Chapter 10 - A Strange Turn of Events

The harsh breeze penetrated her clothes as she pulled her cashmere cardigan closer to her body. Walking quicker to escape the damp, fall weather - or should she be calling it autumn now? Her umbrella fighting against the wind as she was trying desperately to hold it in front of her hair and face, so she looked at least presentable to meet her friend for lunch.

The Kings' Road was always busy at this time, even on a Saturday; with a mixture of tourists and locals meeting for lunch at one of the many fine eateries, restaurants or bars scattered along the prestigious road in West London.

The Bluebird restaurant was her immediate destination and she could just about make out the signage as she bustled through the heavy crowds on the sidewalk - she mentally corrected herself and smiled, pavement. She felt a sudden homely feeling while attempting to navigate her way along the Chelsea street. But it wasn't London she felt homely towards as much anymore. After nearly three and a half years, she began to think more of New York. For a moment, as she stopped and started, while trying to dodge people's dogs, people's shopping or the odd stroller, she was instantly transported back to Manhattan during that morning rush. She put a halt to her New York thinking as it always, most definitely, finished with thinking about a certain New Yorker, whom she particularly wasn't meant to be thinking about.

The doors of the restaurant brought Donna out of her New York Minute as she shook and fought with her umbrella before handing it to the doorman to store away. She gave her name and politely obliged to take the server's direction to her friend's table.

Ana was already there, the warmest of smiles lit up her petit face as she leapt up from the chair to greet her friend. She had known Ana since her first year in London, they found themselves auditioning for all of the same shows and it wasn't until they were both cast in Anthony and Cleopatra that they finally became good friends. Ana was still performing and had a rare Saturday afternoon free to meet up with Donna, who, had since her time on the West End had began to drift away from theatre spending more and more time helping and working for her cousin's interior design company in Kensington. She loved the new challenge it presented her. No longer behind a desk for someone else, Donna helped with the PR side of the company, meeting clients and managing the staff for her cousin. It was now that she was beginning to wonder about taking these new found skills back to New York; to a new job and a new start to a life there again.

'Hey you!' Ana smiled arms reaching around a rather damp looking Donna.

'Hi, you look great!' Donna beamed, 'Me on the other hand, just got caught in that beautiful English weather!'

Ana laughed, 'New York hasn't exactly got its own tropical climate Don, so the British weather joke doesn't count!' Her southern Somerset accent always amused Donna.

They sat down and ordered their drinks as the server passed them the menu.

'We really should do this more often Donna, I mean, it must be at least four months since the last time we met up!' The younger blonde said as she reached for her sparking water.

'I know I've been so busy with Catherine's company, every day seems to fly by,' Donna closed her menu after deciding on her order.

'Are you enjoying it?' Ana asked curiously as she placed her crisp, white napkin in her lap.

'It's been a challenge, but you know me - I can handle anything!' She smiled, 'In fact, I'm thinking that after I return to New York, I'd like to follow it up, maybe find somewhere in the same field.'

'You're going back to the States?' Ana's face dropped, 'When?'

Donna twiddled her napkin around her finger, 'I'm not entirely sure when. I suppose it's when I think it's time.'

Ana smiled, 'As long as you let me know when I can come and visit!'

'I wouldn't have it any other way!' Donna smiled as she tried to fix her sodden tousled hair around her face.

'Hey, Ana, could you order the Chicken Parm Salad for me please, I seriously need to go and get the remnants of this awful weather off me,' She laughed as she gathered up her bag and headed towards the ladies' room.

As she wondered towards the doors at the back of the restaurant, it occurred to her that saying it out loud made it more real. She wanted to go back to New York. Back home.

Her phone beeped as she was just about to head in the door. As she looked down, she noticed it was Ana - Do you want dressing on the side? The text read, Donna laughed and replied. Of course!

In that moment, between replying to Ana and reaching the restroom door, she hadn't noticed the small, dark haired woman, dressed impeccably in Chanel hold the door open for her.

'Thanks,' Donna offered barely looking up from her phone.

'Not a problem,' the voice returned. Donna froze. The all too familiar American accent, but this one was much more familiar. She darted her head around as the voice she had encountered before on many occasions, disappeared into the restaurant. No, surely. It couldn't be. She scanned the room for the bouncy, dark hair, her heart pounding.

Donna was never wrong about these things; she knew that voice, and she goddamn well knew who it belonged to. If it was her, she didn't recognise me? She thought. Well, to be fair, who would? She looked at the wet mess of her hair and scarf still half wrapped around her neck in the mirror above the sinks. After washing up and tidying her hair, she ventured back out into the restaurant, shaking off her imaginary encounter with a woman who, at the best of times never saw eye to eye with, but seemed to have one thing in common. Harvey Shitting Specter. She rolled her eyes, Stop it Donna, you're being crazy, she scolded herself.

