“Donna!”
“DONNA!”
Donna popped into Josh’s office and looked at him
expectantly. “Yes, Josh, what is it?”
“What is this thing on my chair?” He pointed at the childishly colored cut out of a boy that was leaning against the back of his chair.
“Oh, that’s Stanley,” she replied, as she came around the
desk to scoop him up. “I forgot I had left him here.”
“Uh, Donna? Why exactly are you naming paper dolls after my psychologist?” he asked her, a perplexed expression on his face. “And what are you doing with it in my office?”
She held the flat two-dimensional boy up for him to see.
“He’s not a paper doll,” she explained. “Flat Stanley’s a character from a book. And also a school project for my niece, Emily. The idea is that Stanley travels around the world through the mail. He meets all types of people and gets to do interesting things. Then he gets sent back to his owner with photos and stories of the places he’s been. I like the idea.”
“And the reason he’s in my office?”
“Well, Emily asked if she could send him to me, since DC is much more interesting than any of the places her other relatives live. And I said yes.”
“In my office?” he reminded her.
“Oh, I took a photo of him at your desk, so Emily could see what the Deputy Chief of Staff’s office looks like. But then Toby was looking for the folder on Child Healthcare and I guess I got distracted and forgot to take him with me.”
“Well, don’t forget next time. I don’t want to see that ridiculous paper doll in here again,” he complained
**********
Over the next few weeks, everywhere Josh went in the White House, he saw Flat Stanley’s smiling face, most notably plastered to the cubes of all the assistants. They giggled and laughed and made up stories about what Stanley was doing and what he had seen. They acted as if he were a live person.
He caught Donna snapping pictures of Stanley in a variety of poses with several different employees, but she never approached him or asked if he’d be interested. By the end of Stanley’s two-week visit, Josh was feeling rather left out.
**********
“What’s going on out here?” Josh asked as he approached the giggling group of assistants surrounding Donna’s desk. “You’re not looking White House personnel up on the internet again, are you?”
“No way, Babycakes,” Bonnie replied with a smug smile. “We’re just looking at Stanley’s pictures, before he goes home to Emily.”
Josh reached over and grabbed the stack of photos out of Donna’s hands.
“Hey!” she protested.
“Don’t you all have anything better to do?” His question was met with various frowns and groans, but the group of women scattered to their desks. “Donna, can I see you for a moment in my office, please?”
The word ‘please’ got to her. Josh rarely used that word, and when he did, it usually meant he wanted to discuss something serious. She scrambled to her feet and followed him inside, closing the door behind her. “We weren’t ignoring our duties,” she rushed to explain.
He held up the stack of photos and started to flip through them, calling out a description with each one. “Stanley with Sam, Stanley with CJ at the briefing podium, Stanley at the monuments at night, Stanley at the computer with Toby, Stanley in the Oval Office, Stanley with all the senior assistants.”
He paused and pulled one particular photo out of the pile
and looked at it closely. “Stanley with the President on Marine One?”
Donna looked at him nervously. “The President was so intrigued by the idea of Stanley, that he asked if it would be all right to take him on the trip to Camp David for the weekend.”
“Donna, I understand that you were trying to help your niece out with her school project, but do you really think it was appropriate to ask all these people for help?” He sounded annoyed, but his face showed something different.
“They didn’t mind, Josh. In fact, CJ practically begged me to let Stanley do a briefing with her. The press thought it was adorable.”
“You shouldn’t be doing your niece’s school project on government time,” he groused.
Understanding finally dawned and Donna looked at him quizzically. “Josh? Are you *jealous* of Stanley?” she asked
“What?! No! I am not jealous of Stanley,” he started automatically, then quietly added, “Well, maybe. Why didn’t you ask me to be in any pictures with Stanley?”
Donna just stared at him, then began to laugh. “Is that what this is about?”
Josh’s frown grew. Donna came around the desk and gave him a big hug. It lasted just a bit longer than it should have, and her faced was flushed when she pulled away. “Josh, you told me that you thought Stanley was ridiculous. I didn’t want to bother you with nonsense,” she explained gently. “I would be honored to take your picture with Stanley.”
“Really?” He looked so hopeful that she couldn’t resist him.
“Really. He’s out at my desk. I’ll go get him and my camera and then we’ll take a picture of the two of you, ok?”
“Ok.”
Two minutes later, she returned and handed Stanley to Josh. “What should I do with him?” he asked.
“Just sit at your desk and look like your working and put Stanley next to you.” Josh did as she suggested and Donna snapped the photo.
**********
The next day, Stanley was placed in a Priority Mail envelope and sent back to Emily. Josh didn’t mention him again, but a week later, he noticed a framed picture of him and Stanley had appeared on his crowded bookshelf. He looked at the photo for a long moment and then started a letter to Donna’s niece.
“Dear Emily,
Thank you for letting Stanley visit the White House…”
For more information on Flat Stanley and to see his West Wing photos, click here.
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