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Fic category: Leo/Margaret friendship fic Fic rating: G/PG for topic/content Main characters/new ones: Leo, Margaret, and the West Wing staff. Part of a series: Yes Part Three of Wine and Roses Spoilers: Anything from Season One onwards might appear in these fics. See notes. Fic summary: Leo remembers Abbey’s instruction. Just a little late. Margaret appears to have forgotten it too. Neither seems too bothered. Archive: Yes if you want to. Just let me know where please. I might want to tell my friends about it. |
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Title: Wine and Roses Part Three Leo looked at his watch. Almost nine. And he knew Margaret was still next door. He could hear her typing. ‘Margaret!’ She appeared in the connecting door a moment later. ‘Leo?’ ‘Go home.’ ‘Leo, I still have work.’ Mindful of Abbey’s instruction, Leo shook his head. ‘Leave it. Go home.’ ‘Are you leaving?’ Leo looked at the pile of files in the metal tray on his desk. ‘Not yet.’ ‘Then neither am I. Leo, I’m fine, really.’ ‘Yeah, but Abbey said…’ ‘Not to keep me too late. And it isn’t late. It’s only…’ Margaret looked at her watch. ‘Nine. That’s not late. Not for us.’ Leo shrugged. ‘Maybe. But go home anyway.’ ‘As soon as I’ve finished the report.’ Leo really didn’t have time to spare, so just nodded. ‘Okay. But don’t stay too late.’ *************** Abbey wandered through the West Wing, wondering where Jed had got to. It was after ten, and she knew he’d finished for the day because he’d already been in the sitting room some time earlier. But he’d left, and now she had no idea where he was. As she opened the door, she heard Leo and Margaret in Leo’s office. Frowning, she walked across the darkened space between the door and Leo’s office, fully intending to tear Leo off a strip for keeping Margaret so late. But as she neared the half-open door, she could hear the conversation. And it was definitely not work-related. As quietly as she could with two agents in tow, Abbey retraced her steps, meeting her husband in the corridor. She put her hand on his arm, shaking her head. ‘Whatever it is, it can wait until the morning.’ Jed frowned. ‘Abbey…’ ‘Come upstairs and I’ll tell you why it can wait until the morning.’ Then Jed heard a sound he wasn’t expecting. Laughter. Leo was laughing. And so was…Turning to his wife, he smirked as he spoke: ‘I told you I was right.’ Ignoring his victorious smile, Abbey pushed her husband back down the corridor. Their agents just exchanged confused looks. *************** ‘Maybe I should bring you along. On my dates. Just in case.’ Leo laughed. ‘Don’t you think the guys would be a little intimidated?’ Margaret laughed too. ‘Yeah, but if they really liked me, they’d get over it.’ ‘And if I didn’t like them?’ Margaret pretended to consider the question for a few seconds. ‘Then you could hit them, save time later.’ Leo looked uncomfortable. ‘Margaret, I didn’t leave here with the idea that I was gonna hit the Senator. It just kinda happened.’ Margaret seemed disappointed, and Leo couldn’t work out why. But he didn’t have long to think about it. ‘So you were going to do what exactly?’ Margaret couldn’t help the irritation in her voice. ‘Sit down and talk to him? Ask him to apologise?’ Leo was confused. ‘Margaret, I could’ve gotten into a whole load of trouble for what I did.’ ‘Yeah, but you still did it.’ ‘Yuh. And I’d do it again.’ Margaret’s voice softened a little. ‘You would?’ ‘Absolutely. Guys shouldn’t hit.’ ‘Not all guys hit.’ Leo smiled at the quote. ‘You read the card.’ ‘You’ve seen the film.’ Leo frowned. ‘What film?’ ‘Pretty Woman.’ ‘Nope. Who’s in it?’ ‘Richard Gere, Julia Roberts. Leo, you must have seen it. Everyone’s seen it.’ ‘Everyone except me. What’s it about?’ Margaret couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘Leo, all these years I’ve been quoting lines from the film, and you never thought to ask where they came from?’ ‘What lines?’ ‘Well, there’s: ‘Not all guys hit’, for a start. ’ ‘That’s a line from this…film?’ ‘Yes.’ Leo stared at the wall. ‘I didn’t know.’ Margaret laughed again, enjoying having the upper hand. Even if it was only for a few seconds. ‘I’ll bring the video. You can take it home and watch it.’ Leo was a little wary. He got up, sitting on the edge of his desk. ‘Okay. Tell me what happens.’ ‘I’ll bring it tomorrow and you can find out.’ ‘Okay. Go home.’ Margaret smiled. She waved a hand round the room. ‘There are four other chairs.’ ‘What?’ ‘That’s a line from the film.’ Leo forced an obviously fake smile. ‘I can’t wait.’ Walking from Leo’s office into her own, Margaret said quietly: ‘Neither can I.’ *************** ‘Well?’ ‘Well, I watched it.’ Margaret prompted: ‘And?’ Leo hadn’t enjoyed more than a couple of minutes of the whole film, and repeated grimly: ‘I watched it, okay?’ ‘Which was your favourite part?’ Realising he wasn’t going to be getting any work done anytime soon, Leo gave in. ‘If I had to pick a bit, it would be the part in the bar, when he comes to take her to dinner and she’s all dressed up.’ ‘And he doesn’t recognise her and…’ ‘Margaret! I watched the stupid film, now get in there and do some work, okay?’ Meekly, Margaret said: ‘Yes Leo.’ She closed the interconnecting door between their offices and after a couple of minutes he heard the sounds of her typing. Margaret looked up as the door opened. ‘Leo?’ ‘I’m sorry I yelled. Thank you for lending me the film.’ ‘Did you really watch it?’ Leo nodded. ‘Yeah.’ ‘But you hated it, right?’ ‘No, I didn’t hate it. But it’s basically about a rich guy picking up a hooker.’ Margaret smiled. ‘But at least he’s happy. In the end.’ ‘It would never work out. Not in the real world.’ ‘But they aren’t in the real world, Leo. They’re in a film.’ Leo nodded. ‘Exactly.’ ‘Exactly what?’ ‘It’s just a make-believe situation.’ ‘You don’t believe they could be happy?’ Leo smiled at Margaret’s question. ‘I guess. But the papers got a picture of Sam and Laurie together. Look what happened to them. What d’you think’s gonna happen when the media grab hold of Edward and Vivienne? They’ll humiliate her, finish him and they’ll both end up penniless, homeless and…’ ‘Together?’ Leo shrugged. ‘I guess we have different takes on it.’ ‘Yes Leo. I see it as a film plot, you’re already thinking on how you would spin the story if it were for real.’ If Leo realised his assistant was teasing him, he didn’t show it. ‘Work, Margaret. I don’t have Edward’s fortune.’ ‘Yeah you do Leo. I read the disclosure notices.’ ‘Margaret, I told you not to. Do you ever do what I say?’ Margaret smiled. ‘Sometimes.’ ‘Name one occasion?’ ‘The other night. You told me to go home.’ ‘And, as I recall, you said something about finishing up before you left.’ ‘Did I?’ ‘Yup. Wanna give it another shot?’ Margaret turned, her hand on the door. ‘No Leo. I don’t have time. I have a lot to do.’ **************** During the rest of the day, Leo was sure he saw various members of the West Wing staff giving Margaret money. Eventually, his curiosity peaked as he heard Josh’s voice through the open door of the Oval Office as he walked in to talk to Jed. ‘I never thought you’d do it. I almost don’t mind giving you twenty dollars.’ Ignoring Jed and the look he got, Leo walked straight through the Oval Office. ‘Josh, why are you giving Margaret money?’ ‘Leo…er, I…’ Leo waited while Josh gathered his thoughts. ‘I can’t tell you.’ ‘The Hell you can’t!’ Leo watched as Josh fidgeted and Margaret blushed. ‘How much did you get altogether Margaret?’ ‘A hundred and sixty dollars.’ Leo thought for a moment. ‘Okay, everyone who bet Margaret twenty dollars I wouldn’t watch the film, come over here.’ Several assistants and junior staff got up. Slowly, Josh and Sam joined them. Leo did a quick head count. ‘Seven. We’re one short. Who is it?’ ‘It’s me.’ Leo turned at the sound of Jed’s voice. ‘You were part of this Sir?’ Jed stared at the floor. ‘Yeah.’ Leo looked at the group of people around him. ‘I’m disappointed in all of you. Imagining that I would let Margaret lose a bet.’ Jed’s head snapped up. ‘You knew about this?’ Leo laughed. ‘Yup. Hand it over.’ He held out his hand. Reluctantly, Margaret pushed the pile of money into his outstretched hand. Josh couldn’t believe what he had just seen. ‘What are you going to do with it?’ ‘I’m gonna buy myself something to make up for having to sit through that stupid film.’ ‘What are you gonna buy?’ Leo walked back to his office as he replied. ‘You know what Josh? I haven’t decided.’ ************** ‘Good morning Margaret. Here, I got you something.’ Margaret was torn between being pleased Leo had bought her a present, and knowing where he got the money. But she opened the small box, gasping at the three-colour gold earrings nestled in the velvet lining. She smiled as she saw the small white price sticker in the lid. ‘$159.99’. In Leo’s handwriting. She turned. ‘Thank you. Where’s my change?’ Leo reached into his jacket. ‘Here.’ He handed her the eight twenty-dollar notes. Blushing, Margaret stammered: ‘Leo, I didn’t mean…’ Leo smiled. ‘Get yourself something to go with them. Today. Call Jolene and Lynette.’ ‘You sure you don’t need me to stay?’ ‘Just be back by three.’ ‘Thank you.’ ************* ‘Oh, we are definitely buying hats, Lyn.’ Margaret looked confused. ‘Hats? What for?’ ‘Your wedding.’ Now Margaret was totally lost. ‘I’m not getting married. I’m not even seeing anyone.’ Jolene rolled her eyes, sighing theatrically. ‘Mags, the guy just bought you the most expensive piece of jewellery you’ll ever own, and you still don’t get it?’ ‘They were a hundred and sixty dollars.’ As the three women walked down the street, Jolene asked: ‘Where does Leo buy stuff like that?’ Margaret pointed to a jewellery store across the street. ‘There.’ She waited while her two friends had a quick conversation. Taking a hand each, Jolene and Lynette pulled their friend along until they were standing outside the shop. Lynette held the door open and, reluctantly, pushed from behind by Jolene, Margaret entered the shop. ‘Yes Ladies?’ The young man looked at the well-dressed women in front of him and smiled. Jolene indicated Margaret’s earlobes. ‘I’d like a pair of the same earrings my friend has.’ ‘Certainly Madam.’ The man returned after a few seconds with a small box. Jolene handed the box to Margaret. Who saw the small white card hanging from the box by a short piece of gold thread. And the price printed on it. She paled, and Lynette said quickly: ‘I’m sorry, I think my friend needs some air. Would you excuse us? We’ll be right back.’ Concerned at how pale the red-headed woman had become, the man nodded, holding the door open for the three women. **************** ‘Leo, do you have a second?’ ‘Sure Margaret. Did you have a good lunch?’ ‘Leo, I can’t accept presents like these from you.’ She put a hand to her ear, touching the warm metal with her fingertips. ‘Yeah, Margaret, you can. A hundred and sixty dollars…’ Margaret cut him off. ‘Wouldn’t even buy the box they came in.’ Leo looked at her, a slight smile forming. ‘But it bought whatever’s in that bag, right?’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘And you won’t make me watch any more stupid films, right?’ ‘No.’ ‘And you had a good time talking about me with Jolene and Lynette, right?’ Margaret blushed slightly. ‘Yeah.’ ‘So get back to work. And don’t expect to work half a day every day, okay?’ ‘No.’ Leo smiled. ‘Get outta here.’ ‘Thank you Leo.’ ‘Whatever.’ Leo sat back in his chair, the words on the screen in front of him blurring to a meaningless jumble. ‘No way, not Margaret.’ Passing the door between their offices, Margaret heard her name. ‘Yes Leo?’ Unsettled by his assistant’s sudden and unexpected appearance, Leo managed: ‘What?’ ‘You called me.’ Hiding his embarrassment at being overheard, Leo said sharply: ‘I did not.’ Margaret stared at him for a moment. ‘Okay.’ Leo stared at the screen again. But all he could picture was Margaret in the short black dress from the film. His Margaret. In a short, tight black cocktail dress. Nah. He’d get her something nicer. Something to go with the earrings. He stopped himself mid-thought. He couldn’t date his assistant. For one, they had to work together, and people would notice. For another, he was old enough to be her father. Well, almost. Probably. He actually had no idea how old Margaret was. Probably mid-thirties. And he was almost sixty. He sighed, forcing his attention back to the email he had been reading. But he couldn’t concentrate, and he got up to refill his coffee mug, pausing just a moment to look at Margaret through the half-open door. Shaking his head, he walked over to the hotplate and poured himself a coffee. Margaret sat at her desk, one hand at her earlobe, feeling the shape of the earring with her fingertip. She looked up as Donna’s voice cut into her thoughts. ‘Margaret? You okay?’ ‘Er, yes…Donna. What can I do for you?’ ‘New earrings?’ Margaret nodded. ‘Yes. Did you…want something?’ Frowning at Margaret’s behaviour, Donna asked: ‘Wanna come to the mess for lunch?’ ‘Okay. I’ll just be a second.’ Leo looked up as Margaret walked in. ‘Yuh?’ ‘I’m going to lunch. Do you want me to get you anything?’ Leo shook his head. ‘Nah, I’m having lunch with Jed and Abbey. It’s Zoey’s birthday in three weeks, and we’re gonna think about what kind of thing she’s gonna have. I’ll be back for my three o’clock.’ ‘Okay. Have a nice lunch.’ Leo looked up. ‘You too.’ |