Meme response for otw1980
This is the first piece of writing I've posted in my journal for a long time. I'd forgotten how much I love it.
Seth took a long gulp of wine and sat back in his seat, watching Summer walk away towards the restroom. He leaned towards the couple at the next table.
"I just want to apologise profusely for what she's doing. If I'd known.."
"It's fine really." Donna Moss looked amused. That made one of them.
Seth had imagined a quiet dinner with Summer and a romantic walk back to their hotel.
What he'd got was a table next to the White House Chief of Staff and his fiancee.
The realisation had been met with resignation rather than surprise. He counted that as a personal achievement.
"She's very..." Josh Lyman seemed to be searching for a polite way of saying,
"Scary. She's scary Mr Lyman. I've known her all my life and I'm still afraid of her."
"I would have said passionate," Josh countered affably.
Seth nodded. "There's being passionate and there's stalking. I think we're walking a fine line here."
"You know if she calls my office..."
"She's called your office every day for a month. I suppose I should be glad we're not getting arrested. Again."
Josh and Donna both laughed. Seth stared at them.
"Oh," Donna said. "You're not joking."
Seth shrugged. "It wasn't really an arrest. It was a peaceful protest, she was just being rather... vocal. The police dropped us off, told her to calm down. It happens."
"Are you a lobbyist too Mr..?"
"Cohen. Seth Cohen." He shook their hands. "No I'm an artist. Well I write comic books. We're developing a tv series at the moment. I don't know where that's going to end up. I like the art you know. Summer's the one who wants to save the world. I think she probably will one day. I just help out. Lend support. Like now. This is me being supportive."
"Aiding and abetting?"
Seth smiled. "Well it's our wedding anniversary. So I'm clearly the world's best husband. Or the stupidest. The jury's still out on that one."
"Anniversary?"
"Three years. The magic clearly hasn't worn off."
"We've been together more than ten years," Josh said proudly. Donna shook her head.
"We really haven't."
"When did you start working for me?"
"Eight years before you kissed me. None of that counts."
"I think it counts."
"That's because you've always had trouble reading a calendar."
"What if I was in love with you the whole time and just never did anything about it?"
"You weren't."
"I might have been."
"You weren't."
"For some of it I was."
"But for most of it you weren't."
"You were in love with me for all of it though right?"
"Who says I'm in love with you now?"
"I think I could get a few witnesses who would swear to the fact."
"Witnesses to my love for you? You think this is romantic Josh?"
"What's not romantic about it? We're epic."
"As are me and Summer," Seth interrupted, mostly to remind them he was still there and hadn't quite left the conversation. "But uh, I want us all to stay epic for the forseeable future so I'm going to grab my wife before she comes back to continue her lecture on environmental eco-systems and exactly how you're screwing them up."
He waved frantically at a waiter and handed him a credit card.
Josh searched through his pockets and pulled out a pen, scribbling something down on a scrap of paper.
"If your wife calls me on that number tomorrow she can arrange to lecture me in my office sometime next week."
"Thank you Mr Lyman," Seth said taking the piece of paper. "It was nice to meet you both."
With a quick smile he grabbed Summer's wrap, retrieved his credit card and hurried to waylay his wife. Maybe he'd get that romantic walk after all.
Seth took a long gulp of wine and sat back in his seat, watching Summer walk away towards the restroom. He leaned towards the couple at the next table.
"I just want to apologise profusely for what she's doing. If I'd known.."
"It's fine really." Donna Moss looked amused. That made one of them.
Seth had imagined a quiet dinner with Summer and a romantic walk back to their hotel.
What he'd got was a table next to the White House Chief of Staff and his fiancee.
The realisation had been met with resignation rather than surprise. He counted that as a personal achievement.
"She's very..." Josh Lyman seemed to be searching for a polite way of saying,
"Scary. She's scary Mr Lyman. I've known her all my life and I'm still afraid of her."
"I would have said passionate," Josh countered affably.
Seth nodded. "There's being passionate and there's stalking. I think we're walking a fine line here."
"You know if she calls my office..."
"She's called your office every day for a month. I suppose I should be glad we're not getting arrested. Again."
Josh and Donna both laughed. Seth stared at them.
"Oh," Donna said. "You're not joking."
Seth shrugged. "It wasn't really an arrest. It was a peaceful protest, she was just being rather... vocal. The police dropped us off, told her to calm down. It happens."
"Are you a lobbyist too Mr..?"
"Cohen. Seth Cohen." He shook their hands. "No I'm an artist. Well I write comic books. We're developing a tv series at the moment. I don't know where that's going to end up. I like the art you know. Summer's the one who wants to save the world. I think she probably will one day. I just help out. Lend support. Like now. This is me being supportive."
"Aiding and abetting?"
Seth smiled. "Well it's our wedding anniversary. So I'm clearly the world's best husband. Or the stupidest. The jury's still out on that one."
"Anniversary?"
"Three years. The magic clearly hasn't worn off."
"We've been together more than ten years," Josh said proudly. Donna shook her head.
"We really haven't."
"When did you start working for me?"
"Eight years before you kissed me. None of that counts."
"I think it counts."
"That's because you've always had trouble reading a calendar."
"What if I was in love with you the whole time and just never did anything about it?"
"You weren't."
"I might have been."
"You weren't."
"For some of it I was."
"But for most of it you weren't."
"You were in love with me for all of it though right?"
"Who says I'm in love with you now?"
"I think I could get a few witnesses who would swear to the fact."
"Witnesses to my love for you? You think this is romantic Josh?"
"What's not romantic about it? We're epic."
"As are me and Summer," Seth interrupted, mostly to remind them he was still there and hadn't quite left the conversation. "But uh, I want us all to stay epic for the forseeable future so I'm going to grab my wife before she comes back to continue her lecture on environmental eco-systems and exactly how you're screwing them up."
He waved frantically at a waiter and handed him a credit card.
Josh searched through his pockets and pulled out a pen, scribbling something down on a scrap of paper.
"If your wife calls me on that number tomorrow she can arrange to lecture me in my office sometime next week."
"Thank you Mr Lyman," Seth said taking the piece of paper. "It was nice to meet you both."
With a quick smile he grabbed Summer's wrap, retrieved his credit card and hurried to waylay his wife. Maybe he'd get that romantic walk after all.