Like A Bad Penny

by: Evelyn

Donna stood in the doorway and took a deep breath. She’d been in this office countless times in the last four years, but it had never been “her” office. It had belonged to a wonderful woman named Delores Landingham. Donna’s eyes started to fill as she thought about the kind, sharp-witted, intelligent woman who had first served as an assistant to Governor Jed Bartlet and then moved with him when he came to Washington. Their friendship had spanned more than 30 years and with her death, the President had chosen to leave the position open rather than try to find someone to fill Mrs. Landingham’s shoes. Donna was honored and more than a little overwhelmed that the President had selected her for the position. With a fierce look of determination, Donna walked over to the desk, sat down, and then smiled. There, sitting in the middle of the desk, was a mug full of steaming coffee with a post-it note attached.

“Congratulations on your new job. My turn to bring you coffee,” and it was signed Abbey Bartlet.

Donna took a long sip and turned on her computer. She was just bringing up the President’s calendar when the door opened and in walked Charlie, carrying two paper cups from the Mess. He grinned and said, “I see somebody beat me to it.” He placed one of the cups on Donna’s desk, before walking over to his own.

“Thanks so much. I’ll save it for later,” Donna laughed. “Even reheated it’s so much better than the stuff out in the bullpen.”

Donna and Charlie spent the next half hour reviewing the President’s appointments for the day, pulling the files he would need, and talking about office procedures. The plan, for the next two weeks, was to have Donna work a half-day in the President’s office, and then return to her old desk in the bullpen as she first found and then trained her replacement for her old job as Deputy Deputy Chief of Staff. She had explained to Josh, as she lay curled up in his arms in bed, she was hoping that Deborah, the moderator of LemonLyman.com would be available, muu-muu and all. That had earned her a swat on the arm, followed swiftly by another round of love-making.

Just then the door opened and Sam came striding in with a mug of coffee in one hand. “Donna,” he said with a broad grin, “Here.”

Sam foisted the mug into her hands. “To celebrate your new job.” After she put the mug down on her desk, Sam pulled Donna in for a hug and said, “And Congratulations on your engagement. You know how happy I am for the two of you.” Then lowering his voice to a whisper, Sam said, “It gives us all reason to believe in happy endings.” Donna hugged Sam tightly before stepping back.

“You’re here for an 8:00 meeting with the President, CJ, and Toby?” she asked.

“Yes, they’ll be along in a minute,” he answered, just as the door opened and CJ rushed into the room, with a mug full of hot, dark liquid. “Donna,” she said thrusting the cup upon her. “I’m so happy that you’re back, in this job, and most important of all, engaged to the biggest idiot and luckiest guy on earth,” she finished with a grin.

Donna took the proffered drink and smiled broadly. “He may be an idiot, but he’s my idiot,” she replied saucily.

CJ looked down at the various cups on Donna’s desk and started to snicker, which turned into outright laughter when Toby walked in with a grande Hazelnut Latte from Starbucks which he offered to Donna with a small smile, while murmuring “Mazel Tov.” Donna took the cup from the bearded Communications Director and gave him a big hug.

The three walked into the Oval Office and Donna sat down at her desk, carefully moving the cups of coffee to the edge. She was going over the file on welfare reform when Josh came hustling into the office. He stopped short and looked miffed as he surveyed the array of drinks on his fiancee’s desk.

“I brought you something for your first day,” Josh said tentatively, with the look of a small boy holding a handful of daisies for his first-grade girlfriend. But instead of flowers, he held a mug with ‘Josh’ written on the side. Donna had bought it for him as a Chanukah gift the first year they were in the White House. “I wanted to somehow be with you while you worked,” he said shyly.

Donna grinned and felt her eyes fill with tears once again. She took his hand and squeezed it, wanting to hug him but remembering that they had promised to keep things strictly professional in the office. “I love you,” she whispered.

Getting herself under control, she looked at him sternly and said, “Now get out of here. You’ve got a country to run.”

Josh smiled and simply said, “No.”

Donna warned, “Josh. We agreed that you couldn’t hang around my desk. We’ve both got work to do.”

Josh smiled more broadly and again said, “No, I can’t leave.”

“Can’t or won’t, Josh,” Donna argued.

“Can’t, Donna. I need five minutes with the President as soon as CJ, Toby, and Sam are done,” he explained.

“I don’t think so, Joshua. You’re not on the appointments list for the morning. There are rules about the President’s time,” Donna said with a smile.

“Don’t tell me we’re starting with ‘rules’, Donnatella,” Josh said, feigning horror.

“Definitely, especially where you’re concerned,” Donna countered.

Just then the door opened and the three communications staff members walked out, followed by the President.

“Josh. You need to see me? Come on in,” he said waving him into the office.

Josh walked in behind the President, but turned his head quickly and stuck out his tongue at his fiancee’s astonished face. “Excuse me, Sir, but let me give you fair warning about the ‘rules’,” were the last words she heard before the door closed.

Chapters - 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Sequel - A Few Bumps in the Road

| << back | send feedback | The National Library |