CJ knew she had made a major mistake. There were some rules you didn’t break and she had definitely broken one of them. Now she wasn’t sure what to do.

It had started innocently enough, he had been dressed in his tux after being forced to attend a concert of Icelandic music, she had been in her blue Armani, both standing in the portico discussing the classroom event. When she had remarked she would be in her office if he needed her, it had been in the same tone she used a thousand times. It didn’t occur to her he would turn up an hour later. She had looked up from her laptop and caught sight of the agents that followed him everywhere and stood quickly. As he entered the door she had moved from behind her desk and perched against it.

‘Sir, did you need anything?’

‘You.’ The one simple word had taken her by surprise and she had become flustered, her hands waving in the air around her as she tried to form a sentence.

‘Me?’ was all she managed.

He had smiled at her and patted the couch next to him. CJ had settled herself against the end and turned to face him.

‘Abbey’s away and I wanted someone to talk too. It was you or Sam.’ He shrugged as if there needed to be no further explanation. ‘So you’re good in bed?’

CJ blushed, ‘The comment was great actually, but can we find something more suitable to talk about?’

The President crossed his arms and lead back into the couch, ‘Nah, what makes you so great in bed?’

She sighed, wishing she could take back what she said and hoping Charlie would come to rescue her.

‘I’m waiting. We have all night, even Charlie’s gone home,’ he was grinning as though he could read her thoughts. ‘So?’

There was only one thing for it she realised, embarrass him enough so he would beg to change the subject. ‘It’s the tongue thing sir. It’s incredibly long and when I lick anything it goes on for ages.’ He was still grinning and watching her hand gestures. ‘Of course I’m rather good at kissing too.’

He nodded, ‘Explains why Danny looks so demented around you, anything else?’

The plan wasn’t working so there was one last thing to try, ‘And my muscles are strong and tight, the sensations are pretty intense.’

He had the good grace to look sheepish. ‘Claudia Jean, I’m not that old that I don’t remember sex. Abbey and I have been known to make the earth move.’

‘Oh God, save me,’ she muttered, ‘Sir this really isn’t the right topic for conversation.’

‘Can I be honest with you?’

CJ nodded and pushed the stray hair from her eyes awaiting the serious statement that was about to follow.

‘If you weren’t a member of my staff, if it wasn’t a prime case for sexual harassment I’d get you to show me that tongue thing.’

She jumped up and circled back behind her desk, ‘Mr President!’

President Bartlet stood and moved towards the door taking the handle, ‘CJ, I didn’t mean to make things awkward. I know it isn’t easy for you being the only female on staff, having to watch who you date, and putting up with the three stooges but someone needs to tell you occasionally how sexy you are. Goodnight.’ He let himself out of the room and had closed the door before she could react.

CJ fell back into her desk chair and replayed the conversation in her head. The President, her boss had just made an inappropriate suggestion and she should be appalled, at the very least call him on it, instead somewhere in there she had been complimented, and there were few of those these days. Of course he hadn’t made a pass, she was a good friend of his wife and there was no one else around to hear. Had it been Josh or Sam she would have calmly squatted them and forgotten all about it. Unfortunately considering who it was she was going to be thinking about it for hours. Besides she liked the guy and circumstances being different she may have been tempted; his not being President, his not being married to Abbey, him not being 16 years her senior highest amongst them. He was attractive in that older man, incredibly smart coy way that TV shows liked to portray. He was loaded, which wasn’t something necessarily she was looking for, and he had a way about him that said I’m powerful, he had had it since his first appointment and it didn’t seem to fade. Hell she thought I’m having inappropriate thoughts about him. Of course she already knew he wasn’t inept sexually, at least that was the impression they had all gotten during the campaign when forced to occupy rooms on the same corridor or the numerous times they had walked into his suite and found themselves faced with the couple making out. And hell why not, Abbey was one sexy woman and he was pretty hot himself. Okay this wasn’t good, in five hours she would have to face him in the Oval Office and try not to imagine him…well.

CJ grabbed her belongings and headed out of the White House and through the gate to the parking lot. Waving to the guard she took the ten minute drive home. It was only in her apartment that she let her mind wander back to his comment and knew that sleep would not be forthcoming.

She had entered the Oval Office with Josh, not wanting to enter alone for fear that the President might actually catch her eye, and knowing if she went in with Toby he would notice something was wrong. As it was the business of the day took over and she found herself relaxing, discussing the classroom event and directing all her comments to Leo. Until He spoke and there was nothing for it, when the President speaks you give him your undivided attention. Of course he chose to look directly at her, grinning and throwing off inane trivia.

‘…so what do you think CJ?’

