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Changes Chapter 6
Over the next few days and weeks, things were pretty normal. Or as normal as they ever were at the White House. Josh and Donna bickered and bantered and got through their days. Josh however, hadn't had the courage to ask Donna out for dinner again, but they were eating breakfast together each morning. Every night they checked with each other to see who would be stopping for coffee and muffins the next morning. Josh actually found himself looking forward to breakfast each day. He usually didn't get in to the office until late and by that time he was running behind, so he usually didn't eat anything. But now, he made an effort to get to the office on time, although he rarely beat Donna in. However, one Thursday, he did beat Donna in. Surprised that she wasn't at her desk, Josh her coffee on her tabletop and wandered into his office. He checked his messages and booted up his computer, but he couldn't seem to muster up any emthusiasm fro the day. The day just didn't seem to begin until Donna arrived and picked apart her muffin, while arguing with him about the latest bill that passed Congress, or sharing her daily useless fact, or yelling at him to pay attention while she read his schedule, or claming him before big meetings. As he sipped his coffee in quiet contemplation of how much Donna's presence meant to him, she appeared from around the corner. "Sorry, I'm late," she said, slipping into her chair. Deciding to have a little fun with her, he said, "You know. I bust my butt to get here on time and you just wander in any old time? "Hhmmphf," she snorted. "That's the pot calling the kettle black." "Whatever," he smiled back. "Late night?" Donna sighed, but not in the dramatic way that usually signaled the beginning of their banter. "Yeah." "Are you saying that you actually have a social life?" he teased, worried by the look in her eyes. She laughed. "I do have other things going on in my life besides working for you, you know," she retorted, sipping her coffee. "Oh yeah, like what?" he asked, dreading the answer. She quietly continued sipping her coffee, looking off to the side. "I was at a book signing last night." "Oh?" "Yeah." "Anyone I know?" "That new author of that book about..." Josh interrupted her. "No, who did you go with?" "Oh...Byron." Josh's stomach dropped to the floor. He thought since she hadn't mentioned him in weeks, that he hadn't called her again after their initial dinner. "The old high school friend?" "Yep. That's the one." "So?" "So what?" Josh getting tired of her beating around the bush, said, "So, I didn't know you were seeing him." "I'm not seeing him. We've just gotten together occassionally for dinner and stuff." "Oh." Donna looked up into Josh's face. "No, it's nothing serious. It's just fun to hang out with someone who can laugh with you about the stupid things you did growing up." Josh studied Donna's face. "I thought you said you didn't do anything stupid in high school." Donna smiled. "I didn't. So far as you know." "Hmm. Now you've intrigued me. I don't think I can rest until I know all about the high school antics of Donnatella Moss." She laughed, sipping her coffee. "Well, you'll never get them out of me." Her last comment had given Josh the idea of asking her out to lunch or dinner to continue needling her for details of high school, but Donna abruptly changed the subject. "You know what I just realized?" "What?" he asked, hiding the disappointment of no longer having the opportunity to ask her out. "For the past few weeks, I've been drinking an entire cup of coffee instead of sharing with you. All that additional caffeine can't be good." "I'm pretty sure the lab rats didn't develop that third arm until well into the studies of the long-term affects of caffeine," he said back. Donna just laughed. He added, "I'm sure Byron won't be opposed to dating you, as long as you keep your coat on to hide the third arm." "Josh! I'm not dating him. Stop making it out to be this big thing," she said, but she blushed as she said it. Fearing that Donna's feelings for Byron were already stronger than he'd like them to be, he sat up straighter in his chair. "All right! Enough about your love life. Don't we have important things to discuss? Like maybe my schedule?" Donna sipped her coffee, eying him over the cup. "Since when do you express any interest in your schedule?" Before he could answer, she said, "And it's not a love life. It's just dinner with an old friend." "Whatever," he said, annoyed with himself for getting annoyed with her. 'It's not like I've given her any reason to think that we're more than friends. If she wants to see someone outside fo work, that's none of my business,' thought Josh. 'But I wish it were my business,' he added, once again, not paying attention as she ran through his schedule.
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