As she made her way through the chairs and back to her table, she couldn't help but examine every dark-haired woman around her.

Suddenly, just as she was about to sit down, a black pair of tall Louboutins casually came to a halt next to her chair.

'Donna?' she beamed, her bright lips stretching into a smile, 'I thought it was you!'

And yes, she was right. Donna let out a long steady breath ready to be nice. 'Scottie! What the...?' Donna stood up again and gave her a small hug, pulling away quicker than what she would have done if it was Ana or Rachel.

'What am I doing in London?' She finished Donna's question and gestured around with her hand, 'Work. I work for Darby International now, out of their London office. I've been here about...six months.' She smiled. 'I knew you were in London, but I didn't expect to just run into you like this.' Scottie turned to Donna's friend.

'Ana, this is Scottie, sorry, Dana Scott and Scottie, this is Ana, a friend of mine from our theatre days!' Donna smiled.

'Are you here with anyone?' Donna asked casually looking around.

'Just a client,' Scottie said, 'We're just finishing up, so if you want to catch up with a coffee after, that would be great!' Her perfect white teeth set into a smile so familiar to Donna it made her feel rather nervous. It wasn't like Scottie to be this nice. But then again, how often do you meet your ex-boss' ex-girlfriend in the country you ran away to to escape said ex-boss who still has unresolved feelings for you? She chuckled to herself, 'Yes, definitely, I'd love that,' Donna smiled, 'If that's ok with you Ana?'

'Of course, a friend of Donna's is a friend of mine!'

'Great then! I'll see you in a bit. Enjoy your lunch ladies,' And with that, Scottie had turned and walked away and out of sight to her awaiting client.

'Ok... you so could have just cut the tension between you two with a knife. What the hell was that about?' Ana asked, her curiosity peaked.

Donna tilted her head to one side and smiled to her friend, 'That's why me and you get on so well, you don't miss a thing do you?' She laughed.

'Go on, spill. What's the deal with you two?'

'Its a long story, and one I don't particularly want to get into over my Chicken Salad.' The server had just delivered their plates to their tables and Donna began to pick up her cutlery.

'Come on,' Ana pushed, she wasn't letting it go, 'If we're to have coffee in a bit with this woman I need to know who she actually is!'

'Ok. Well, remember me telling you about my old firm in New York?'

'The one where your boss could never admit to being so in love with you and he was a goddamn idiot?' Ana laughed, 'Yes, I remember that exact cocktail fuelled conversation, and I think you called him other names too, but I think his real name was Harvey... carry on,' Ana smirked.

'Well, that's Scottie. His ex-girlfriend. And when I say ex- I mean probably about three times an ex- as even with her, he could never stop being a complete dick and actually tell someone how he felt. I can't say there was much love lost between me and her, as she lied to him so many times and they argued about work, I just didn't get it. They didn't go well together. She tried too hard to change him.'

'Because you and him went well together?' Ana pushed, sliding a piece of chicken into her mouth.

'Ana! No, I care...I cared about Harvey and to see the way she messed him about and put her work before him, it was hard to watch. But I had to let him get on with it, he always knew she wasn't right for him. He had to make his own decisions, whether they were the right ones or not. She wasn't the one for him.'

'And you are?' Ana's words made Donna stop and look up from her salad.

'Who knows Ana? He didn't even see.' Her voice faltered as she continued to eat her salad.

'Scottie never liked me really, she always saw me as a thorn in the side of their relationship.'

As they finished their meal and paid the bill they made their way back over to the bar lounge where Scottie had just finished up with her client and was closing a black leather folder.

'Ok, let me get the coffees, you guys take a seat!' Scottie smiled as she got up and walked over to the barista.

That's a first, Donna thought, since when has she offered to do anything for anyone.

After fifteen minutes of the polite generally chit chat of both their experiences of London so far, they both realised they had stayed clear of New York talk until Scottie decided to break the ice.

'Have you spoken to him?' Scottie asked direct. Donna knew who the 'he' she was questioning, was Harvey, who else would it be. And she also knew, the moment she laid eyes on Dana Scott that she would now be spending the afternoon discussing Harvey Bloody Specter. Yes, she'd been in England long enough now to use 'bloody'.

'No,' Donna answered while casually sipping on her latte. 'I've been super busy here, I've hardly spoken to anyone from the firm,' she lied, knowing that she still speaks and texts with Rachel and Louis on a weekly basis. And on the odd occasion, after asking her back to the firm, Jessica called and even Norma had learned to text.

