Hi Folks! Here's another chapter to see if Donna has that drink with Harvey after what happened last chapter. Thank you for all the reviews and inspiration. Please R & R if you want. Love - Carebearmaxi

The Boxer Guy

Chapter 12

Donna trod back out to the theater to power through her last set. She smiled at the audience including Harvey, but she gave no signal to him that she was willing to have a drink with him afterward. She had read his note over and over and kept it on her table while she reapplied her makeup. As she sat down at the piano, the nagging thoughts of what he wanted with her allowed her to really use her acting ability. It was not fair to the audience if she could not place her emotions into her singing.

Again, she reiterated to herself why she felt so betrayed. She repeated to herself that she had made no claim on him; and although he kissed her that night, it seemed any feelings that he had, perhaps, they were not really intended for her at all. Perhaps, his kindness and emotion had emanated solely from being on the rebound. Donna instinctively felt that if given half a chance Harvey Specter was not a womanizer because he wanted to be. There had to be something niggling at him from his past.

After "My Funny Valentine", Donna rose and bowed to the audience. When she sat again, she gave this introduction for her next song:

"This song is very special to me. It was one of the first songs I learned growing up while taking all those acting and singing lessons. It is a song that helped me through a very hard time. So anytime I have a problem or something big to surmount, I remember that if I just 'smile' I can get through it.

"Smile, though your heart is aching

Smile, even though it's breaking

When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by..."

She continued to sing and she had to fight back tears as she remembered the reason for the song. Her father had lost all their money when she was thirteen due to bad investments. She was just entering her teens and becoming involved in social and extracurricular activities. They had to move to a smaller home in Connecticut. Her father broke the news that the home was too small to take her beloved piano with them. However, she had been enrolled in musical theater classes and her aunt gave her private voice lessons and taught her this song because it was a good standard as well as one that fit her situation.

...You'll see the sun come shining through.

Light up your face with gladness

Hide every trace of sadness...

Here is where she decided that she would give Harvey a signal that she would meet him afterward and have that drink with him.

The end of the song soon approached and Donna was near tears when she finished.

As was becoming custom, Donna rose from her piano at the end of her song set with the crowd thunderously applauding. The only difference was that they were on their feet. This was her first standing ovation for being a songstress, and she would have sworn that Harvey had been the first to his feet, applauding the loudest, and wolf whistling all the way.

Donna graciously thanked the audience and watched as they dispersed. Some resumed their seat to finish their very late supper. She watched as Harvey stepped down the two rows still applauding, to meet her.

"You were fantastic!" Harvey said admiringly.

"Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I see your lady friend is no longer with you?"

He ducked his head and looked up at her. He put his hands in his pockets and slightly rocked on the balls of his feet. "Yeah, she left."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

After an awkward quiet moment where they both started talking at once, Donna stopped and allowed Harvey to continue.

"I just wanted to say that I will meet you right here after you change."

"Mmhmm," Donna said as she nodded. She turned around toward her dressing room and holding her head up proudly swept her gown behind her.

Harvey watched her as she turned and his eyes did not move from the sight of her even as she had walked into the alcove leading to her dressing room. Unfortunately, as he watched Donna walk away, his mind wandered back to the other woman who had suddenly decided to come back into his life. He pondered if he should make up tonight to Scottie. Harvey felt unsure because he did not want Scottie to get the wrong idea about them. He agreed they could become friends with benefits but there was nothing hard and fast. He was not her boyfriend and she was not his girlfriend. They were companions who slept together whenever the other was around. Not an ideal situation when loyalty was a sticking point with one of them.

As Harvey's mind went from making tonight up to Scottie to contemplating whether Donna was still mad at him, the woman herself stepped forward and asked shortly, "Shall we go?"

"Sure."

"Just let me stop by the kitchen first, so I can pick up my dinner."

Harvey gave her a little smile and a laugh.

"Marcus told me that he started a ritual opening night when he provided you with the "leftovers".

Donna smiled thinking of Marcus. "I'm grateful he did. Since my gig here has been ongoing, I doubt that I would eat otherwise. I'm just too tired when I get home."

