A/N: This is more of a filler chapter. Those of you who read my works know I don’t usually do that. It’s just a little transition. It does start the anniversary weekend, as promised. To show you
I’m serious here are the next few chapter titles (See, I have been working on them): 14. The Conversation (this one), 15. It’s in the Morning, 16. Do You Remember?, 17. Happy Anniversary!, 18. Secrets Revealed. That’s the next five.
14. The Conversation
Sam and his crew (a handful of interns, staffers and assistants) were about to be on their way back from a special luncheon that he had given a speech to a senior citizens’ group. One of the drivers had a family emergency and had to leave early. This left only two cars instead of the three they had taken to the banquet hall. Sam didn’t see a problem with it because he always requested a car to himself so he could gather his thoughts and completely concentrate on the task before him. And since he took a good chunk of the office with him, they rode in the other cars. Josh often called Sam a “don” when it came to this. Don meaning a male form of a diva. Sam justified it by paying for his own car and not expensing it to the taxpayers. Today there was dissention among the ranks. There were two interns who didn’t get along with the others and they all refused to ride back together in the same car. No one was telling Sam why they didn’t get along.
“I don’t get it. There’s plenty of room for all of you. It’s just a car ride. You don’t have to talk to each other. Grow up and let’s get back to the office.” Sam said.
“Sir, I can’t ride back with them; I refuse to.” Dylan said.
“
Refuse? So, what you’re going to walk back to the office?”
“Um, no sir. We thought we could ride back with you.” Candice said. Sam laughed.
“I don’t know why you would think that. I have a private car for a reason. Your transportation has been provided.” Just then, Sam’s phone rang. “Here’s one reason I have a private car so I can make private calls.” None of them knew who was calling, but by the ringtone Sam had assigned to the number, he knew it was Josh. “Hi, Honey,” he said as he answered.
“Hey lover boy what’s going on?” Sam turned to look as his interns and employees.
“I’m arguing with my staff about the car ride back. One car had to leave and they don’t want to ride together.”
“Oh, I see. Well, I say let them ride with you.”
“But this is our private time to talk; I don’t need them in our conversation.”
“It’ll be the last time they do.” Josh said.
“Oh you’re evil!” Sam replied, “But so right.” He took a deep breath. “Come on, we have to get back to the office.” Five of them immediately jumped into Sam’s limo, almost not leaving space for him, and they were on their way back to the office.
“Everyone settled?” Josh asked.
“Yes.”
“How many are there?”
“Five.”
“Hmm…” Josh thought. “Let’s make this really interesting.”
“How?”
“Talk about sex, what else?” Sam laughed. “You’re laughing. I’m serious. Say the first thing that comes to mind.”
“What kind of game is this?” Sam asked. Dylan’s brow creased, as he listened, already regretting his decision.
“Just do it Sam.”
“Ok, let’s go.”
“Uh, comfortable?”
“Bed.”
“Good one. Love?”
“That’s an easy one, you.”
“I love you for that. Let’s see…bananas.”
“Hmmm, blow jobs.” Sam’s passengers immediately looked up from their BlackBerrys and iPhones in shock, wide eyed and…almost scared. Josh was laughing in his ear.
“What made you think of that?”
“You. And you are so good at them. You leave me literally breathless, cumming fast and hard.” Sam smiled, intentionally not looking at his staff.
“Now who’s evil?” Josh asked.
“Is there anything special I need to get for this weekend? I’m going shopping tonight.”
“Nope. Oh, maybe some whipped cream.” Josh said.
“Whipped cream...hmmm, wonder what
that could be for?” They both laughed as Sam’s staff looked at their watches, wondering how much longer until they reached the office. “Oh, have you seen the commercials for that new KY stuff? The his and hers?” Candice whispered “Oh God no” at Sam’s question.
“Yes, I have. It looks pretty interesting. Do you think it works as much as the ad says?”
“I hope so. I’m gonna buy some; I guess we’ll have fund finding out won’t we?”
