The Law Offices of Pearson Hardman
Requests the pleasure of your company at
the annual fundraiser for the benefit of
World Vision charities
Saturday, the twenty-third of February
7 o'clock in the evening
The Villard Ballroom
The New York Palace Hotel
455 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10022,
"Damn," Donna said as she tossed her half-eaten bagel into the trash and flipped through her day planner to see where she could squeeze in a few extra Pilates classes. She grabbed her phone and sent a quick text to Rachel.
Pearson Hardman Benefit
on Feb 23. Clear your schedule
you're coming with me.
Need to plan shopping date.
Rachel's reply was almost immediate.
Oh my god I just had a blueberry
Crumble muffin for breakfast, it was
NOT low fat.
Donna snorted and thought of her bagel with extra cream cheese.
"What's so funny?" Harvey asked as he walked by.
Donna glanced up at him and ignored the flutter that always tickled her belly when she saw him unexpectedly.
"Nothing, you're in early."
Harvey shrugged and continued into his office. Donna sent a quick reply to Rachel informing her that they had a date with shopping and Pilates on Friday. She grabbed a stack of messages and walked into Harvey's office just as he was sitting down.
"You have a meeting at nine with Anderson Mobile, Mrs. Wright wanted you to look over a possible deal with Wilson Global, and" she dropped the messages and the envelope containing his invitation on his desk "The Annual Pearson Hardman Benefit for World Vision Charities." She recited.
Harvey sighed and grimaced at the invitation.
"We're still having that?"
"Wouldn't send a great message if we skipped it this year would it?" Donna replied.
Harvey pulled a face and opened the invitation, reading over it for a moment before glancing back up at Donna.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"No, just wondering who you're going to take as your plus one."
Harvey looked at her incredulously.
"I just got this five seconds ago."
Donna shrugged and propped a hip on his desk. "So nobody special?"
"No, why, do you have a date?"
"Yes," Donna said
Harvey set his invitation down with a frown.
"What, who?"
"Don't act so surprised," she said dryly turning back to her desk "I'm going with Rachel."
"Nobody special then?" Harvey parroted back to her.
"Nah, they get needy when you introduce them to your friends." Donna said over her shoulder.
Harvey stared into space as his laptop was booting up, thinking about his impending meeting with Anderson Mobile. If Mike ever decided to show up he could let him handle some of the paperwork while he dealt with the great William "Bill" Anderson himself. Bill Anderson had to be placated constantly and could fly off the handle at any given moment, better to keep the accident prone Mike busy somewhere else. His eyes slid to Donna again and lingered. She was talking animatedly on the phone and he wondered who it was that was making her laugh. Harvey was snapped out of his train of thought when Mike burst breathlessly through the door.
"Sorry I'm late, I had a flat."
Harvey merely raised his eyebrows.
"You should get rid of that damn bike." He said, shifting the large file towards Mike.
"And sit through hours of traffic trying not to kill myself because I'm trapped in an inescapable bubble? No thanks." Mike retorted, sliding his bag over his shoulder before dropping onto Harvey's couch.
Harvey frowned at Mike and tapped the Anderson Mobile file.
"I'm not paying you to sit on my couch."
Mike noticed the file and gave Harvey a sheepish grin.
"Right, who are we closing today?" Mike said, eyes already darting over the information in the file, unconsciously committing them to memory.
"He's already closed, and we are not meeting with Bill, I am meeting with Bill while you stay out of the way and make sure there are no loopholes in the deal he made with Lightning Tech LLC last week."
Mike looked up at him aghast.
"What? I didn't do anything wrong."
"I know, but Bill doesn't like change, so when I tell him I've got a kid handling his files he's going to flip and then I have to get Donna to calm him down again. Donna hates having to smooth his feathers; she says he smells like Menthol and stale coffee."
"Yeah stay away from him Mike," Donna's voice snapped from the intercom.
Mike looked out at Donna, who was grinning at him.
"Thanks for the faith in me guys," He complained loudly and stood to slide his bag once again over his shoulder and tucked the file inside.
"I'll just go be brilliant somewhere else then," he added and walked out.
Harvey watched as Mike stopped by Donna's desk to flip her hair before jumping out of reach as she slapped his hand away. Harvey smothered the grin inching onto his face as Donna turned to him and pressed the intercom button.
