"Nancy, you've got to be kidding me," a very irritated man says as he gets closer to Margaret's desk from the main hallway. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Sorry, Leo," the woman you guess is Nancy replies. "But, that's the story."

"C'm'in for a minute, would ya?" he asks, rounding the corner.

You look up and see Leo McGarry---and immediately think that he's shorter than you thought he would be---and the woman he called Nancy, a dark woman with height and what you think is some sort of inner strength.

Margaret stands up and catches his attention. "Leo, Anna Boudreau is here to---"

You jump to your feet as Leo turns his head. "Oh, right. You're Sam's friend."

"For the Media Consultant job," you offer. You extend your hand. "Anna Boudreau."

"Yeah," he says, nodding as he accepts your hand for a shake. "Leo McGarry. And this," he adds with a little gesture towards Nancy. "Is Nancy McNally, our National Security Advisor."

You're a little taken aback---not ever having expected to meet someone as high ranked as her. You shake her hand, smiling a little. "It's an honour to meet you," you tell her.

Nancy smiles. "Thank you."

Leo speaks up next: "Hey, do you mind hanging around for a few minutes? I've got a thing here, and---"

You jump in immediately. "That's fine. I'll wait."

He smiles. "Great. Thanks. We'll just be a few minutes."

You nod and settle back down into your chair as they walk past you. Margaret smiles at you, and then she returns to her work. You open your purse and idly search through its contents---cell phone, PDA, pen, small notebook, gum, lipstick, pressed powder, keys to your new apartment, and your wallet---to kill time.

After that becomes more boring that it originally was, you open your portfolio, and go over the pages of your work you're bringing to Leo for the interview.

"Josh, I'm not going to meet with the Congressman and tell him that---"

Your heart almost stops at the sound of Sam's voice in the corridor. You hadn't entirely prepared yourself for seeing him again; talking to him on the phone had been awkward, but survivable.

"Sam, c'mon, just go in there, rough him around and---"

"I'm not that guy," Sam says as they approach Leo's office's foyer. "You're much better at this stuff."

"Yeah, well, I'm delegating," the other man replies with a chuckle.

Sam sighs and keeps walking. Based on your previous experience with Leo and Nancy, you guess you have a few moments before Sam walks by the foyer and sees you there.

Your heart leaps up into your throat; you know you have to work with him, but you're just not ready to see your past face to face yet. He had been your closest friend---and your boyfriend for a few months before you both left law school for your separate careers.

"Can't you delegate to Toby?"

"Nah, he gets really cranky when I do that."

You take a quick breath and evaluate your options.

Do you hide your face in your clipboard?
Do you look up and prepare to greet him?