“Yes we will.”
“And I’m gonna see if I can find those condoms you saw in that article.”
“Don’t worry Sam; I’ve got the condoms covered.”
“How sweet of you baby.” Sam cooed. It irritated his staffers to no end. “I can not
wait to see your lovely face at the airport tomorrow. I’m so excited I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”
“Me too babe.”
Josh and Sam continued their sweet little small talk for another thirty minutes or so, until the cars arrived back at the office. The staff couldn’t get out of Sam’s limo fast enough! Sam said his good-byes to Josh for the time being. In an hour, Josh would be headed to his dinner meeting. Before Sam let everyone get back to work, he gathered them in the front of the office. Ginger was a little confused.
“Sam, what’s going on?”
“I need to have a serious talk with everyone right now. Can you switch the phones to voicemail for a few minutes?”
“Sure.” She replied and set the phones.
“Ok everybody, I need to say something and I never thought I’d have to do this. This office and this staff have always been kind and courteous to each other. I don’t know what’s going on but it needs to stop.
Now. I’ve been elected to do a job and I’ve chosen the people who I thought could help me do this job. However, we can’t be effective if we can’t get along. What I saw today was ridiculous! You guys were really complaining about riding in the car with each other?
Really?” He looked around at everyone. “There is a reason that I have a private car. I need to concentrate on what I’m doing before hand and as the five of you witnessed; I often make private phone calls afterward. I pay for my own separate car. I pay for it, not the taxpayers.
I do. I don’t know what you don’t like about each other and frankly, I don’t care. I just don’t need it to interfere with what goes on in this office or when we are out representing this office. Everything I do reflects on you and vice versa. Everybody got it?” Sam heard several “yeahs” and saw nodding heads. “Good. I don’t want to have this talk again.”
Four hours ahead in Washington, Josh was sitting down waiting for everyone to join him in the conference room for their dinner meeting. He couldn’t remember whose turn it was to order dinner, but he hoped it wasn’t Hugh’s. He always ordered burgers and fries from this dive a few blocks over. It would be safe to say that this place would not be on D.C.’s favorite places to eat list. Five minutes later, all parties were present. Twenty minutes later the meeting was done. Josh was shocked; he was prepared to stay for a while, ready to hear them fight it out. But not tonight. As he finished up in the office, a thought crossed his mind. He had nothing to do. He was just going to go home and do nothing. He was already packed, nothing to do now but get on the plane. Except, his flight was the next morning.
“I wonder….” He thought aloud to himself. As he walked into his town house, he made a trip to the bathroom. Then he called for a cab. The destination: the airport.
While walking up to the ticket counter he was trying to look at the boards to see flight information but he was walking too fast to see them.
“Hi, how can I help you?”
“I’m Joshua Lyman and I was wondering if it was possible to change my flight.”
“Ok, may I see your ticket?” Josh handed it to her and she typed in his information. “When would you like to leave?”
“Tonight if possible. I know it’s extremely short notice.”
“Well, there’s room on a flight that leaves in about an hour and a half. How does that sound?”
“Hour and a half? That’s good. I’ll take it. Anything that gets me closer to my sweetheart faster is fine with me.” Fifteen minutes later Josh found himself headed through security and on his way to the far end of the airport. He managed to grab a few snacks from the gift shop before boarding, since there actually was no dinner at the dinner meeting.
Josh was given the window seat next to two older gentlemen. One with black hair that graying at the temples, the other a blond whose hair was turning white. He didn’t mind; they looked like they might need to use the facilities before he did. He took out his phone and started to text Sam, to tell him he was on the way, something they always did when traveling. But he didn’t want to ruin the surprise. The gentleman closest to him noticed.
“I don’t mean to pry, but are you ok?” Josh looked up to meet the kind eyes of the dark haired man.
“Hmm? Oh yes, I’m fine. I was just about to text my uh…friend that I was on my way. But he doesn’t know I’m coming tonight. I was supposed to leave tomorrow morning but…”
“But you couldn’t wait to see him, am I right?” The gentleman replied. His companion looked over at Josh and smiled.
