Chapter 28: Girl Friday No More
In the next few days, Donna became very busy finalizing everything needed for her new division. Human Resources finally provided her with two new officers who will work closely with her. She also picked her own secretary who she instantly liked the minute he stepped into the conference room for the interview. Bertha, on the other hand, quickly adjusted to the new environment. Just like Donna, she had the skills to match and the guts to take on the challenges that Harvey gave her. Donna divided her time working with Harvey and preparing for her new position while also showing Bertha the ropes. Since Bertha took over her cubicle, Donna spent most of her remaining days as Harvey's secretary in his office, working at a table near his desk.
Finally, Donna's last day as Harvey's secretary came. There was a sense of nostalgia in the atmosphere as Harvey relished every last minute he had with Donna. He kept her by his side for most of the day while Bertha ran errands for him. Soon, the day came to a close. Bertha left early while Donna remained at the firm, packing her remaining things in the cubicle.
It was already 7:30 PM when Donna finished packing her things. She knocked on Harvey's glass door and went inside his office.
"Hey, Bertha said to remind you of your appointment with Hamilton tomorrow afternoon," she said.
Harvey looked up from his laptop.
"Okay," he nodded.
"Are you going to be done here soon?" she asked.
Harvey sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"I think I'm going to call it a day. I'll just finish this tomorrow," he replied.
He shut down his laptop and stood up. Harvey glanced at Donna's cubicle outside. Two boxes full of Donna's stuff were on the floor.
"You're finished packing?" he asked, coming around his desk and walking towards Donna, his hands in his pockets.
She nodded.
"I'm all set. I'm just going to bring those boxes over to my new office," replied Donna.
They stood in the middle of Harvey's office looking at each other.
"So, this is it then," said Harvey. A sense of sadness swept over him. He knew he should be happy for her but he still couldn't help but feel sad about her leaving.
Donna took a deep breath.
"Yes, this is it," she replied.
"I'm going to miss all those fun times we had," she added, suddenly feeling nostalgic.
"Me, too. I'm definitely going to miss our pre-trial ritual," he said.
Donna nodded in agreement.
"I'm going to miss the times when we pulled pranks on Louis," she smiled.
Harvey chuckled softly.
"And I'm going to miss your fake crying," said Harvey with affection.
"Hey, I only used that trick on you once," she answered defensively.
"I know," he smiled at her.
They looked at each other in silence for a few minutes.
"You're not my Girl Friday anymore," he said softly, his voice tinged with sadness.
Donna's eyes began to tear up. She, too, felt sad about leaving him. Overcome with emotions, she hugged Harvey tearfully.
"Thanks for everything, Harvey," she whispered.
Harvey wrapped his arms around Donna and hugged her back.
"I'm going to miss you the most," he said, his voice filled with emotion.
Donna laid her cheek against Harvey's shoulder.
"I'm going to miss you, too. You're the best boss ever," she said softly.
They stood hugging each other for a few minutes longer.
Finally, Donna slowly pulled away and faced Harvey. There was nothing in the world that Harvey wanted at that moment but to kiss her. But he knew it wasn't the right time and place. He wiped her tears with his fingers instead and smiled at her.
"I'll tell you what. Why don't I help you carry the boxes to your new office, then afterwards we can have dinner together," he said.
"I'd like that," she answered smiling.
Donna opened the glass door and walked out of the office while Harvey followed closely behind her. He turned off the lights as he stepped out of his office. She picked up a box from the floor while Harvey took the other box. Together, they headed down towards Donna's new office.
Harvey helped Donna arrange her things in her new office. After about twenty minutes, Donna collected her bag from Bertha's cubicle and waited for Harvey by the elevator at the lobby while he went back to his office to fetch his suit and the cellphone he left. Stepping into his dim office, Harvey left the lights off while he made his way towards his desk. The lights from the hallway gave him just the right amount of illumination as he picked up his suit from the back of his chair. He put it on and reached for his cellphone lying on the desk. As he bent to pick it up, he noticed a small, glowing green light near his laptop. It was the intercom.
Harvey stared at the machine's glowing light. He would surely miss Donna listening to his private conversations through the intercom. He gave a deep sigh. Then, for the first time in many years, Harvey turned off the intercom and headed for the elevator.
He took Donna to dinner at a fancy restaurant where they spent hours reminiscing their times together at the firm. It was already after midnight when he finally drove her home.
