Being A Good Man
Ali Cherry
“I can't believe that we're going to do this.” Josh hopped beside an indulgent Sam. “Oh man. I'm never going to top that scene in the boardroom. Hell you even had your stuff packed.”
“Hold this.” Sam handed Josh the box of personal items before fishing for his keys in his pocket.
“We are the men, Sam, is what I'm saying cause well . . . “
“We're the men.” Sam finished calmly
“Yes. Exactly. We are the men!” Josh bounced, clattering the stuff in the box. “I'm going to go down to Washington and tell Hoynes to shove his political black hole and then we are so in New Hampshire. I got to call my dad. This is going to make his day.”
Sam finally got the door opened and took the box from Josh motioning for him to enter. Josh turned to talk to Sam as they walked in so he missed the show, but not Sam's horrified face.
Josh turned to find Lisa covered by a couch pillow and nothing else. A man struggled into a pair of slacks: his boxers still around his knees. “Holy Shit!” Josh stood there like a deer caught in headlights. Behind him, he could feel Sam stock-still, quiet.
The man pulled his pants up and grabbed his shirt, tie and jacket before looking awkwardly at Josh, Sam and Lisa. “I think I'd better go.” He started toward the door. “I'll call you, Lisa. Sam.” The man nodded his head at Sam as he slid out of the still open door.
Josh listened in amazement as Sam replied politely to the man. “Arthur.” The man nodded again before leaving. Sam closed the door behind him and set the box of things down on the entry table. He then looked at Lisa. “Don't you think you should get dressed?”
Josh stood there stunned at the calm way Sam responded to Lisa's fuck-fest. Lisa got to her feet and threw the pillow at Sam. Josh turned to avoid the view. Beside him Sam picked up the pillow and walked to place the pillow on the couch.
“I'm sorry, Sammie. I just was looking for a little.”
“I think you should get dressed, Lisa.”
“Why, its not like Josh hasn't already seen me.”
“I could throw you out naked if you like, but I thought I'd give you a chance to get dressed and packed.” Sam's voice was still calm.
“Sammie. Please. It was just a harmless flirtation.”
“You were fucking my next door neighbor on MY couch.” Sam turned toward the bedroom. “Josh could you empty that box. Lisa's going to need it.”
“Sure thing, Sam.” Josh moved to empty the box. In the bedroom he could hear Lisa whining at Sam.
“Sam. I love you, baby. Please.”
“I told you last time. One more shot.”
Josh's eyebrows rose. Sam knew that Lisa slept around?
“I love you, Lisa. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but only if you love me. You promised me, you said this was it. I can't live like that Lisa. My heart won't take it. It hurts too much.”
“Well if you were better in bed, then I wouldn't have to sleep around, would I?”
“If you loved me, it wouldn't matter.”
“It would still matter that you were a lousy lay.”
@@
Josh could hear the ugly words as he walked into entrance hall to the West Wing. There talking to a receptionist was the woman who had ripped Sam's heart out and stomped on it with her big spiked heels.
“Josh!” Donna's voice rung out clearly and Josh saw Lisa's face turn to see him. Lisa honed in on him and started walking towards him.
“Josh, how nice to see you again.” She called loudly.
Josh turned away from Lisa and concentrated on Donna's approach. She pulled up beside him and looked pointedly at Lisa who waited patiently. Josh eyed the two women and started on the lesser of the two.
“What can I do for you, Lisa?” Josh watched her wide green eyes and saw the calculations going on behind them. She grinned softly.
“It's nice to see you again too, Josh.” She waited patiently again. She can wait until hell freezes over, Josh thought to himself. She smiled again, this time her lips thinning out and her cheeks solidifying in position. “I was wondering if I could speak to Sam for a minute. I was in town and he never told me his new phone number.”
“Do you think I'm this complete idiot?” Josh asked when she was through. “You made your feelings for Sam perfectly clear and trust me when I tell you, you aren't getting within two feet of Sam.”
“Lisa? What are you doing here?” Sam asked from behind Josh. A quick look and Josh groaned.
