By: chipmunk
Category: Romance
Pairing: hinting at Leo and Margaret
Characters: Leo, Margaret, and Jed on the phone.
Rating: PG-13
Beta By: Lynn
Thanks to Lynn (leosimpishgrin) for the brainstorming, to find the
little extras!
Thanks to Bev (adoreleo) for encouraging me to just start writing!
I think I surprised them with this one, as it wrote itself!
Archived at:
http://www.geocities.com/chipmunkswhimseys/StandAloneMain.html
Disclaimer:
The characters are from the NBC, WB, Bravo, A John Wells Prod., TV show, 'The West Wing'. They own them; therefore, they do not belong to me.They are the creation of Aaron Sorkin. I only borrowed them.No copyright infringement is intended. No monetary benefit is received or anticipated.A 'grateful' and 'enormous' thanks, to the actors and actresses, who portray the characters 'brilliantly'and who brings them to life in my head. Feedback: I’d love it hear your opinion! PLEASE! It helps to improve my writing!
Note: This is a standalone fic and is NOT connected to any
of my prior L/M series!! But could
follow ‘Thanksgiving’!
Summary: Leo is thrown out of the White House early one
evening and he calls Margaret to find out what he is supposed to do with no
schedule for his off hours. She has
just the answer to fill in his long evening alone. He can take her to the
winter carnival at the neighborhood common.
*****
Leo
makes his usual evening call to the President early tonight and he’s not very
happy with his friend this evening.
“Good evening, Mr. President.”
The
President has a cheerful tone to his voice tonight, “Hello, Leo. What are you doing with your free Saturday
evening off?”
“Nothing,
Sir,” Leo hardly hesitates, before explaining, “Someone ambushed me, we won’t
name names and took my briefcase from me at the door, on my way out this
evening,”
The
President is grinning at his successfully blindsiding Leo’s attempt to keep on
working at his hotel room this evening, after he ordered Leo from the White
House. “Leo, you could visit with
Mallory this evening. I know she’d love
to see you,” his friend suggests, trying to be helpful.
“Yeah,
she would, Sir, but she has a date tonight.” Leo reveals that he’s already
spoken with his daughter, since leaving his office earlier tonight.
The
President is pleased that he can now prove his point. “You could take a lesson from her, Leo. Saturday nights are great for dating. There’s plenty to do in D.C., you know.”
“Sir,
honestly, we both know I’m too busy to date,” Leo sighs at having this
conversation with his long time friend, again.
The
President chuckles, practically crowing with delight, “Well, you’re not to busy
tonight, Leo!”
“Yes,
Sir. I hear you.” He knows his friend
is enjoying this banter. “If there’s no pressing White House business we need
to discuss, I’ll just say goodnight now, Sir.”
“OK,
Leo. Try to at least relax, and maybe you’ll think of something to do that will
interest you.” His friend is just
trying to get him to lighten up in life.
“Thank
you, Sir,” Leo is hopeful that he can end the call soon, by not adding anything
to the conversation.
The
President relents and lets his friend off the hook for now, “Ok. Well… just unwind
then,” he pauses a beat, “Have a good night, Leo, see you on Monday!” The President almost makes it sound like an
order.
“Good
night, Sir,” Leo says as he breathes a silent sigh of relief, wondering how he
lost control of that call.
After
Leo hangs up the phone, he makes a restless circuit of his hotel rooms. He pauses to stare out at the city lights,
from his balcony windows. Watching with
some interest the moving traffic below, curtained with a light falling
snow. With a sarcastic ‘humph’ sound he
reflects. ~ So many people with something
to do tonight and I’m here with nothing to do, but stare out my damn window.
~ He broods some more, as he watches
the scattered flakes drift past his small balcony outside. ~ I don’t date! I don’t have the time to date.…
I get out and see people. I go
to formal functions all the time for the White House. Hell, half the women at those things are trying to snare me, like
it’s some kind of contest. Makes me
crazy! ~
Leo
is not pleased with his forced inactivity this evening. He paces some more around the small rooms of
his hotel. Trying to find something… anything to capture his interest.
Actually, his suite’s almost too sterile of an environment for any sort of inspiration,
even if he has lived there for so long.
He really lives at his office.
He just sleeps here.
Leo
is at a total loss, as to what to do with his free time this evening. Even the
TV sucks, he decides, after standing in front of it with the remote and
flipping through all of the channels at his usual record speed.
He
finally gives up his wandering and sits in the padded chair by the window. Slumped in his favorite position with his
elbow on the chair arm, his jaw resting on the length of his thumb and with his
curled fingers just touching the corner of his mouth, he’s just contemplating
his long evening alone. ~ I’m
not used to having extra time that I'm not either working or sleeping! Margaret runs my office... hell... my
life…but unfortunately, she doesn't include what I'm to do during any actual...
you know... non-sleeping, off hours. ~
Leo
ponders his plight some more. ~I
wonder what she’s doing with a whole evening off?~ He picks up the
handset of the phone beside him and quickly punches in her number. He’s so glad to now have an activity to
engage his interest.
*****
Margaret
is pleased to be home so early tonight, after, thankfully, the President
cleared out the West Wing this Saturday evening. Sad to say, she’s using the extra time to get caught up on her
ironing. It’s just a few things, but
she hates the cost of sending them to the cleaners, when she can do the quick
pressing herself. Even though it’s
winter, she has the window cracked open a wee bit and is happily humming to
herself, as she applies herself to her task.
The
phone rings, and she quickly props the iron on it’s end, and grabbing her box
of orange juice, ~ good against colds~, she steals a quick
sip, as she hurries to the phone. ~Why is it one ever thinks to take the
cordless phone with them, until you’re really busy and it rings?~ She grabs the phone a split second before the fourth ring that
would kick on the answering machine.
“Hello,
Ryan residence,” she sounds as professional at home on the phone, as she does
at the office.
“Hey,
Margaret, it’s me,” is what she hears in a warm familiar rumbling voice.
“Hey,
Leo. What do you need?” She tries to sound cheerful with her reply,
hoping that by him calling her home number, instead of her cell phone that his
call is not work related.
Leo’s
mind flashes one quick thought, ~ you ~, but he just manages to keep that
thought to himself. “Relax, Margaret,
I’m not calling about work. I was ah…”
he decides to use a light tone with his explanation, “I just thought I’d call
ya to see how your evening off is going.
