One Flight Down
Chapter Twenty-One
Harvey looked out at Donna's desk and saw that she wasn't there. Since the coast was clear, he realized he could make his phone call without worrying about her listening in to his conversation. He picked up his phone and tapped his phone to connect the call.
"What's up, loser?" Marcus greeted.
"Is that any way to greet your big brother?" He laughed. "Where is the respect?"
"Oh. Sorry. What's up, Mr. Big Important Loser?" Marcus laughed. "Is that better?"
"Much." He rolled his eyes.
"So is everything ok?" Marcus asked, his voice taking a more serious tone. "You don't usually call me, and especially not in the middle of the day."
"I know." Marcus' assumption that something was wrong simply because he called made him realize he needed to reach out to his brother more often. He would try to work on that. "How is everyone?"
"We're all good. What's going on, Harvey?"
"I would like your advice on something." After saying it, there was silence for several moments. "Marcus? Are you still there?"
"Yeah." Marcus finally spoke. "I think I just blacked out for a moment from shock. I had a hallucination where you were asking for my advice."
"It wasn't a hallucination." He sighed. "I actually am asking for your advice. I need your help."
"I think this is a first, big bro. You've never asked for my help before. It's always been the other way around."
"So you admit that you owe me and should stop poking fun at the situation because I've saved your ass so many other times?" He joked.
"Touché." Marcus sighed. "What can I do for you?"
"I have a date with Victoria tonight and I don't know where to take her or what we should do." He said it quickly because he was actually kind of embarrassed to be asking his little brother for dating advice. But he has racked his brain last night trying to think of the perfect thing for them to do on their date and came up empty. He thought about asking Mike, but realized he would never live it down. He would have gone to Donna about it, but Marcus knew Victoria so he thought Marcus was the better choice.
"Hold up." Marcus exclaimed. "You what?"
"I have a date with Victoria." He repeated.
"Well it's about time!"
He couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"Did she have to ask you out again or did you man up and ask her this time?"
"I asked her." He scoffed.
"And now you don't know what to do?"
"If I did, I wouldn't be calling you." He sighed.
"Well that's easy." Marcus laughed. "What did you two do on your first date back in high school?"
He remembered it like it was yesterday. They went to a small pizza place and then went to the Charles River Esplanade so they could walk along the riverfront. They even stopped and watched some of the sailboats. It was a fun night.
"Whatever you did that night, you should try to recreate in some way tonight." Marcus continued. "It shows her you remember the past. Pay homage to your history."
He had to admit that was a fairly good idea.
"Are you still there?" Marcus asked.
"Yeah." He spoke up.
"What do you think?"
"I think I hate to admit it, but it's not a terrible idea."
"I do actually have a few good ideas every once in a while." Marcus laughed. "But look, I have to go. I have a meeting in a few minutes. I hope tonight goes well."
"Thanks." He said.
"Anytime bro. And if she is giving you a second chance, don't mess it up this time. I'd still like to have Victoria as a sister someday."
"I'll do my best. Bye Marcus." He promised before hanging up.
Marcus' suggestion was so simple. He couldn't believe he didn't think of it first. He now knew exactly where he would take her tonight.
Victoria looked at the clock and sighed. Her date with Harvey was tonight and she needed to leave soon in order to have enough time to get ready. She had intended on getting all of her work done early. The only problem with that was she found it hard to concentrate on anything for long.
"Hey." Katrina greeted, coming into the office.
"Hi." She didn't look up as she continued typing.
"What are you working so hard on?"
"Just trying to get some stuff done before I leave." She explained.
"How about we grab some drinks tonight?" Katrina suggested. "It's been a while since we have done that."
"Can I take a raincheck?" She asked, looking up at her friend.
"Why?" Katrina chuckled. "You got a hot date tonight?"
She chuckled nervously.
"Oh my God…you do! Tell me everything!"
"No." She shook her head. There was no way shew as going to tell Katrina that her date was with Harvey.
"So you have a date with a mystery man and you won't tell me anything about him?"
"That's right." She nodded.
"Not even a name?" Katrina laughed.
"Nope." She shook her head.
"Well that's no fun." Katrina pretended to pout. "How am I supposed to live vicariously through you if you won't share details?"
"You'll manage somehow." She promised her friend.
"Fine." Katrina smiled. "Well I hope your evening goes well."
"Thanks." She smiled back.