“As I was trying to tell Josh here, I was hoping we could get together for dinner sometime, while I'm here.”
“I don't think so, Lisa.” Sam started towards his office only to be stopped by a hand on his coat sleeve.
“Baby, please. Can we talk?”
Josh crossed his fingers. Beside him Donna was whispering softly to herself, “Don't do it, Sam.”
“If you want to talk to me, you'll have to make an appointment like everyone else.” Sam shook free of Lisa's hand and moved towards the yellow hall. Josh grabbed Donna's arm and steered her out of the Lobby area too.
“Does the Hooker make an appointment too, Sam?” Lisa shouted out. Josh stopped in his tracks and turned around, his face lit up in amazement.
“Do you not—” Josh stopped when he felt Sam's hand on his shoulder.
“Just keep walking, Josh.” Sam said quietly.
Donna grabbed Josh's arm and pulled him out of the public area, but Josh could still hear Lisa scream out, “Did she pretend to have an orgasm, Sammie. Cause that's all you can give, an illusion of pleasure.”
Sam sighed and kept moving. Let security deal with her. Kathy came by and stole the doughnut out of his hand, replacing it with a cup of coffee. “Well that was a display of feminine intelligence.”
“She has a lot of intelligence, just not a lot of impulse control.” Sam handed Kathy his briefcase as she munched on the Chocolate bar he brought for her.
“So when she tries to make an appointment?”
“I'm not available.”
“Why?”
“I'm pretty sure that you can come up with a reason.” Sam walked into his office and picked up the phone messages.
“No, I mean why aren't you available for her. She looked like a hottie.”
“She is, and all of New York knows it.”
“Sam, cut to the chase.”
“That was Lisa, my ex.”
“Ex girlfriend?”
“Fiancé, and could you get me Senator Billings?” Kathy looked at him stunned stupid by the information.
Kathy nodded her head dumbly. She stood for a minute more looking for something to say. “Sam, I'm . . . “
“Senator Billings.”
“Yeah.” Kathy walked out and closed the door behind her, leaving Sam to slump in his seat and pretend SHE hadn't just humiliated him again.
Why did she always come back to him? He had long ago realized that she didn't love him, he wasn't sure she was capable of loving anyone. But coming, just now, when Mallory and Laurie were in the past and his future stretched before him in an endless line of all work and no play. Of failed relationships that were too short and too demanding.
She could obviously smell his fear of the future. She could smell the failure on his suit, the way another woman might smell his aftershave. Sam looked up as Kathy stuck her head in.
“Senator Billings, Line 1.”
“Thanks, Kathy.”
She nodded and ducked out of the office as he picked up the phone.
@@
Carol looked up as Kathy came into her office area with a folder in her hand.
“Hey, Kathy. Are those the stats on health care?”
“Yeah.” Kathy handed them to Carol and waited patiently as Carol took them into CJ and came back out to her desk.
“So, what's up?” Carol asked making sure that there were no reporters hanging around.
“That woman, Lisa is still in the Lobby.” Kathy told her.
“I heard about the scene. I think Sam has more patience than I do. I probably would have socked her for the things she said.”
“Sam's not like that.” Kathy crossed her arms over her chest. “She keeps calling for an appointment.”
“So?”
“I'm not comfortable with this.” Kathy leaned closer to Carol. “I mean Sam's never asked me to run interference on his personal life before. I'm just a little…”
“Weirded out?”
“Yeah.”
“Tell him that. He'll deal with her.” Carol suggested.
“Deal with who?” Josh asked as he snuck up on the two assistants.
“Nothing, nobody.” Kathy said getting up.
“That woman in the Lobby keeps calling.” Carol told him; ignoring the glare that Kathy gave her.
“Lisa?” Josh asked. Kathy looked at the ground but nodded. “She's still here?”
“She's calling on her cell phone.” Kathy sighed and looked down the hall. “I have to get back to Sam. So—“
“Kathy, send all her calls to my office, okay?”
“Yeah.” Kathy nodded in relief. She walked down the corridor towards her desk.