As they left, Harvey felt so eager to talk with Donna again. He was glad she agreed to have a drink with him. He was truly sorry he had not responded to her call and caused her probable embarrassment with her friend, Louis.

The truth was that he had sought out Louis Litt on the 50th floor when he was delivering mail. Louis' behavior toward Harvey was haughty and dismissive and not even a 'thank you' left Louis' lips. Harvey knew he was lowly in the firm's hierarchy but he was still a human being and being courteous meant something to Harvey. Harvey had decided that he did not need a lawyer like that. He figured that if Louis would not even be courteous to a mail person then how did he treat his clients? Conclusively, Harvey sought his own counsel for his problem.

While Harvey's thoughts regarding his issue and Donna, they did stop by the kitchen where Monica handed Donna her Styrofoam container chock full of remnants of the night's dishes. Donna introduced Harvey as Marcus' older brother and they waved at one another. Monica wished them a good night as they turned and walked out the door.

"Do you have a place in mind for this drink, Harvey?"

"Not really. We could go to my place. It's not far from here. Marcus is in Boston with his girlfriend, Katie."

Donna gave him a dubious look.

"No, Donna, I'm not trying to get you into bed if that's what you're thinking."

"I see. The old girlfriend's back, so the only reason you were hanging around me and treated me so nice opening night was because I was her replacement. Now that she has stomped off you just think I'm your next conquest."

"No, Donna. That's not it," Harvey said and swallowed hard. This was not going as he had imagined. Not that he would not sleep with her if Donna was willing Harvey thought to himself. There's just something about her that moves me.

"Relax, Harvey. I've accepted it," Donna stated. "We can go back to your place if you want."

"Do you like dogs?"

"You have a dog?" She asked.

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Harvey inquired.

"Because I never thought that a musician who spent his life primarily on the road and eking out an existence would have a dog."

"Beanie is Marcus', too. We found him a couple of years ago as a stray and starving, so we took him in and he's been with us ever since."

The early morning darkness was moonlit now and Harvey could see Donna's surprised soft expression as she gave a little smile and put her hair behind her ear.

"Do you have a dog?" Harvey asked her softly coming closer to her. He was surprised at how suddenly the thought of touching her and kissing her had filled him again in her presence. He had not stopped thinking of Donna even, he thought, shamefully, when he was between the sheets with Scottie.

Donna swiftly turned her head in his direction.

"No. I live with two adult cats and seven newborn kittens in a box."

"Louis is a cat person."

Donna nodded emphatically. "Yes. Believe it or not, these cats are a battle between he and his fianceé, Sheila. She hates them and Louis loves them. I think this is one reason why they keep changing the wedding date." Donna chuckled thinking about it.

Harvey watched as Donna laughed. He loved the sound of her laugh. He had not realized how much he had missed the sound of her laughter until he had just heard it. As they hailed a cab, Harvey realized how much he had really missed her. Yes, he did want her, but not like he had wanted any other woman he had desired. Harvey was scared of how intense his feelings for Donna had become.

They got into the cab which had taken a while to obtain. During the short cab ride to Marcus and Harvey's little place, Donna and Harvey sat in silence and looked out their respective windows. Their bodies sat close together in the back of the cab. Harvey's pinky could reach out and hook itself into Donna's. He tried experimentally to take her hand. He watched as she focused on their hands and then she looked at him with a question in her eyes. She then removed her hand.

Harvey was a tad embarrassed by Donna's rebuff but he was not really surprised. If the roles had been reversed, he probably would have felt the same.

At the sound of Harvey's key in the lock, Beanie started to bark loudly. He quickly opened the door ushering Donna inside. Harvey hooked his keys on the key plaque next to the door and immediately greeted Beanie by rubbing his ears and talking to him.

"Beanie, this is Donna. She's a new friend," Harvey introduced.

Donna fell to her knees and scratched Beanie behind his ears and dodged as he tried to lick her face.

"You are the cutest dog I have ever seen," she said in a baby talk manner to the tail wagging canine.

She eventually rose and took off her coat. Harvey placed her food container on the kitchen bar and then went around to the kitchen to retrieve some glasses for their drink.

