| W A N T E D : O N E H E R O H O R S E O P T I O N A L |
Author: Liza C. Title: Wanted: One Hero. Horse optional. Post-Ep for Memorial Day CJ took a deep breath before knocking on the door to Donna's apartment. Truth be told, she was a little nervous. While she had visited Donna briefly when she first got back, they hadn't really sat down to talk alone since their tense conversation weeks earlier. Donna's mom answered the door and gave her a warm greeting and smile. She directed CJ to the living room and excused herself, saying that as long as Donna had company, she had some errands to run. "Hello," CJ called as she entered the living room. She found Donna in a large fluffy chair with her injured leg propped on an overstuffed ottoman in front of her. "CJ! Hi." Donna smiled broadly. Even though she tired easily, it was nice to see someone other than her mother or Josh every once and awhile. "I brought you ice cream." CJ held up a pink polka- dotted bag. "Josh said Baskin-Robbins was your favorite. He gave me your top four; I went with Butter Pecan and Chocolate Peanut Butter." Donna face lit up. "Thanks, that was nice of you. Would you mind sticking it in the freezer?" CJ nodded and headed towards the kitchen. "So… how are you?" CJ asked after she'd returned. She sat on the end of the couch nearest the chair. "Better. I can make it from here to the bathroom on crutches if I absolutely have to," she joked. "I'm glad you're doing better… we were all so worried…" CJ glanced down at the floor before she continued. "Donna, I know we never really had a chance to talk before you left and I feel bad that-" "CJ…" Donna tried to interrupt. "I know I hurt your feelings that night, but I hope you know that wasn't my intent-" "CJ…" Donna tried again. This time CJ stopped and looked at her. "I followed your advice." CJ looked at her, perplexed. "What advice…" "Your advice. To have a one-night stand, you know, do something, anything, that wasn't about Josh Lyman." CJ's expression turned to one of astonishment as Donna spoke. "Um… my… what?" "You remember, you told me I needed to get out and-" "Yeah, I remember what I said. What do you mean, you followed my advice?" CJ asked carefully. "I met this guy, a really hot, sexy guy, a photojournalist…" Donna smiled at the memory, "Irish… he offered to show me the real Gaza…" "And?" "Yeah, I accidentally slept with him," Donna admitted in a matter-of-fact tone. CJ burst out laughing. Accidentally?" "Well… not so much on accident as he was really attractive and really coming on to me and the next thing I knew it had happened." "I see." CJ didn't know what to make of this revelation or the fact that Donna felt she'd been following her advice. Falling back on standard girl talk, she cracked a smile. "Was it good?" Donna blushed. "Physically? Yeah, no complaints." "What matters besides the physical in a one-night stand?" CJ smirked flippantly. "Not much." They both laughed. Donna took a deep breath. "But, you know, after… I just felt… it wasn't emotionally satisfying. I mean it was nice to feel wanted and desirable and trust me the sex wasn't anything to sneeze at, but… I just-" "Yeah," CJ nodded and simply said, "I've been there." "This guy, he was a great guy… but the thing is, he was almost too great... you know, too good to be true. Looking back I'd almost think he was a product of the morphine or of some wild drug-induced dream... except that other people met him." "Why?" "It's just, I thought he was a charmer, you know, a player, the kind of guy that's got a line ready for every woman he meets and a different woman in every city. It was supposed to be fun and then over." "So, sounds like the ideal guy to have a one-night stand with." "Exactly… actually, in hindsight, it was something Josh said that made me realize… he called him a bodice- ripping, Heathcliff-something or other… anyway. He was right… it was like he'd walked out of the pages-" "Josh met him?" CJ interrupted, trying not to sound horrified. She silently hoped that Josh never found out that Donna was following her advice when she'd had the affair. "Yeah, at the hospital." "What was he doing at the hospital?" "Didn't I mention?" Donna looked at her. "That's the whole point. He came to see me in Germany. Which got me thinking… who does that?" "He flew to Germany?" CJ asked, a little dumbfounded. Donna nodded. "Here's this guy, we know each other… like three days…have a nice little fling, he got what he came for… we say goodbye… and then all of a sudden he flies to Germany to see me." "That is devotion from someone you'd only known a few days…" CJ agreed, and then smirked, "You must be quite something in bed." "Shut up." Donna blushed crimson and then laughed before continuing, "You know it. My point is what Josh said… it was almost like he stepped from the pages of a paperback romance novel… not that I read romance novels," she added quickly with a grin. "But I mean, who does that? In