You Could Drive a Person
Crazy
Part 1
It was Malibu
in the spring, overlooking the ocean. A fundraiser at a
beach house. The sun had dipped beneath the horizon, setting into
the
waves far out to sea, and the sky literally glowed with the fading
radiance of the evening sun. Japanese lanterns decorated the huge
patio, and people milled around everywhere.
They had to be the most absolutely boring thing in the world,
these
fundraisers. Cozying up to the people you wanted to pump for
money, and
pretending to give a damn about what they were saying.
Leo McGarry, the Secretary of Labor, just happened to have been in
California,
meeting with the mayor of Los
Angeles on something,
and had
been invited. Sure, he had $50,000 to drop at a second's notice,
but
still...
He'd been sure to have two vodka martinis -- with extra olives --
and
two Valium before he left the hotel, though, otherwise he'd never
be the
painfully charming Leo everyone knew.
And now, he was sipping his second goblet of wine.
He stared out at the horizon, contemplating the glass in his hand.
He
could hear his wife's voice echoing in his head---Another glass,
haven't
you had enough...why didn't you call...Jed called, he's worried
about
you again...Leo I can't do this anymore.
He had wanted her to come to California with him
but Jenny had refused,
so he came alone. He was spending a lot of time alone lately,
alone in
bars, alone in hotels rooms, alone in his office.
He stared at the glass in his hand; tipping his head back he
drained it
and turned to grab another from one of the many strolling waiters.
As
he reached for the last glass on the tray another hand did the
same.
He glanced up -- *way* up -- and into a woman's face. The first
thing
he noticed was her eyes, then the embarrassed smile as she
released her
grip on the goblet. "I'll just get another one later -- you
need one
more than me, after talking to Martin Sheen," the woman
apologized,
laughing a little.
"Thanks," Leo said, wondering just who this enigma in
front of him was.
"I'm Leo McGarry."
"The Secretary of Labor?" she asked, clearly impressed.
"Andi said you
would be here, but..."
"Andi?"
"Andrea Wyatt. The one we're here for. She's trying to get
enough
money to make a real stand in the Congressional election. EMILY's
List
stepped in with some cash, but what she really needs is a couple
more of
these." The woman laughed wryly and grabbed a wine goblet as
another
waiter passed. "I'm CJ Cregg, with EMILY's List. I'm also
Andrea
Wyatt's publicist." She extended her hand out to him, and he
shook it,
marveling at how soft it was.
"It's nice to meet you, CJ."
"Nice to meet you too, Leo" said CJ as she waved to
someone who was on
the other side of the patio. Leo watched her as she greeted the
man
walking towards them. He was not real tall, balding with a beard
and a
completely grumpy look on his face. CJ took him by the arm and
introduced him to Leo.
"Leo McGarry, this is Toby Ziegler, Andrea Wyatt's
husband" said CJ as
the men shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.
Leo watched as CJ turned to greet yet more people. He turned to
say
something more to Toby but Toby was already headed for the bar.
Leo
just shook his head at the whole scene. The whole smoozing thing
was an
art form he hadn't taken the time to perfect. And now was one of
the
times he wished he had perfected it. He moved off to the side and
watched as CJ worked the room. A few times he caught her casting a
glance back at him. He just smiled and winked.
She would blush and get a little smile on her lips and go back to
what
she was doing. He didn't know if this was a good sign or not.
He could feel a pull of attraction to her, but he couldn't tell if
it
was just him, or... was the alcohol making him fuzzy, imagining
that she
was looking back at him?
She was talking to Warren Beatty and Annette Benning when Jack
Nicholson
came up and slapped her on the backside. She smiled icily and said
something, carefully removing his hand from her backside, and
excused
herself, walking away without paying attention, directly into the
swimming pool.
Leo tossed his wine glass into the bushes and dashed over to the
pool.
He extended a hand to CJ, who took it gratefully. Most people were
too
busy pointed and snickering to bother offering her some help. Her
long
cream colored dress was obviously clinging to her and in all the
right
places, mused Leo to himself. He took off his jacket and handed it
to
her. Leading her by the elbow he steered them off the patio and
around
the side of the house.
She was practically in tears when they stopped beneath an arbor,
covered
in roses. "CJ, are you all right?" he asked, holding her
by the
shoulders.
"No!" she cried, crying even more. "I'm supposed to
be a consummate
professional, and I just walked into a swimming pool in front of
the
most elite of Hollywood
actors, producers, and writers! I... how am I
going to come back to work in the morning?"
"By knowing that you picked up a few votes by wearing what
you're
currently soaked in," he pointed out wryly.
She pulled back away from him and glared. "Okay, that's the
last time I
even think about politics. I quit! I swear to God above, I
quit!" she
said, storming off. He followed her, as she muttered about how she
was
going to climb into the driver's seat of her $80,000 Lexus and
ruin the
upholstery. She put the key in the lock and was rewarded with the
car
alarm going off. "GODDAMMIT ALL TO FUCKING HELL!" she yelled,
kicking
the door and turning around to face none other than Leo.
"What do you
want?"
"You look like you could use a ride," he said mildly,
taking her keys
and turning off the alarm.
"And your point?"
"I have a limo that the Labor Department rented -- how about
you let
Congress pay the bill for new upholstery?" He smiled a
little, and was
rewarded by a relieved look in her eyes.
"Okay, I think... I can get a cab back up here tomorrow and
pick up my
car," she exhaled, becoming measurably calmer. "I live
in LA, up in the
Hills."
"What street?"
"Vieretta Lane."
"Okay, not a problem," he said with a smile. "I
have to go back to the
Beverly Hills Hotel, anyway."
"You seem awfully anxious to get away from this thing,"
she commented as
he walked her over to the limo and tucked her away.
