"If these meeting become public the reaction in the Cuban American community and on the right will be ferocious."

"If the Cuban government makes certain accommodations before that---"

"The Florida primaries are right around the corner. This comes out, sir---"

"This comes out and we can bring out the shovels and bury the Democratic candidates in that little fiesta."
~~~~~

Donna flipped open her phone and pressed it to her ear, trying to make out what the caller was saying over the noise of the crowd around her. About the only thing she could tell for certain was that the caller was male. "Will? Toby? Josh?"

"Right on the third guess," Josh shouted through the phone. "He hung up on me!"

"Will?"

"No, Toby. He hung up on me, Donna."

"Josh? I can barely hear you," she yelled, trying to make her voice heard. "Toby hung up on you?"

"Yeah."

"Did something happen?"

"I think he's still mad about the fight."

"Give him some time. He'll come around."

"And if he doesn't?"

"He will," Donna insisted. There was no way the distance between them could last forever. "Besides, he hung up on me too. It's this thing with Cuba. Everyone's trying to figure out how to handle it."

She heard Josh mumble something, but it was said too quietly for her to understand.

"Josh? I can't hear you."

"I said, 'I guess,'" he repeated, louder this time. "Dammit!"

She immediately panicked. "Josh? What happened? What's wrong?"

"Where did all these people come from? I didn't realize senior citizens could mobilize this quickly."

"Florida has more than just senior citizens," Donna informed him, her panic subsiding. "Which you'd notice if you actually took a look around you. Most of the people rallying are Cuban American." She noticed that Russell and other staffers were heading back towards the campaign bus. "Josh? We're leaving now. I'll call you later, ok?"

"Yeah. Be careful, ok?"

"I will." She clicked the phone shut and moved through the crowd toward the bus. She was more than ready to leave this place.
~~~~~

"How many delegates does Santos have?"

"One thousand, five hundred, ninety-nine.... Russell's got 1677 and Hoynes has 956."

"What's the magic number?"

