josh, donna, an unnamed and totally fictitious governor, and the california recall
Donna is dozing lightly on the chaise in her office when the sound of the office door opening and closing causes her to stir. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” she groans, trying to shake off the last of her sleep induced haze.
“Do I need a reason?” Josh smirks as he gazes down at her.
Donna hums and grabs his wrist to check the time. “Are you guys getting ready to head out?”
“Yeah, any minute now.” Josh sighs, dropping his backpack unceremoniously on the ground, and collapsing rather forcefully onto the couch next to her. “Just waiting for the agents to page me.”
Donna bites back the urge to remind him—again—that he needs to sit more carefully. You’re going to ruin the springs, Josh! This is just how I sit, Donna!  “And you thought you would come see me before you left?” She smiles as she props herself onto her elbows.
Josh lets his entire head roll as he turns to look at her. “Well not if you’re going to make a big deal about it. What are you up to?”
“What do you mean?” Donna gestures down at her still prone position on the couch. “I’m working.”
“Clearly.”
“Growing human life is hard work, Josh.”
“Yes,” he nods dumbly, “and you’re doing amazing at it. I shouldn’t have cast doubt.”
“Good boy.” Donna reaches out, her hand grasping out for his. Once he’s pulled her upright and she’s re-situated herself with a pillow, now—mercifully—taking the pressure off her lower back, she continues, “So, California?”
Josh is looking at her as if she were made of thinly blown glass, ready to shatter with the slightest movement. Normally, it would annoy her—I’m pregnant Josh. It’s hardly a terminal condition—but her illicit afternoon nap has her feeling slightly more magnanimous. Besides, he seems to shake himself from his trance after a moment. “That’s the plan,” he sighs, letting all the air out of his chest.
“You should be more excited. It’s seventy-two and sunny where you’re going. The rest of us are stuck in this humid swamp.”
“For your information,” he rolls his eyes, “it’s more like ninety-two, and it would be sunny if the entire place wasn’t suffocating in smoke.”
“Details. Details. It’s still Cal-i-for-nia.” She says, sounding out each syllable as if he were missing something obvious.
“California is fine, I mean I don’t understand what the big deal is really—Sam and C.J. act like its—I don’t know—”
“Disneyland?”
“Funny.” Although he’s looking at her like it’s anything but. Finally, he gives a frustrated yell and lets his head fall into his hands. “I just hate that we’re going out there for him. I almost would rather have Vinick as Governor.”
“Don’t you let Politico hear you say that.” Donna tuts. “He’s one of the few blue governors we’ve got, we should be thankful.”
“Are we going out there to fend off this stupid recall or not?” He bites impatiently. They’re on the precipice of passing landmark—not to mention bipartisan—legislation and all the Washington press wants to talk about is if the President plans on flying in to support the embattled governor. Josh has half the mind to let the man fend for himself. What kind of so-called democrat can’t hold on to California of all places? Although, they’ve had a republican Governor of California before and—Josh shudders at the thought. “I just can’t wait until this entire thing is over and we can go back to criticizing him again.”
“Well, the election is in two days,” Donna says lightly, “and the last polling I saw was very favorable. I’ll bet the talking heads will have seen enough in less ninety minutes and call it. Then you can have a field day.”
“And it’ll take about ninety-one minutes for those idiots on Fox to start crying fraud.” Josh whines.
It’s Donna’s turn to roll her eyes. They’ve been having the same conversation for two weeks and she’s, frankly, tired of his pessimism. “I’m sure, but it’ll be hard to dispute 75-25,” she sighs. Josh looks like he’s ready to argue, but she continues, eager to forestall another one of his rants, “Speaking of Fox, you know who he used to be married to?”
Her rapid change of subject seemingly short-circuits his brain and the argument he was gearing up to dies on his tongue. “No, why would I know that?”
“Kimberly Guil—.” Donna waives her hand absentmindedly rather than completing the thought.
“That bobble-head? The one that’s dating—”
“The very same.”
Josh cringes. “If I didn’t question the guy’s judgement already.”
“Well, and you know how he met his current wife?”
“Have you been reading, like, Page Six all day or something?”
“Everyone knows these things, Josh.” Donna says dismissively, “It was hot gossip.”
They sit in silence for a moment. Donna knowing, no doubt, that curiosity would get the better of him eventually. “Fine, I’ll bite. How did he meet her?”
Donna smiles like a cat that’s caught the canary. “She was married to his best friend. They’re cheaters.”
Josh cringes again, the new information seeming to make him physically ill given the look on his face. “Why are you telling me all this? I’m supposed to meet them with the President tomorrow. How am I going to look the man in the eye?”
“I’m just warning you,” Donna defends, “You know, in case you fall victim to his charms.”
“I think I’m immune.”
“You never know, he’s very handsome.”
Josh scowls at her, “You just finished telling me all his sordid life details, and now you’re going to call him handsome?”
“In a Jack Kennedy, philandering sort of way,” she smiles. When his face doesn’t change, she tries again. “I’m only joking. Hey,” she says, grabbing his head between her hands and kissing him chastely, “I promise you; you are better than the Governor of California.”
“Damn straight.” Josh smiles and takes the opportunity to tilt her chin up and kiss her again. This one less chaste than the one before. Â
His hands are tangled in her hair, and he’s just about to slip his tongue into her mouth when his beeper blares, interrupting their moment. He curses under his breath but doesn’t move his forehead from where it’s pressed against hers. “That’ll be the agents, I’ve got to go. You’ll call me if you need anything?”
“Josh, we’ll be fine.”
He pulls back. “I’m serious, I’ll charter a plane if I have to.”
“It’s two days,” Donna tries again, but seeing he’s not to be deterred, she relents, “Yes, I’ll call you.”
“Thank you.” Satisfied, Josh stands and collects his bag, swinging it boyishly over his shoulder and pointing at her while he walks backwards out of her office, “I’ll see you two on Monday.”
“You better not come back here with slicked back hair and a new wife!” She calls.
A small controversy occurred because of Mary Tyler Moore wearing Capri pants on The Dick Van Dyke Show. When the show’s sponsors started getting angry letters from viewers about Mary’s form-fitting Capri pants, Moore was restricted to wearing the pants only one scene per show. Up until the show’s premiere most housewives were seen in dresses, but Moore’s explanation was that most of the housewives she knew wore pants. Because of Moore, Capri pants became a huge fashion craze in the early 1960s.Â
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