"Would you like me to warm this stuff for you?"

Donna nodded and said, "Sure. That would be great."

She took a seat at the kitchen bar and watched as Harvey placed her food on a microwaveable plate and placed it in the microwave setting the timer.

"Five minutes, you think?"

"Sure. I guess," Donna responded.

She watched again as Harvey pulled two tumblers out of the closet and then looked for his liquor stash in one of the higher cabinets.

"This is my very favorite Scotch. I only allow my very special friends to partake with me," Harvey bragged as he poured two fingers' worth of Macallan 18 into the tumblers.

"I prefer wine with my food, but beggars can't be choosers," Donna quipped as she clinked glasses with Harvey.

They each took a sip of their drinks. Each looked at the other over the rim of the glass. Harvey's heart was suddenly pounding in a way that it never had with any other woman. As they drank, the microwave alarm sounded.

"Here, let me get it," Donna volunteered as she came around the wall to the kitchen.

"I'm surprised you know your way round a kitchen the way you talk about yourself," Harvey ventured as he leaned on the counter and watched her remove two plates from the shelf over the stove and found silverware in a drawer near the refrigerator.

"Just because I'm not a good cook, doesn't mean I can't find my way around a kitchen," Donna said looking behind her as she spoke. She turned around then leaning on the opposite counter and asked Harvey if he would like some of her food.

"You know, there's always more than enough for just me."

Harvey smiled and leaned forward to see some appetizing food on the plate. "Sure. What is that? Veal Picatta again?"

"I don't know and I don't care. I'm starving," she said as she retrieved another plate from the shelf and pushed a couple of servings' worth onto Harvey's plate. She licked her finger before handing him his plate.

"Oh, I'm stuffed!" Donna said finally shoveling the last little bit of the cheesecake dessert that Monica had packed for her. She sat back and put her arm around her stomach.

"I'll say. Their food is fantastic even when my brother isn't cooking," Harvey chuckled as he wiped his mouth with his napkin.

"What time is it?" Donna asked. She and Harvey had been so busy chatting and eating that the time just flew.

Harvey looked behind him at the time on the microwave.

"It's after two," Harvey said turning back at Donna taking a sip from his water bottle. "You know I haven't thought about what I wanted to ask you. It's important, so I will think of it."

"Well, I will have to leave soon because I have to sing again tonight," Donna mentioned.

"I'm sure after that performance you won't have to rehearse so early," Harvey said. "If we had a hot performance, the band would not hold rehearsal so early the next night before a performance."

"That shows how much you know. If you're in the theater, you perform and you fine tune. So that's what I'm doing right now with this particular set."

Harvey smiled and saluted her with his bottle. "Touché."

Donna laughed and said, "Can we take this over to the couch?"

"Sure," Harvey said rising. "I'm sorry. I should have been the one to invite you over there."

"If you did, I wouldn't have gone," she joked and laughed.

They both rose from the table and Harvey threw her a fresh water bottle. She caught it.

"Do you want something stronger?" Harvey asked.

"No, water's fine," she confessed opening the bottle and taking a sip. Donna's throat was parched from singing and then from talking pretty incessantly.

They both collapsed on the overstuffed couch and upset Beanie who had been laying there peacefully.

Donna decided to finally ask her question that had been burning inside her.

"So why didn't you call me back when I asked?"

Harvey shrugged. "I really don't know. I was so happy, at first, that you said Louis would help me, but I have to tell you that I did wind up with a good lawyer."

"Who?"

"You will never believe but my trainer, Mike. It turns out he's a lawyer and he does pro bono cases all the time."

Donna gave Harvey an incredulous look.

"Really? Mike? That kid that pretends to be a trainer at the gym?" Donna quipped.

"Hey, Donna. He's not that young," Harvey said and then he started to nod in agreement as Donna's head started nodding.

"Yes, he is," they both shouted together.

Their laughter alerted Beanie and he looked up at Harvey who reached down and scratched behind his ears.

"It's ok, buddy," Harvey comforted.

"Ok, so we have established that you have a lawyer, but you still didn't tell me why you didn't bother to call me back."