"Tell your associate to keep his hands where they belong." She said irritably, but Harvey could see the corners of her mouth were tilted upwards.
He nodded his agreement and pulled out his own much thinner copy of the Anderson Mobile case, glancing over a few key notes to refresh his memory.
Harvey leaned back contentedly in his chair as Mike shook Bill Anderson's hand.
The kid had just saved Anderson mobile over a million dollars in a loophole that would grant Lightning Tech LLC the rights to any new additions to their current project and cut Anderson Mobile out completely. Mike, with a little fishing, had found they already had quite a few new innovations they hadn't bothered to mention. Plus they had a more advanced project waiting in the wings, which this multi-million dollar deal would fund very nicely.
Bill Anderson left happy, and Mike was strutting around Harvey's office pantomiming hitting a home run.
"I'm sorry, but remember when you told me to stay out of the way?" Mike said, turning to face Harvey.
Harvey just looked at him.
"Cause I do, then remember when I found that little thing about how Lightning Tech was totally going to screw over Anderson Mobile and make millions of dollars?"
Harvey pointed at his door.
"I get it, you can go now."
Mike was unfazed and grinned at Harvey.
"I'm awesome and you know it. Say it."
"You're awesome and he knows it." Donna supplied from the door, smiling at Mike.
"Don't egg him on," Harvey retorted.
Mike grinned and placed a loud kiss on her cheek before turning back to Harvey.
"You should give Donna a raise."
Harvey's gaze fixated on Mike's hand still resting on Donna's shoulder.
"Sure I'll just take it from your paycheck." Harvey retorted, smiling when Mike's hand dropped away and he backed out of the office.
"Okay I'm leaving," he said over his shoulder.
Donna was smiling affectionately after Mike and walked over to Harvey's desk, dropping the Michelle Wright folder in front of him.
"You're scheduled to meet her in thirty minutes, do you need anything else?"
Harvey rifled through the Wright folder, scanning the notes.
"Do we have a copy of the partner agreements? She may run into a snag with that dick Willingham. Guy has a problem with women in authority."
Donna walked behind his desk and slid the file closer to her, looking carefully through its contents.
"No, I think it's in records."
She brushed absently at some lint that had found its way onto Harvey's shoulder.
"I'll go look for it," she said.
"I'll come with you; I need to give Mike some of the Folsom Foods files to work on." Harvey said, grabbing a few files from the looming stack beside his bookcase.
The records room was quiet except for the sound of rustling papers. Harvey snapped a file down in frustration.
"That damn floating temp Cameron filed these. I don't know where anything is."
Donna slid the file box she was finished with back into place.
"Yeah that idiot really screwed things up didn't he?" She felt a guilty little punch of glee that her replacement had fallen so far short of her.
Donna glanced up at the filing box just out of reach labeled with a W, and pulled over a step stool to reach it. Her fingers just brushed it as she felt one of her heels slip from the step. She gave a little gasp and grabbed onto the shelf moments before Harvey's arm wrapped around her waist and she was set onto the floor. Her pulse pumped quickly and she made to step away from him, but ended up bumping back into the shelf of filing boxes.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I just slipped." Donna said tightly, trying to ease back towards the step stool to retrieve the file box.
Harvey grabbed her arm and they both paused at the contact. They stood close enough that Donna could make out each individual eyelash that framed Harvey's eyes. She also didn't miss the fact that his eyes dropped to her mouth for a second before snapping back up.
"I'll get it." He said irritably, stepping onto the step and sliding the box from the shelf. He set it between them and they both rifled through the files in heavy silence. Donna tried not to think of the warm imprint his hand left on her waist. Her thoughts were racing and she almost missed the file.
"Got it," she declared triumphantly, handing the file to Harvey.
"Great," he said and turned around without another word, taking a moment to return the box to the shelf before leaving.
Donna waited until he was gone to lean back against the desk. For a moment there all the flirty banter and comfort of an easy friendship had disappeared and there had been tension and awkward silence. There was a reason they never touched each other anymore, innocent touches led to lingering glances and muddled boundaries. Once you toed the line it was much easier to cross it.
A/N: Chapter one of I don't know how many chapters. More lovable and awesome Suits characters in the next chapter.