…I’m just sitting here doing nothing, … you know… as ordered by… you
know who!”
His
dry wit shows, “I’m almost to the point of twiddling my thumbs here, Margaret.”
This
is Margaret he’s talking to and he just can’t help himself from pointing out to
her, “He… ah… he… he took my briefcase!”
Leo
sounds like he’s tattling on his friend.
“Right out of my hand… he probably hid it in the Residence to keep me
from finding it. As if I could actually
slip back in past the door guards,” Leo’s grumbling at being so ill-treated,
winds to an end. He knows only his
Margaret would understand him.
Margaret
tries not to let him hear her chuckle at his little boy like pouting. She thinks he sounds so cute, but she loves
the sound of his voice all the time, even when he yells for her. It just proves to her that she’s a vital
part of his life.
She
answers him in a soft comforting voice that he needs right now. She knows her Leo! “You’ll survive, Leo!
Relax, I’m sure he’ll return it, ‘unharmed.’”
“Very
funny there, Margaret,” Leo can tell she’s not going to sympathize with him too
much. She’s on the President’s side on
this. “Now, I ask you, what am I going
to do tonight? …Mallory’s not home
tonight, she’s on a date.” He rattles
off his evening so far for her benefit, “I’ve tried to keep busy,
Margaret. I’ve changed into casual
clothes. I already had an early dinner
downstairs, and now I don’t have any files to keep me busy. So, here I sit with nothing to do!”
She’s
not buying into his ‘poor me’ attitude, “That’s so sad, Leo. There you sit, in that lovely hotel room,
with your every need met, by the wonderful staff. It has a nice restaurant, exercise room and pool. With a wonderful spa, with steam room,
massage available and whirlpool tub. I
should be so lucky,” she giggles, “and you wonder why no one will join you, in
the pity party that you’re having over there.”
He
hesitates a moment and thinks to himself about her opinion of his hotel, ~All she has to do is ask! ~
He
remembers where they were in the conversation and defends himself, “Humph… I’m not having pity party, Margaret. I’ve been forced out of my office, with
nothing to do now!” He can’t stop from
asking, “Speaking of parties, what have you got going on over there? Is that what I think I hear? It sounds like in the background you have,
of all things, a calliope playing.”
She
gives a short laugh, “Well, yes you do, Leo, but it’s not from inside my
apartment. The sound is from the Winter
Carnival down the street at the Common.
I opened my window just enough to enjoy the sounds from it, especially
the calliope on the Merry-go-round.”
He
doesn’t stop her happy chatter. In
fact, he gives her a soft ‘humm’ sound, as if he’s actually interested. Honestly and secretly, he likes to hear her
talk of real life interests outside of work.
As if she’s telling him about another world or life that he never finds
the time to explore outside of the White House.
Before
elaborating more to Leo, she moves back to her ironing board and flips another
blouse out to be pressed. The phone is
cradled efficiently against her neck.
She happily continues, “The local Community Center is having the
carnival to raise funds for their youth programs. They have snow sculptures and ice carving contests. Hot foods and drinks that you can enjoy, as
you walk around the grounds. There’s
lights strung in the trees and music can be heard, as you watch the kids at the
small ice rink. It’s a real Winter
Wonderland.”
Leo
loves to hear her excited voice, as he settles back more comfortably into his
chair.
She
remembers to add, “Oh and skill games, a Ferris wheel and of course, the
merry-go-round for the little kids.
Which I just love to listen to!”
He
chuckles at her happiness. “I guess you do at that, Margaret, if you’re letting
the cold air in, just so you can enjoy the sound. I didn’t know they still had carnivals in the city, …maybe in the
suburbs, but not… you know… not so close in.
Humm… I haven’t been to one, since I was in high school in Chicago.”
Margaret
can hear the wishful sound of Leo’s voice, as he remembers. “I was considering checking it out, now that
I’m home this evening, but I really didn’t want to go out alone after dark,
even if it is so close by.” Then… she
has a wonderful idea!
“Ah…Leo,
you think you’d be interested in coming over here and strolling around it with
me… to check it out?” She adds to be persuasive. “Like I said, Leo, it’s to benefit a good cause.”
His
voice is a soft rumble, “Thanks, Margaret.
…It does sound like a nice way to spend the evening.” ~My
Margaret and a whole evening together, with no work, actually sounds great to
me. ~
“You’ll
have fun, Leo, and we could both use some time out in the fresh air,” she
teases him, with a happy sound to her voice, “which is ‘way better’ than you
twiddling your thumbs, while sitting indoors.”
He
chuckles, “Should I check the temperature outside first? To see if we’ll soon be frozen solid and
mistaken for one of the displays?” He
can’t resist joining in on her happy mood.
“No,
Leo, it’s not that cold out!” She
instructs him, “Just wear your long wool overcoat and wear a warm scarf and
don’t forget to wear your gloves.”
“Stop
right there, Margaret! Who are you, my
mother?” It’s an old tease between
them. “Don’t you even suggest that I
wear a hat! I don’t do hats!”
She
laughs at his growling at her worrying he’ll get cold. She knows it’s a weak
point of his. He hates to be cold. “OK, Leo, I quit! I promise that I’ll help you stay warm this evening. I’ll just have to make sure to keep you
moving!”
His
mind gives him another flash that makes him swallow, before he replies, “You
just do that, Margaret. I trust you to
keep me from freezing out there. You
always know what’s best for me.”
“Bet
your ass, Leo. When will you be over
here?” Her eagerness is really showing now.
“Is
there a time that’s best for you, Margaret?”
He lets her decide, as his time is very flexible.
“I
asked, Leo, because actually you’re rescuing me from my ironing board,” she confesses.
“So
now I’m your hero?” He tries to start the banter again.
“You’ll
always be a hero to me, Leo,” Margaret is quick to honestly reply.
There’s
a pause on his end of the conversation, before she hears a soft, “Thanks!”
Margaret
understands, and she wants to get the show on the road, “Come on over now then,
Leo. If it’s OK with you? Oh, if you still have my emergency door key,
just let yourself in, as I need to put away the ironing stuff and change into
some warmer clothes.”
“Yeah,
I do. I’ll be right there.” He glances outside the window, “Good idea
about dressing warmer, Margaret. It’s
snowing lightly again.”
