Changes Ch 4
"Hey,” Toby said as he stepped into CJ’s
office, “are you ready to leave for the day?”
“Yeah.” She said as she got up, and begun stuffing
briefing notes into her briefcase. “Let me get these
things together first.”
“You’re planning on reading those tonight?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I was thinking that I would take you out to dinner.
And then you could rest once we got home.”
“Abbey said you would do this, you know.”
“Do what?”
“That you would become overprotective. Since I told
you I was pregnant you have become very protective.”
“Does that bother you?”
“Not really.” She shrugged.
“You’re still taking the memos with you?”
“Hey, I can sit up in bed and read can’t I.”
“Yes. As long as you rest.”
“Okay.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I’m glad you were actually able to make it tonight,
Danny.”
“Miranda, you know I work crazy hours.” Danny
replied. “But, I’m glad I was able to make it
tonight.”
“Yeah, I guess I understand about your job.”
“I really hope that you do.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Okay, you are up to something Toby. What is it?”
CJ asked as she and Toby were escorted to their table
by the waiter.
“Why do I always have to be up to something when I
take you out to a nice restaurant?”
“Lets see...Hmm...could it be because you usually are
up to something when you do this.”
“I’m not up to anything.” Toby said with a smile
after they were seated at the table.
“I don’t believe you.”
“CJ!”
“You have an ulterior motive Mr. Ziegler.”
“I do, Mrs. Ziegler?”
“Yeah you do.”
“Okay, then what would my ulterior motive be?”
“I don’t know, yet.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Danny, do you know the couple that just walked in?”
“Yeah, why do you ask Miranda?”
“Because you seem to be watching them.”
“I am?”
“Yeah you are. So, who are they?”
“Toby Ziegler and CJ Cregg. Well she still uses
Cregg professionally. Technically, she is CJ Ziegler
now. He is the White House Communications Director
and she is the White House Press Secretary.”
“So you know both of them from work?”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“Hold on a minute.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I guess that I could tell you what my ulterior
motive is.” Toby said.
“Okay, what is it.”
“I wanted to do something special for you tonight.”
“Why?”
“To celebrate the fact that in seven months, we are
going to be parents.”
“Oh, that.”
“Yeah, that.” Toby said as he took her hand in his.
“I don’t believe that I have told you how happy I am
about this. I love you, Claudia Jean Ziegler.”
“You’re going to make me cry. You know that, don’t
you?”
“We could always say it was the hormones.”
“Very funny. I don’t think that it would be a good
idea for me to cry right now?”
“Why?”
“Because the lead story in the papers tomorrow would
be, ‘White House Communications Director Makes Wife
Cry in Restaurant.’”
“I doubt that.”
“Well, Danny Concannon is sitting over there with
what I assume is a date. So if he is here, other
reporters could be too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What Miranda?”
“Didn’t you and CJ Cregg used to be an item?”
“That was the general consensus.”
“There was a video tape of you and her on Hard Copy a
few years ago.”
“Yeah, she and I broke up because of that tape. Now
she is married, very happily I might add, and I’m here
with you.”
“Then why are you watching her?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I don’t think he would write something like that
CJ.”
“No he wouldn’t but there’s probably someone else
here who would.”
“He’s a little too absorbed with his date to notice
us anyway.”
“He is now. He was watching us very closely until a
few minutes ago.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I’m not watching her!”
“Okay, why were you watching her?”
“Well, I was noticing that she does seem to be
feeling better than she was a few weeks ago.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“She was sick the entire time we were in Moscow.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Okay, why was he watching us?”
“I don’t know. Well, he was one of those who noticed
I wasn’t feeling well in Moscow.”
“So, he’s probably noticing that you are feeling
better.”
“For the moment at least.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Why do you care that she was sick?”
“Because she’s a friend. I worry about my friends
when they are sick.”
“Introduce me to her.”
“Miranda...”
“If she’s just a friend it won’t bother you to
introduce us.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Uh-oh.” CJ said softly.
“You spoke too soon, and you’re not feeling well
now.” Toby replied.
“It definitely has the potential to get there. They
are coming over here.”
“Who?”
“Danny and his date.”
“Why?”
“How the hell should I know. You can ask him that.”
“Toby, CJ, good evening.” Danny said as he came up
to their table.
“Danny.” Toby said as he extended his hand to Danny.
CJ just nodded.
“I’m sorry to bother both of you, but my date wanted
to be able to meet two actual White House staffers.”
“Why? It’s not like there is anything special about
us.” CJ said as she extended her hand to Miranda.
“CJ Ziegler, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Miranda Abbott, it’s nice to meet you also.”
“Since he’s going to be antisocial, allow me to
introduce you to my husband, Toby Ziegler.”
Toby rolled his eyes at CJ, and extended his hand to
Miranda. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.” Miranda said as they shook hands. “We
really should be going. It was nice to meet both of
you.”
“Good night.” Toby said as they left. Turning back
to CJ, he asked, “What do you think that was about?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll be back in a moment.” CJ
said as she got up from the table, and rushed to the
ladies room.”
to be continued...