"Look at you, you look beautiful." Donna looked up in surprise, her heart beating wildly, only to find that Harvey was looking past her at someone else. It took her only moments to realize he was talking to Jessica. Hardman's words echoed hollowly in her ears as her heart dropped like a stone into her stomach. She felt all at once foolish and disappointed as she struggled to keep her face neutral while Harvey spoke with Jessica. Sometimes the whatever it was that made Harvey whoever he was in her life sprang up without warning. It was like all those days, months, and years of pushing away feelings meant nothing and a few careless words could unbalance her.
If anything, Donna was an expert at keeping her feelings well tucked away so that when Harvey looked back at her she smiled easily at him as if he hadn't just accidentally opened up an old wound.
"Let's take down that damn name," Harvey said as his eyes lit with triumph. She didn't need to fake any emotion as she grinned back at him.
"I'll get maintenance." She said and whirled excitedly around, only to find herself yanked back lightly as Harvey grabbed her arm. Her excitement sent her a little off balance and she had to grab his arm for support as he stepped closer to her.
"No, I want to do it." He said, and she felt her heart start with that stupid hammering again so she stepped back a little too quickly and hooked her purse on her elbow, holding it almost like a shield between them.
"You still need a screwdriver," She said and her voice pitched just a few shades too high. She cursed inwardly as she noticed the slight narrowing of his eyes as he looked at her. Because Harvey latched onto things like a pit-bull, Donna turned with a quick smile and walked briskly back to her desk.
Harvey lengthened his strides and caught up with her easily.
"What's up?" He asked, and Donna felt her pulse kick up again but she answered easily.
"I really want to get that damn name off the wall." She grabbed the phone off her desk and dialed 6 for maintenance. A male voice answered and she let her voice slide into a sensual purr.
"Edwin this is Donna, how are you?" She smiled as Edwin told her he was better now that he was talking to her. "Could you bring a screwdriver up to Harvey's office?" She asked, leaning back against her desk. Harvey placed a palm at her hip and leaned close to the receiver.
"And a hammer, and maybe a chisel." Harvey said, his breath fluttering on her hair. He didn't notice her knuckles whiten on the phone.
"Thanks Raymond." Donna said and leaned back to hang up the phone, fully expecting Harvey to move. The fact that he didn't, and was smiling warmly down at her, had her skin thrumming with energy.
"What?" She asked, and let out a breath when he finally stepped back.
"Sometimes a small win feels just as damn good as a big win." He said and turned to go into his office to get his favorite bottle of brandy. Donna let out a slow breath and tried to get her system under control.
"Here," Harvey said, handing her a glass.
Donna jumped, glaring at him and Harvey looked at her strangely.
"Are you okay?" He asked, a half smile on his face.
Donna took a big swallow of the brandy and sighed as it burned its way into her chest.
"I had three triple mocha lattes today." She explained and took another sip of the brandy, feeling her insides turn warm.
Harvey made to take her glass away and she gripped it tighter and glared at him.
"Take it and lose a hand." She said.
Harvey shook his head and took a drink of his own brandy, watching her over the rim.
"I'm so damn proud of you." He finally said, the look in his eyes causing her chest to squeeze painfully.
"One sip and you're already getting sloppy." Donna said with a dismissive laugh and turned gratefully when she heard Edwin calling her name.
Tools in hand, Donna and Harvey walked back to the Pearson Hardman sign, laughing as they thought up various ways of defacing it after it was removed.
"I don't know why you think peeing on things is a solution to everything." Donna said as they stopped at the sign.
"Mostly because it's fun," Harvey replied, twirling the screwdriver in his hand like a gunslinger.
Donna shook her head and gestured at the sign, "Well, have at it."
Harvey handed her his drink and attacked the H in Hardman with a relish. It came off easily and Harvey winced at the crack in the wood panel left behind because of his earlier loss of temper. He started on the A and glanced at Donna. She was staring blankly at the elevators, the corners of her mouth turned up in a slight smile. He felt a rush of affection towards her and popped the A off the wall.
"Here, you should help." He said, handing her the screwdriver. Donna looked up at him and he had a suspicion he had startled her again. He wondered at her jumpiness as he took the glasses from her hand, noticing that when his hand cupped hers, she pressed her lips together tightly and she almost dropped the glass.
She was attacking the R with a relish and he watched her again, appreciating the way her body curved in the dress she wore. There were few times he allowed himself the luxury of appreciating Donna's beauty, but tonight with alcohol buzzing in his system, he allowed himself to let his eyes linger.
"Son of a bitch this thing is stuck." Donna snapped, trying to fit the screwdriver into a tricky corner of the R. Harvey walked up behind her and held a corner of the letter up so she could reach her hand behind it. In his concentration it took him a while to notice their closeness, but then it was all he noticed. Her back bumped into his chest and he saw her stiffen, noticing she took a step closer to the sign. Donna's scent wrapped around him and made his foggy brain go even foggier. He wondered if he were to brush away her hair and kiss the side of her neck if she would slap him or turn to him. He didn't have time to ponder that as she popped the R from the wall and they did a little dance as they each tried to move away from each other.
"You know what, hitting Hardman was enough for me." Donna said, setting the letter down on the floor and handing him the screwdriver.
Harvey shrugged and attacked the next letter.
"Hand me the chisel," he said after a few moments and used the chisel to lever the letter away from the wall, wincing as a few chips of wood tore loose. Jessica was going to have his ass.
They bantered easily and abused Hardman viciously as Harvey removed the letters from the wall. Donna was sliding into the giggling that usually only came out when she was halfway to being completely drunk and Harvey found himself trying to get her to laugh as often as possible.
Finally all the letters were removed and lay in a pile on the floor covered in a fine layer of sawdust. He turned to Donna and swung a companionable arm around her shoulders sighing in satisfaction. He noticed she didn't stiffen up and relaxed against him.
"You did good Harvey," she said, and he felt a swell of pride at her praise.
He felt himself drawn to her and slid his arm from her shoulders to take a careful step sideways. He knew better than to give in to temptation.
"Jessica is going to kill you when she sees those holes." Donna said, gesturing to the wood panels and Harvey noted that the holes that had once held letters got progressively worse, ending with a chip the size of a silver dollar gouged out of one of the holes that had held up the N.
"I could put some caulk in it." Harvey said thoughtfully.
Donna turned to look slyly at him. "Is that your solution for everything?"
Harvey smirked and shook his head, "you're incorrigible".
