Josh stood up. "And thanks to my wonderful assistant, I'm going to be late." He took off into his bullpen, Donna in tow.
"Josh, do you know what kind of commercial I saw on TV last night?"
"Donna, I really don't have time to care right now."
"A Pepsi commercial involving stripping penguins."
"Stripping penguins?"
"Right down to their colorful thongs."
"Thongs, Donna? Really..."
"Thongs. One being of a leopard print."
"Leopard?"
"That's right."
"That's not right in so many ways."
"They threw articles of clothing at an elderly gentleman enjoying a day at the zoo with his two grandchildren."
"Donna, I don't care."
"I didn't expect you to. Anyway, they do this strip tease thing and then drink lemon flavored Pepsi."
"Lemon Pepsi?"
"Lemon Pepsi. Okay, now, don't you think that maybe animal rights activists would have a problem with penguins forced to strip tease on national TV?"
"I seriously doubt they'd do anything but laugh."
"They had mini penguin tuxedo jackets thrown at some poor elderly gentleman!"
"Does this have a point?"
"Not especially. But come on, Josh. They embarrassed the penguins!"
"I don't think the penguins could have cared much."
"Penguins have feelings too, Josh."
"I need to hit CJ up for some Advil," he said, mostly to himself. Donna didn't pay much attention anyway, just kept on babbling.
"It's cruelty to animals, Josh! To make defenseless penguins strip tease and wear leopard thongs is wrong. They were probably scared the rest of the leopard was around somewhere and was going to eat them."
"Do leopards even eat penguin?"
"They could if they were hungry."
By this time, they had reached Leo's office. "Donna, I'm late. Drop the penguins, okay?"
"Josh, they're torturing them!"
"Drop it!" Josh walked into the meeting and Donna huffed off in annoyance, searching for someone else to present her story to.
"Josh, you're late," Leo said pointedly as he sat next to CJ on the couch.
"Donna was torturing me with her incessant chattering about some Pepsi penguins being forced to wear thongs or something." That statement was rewarded with a strange look from Leo and snickers from Sam and CJ. Toby just stood there looking somewhat amused. (Or as amused as any Toby Ziegler could look.)
"Don't ask."
"You mean there were penguins in thongs?" CJ laughed.
"One was leopard print."
"Leopard print!" She was laughing almost to the point of tears. Sam was almost to the point of falling out of his chair.
"And knowing our Donna, she's going to bug you about this for the rest of the week," Sam said after he got some of his breath back.
"I just have one question, Josh," Toby stated flatly, only letting the corners of his mouth turn slightly upward.
"What's that?" Josh asked, almost dreading it.
"The real question here is how much exactly do you think those penguins got *paid* for their little display?"
END