Jack Daniels, My New Best Friend

My phone rings as I sit down in the dark cabin with my second beer. Donna's nowhere to be found so I actually get to have a second beer for a change. I fumble to unhook the phone from my belt before it stops ringing.

It's Sam

"Where are you?"

"Hello to you too Josh."

"Sorry, hello, where are you?"

"I'm about to get on the plane. You alone?"

"Yeah I'm hiding in a corner. Why everything ok?"

"Yeah. Look, are you sitting down? You're not drunk are you?"

What's with the 20 questions I wonder silently. "I'm laying down across three seats and I just opened my second beer."

"OK, good, then you'll remember this conversation in the morning."

"Yeah, if we actually have a conversation. What the hell is going on?"

"You know I met with Will Bailey today, the campaign manager for Horton Wilde."

"Hey, Bill Bailey," I say as I proceed to whistle the first few bars of the song.

"Yeah, apparently he doesn't find that funny. Anyway Kay Wilde, the widow, wanted a Democrat to promise her that they would take the seat if Wilde won."

"But Wilde's not going to win. So what's the big deal, just give her a name."

"That's what I said. But really, it does matter."

I nod in agreement even though Sam can't see me. "Please tell me you didn't give my name," I tease and I look up and see Donna. She sees I'm on the phone and just smiles before leaving the cabin.

"I didn't," he says very quietly.

And then it hits me, "You gave your name."

"Yeah. What the hell have I done?" he asks sounding very young and very unsure of himself.

"You did what you thought was right."

"But what happens if the unthinkable occurs next week and a Democrat wins in Orange County."

"Well, after we make our way through the flying pigs and the blizzard in Hell we'll figure something out." I say, trying to get him to laugh. It works and he laughs a little in spite of himself.

"You're drunk Lyman."

"Not yet, give me time."

"Look I gotta run. They're calling my flight. Please don't tell anyone. Not even Donna."

"I won't. We'll talk some more tomorrow. Have a good flight, get some sleep."

"You too."

"Bye."

"Bye."

I drop my phone in my lap and stare out the window at the night sky. I can't believe the conversation.

Congressman Samuel Seaborn.

I have to admit, it has a nice ring to it. But I still can't believe he told Will to give Kay Wilde his name. I know it's a long shot and by next week we probably be laughing about it but what if it happens. I can't imagine not seeing Sam everyday. He's my best friend and I've gotten very used to be able to run to him dozens of times a day for all sorts of things, important and otherwise. The only thing worse would be not seeing Donna everyday.

And speaking of Donna she just wandered in the cabin again.

"Josh, you ok. You're sitting here in the dark."

"Yeah, I was just talking to Sam."

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah, he was about to board his plane. He'll meet up with us in the office tomorrow."

"Great. You feel like abusing that sensitive system of yours?" she smirks as she sits down next to me in the dark cabin.

"I've already reached my limit."

"Finished a whole beer, huh?" she teases as she kicks off her shoes and tucks her feet under her.

"Funny. This is number 2," I explain as I drain the rest of the beer from the bottle. "Why, what do you have?" I ask as I motion to the bottle in her hand.

"Jack Daniels Hard Cola"

"Have to tackle Toby to get that?"

"No, he's drinking JD straight. I'm not even sure he's using a glass." she grins.

I take the bottle from her and take a drink. It's really good. I think Jack's going to become my new best friend.

"You finish it. I'll get another after I go change out of these clothes. You need anything else while I'm up?"

"Besides a new tie?" I smirk. Not that I need one right now. I changed when we got on the plane and I'm now in jeans and a long sleeved Bartlet 2002 t-shirt. She sticks her tongue out at me and I get a few totally inappropriate thoughts. She stares at me. "Can you grab my sweatshirt out of my backpack?"

"No problem. You going to hide in here for a while," she asks as she vaguely waves her hand around the empty and dark cabin.

"Yeah"

"Josh, you sure you're ok?" she asks as she perches on the seat where I'm stretched out.

I just nod. I can't tell her what Sam told me. She gives me a worried smile as she runs her fingers through my hair and caresses my cheek. She looks like she's about to lean in and kiss my cheek when she abruptly stands up and walks away. I grab another pillow and shove it behind my head so I'm sitting up enough so I don't choke to death on my drink. I take a few sips and then decide to nervously peel the label like I always do. Drives Donna nuts. I look down at the bottle, my thumb is covering the ACK in Jack so I put my other thumb over the ANIEL'S and I'm faced with....

