.
This is the third in the "Taking Care" series. This and other stories are located at my fanfic site: 'Boulevard of Misdirection'.
"Josh! When did you plan on telling me about this?" Donna huffed into
Josh's office, not caring he was on the phone. She put the call through, it
was Toby and he was used to Josh doing annoying things to her.
"Yeah Toby," Josh said into the receiver of the phone, "I think she just
found out." He added with a smirk.
Donna flopped down in the visitor's chair, crossing her arms over her chest.
It was after ten at night and only those who were dedicated or lacked a
social life remained in the building.
"Well will you still be able to make the 11 am flight from Boston if you
agree to see Senator Guinett... Okay, yeah... whatever it takes Toby. Yes,
see you when you get in."
"Now, Ms. Moss," Josh stated politely as he hung up the phone. "What can I
do for you?"
"Joshua, don't use that tone with me. When were you going to tell me? Were
you *going* to tell me? By *not* telling me does that mean that I don't get
to go? I could count on one hand the number of times I have seen my family
since we first came to office. That's barely a once a year average!"
"I always thought math was your strong point," Josh deadpanned.
"Josh!"
"Donna..."
"Do I get to go or not Josh?"
"Yes Donna, you get to go. But don't think of this trip to Madison as
vacation time. *You* will be working because *I* will be working. The
President has been invited to present the key-note speech at a graduation
ceremony at your old university, and we will be attending along with meeting
some members of congress whilst we are there."
"Will I at least get a chance to see my family? I could always pencil them
in to meet me for coffee if we get a half hour break," Donna said
sarcastically with a pout.
"Okay... enough of the theatrics Donna, you will have time to see them, I
promise," Josh replied, leaning back in his chair.
"Really?"
"Really. So, how about we get some work done?"
"It's already after ten on a Friday night, Josh... how about we not?" sighed
Donna.
"Is Sam still here?" Josh asked as he tried to kick his feet up on the
corner of his desk. Unfortunately he missed the edge and in the process
unbalanced and ended up on the floor.
"Are you alright?" Donna asked as she jumped to her feet, trying not to
laugh at her boss sprawled on the floor.
"I think I might have broken something," he muttered.
"What?"
"My ego," he replied, scrambling to his feet.
"Oh no!" Donna laughed loudly. "Not that! Anything but that!"
"It's not funny," Josh replied, standing and rubbing his elbow.
"It's a lot funny Josh," she choked.
"Really it isn't. Anyway, Sam... is he still here?"
"No Josh, he left a couple of hours ago," she replied, dropping herself back
into the visitor's chair.
"Damn, well I'll just have to get him to look at these tomorrow," he
shrugged, sitting down in his own chair. Reaching over to the computer he
started shutting down the various windows open.
"I don't think you will be, Sam's gone for the weekend," she replied,
leaning forward and stacking file folders she could reach.
"Gone where for the weekend?" he asked. Stopping and looking at her.
"Um... Topeka."
"Why the hell has he gone to Kansas for the weekend? I don't remember him
having any meetings there... and I don't remember Kansas being on the agenda
at the moment."
"He's gone there because it's half way between here and California," she
nodded.
"And why is it important that Kansas is half way... ohhh... Joey?"
"I believe so. Instead of one of them flying all the way across the
country, they're both going half way," she smiled. "Isn't that sweet?"
"Sweet? They've only been dating a month or so. Can you really call it
dating? How many actual 'dates' have they been on?" Josh asked as he once
again turned back to shutting down his computer.
"Actual dates? Well, three, I think. But they email each other all the
time and I think it might get serious Josh. I mean they've both gone to
Kansas to spend the weekend together."
"God! What the hell is there for them to do in Topeka?"
"Oh well I'm sure they will find *lots* to do," Donna grinned mischievously.
Josh looked at her intently. "What do you know that I don't?"
"Me? Noth-ink I know noth-ink!"
"Don't come the Sergeant Schultz impersonation with me Donnatella Moss.
