HERE TONIGHT
“Sir, we are clear,” he informed the President-Elect. “The power will be back in another five minutes.
“Thank you, Ron,” Jed said and wanted to stand up.
“Don’t be an insensitive jerk, Jed,” Abbey warned him, “Donna didn’t have a chance.”
“Oh, my! I’m sorry, Donna,” Jed said, sitting back.
“No, you really should go down, sir. They are expecting you there,” Donna said. “I wouldn’t…”
“Donna,” came Abbey’s and CJ’s warning simultaneously.
“But I’m not even a senior assistant,” Donna pointed out. “I shouldn’t have been here the first place,” she added in haste and stood up to leave.
“Sit back, Donna,” Abbey said in her ‘no-nonsense’ voice. “What is the problem? Josh couldn’t function without you and we all know that, Josh the best.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Josh concurred.
“They said she was ‘only’ a secretary and told her she wasn’t allowed to attend this preposterous party,” Zoey summed up.
“What?” Jed asked, clearly not believing his ears.
“Yes, Daddy,” Zoey said, turning to her father. “They said that.”
“Donna, of course you are invited,” Jed said. “Go, put on a dress and come down with us.”
“Sir, is it really necessary for me to go down?” Toby asked.
“Yes, Toby. I would like you to show some support for Donna,” Jed said. “You all come down, stay for three dances and then you can come back,” he gave in, seeing the other’s tired faces.
“Leo?” Josh asked.
“My word is not enough?” Jed asked taken aback.
“Jed, technically Leo is their boss,” Abbey told her husband. “You only self-appointed yourself.”
“Okay. Leo?” Jed looked at his Chief of Staff.
“Do what the President-Elect said, children,” Leo said and then winked at Zoey.
“Okay, but we want to hear Donna’s answer first,” Jed said, looking expectantly at Donna.
“Yes, sir,” Donna finally agreed. “I would like to be in the Old Faithful Inn, in the Yellowstone National Park, with all of you, actually. Toby could bring Andie, CJ could bring her father, Leo could bring his wife and daughter and Zoey could bring her friends too. The more the merrier,” she added.
“What about Josh’s future wife?” Jed asked, and Zoey suddenly understood everything. ‘Cause her father’s tone was only half-joking, and Zoey knew the implications of that. It meant that her father cared, and that his mocking, the making fun of you was only there to show you how much he cared about you.
“Well, she could come too,” Donna said, trying to sound nonchalant. If Zoey didn’t know better she would have bought the act.
Jed, Abbey and Zoey stood up to leave the room. They brought the agents with them and soon thereafter Donna must have left the room too, Zoey assumed, because they were still waiting for the elevator when she caught up with them.
“Hi, Donna,” Zoey greeted her with a grin.
“Hi, Zoey.” She stopped for a moment. “I’m really thankful for the card,” she added then.
“I wish I’d written down those wishes,” Jed whispered to Abbey at that moment, oblivious that his daughter was talking to someone.
“Ask Donna for the list,” Zoey suggested to her father, and her father turned on his heels to look at Donna.
“You made a list?” Jed asked her.
“Yes, sir,” Donna said with a nod. She tore off the top leaf from her legal pad and handed it to the President-Elect. Saying her goodbyes, she left for her room she shared with Margaret, Leo’s assistant.
“Thank you, Donna,” Jed said and skimmed the list. Zoey leaned over and saw why her father’s brows furrowed.
“Donna’s wish is not there,” she whispered.
“You have a pen?” her father asked her, but Zoey didn’t have one. “Never mind, I will remember her wish for sure,” he reassured her.
“Really, Daddy?” Zoey asked back unsurely.
“Yeah, and if not, you’ll remind me,” Jed said, putting his hand on the small of her back as they stepped out of the elevator.
“Okay, Daddy,” Zoey promised him.
THE END