Like A Bad Penny

by: Evelyn

After finishing his conversation with Carolyn, Josh hung up the phone and stared into space, postponing what he knew he had to do. Instead, he walked out to Donna’s desk where she was still struggling to make her mother’s plane reservations.

“All set?” Josh asked.

“Not yet,” Donna said. “I’m trying to cover this with frequent flyer miles, otherwise the fare is outrageous, but I used up most of my miles last week...”she stopped not wanting to finish the sentence.

“Use my credit card,” Josh said, fishing it from his wallet and handing it to her. She smiled at him and then went back to surfing airline websites trying to get a reservation for the morning.

Josh hung around Donna’s desk for a few more minutes, rubbing her shoulders, running his hands through her hair, but finally took a deep breath and said, “I have to make some calls,” and returned to his office.

Flipping through his rolodex, he found the number he needed, hesitated, then dialed. The conversation was brief, but served its purpose. He looked up another number, looked at his watch, considered the hour, and then dialed. This conversation was longer, friendlier, but left Josh frustrated and furious with himself. If he hadn’t felt like the biggest jerk on earth already, it had now been confirmed for him in spades.

He was sitting there lost in his thoughts when Donna came back into his office.

“Mom gets in at 10 tomorrow morning, but said she’ll take a cab here. If it’s ok, she’s going to come to your office because I’ll be working the reception the President is hosting for the new White House interns,” Donna explained, her voice trailing off as she recognized that dark, brooding look on Josh’s face.

“Josh?”

“What? Sorry. What time does your mother get in?” he asked.

“10, she’s going to come to your office,” Donna began tentatively.

“Sure, you have that thing with the interns, right?”

“Let’s go,” Donna said, grabbing Josh’s hand and pulling him to the door.

“I’ll drive you home, then go back to my place. I have...I have some stuff I have to go over,” Josh said hesitantly.

The ride to Donna’s apartment was quiet. Josh was withdrawn, lost in his thoughts. He walked Donna up to her apartment. They’d barely gotten in the door, when he pulled her close for a kiss and held her without saying a word. Then he stepped back and said, “I’d better get going.”

“Don’t,” Donna said simply.

“I have to go over some papers for tomorrow,” Josh began.

“Don’t go. I need you tonight,” Donna insisted. “Just stay with me until I fall asleep. I can’t sleep without you,” she said shyly, echoing his words.

Josh smiled, the first bright sign he’d shown in the last few hours. They walked back into her bedroom. Donna went into the bathroom, slipped out of her clothes and donned a thin cotton nightgown. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she came back into her bedroom. Josh had shrugged off his suit jacket and taken off his shoes, but otherwise remained clothed. He was laying on Donna’s bed, still lost in that dark, forbidding forest of his mind. She crawled in next to him, and turned off the lamp, but the moonlight streaming through her window gently lit the room.

He wrapped his arms around Donna and she snuggled closer to him, her head resting on his chest. He softly stroked her arm, but didn’t say a word.

“I love you Joshua,” she murmured, her hand caressing his cheek. “I’m not going anywhere.”

There was silence, and finally, in a voice so soft that Donna was barely able to hear it, he said, “Maybe you should.”

“Not a chance,” Donna said firmly, pulling him tighter.

Josh shifted around and looked deeply into Donna’s eyes, searching for any signs of doubt. All he saw was unconditional love. He kissed her hungrily and she responded with an equal amount of passion. There was a desperate quality to Josh’s lovemaking, as if with every kiss, every touch, he found confirmation that what he had with Donna wasn’t going to disappear. He tried to tell her with his body and with his whispered words of love how much she meant to him.

At last, exhausted and content, Donna fell asleep in Josh’s arms. He stared at her, transfixed by her beauty, his fingers playing with her hair. He fought the urge to drift off to that same peaceful, dream-filled world that Donna was enjoying. Reluctantly, he eased himself out of bed and dressed. Before leaving the bedroom, he leaned down and kissed her gently. He had an early appointment with someone he’d thought he’d never face again, but for Donna, he was willing to confront the devil himself.

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

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