@@
“Joshua Lyman's office.” Donna picked up the phone efficiently, typing a memo on the newest House Resolution. And for what felt the fiftieth time, she heard a feminine sigh.
“Fine.” The voice snapped. “I'd like to talk to Josh.”
“May I ask whose calling?” Donna smiled to herself.
“This is Lisa Carter.”
“Please hold.” Donna got up from her desk and walked to Josh's office. “Josh?” Donna poked her head in.
“Yeah?”
“She finally wants to talk to you.”
“Okay.”
“Line one.”
“Thanks, Donna.”
Donna moved to leave. “Josh?”
“Yeah?”
“You aren't going to let her near Sam, right? Cause I remember what he was like in the beginning. He. . . It. . . It just took a while for him to you know. I mean. . . Working with Toby can't be easy and I don't think he could. . .” Donna looked at her boss and friend.
“I know. Trust me I know. I watch him and her for years, since law school. I know.” Josh looked at her, his eyes asking that she close the door. She smiled at him and closed the door behind her.
Josh sighed and picked up the phone. “No way in hell are you seeing Sam.” Josh grounded out.
“Well thank you for starting out the conversation with profanity, Joshua.” Lisa's tone was dry.
“What do you want?”
“Sam.”
“You can't have him. You fucked up one too many times.” Josh laughed harshly. “Literally.”
“Does he know you fucked me on one of your visits, Joshua?”
“Yes, and I gotta tell you, you were lousy in bed.”
“If he can forgive you, then he can forgive me. So let me talk to him.”
“No. He forgave you a lot of times and this time, I'm not going to let him be forgiving.”
“Josh.” Lisa's voice dropped to a soft tone. “I love him, I messed up. I'm lost without him.” She paused. “Please.”
“Good bye, Lisa.” Josh moved to hang up.
“Josh.” The tone of the voice made him put the phone to his ear.
“What?”
“If you don't let me talk to Sam, I'll go to the papers.”
“With what? I slept my way away from the White House?”
“I was dumped cruelly by Sam when his homosexual lover, Josh Lyman, came to get him.”
Josh laughed loudly. “Oh that's hilarious. Bye Lisa.”
“An Hour, Josh.” Lisa disconnected the call.
Josh stood up and stretched and moved to the door connecting his and CJ's offices. He walked in and closed the door to the bullpen. Smiling at her as she looked up from the papers she was reading.
“Want a good laugh?” Josh asked, a twinkle in his eyes.
“What?”
“Lisa, Sam's ex, called and told me that if I don't let her speak to Sam in the next hour, she'll go to the papers and tell them that Sam and I are lovers and that was the reason Sam joined the campaign.”
CJ's eyebrows rose. “Are you kidding me?”
“No.” Josh smiled wider.
“It isn't the actual reason—” CJ asked hesitantly as she put down the papers.
“What the hell? No.” Josh's face dropped the smile, as he looked at CJ surprised.
“I'm just saying, Josh. There was a lot of speculation as to why Sam joined us. He was on the fast track in New York, everyone else was on the skids.”
“Sam was protecting oil companies from litigation. He was helping them protect boats that were most likely going to run aground.” Josh's face fell even more. “ And he and Lisa weren't as happy as—“
“As it sounded?” There was a pause from both people.
“When he quit his job, we went back to his place and we found her—” Josh floundered, his face heating up slightly.
“Doing the deed?”
“With his neighbor, and it wasn't the first time.”
“Ouch.”
“She tears him up inside, CJ. She tells him she loves him, and then she tells him that he's not worth the effort she puts into him. He does almost everything she asks, and then. . . “
“Okay.”
“I don't want her anywhere near him.”
CJ stared at Josh with an enigmatic smile.
“What?” Josh sat slumped in the chair before CJ's desk.
“You're a good friend, Joshua.”
“Making amends, Claudia Jean. I was one of the many other men.”
“Does Sam know?” CJ asked a few minutes.
“Yeah, said he kinda knew.”
“Okay, get out of here. I have a briefing to work on.” CJ and Josh looked up as Carol opened the door. “CJ? You have Senior Staff.”
