"Come in" Jessica said, as she heard someone knock on her office door. It was around 8 at night, and she was seated on her couch, sipping a glass of whiskey.
"You wanted to see me?" Donna asked, walking towards Jessica. She looked tired, the darkness around her eyes indicating so.
"Yes" Jessica started. "I wanted to have updates on the Wilson case" she said, putting down her glass.
"Louis closed it hours ago, which you already know because he came to you to gloat. So why am I really here Jessica?" Donna replied unapologetically.
Jessica smiled slightly at Donna's response. She had always admired how quick she was, and her 'no-bullshit' policy. She stood up, pouring her a glass of whiskey, before sitting down again, motioning for her to sit down.
Donna had an idea where this was going; she had actually been wondering when Jessica would be grilling her for answers. She hesitantly took the glass, realizing as she sat down that the last time she had a drink at the office was with Harvey. She swallowed hard at the memory.
"Look Donna, I don't really know what happened between you and Harvey" Jessica started, before Donna cut her.
"With all due respect Jessica, if Harvey hasn't told you the reason why, I'm not sure why you expect me to" she said.
"Do I look like I'm done talking?" she asked with a small warning tone in her voice. Donna bit her lip, waiting for her to speak.
"And if you do not want to tell me I respect that, but I wanted to see how you were doing, in the midst of all this" she continued, sipping from her glass.
Donna clearly wasn't expecting this, quickly answering: "I'm fine", before meeting Jessica's piercing gaze.
"It's a difficult shift" Donna explained, "Louis is no Harvey" she said emphasizing on the no, making Jessica snort. "But I'm trying to readjust" she concluded, drinking from her glass.
Jessica nodded before talking again. "Well you're taking it better than him, that's for sure" Jessica said.
"What do you mean? He's doing fine" Donna said.
Jessica didn't say a word, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
"I mean he's angry at me, I know that, but he hired someone new…" Donna said, stopped by Jessica.
"Someone who looks nothing like you. I personally expected a long-legged bimbo" she pointed out, Donna surprised by her candid statement. "And he's not mad, he's hurt" she continued.
Donna nodded silently. She knew all that, she had seen the hurt in his eyes the day he rejected her two-week notice. But she had blocked it out, because that was her problem from her start, getting too involved with how he felt, what he thought, how she could make him feel better.
"He's confused, he's unfocused" Jessica continued, as Donna wondered where that was going. "But it's understandable" Jessica said, pretending to stop talking, wanting Donna to ask her what she meant.
Donna knew exactly what Jessica wanted, and gave it to her anyway. "How so?" she said, her drinking rate faster since they've jumped in the topic.
"You've been partners for twelve years, and it's hard when the woman he wouldn't come here without goes to work for someone else, let alone Louis" Jessica explained.
There were so many things Donna wanted to argue about in that sentence, like how she hadn't chosen Louis to hurt Harvey, but couldn't bring herself to say other then: "What do you mean the woman he wouldn't come here without?"
Jessica silently sipped from her whiskey, as she watched Donna curiously staring at her.
"When Harvey came back to the firm, he told me he's bringing a secretary with him. I told him associates don't get their own secretary" Jessica recited, as Donna's interest grew.
"He told me it wasn't about the associate, it was about the secretary, and that he's not coming here without you" Jessica continued. "I told him that you must really be special. He said you were" she finished, watching Donna put down the glass, running a hand through her hair.
"That's when he started paying my salary?" she asked, her voice shaking, her eyes on the floor.
It was Jessica's turn to be surprised.
"You know?" she asked. Donna nodded, as Jessica explained: "He made me promise you'd never know. He could've stopped paying you when he became senior partner, but it was his choice to keep paying you more, from his salary"
"Well he threw that information in my face two days ago in an attempt to turn me against Louis" Donna said angrily.
"Goddamn Harvey" Jessica muttered.
A short silence fell, Donna trying to grasp the amount of new information she had learned in the course of a week.
"However he used it, I think it means a lot" Jessica said, in an attempt to comfort Donna. "You know how much he cares about you" she continued.
Donna nodded silently, before speaking, agitated. "Actually I'm sick of hearing this. No, I do not know how or how much he cares about me, and I was fine with that because it never came up. Then he said something and when I asked for clarification he made me feel worthless and pitiful" she lashed out, forgetting for a second she was talking to a managing partner. Truth was she needed to talk about it, deciding not to involve Rachel now that she worked more with Harvey.
Jessica was taken aback by the confession, nodding silently as she saw Donna realize she was talking to a managing partner. She saw her take a deep breath, finishing off her glass in her usual contained demeanor.
"He told you he loved you didn't he?" Jessica asked, closely observing Donna's face, whose jaw dropped in surprise.
"How did you-?" she asked, before Jessica cut her again.
"It's all over you face" she said, making Donna mentally kick herself for revealing too much.
"It doesn't matter Donna" she said, comforting her. "I don't know what he said, but I trust you made a rational decision" she continued, "but don't let your hurt sabotage any possible development between you two" she explained. "I know how it feels to give too much" she said, her mind drifting away, making Donna wonder who she was talking about. "Point is, you let me know when he's being too much of an asshole" Jessica concluded with a smile.
"Isn't that every second?" Donna joked, returning the smile, as Jessica laughed softly.
"That is true" she agreed.
"About giving too much…" Donna said, attempting to get something out of Jessica, who laughed at Donna's ways.
"That's a story for another day Donna" she said, Donna understanding it was time to leave.
She stood up, about to leave, when Jessica spoke again.
"And don't worry Donna. Just like you kept the fact that Jeff and I were together for yourself, trust that this conversation doesn't leave this room" she said, as Donna nodded.
"Thank you Jessica" she said, leaving her office.
"Goddamn kids. I don't drink enough" Jessica said to herself, taking a bit gulp of her whiskey.
Just a small idea I had and decided to write. I always wondered if Jessica would ever talk to Donna about what was happening.
Let me know what you think!
-G