It was obvious to everyone that Josh and Donna were in love.

            "That is one slink-chunk jah-love duo," said CJ

            "What?" said Toby.

            Donna was arranging a bouquet of flowers on her desk.

            "Who are they from," asked Josh

            "A very sexy duck," said Donna.

            Josh wouldn't show his jealousy. He hated how Donna always went for stupid ducks. There were many kinds of ducks. Political pollster ducks, sleezy ducks, buff ducks, skinny ducks, insurance lobbyist ducks, rich handsome self-involved ducks, creepy ducks who made their girlfriends pay their way through med school, ducks in Duckmobiles racing around the city. Why did she go for all of them? Josh sighed and went into Toby's office with Sam.

            "Lillienfield is up our ass again," said Toby.

            "Oh come on!" said Josh in his Josh-like way.

            "He's complaining about the general morals of the senior staff."

            "Well that's a surprise."

            "I personally have great morals," said Sam, "I'm a moral guy. I believe that everyone should be the epitome of. . .you know. . morality."

            "Shut up?" said Toby.

            "Right."

            "So what do you want me to do?" asked Josh.

            "I don't know." Toby scratched his head and waved his hands around. "Do what you. . .you know. .usually do."

            "Is that why you called me in here?"

            "No. I need you to go to the hill and try to get this tobacco bill rolling. The nose count is 5:4 but something tells me the swing vote is gonna swing the wrong way."

*

Josh was walking down the hall. Donna rushed up beside him, almost bumping into him as usual. The two speedwalked all the way around the building. This was the thing with the White House. Since nobody had any free time to exercise, they made up for it by powerwalking around the building. (and all the wild sex they had while nobody was watching)

            "Hey," said Donna.

            "Hey"

            "Donald hasn't called yet." Donna did her best nonchalant face.

            "Donald. . .?"

            "From the thing?"

            Josh stopped and turned to face her, causing Donna to ram straight into him.

            "Why do you waste your time on lame ducks like him? He's a total greaseburger! Besides, you'd be Donald and Donna! You're wasting your time on Donald duck."

            Donna pouted.

            "Clutch pig." She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and strode off.

            Josh sighed again. (And somewhere far away, several thousand haremites sighed too) He was not happy, and he could not understand why. Yelling at people didn't help. Getting drunk and yelling at Donna's roommate's cats didn't help. That night there was a celebration with the President and his daughter Zoey's famous chili. It was the wildest cheapest pepper and oregano and cumin and tomato chili you could get. And CJ danced like a hipster lanka and lip-synched "The Jackal." The music curled around her like golden rivers of warm honey. Normally these were times that crackled and glowed, but all Josh could think about was that greaseburger Donald duck.

            Toby sidled up beside him, holding a martini. "She's pretty good, isn't she?"

            "Huh? . . .yeah."

            "So how was your venture to the hill?" Toby asked, sipping his drink.

            "Love is a dangerous angel," Josh murmured to himself and drifted away.

            Toby blinked. "Did I miss something?"

Donna kept falling for the wrong ducks.

*

"If you were in an accident I wouldn't stop for a beer," said Josh. They were sitting at the reflecting pool watching the sunset.

            "If you were in an accident I wouldn't stop for red lights," said Donna.

            "Donna you don't stop for red lights anyway. And you have to learn that no parking means no parking."

            "I'm daring."

            "Among other things."

            Suddenly a flock of pigeons skimmed over the water, splashing Donna and Josh.

            "Lanky lizards!" Donna shrieked

            Josh took her wrists in his hands, laughing. Donna and Josh sat there covered in water, staring at each other. Donna had never noticed how pretty Josh's lips were.

            He kissed her.

            A kiss about pecan pie, the sweetest slice. A kiss about rosebuds you have to gather now because you might not be able to later. A kiss about twirling around a Hollywood pool sizzling with champagne. A kiss about fireworks exploding behind the Washington Monument and the reflecting pool spilling like tears all over your legs.

            And there were a lot more kisses after that. In the car, in the restrooms of nightclubs, in the elevator, under the waterfalls in the FDR memorial, on the mall. And in between kisses they had double mocha cappuccinos at Starbucks, bought matching sunglasses and ate lunch at Cosi Sandwich Bar. Donna always got vegetarian sandwiches and Josh ate burnt-to-a-crisp burgers that would break if you dropped them on the floor. Everything was slinkster-cool. Donna felt like a delicate white cherry blossom unfolding in the buttered sunshine. She felt finer than the finest bagels and muffins in the land. Everywhere she went was a collage of glitter and rose petals. All the sounds of DC fused into her own song; the traffic, the sounds of the metro and street performers and tourists with their cameras capturing the monuments for their albums.

            And so Josh and Donna lived happily ever after in the world of marble halls and stone statues and speeding berets and Latin-speaking Presidents.