The Stress And The Weather

Luna
author's homepage


And if this night won't let me rest
Don't let me second-guess what I know to be real
Put away all I know for tonight and maybe
I just might learn to let it go....

The air was cold but the night was beautiful, and Sam didn't notice himself shivering. He sat down on the bench, tugging idly at his bow-tie, and looked out over the lawn. In the darkness, and the quiet, it was almost possible to forget that civilization was anywhere nearby.

"Sam?"

He turned around reluctantly. "Yeah."

Josh crossed the grass and sat down next to him. "What are you doing?"

"Mallory's in there. I'm taking evasive action."

"Evasive action? What are you, a secret agent?"

"A ninja." Sam ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't think I can talk to her right now."

"Right, because the last time you talked to her she stomped on your heart with her... what was it?"

"Big high heels," Sam sighed. "You know, I would have called her, if things hadn't been--"

"I know." Josh rested a hand on Sam's shoulder. "She still likes you."

"How do you know?"

"Because she's in there talking to C.J. about how she still likes you."

Sam frowned suspiciously. "Did C.J. send you out here?"

"No. Although I bet she would have, if she'd thought of it. I came out to check on how you're doing."

"And?"

"And also because Senator Ramsey's telling fly-fishing stories again," Josh admitted. "But you're the main reason."

"It's been a strange month," Sam said.

"I'd say it's been a strange very many months."

He studied his hands. "I was offered a job today."

Josh looked at him carefully. "You have a job."

"I was offered a professorship at Duke, in fact."

"And Harcourt-Brace probably wants to publish your memoirs, but--"

"Sometimes I think about leaving," Sam told him softly.

Josh stared at him. "Why?"

"You know. The stress. The long hours. The money. The weather."

"The weather?"

"I don't like slush," Sam explained.

"Yeah, that's a good reason." Josh squeezed Sam's shoulder gently. "Look, ever since I've known you, you've wanted to be doing this. This is what you are, Sam. This is where we belong."

"Yeah, but maybe it looked better from far away."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Maybe."

"Well, no one ever promised you a rose garden." Josh cracked a smile. "But I hear there's one over that way."

Sam nodded. "I just get tired now and then."

"Who doesn't? Hell, look at Leo and the President. They've been doing this since we were in diapers."

"That's true."

"You love it here," Josh told him firmly.

"That's true too."

"It's where we belong. The stress and the weather are part of the deal."

"Yeah."

"And in there, the President is probably getting us in trouble by insulting someone's choice of fishing lure."

Sam chuckled. "And Toby's intimidating the junior representatives by looking at them like he can make them burst into flame."

"And C.J.'s pretending not to be laughing at him," Josh added. "And Mallory still likes you."

"I don't know about that."

"Well, don't worry so much." Josh stood up. "Let's go inside. We look too damn good to be sitting around in the dark."

Sam got up and dusted himself off. "You know, Harcourt-Brace would buy my memoirs."

"I have no doubt," Josh said breezily. "But you have better things to do, and you're going to do them, and all the publishers and universities in the country can just cross their legs and hold it until you're done."

"Yeah." Sam laughed as they walked toward the White House. "I have a job."

HOME | TITLE | AUTHOR | CATEGORY