After a pause, she continued. "Is it because of Scottie?"

Harvey shrugged again and said, "Partly. Yes."

"Well, you don't really have to explain that part to me, but you could've called me. Did Louis say something to you? I did tell him that you are working there now in the mail room."

"That's the problem."

"Look, Louis can be snotty and smug, but inside he really is a good guy."

"How did you meet Louis and get him to be such a great friend to you."

Donna smiled. "I used to be his secretary. As a matter of fact, if I hadn't got this gig, I probably would have gone back."

"You worked for him?" Harvey asked surprised.

Donna noted his look and said, "I do have other skills besides acting and singing."

Harvey lowered his eyebrows and commented smarmily, "I bet you do."

Donna took a swig from her water bottle and laughed. If he only knew she thought.

Harvey moved closer to her on the couch and placed his hand experimentally on her bent leg. Donna moved away from him.

"What was it you wanted to ask me? Because I bet you it's the same thing I wanted to ask you," Donna said as she maneuvered herself further down to the end of the couch. No matter how much she wanted him she did not want to be just another conquest for him.

"You tell me and I will let you know," Harvey said giving her a wink.

"Calm down, pretty boy, it's not sex." He's not getting me that easy she thought. I want him but he's attached. Can't have that. Plus, he's a musician you know how they are.

"Then what is it?"

"I was approached by Pierre who was approached by a patron who happened to be an agent."

"An agent for what? The FBI?" Harvey joked.

Donna gave him a no nonsense look.

"Ok. No, I know. An entertainment agent," Harvey said answering seriously.

"He apparently caught our duet when you sang with me that night. He would like for us to do that more often and we don't have to go anywhere. We can stay right here in New York at The Bistro, but," she said continuing with her forefinger raised to emphasize. "we may get a recording contract and/or some outside venues to perform."

Harvey was incredulous. He did not know whether to be flattered or annoyed. I'm a rock musician or at worst a bad jazz musician. Someone wants me to sing with Donna?

"Harvey, isn't that great?" Donna asked seeing the pensive look on his face.

"Yeah, sure. It's just…"

"What? I'm not good enough for you to work with? I'm somehow inferior to you?" Donna asked becoming agitated that he was not thrilled about it as she was.

"No, of course not, Donna! You are the most talented woman I have ever met. I loved that duet we did, but could we branch out and do different music? Not just that night club standard stuff?"

He could see Donna's jaw drop. Did she really think I was better than her? Harvey thought silently to himself. How could that be? She's far more talented and a better person than me. How could I get involved with Scottie again? All we are is bed partners.

"If it is really your girlfriend that…"

"No, Donna, Scottie isn't my girlfriend, really. We just hook up from time to time…if we're unattached. I made that plain to her," Harvey emphasized.

"Okay…"she drawled at his explanation.

"Then what's the issue?" She asked still seeing hesitation in his eyes. It has to be Scottie. Why else would he hesitate? Does he really not want to work with me? Donna thought silently.

"I just started this new job and I really don't have time to rehearse a lot. Could we make it maybe a part time situation?"

"Pierre is willing to pay you. Then, if Thomas, the agent, is still interested we may have gotten the break we've both been looking for," Donna said excitedly.

Harvey said, "It's my father, too. I would like to stick around…."

"Look, there's no law that says we can't bargain, too. Maybe you're dad could play on our recordings?"

"He would love that," Harvey said with a smile as he looked away to the wall picturing how happy his father would be to play on a record of his son's.

"Let me think about it, ok?" Harvey asked.

"Sure. I don't think Thomas Kessler is making another club visit until next week sometime," Donna said and leaned back against the arm of the voluminous sofa.

Silence rained down on them then. Each had their own thoughts about the previous words spoken. Each poured down ounces of water.

Harvey looked at his watch and said, "Ok, this is probably going to sound stupid, but I have a request and I hope you can oblige me."

Donna nodded looking into the big brown eyes which were almost pleading for her attention.

"I have a boxing match with Travis set up for next week on Saturday night."

Donna's jaw dropped for the second time that night.