“Wonderful! Perfect for this evening! See ya in a bit!” She’s so pleased at how
the evening is working out.
The
phone clicks in his ear, and he has a warm smile on his face. He can always count on Margaret to lift his
spirits and fascinate him at the same time. ~She is a wonder! ~
*****
With
new energy for the evening, Leo quickly leaves his chair to retrieve a sweater
to pull on as an extra layer, before getting his coat and finding his little
used car keys. ~ My car better start, down in the underground garage. I’m going to freeze waiting for it to warm
up, but Margaret promised to keep me warm.
To my way of thinking that would involve her shutting that damn window
that she has open in the dead of winter, and us staying at her place to get
warm. ~
As
he winds his scarf around his neck, he remembers her happy voice, ~ If she wants us to spend the evening
freezing our butts off, looking at ice and snow sculptures, I’m not
complaining, well not much anyway, just as long as she’s happy to share her
time with me. All she has to do is ask!
~ Leo wastes little time hurrying down
to his car and over to Margaret’s apartment.
*****
Arriving
at Margaret’s door he hesitates a moment, before letting himself in with her
key, as if he’s at home here. Leo still
gives his well-known, at the White House, two knuckles, two tap knock, as he
enters. After shutting the door behind
him on the cooler hallway and not seeing her in the living room, he calls out,
“Margaret, I’m here!”
“Hang
on, Leo, be right there!” Comes from somewhere in the back of the apartment.
She
sounds funny, muffled, to him and he steps closer to the sound of her voice,
but hesitates to enter the hallway.
Margaret
staggers out of a room, into the hallway in front of him, with her face still
covered by the flipped up collar of her turtleneck sweater.
Leo
grins at the sight of her, not wondering why.
He knows that Margaret is Margaret and has a very good reason for this,
even if it is unusual to the world.
She
can see his grinning face through the knit of the sweater. With an exasperated sigh she commands, “Leo,
quit grinning and get over here. I need
some help. If you don’t mind?”
He
chuckles at her peculiar predicament, “What did you do now, Margaret?”
“Well,
it took real talent, Leo,” she answers a tad sarcastically through the sweater
material. “Would you believe that both
of my earrings are caught in my sweater and I can’t see well enough to get them
loose.”
“Yeah,
Margaret, I would. Only you!” He moves to stand beside her and carefully
works his fingers inside one side of the sweater neck, to slip it down enough
to view her ear and release the earring.
“Well, Margaret, I guess I’m the hero after all?” He needlessly warns, “Hold still just a few
more moments.”
“I’m
not going anywhere. Believe me! Just don’t hurt my ears,” she also warns
him.
“I’ll
do my best, but I’m working under a handicap here, …as I left my red cape back
at the hotel …or maybe it’s at the White House in my briefcase,” He just
couldn’t resist teasing her.
“Very
funny, Leo,” she holds perfectly still, trusting him to rescue her.
He
chuckles at their banter. “Seriously,
Margaret, I’m going to have to take this earring out of your ear or it’ll just
re-snag. Your sweater keeps trying to
pop back up over it.”
“If
you can take it out and not hurt me, that’s fine.” Margaret gets exasperated
with herself sometimes. “I should have
known better and removed them first.
This is what I get for hurrying.”
Leo
just shakes his head wearing a slight smile at her dilemma and patiently works
the earring loose. “My poor Margaret,” he whispers softly between them. He places the freed earring into the palm of
her hand. “Hold this.”
Leo
is correct. The sweater pops right back
up over her ear. Stepping to her other
side, he carefully repeats the same procedure for her other ear, but leaves the
earring in. Leo has a grin on his face
the whole time.
When
the second one is finally freed and she can finish pulling the sweater down
from her face, she leans forward and rewards her hero with a kiss to his cheek.
Barely moving back from his face she whispers, ‘Thanks, Leo! See what you can do without a cape!”
“Very
funny, Margaret,” he answers softly, sounding a little breathless from her face
being so close to his, for the kiss and from her heady perfume. ~I’ll
be her hero anytime! All she has to do
is ask! ~
She
moves back and grins with happiness at his being here with her for the evening.
Putting the first earring back into her ear, Margaret tells him, “Let me get my
shoes on and my coat and then we can leave.”
Leo
glances down to her sock clad feet and watches her slide gracefully past him
and around the apartment, clicking off all but a tiny night light in
preparation to them leaving.
He
moves over to shut the window that she had partly open this evening, and he can
hear the sounds softly coming from the common through it.
Margaret
is now grabbing her coat and scarf from the coat tree.
Leo
steps over behind her in the dim lighting, to help her slip into her coat. It seems so natural to wrap his arms around
her, while still holding the coat, to settle it onto her shoulders.
“Thanks,
Leo.” She finishes wrapping her scarf around her neck with a final flick to
throw it over her shoulder. In the near
darkness she can see him standing motionless, intently watching her and they
silently communicate for a moment between them.
The
moment is broken, as she opens the door to the hallway and the light spills in
onto them.
In
the spirit of fun, she reaches back for his hand, to encourage him to follow
her out into the hall, “Let’s go, Leo,” she coaxes.
Enjoying
her hand in his he willingly follows, pulling the door shut behind him and
noting the click, as it locks. ~All she has to do is ask! ~
She
continues to hold his hand and leads him down to the outside door. Where, as Leo warned her, it is lightly
snowing.
*****
They walk arm in arm
down the sidewalk toward the happy sounds and twinkling lights coming from the
carnival. They are both grinning and
Margaret can’t resist blowing her breath to see the misty fog extend out in front
of her.
Leo leans his head over
close to her, as they continue walking at the nice pace they have set and
whispers, “Taken up smoking in your free time, have you, Margaret?”
Margaret giggles at his
teasing her, “Oh Leo, this is fun smoke!
You should try it!”
Leo turns to grin at
her. “You don’t like it when I smoke!”
He proceeds to blow a cloud of white mist out in front of her face.
“Well, I must admit you
are better at it than I am, Leo.” She
gives a small laugh and just can’t resist teasing, “But it must be from all
that hot air you blow on the hill.”
Laughing freely, she acts as if to pull away from him in fun, with their
arms still looped together.
Wearing a wicked smile,
he pulls her back tight against his side.
“Come back here, you!” He really
likes this playful side of Margaret.