You're barely old enough to remember the show in the first place."
"Well I watched the reruns when I was a kid," she replied with a smirk.
"And I don't *technically* know anything. I just know that Sam and I worked
on a whole new range of sign language. Some words I had to check up on
because they were ones I'd never had to say or know. And I found they were
best spelt out anyway."
"Does he forget she lip reads?" he asked.
"No, but he wants to make the effort. I think it's very..."
"Sweet?" Josh queried with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes. He's taking this very seriously," she nodded, ignoring his
insinuations.
"And these words were?" questioned Josh, not really sure whether he really
wanted to know.
"I think that question breaches teacher student confidentiality," she smiled
as she stood. "And besides, just because I taught him a whole bundle of new
words, doesn't mean he's going to get the opportunity to use them."
"We're talking about Sam here. He's the only speech writer I know how could
read some bizarre fact and manage to incorporate it into a speech."
"True... well in that case, it's going to be a big weekend for them," smiled
Donna, still refusing to give anything away as she headed back to her desk.
"You're coming in tomorrow?" Josh quizzed as he met Donna at her desk.
She scoffed, "You're going to be here aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Well then it stands to reason that I will be too. If I'm not, I just end
up spending my time on the phone with you anyway," she replied.
"Don't come in until late then. I needed to talk to Sam, and he's not here.
I need to talk to Toby about his meeting on the energy initiatives he
discussed with the senator in Boston, but he won't be in until late. So,
I'd like to do some work with you on the minimum wage bill," he offered, as
he guided her down the hallway.
"I feel important when you put it like that Josh," she smiled.
Josh stopped walking, "What?"
Donna turned back and looked at him, waiting for him to catch up. "When you
say you want to work with me on something. It makes me feel like I'm doing
something important, Josh. I like that."
"My God Donna, everything you do here is important," he replied catching up
to her. "Don't ever doubt your importance to the administration, okay?"
"Okay," she smiled brightly. "You giving me a lift home?"
"How did you get to work this morning Donna?"
"You picked me up."
"So?"
"So, you'll give me a lift home?"
"Of course."
"So what time can I come in tomorrow?" she quizzed as they headed for the
car.
"Eleven okay?"
"Eleven is great," she replied, but then narrowed her eyes, "what time do I
have to phone you in the morning to wake you up?"
"Six."
"Six!"
"Hey that's late for me," Josh defended as he pressed the remote to unlock
the car doors.
"So despite the fact I don't have to be in until eleven, I still have to
phone you at six to make sure you get up and go to work?" she complained.
"Yes."
"You're a champion amongst bosses Josh," she sassed.
"I deserve a medal."
"Take me home Josh."
"Ohhh...now there's an offer a guy doesn't get very..."
"Shut up Josh!" she laughed.
"Shutting up," he grinned.
~*~
"Sam? Got a minute?" Josh asked casually as they left the senior staff
meeting on Monday morning.
"Sure, your office?"
"My office," he replied as they walked silently down the hall.
Donna was sitting at her desk, reading through a report, highlighter pen in
hand as he walked passed.
"Donna, is that the information from the BLS?" he pointed at the report in
front of her.
"Yes," she replied
"Good. Can you hold my calls for five?" he asked as he headed for his
office.
"Sure," she called, grinning at Sam as he walked by.
"So, you and Joey are getting serious?" questioned Josh as Sam barely made
it over the threshold.
Sam closed the door behind him and rested back on it. A smile dancing
across his face. "She's just... I can't believe it's taken me so long to
really notice her."
Josh leant back on the edge of the desk, his arms crossed over his chest
with a knowing look on his face. "So what the hell is in Topeka other than
a shit load of tires and a mental hospital?"
"The hospital isn't there anymore - apparently."
"And my question still stands... what the hell..."
"Not much."
"So what did you do in Topeka?" Josh quizzed.
"We did things."
"I bet you did Sam."
