King of the Mountain:
Part 27


Lynn Jepsen


Josh has been in a funk ever since he came back from DC, and I'm not sure
if it's because of Reynolds and whatever it is they're at odds ove, or
something else entirely. I'd bug him about Reynolds some more, but you
know, my niece has a great tackle, and my ribs are killing me. This
election year just might do me in. Throw in the fact that I'm still
hiding from CJ, who, by the way, makes Lisa look like a saint, and I
think I'll leave Josh alone today.

"Governor?" Diana stands outside the door, and I wave her into the living
room. The April recess didn't come nearly soon enough, and I'm making
this mental enemies list. It used to be written on the back of the daily
Senate journals, but Josh nearly keeled over and said I was not allowed
to keep an enemies list - Nixon impersonations must wait until the second
term. "Governor, I'm sorry for interrupting you, but...." No need to
apologize. Lisa's at this Red Cross thing in Los Angeles, so you're fine.

She sits on the edge of the couch, and fidgets for a few seconds. When
she jumps up and says never mind, alarm bells go off in my head. SIT
DOWN. She sits down so abruptly, she misses the couch, and ends up
sitting on the floor looking up at me. What is it? "It's uh... I mean,
Leo told me that.... Josh isn't supposed to be...." What about Josh?
"Mrs. Seaborn told me to.... He's working at the office." I take an
uneasy breath then. Okay, he's working. That's not all that bad. "He's
been working on the Convention package for the last four days."
Continuously? "Yeah, and I thought...." I don't wait around to hear what
she thought, because I'm out of the chair, aching ribs and all, and
trailing one blond speechwriter and three troopers on the way out of the
mansion.

Josh Lyman you are toast!

*

"Ed, Ed, work with me here. NO! That is not an option! We will not
endorse 24!..... Yeah..... Yeah..... Okay. Fine. Tomorrow."

Josh! He jumps as I walk through the door, and hangs up the phone
stiffly. Diana's wearing this guilty look on her face, and he glares at
her. No, I don't think so. Your issues are with me now. Grabbing his
coat, I throw it at him. Come on. "Sam, we really have to...." We have
months. We have months before the Convention, and months before I have to
do anything other than stay in the news and act Presidential. That means
you can sleep. You might not get this chance again for, like, eight and a
half years, so take advantage of it.

"Sure, just as soon as I...." You can come with me now, or I can have the
troopers carry you out, but you're not staying. Four days, Josh? Do I
have to get Rae to put you on a leash?

*

"That's Boardwalk with a hotel.... I think you're broke, Josh."

"Come on! Cut me some slack. Free rent for the next two turns."

"Josh, all you own is St. James Place. It's over."

Lisa shoots me a quick smile, and I'm not sure I want to know what's
going on. She hated the Red Cross thingy, and I'm pretty sure they
weren't enthralled. Maybe it's the accent. It just doesn't come off quite
right in Southern California. As soon as I mentioned Diana and Josh
watching videos in the living room, her whole face lit up. Something's
fishy in Denmark. Of course, that's probably my financial skills I'm
smelling because Josh and I have been drummed out of the real estate
world in yet another game of Monopoly. I swear Lisa and Diana are psychic
or controlling the dice or something.

"Sam, why don't you help me with that thing." Thing? What thing? I know
of no thing tonight? She latches onto my arm though, and when we're
safely in the dining room, she grins. "Aren't they cute?" I'm glad I put
my coffee down, because I'm sure it would be all over the wall now. What
happened to, you know, Josh and my sister? She glares at me, and
suddenly, I feel clueless all over again. What? Did I miss something?

"Just shut up, Sam." She wraps her arms around my waist then, and kisses
my lips. You know, this would be perfect if not for the throbbing feeling
in my ribs. I'm going to kill Michael for teaching that girl to play
football.

King of the Mountain: Part 28

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