"Two thousand, one hundred, sixty-two gets you the nomination."
~~~~~

Josh sat up straighter as MSNBC began playing the clip of Vinick again, and started clicking buttons on the television remote. Every news outlet seemed to be obsessed with the same thing � Vinick, and how he was the liberal Republican who could unite the country. Once he'd weathered the initial story, no one cared that he didn't go to church regularly. He was an exemplary Congressman, one who'd managed to reject the church and accumulate voters at the same time.

His press office was spinning it to look like he was the greatest presidential candidate since Ike, and it was making Josh crazy. How did the man keep turning such horrendous liabilities into assets?

"You know what we should do?" he asked suddenly, clicking the tv to mute and turning to Donna. "We should both pack up our stuff and go work for Vinick."

"He's a Republican," Donna reminded him absently, as her pen continued moving across the page in front of her.

"An upstanding Republican, who's preaching bipartisan rhetoric that a lot of Democrats are eating up," Josh griped.

"It's not that bad," she said soothingly and Josh wondered if she was even paying attention to him. How could Vinick's meteoric rise not be bad? "It could be worse."

He started clicking buttons again, looking for some real news. "Really? And how is that?"

"It just could be," she said, as she signed her name to the paper and finally looked up at him. "Besides, our guys are doing ok. They've got huge leads over Hoynes."

Josh snorted. "That's exactly it, Donna. They're ok. Just ok. Neither one is a clear front runner. They're so damned close that we're not going to have a clear, unequivocal winner at the convention and the country will have a hard time uniting behind whoever does get the nomination. The whole thing will just get handed to Vinick all neatly tied up with a pretty bow," he said, starting to pace.

"You don't think that either Santos or Russell can pull off a clear nomination?" Donna asked, a bit of worry in her voice.

Josh sighed and flopped into a chair. He didn't know what frustrated him more � the fact that the race was neck and neck or the fact that only one of them could win. "I think it's too close to call. Although I gotta tell you, Donna, the idea of Russell winning the nomination bothers me almost as much as Vinick."

"Josh�" she began warningly.

"No, I mean it. Donna. You really want to see that guy running the country for the next four years?"

She frowned at him. "It wouldn't be the end of the world."

"No, just the end of the next four years."

"Josh, you're talking about my boss, in my boss's office. I know you don't like him, but he is the Vice President and the natural choice for the Democratic nomination," she said, her annoyance with him very clear.

Josh knew better than to push the issue any further. Biting back the retort he wanted to make, he spread his hands before him in a gesture of peace. "You're right. As Vice President he deserves some respect. Some, Donna. That's all."

She got up and came around the desk to perch on his lap. "Thank you. Some is a start and that's all I ask."

"I want it noted that I tried not talking about it at all, though," he grumbled, running his hand lightly along her leg. "All I wanted to do was take you out to dinner. But nooo� you insisted on finishing up whatever that thing on your desk is and I had to resort to seeing Vinick's face plastered all over the television."

She smiled and cupped his chin in her hand, leaning forward to kiss him lightly. "I have finished the 'whatever,' as you so eloquently put it, and am ready to be wooed with dinner."

He gently massaged her neck and brought her closer for another kiss, longer this time, and more thorough. "I'm starting to get ideas beyond dinner," he said, his mood lightening by the second.

Laughing, she pulled away and stood, reaching for her coat, which was draped across a nearby chair. "No. You promised me dinner, and we've had to cancel way too many of those these past few months. I'm not letting you renege again, even if it would be for a greater purpose."

His lips twisted and he shot her a look. "Well, as long as you understand what's important."

"You say that like you aren't fully aware that you'll be getting lucky once we get home," she told him dryly.

His eyes lit up. "Yeah?"

"Of course," she said, rolling her eyes and laughing a little

"Then how about dinner at home /in/ bed?" he asked, leering at her.

"No. Real food with real plates in a real restaurant," she insisted. "Feed me and make me forget about elections, campaigning and candidates, and I promise to make you forget about waiting."

He stood and opened the door, waving her ahead of him. Who could resist a promise like that? "After you."
~~~~~

"Santos wouldn't do it."

"Probably not."

"Maybe why he shouldn't take the job."

"Maybe why he'd be a great choice. Restore some civility."

"You want him to accept?"

"You don't."

"I have concerns."

"He's not hit man enough."

"He's too much voltage at the bottom of the ticket."

"Overshadows the nominee."