‘If you do that the kids are going to switch off right away.’ It left her mouth before her brain switched into gear.

‘Really?’ The others were all looking at her now.

‘I said that aloud didn’t I?’

The President nodded, ‘And seeing as you don’t want me boring the kids senseless you can have dinner with me in the Residence tonight.’

Her first thought was shit, the second was what if he makes a pass, the third was more of a desperate look around the room. The others avoided her gaze and she was forced to mutter, ‘Yes sir.’

They filed out as a group, each more relieved than the next that they had escaped a fate worse than death, there was nothing unusual about the staff spending the evening with the President, Toby played chess, Josh learnt more about national parks than he ever needed to know and Sam, well Sam was lectured about dating his god daughter, none had even been invited to dinner.

The day went well, the President making quite a hit with the children and CJ being saved the task of trying to placate the experts. Henry took the final briefing of the day allowing CJ to catch up on her reading. She looked up and found Charlie lurking in the doorway.

‘Hey.’

‘He’s ready for you.’

She sighed and switched off the computer, ‘Are you staying?’

Charlie shook his head, ‘I’ve got the night off,’ he replied in a tone which was anything but sympathetic.

CJ walked through the portico and took the elevator to the main residence. The young guard on duty waved her through and pointed her in the direction of the private dinning room, retaking his place by the elevator. CJ knocked on the door and he bid her entrance. He was already seated at the table, his dark suit exchanged for black cords and a sweater, fitting snugly to his upper frame.

‘Ah Claudia, come, sit, I promise you dinner will be exquisite.’

She had to admit an hour later that dinner truly was exquisite, the mushroom soufflé had been served with a juniper berry sauce that was out of this world, the chicken had been flamed and for dessert the chocolate cake had melted in her mouth. The bottle of wine they had shared had made the conversation much more bearable. He had poured forth endless trivia but over coffee had talked about his family history and she had began to enjoy the company, setting to memory the things he was passionate about for the campaign. Now they were seated in the adjoining sitting room, doors closed and the secret service agents posted further down the corridor. The President was presently pouring them each a brandy as CJ stretched her legs out, longing to kick off her shoes.

As he turned with the drinks he smiled at her, ‘I won’t be offended if you kick them off, it’s generally the first thing the Bartlet women do.’

‘It’s okay,’ she replied, ‘I should be going soon.’

‘I’d rather you didn’t.’ There was something wholly unsettling about his voice, it wasn’t said with authority instead he sounded somewhat vulnerable.

He handed her a glass and his fingers grazed her own, there wasn’t electricity but she felt her heart beat a little faster. He sat down next to her and waited as she removed the shoes and placed them to one side.

‘Anything else you want to remove?’ he asked with a twinkle in his eye. She turned to glare at him and stopped when she realised he was teasing.

‘Anything you would like me to remove?’ She challenged in response.

It was his turn to stare at her and note she was teasing, ‘Ah Claudia now that is the question.’

Their eyes twinkled back and forth as they played with one another’s minds. The President watched as she tucked the stray hair behind her ears and ran her fingers up her legs, and she waited as he rocked his glass licking his lips after each sip.

‘Why did you ask me here tonight?’ she asked, an impertinent question at any other time but she sensed she wasn’t about to lose her job.

‘We are very alike. You are the only woman in a building full of men, you laugh and joke with them, you work with them but when it comes to the crunch you are all alone. I’m the President, I work with the smartest people, I play poker with you but when the hard times fall I’m all alone. In a distant universe we would be friends.’

‘You always have Leo,’ she said softly.

He shook his head, ‘tonight I wanted someone I have no history with, someone who doesn’t want to talk about work. What do you do when you’re not here?’

She looked at him in surprise, ‘It doesn’t happen very often. I go out with the boys, I do laundry, phone home.’

‘Date?’

CJ shook her head and naturally tucked her legs beneath her so as to face him, ‘No, I don’t date. It gets too complicated.’

Jed leaned closer and his thigh grazed her leg, ‘You shouldn’t let work rule your life.’

CJ suddenly became aware of his body’s proximity and the flush rising on her throat, the latter she blamed on the brandy. She wriggled slightly to put distance between them but realised she was already pinned in the couch. Jed let his eyes drift to the skin at her knees peeking from below her skirt and back to her face. He had asked her for dinner because he wanted her friendship, because he liked her, she had been the first person he had taken to on the campaign but now as he watched her struggling to fight emotions he realised he probably had a crush on her. Taking the initiative and sense prevailing, if only for a second, he stood up, crossing the room to the stereo. CJ absentmindly rubbed her leg where there was sudden loss of contact.

