Donna had been given the rest of the day off because Harvey was feeling uncharacteristically kind. She used the time wisely, first unwinding by yes, reading Cosmo in the tub, then spending the rest of her time getting ready. A majority of it was also involuntarily spent trying to convince herself this wasn't a date. Sure, he had admitted that the thought of her going to prison made him feel like dropping to his knees, but that shouldn't change anything between them. She knew that he always cared about her, in a sense.
Still, she wanted to look good. There was no harm in that, right? It was her right as a redhead to flaunt her beauty.
Thus, at 8PM exactly, she was stepping out her front door in a black off shoulder sweetheart dress that stopped midthigh with her hair up high and makeup on point. She was greeted by a suave-looking Harvey leaning on his Lexus, secretly pleased by his currently ogling her out of pure male appreciation. But he recovered quickly and replaced his expression with a smirk.
"Wow, if I had known you'd be wearing that to work anytime soon, I'd definitely try to make it a habit come in earlier."
She chuckled. He was such a dork.
"Shut up, Specter. Now where are we going?"
"You'll see," he responded, opening the car door for her, excited for the night.
After endless minutes of small talk (only disturbed once when Ray accidentally ran over a pothole) later, Donna looked out her window to see that they were currently parked in front of Le Bernardin.
"Harvey," she gasped, "this is not just dinner. Le Bernardin? The reservation list must be like, a hundred years. Rachel's gonna kill me if I get to eat here before she does."
"Well, if that's the case just call me and I'll come and just box her out." he grinned. "Come on, get a move on; Ray's going to get a parking ticket if we don't hurry up and get out."
Though Donna had only joked earlier that it was going to be the worst night ever, it almost was. If it had been with anyone but each other, Harvey and Donna both would have called quits on this so-called "date". The restaurant ran out of the wine that they wanted, they were at a table too close to the kitchen as well as a sleazy guy who could not for the life of him stop leering at Donna, and a waiter accidentally spilled some water not unlike the way that random guy had done to Louis when he and Harvey had drinks all those years ago.
In short, it was an absolute disaster.
But it wasn't like it mattered, because the moment Donna and Harvey sat down none of those things were of very much importance. They talked and laughed and even cried at one point, because that was simply how they were. They never had to try; their relationship just came. After two hours of bantering, bickering, and baby-calling, Harvey paid the bill and Ray, ever the loyal driver, was there to pick them up.
"Going home?" Donna asked?
"Nah, I have one more place I want to stop by tonight."
"Aaaand I assume you're not going to tell me?"
"You always did know everything, Donna." he teased.
They sat in silence while Donna mulled over the possibilities of their next destination. His father's grave? Too sentimental. Mike's place? No point. The firm? Didn't they spend enough time there already? Maybe he was taking her boxing…
Before long, the car came to a halt yet again and Donna looked out the window to find themselves in front of a bar.
Not just any bar. Puzzles. Where they had first met. She was at a loss of words yet again.
"Wow, Harvey. This place- you- you remembered?" What exactly was this man doing to her?
"Did you really think I was going to forget the first time I ever met you? You were all "this is the day you get to meet Donna" on me. I have actually never met a person so forthcoming and blunt about what she wanted."
She slapped his arm playfully as he helped her out of the car. "Don't lie, you loved it. You loved me the first moment you met me."
Donna couldn't see as she was currently putting her jacket on, but Harvey faltered at her words for a moment. Before, it wouldn't have bothered him but somehow, right now, those words seemed to hit home. Oh, something in him was changing…but for the moment he shook the realization off.
"C'mon, let's get a drink."
"You trying to get me drunk, Specter?"
He laughed wholeheartedly, something he hadn't done in a while. "Trust me, Donna. I know you and I know you're perfectly capable of doing that yourself."
The two of them had a nice time reminiscing their past, individually reflecting on how far they had come. Going from ADA to name partner was no easy feat, but the two of them had stuck it through, and most importantly, together. As Harvey drank in the sight of her laughing at yet another one of his Bertha encounters, his subconscious attacked him again.
He had everything. His name was on the door, Louis was on good terms with Mike, Mike was his associate again, him and Jessica were getting along, and Donna was safe. Yet he still felt like something was missing from this seemingly perfect world. And it was currently ordering another scotch, on the rocks.
Harvey didn't know what was going on with him; these past few days had apparently really taken a toll on his soul. He had been so desperate to do literally anything to protect her, even if it meant being embarrassingly honest about his feelings. But his best guess was that somewhere along the road, him telling everyone he cared about this woman had led him to see her in a light beyond just as his extremely talented secretary. Harvey Specter believed in having goals, and now he had an inkling that courting Donna might be the next one.
Suddenly, the atmosphere was too much. There was too much noise, too many people… all he wanted was to be alone with her. He wasn't hers to own, necessarily, but at the same time he didn't want to share her with anyone else.
"Hey," he said softly, "wanna get out of here?"
"Wait, but I just got my drink.."
He took it out of her hands and chugged it down. Kind of an asshole move, he knew, but his sudden urgency to get her alone could not be sated.
"You just indirectly kissed me," she laughed. She only added fuel to his fire, and he was pretty sure the desire was reflected in his eyes.
"Let's go," he said sternly, reaching to tug her hand.
The contact was electric; he hadn't thought about his actions and couldn't realize the last time they had been this intimate. Sure, she touched his hair and his tie, but never this. He was scared she'd freak out, so naturally was relieved when she relaxed her hand in his.
"Ray's in the back." He kept hold on her hand, tugging her along playfully but not enough to make her trip. Her fingers interlaced around his, sending a shiver down his spine.
He had never felt so hot and bothered from just hand holding. He felt like he was thirteen again, being with a girl for the first time. He began to wonder if this was what the phrase playing with fire came from. Not only was this crossing dangerous waters, but also Donna's flaming red hair and fiery personality seemed to contribute as well.. Meanwhile, Donna was glad that the sun had set hours ago because then she had the ability to hide her blush in the dark night.
Was this what the Specter package was like? She found that she had to keep reminding herself that he had probably done with with a million other women, that he was just caught in the moment. Just a way of having fun.
They found Ray listening to classical music in the car. He opened the door for her again, and with a quick "Donna's place, Ray,", before they were on their way, the night still young.