"Gets people wishing the names were reversed."
~~~~~

Donna stood under the steamy shower and wondered, not for the first time, why she'd said it. Why in the world had she even hinted that Matt Santos should be at the top of the ticket? And why had she been secretly relieved when he'd turned down Russell's offer?

She knew why. Because Matt Santos /was/ the better man for President. She'd known it since the night before the stem cell research bill. Matt Santos really cared about the issues he was talking about and about the American people. And he was dynamic enough to show the people exactly how much he cared

It's wasn't that Bob Russell didn't care. He did. But there was something about him -- something that made him seem more like your standard issue politician and less, well� Presidential -- that made you wonder why he'd be the better choice. He just didn't have those necessary qualities that Santos did, even if his ideas and beliefs were similar. And while Donna was excellent at her job, no amount of spin could give him the elusive something that he lacked.

Which was another problem.

She loved her job. Loved talking to the press. Loved that she was reaching her full potential and that she was making a difference. Loved that she was making a mark in the Democratic party on her own, without Josh or anyone else.

But what kind of difference was she making if she was working for the wrong man?

Rinsing the shampoo from her hair, she sighed. The dilemma over which candidate was the better choice was one she didn't quite know how to solve or even one she could discuss with Josh. He'd just try to woo her to working for Santos again.

And as much as that tempted her, she knew she still needed some professional distance between them. If she worked for Josh again right now, she was so afraid that she'd simply bow under the pressure, return to being that girl who did everything for him and nothing for herself.

Of course, she'd never been quite that accommodating and she knew it. She'd come a long way from being that unsure girl who'd run away from Wisconsin to start over in New Hampshire. Even when they'd first been in the White House, she had set limits on what she would and would not do. But still� she'd stayed in a job she'd known she'd outgrown because of Josh. And if she'd been willing to do that then, well, what was stopping her from doing it again?

She'd come so far, but she wasn't quite where she needed to be yet, and she knew it.

Besides, the past year had proven that working with Josh was a bonus; it wasn't what was keeping them together. They were more than the sum of their jobs. She didn't need to be on the Santos campaign to be with him.

But to do both � to back the better man /and/ work with Josh again � she had to admit it was hard to resist.

Sighing, she turned off the shower and stepped out onto the flimsy hotel bathmat. Going around in circles in her head wasn't going to get her anywhere. Besides, the die was cast. She worked for Russell. Josh worked for Santos. And after today, it was clear that Santos and Russell would never be a political team.

All that was left was for the state delegations to choose who they wanted as their next presidential candidate. She and Josh would figure it out from there.

Meanwhile, there was still tonight. It was one of the rare occasions they were in the same city, with no deadlines and no press for the next eight hours. She wanted to enjoy it while she could.

Wrapping a towel around her body, she opened the bathroom door and found Josh, dressed in only a t-shirt and boxers, watching TV.

She struck a pose against the door frame and cleared her throat. "Josh?"

"Hmm?" he muttered, his eyes never once leaving the baseball game on ESPN.

"Josh�" she cooed in her most sultry voice.

"Goddamn it! How could Ramirez have dropped the ball like that?" he complained, gesturing at the television and sparing a brief glance at her before looking back at the screen.

Her lips turned up in amusement at his quick dismissal and she tried to gain his attention again. "Josh?"

"Yeah," he grunted before going back to ranting at the game. "Just� throw it! Third base is completely clear!"

With a small snort, she dropped her pose and took a seat on the edge of the bed. It would take a lot more to get his attention at this point. And while she was slightly disgruntled that he hadn't even spared her more than a brief glance, he just looked so adorable right now, barely dressed and getting worked up over a game, that she couldn't bother getting upset about it.

Grabbing a bottle of lotion off the bedside table, she started to smooth it along her arms and shoulders. "What on earth was that thing about three feet on the floor that you said earlier?" she asked, only half expecting him to answer.

Josh didn't look away from the game. "It was just� It was a thing. I was making a joke."

"It was a stupid joke," Donna commented, as she rubbed the lotion into her elbows. "Especially if you knew he was going to turn Russell down."

