At first this story had been written in Russian, then I translated it, so MANY THANKS to Trepidatious. Mus ings for helping me to make it more readable)))))

She

It had been a long time since Donna stopped bothering with the deja-vus that stroke her mind every time she stayed late at work. Like that very moment, sitting in front of Harvey at his big glass desk; figuratively buried in a pile papers that seemed to laugh at her, refusing to reduce their numbers not even in half. She wasn't against spending these quickly dissolving hours of her life in Harvey's company, she didn't even noticed how the city gradually lost the dim light of a dull autumn day in order to turn the twilight into darkness, anyway at home she would've found herself reading another novel or a couple of new glossy magazines.

Not tonight though.

Tonight, at these late hours, there was nobody in the firm, perhaps because even the crazy office maniacs had their limits and sometimes reminded themselves that life existed outside the multistoried trap made of glass and concrete. Somewhere out there, people were falling in love, splitting up and falling in love again…

Masquerading to celebrate the last day of October.

It was getting really late, and it was time for Donna to leave. She thought it would be much better if Harvey left the office first, otherwise she would have to change her clothes in a public restroom, and carry in her bag the awfully rumpled emerald-green Gucci dress she was wearing in that.

"Your mind is miles away from here." His tired voice disturbed her thoughts.

"Sorry, I'm just a little distracted. I suppose it's time to leave." She suggested warily.

"We haven't finished yet."

"If you plan to finish it all tonight, Harvey, I think we won't be leaving the office earlier than tomorrow morning, and this is not an option. Go home and rest, you look exhausted. I'll put the papers in order and leave too."

He let out a sigh, leaned back in his chair and brushed a palm over his tired eyes.

"Let's leave together. Call taxi, I'll take you to your place."

"No!" her response was hastily and nervous. Immediately Donna tried to mask her sharp answer, but it was too late. He squinted, practically burning a hole in her with his piercing gaze.

"What are you up to?"

"I…I have a date. He will meet me downstairs, at the entrance." She pulled herself through. "That's why I think it would be better if you leave first."

"I want to meet him and see whether or not he deserves to spend time with my best friend and assistant." Harvey's eyes scanned her embarrassed face, and Donna felt his gaze analyzing her reactions.

"C'mon, Harvey, we have met only once and I haven't even decided whether or not he deserves such a great present as me. So go home, see you tomorrow."

She sat for a minute waiting for her boss to follow her advice and get out of there before her plans were completely ruined.

Harvey didn't move, making her shrink with all-knowing eyes.

"You're lying. Spill it out or I won't let you go until we finish with all these papers."

Damn. She knew it would end like this. Okay, no problem. Donna didn't give a shit. In fact she had the right to spend her free time as wished, especially when she had so damn little time because of Harvey.

Gathering some courage she blurted out,

"I suppose you don't remember but today is Halloween, Harvey. I have to go to the costume party and I need to get changed. So, please, get out of here and let me do this, spare me from listening your jokes.

It happened, what Donna feared the most – his glance lost all hint of fatigue, and was replaced by a barely suppressed laugh.

"And miss it all? Don't even think about it! I'm dying of curiosity what character you chose to dress up."

She closed her eyes for a moment fighting the urge to kick him as it should be.

"C'mon, please me." He teased, barely containing himself. "Let me guess…Medical nurse?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Pretty woman? Schoolgirl?"

"Didn't know you are a fan of porno, Specter." She laughed.

"C'mon. Everything is allowed on Halloween. So...Mermaid?"

"Are you going to let me to leave or not?" She ignored his guesses, anxious at the anticipation of having to appear before Harvey in the damn costume.

"Only on one condition, that you let me see your outfit."

Acknowledging that there was no way to make him give up, Donna sighed.

"Okay, wait and shudder."

With this she got up and went out of his office, feeling the burn of his intrigued look on her back.

He

Something told Harvey that soon he would witness an extremely impressive entrance, and this caused an excitement that didn't let him focus on the documents of the Harper Ltd case ―which Donna had unceremoniously ignored in order to leave the office. Harvey caught himself reading the same line at least ten times and couldn't find any sense, so he slammed the folder closed, putting it aside to stand up and pour himself a scotch.

Taking a sip of the dark-amber liquor, Harvey felt a welcoming warmth growing in him, all the concerns and anxiety of the passing day faded to give room to the mind-blowing anticipation of seeing Donna in her costume. He didn't know why he was suddenly so excited waiting for her.

Feeling the need to sooth his nerves, Harvey went to the shelf filled with records. He wanted to listen to the familiar notes of his father's saxophone, the way he always did in moments of confusion.

Why on Earth was Donna taking so long to get changed? She must be dressing up as bride-zombie, with a great number of underskirts and a tight bodice ―Harvey thought. This had to be a reason to justify her long absence.

Taking slow drinks of scotch he stood by the window, watching the gleaming lights of the last night of October, pondering over that other life, the one outside his spacious, luxurious office; the life where people met in a club or a cafe not to get another client, or to negotiate with rivals. He wouldn't have remembered about Halloween if Mike hadn't mentioned it the day before. He mentioned a great party in a brand-new nightclub, but Harvey lost it on the wind and forgot about it as it was useless to him. But suddenly he wanted to be part of the collective celebration; to get rid of his super expensive jacket, suffocating tie, and throw himself into night life without worries and fears.

He was extremely tired of his lifestyle, and he hadn't notice.

"Sorry for the delay. It's not easy to fasten this damn zipper all by myself."

Harvey turned around, and suddenly felt the need to loose his damn tie.

Catwoman, of course.