Our initials.

J and D

Oh boy, I find that way too amusing, I must be more drunk than I thought. Damn sensitive system.

I'm still staring at the bottle when Donna tosses my sweatshirt at me. I manage to catch it without spilling my drink. She holds the bottle for me while I pull the worn sweatshirt over my head. She reaches out to automatically smooth down my hair before I even have a chance to do it. I put my feet up on the seat across from me and relax. Donna sits next to me and takes a long drink from her own bottle of JD and coke.

"You're mom called my cell while you were on your phone. She wanted to know why the President was wearing your tie."

"How did she know it was mine?"

She gives me the "you're an idiot" look, not a good sign.

"Ah, that was the one she sent me last month?"

"Bingo, give the drunk guy a prize," she snorts in a not very lady-like fashion.

"I'm not drunk," I mutter as I drain the rest of my drink. "Mom sent me shoes last year." I mutter for no particular reason.

"And you fell wearing them."

Damn, she would remember that part.

"I think CJ will do the Jackal after another drink or two. You wanna go watch?"

I shrug my shoulders a little and I play with the empty bottle in my hands. Donna moves closer to me and presses a hand against my forehead. "No fever. What's wrong? You never give up a chance to see the Jackal?"

"I can't talk about it," I whisper, wishing this conversation would just end.

Now, I've got her worried. Even in the dark of the cabin I can see her worried face. "Something bad?" she whispers.

"I don't know," I answer honestly. I haven't even had a chance to think if Congressman Seaborn is a good thing or a bad thing.

"Josh...."

I press my fingers to her lips and silently plead with her to stop asking questions. She nods slightly and if I'm not mistaken kisses my fingers lightly before I can pull them again. Maybe I imagined that, I am well on my way to being drunk. And it's actually been a while since I was good and drunk. And I figure safely tucked away on Air Force One is a pretty good place to get plastered.

As usual Donna's reading my mind. She stands up and points to the empty bottle in her hand. "I'll get another. But you should eat something, you didn't eat dinner."

"No thanks, that'll just slow down my getting drunk," I mutter as I rub my eyes.

"Yeah, but as the one who'll be holding your head when you puke, I'd rather you had something on your stomach," she smirks.

"Whatever."

She leaves the cabin and I stare at the bottle in my hand. I move my thumbs over the label covering and uncovering our initials, as if doing so will suddenly makes things in my life seem clear.

Now I know I'm drunk. I'm looking to Jack Daniels for advice.

Donna's back and from what I can see she must have been watching me staring at the bottle. "Does it hold the secrets of the universe?" she asks as she holds up another bottle of JD and coke.

"No, but look," I grin as I motion for her to sit down next to me. I show her our initials.

"That's the secret of the universe?" she snorts as she tucks her feet underneath her and reaches to brush back my hair.

"It could be, we make quite a team my dear Donnatella."

Donna just shakes her head and giggles, "You're drunk Josh."

"I know," I mutter as I open the bottle and take a long drink. I eat the half a sandwich she handed me as she eats the other half.

"You gonna remember any of this in the morning?"

"What, messing with the label or my conversation with Sam," Whoops, I didn't mean to say that aloud.

"What conversation with Sam?" she asks hoping I won't realize it's something I'm not going to talk about.

I shake my head and smile.

"OK, so you're not talking. What do you want to do then?"

Oh, there are so many ways I could answer that question, most of which will probably earn me slap across the face or at least cause Donna to move away from me. Something I don't want to happen, literally or figuratively.

"I just want to....to be."

"You just want to be. You watched Bull Durham again didn't you?"

I did, so I just laugh. I shiver a little and Donna reaches to grab the blanket off the seat across from us. She motions for me to move from out of the corner so she can sit there. She pulls me back by the shoulders until I'm resting against her chest. I cover us up with the blanket and start to relax. The bottle is still in my hands and she puts her thumbs over mind and together we uncover our initials. I feel her smile against my cheek.

Maybe I haven't uncovered the secrets of the universe but for the moment, I'm happy, content and enjoying my new friend Jack.

THE END

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