"I didn't know," Josh protested. "And it was funny," he continued, turning to face her now that the game was in commercial. "Right up to the point where �" He stopped. "Hey, you're..."

"Naked under this towel? Yes," Donna answered, smiling a little and continuing with her moisturizing.

He fingered the edge of the towel that rested against her thigh. "No� well, yeah. But I was going to say� Uh. Why are we discussing the thing with Russell?"

She laughed and put down the bottle of lotion, swinging her legs up onto the bed so she could recline comfortably. "Because you were ignoring my subtle, yet endearing, attempt at seduction in favor of ranting at baseball."

"I missed an attempt at seduction?" He shook his head and smirked, his fingers creeping beneath the towel. "No, I refuse to believe that."

"Josh? Do I smell like vanilla right now?"

He sniffed her shoulder. "You smell like something girly. Cookies. You smell like cookies," he declared, his hand skimming across her thigh to settle between her legs.

"It's vanilla," she repeated, patiently. "From the lotion I've been smoothing into my skin, while you were ignoring my feminine wiles."

He nuzzled her neck and she tilted it to the side, allowing him better access, because he knew just where to touch her to drive her crazy.

"I did not ignore your feminine wiles. I could never� God, you smell good."

The hand not between her legs lifted her damp hair aside and he moved his mouth higher to suck at her earlobe. Donna protested feebly between kisses. "You completely missed my feminine wiles."

"If it makes up for anything, I promise to keep at least one foot on the floor at all times." His tongue traced the shell of her ear. "See? The joke works."

She couldn't help herself -- she laughed, a full throated, heady laugh. She felt the curve of Josh's smile against her skin. "It really doesn't."

"And yet, here you are Donna, laughing at my witty remarks," he teased, sweeping his tongue down her neck to her collarbone.

Another laugh escaped her lips. "I am. But if you continue making it up to me for not noticing my feminine wiles, I'll overlook the corniness of your remarks."

"That's very generous of you. I like how you're so forgiving when you're about to get an orgasm," he said, his fingers skimming her sex and sliding inside her. She sucked in a breath, and he pressed deeper, his thumb searching for and finding her clit.

She arched her back and pushed her pelvis at him impatiently. He was teasing her on purpose, touching her in all the right ways but refusing to give her that little bit that she so desperately needed to send her over the edge. She wanted to protest in frustration, but just as she was about to, he slid another finger inside her and she whimpered instead.

He chuckled, then brushed his lips against her collarbone again, all the while increasing the pressure of his thumb on her clit. Moving his mouth down to her breast, he nudged her towel aside and took a nipple between his lips. She moaned as he lightly worried it with his teeth.

"Josh, please� I need� I want� I� Oh god, Josh, Josh� I�. aaaaahhhhooooh�" Everything swirled together and her body convulsed around his fingers, sensation after sensation washing through her.

Keeping his hand between her thighs, he raised his head and kissed her softly on the lips. "Donna?"

Still breathing hard, she blinked open her eyes and focused on his face. "Hmmm?"

"I could never not notice you," he assured her solemnly, his body sliding over hers.

Pushing at his boxers, she grasped his erection in her hand and guided him to her center. He slowly slipped inside of her, barely moving against her at first, but speeding up she tightened her legs around his waist and urged him faster and harder.

Her second orgasm, when it came, was even more intense than the first and she shuddered around him, whimpering. Then he was tensing above her, his body going still, as he called out her name and pulsed into her.

Moments later, he lifted his head from the crook of her shoulder and looked down at her with a small smirk. "Hey, Donna? I think I broke my promise about keeping one foot on the floor at all times."

She swatted playfully at his shoulder and pushed him away. "Josh? If you never use that joke again, I would be a very happy woman."

"You wound me, Donna. Didn't I just make you a very happy woman? Twice?"

"You did. Twice," she assured him, smiling and giving him a quick kiss. "An even /happier/ woman, then. Is that better?"

"Much."

She snuggled into his arms and glanced over at the baseball game, which was still playing on the TV. "So who was winning?"

He propped himself up on the pillows and pulled her closer. "You're gonna watch with me?"

Smiling, she nodded. "Yeah. I like baseball. Lots of cute men in tight pants."

"Donna!"

"What? They are cute and the pants are tight."

"It's a serious game which requires strategy and skill. It's not about the tight uniforms."

"It's not?" she asked, turning innocent eyes to him.

"No," he insisted. "Stop trying to play with my head. Just� be quiet and watch the game."

"Ok, but you know the quiet thing is going to be awfully difficult."

"I know," he said. "Now shush."

She shushed.
~~~~~