“Um…, yeah.” Josh was always careful not to let his sexual preference known; he and Sam never knew whom they were meeting. However, he couldn’t help but smile at his own response.
“We used to be the same way.” The blond man said, patting the other man’s knee. “I’m Clark and this is my husband Marc.”
“I’m Josh.” The three men shook hands. “Nice to meet you both.”
“So how long have you and your boyfriend been together?”
“Twelve years on Friday. I’m flying in for our anniversary.”
“How sweet!” Marc replied. “What’s his name?”
“Sam.” Josh showed them his phone’s screensaver. It was picture of them from Christmas, standing in front of the Christmas tree.
“Hey, he looks familiar.” Clark said. “Have I seen him on TV before?” Josh nodded.
“If you live in California 47
th he’s your Congressman.” The men gasped in surprise.
“Wow, I didn’t know he was gay.” Marc replied in a hush tone because he could see the need for privacy in Josh’s eyes. “Clark, our Congressman is gay.”
“I see that honey. He’s not out- out is he?”
“No, neither of us are out for our jobs. Family and friends, yes.”
“You both worked for President Bartlet?” Josh nodded. “What about then?”
“We were out to him and senior staff. It’s been quite a journey for us though. We’ve earned our twelve years.”
“Have you thought about marriage?” Clark asked. “We got married when it was made legal in Boston.”
“We’ve talked around it, but nothing concrete.” Just then, the flight attendant made the take off announcement. The men shut off their phones and continued their conversation. Even though he was tired, Josh didn’t see much harm in talking with them. After all, even a grown man needs advice from an older man from time to time.
After arriving at the airport, Josh grabbed his luggage and hailed a cab headed for Sam’s house. He was so excited about surprising Sam that he smiled all the way there. He entered and the house everything was quiet.
“Sam?” He called out. He didn’t hear anything. Then Josh remembered that Sam was going shopping. Josh hung his coat in the hall closet and headed upstairs to take a shower. The bedroom was so calm and serene. And so Californian, like Sam. It was always welcoming. Josh hopped in the shower and put on his pajamas. As he was unpacking, he heard the alarm system beep that a code had been used. He smiled because he knew it was his lover.
As he made his way to the stairs leading down into the family room, he heard music playing. Sam had turned on the stereo system. He was gently swaying to the music with his arms around him as if he were hugging himself. Sam didn’t hear Josh enter the room. Josh stood there for a few minutes, listening to Sam hum along to Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky”.
“Oh, I wish it were tomorrow already. Josh would be here holding me instead of me holding myself.” Josh walked closer to Sam, stood behind him and began to hum. “I can even hear him humming along.” Josh could tell that Sam was smiling at the thought. Josh carefully slid his arms around Sam’s and swayed with him. “My imagination is crazy, I can feel him here. Only if he were…”
“Well, I could go back to the airport, but since I’m here, showered and changed I’d like to stay.”
Josh whispered.
“What?” Sam asked. Then he felt a gentle kiss at the base of his neck and whipped around so fast to see his lover. “Josh?”
“Hey baby!”
“Josh! What are doing
here?!” Sam hugged him nearly leaping into his arms. “I’m supposed to pick you up tomorrow.”
“I know, I know.” Josh replied as he hugged back. “But I wanted to go to sleep with you actually in my arms tonight, not trying to imagine you in them.”
“Oh Josh.” Sam looked as his boyfriend and kissed him hello. They kissed until they couldn’t breathe. “I’m so happy you’re here. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to sleep tonight. Can’t believe you’re here.” He said kissing Josh again. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
“I love you too baby.”
“Are you hungry? How was your dinner meeting?”
“There was a meeting, but no dinner. So yea, I’m a little hungry.”
“Come on, I’ll make you a sandwich.”
A/N2: I had to add BlackBerrys and iPhones to my MS Word dictionary. Interesting.