Ana's interest in the conversation had suddenly regained momentum.

'Is this Harvey Specter?' she asked, trying to join their conversation. Donna gave her a sideways 'are you kidding me right now' look, to which Ana ignored.

'Yes. The pain in the ass that he is. Yes, Harvey Specter,' Scottie's voice said his name with a sarcastic swirl.

'What is it with this guy, he seems to be a bit of a dick, as both of you seem to resent him for something?' Ana asked innocently sipping her coffee.

Scottie and Donna exchanged looks and held their gaze.

'Too many things...' they both said in unison. Donna laughed and placed her cup back down on the table.

'It's so good to see you Donna,' Scottie smiled, 'You seem really happy here. Rachel told me all about what you had been doing here, she really misses you.' Scottie said.

'You've spoken to Rachel?' Donna seemed to have missed that one during her last, God knows how many phone calls with her friend. 'She never said.'

Scottie looked taken aback, 'Did she not tell you?'

'Tell me what?'

'Obviously not then. I was a senior partner last year at Pearson Specter Darby for about six months as my firm merged with Jessica's'

'I knew about the merger but, no I didn't know you had transferred too.'

'Well, it was kind of my doing, the merger with Edward Darby saved Pearson Specter's ass.' She laughed, crossing her legs to the side of the table.

'So you were at the firm for six months? Working there?' Donna really didn't want to ask the next question and did she really care or want to know? Hell yes.

'With Harvey?' she went for it, 'Are you guys ok now?'

Scottie laughed as she pushed her loose strands of dark hair back behind her ear.

'There's two answers there Donna. The first being, yes we were fine and the second answer is no, not now.'

It took Donna a few seconds to process her response.

'What happened?' Donna's heart deflated, she always knew Harvey would go back to Scottie one day, and here she was in London, being told by the exact same person who she didn't want to hear it from.

'It's a hell of a story, one which I know now will never be repeated. I am done with Harvey Bloody Specter!' She laughed, mimicking Donna's use of the not so endearing British term.

'Aren't we all?' Donna agreed taking the last sip of latte to her lips. Not really one hundred percent sure she believed that herself though.

'But are you Donna, really? Because, I for one, will definitely vouch that he has never got over you leaving.'

Her heart froze, she couldn't move. The cup stayed at her lips.

'What do you mean Scottie?'

'Oh come off it Donna, all those years you've worked with him, been with him and don't think I don't know about that 'other time' you both call it, when he left the DA's office. There's always been something more with you two, that no one has ever been able to get close to or even near.' Scottie trailed off.

'What are you trying to say Scottie?'

Ana couldn't speak, her eyes fixed to her friend's American acquaintance.

'Isn't it obvious? He's still single in New York, we even gave it another try while I worked at PSD, but he was just trying to fill a gap. And as much as I think I loved him, I wasn't going to fill a Donna sized hole in his life.' She carried on, Donna could swear she saw her eyes clouding over. 'When I tried to leave the first time, he...' she trailed off.

'He what?' Donna's stomach was tying itself in knots, was she sure she wanted to know all of this.

'He asked me to marry him. We were engaged and I stayed for another few months, but even then, you know what?'

Donna's throat went dry, she physically couldn't make a sound or utter a response.

Ana spoke, 'What?' She noticed her friend's inability to form a word, let alone a question.

'He never once properly said he loved me.' Scottie's face fell, for the first time ever, Donna witnessed Dana Scott's false facade of confidence drain from her.

'Because, I just knew. He's not a lair Donna, he couldn't tell me he loved me when he was still in love with someone else!' Scottie's eyes had met Donna's where the realisation suddenly hit them both.

Ana's eyes widened, 'Ok... so, he still loves Donna? Do you still love him?' Ana directed her question back to Scottie, snapping her out of the fix she shared with Donna's gaze.

'I don't know. But I've moved on, I've been back here in London at the Darby firm now for six months and loving every minute.' She forced a smile.

'Call him Donna.' Scottie stood up and took her bag off the table and placed her hand on hers. 'He needs to be happy.' And with that, she was gone.

Shit. Shitting London.

Shit. Shitting Dana Scott.

And Bloody Harvey!

Her thoughts couldn't really muster anything more substantial than that. Although, the moment she had just shared with Scottie, wasn't going to be forgotten in a hurry.

'Well, then. Are you going to call him or am I?' Ana laughed as they focused back on their Saturday lunchtime rendezvous, which had presented a strange turn of events. A very strange turn indeed.

Donna smiled to herself. Maybe it was time to start thinking about returning home after all.