Grinning she surrenders,
“Leo, we’re here. Be good and maybe we
can indulge your sweet tooth, while we’re in there tonight.”
He leans over to her ear
to purr softly, so that he’s not overheard, “You know all my weaknesses too
well, Margaret, and I’m going to keep you to that promise.”
*****
They stop at the
entrance gateway, and naturally Margaret gives a quiet protest and Leo gives
her a look that reminds her that as a gentleman he pays their way in.
Once inside he softly
reminds her, “You can buy the first cup of something hot that we have to
drink. You also promised to keep me
warm,” he makes eye contact with her and gives her that grin of his that
definitely warms a woman’s heart.
Walking around with cups
of hot cocoa while they get their bearings, Margaret is starting to worry that
maybe they should have worn something on their heads, as it really is a cold
crisp night. She spots the perfect
item in a near by booth.
She releases his arm to
step over and view the items, “Leo, this is what we need to buy! Now to pick which color to get?”
Leo looks from behind
her at the display and can’t restrain his surprise. “They’re earmuffs,
Margaret! You want me to purposely buy
and wear them in public? Are you my mother again?”
Margaret
looks him straight in the eye and answers, as she can tell by the way he’s
hunkering down into his coat collar that he ‘is’ cold, “Yes, if I have to be!”
She
switches back to being fun and grabs up a bright blue pair to hold to her head,
“How do you like these on me?”
He
can’t resist her fun side and grins at the sight, “Wonderful, Margaret!” ~In
no way does he
view her as his mother! ~
Leo
knows he’s lost this argument from the moment he realized she was serious. “If I must wear earmuffs, I’m getting basic
black!”
Margaret
is getting brave now, “You sure you don’t want these cute snowman head ones?”
“Woman,”
he growls in fun at Margaret, as he at the same time hands a bill to the
smiling salesgirl.
Grinning,
Margaret pops hers onto her head and then takes Leo’s from his hand, before he
can tuck them into his pocket. With a
smile of happiness, she adjusts them and reaching over, puts them onto his head
and snugly over his ears.
He
tilts his head to the side sarcastically and grins, “Happy now?” His breath
misting out between them in the cold.
“Sure
am!” She takes his gloved hand, “Leo, I think I see a display over there that
looks like they’re making fudge right here.”
“Fresh
fudge? Lead on, Margaret, you have my attention now!” ~She can be my warm and
sweet anytime. ~
*****
After finishing their
cocoa and a good sampling of fudge, Leo just had to have two different pieces
to try. They next stroll over to
Margaret’s carnival weakness.
Stopping to watch the
children having fun on the merry-go-round.
Leo stands behind her with a hand resting on her shoulder, as she
happily takes in all the lights, color and sounds in front of her.
“Leo?” He knows what
she’s asking him, with that begging tone to her voice.
“No way!” Leo quickly refuses to ride.
“Not on a horse,
Leo! We can sit in the sleigh, on the
merry-go-round.” She tries to be
logical with him, in the faint hope he might be persuaded
“I’m Sorry,
Margaret. I really am, but…” Leo still
refuses to ride, hoping that his refusal will not put an end to the happy mood
they have going tonight.
Margaret sighs with
understanding and leans back against Leo, to let him know that she’s not
unhappy with him, while she soaks in the music of the calliope. Leo has automatically slipped his arms
around her, to keep them warm.
Margaret quietly speaks,
“Someday, Leo, I’ll get to ride on the Merry-go-round again. I may have to hurry, but someday I’ll have
some kids of my own and I hope they’ll love the sound of the calliope playing,
as much as I do. It’ll be fun to ride
it with them. I guess I’ll always be a
little girl at heart.”
Hearing the wistful
sound in her voice. His heart, as a
parent, goes out to her. This is again having intriguing ideas flashing into
Leo’s head. ~Margaret wants kids. Ok! Again,
I’ll she has to do is ask! With her
settled in my arms, I better clear my head of that thought! ~
When the ride comes to a
stop, Margaret moves from his arms and he holds out his elbow for her to take,
as they move to stroll along the areas set aside for the snow sculptures and
the ice carving. Neither one can decide
which one they like best, as several are truly amazing. They are both
astonished as to what can be artistically created with frozen water, a chisel
and a creative mind.
*****
They
arrive at far end of the Common that is busy with families enjoying the small
ice rink that is set up for the kids.
They enjoy hot cider this time, as they watch the kids skate around with
happy tinkling music playing from somewhere to add to the atmosphere.
Seeing
an empty bench overlooking the rink, they try sitting for a short while in the
cold. Margaret is so captivated in
watching the kids moving around on the ice.
Looking to distinguish if any may of them is more graceful and agile
than the others. You never know, maybe
one is a future star in the rough.
Margaret
tries not to ignore Leo, as they watch, so she asks, “Leo, you mentioned
earlier on the phone that you went to winter carnivals in the Chicago area. I never really thought about it before, but
we both grew up in cold climates.”
With
a smile, Leo watches her eyes dart around the rink with keen interest. “Does
that also mean you know how to skate, Margaret?”
She
doesn’t take her eyes off the ice, “Yes, but it’s been years.” After a beat and still watching the
children, she continues, “How about you, Leo?
Back then, were you daring enough to risk life and limb playing ice
hockey with the big guys?”
Leo
nods his head to the side, “I must confess.
I was a bit of a risk taker even as a teenager, but it’s been a lot of years since I had on a pair of hockey
skates.”
“Not
brave enough to try it now?” She has a cheeky grin on her face.
Leo
points out the flaws in her challenge, “Well, in the first place, this rink is
only for kids and I’d definitely have to get my feet under me again, after so
many years.”
Margaret
smirks at him, “Yeah, you’d just break your bony butt with your first step on
the ice, while I’d be skating gracefully away!”
Leo
looks at her for a long moment to see if she’s serious, “I’ll have to decline
your challenge for now, Margaret. If I
break something, there’ll be hell to pay at the White House.” ~The
President would probably laugh himself silly and at the same time, he’d also be
feeling sorry for me. ~
Leo
knows just what to do with her challenge. “Margaret, we go to Manchester in two
week and if the cold weather continues till then, the big farm pond should be
frozen solid. We can see how well you
skate away from me then.”
Margaret
is so pleased at how this is turning out.
