Chapter 36: Fall All Over Again

Harvey entered his office on a Wednesday morning with a spring on his step and whistling to himself. He just came from a court hearing and was feeling particularly pleased with an update on the new case he was handling. He sat on his chair and was about to open his laptop when Bertha stepped into the room.

"Hey, this came for you this morning," said Bertha while handing him a sealed brown envelope.

"Thanks," replied Harvey as he took the envelope and tore open the package.

He pulled out a pile of documents from the envelope and began flipping through them while Bertha remained standing in front of his desk.

"Have you thought about what to give her yet?" she asked, eyeing him closely.

"What?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Donna's birthday is coming up, remember? Or have you forgotten it?"

"Of course I remember," he replied, leaning back on his chair.

"From the look on your face, I gather you haven't got a clue what to give her," commented Bertha.

"I'll think of something. I want to give her the perfect gift – something special and memorable this time."

"This time? Why? What did you give Donna last year for her birthday?"

"I accompanied her to a shopping trip. She picked out an entire outfit and a handbag. That was my gift to her," he answered.

"Let me guess – at Hermes?" she said with a smile.

He nodded. She chuckled as she pictured him waiting outside the fitting room while Donna tried on outfits after another.

"Well, you certainly should top that one off with something a little more romantic this time."

"I know," sighed Harvey.

"You need my help on that?"

"No, I got this."

Bertha eyed him doubtfully for a few seconds then shrugged her shoulders.

"All right, then."

She went out of the room while Harvey was left pondering about the perfect gift for Donna.

Later that night, Harvey was sitting on a sofa in his living room still thinking of what to give Donna for her birthday. A tablet lay on his lap as he searched the Internet for gift ideas. Donna hasn't mentioned anything about her upcoming birthday and he didn't know if she has plans for that day. But he wanted to do something special for her. He was never the romantic type but all that changed when he finally fell in love. Now all he wanted was to make her happy. And since he's not her boss anymore, this would be the first time that they would celebrate her birthday as a couple. That's why he wanted everything to be perfect.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour of searching, Harvey finally had an idea what to give her. Smiling to himself, he picked up the phone beside the sofa and dialed a number.

A week later, Donna was surprised when she walked into her office early Thursday morning. Harvey was sitting on a chair across her desk holding a single red rose. He stood up as she walked in.

"Harvey! What brings you in my office this early?" asked Donna smiling.

She stood in front of him clutching a beige handbag with both hands.

"I thought I'd visit you before I start my day," he answered with a charming smile. He handed her the rose.

"Aw, you're so sweet!" she said, taking the flower from him.

"Actually I also came here because I wanted to give you your birthday present," he added.

"My birthday present? But my birthday is not until tomorrow," she replied looking a little puzzled.

"I know. But this requires your immediate attention."

Harvey pulled out two tickets from his breast pocket and showed them to her.

Donna gasped as soon as she read what's on the tickets.

"You're taking me to a play in London?!" she exclaimed, staring at him.

"Yup. And not just any play. I know you love Shakespeare so we're watching Hamlet in London," he grinned.

Donna squealed in delight as she dropped her bag and the rose on the chair and hugged him excitedly.

"Oh thank you, Harvey! This is the best gift ever!"

Harvey chuckled as he hugged her back, the tickets still in his hands.

"I hope you haven't made plans for tomorrow and this weekend."

Donna pulled back and shook her head excitedly.

"No, I haven't."

"Good! It's settled then. The play is for tomorrow but we can fly there later this evening. I've already booked our flight and asked Tom to clear your schedule this afternoon so you'll have time to pack," explained Harvey.

"Tom knew?"

"Not really. He didn't ask and I didn't tell him anything. But everything's taken care of."

"Well it looks like Bertha is proving to be as good as me," smiled Donna.

"Actually, Bertha didn't arrange all these. I did it all myself."

"You did?" she asked looking surprised.

He nodded.

"I purchased the play tickets, booked us a hotel room in London and arranged two roundtrip tickets," he said proudly.

"Wow, I'm impressed."

"I want your birthday present to have my own personal touch," he replied smiling.

Donna put her arms around Harvey's shoulders.

"Well, you certainly are a man after my own heart," she said softly.

"Isn't that the goal?" he answered, giving her a lopsided grin.

She didn't answer. Instead she gave him a soft kiss on the lips. Harvey was about to return the kiss when Tom entered the room and interrupted them.

"Uh, Wilfred is on the phone and wants to talk to you, Donna. He said it's urgent," said Tom clearing his throat.

Harvey sighed and gave Tom an annoyed look while Donna pulled back from his arms.

"Thanks, Tom," answered Donna. She turned back towards Harvey while Tom transferred the call to her phone line.

"So I'll pick you up at six?" asked Harvey, looking down at her.

"Sure," she nodded with a smile.

He gave her a quick kiss then left the room.

