King of the Mountain:
Part 30


Lynn Jepsen


I've been on pins and needles all weekend. Lisa has been reporting in to
her firm like clockwork, and her secretary has obediently called me so
that I can talk Sam down from whatever plateau of worry he's settled on
that day. Saturday, there wasn't a call, and there wasn't a call on
Sunday, and there wasn't a call on Monday. When the pictures she'd taken
and the memos she'd sent back reached the office on Tuesday, her
secretary called, I started breathing again. Sam stopped terrorizing the
staff. On Wednesday, she called. Told me to pick her up from the airport
on Friday and not to bring Sam. That's why I'm a little suspicious, and
when Sam starts trying to weasel information from me, I duck and cover.
I'm not about to jump onto Lisa's hit list.

Her flight is late, which means I am on time, and I start looking for her
in the crowd. Wait, that's not.... Oh God. Lisa? She smiles at me, and
I'm having a hard time catching my breath. Are you trying to give me a
heart attack? "Do you want to hold her, or get the luggage?" Uh, luggage.
I'll get the luggage. We're going for lunch. You're going to explain. She
smiles a bit then, and I have to wonder if she's, uh, mentioned this to,
oh, Sam. No, of course not. He would have screamed it from the rooftops
if he knew. Assuming, of course, that he's feeling up to fatherhood -
take two.

She talks about Kosovo on the ride back to the office, and I try to
convince her to go home for a bit. "Josh, I took a shower and changed
clothes yesterday morning at my mother's. I'm fine. I want to see Sam.
Besides, I've got to introduce him to someone." Yeah, while we're talking
about that.... Are you nuts? She laughs then, and I have to shake my
head. Is this legit? Can you really, you know, adopt her without telling
Sam? "It was private. The Sister's of St. Joseph." Okay, just for the
record, they do realize you're not Catholic, right? "Josh, you'll love
Elle. You're going to be a godfather again, right?" Yeah, sure. Assuming
Sam doesn't have a heart attack when you show up. Elle? Is that short for
something? "Donnatella. Her name is Donnatella." Okay, I'm just going
to... uh.... Let's pull over. Let's pull over because I can't see to
drive.

*

Sam hasn't taken a breath in four minutes. I know. I timed him. CJ hasn't
actually blinked since Lisa and I walked into the staff meeting.
Donnatella. My God. Donnatella. Sam, can you, maybe, take a deep breath
right now, 'cause you look like you're about to pass out. "Lisa, what
were you thinking?" She glares then, and rescues Donnatella... Elle from
Sam's arms. Well, he took a breath. He just didn't use it wisely.

She storms out of his office, and the entire staff trails after her. We
don't even pretend to wait for Sam to dismiss us. "Lisa!" She stops when
CJ calls after her, and the two women fall into step. They also lock
themselves in CJ's office with Diana, Zoey, and Rachel. Excuse me, but
can't I come in? I mean, I want to hold the baby too. Carol and Toby are
right behind me, and when CJ opens the door, Carol and I dart inside.
Toby tries to look uninterested, but we all know better.

As a matter of fact, I'm changing my opinion of his fatherhood skills
when he holds Elle. CJ is gushing and Margaret slips in the door just in
time to coo at her sucking Toby's thumb. "We'll tell the press it was
planned and we wanted to keep it quiet until things were finalized." Lisa
nods at Carol's comment, and I whine just enough to get Toby to hand her
over to me. She yawns sleepily and her little fingers close around my
thumb. I didn't get to spend much time with Samantha. Sam and I were
running a campaign, and to be honest, we were still young, stupid, and
running scared. Now, we're just stupid. I'm just a bit when I hear my own
voice whispering softly to her. Welcome to California, my little
Donnatella. How does it feel to be the future first daughter?

*

"Josh, I don't want to hear it." I'm not hear to lecture, Samuel. I'm
just here to let you know that your wife and your daughter are in the
mansion charming the socks off of a select group of reporters, and when
we go to the Convention next week, they're going to win you the entire
right wing of the party. Get over yourself and go bond - even if the
motives are purely political. I can't live through another
Sam-and-Lisa-aren't-speaking showdown.

He lowers his head a bit, and mumbles. "It's not that, Josh. I just.... I
screwed this whole fatherhood thing up the first time. I don't want to do
it again." You don't want to be a father again, or you don't want to
screw up again? "I don't want to screw this up, Josh. I really just
want... I want to give her the kind of childhood I didn't get." Then do
it. Let's not beat a dead horse here. It's no one's fault that Samantha
got sick, but if Lisa makes you sleep on the couch, it's entirely your
fault.

He stands up then, and rolls his sleeves down. When he buzzes Margaret's
desk and tells her to cancel his afternoon, I can actually hear her smile
over the intercom. "Let's go, Josh." Slipping his glasses into his
pocket, he claps his hand on my shoulder and we head for the car - Secret
Service in tow. My, this Secret Service thing might take some getting
used to.

King of the Mountain: Part 31

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