“It’s a deal, Leo! Better get
your skates dusted off and sharpened.
I’ll be sure to bring mine along!”
Leo
assures her, “They have lots of skates at the farm, from over the years, to fit
everyone.”
“That’s
great, Leo, but I have my figure skates that fit me just fine.” Margaret is wearing her secret little smile
that so intrigues him.
Leo has the feeling he
better check into purchasing and sharpening a new pair of skates. He suspects that Jed and he have probably
trashed the men’s skates at the farm over the years. ~ She’s awfully
confident. I wonder why? Just how good is she on the ice? ~
*****
Not much later, Margaret
is still watching the children skating and Leo is just about bone cold. Trying to ignore the cold, he silently studies her lovely profile.
She
glances at him and catches him watching her.
Smiling at his scrutiny, she asks, “What?”
Leo
can’t resist his dry humor again, “Margaret, you look nice and warm in your coat! I just may have to join you in it, …if it
gets any colder, …and before I freeze!” ~ She did promise! ~
Her
eyes sparkle from the cold and his teasing, but she resists the comeback remark
that pops into head and agrees, “It sure is warm, Leo, that’s what I bought it
for. We better get moving before you’re
frozen solid!” She stands and pulls him
up by his elbow, in case he ‘is’ froze stiff from sitting. “Come on, I’ll hold you snugly beside me,
maybe that would help thaw you out?” ~
I wouldn’t mind holding Leo snugly more often! Damn, his dimple is working
its winter magic again. ~
*****
Needing to walk around
again to keep warm, they move into the area of the ‘chance of skill’
games. Margaret looks at the booths set
up on both sides of the pathway.
The booth workers are
calling out to the people passing by.
They’re trying everything from flirting, to challenging, to get the
patrons to part with a buck for a good cause and win the little lady a prize.
They walk slowly, as
Margaret is interested in the different games and is figuring in her head the
odds of someone actually winning.
She’s checking out the
shelves of prizes lined up on the back walls in each booth for something that
might catch her eye. “Leo, are you
going try to win me something here?”
“Nay, you can never win
these things, Margaret. They are so
rigged.” At her frowning look, he
admits, while emphasizing his point with his hand, palm up, in front of them,
“Yes, once in a while they ‘let’ someone win, to lure the others in to lose
their money.”
“Leo, you’re just being
a ‘fuddy duddy’. This is for fun and
for a good cause.” Even though he’s
smiling at her opinion of him. She can
tell that he’s not budging. “It can’t
be that hard, Leo. Teenagers win them
all the time!” Margaret can’t believe
that Leo is unwavering with his opinion,
Leaning his head
slightly to the side, Leo challenges her with a cocky grin, “Well, if you think
it’s so easy, Margaret, you win one!”
He’s so sure that she’ll never win, and he also knows that if she does
win, his male ego is not that fragile that
he would be threatened by her besting him at a game of
chance. He’s not exactly as
self-assured in other chances he has considered with her in his mind tonight.
Margaret’s back
straightens with the challenge, “Ok, I will, Leo. It just takes patience and concentration.” Shaking a gloved finger at him, she states,
“You also don’t let the guy running the booth rattle you. Let me find one I want to try.” Margaret is now on a quest to prove that
she’s right, for the moment, totally forgetting the cold.
She glances up and down
the row. “Over there, Leo. That one!” Margaret points to a game where they
throw softballs at a row of hairy monkeys.
Leo knows that is one of
the oldest scams of the carnival games.
The monkey bodies are narrow, and the soft fur around them is long. “Margaret, that’s a difficult game. You have to be dead center on each head, and
you have to get three out of four to win a decent prize.” He hopes to deter her from picking this
game.
“Just stand back, Leo
McGarry! I throw a mean softball,”
Margaret warns him, as she’s already digging into her coat pocket for her
wallet.
Leo grins and takes a
step back, as if to take her seriously of him being in danger next to her. ~She can hurt me anytime, but preferably not
in public and hopefully with no telling marks left showing. I really have to quit this, or she ‘will’
hurt me, if she ever guesses what’s going on in my head... ~ He watches quietly, as she pays
for the softballs lined up in front of her.
“Here, Leo,” barely
looking back at him, she hands her gloves back for him to hold, as she’s
already analyzing which possible target to start with.
“Yes, ma’am.” Leo can’t resist a tease at her taking the
challenge so seriously.
Margaret has on her
serious, determined look, as she targets in on a furry monkey.
She winds up her
pitching arm and with her scarf ends swinging, she pulls her left knee up as
far as her long coat will allow and stepping forward, lets the first ball fly
from her hand.
Leo is grinning with
amazement, when the ball hits a monkey dead center in the face and flips
backwards. “All right, Margaret! You
got the first one. Just two more to
go!”
She flips him a
confident look over her shoulder, “Right you are, McGarry! Number two coming up or down, as it may
be!” She gives the ball a small toss up
from the palm of her hand, as she picks her next target.
Just as she decides, the
man in the booth yells out to the crowd that she’s about to pitch and asking
them if she can get two in a row!
Margaret gives the man
her most pointed look, and Leo is behind her, shaking his head and silently
mouthing the word ‘no’ at the guy. The
few people watching have grins on their faces, at Leo’s antics behind
Margaret’s back.
The man sees that both
of them are serious. He smiles cheekily
and wisely steps back, knowing to stay out of range, when a woman with a
softball in her hand is glaring at him.
Margaret refocuses on
her chosen monkey and lets the next ball fly.
It passes smoothly between the furry necks of two of the monkeys.
“Ooops,” slips out of
Leo’s mouth, before he can stop it. The
mist of his breath is marking his error in the air.
She slowly looks back at
him and notes that he’s wearing his best impish grin, to save his skin. She also gives the man in the booth a quick
glare, before picking up her third ball.
The men are both wisely
silent, as she twists the ball between her two hands.
After again picking a
monkey to bean in the head, with real determination showing on her face, she
pitches the ball. The monkey makes a
smacking sound, as the ball gets it in the face and down it goes.
“Ahhh!” A satisfied sigh of relief is heard from Leo
behind her, as Margaret lets out the breath she was holding, in a small cloud
of warm air.
The man at the booth
knows that he may be risking his life, but goes ahead and lets the crowd behind
Leo know that she needs only one more monkey for a prize and that she has only
one more ball to do it. He gets totally
quiet, when she picks up her last ball.