The flight to London proceeded without delay. Several hours later, Harvey and Donna found themselves landing at the London airport on an early Friday morning. After a quick check-out, they made their way to The Savoy Hotel where Donna had a room all to herself while Harvey checked-in in an adjoining room. Since both were jetlagged from the flight, they decided to retire in their respective rooms for a few hours to take some rest and unpack.

A few hours later, Donna woke up from a light sleep to a loud knocking on her door. She checked the clock on the wall. It was already noon. She looked around the room. Her open luggage lay on the carpeted floor, with a few clothes still unpacked.

"Who is it?" she called. The peach dress she was wearing was slightly wrinkled as she got up from the bed.

"Room service," answered a male voice from outside the room.

Wearing a pair of hotel slippers, she opened the door to find a bellboy carrying a large trolley full of dishes with a big bouquet of flowers on its centerpiece. She ushered the bellboy in then waited for him to set the trolley in front of a plush sofa not far from the bed.

"Thanks," she smiled at him.

"Enjoy your lunch, ma'am," said the bellboy who then quietly left the room.

Donna sat down on the sofa and looked at the dishes on the trolley. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the flowers at the center where she noticed a small note propped on the side of the flower vase. Curious, she picked up the note then read the message:

Happy birthday to my one and only.

Love,
Harvey

She smiled as she closed the note and picked up the vase of flowers from the trolley. Donna was still admiring the flowers when she heard a knock on the adjacent door. It was Harvey.

"Come in," she called.

The adjacent door opened.

"How's my birthday girl?" he greeted her, smiling broadly. He stepped into Donna's room and approached her. His hair was slightly ruffled and the black shirt he was wearing was crumpled.

"Feeling fantastic, thanks to you," she replied standing up. She placed the vase and the note on a side table then sat down again on the sofa.

Harvey sat down beside her.

"I hope you like what I ordered for lunch."

"These look yummy!" she answered eyeing the food in front of her.

"Good! Let's eat. I'm starving."

After lunch, Harvey retreated to his room to freshen up while Donna finished unpacking. It was decided that they go out and see the sights in the afternoon before they watch the play in the evening. It wasn't long before Donna emerged from the shower and dressed into something casual: black cropped pants and a cream sweater. Minutes later, Harvey came in to fetch her. Together, they went out and spent the entire afternoon exploring nearby attractions. At dusk, they went back to the hotel then changed into something formal for the evening play.

For her birthday, Donna chose to wear a red, off-shoulder gown that hugged her slim figure. She accessorized that with a pair of black Christian Louboutin shoes and a tiny black purse. Her perfectly coiffed hair hung loosely below her shoulders. Harvey, on the other hand, was looking particularly sharp in his black tuxedo. A hotel limousine picked them up from the ground floor then drove them to the theatre.

No matter how many times Donna had seen Hamlet, she still enjoyed that evening's performance. And it became extra special for her because of Harvey. After the play was over, Harvey and Donna had a late dinner at a fine dining restaurant in the city. At close to midnight, they were fetched by the limousine and returned to the hotel.

"Thank you for this wonderful birthday present, Harvey. It's truly unforgettable," said Donna, holding an empty glass in her hand.

She and Harvey were in his hotel room standing near the foot of his bed. He had invited her in for a nightcap.

"I'm glad you had a good time," he answered as he sipped the last drop of his whiskey.

He took the empty glass from her hand then set it down on a side table with his.

"I did. I never thought I'd spent my birthday halfway across the globe but you made it happen."

"Well get ready for another surprise because I still have another one up my sleeve."

"You mean there's more?" she stared at him.

"Why, do you think this is my only gift to you?" he grinned at her.

She smiled at him.

"Your second gift is waiting for you in New York."

"Really? What is it?"

"Just wait and see," he answered, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

"Oh, Harvey!"

Donna inched closer to him and placed her hands on his chest.

She played with the lapel of his tux then looked at him from under her lashes.

"If you keep something like this up, I might just be in danger of falling for you," she purred.

"Oh, I think you already are in deep trouble," he answered in a low voice while pulling her close to him.

Her giggle was stifled with a passionate kiss from Harvey. He ran his fingers through her hair as Donna wrapped her arms around him and returned his kiss with fervor.

A few minutes ticked by before they slowly pulled away from each other and came up for air.

"I love you," he said breathlessly as he caressed her cheek.

Donna laid her head on his shoulder for a few moments without saying anything.

Although she didn't say a word, in his heart Harvey knew that she already felt the same way about him. But he wasn't about to force it out of her. He wanted to wait until she's ready to admit it, even to herself. He held her close to him and planted soft kisses on her neck. Then reluctantly, he pulled her back from him.

"Well, it's way past midnight. Time for bed. We have a plane to catch tomorrow. And I'm sure you can't wait to see your second gift," he said.

Donna chuckled. She turned and picked up her purse from the foot of the bed.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Harvey."

"Goodnight."