And off he goes.
I am very proud of myself. Stopped myself from raising my fist and introducing it to Dr. Freeride’s
face. Helped Donna win back her self-worth after that dreadful man just stomped all over it in
front of his fiancé.
I am good.
“That was rude,” I refer to his leaving without saying goodbye. Not that I wanted him to.
Donna looks at me, and the closeness between us becomes more apparent. That tugging in my chest
comes back.
“Josh, what’s wrong?” Donna asks me worriedly, and she places her hand softly on my chest.
My heart paces faster. “I’m okay,” I lie. And she sees right through me. Typical.
“Josh..” she starts, but I know this isn’t the right place.
“Let’s go outside,” I motion to the backdoor as a compromise. She obliges, and we walk there,
still linked to each other.
I am still distracted by the mysterious tugging, when I catch sight of Joey Lucas on our way out.
She gives me what seems to be an encouraging smile.
For the sake of this moment’s cheesiness, I give her a thumb up.
A couple of steps more, we are outside. “What was that about?” Donna asks with a hint of envy, I
may add. Call me dense, but I’m not stupid.
“Are you jealous?” Hey, I had to take the chance.
“No” she quickly denies.
However, I do know Donnatella, and this is a lying Donnatella. I raise an eyebrow to protest her
plan of action.
“I was just curious.”
Hmm, let’s recap on my wish list for the night: I wish that I were home and I wish that I knew
what to do about this whole thing. I’m zero for two right now, and I’m adding the wish for a way
to convey what this tugging in my chest means to Donna.
Hey, you know what they say..
I'm dreaming of one kiss from you
A love long and true We'll go on and on and…
I hear music. Uh-oh.
“Who’s that?” I’m trying to look through the door to see who’s singing.
“Britney Spears.”
A what? “Who?”
“Britney Spears, pop music icon. Adored by millions of teenagers all around the world and
according to the current Associate Press circulation, Justin Timberlake..”
“Donna..”
“Scored her first hit with ‘Baby, One More Time,’ and her latest is ‘Stronger.’ Though I am quite
partial to ‘Don’t Let Me The Last To Know’..”
This woman never ceases to amaze me, but pop music?
“Donnatella” was my firm attempt to stop her rambling.
When it's warm outside
And the look in your eyes Is longing to show me the way I don't want to wait
As bubblegum as it may be, the song actually did ring in my head, and I don’ t mean in the PTSD
sense of ringing. It rings along with the tugging of my heart and the music that is..
Donnatella’s voice.
“Which I would have you know is written by Mott Lang, a very dignified composer and..”
Okay, that was cute during the first ten seconds. So I take a firm hold of her arms, and I plant my
lips on hers.
Just one kiss from you, and suddenly
I see the road laid out in front of me You give me strength, you give me hope.
Mental note to self: Buy this girl’s CD.
After I finally emerge to take a breath, I notice that I’m not the only one flushed.
Finally, a chance to speak.
“Joshua Lyman! Do you know how many people could have seen us? CJ would kill us if any of the
press corps did. And what if Caleb did? We are not after all in his good list. Not to mention Joey
Lucas. I thought I told you to gather ye rosebuds!”
Okay, I was wrong. What else is new?
“Donna, it’s okay,” I reassure her, but she doesn’t seem to want to hear it.
“What do you mean ‘it’s okay’?” A look of concern occupies her face. “Josh, this could get you
fired.”
Play your cards right, Lyman. “What’s this?”
“This,” she insists as she motions to the space between us.
Oh, this is going to be too easy. Almost-a-miracle-easy. “You mean us?”
“Yes! There can’t be an us, Joshua. The White House forbids it.”
“Actually, it doesn’t.” Like taking candy from a baby.
“It doesn’t?”
I will take this slowly dissipating opposition to “us” as a good sign. So I inch closer. “Nope.”
“What about Leo?”
And closer. “Actually, he’s the one who told me to follow my heart.”
“Leo?”
And closer. “Yeah.”
A moment of silence clearly indicates her hesitation. I can almost hear her arguing with herself
inside her head. Please let the right one win.
“So what does your heart say?” she finally asks.
And my wish is in the bag.