to choke a bit on the chips he just shoved in his mouth. I laugh. Suits him right!
"I'll have you know, we were just talking about how I get to be an official nominee for Godfather of your first born." Hey, they messed with me. I get to mess with them. Might even do some good and get them to talk about it later. I only partially regret my jab when I see Donna's smile turn in to a concerned frown. She's nervous about Josh's reaction here. Come on buddy. You can do this. Don't be an ass. Don't be an ass.
Josh looks mildly surprised for a moment but to my shock and awe, recovers quickly with a grin. "If I'm ever lucky enough to have Donna be the Mother of my children, you can be on the short list. But mind you, the vetting process will be a rigorous one. It'll make Justice Mendoza's confirmation look like a walk in the park."
Donna visibly relaxes just before Josh turns to give her a wide smile, pulling her close and kissing her forehead gently. It's so sweet I would vomit if all my energy weren't being directed toward keeping from weeping like a teenage girl. She puts her sandwich down and wraps her arms around his torso, laying her head on his shoulder. They've always had this weird mind meld, unspoken communication, Klingon thing. I think I might have just witnessed them agreeing that they'd both be open to having a family together somewhere down the line. See, my plan worked. Better than I thought actually. They didn't even need to debate the topic.
"I think I can handle whatever bullshit requirements you throw my way. Do not underestimate the great Samuel Norman Seaborn," I declare with a waved finger.
"Ah-kay, Sam. We'll see."
We all continue eating in comfortable silence, letting the sounds of the waves washing against the side of the boat be the soundtrack to our meal. Once we're done, I pick up our trash and suggest we cruise around for a while before it starts to get dark and we have to head back to the marina.
We spend the rest of the afternoon riding around the bay. I teach both Josh and Donna how to drive the boat. Josh barely pays attention but Donna is the ever-astute student. They each take a turn driving after our lesson. Donna is cautious but does hit the gas a little harder to jump a wave. Josh is more reckless, turning the boat in quick circles and throwing us around the deck. Donna is quick to pull him away from the wheel. She looks like she is turning a little green with the motions. Josh stubbornly relinquishes control back to me and I straighten us out and set a leisurely course back toward the marina.
I grab us each one more beer and turn on the stereo to 100.3 The Sound… my favorite classic rock station. The opening chords to Billy Joel's "Piano Man" waft over the boat.
"I love this song!" Donna exclaims.
"Really? A Billy Joel fan huh? I don't think I knew that. I do love his music though," Josh replies.
"And I would have thought there wasn't anything you two didn't know about each other," I tease.
"I know all the important stuff and most of the unimportant stuff. A little mystery never hurts," Josh replies, draping his free arm over Donna's shoulder.
Donna starts singing along to the first verse quietly, swaying her and Josh side to side. Soon I hear Josh start to sing along too. By the end of the first chorus, we're all belting out "… Cause we're all in the mood for a melody, and you've got us feeling alright. Nah, nah, nah, nahnah nah nah, nah nah, nahnah naaahhh, nah naaahhhhhh". I put down my beer and wrap my free arm around Josh's neck, swaying along with the new couple. We sing along until the final harmonica notes drift away. I look over at them and we all burst out laughing hysterically.
"Oh man, that was fun. Thank you, Mr. Joel!" I proclaim.
"Agreed," Josh says before raising his bottle in the air between us. "To good times with the ones we love," he toasts. Donna and I raise our bottles to his and clink before finishing off the remainder of the warming brew. I really miss these guys. I'm going to hate to see them leave.