Leo whispers behind her,
“Relax. Take your time! Breathe!”
Staring at the ball in
her hand, she gives a small nod of her head that she understands, as if he’s
her coach.
Margaret raises her head
and takes a step to the left, so that she’s not cross throwing at her last
monkey target.
Just before she throws,
she whispers to herself, “You’re going down monkey.” She takes a breath and holds it, till she throws and breathes
out, as she releases the ball from her fully extended arm.
Smack! The monkey takes the ball on the ear and so
does the monkey just next to it, and they both go down with one ball.
Margaret gives a hop of
joy, as she spins around to face Leo.
He has his arms wide for her, as she flings herself back to him. “Did you see? Did you see me get two with one ball? I got four monkeys down!” She’s also so happy to be wrapped in
his arms. ~ He gives the best hugs!
~
“Yeah, you sure did,
Honey, … I mean… umm… Margaret! I’m so
proud and happy for you. Josh and Toby
will never believe this, but you did it!”
“I better get my prize
to show them.” She whirls back around
to the booth worker. “What did I
win?”
“Lady, you won the pick
of your choice, of any stuffed animal hanging in here.” He adds with some
admiration, “Congratulations. You have
a great throwing arm!”
“Yep, that’s what I told
Leo. Thanks!” Her eyes dart around the prizes, and she points a finger. “I’d like that penguin. If I may?”
As the worker places a
hand on the largest prize in the booth, he tries to tempt her, “Not this giant
bear?”
“No thanks, the penguin
is the one I want! Please!” She insists on the prize of her choice.
“Ok, here you go,
Lady!” He shouts out to the crowd, “We
have a winner here folks! The lady won
herself a fine penguin! Anyone else
want to try?”
Margaret hugs her prize
in front of her and hooks her arm through Leo’s again, as they leave the booth
area.
Leo leans his head to
hers, as they walk away, “You did really good, Margaret! You amaze me,” he places a quick kiss to her
cheek.
Margaret is blushing
with happiness, or it might be from Leo’s praise or maybe from his peck to her
cheek in public. ~I’m so happy with this evening has turned out. His kiss is all the prize I really needed. ~
They walk past a few
more game booths, when she asks, “Leo, over there’s a shooting gallery. You
wanna try your luck?” Maybe he’s
changed his mind about the games.
He grins at her good
naturedly, “Nah, you won the prize tonight.
I just want you to enjoy being the game winner tonight.”
“Thank you, Leo. You’re a real sweetie tonight!” She hugs his
arm tighter to her side, in her joy.
“Don’t let that get
around on The Hill, Margaret.” He
places his free hand on his chest, “I have my tough guy reputation to
keep!” Leo can’t help joining her at
chuckling at his bad attempt to be funny.
*****
Not too much later, they
stroll in their circuit of the carnival area, back toward where they came
in. In the center of the carnival is a
Ferris wheel that’s lit up with bright, colorful lights around its rim.
With her head craned
back, Margaret watches to see the happy, but chilly, riders appear over the
top, as the wheel turns. Margaret asks
wistfully, “Leo, could we do one ride, while we are here? Please?” Her eyes shift from his face, to the huge
wheel in front of them and back to his eyes.
Letting him know her desire to ride it.
Leo grins at her hopeful
face, “Ok, Margaret, I take it you want to ride the Ferris wheel?”
Her face lights up,
“That would be great, Leo.” In the next
instant, Margaret asks seriously, “If you don’t think you would be too
cold?”
Leo assures her, “We can
ride, Margaret. You know how I love to
be up in the air! I think I’ll survive
the cold a little longer, so we both can have this treat!” Leo leads her over to wait for the ride to
finish and unload.
They line up for the
ride and are soon seated in bench number five.
The ride operator offers to hold Margaret’s stuffed animal, as he tucks
a blanket around their legs and clicks the safety handrail down across their
laps.
As they move back one
spot, so the next seat can be unloaded and reloaded, Leo remarks, “At least the
wind is not blowing tonight. It’s just
as cold as ‘blue hell’ tonight!”
Margaret grins at his
cursing the cold and pats her hand to his chest, as a friendly scold, but she
moves a little closer to him to help fight the cold off.
Actually, Leo’s a little
nervous right now. Not with the ride,
but with how he should behave with Margaret sitting beside him on the
ride.
~
I don’t know if I should
hold her hand or put my arm around her, like some couples do on a Ferris
wheel. At least that’s how I used to
ride with a girl on a Ferris wheel, but back then it was with my steady
girlfriend Teresa. Then again, Margaret
is the steadiest person in my life and has been for a long time. ~
Seeing Leo shift some in
his coat, as if to block out more of the cold, Margaret remembers her promise
to him. ~ We’re just going to have to snuggle together to keep warm. Like that’ll be a hardship for me tonight,
or any night!~
She wiggles over tighter
against Leo’s side and gives him a cheeky smile.
In return Leo gives her
his crooked grin, with his dimple showing, “All set there, Margaret?”
“I’m just trying to keep
you warm like I promised, Leo. How am I
doing so far?” She grins happily at
him. ~I so love that dimple! ~
He gives into his better
instincts and wraps his arm around behind her and pulls her snugly against him. “That’s better now, Margaret, thanks! I feel good and warm with you close beside
me.” He pats his outside earmuff with
his free hand. “We can’t forget that
our earmuffs will keep us warmer.”
Margaret giggles at his
teasing her about the muffs, and he has been a good sport with wearing them.
“Well, Mama knows best, Leo!”
Leo gives a small mock
growl at her banter. ~Foxy mama if you
ask me! Damn, but my mind has a way of
its own tonight.~
Leo decides that he
better find them a topic of conversation, or he may not be responsible for his
actions. “Did they have winter
carnivals where you grew up in Vermont?”
“Yeah, they did,
Leo. Every February. So this one seems like an early one to
me.” She wiggles again, just loving the
fact of sitting beside him, in his arms, and away from the hectic life of the
White House.
Looking down at the
ground several feet below them at the others waiting in line, she continues.
“My girlfriends and I used to go to the winter carnival looking for boys to
met. We loved watching them play the
games and showing off on the ice rink for us.”