"No, not like... well... um, yeah anyway... we visited galleries and
museums - although that took all of an hour or so. You know, for a state
capital it's, I think Kansas City might be better next time. But we walked
and talked..."
"Talked?"
"Yeah well you know... I've learnt so much sign from Donna and Joey says
that my clear enunciation of the English language makes it very easy to
lip-read," Sam stated proudly.
"But Kansas?"
"Well I think Kansas may become one of my favorite states, just not Topeka.
Do you know what their state motto is?"
"Oh god... you learned historic factoids while you were there too? You and
Donna with your trivia, it's scary."
"Ad Astra Per Aspera"
"And now you're channeling the President!"
"It means "To the stars through difficulty." I like that, I think... I
think it fits whatever is happening between Joey and myself."
Josh looked at Sam thoughtfully, "Yeah, perhaps you're right."
Sam gave Josh one of his 'see I am a good boy' smiles. "I'm going to find
Toby and work on the President's speech for Madison."
"It will be a good speech won't it Sam." Josh stated more than asked.
"It will be brilliant!" replied Sam with a new enthusiasm as he left the
office.
~*~*~
"Josh, I'm sending you to an optometrist," complained Donna.
"Don't need one," he replied, lifting himself back from where his head was
almost resting on the desk whilst trying to read through a file. He pushed
his sleeve back and peered at his watch. "What I need at... nearly 10
o'clock on a Monday night is about a decade worth of sleep."
"It's closer to ten-thirty and I think you could use sleep *and* glasses,"
she argued.
"What I need, is to be doing something important rather than reading through
all of this!" he complained, giving the file in front of him a shove.
Donna walked around to his side of the desk and read the file title. "This
is what Leo came in and gave you an hour ago?"
"Yes."
"And you don't think appointing someone suitable to the NCPC is important?"
she questioned.
"Donna," he whined. "I'm the Deputy Chief of Staff. Currently on my agenda
is the Minimum wage bill, the NPS proposal in Hawaii, I'm working on the
National transportation strategy with Toby and Sam, the upcoming FEC
appointment and now I get a... a *Cheese* day assignment!"
"The National Capital Planning Commission are vital to the infrastructure of
this city," argued Donna. "Do you realize that we spend between seven
hundred million and one billion dollars each year to maintain the buildings,
monuments, creating and improving roadways. There are proposals that need
to be monitored and reviewed to ensure that services aren't duplicated or
wasted. We need them Josh, and we need the people on the Committee to have
the best interest of everyone as their top priority."
"Fine, the job's all yours, Donna."
"Ha, ha. Come on, how many do you have to chose from?" she asked.
"You want to help me with this?" he questioned, rubbing his eyes.
"I'm your assistant, I think it might actually fall within my job
description. Unlike so many other things I do around here. So, how many?"
she replied.
"Three. Here, this is the criteria for a Presidential appointment," Josh
replied, handing over some paperwork.
"So, why does the President need to appoint someone new?" she asked as she
read through the requirements.
"One of the commissioners has taken a fairly lucrative position in
somewhere... or died. I can't remember which. A requirement you will see,
is of the three Presidential appointee's on the commission, one has to
reside in Maryland and the other in Virginia," Josh replied, leaning back in
his chair.
"And which one is going or gone as the case may be?" she asked without
looking up from the criteria listing.
"The Maryland one," he replied.
"So the three to choose from, live in Maryland?" she asked, handing back the
paper.
"Well... two actually live there, the other one has property there," Josh
replied.
"That sounds a little dicey Josh," she commented.
"Um, yeah... it does," he said picking up a folder and putting it aside.
"So, then there were two."
"And they are?" Donna continued.
"Lillian Watson and Domenic Hawking," he replied, looking at the headings on
the files.
"And what do we know about them?" she asked, leaning back and kicking her
feet up on the edge of the desk.
"You're comfortable?" Josh mused.
"Not really, but this is close enough for the office I guess," she replied.
"So... Watson and Hawking. Tell me what you know."
"Nothing."