"I'll let you get back to work but I am holding you to your offer of a raincheck. "
"I would expect nothing less." She said. To be honest, she was incredibly nervous about this date. While they had been spending time together the past couple of weeks, it was as friends. Tonight was as more than friends. What if it was awkward and uncomfortable? What if that spark wasn't there anymore? Or what if the spark was still there?
There were too many what ifs. She was driving her crazy. Looking back at the clock, she gave herself another twenty minutes before she left to get ready.
Harvey stood at Victoria's door and took a deep breath. He wasn't the type to get nervous. He had a calm demeanor normally and usually nothing rattled him. But tonight's date had him rattled. Truthfully, he never thought this night would happen. But he was glad he was wrong. He raised his hand and knocked on the door.
It only took a moment for Victoria to open the door. When he saw her, he could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat. She looked beautiful wearing a teal colored halter dress.
"Hi." She said.
"Um…hello." He smiled. "You look great."
"Thanks." She smiled. "You don't look half bad yourself."
"Ah, this old thing?" He joked, pointing to his black sweater and tan pants. "Are you ready to go?"
"Sure." She nodded,
He held out his arm for her to take and she linked hers with his as they left her place and walked towards the elevator. "Are you ready for the best second first date ever?"
She laughed. "The best? You are really setting the bar up high for tonight."
"What can I say?" He laughed. "Life is like this." He lifted his free hand up.
"And you like this." She completed the saying, lifting her free hand up higher than his.
"You remembered." He smiled.
"Of course." She smirked as they entered the elevator. "You said it all the time."
"Yeah, I guess I did." He chuckled.
"So where are we going?"
"It's a surprise." He taunted.
Victoria looked over at Harvey as they waited for their food. Ray had driven them to a small pizzeria. She remembered their original first date and the pizza place they went to. It was sweet he was trying to recreate that.
"I hope the pizza here is alright." He told her. "I haven't actually been here before."
"I'm sure it's fine." She chuckled. "I mean, how can you mess up pizza? It's not hard to make."
"Yeah." He laughed. "Do you mind that dinner isn't somewhere fancier?"
"Not at all." She smiled at him. He seemed nervous and she understood why. She had been incredibly nervous all day. But now that she was here with him and she saw how nervous he was too…it calmed her nervous. "I don't really care where we go. The only thing that matters to me is being here with you."
He smiled back at her with a more relaxed face and she knew she had made him feel better.
"Here you go." The server said, placing the pizza and two plates down between them. "One meat lovers supreme. Let me know if there is anything else I can get you."
"Thanks." He said, handing her a plate. "Ladies first."
"How chivalrous." She took a piece of pizza and started to eat it. One bite and she regretted it.
"What?" He asked.
She hurried up and chewed so she could swallow the bite. Then she took a long drink. "Remember when I said how can you mess up pizza? Well this is a prime example of how you can mess up pizza."
"C'mon." He laughed. "It can't be that bad."
"Ok. You try it then."
"Ok." He nodded. "I will."
She watched him take a bite. At first his face didn't betray him. But then once he started chewing, he made a pained face. She waited until he was done and had taken a drink before laughing. "See what I mean?"
"You are right. That is horrible." He laughed. "I'm sorry for bringing us here."
"It's alright." She assured him, reaching over and grabbing his hand. "You couldn't have known."
"So what do you want to do now?"
"Anything, as long as I don't have to eat the rest of this." She told him honestly.
"Deal." He smiled. "You want to get out of here?"
"Yes please." She laughed. She watched him lay down enough money to cover their dinner and then followed him out of the pizzeria. "Where to now? Should we wait for Ray to come pick us up?"
"We aren't too far from where the next stop was." He informed her. "Do you want to just walk there?"
"Sure." She nodded. They started to walk.
"I feel horrible about the pizza place." He told her as they walked down the street together.
"You shouldn't." She assured him. "They should be the ones who feel horrible about butchering pizza like that."
He laughed. "Are you still hungry? Because I am."
"I am too." She admitted. "And one of the good things I have found out about this city is that you are never too far away from a food truck."
"You don't mind eating from a food truck?"
"Not at all." She laughed. "Why would I?"
"I just boasted that this would be the best second first date ever. And it hasn't turned out that way yet."
"I don't know about that." She shrugged. "I'm having a good time."
"You're incredible."
"I'm also hungry." She smiled. "Can we stop at this food truck up here?" She pointed ahead.
"Yeah." He laughed. "We can."