The past week has been trying in all ways. To cope, Donna has found herself pulling those crumpled pieces of yellow paper out of her purse time and time again. Norma, the the stupid decision she made, the fall out, the fraud and Louis. It is becoming more that she can handle. She needs Jules back.
As Harvey watches Donna from his office, he notices her distraction. He knows the stress she is under. He feels like his own world is falling apart. Donna is pissed at him for how he is handling the charges against her. Charles Fortsman is back to his games and Cahill is trying to find the money trail back to Forstman. Every time he thinks he has something solved, the situation twists back on itself. It's like the twilight zone. He knows he needs to choose his battles and Donna is not he battle he wants to fight but it is one that he has to win. How could she be so... Donna. He walks out to her desk. Donna is lost in a crumpled piece of paper again but at least it makes her smile.
"Dinner tonight? Le Beck Fin?" Harvey leans down pretending not to pay attention to the paper he is trying to get a look at. Donna does not immediately response. "Ah, Donna?" As a matter of fact, she does not even look up at him. "I'll make you a reservation." Harvey reaches down and snatches the paper from her hands. "I was asking if you wanted to grab dinner?"
Harvey quickly scans the document. He realizes it is a bucket list… a really interesting bucket list. he picks off what he can read before Donna gracefully retrieves the list from his hands. "Actually, I think I will pass on it Harvey."
She folders the papers and places them in her purse. Harvey presses her. "You got to eat Donna." He reaches down and plucks Donna's purse from the floor. "Shall we?" Harvey motions for Donna to join him. She didn't even realize how late it was… it is heading for 7. No wonder she was ravenous and apparently has no free will.
They are seated at Harvey's usual table at the restaurant. They chat over drinks and dinner. Harvey waits until dessert and coffee to ask Donna about the list. She is always more responsive when plied with a little wine and death by chocolate and there is no need to bring up... everything else.
"So what's on the bucket list." Harvey motions to her purse with a smirk. This topic is actually a welcome distraction given the rest of topics of commonality. "I have no idea what you are referring to, Harvey." Donna's thoughts drift in and out of a thousand different topics.
"A kiss at the top of the Empire State Building, surf in Australia, trek in Nepal, spend the night in Lafayette Cemetery…" Harvey leans in closer. "Date Rob Lowe or Uncle Jesse. I know a bucket list when I see one and personally... I would have gone for Uncle Jesse... for the hair alone."
"Oh that… it was some school girl silliness from long, long,. ago. I never realized that Jules kept it." A smile crosses Donna's face which Harvey is thrilled to see. He can tell that Donna has been a million miles away from him all night.
"You two have been friends a long time." He is going to try keep it there at least for a while as Donna twirls her fork in her cake. "Yeah, we have… even longer that I have known you, Harvey."
"Where did you two meet?" Donna's face lights up with a sentimental smile of the spring break gone a rye that threw them together out of sheer survival and ended up as a the longest relationship she's ever had. "For as long as I have known you, I never heard you mention, Jules?"
"Actually, you have, you just never realized I was talking about her." Donna gets a wicked look across her face and a twinkle sparkles in her eye. He also notices that Donna avoids answering the question that he wants to know the answer to. He quickly realizes all of Donna's best stories have had a costar.
"When you…" Donna interrupts. "Jules."
"The time you went on that…" She does it again. "Jules."
"And when you…"
"Still Jules." Donna pops the last of the cake into his mouth to stop the questions.
"Can I ask you something?" Donna is wondering where this is going now. "Else."
"Sure." Donne expects the question to be risque. She is surprised at the actual content.
"Why do you call her Jules? Is it the whole "Ruby" thing?" Harvey washes down the cake with the last of his coffee.
"Sort of… Believe it or not her name is actually Ruby Sapphire Bond."
"You are kidding?" Harvey sees the humor in her name.
"I kid you not. She also has a sister named Emerald and one named Opal. Her father started calling her Jules because she was the first of his "crown jewels. I have always known her as Jules."
Harvey laughs at the story, now that is a little different. "That accent of hers… where is she from… the South?"
"Bite your tongue…. As she would say... Jules is not from the South. Jules is from Louisiana." Harvey instantly places that lilt in her voice. She is from New Orleans. Donna's sidekick is a little Cajun queen.
A few days later:
Jules stumbles to the door barely able to focus with the ringing of the doorbell. "Knock it off… I'm coming." Jules shields her eyes from the blinding morning sun as she opens the door. The door reveals Donna standing on the threshold of Jules' Hamptons cottage. She has been waiting impatiently for the last 10 days for Jules to get her patutie back to the states.
Donna has so much that she has to tell her. She kept back all of the details of the chaos that has ensued since she left. Donna needs this more than Jules could ever know. Her life is faltering and at this moment, she doesn't even care. She is back. As Jules waves Donna in, she grabs her Ray Bans from the table near the door.
"Jetlag?" Donna hands Jules the biggest coffee that she could grab off the Jittney. Jules' answer comes out as more of a groan than an actual sentence as she lands on the couch without spilling a drop of the coffee.
Donna takes in her surroundings. She loves this cottage. It is on the dunes and what it lacks in size it makes up for in location, location, location. This place makes her feel like she is Carrie Bradshaw straight out of Sex in the City.
"How was Paris?" Donna spies the bags on the table as Jules lets out another inaudible groan. "For me?" Jules can hear the kid at Christmas excitement in Donna's voice as she rolls over.
"If I say yes… can I sleep?" Jules props the sunglasses on her head as Donna picks up the black signature Chanel shopping bag from the table. As she peeks inside, she answers. "If this is for moi… you can slip into a coma if you so desire." Donna pulls out the Chanel purse from the bag. "and matching wallet?"
Jules points to the other bag. "This is why you have my undying love and affection, Jules."
"You can spin me a love sonnet at a more civilized hour which is 4 or 5 hours from now." Jules hands Donna her coffee and heads into her bedroom.
Donna drops her bags in the other bedroom and walks out onto the back patio which overlooks the dunes and the ocean. She takes in the sweet summer air and the ocean breeze. Pearson Specter Litt is now a million miles away at least for the weekend. The possibility of her orange is the new black moment was left behind in the city too. She will tell Jules about the arraignment... tomorrow.