He absorbed her appearance for a moment. Harvey ran his gaze unceremoniously all over her body; from the tips of her black stilettos to her thin ankles where the black-leather insanity started, then further upwards, along her perfect legs and the luring curves of her thighs. His eyes lingered on the place where the thin fabric, clung to her lower abdomen like a second skin, to finally appreciate her flawless breasts.

Finally he met her bright eyes.

Harvey should have let out a joke or at least a sarcastic remark, but suddenly his mouth felt extremely dry. With his eyes glued on her, he brought the glass to his lips and took the last drink of Macallan.

For years Harvey had seen Donna in numerous designer dresses that emphasized her fantastic curves, in simple sundresses, in tracksuits for yoga and once naked, so long ago that his memory one day gave up, and began to blurry the images.

Now she was standing in front of him in the most seductive attire ever, and Harvey couldn't seem to be able to regain control himself. Her gorgeous body, dressed in the thinnest fabric, leaving so little to imagination.

"Judging by your expression, I dare to believe that you like it?" Donna asked, feeling the sheer awkwardness of being in such attire in front of him.

"I'm totally impressed," Harvey finally forced himself to speak. He was surprised by the sound of his own voice. "It would be great if I could evaluate the back view." He tried to joke.
"Harvey" She smiled with reproach. "I should go".
Suddenly the last thing he wanted was to let Donna go. He didn't want to be deprived of the opportunity to see her at least a few minutes more.

"Wait a second, tell me where are you going? I have to know where to find you in case you decide to go off the rails."

Leaning against the glass wall, Donna folded her arms and smirked.

"The Dark Castle".

The name instantly came up to his mind, it was the place Mike mentioned in their talk about a Halloween party at a nightclub.
"The new fashionable place, where there will be some crazy party?" He asked.

"How did you know?
"Mike told me something about it yesterday".
"Yeah, Rach said that they had been considering to go, but haven't decided yet."

It was sheer torture to watch her and even more to let her go and never see her again in such costume, this is why Harvey poured himself another drink, and went to sink into his chair, trying hard not to focus on the place where Donna's legs met, and the barely but still visible contours of her nipples.
"What's the point of the party?" Harvey asked.

"You won't like it"
"Tell me anyway".
"You will be shocked".
"I'm intrigued. C'mon".
"Okay," Donna let out a sigh and gave him a wary look. "Everybody will be in masks. Each couple has to coordinate the kind of costumes they're going to wear in order to recognize each other, and no one will be allowed to take off their masks before the party comes to end. There's a partial sexual implication in all of this: one of the partners isn't allowed to speak, he has to follow the desires of its partner".

Harvey's heart started to accelerate the pace.

"And whose desires will be satisfied in your date?" It was so strange to talk with her about such an intimate subject. For the first time in many years he felt an unusual sense of excitement deep inside –the feeling had been for so long a reaction he only had with other women.

"Whose do you think?" Donna chuckled, inclining her head to a side.

"I didn't even doubt. It would be impossible not to submit to such a stunning Catwoman. He, I suppose, will be going as Batman?"
"Exactly" She smiled with impishness and instinctively pushed a red curl back from the face.

"And how will you two recognize each other?"
"Why do you need to know?" Donna became suspicious.
"Oh c'mon, Donna." He tried to sound as indifferent as possible. "I just wanna know exactly what you could do in your madness."
She smiled with playfulness, being very much like her dangerous character.
"He'll approach from behind, take my hair aside, and kiss me on the neck".

He felt like he was being kicked on the guts. Harvey failed to realize that he was incredibly late to give her a proper answer. He just stood there devouring with his gaze the shamelessly provocative curves, red locks and sly, defiant stare of her bright-brown eyes ―which got some extra make-up in "smoky eyes" style.

"Bye, Harvey. I have to go. Don't get bored, be a good boy. Happy Halloween!" She turned around, showing an equally impressive rear view, and with the seductive swaying of her hips, Donna went to the elevators, leaving him standing with a firm grip on the glass of Macallan. He had no strength to divert his gaze from her retreating form; black leather, red locks and all.

Harvey wanted to do a lot of stupid things –to run after Donna and stop her. For the first time in many years, he found himself fiercely resistant to let her go to someone else. He wanted to go to the club, hide somewhere at the bar, watch her from the distance, because Harvey was sure that Donna wouldn't take the dirty harassment of half the male visitors of the club. Maybe he could catch her at the elevators and prevent her from going to that place and the possibility of having to experience that behavior. For God's sake, she was almost forty, and at that age it wasn't appropriate to dress like that, and go to the some dubious party with masks and a bunch of horny drunken men.

A few minutes later Harvey found himself nervously pacing his spacious, dimly lit office, succumbing to a feeling of anxiety and confusion. The distracting details of Donna's outfit flashed one by one in his mind ―high heels, black leather, breasts, flat stomach, long legs, inviting red lips and fiery red hair, all these images deceitfully leaked through what it seemed to be the indestructible wall of decorum that existed between them, carefully agreed by them before they started to work at Pearson Hardman, but Donna's costume called to life the long time hidden, neglected feelings. Harvey craved for this woman.

He was alone in his kingdom, there wasn't a soul on the fiftieth floor, and even Jessica left the office before nine, obviously intending to celebrate Halloween with Malone. Harvey realized that he wanted to give in to temptation, to be dragged down into the restless night jungle that was the big city, and for the first time in a long time to act with no reason or common sense, to plunge into the madness of the night and look for the woman whose tantalizing appearance still existed in front of his eyes.

"See you soon, Selina." He whispered, putting the almost empty glass on the coffee table.

I'll continue translating if you let me know that the story is worth it:-)))))