‘You enjoy dancing?’ he asked fiddling with the remote and tossing it to one side. She nodded as he pressed random buttons and the strain of a love song filled the air. ‘Would you like to dance?’

She waited brinkering on saying no when he stretched out his hand. Her fingers entwined with his as he moved her hand to his neck and his fell to her waist. A comfortable distance apart they began to move to the music, each concentrating on keeping things professional. As the music changed he stepped closer and spoke for the first time in minutes, ‘You always look much more comfortable when you dance with Toby.’

CJ turned her head to look at him, ‘I’ve known him a long time, we’ve danced on and off for years. Would you feel better if I rested on your shoulder?’

He nodded slightly and she moved closer into him. Her head lowered on his shoulder, her hips pushed to his stomach they moved more slowly, more awkwardly but nevertheless he relaxed.

CJ could feel his body through his sweater. His chest lay hard against hers and his breathing was slow and relaxed. She wondered if he could feel her heart beating, racing would have been more appropriate, as he held her closely. With Toby she felt at ease, he was after all her brother’s best friend and in many ways another brother, she had never felt the heat she was feeling now. CJ struggled to move her mind to other thoughts and away from the bulk she was nestled against but it failed when she felt his breath against her ear.

‘Claudia, are you okay with this?’ he whispered and she turned her head to reply only they were nose to nose and the natural instinct was to kiss him. In the space of a day she had gone from imagining he was flirting with her to putting it down to an overactive imagination to now wanting to kiss him.

She took a deep breath, ‘I don’t know what the correct protocol is here.’

‘Protocol has never been your strong suit. You generally do and say what you think,’ he replied leaning to his right.

A split second later she was kissing him, gently and with reverence, until his hand found it’s way into her hair and their lips were searching for more. CJ poked her tongue out and licked his lower lip, his lips open to let her in and that was his undoing. Her tongue explored, reaching to the back of his mouth teasing him. His tongue found hers and they tangled for the briefest of seconds before she pulled away. Stepping back she looked at him in embarrassment, ‘I’m sorry,’ she stammered, ‘I shouldn’t have done that.’

‘I was a more than willing participant, though I’m not sure what Leo would say.’

CJ’s eyes went wide as she moved around the room putting distance between them.

‘I wasn’t planning on telling him. Though I’m sure he would be intrigued that I’d finally accomplished one of my fantasies, if only partly,’ he joked.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise, ‘You fantasise about kissing me?’

He nodded and laughed, ‘CJ I’m a man first President second. I have needs, desires. You don’t think I know that half of Washington would love to be here right now, dancing with you, kissing you. I love Abbey but it doesn’t mean I’ve never wanted another woman. Until now I’ve never had the urge to do anything about it.’

She continued to stare at him, her hands waving frantically with the words flowing through her brain.

‘They can get me girls, after all this is the White House and discretion is part of the service. But now I know what I’m missing I’m not sure any girl would do.’ Jed downed the glass of brandy and poured himself another, ‘say something CJ, I’ve never seen you this quiet.’

‘Hell,’ she muttered picking up the glass, drinking the liquid and crossing to pour herself another, ‘now I’m going to have to get a taxi.’

They were each silent watching the other wrestle with emotions and thoughts neither thought they would have to face. Jed for his part was regretting the candidness of his admission. For one night he had wanted to forget he was President and she was his Press Secretary and enjoy her company. In the early days when she had joined the campaign he and Leo had openly discussed how attractive she was, both in looks and spirit and there was never any doubt they wanted her on the team. Abbey and he had taken them all to their hearts and as they began to win the banter had stopped and he had been forced to retreat to thinking about her in private. They were both catholic and adultery was a sin and until now it had been mainly a fascination with this woman who was neither dating nor married, and that seemed suddenly important.

‘Why have you never been married?’ he asked.

She stared back openly, ‘Uh, I mean sorry. I was engaged once but it didn’t work out, the others, well if I didn’t intimidate them Toby generally did. He was always there and any possible flaw he found it out and pursued it relentlessly.’

‘You and he never…’

CJ shook her head, ‘God no. He’s my best friend, always will be but there’s no lust, no attraction. He couldn’t handle me, I’m too independent, that’s what happened with Audi, she went from beautiful wife to congresswoman and she became too much. I should go, can we put this behind us. I mean I don’t want there to be any awkwardness.’

He looked at her with a sadness she hadn’t expected, ‘Just as you want, if you ever need someone to talk too my door’s always open.’

‘Maybe.’

CJ slid her shoes on and put down the glass. She waited a second before she crossed to him and lightly grazed his cheek. ‘Goodnight Mr President.’

He watched her go until the door closed behind her, he wasn’t sure what he had expected her to do but he knew he didn’t want this to be the end.’

The End

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