Author: Stacy
E-mail address: gilbsr_12@hotmail.com
Title: Already in Love
Character: Sam and Ainsley
Category: Romance, General
Pairing: Sam/Ainsley
Rating: YTEEN
Summary: Sam and Ainsley are already in love. What’s next?
Author's Notes: Please read and review! Criticism is allowed. I wrote this story because all the Sam and Ainsley stories I was reading were all about them dating and then nothing. Here is what I think a Sam and Ainsley wedding would be like. These characters and The West Wing belongs to Aaron Sorkin and Warner Bros.  I'm not gaining any profit from these stories.

Chapter 1: Getting Ready

Sam was nervous.  Not just butterflies in the stomach nervous, but giant butterflies in the stomach nervous.  Today would be the day he proposed to Ainsley Hayes.  And it wasn't just any day, but it was Ainsley's 30th birthday and their 15-month anniversary.  Lots of pressure was on Sam, and he was feeling it. This would be the second time in his life he had ever proposed to a girl and this time, he knew he would make it to the alter.

CJ was busy putting red and white rose petals on the floor and roses in vases while Donna was arranging candles over the Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue. Toby and Josh, who declined the flower job because it wasn't manly, were hanging white Christmas lights around Ainsley's office.  Sam kept running his proposal speech in his head while he just stood in the corner. He was in such deep thought that he didn't hear Josh yelling at him.

"Sam! You are in the way!" Sam just stood in the corning mumbling to himself. Josh tried again. "Sam! Buddy!"

"Huh?" came the only reply.

It was Toby's turn to get into the conversation. "You’re in the way. Can you take a few steps to your right?" Sam just heard, "few steps to right," and did exactly what he was told to do.

"We're done," replied Donna.  "Anything else, Mr. Romantic?" said Donna in sexy voice.

"Can you ladies pick up a cake for me at the grocery store and have it here by 8:00? And Mr. Romantic? This isn’t that romantic, is it?”

"Only the real romantic men put flowers, candles and Christmas lights up when they are going to propose," said CJ with a smile.  "And yes I can pick up the cake."

"Why can't I pick up the cake?" asked Josh who had just finished hanging lights.

Donna answered this question for him. "You'll eat it."

"No I won't."

"Yes you will," said Toby matter-of-factly. "If there isn't anything else you need me to do, I'm going back to my office."

"I think I'm done for now. Does everyone know the schedule?" asked Sam.

"Yes," came the reply from everyone in the room.

"I have a feeling I'm going to be hearing it again though," said Toby to himself.

Sam did say the schedule again to his co-workers that were lined up by the door ready to make an escape. "Donna is going to meet Ainsley after her meeting at the Hill at 6:00 and stall her while we have our meeting with the President. Sam looked at Donna and said, "Remember to call me when she comes out of the meeting." Donna shook her head 'yes' to show that she and Sam were right on track. Sam continued to talk to the rest of the group. "At 7:30 Ainsley is going to come through that door. I will get here a few minutes before to light the candles and make sure everything is okay. From 7:30 to 7:45, I will be proposing. At 8:00, CJ should have the cake by then and will bring it down here with you guys and the rest of the food, which is behind Mrs. Landingham's desk. We will sing 'Happy Birthday' and then eat."

"Just one question," said Josh. "What if the answer is 'no'?"

"I'm going to call Donna's cell phone, let it ring once, and hang up, and then I’m going to go to my office and never come out again. I think I'm done with you guys. It's 5:45 now so go back to upstairs and do what you need to do.  Donna, you should probably leave now. Thanks for all the help." 

And with those words, everyone left the steamy office except for Sam. He sat down in Ainsley's chair behind her desk and took out the ring from his pocket. He opened it up and took a good look at it.  It was white gold and had a round shaped diamond in the center. It was simple - not too fancy - but that was what he liked about it.

As he sat, he looked at framed pictures scattered on the desktop. On the right corner there was a picture of Ainsley and her Republican father, mother, older and younger brothers from a recent trip to South Carolina. Ainsley’s sister and her husband couldn’t make the trip, but Sam has heard many things about them. During the trip Sam found to his surprise a loving a Republican family and even wishing he could have the same kind of family with Ainsley whenever they got married. To the left of the picture was Ainsley in this office with the rest of the senior staff after her first day of working at the White House. In the left corner was a picture of him and Ainsley at the Washington D.C. 4th of July Festival. They were dressed down for the occasion. Both Sam and Ainsley wore shorts with her in a tank top and him in a short sleeve shirt. That day also happened to be the day Sam and Ainsley shared their first date and kiss.

Sam closed his eyes and thought of that day. They spent the whole time at the festival talking and after the fire works he offered to take her home. It was her idea to go out for some coffee and doughnuts. He accepted and when he dropped her off at her door, he told her he had a fun time and asked her out for dinner. She smiled and said yes. Then they just stood at the door for what seemed like hours just looking at each other. Then Sam went in for the kiss.

It wasn't until 10-months later that he realized he loved her. It took him one more month to tell her.

The ring from Sam's cell phone interrupted his thoughts. He looked at the called ID and knew that it was Donna. It was 6:00 meaning Donna had some extra time to stall since he had thought the meeting would go over. He figured that he would be back in the Steam Pipe Trunk by 7:20 in case Donna brought Ainsley back too early.

Sam figured he should be heading up stairs to get ready for his meeting with the President and the rest of the staff. Before heading out the door, he stopped to take one last look around the glowing office.

Next Chapter

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