CJ looked at the clock, sighing. “Thanks Carol.” She stood up and gathered up some papers in a folder and walked around to pull Josh to his feet. “Come on, we better get going.”
@@
“Is that everything?” Leo asked the people circled up in the Oval Office.
“Yeah.” Toby looked at his notes and tried to avoid Sam's tired and drawn face.
“No.” CJ looked at President. “Mr. President, there is a woman who has threatened to tell the papers that Josh and Sam are lovers, which they aren't.”
Sam's eyes widened. “Who?”
“Is this the young lady who has decided to camp out in the Lobby?” The President asked.
“Yes, sir.” CJ said, looking away from Sam's stare.
“I'll take care of it, Mr. President.” Sam said.
“No. I've got it.” Josh called out suddenly.
“Shut up, Josh. You'll only make it worse.” Sam sighed quietly.
“Just deal with it please.” The President put his glasses on his nose and looked at Sam.
“Yes, sir.”
“Get out of here.” The president began to read whatever was in front of him.
“Thank you, Mr. President.” They all called as they left the room. Josh and CJ stopped to watch Sam walk tiredly towards the Lobby. Josh turned to CJ.
“Will you, go like make sure she doesn't have time to do damage?”
“Yeah.” CJ started walking after Sam, she stopped just inside the hallway, watching Sam walk up to a woman with honey colored hair. Her face creased into a smile, and she moved to hug Sam who accepted it very stiffly. The woman's face fell as Sam talked to her, and then lit up again. Kathy joined CJ watching the couple as the woman reached up and pulled Sam into a kiss. Anyone with half a brain could see that Sam was an unwilling participant, pulling away as soon as he could.
“She sucks.” Kathy stated soberly.
“Yes, she does.” CJ agreed.
“I'm quitting if he marries her.” Kathy crossed her arms, glaring at the woman talking rapidly to Sam.
“So don't let her marry him.” CJ looked at Kathy. “Sam listens to you.”
“Sam listens to me about his appointments, not about his love life.” Kathy declared.
“So shanghai him, like Carol does.”
“Maybe.” Was the non-committal response.
In the Lobby, Sam walked away from Lisa, and headed in the duo's direction. He rolled his eyes when he saw them standing there. Lisa got up and walked out of the Lobby, a big smile on her face.
“So how did it go?” CJ asked.
Sam ignored her looking at Kathy. “Could you get me reservations at . . . I don't care where, just somewhere semi-nice.”
“Yeah. What time?”
“Eight-thirty.” Kathy walked away leaving Sam and CJ standing there, in a void of movement and sound.
“So?” CJ asked.
“Leave it alone, CJ.”
“She threatened this administration, Sam.”
“No, she threatened Josh which is something entirely different.”
“Sam.”
“We're having dinner. We're going to talk, that's all. I can take care of this.” Sam looked up at CJ and his blue eyes radiated strength and determination, but the wrinkle between his brow. That was sadness. CJ reached out and laid her hand on his sleeve.
“Okay, Sam.”
“Keep Josh away today, okay?” Sam asked her softly.
“Yeah.”
@@
Sam walked into Lisa's hotel with trepidation. She was waiting for him in her coat already. Sam could only hope that the rest of the meeting went this well. That was his thought until she dropped the coat and was wearing nothing but a negligee underneath.
Sam turned on his heel and started to walk out of the hotel. Lisa compounded the problem by screaming, drawing attention to herself. “DON'T YOU DARE WALK AWAY, SAMUEL NORMAN SEABORN!”
Sam continued walking, his heart torn apart. He was a fool to expect anything out of Lisa, anything but a sucker punch. He felt a feminine hand clamp down on his forearm, pulling him to a stop. He looked and sure enough, Lisa stood outside on the street in her nightgown, her face twisted in bitterness.
“I said you don't walk out on me, baby.” Lisa growled.
“My name is Sam, and I'm not going to play with you Lisa.”
“I just wanted to show you how much I love you, baby. Please, come up with me. I'll show you how much I love you. I'll even pretend that I had an orgasm.”
