Given the geography of bridges, arteries, and commute patterns, the bus is only viable if you're basing yourself between the jobs or at least taking the bus (or a shuttle— some residences offer a complimentary shuttle to Metro) directly to the Red Line. Few buses cross the Potomac, and none at all connect Bethesda and downtown.

For example, you could take the 31 Metrobus from Friendship Heights to Georgetown, then transfer to the 38B to Rosslyn. On the map, this saves you a lot of backtracking. But in fact, this would take longer than simply taking the Red Line from Friendship Heights all the way downtown to Metro Center and transferring to the Orange there.

That's why I suggested trying harder to find something accessible to the Red Line. There is a significant price premium to live within about a mile of the train, but if you're willing to take a bus, there are significantly wider options.