Leo chuckles to himself,
“Yeah, we did the same thing. A bunch
of us young guys would be trying to get the attention of a group of girls. Then we’d each see if one of them would go
on a ride with us, so we could put an arm around our girl for a little
while. Just like I am now!” He gives her a nice squeeze with the arm
around her shoulders.
Margaret can’t resist
teasing, “And what else did you hope for with the girl you had your arm
around?”
“Well, I usually got to
hold hands with her, after the ride, for the rest of the evening.” He takes her right hand with his, seeing if
she’ll blush or pull it away.
Margaret is not averse
to holding his hand at all. It feels so
right to her, but she covers any awkwardness with banter. “You’re going to try
and tell me that the risk taking Leo McGarry did not try to put the moves on
that girl in your arms?”
Margaret adds, before
she thinks of what she’s confessing. “I
at least got my first kiss at a winter carnival and on a Ferris wheel at that.”
Leo grins, looking
cocky, as he counters, “Well, I guess I have to confess. I did steal a kiss or two, and it probably
was on a Ferris wheel. It’s a great
ride for cuddling!”
Margaret can’t tear her
eyes off of his face. ~Oh,
I do love that dimple of his! He’s
driving me crazy with it tonight! ~
She covers her staring
at him by asking, “Leo, how could you steal a kiss, right out in public? She had to have let you kiss her and that’s
not stealing; that’s sharing.” The
debate is on now!
Leo is ‘the best’ at
winning debates and her questioning his past romantic conquests prompts him to,
without thought, prove his point, “Just like this!” Leo shifts his arm to pull her closer to his face and kisses her
full on the lips.
Her hand instinctively
rests against his chest to hold her weight, and she closes her eyes at the last
split second.
Leo tilts his head to
better access her lips, as their bodies mold together to enjoy this new experience.
It was a kiss that both
seemed to really enjoy, while it lasted.
Slowly pulling only slightly away from each other. They both are quiet and thoughtful in its
aftermath. Their lips may be cold, but
their cheeks are now flushed brightly, first from the cold, now with the heat
of the kiss.
With
his eyes sweeping her face for her reaction, Leo discovers that he likes to
make her blush, “Just like that, Margaret,” he whispers to her. ~ All she had to do was ask! ~
She
whispers back, “I still say it was not stealing.” Her eyes telling him more than her words, before she settles back
against his side, snuggling under his arm again.
They
both cuddle silently for the short remainder of the ride. As they start to move down to the unloading
position, Leo gives her a quick kiss to her temple and she squeezes his hand
that she was still holding, in thanks.
*****
After
retrieving her penguin, they walk away from the Ferris wheel, Leo smiles at
seeing her face looking so fresh and revitalized in the brisk night air. From
the look of eagerness still on Margaret’s face, he knows that they ‘do’ need to get out of the office environment
more and enjoy fresh air. ~ But does it have to be so damn cold! I’m the one freezing here. ~
Margaret
is not ignorant of Leo shivering and suggests that they stop at the bon fire
that the carnival provides, for just this reason.
They
watch the flickering flames for a short while.
Because of his being a gentleman, he’s standing behind her, so she gets
most of the heat. Margaret can tell
this is not working for Leo! He’s not
very successful at hiding his slight tremors from the cold.
“Leo,
it’s been a wonderful evening, but I think we’ve both taken all the fresh air
we can stand for one night. We may go into
shock, since we’ve not had our noses out of the White House, for this long in
weeks.” Margaret hooks her arm into his
again and moves them toward the exit of the carnival area.
As
they near the exit, Margaret suggests. “Leo, can we get some more hot
chocolate, to keep our hands warm, as we walk back to my apartment?”
“Yeah,
sounds great to me, Margaret. We may
have to keep moving in place, as we’re served or we’ll freeze.” He chuckles at her giving him a ‘bad joke’
look. “Hey, I was just teasing on the
phone, but now I’m starting to think I might have been right, …about us
becoming a frozen display.” He gives
her his best, ‘I’m honest here’ look, with a wide grin.
“Leo,
we’ll be fine, once we get inside my apartment and get warmed up,” she assures
him like a scold, but has to finally smile at his grinning face. ~ Kill me now. I so love that dimple. ~
*****
On
their walk along the night street, Leo looks up at the bright shining stars,
knowing that the night is colder without any cloud cover to hold in the warmth
of the city.
He
looks down to his hot chocolate cup in his hand for a few moments, and he gets
a warm idea. Leo looks over at her,
“Whatcha doing tomorrow, Margaret?” Leo
asks, with a cocky smirk.
“I
hope to go to the gym tomorrow. That is
if I can dodge my boss, so he doesn’t drag me into work,” she teases him.
“I
don’t think that will be a problem, Margaret.”
Leo growls out, “…with my briefcase locked away for the weekend. I also think the President would order me physically
tossed out, if I stepped one foot inside the West Wing tomorrow, without an
invitation from him personally.” Leo is
only half-teasing.
Margaret
looks over at Leo to see how serious he is.
Thinking to herself that she may have to stand between those two, one of
these days. “Seriously, how do you know
that, Leo?”
“When
I called him earlier tonight, he ended the call with ‘see you Monday’!” Leo has a slight scowl on his face, at his
friend outmaneuvering him this evening.
“Yep,
sounds like you got banned all right, Leo.”
Margaret tries not to smile too much at Leo’s dilemma and her good
fortune. “So, what are your plans for
tomorrow, if you were twiddling your thumbs already tonight?”
“I
ah... I thought I might invite you over to my hotel tomorrow,
as a treat, to enjoy the hot tub,” Leo makes a roundabout offer, his fingers
crossed; hoping she’ll jump at the chance.
Margaret’s
mind is spinning at his offer, so she stalls for time to work it out to her
satisfaction, “I don’t know, Leo! It is
tempting, but I really was looking forward to a good workout. After pigging out on all the junk we just
indulged ourselves with tonight, I’ll need to work it off.” Margaret rubs a hand across her middle, as
if she’s worried that the calories are already adding to her waist.
“You
already look fit and trim to me,” he honestly admits to her. “If you insist on going to work out
tomorrow, I ah… I can arrange for you to still use the hot tub, anytime you
want.” He takes it that she’s declining
his offer gently.
Margaret
has a wonderful idea, “Well, Leo, I’ll might agree to your invitation, if we
could work out first, before
we enjoy the hot tub.” She smoothly
roped him into that one and for a beat or two she hears silence from Leo.
