"It felt so good I had to do it again." Donna says with a smile. She's more than proud of slapping Hardman across his ugly-bearded, back-stabbing face...twice.
"Look at you! You're beautiful." replies Harvey in his overly-friendly tone of voice; flirty 'Specter-Smile' placed perfectly on his face.
Surprised by the direct compliment, Donna blushes and looks down while playfully securing an errant strand of hair behind her right ear. She doesn't catch the last bit of Harvey's statement; but before she can come back with a flirtaciously witty retort, she hears Jessica's voice from behind her.
Upon realizing that Harvey is kissing the ass of the managing partner, instead of complimenting his long-time secretary/confidant on her crowning moment of awesome (as he rightfully should do), her heart sinks. The pink flush retreats from her cheeks, and she tries to hide her disappointment - to no avail. Luckily, her boss doesn't notice. He's far too concerned with Jessica at the moment. To save herself further embarassment, Donna quietly slips away toward the restrooms.
Sitting on the padded bench in the ladies' room, Donna tries to calm herself. She has sat on this bench and done this very same thing plenty of times before. In so many ways, her boss is a great man. Yet, in so many other ways, he's an absolute jackass.
'C'mon Donna, get real. He told you almost ten years ago that it will never happen. Why do you keep holding out hope?' a voice in her head calls out.
A smaller voice responds: 'Maybe I think he'll come to his senses one day. He's not a stupid man; and he's got an eye for detail unlike anyone I've ever known. Eventually, he has to turn that keen eye on himself, and then he'll realize...'
Realize what, Donna? That you're his true love? The one he can't live without? How long till that happens, huh? Maybe before you hit 40. Maybe 50. You can't keep a boyfriend, because you're still waiting for Harvey Specter to come to his senses. Well, he still hasn't. After more than ten years together, you're still just his secretary. Do you think another decade can change anything?
He needs me. the small voice says.
"Fuck!" she says aloud. "Goddamn Mother Fucking Cocky Arrogant Asshole Son-of-a-Bitch!"
Donna's shout reverberates off of the tile surfaces of the ladies' room for a moment, before dying quickly back into silence.
For whatever reason: anger, sadness, or pure frustration; a tear begins to roll down her alabaster cheek. Donna wipes it away with a paper towel and just stares at herself in the mirror for a moment.
'Why do I do this to myself?' she thinks. 'I'm Donna, Goddamnit! I can have any man I want!'
...
'So, why him?'
...
...
"Screw it. I'm going home" she says aloud to her reflection. "I don't need this bullshit. There's a bottle of wine, and a vibrator with fresh batteries waiting for me in my apartment. The rest of this crap can wait."
Though empowered by her mirror-side affirmations, Donna is secretly glad that no one had heard it. Quietly, she slips out of the restroom and back toward the elevators. Harvey has gone; likely back to his office to pack up for the night.
She waits in silence for an elevator car to reach floor 50; trying to look foward to her evening wth a bottle of Malbec, and her dear Reggie (short for Reginald). The one cocky bastard in her life that never disappoints - so long as the batteries hold out...