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Disclaimer, Rating, Summary on Introduction/Chapter 1 Changes Chapter 4
It was after 6 o'clock and Donna was heading back to her desk after delivering a memo for Josh. Her head was buried in Josh's schedule book, already ticking off his activities for tomorrow. She was therefore unprepared to find Josh sitting in her chair with her coat slung over his lap. She stopped short. "Josh?" Josh popped up from her chair. "I was wondering how long it was going to take you to walk there and back. I'm starved. Thanks to back-to- back meetings this afternoon, I didn't get to eat lunch and thought maybe you'd like to get something?" Donna placed his schedule book on her desk, while studying Josh. "To eat? Together?" "Yes, Donna. We have been known to eat together you know." "Yeah, but usually in the White House out of cartons at your desk." "Well, I've decided I want a nice meal, served to me with utensils. I thought maybe this would be a treat for you too." Donna stared at Josh. Though her face appeared empty, her head was spinning with the expectation of actually having a sit-down meal with Josh. Was he asking her on a date or was it just a friendly dinner between co-workers? Josh, seeing no reaction on her face began to put her coat back on her chair. Maybe he was wrong in thinking there was something between them. "But if you'd rather not..." he said, resigning himself to dinner without her. "No Josh," said Donna, reaching for the coat he placed on the chair. A look of diappointment crossed Josh's face. "No, you won't have dinner with me?" Donna met his eyes with a wide smile. "No. I mean yes. I'd like to have dinner with you," she smiled, then frowned, "but I've already made plans." Josh's stomach and face dropped. "Oh." "Josh," she said, disappointment rippling through her. "Oh sure, the one night in months that I actually have something to do, you decide to ask me to dinner." "Well, I know what a pathetic social life you have, Donnatella," he teased back, although not feeling very much like teasing. "You're not funny, Josh," said Donna, putting on her coat. Josh was assisting her with her coat, when she said, "I'm just having dinner with Byron." Josh's hands stilled at her shoulders. Glad she was facing away from him, Josh felt a jealous flush creep up his face. "Oh." "Josh?" Donna turned around to face him. "What?" he asked, watching her reach down to grab her bag and shut down her computer. Straightening back up, Donna met Josh's eyes. Seeing a flicker of disappointment and hurt in his eyes before he blinked them away, she decided to lighten the mood, which was decidedly uncomfortable. "First you bring me coffee. Then you ask me out to dinner. Shouldn't you get home so the pod people can give you your brain back?" Josh faked insult, while placing a gentle hand at Donna's back to steer her towards the exit. "Are you still on that? Why can't I be nice to you just because? Must there be extraterrestrial intervention?" Donna laughed. "When you bring me coffee and ask me out to dinner on the same day, then, yes, I'm going to have to say that there is extraterrestrial intervention." "Well, the pod people haven't requested me home at a specific time." Donna met Josh's eye and said, "Be sure they give you back the right brain," as she ducked out of the door that he held open for her. "I was kind of hoping for Frank Sinatra's so that I could be more suave," intoned Josh, looking playfully thoughtful as they rode the elevator down to the parking garage. "Or maybe Babe Ruth's becuase I completely lack sports skills. Or maybe..." Donna stopped him. Although things weren't uncomfortable between them anymore, she felt the need to make up for not accepting his dinner invitation. "Or maybe you could ask them to leave the brain in that you already have," she said while ducking her head and blushing, heading out of the elevator. "I kind of like it when you bring me coffee and ask me out for decent meals." Josh followed her out of the elevator. "I'll see what I can do," he answered quietly, studying her face out of the corner of his eye. In the darkened parking garage it was hard to see her face, but he distinctly sawa blush on her cheeks. When she raised her eyes to meet him, Josh could have sworn that his heart stopped. Knowing that he didn't want to make a move on her in a dinghy parking garage, he said, "But these pod people are tough negotiators. I might not get my way." Donna laughed, fiddling with her keys. "You're a tough negotiator too, Josh. I'm sure you'll find a way." She started walking towards her car. "See you tomorrow?" "Bright and early," he answered, watching to be sure she got into her car safely before heading to his own.
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