"�the next President and Vice-President of these United States, Matthew Vincente Santos and Leo Thomas McGarry."
~~~~~

"That was nice of you, to bring us beers," Donna said quietly, waving goodnight to Will.

Josh watched him go with tired eyes and sighed heavily. "I wasn't doing it to be nice. I was doing it because� I don't know why."

"Still� it was a nice gesture."

"Yeah."

She took a sip of beer. "You look like hell, Josh."

He slumped down in his chair and cocked his head in her direction. "I feel like hell," he admitted.

"You should go back to the hotel. Take a shower. Get some sleep."

"Yeah," he replied, but didn't budge an inch. "So� Santos and McGarry."

"They'll make a formidable team."

He finally noticed the slight smile on her face, and his forehead crinkled with confusion. "You don't look very upset."

"By a Santos-McGarry ticket, or by Russell losing the nomination?"

His eyes narrowed. "Both. Either."

"I'm not," she said. "Santos deserved it."

He frowned, squinting his eyes at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking. "Then why --?"

"Why was I backing Russell? Because�" She stopped and looked down at a pen lying on the table. Pulling it closer to her, she rolled it back and forth on the table for a minute before continuing, "Russell wasn't the right guy -- and I think I knew that about two weeks into the job -- but working for him was the right thing. It's what I needed."*

Josh nodded and picked up his beer again. "I know. But backing a guy you knew wasn't the right one? I just wish... It would have been nice if you could have found another way."

Donna sighed and shook her head. "It wouldn't have worked, Josh. You know that. I needed to do what I did, and I needed to do it exactly the way I did."

"Yeah," he said, picking up her hand and twining their fingers together. If she'd stayed, she wouldn't be the woman now sitting next to him and sharing a beer. And he wouldn't have sought out Matt Santos in the first place, wouldn't have worked so hard to get him this far. And now� Santos-McGarry. It was a heady thing. Or would be, if he weren't so exhausted.

"You know what I need now, though?" Donna asked, interrupting his thoughts and giving him a look he knew all too well. "I need a new job."

"You'll find something. From top White House aide to media darling of Russell's campaign? They'll be beating down your door," he said, hoping she'd let it go at that.

She smiled a little. "Maybe. I have a few ideas about what I want to do next."

"Oh yeah? Good." Taking another sip of his beer, he avoided adding anything more. She gave him a searching look, but didn't ask the question he was dreading.

He heaved an internal sigh of relief. Soon. He'd tell her he couldn't hire her soon. But not tonight. Tonight he just wanted to bask in the feel of the win and maybe sleep for more than three hours. And telling her no� he didn't think he could handle that right now.

"You know what might be nice? A vacation. Some place warm, with a beach."

"Fiji. Hawaii. Wherever you want. In another eight and a half years. I promise."

She graced him with another smile and they both lapsed into silence.

"You stopped the Vice President from using Mrs. Baker's condition as a way to win votes, didn't you?" Josh asked suddenly.

She shrugged. "It was the right thing to do. You knew that too, or you would have leaked it."

"I wanted to," Josh corrected her. "I got desperate and�" He stopped, his jaw working as he thought of what he'd almost done.

"And what?" she prodded gently.

Josh sighed and fiddled with her fingers. "I tried to convince Santos, but he wouldn't let me. Said it was the coward's route."

"Why?" she asked softly.

He didn't need to ask her to elaborate. She was asking why he'd wanted to leak it and he found himself telling her. "You weren't there. You were always there with that pout and that look � the one you have right now. The one reminding me I was supposed to be a better person, reminding me of what we owe the American people and why."

"Josh. You didn't leak it."

His voice was low when he answered her. "I /wanted/ to."

"But you didn't." Donna set her empty beer bottle down and tugged on the hand he was still holding. "C'mon. Let's go."

He looked at her in confusion. "Where?"

"Bed."

He raised a brow at her and made an attempt at smirking. It didn't quite work. "Why, Donna, are you propositioning me for celebratory sex?"

"Celebratory sleep," she corrected, stifling a yawn and pulling him up from his chair.

"Fine. Sleep. I'm not sure I would've been much good with the other anyhow." He grimaced, realizing just how tired he was if he was admitting that. "Not that I'm ever, you know, /bad/ at the other."

She laughed softly. "No, you never are. But right now, I definitely need sleep more than sex. C'mon."

"Ok." Standing, he wrapped an arm around her waist. Together, they made their way through the crowds still thronging the convention hall and headed up to their hotel room.
~~~~

TBC...