“Shove it, Lisa.” Sam felt an anger and bitterness he hadn't felt since that day, when he had handed her a box and told her to leave.
“Baby, please.” She reached up and pulled Sam down to kiss her. Sam felt the press of her body, the taste of her on his lips and almost gave in. But he couldn't. It would always end the same and he couldn't take the scandal with him to the office.
“No, Lisa. I don't love you anymore. Go home to your dad.”
Sam watched as her face crumbled before him, feeling the rips in his chest widen as her tears began to fall.
“I love you, Sammie.” She whispered softly, her tears streaking her mascara.
“I know, honey.” Sam reached up and wiped away her tears and smiled at her sadly. “Go back home, Lisa. Marry whomever your dad tells you to. Be happy.” Sam started to shake his head. “Just don't come back here. There isn't anything here.”
“You love me, Sammie.” Lisa insisted stubbornly.
“I did, once. I . . . I don't anymore. I love some one else.”
“Josh.”
“Josh is like my older brother. I love. . . Not anyone that you know.” Sam stepped back. “Go home, Lisa.” Sam turned and raised his hand, feeling a hand push him directly into traffic. Sam heard the screech of brakes turning to see the bright rush of headlights. Sam dove out of the way, hearing his wrist crack with the impact on the sidewalk. Sam turned his head to the side to see Lisa rushing inside the hotel.
“Are you all right, man? I couldn't believe it when I saw that chick shove you in front of the that car?”
Sam accepted the man's help up, cradling his throbbing wrist.
“Man?”
“Yeah, I'm all right. Thank you.”
“You're sure?”
“Yeah thanks.” Sam smiled at the man.
@@
“Thanks for coming to get me.” Sam said, relaxing in the interior of the car. Beside him, CJ stared out at the red lights of Washington traffic.
“What happened?” CJ asked.
“I tripped and fell. No big deal.”
“You broke your wrist, Sam.”
“My left wrist, I can still write.”
“Did this have anything to do with—?“
“No, that was over before this.”
“Sam. I need to know everything.”
“Really it was no big deal.” Sam yawned and closed his eyes. “She just doesn't think sometimes. She's spoiled. She's a Carter of Long Island.”
“Sam.” CJ sighed.
“She doesn't realize that the things she does, that they have consequences.”
“You shouldn't cover for her.” CJ stared at her friend, his face wrinkled in pain, his arm casted, his suit shirt and jacket off.
“Have you ever been in love, CJ?” Sam looked at her tiredly.
“Yes.”
“Wouldn't you do whatever you could even though he hurt you?”
CJ thought about that for a second. “I would do anything for him, I guess. But that's because I haven't stopped loving him.”
“I still love her, but I stopped being in love with her a long time ago.” Sam turned away from CJ, his eyes focused on the buildings they were passing. “She wasn't always like this.”
“What changed?”
“She was usually a bitch, don't get me wrong.” Sam sighed. “Her senior year at Duke, while I was Congressmen Howard's aid, she was . . . assaulted.”
“Raped?”
“I think so, she never really said.” Sam used his right hand to rub at his forehead. “She started being more promiscuous.” Sam sighed heavily. “I don't know, maybe she had her purse stolen, maybe she always slept around. I don't know. All I know is that I stopped being in love with her after that. But I felt guilty cause that kind of thing is what you're suppose to love someone through.”
“Sam.”
“When she said she wanted to go home to New York, I went with her. I mean, wanting to be near your family after having your life turn upside down, that wasn't asking that much of me.”
“When did she sleep with Josh?” CJ asked quietly when they had reached a red light. Sam looked at her. “He told me.”
Sam nodded. “I'm not sure. I just kind of knew. They were weird around each other, and Josh started being more hostile than usual.”
“Maybe you should ask.”
“No. All of this is behind me. I'm not going to see Lisa again.”
“Okay, Sam.” They spent the rest of the drive in silence.
@@
Sam was late getting to work in the morning, the sum of a cast, a shower and clothing. When he walked into the Lobby of the White House, he knew that the day was going to be bad. Lisa again stood in the center waiting for him, and Josh was glaring at her. CJ was hanging back by the hallway watching. Kathy was standing in her usual space gossiping with the receptionist with his cup of coffee.