"What do you mean nothing? What have you been doing since Leo brought this
in?" she complained.
"I know a bit about the guy we've just put aside, so you know... both these
nominations have obvious merit to get this far. How hard can it be?" Josh
asked.
"It needs to be done properly Josh. Look it's late, how about I break these
reports down to bullet points tonight, and we go over them in the morning?"
Donna suggested, kicking her feet back onto the floor.
"We could always put their names in a hat?" shrugged Josh.
"Well we don't want it to end up like James Cox at the San Francisco
convention, and pick the wrong one," glared Donna.
"James Cox? The Democratic nomination for President was Mondale and I'm
sure Ferraro was the successful nomination for Vice President. What was
James Cox nominated for in San Francisco? President of the tramways?"
"I'm not talking about 1984, I'm talking about the *previous* convention in
San Francisco, Josh."
"Oh, okay... and that was when?" he asked racking his brain for the answer.
"1920."
"Oh yeah, sure... remember it well Donna," he sassed. "And okay, James Cox
was our nominee for President? He obviously didn't win election or I would
know his name, yes?"
"Yes Josh you would have. And more importantly if he'd won, do you know who
our VP would have been?"
"Ah, as much as I love the party, there are just too many wonderful things I
didn't catch in my 'How to be the Best Democrat there is 101' class. And
you know I feel so excited that these are things you can now teach me."
"Well if you're going to be like that Josh then..."
"Just tell me Donna!"
"Franklin D. Roosevelt."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"We nominated him Vice for this James Cox guy?"
"Yes."
"You know we might have taken that election and then and saved the country
from Coolidge and Hoover."
"Actually Coolidge didn't beat Cox, Harding did but died in office."
"Oh yeah... He was the one people thought was poisoned. So, how many did
Cox get beaten by? Do you know *that*, Ms. Fountain of knowledge?"
"I'm not sure, but I think it was a lot."
"As many as Roosevelt whipped Hoover's butt by?"
"Ohh no... Not that quite that many... Roosevelt really gave Hoover a
whopping didn't he?" Donna grinned.
"Yes he did. So the moral of this story is we need to make sure whatever
the job, we have the right guy out front, right?"
"Guy, woman... whatever. I mean Roosevelt stuck around, lucky for us...
but..."
"Yeah, let's not think about the but."
"So do you still think this is a waste of time?" she questioned, as she
straightened the files in his in-tray before flicking off the desk lamp.
"I never said it was a waste of time," he countered. "I've just got a lot on
my plate at the moment."
"You inferred Josh."
"Okay so I might have inferred... but it's not a waste of time."
"Okay... oh and another thing... do you know it's probably Harding's fault
that the President does that damn radio broadcast," she added giving him a
gentle shove toward the door.
"How so?" he asked, tossing his backpack over his shoulder as they headed
for the door.
"His was the very first presidential radio address."
"Donna you are just a gold mine of information."
"Thank you."
"Well I didn't mean it as a..."
"Joshua..."
"Yeah, let's go."
~*~*~*~
"Josh, you've got a meeting at two with Sam and Senator Shields again on
transportation," informed Donna, standing in the doorway.
"Hopefully this will be the last time we need to talk to him. I don't know
how many more times we can go over the same ground," Josh replied with a
sigh.
"I'm planning a dinner Thursday night - you interested in coming?" Donna
asked casually, as she leant on the doorframe.
"Ah... what you *really* mean is you need me to say yes so you can leave
early, correct?" Josh replied looking across from his computer screen.
"Pretty much," she agreed.
"And let me guess, you've already invited Sam, CJ and Toby... so if I say no
I will have listen to them complain?"
"Right again, Miss Marple," Donna joked.
"So, in conclusion, you are standing in my doorway, telling me you're
leaving early Thursday?"
"Um, yes?"
"Okay then... I'll be there," he replied, turning back to the computer.
"Don't forget the meeting Josh," she called.
"When is it..."
"Five minutes Josh," she called back.
Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 |
| << back |
| The National Library |