your experience do men do that?" "I can unequivocally say that in my 40 years, I've met no men that do that." CJ considered, "But you were in an exploding car…" "True, they were extraordinary circumstances…" She cocked her head at CJ. "But still…" "Yeah." CJ agreed. "Almost… a little… or a lot over the top." "Besides the fact that he's a photojournalist in Gaza and took off the minute there was, you know, international news to photograph… in Gaza." "You've got a point. So, explain this to me, in your hospital room, it's you, Josh and your new fling..." CJ looked at Donna for help. "Colin." Donna supplied. "Okay, Colin. It's you and Josh and Colin hanging out… how does that work." "Well, first, I was doped up… and in pain." "Right." CJ grimaced sympathetically. "But I don't think Josh liked him very much." CJ eyed her curiously and tried to cover a smile. "That's not shocking to me." "Why?" She asked, clearly interested. CJ opened her mouth and shut it again. She was about to say, because when a man is completely distraught and jumps on a plane to be at a woman's bedside, he probably doesn’t want to find competition there. What she said out loud was, "Well, he doesn’t usually warm up to your boyfriends, does he?" "I guess not." Donna didn't think too much about it. "So what happened?" "It was just… CJ, I don't want you to think I’m reading anything into Josh's behavior…" Donna's hands fidgeted nervously. "Okay…" "But, you know, here are these two guys. One is dashing and charming and sexy and breezes in with flowers and kisses. I mean I'm surprised he didn't ride his trusty steed right into my hospital room." "Maybe there's a no horses rule in the health care facility, had to park him out front?" CJ suggested with mock seriousness. Donna giggled before continuing earnestly, "The other one is rumpled and un-showered and unshaven and sleeping in a chair, trying to feed me jello and dealing with my distressed parents on the phone…" CJ smiled. "Uh-huh?" "Josh was acting… don't think I'm crazy, but he was acting almost jealous and a little territorial, while Colin shows up and is completely unfazed and unaffected by another man camped out in my hospital room." "He must not have any problems with self-confidence." CJ laughed. "Uh huh," Donna sighed. "And it also illustrated that he probably hadn't fallen madly in love with me or anything." "You're probably right." CJ nodded. "It just… it became apparent to me that one is real and one's not." "What did you do?" CJ was fascinated. "Well, when I woke up from surgery the second time, Josh was there and my mom was there and then later Colin came to visit again. We chatted, I said, you know, 'thanks for coming, but'… and he pretty much said that he could see I was in good hands. We said goodbye and that was it." Donna shrugged. "Really…" "CJ, seriously, like I said, I don't want you to think I'm reading something more into Josh flying to see me or anything like that." She snickered. "Should I read anything into you comparing him to a guy you just had hot sex with?" "No… no, it's just that…" CJ quirked her eyebrow at her. "At first I think I kind of took it for granted that Josh was there… like, I'm here, so of course, Josh is here, we're always together… but once I was thinking a little more clearly, I appreciated it… and I appreciate everything he's done for me since I've gotten back. He's really…" She glanced down and blushed. "Been attentive and gone out of his way. I know you might disagree with that, but he's really gone above and beyond the call of duty." "Oh trust me, I don't disagree that he's gone out of his way… actually..." "Yeah?" Donna asked eagerly while simultaneously trying to feign nonchalance. "His walking out, right as we were headed into the Oval to advise the President on an international crisis, in order to get on a plane and go halfway around the world to be at your side – I would say that is definitely above and beyond his duty as your boss." "Oh…" The full extent of what Josh had done resonated with Donna. "Well, we're friends too." "True, but… Donna, I think…" CJ shook her head thinking of the last time she'd advised Donna, "No, not my place. I shouldn't say anything…" "Go ahead, feel free to say whatever." "It's just that, Josh was… he was very upset. More than upset, he was…" CJ trailed off. "What are you saying?" Donna glanced around nervously while brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm saying maybe you should read something into it." CJ ended frankly. Donna's eyes immediately shot to CJ's. "But you're the one who said…" "Something like this puts… things in perspective. That's all I'm saying." She looked at Donna thoughtfully. "And… maybe in the end, it's the real guy - the one who's a little insecure and fumbling and feeding you jello - that *should* be the real hero of a romance novel." "Maybe…" A slow smile spread across Donna's face; that was definitely something to think about. The End. |