It boggles his mind. ~How did she twist that around? ~ “Margaret, you want me…,” he points to his chest, “…to join you
tomorrow?” He looks at her with some
skepticism, “To work out and then get in the hot tub together?”
The visual works for
him, of her glistening with sweat and then wet all over in the hot tub... Now it seems like he’s going to have to ‘pay
the piper’ to get that treat.
She
looks him in the eye, so he knows she’s serious. “Leo, I know damn good and
well that your hotel has an excellent workout room and I plan to drag your butt
down there tomorrow to use it. It’ll
probably be the first time you’ve ever set foot in the room, since you moved
in!” She tries to sound firm, but ends her speech with an anxious look.
He
nods his head to the side, as an act of confession. He gives in, “OK.” ~When she’s wearing that hopeful look on her
face, how can I tell her no? ~
Margaret
is in disbelief, “OK? As in… really
OK? You’ll work out with me
tomorrow?”
He
gets another flash that he better not dwell on, or he’s going to embarrass
himself. “Yeah! We can workout. You can make me suffer tomorrow to your heart’s content.” He
confirms his crazy decision.
“Oh,
it will be great, Leo! Don’t worry, I
won’t hurt you.” She gives him a happy
kiss on the cheek. She’s so happy with
tomorrow’s plans! ~OK, so I gave into my fascination with his dimple! ~
Leo
nearly touches his cheek with his fingertips, but redirects his hand to his
coat collar. ~That’s twice tonight that she has kissed ‘me’, without a second
thought! … I admit, I’m guilty of two kisses myself, including that great one
the ride, so we’re even now! Is it
something in the air tonight? ~
*****
Arriving
back at her place, with cold reddened cheeks and eyes damp from the brisk air,
they savor the warmth of her apartment, as they quickly step through the door.
“Leo,
I know we just had hot chocolate on the way here, but I can put on some coffee,
to help thaw us out!” Margaret quickly
slips out of her coat, after stuffing her new earmuffs into the pocket. “I’ll turn the furnace up a notch to kick on
the heat.”
Leo
is just standing there with his coat on, like he’s not sure that he’s ready to
discard any layers that are holding in what little warmth his body is giving
him.
Margaret
instructs him, “Take your coat and shoes off, Leo, and go stand on the heat
register in the floor, to get warm!”
Margaret softens her order.
“It’s one of the nice perks of these old buildings.” She leaves him to decide what to do.
Calling
to her with his agreement, “OK, on the hot coffee offer,” Leo doesn’t need to
be told twice and has his coat off in record time.
Soon
he’s standing there in his socks, as ordered and sighs happily with a smile, as
the heat starts to rise around him. His
fingers are held out to catch the rising heat, as he wiggles his thawing toes,
and he’s leaning ever so slightly forward, so the warmth flows up past his
chilled face. He’s one happy man at
this moment!
Margaret
calls from the kitchen, “Leo, the coffee will be just a minute.” She walks back into the living room. She smiles at the sight of him, “Leo, you’ll
need give up your spot on the heat, to come and drink your coffee.”
Leo
chuckles and grins at her, “Sorry, but I
think before I go to the kitchen to drink coffee, I need to use your
facilities, if you don’t mind. I’m
sloshing from all the hot drinks you kept feeding me all evening to keep me
warm.”
Margaret
chuckles softly, “Oh, Leo, that’s fine.
But, I did promise to keep you warm!”
She grins, as she points the way to the restroom. “I have to confess. I’ve already made a pit stop at the
‘facilities’ on my way to make coffee.
I had to wash my hands first anyway,” Margaret makes a hasty retreat
back to the kitchen.
“Yeah,
that’s fine, you just let me suffer!”
He states, as he regretfully leaves his heat source, to get some other
sort of relief, before he goes in search of her and more hot coffee.
******
Across
the small snack bar in her cozy little kitchen, they stretch it out to two cups
of coffee and a nice review of the evening, before they both have to admit that
the evenings activities in the cold air have them both tired out. Not to mention the day that they put in at
the office, before the President threw them out.
After
Leo puts his shoes and coat on, Margaret surprises them both by giving him a
soft, quick kiss on the cheek, “Thanks for the wonderful evening, Leo.” She quickly steps over to open the door for
his departure.
Leo
gets braver, as he steps to the doorway, and he returns her kiss on the cheek, he’s grinning, as
he softly explains, “Just so we’re even on the kisses for the night!”
Margaret
can’t resist teasing him one last time and points out, “Well, we wouldn’t want
one of us to feel cheated, since you only know how to steal kisses on a Ferris
wheel.”
He
chuckles and boasts, “I know how to kiss, without stealing one!”
“Sure
you do,” she enjoys his company and is comfortable with playfully taunting him
“Yeah,
like this,” Leo lays a loud smacking firm kiss on her lips and they both end up
laughing at his overdone kiss.
Margaret
is learning so much about Leo tonight.
Of the playful side of him, and that he’s not too shy to kiss her. His kisses tonight tell her a lot that is
not being said by him, or in fact, either of them. They really don’t need words for all that they say to one
another.
She
goes for broke, ~I’ll show him how to
kiss goodbye! ~ She leans in and
cups the side of his face that’s wearing his crooked smile and then quickly
placing her other hand to his waist for balance, she gives him a soft lingering
kiss that he feels to clear down to his tippy toes.
When
his heels return to the carpet, Leo has an amazed look on his face, as she
slides her hand down his face and slowly pulls away, shyly avoiding his eyes.
This was by far the most intimate kiss they have ever shared, neither daring to
hope where it might… it could lead them.
She
gives a satisfied chuckle at the look on his face and tells him, “Good night,
Leo,” and she playfully shoves him fully out the door. Shutting the door firmly between them to
stop any further temptation, she leans against it, gently touching her
fingertips to her lips, and smiling at the spontaneous and wonderful evening
she just spent with Leo. What will
tomorrow bring?
In
the hallway, Leo stands still, just looking at her closed door, forgetting for
a moment how to walk or even what his name is.
I n the next moment he has a jaunty spring to his rolling walk, as he
makes his way down the hall wearing a wide crooked grin on face.
~
All she had to do was ask! ~
*****
The
End
blessings
chipmunk
Imp
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Posted January 17th 2005