Damn, he had forgotten her doughnut this morning. He watched as four pairs of eyes trained on him. Josh's and Kathy's widened in surprised at his cast. Lisa stalked forward.
“We need to talk, Sammie.”
“No, Lisa. We aren't talking anymore.” Sam said quietly trying to juggle his coat and briefcase with one hand. Kathy abandoned the cup of coffee at the desk and moved forward to help him with his briefcase. She stood just off to the side, an incentive for Lisa to move on.
“I'm sorry about last night. But we really do need to talk; I don't care what you say, baby. You still love me.”
“No, I don't. Please leave.”
“STOP SAYING THAT!” She screamed her hand connecting solidly with Sam's cheek. Sam could feel the welling of blood where her nails dug into his skin.
Kathy dropped Sam's briefcase and moved forward. “Don't you dare touch him.” Kathy's hand moved forward just like her Tae Bo class showed her, but instead of Lisa's face, she hit Sam's cast as he raised his left hand to protect Lisa.
“Ouch.” Kathy and Sam said at the same time. Kathy began to shake her fingers in pain.
“Leave.” Sam told Lisa and then moved to get his briefcase and to usher his assistant to his office. CJ came forward and relieved Sam of his briefcase and Josh grabbed Sam's coat from the floor. Both followed Sam as he put his right hand on Kathy's back. “Are you all right?”
“I could have done some damage.” Kathy told him with a glare.
“I know. That was me you hit.” Sam smiled at her and rubbed her back. “Would you call security and have her forcibly removed from the premises.”
Kathy smiled. “Yeah.”
“I'm sorry about making you take her calls.”
“It's what I'm suppose to do.”
“All the same, I'm sorry.”
“Thanks, Sam.” Kathy moved to her desk to call security and Sam moved to his office where Josh and CJ stood holding his things.
“I have this call to make and then we can go over the phone messages and my schedule, kay.” He called over his shoulder.
“Whatever.” Kathy called after him as he closed the door to his office.
Sam looked at CJ and Josh. “I'm fine. Really. Go back to work.”
“If you need anything.” Josh waved his hand.
“I've got Kathy, Bonnie and Ginger. Now leave, I've got a call to make.”
“Kay.” Josh got up and left, CJ just stood in his doorway staring at Sam.
“What?”
“You're a good man, Sam.”
“Leave, CJ.”
“Kay.”
CJ closed the door as Sam picked up the phone and dialed an old familiar phone number.
“May I speak to Mr. Carter please? It's Sam Seaborn calling.” Sam listened politely. “It's about his daughter, Lisa.”
“Sam.” Was the friendly greeting on the other side of the phone line.
“Mr. Carter, hi.” Sam couldn't keep the sadness out of his voice.
There was a silence on the other end. “She blew it.”
“To be honest, sir. I—“
“She blew it years ago. She was so determined though. And you were so good for her. She loved you.”
“I know. But I can't do this, not now.”
“Do you know when she's coming home?”
“No. But I thought I should let you know that I had to have security escort her from the building.”
“I'll be down to get her.”
“William?” Sam was hesitant to tell him.
“Yes, Sam?”
“She tried to push me into traffic. I think it's time she started seeing someone.”
“I know.” William Carter's voice was soft. “I was hoping.”
“Yeah. I know.” There was a soft knock on the door and Kathy peeked her head in the office.
“Senior staff in five.”
“Thank you, Kathy.” Sam turned back to the conversation of the phone. “I have to go.”
“Thank you for calling, Sam.”
“I'm sorry. I hope she's happy someday.”
“Thank you, Sam. I'll let you go.” There was a click that left Sam dangling with a sour taste in his mouth. He felt unbelievably drained, as if his world had cracked around him yet failed to fall into a million pieces. Sam sat numbly staring at the pile of papers on his desk, before getting up and picking up the folder for the Staff meeting. Maybe Mrs. Landingham would let him have a cookie. Maybe that would mend his world, and his heart.
The End
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