"Well, I am. Schmoozing isn't my thing. And neither is
watching tall
wet women go home without helping." He gave the driver
instructions,
and they sat back for the hour and a half drive -- more if there
was
traffic. "So, how did you take this job?"
"Which one?" She laughed bitterly.
"Either."
"Well, I've been working with EMILY's List for about two
years, and
before that, I was in publicity and public relations, so... Andi
saw
that on my resume and hired me on the spot." She shrugged.
"And how
did you get to be the Secretary of Labor?"
"Good luck and lots of bribes," he muttered.
"Ah, yes, the consummate politician's trick," she
laughed, leaning a
little closer. "Thank you for giving me a ride."
"It's not a problem," he replied, biting the inside of
his cheek, trying
not to show what kind of an effect she was having on him by being
so
close.
"You're staring at me," she accused with a smile.
"Well, you're very attractive."
"You've got to be kidding, right? Me?" She snorted and
ran her fingers
through her wet, stringy hair. "Me, the six foot tall wet
girl in Anne
Klein?"
"Yes."
She looked back at him and saw that he was being completely
serious, and
her mouth went dry. She blinked and finally said, "You've
very
handsome, yourself."
"Thank you." He leaned closer and, taking a chance,
kissed her very
softly, very gently.
The kiss took both of them by surprise. CJ absently reached over
to
grab his left hand. Her fingers brushed over the gold band on his
ring
finger and she broke the kiss quickly, glancing down at their
entwined
fingers. Leo's gaze followed hers to their hands. She ran her
thumb
over the worn ring. Together they looked up and stared at each
other in
awkward silence.
"I'm sorry, I, uh, had no idea" stammered CJ as she
withdrew her hand
from his.
"It's not your fault, I kissed you, remember?" sighed
Leo.
Almost unconsciously they moved a little further apart in the
seat.
They both thought a little room between them would be a good idea.
"So, I take it your, uh, wife..." said CJ.
"Jenny"
"Oh, Jenny. She didn't make the trip with you?" asked CJ
as she sat
shivering next to Leo.
"No" replied Leo as he fidgeted with his suspenders,
wondering what was
in the mini fridge across from him.
She nodded. "I... um... take it you two aren't exactly
happy?" She
licked her lips and fidgeted with a wrinkle in the skirt of her
dress.
"Right now... not so much," he replied honestly.
"It's complicated."
"I bet, with you being an advisor to President Shepherd and
everything,"
CJ said, a little sarcasm popping through.
"It's not just that, it's..." Leo hesitated, afraid to
say that Jenny
thought he was an alcoholic, lest the words give it power. Or a
drug
abuser.
"It's everything, right? And you thought you could use me,
the awkward
tall wet woman, to assuage that and give you comfort during the
long
lonely night in your hotel room, right?" She was going from
angry to
furious. "How dare you."
"Okay, let me point out one thing... we're not going to my
hotel, and
you kissed me back." He popped open the mini-fridge and
pulled out a
little bottle of vodka, then thought better of it and put it back.
He
could taste the heat of the liquor, even though it was all in his
mind,
but he wanted to have this discussion as little impaired as
possible.
"That's two things," she said coldly, edging away.
"And it wasn't like you said, either."
"What, you really felt something for me?" she taunted,
never looking at
him, afraid to even look at him.
"Yes." It was soft, and he didn't realize he had
actually said it.
CJ turned her head slowly towards him and stared.
"What?" she asked in her best sarcastic tone.
"Oh, you heard me just fine. What, no witty come back?"
said Leo
through clenched teeth.
He leaned over to the fridge again and took out the bottle of
vodka. He
downed it in a single gulp and threw the empty bottle on the seat
across
from them.
She stared at him for a long time, then shook her head. "I...
I can't
believe that."
"Why not? Because I'm married, I can't appreciate another
woman?"
"Precisely. You should only have eyes for your wife."
She crossed her
arms and stared out the window.
"I haven't had 'eyes' for Jenny, as you put it, for a long
time," he
muttered.
CJ didn't quite know how to react to that statement. On one hand
she
was attracted to Leo but on the other hand he had a wife, plain
and
simple, he was unavailable. But there was just something about
him,
something about the pain and loneliness in his eyes that just made
her
want to take him into her arms and comfort him.
"So, what's the problem? Between you and Jenny, I mean"
asked CJ, still
staring out the window.
"Like I said, things are complicated. Jenny and my daughter,
they
think...."
"Wait, you have kids too?" asked CJ
"Yeah, Mallory she's 25. She's a school teacher" replied
Leo.
"Oh"
"They think I have a problem with alcohol" whispered
Leo.
"Well, do you?" asked CJ
"I don't know." It was plainly that simple. If he did,
he didn't know
it. Not for sure, anyway. He hadn't hit bottom, and hoped he never
would.
"Well, don't you think you should try to find out? I mean, I
saw you
have five goblets of wine tonight, and that thing of whatever just
a few
minutes ago. Can you stop drinking if you try, for one day?"
she asked
softly.
"I don't know. I haven't tried."
"Will you?"
"Will I what?"
"Try."
He sighed. "It's not that simple."
"No, it is just that simple.
One day should be enough." She took his hand in hers.
"Come see me
tomorrow night, and... if you haven't, well, I mean..." She
blushed,
unable to finish what she was trying to say.
"I have to leave for Washington in the
morning."
"Oh, well, then I guess that won't...uh, maybe you could call
me" said
CJ, trying not to sound too hopeful.
"Yeah, I'd like that" said Leo with a small smile.
CJ reached into her bag and took out her card and a pen. On the
back of
the card she put her home number. She pressed it into Leo's hand.
He
stared at it for a minute and put it in his wallet.
The rest of the trip was spen