"You what?" Donna asked shaking her head as if she had heard him incorrectly. "What the hell for?"

"Because he and I got into a shouting match when he was served with papers that my father and I are suing him. I may have punched him in the face when he started to say things about my mom."

"What about your mom?" Donna asked.

Harvey bit his lip and then looked away. His jaw was hardened with indecision about revealing why he was estranged from him mother.

"Ok, I will tell you. Please don't tell anybody else."

Donna leaned toward Harvey as they sat on the couch. She felt he was ashamed of something regarding his mother erected an unrest in him. She felt that he never told this story to many people.

"When I was about eight years old, I came home from school early because I got sick. I called for my mom, but she didn't answer me. I went looking for her. I found her in her bedroom buttoning her dress sitting on the edge of an unmade bed. She was surprised to see me. I wasn't due home from school for a few hours yet. She comes over to me and puts her hand on my forehead. She tells me I have a fever and then all of a sudden a strange man walks out of the master bathroom also buttoning his shirt and his hair is wet. My mom tells me he's her cousin which even at 8 I knew was bullshit. She tells me not to tell my father about her cousin since he and my dad didn't get along."

"Did you realize that young what was happening?" Donna asked horrified at what young Harvey found.

"No. I just knew something was wrong."

"I assume this kept happening. What did your father say or Marcus?" Donna asked. "I know this is painful but I care about you and I can see this really hurt you."

Donna laid a hand on the hand which sat on his thigh. Harvey half smiled and placed his other hand on hers.

"You don't have to say more, if you don't want to. I got the gist of it," Donna sympathized.

Harvey then turned around and faced Donna as they sat on the couch together. He continued to hold her hand.

"No. I really want to tell you," Harvey said quietly like he was speaking a confession. He averted his eyes downward to look at their clasped hands.

"I want to tell you everything," Harvey said in a soft broken voice.

Donna knew she was seeing a side to Harvey that no one or, rarely, anyone saw.

"Ok."

"My dad didn't find out until I was 20 years old. My mom swore me to secrecy. I didn't really see any more cheating until I came home from being on the road with the band. It was summer, so I was off from college. I came home. I go upstairs to put some stuff in my room and I hear my mom laughing from her bedroom. I'm thinking she had the TV on because I hear a man laughing, too. I opened the door and I catch my mother naked sitting on top of this guy Bobby whom my father knows from working at a car garage down the street."

"Oh, I am so sorry, Harvey. That must have been devastating."

"I gather she must have been cheating on my dad with a bunch of other men since I was 8. My brother didn't realize what was going on until he was in his early teens."

"Your brother has had no problem with your mother from all of this. He told me he still keeps in touch with her," Donna commented.

Harvey's jaw was even harder and he gave Donna fierce frustrated look.

"Because he wasn't the one who swore to keep the whole goddamn thing from our father! I was!" Harvey shouted and rose.

Donna looked at Harvey's back. It was rigid and then she heard him sigh and he seemed to relax. Donna watched as he turned around to look at her.

"Marcus just ignored everything. He never told my mother that he knew. However, after finding mother perched on top of Bobby enjoying herself, I told my dad a couple of weeks later when I came home from a band rehearsal. My father had just come in and asked my mother if there was enough food for four of us. He had brought Bobby home from the garage."

"So your dad is a part time mechanic as well?"

"Yep," Harvey agreed raising an eyebrow and picking at his thumb. He hesitated and just looked at her. Donna was the first person he had ever really explained about his mother and what had happened to his family. She was also the first person he had ever confessed his part in it. Even Marcus had not known the secrets that Harvey had kept from their father about their mother.

He faltered in his step toward her. He could see the empathy on her face. Her green eyes were deep and dark welling with tears at the sadness.

He stepped forward this time and resumed his seat on the couch.

"I told my dad that night. I got so disgusted at the pretense from my mother and Bobby that I bowed out and went to the gym to box my anger out."

"Did it help?" Donna asked softly. Her voice was soft filled with curiosity and sadness about what Harvey had had to stomach from when he was eight years old until his parents' divorce. His estrangement from his mother, even now, still aching in his heart.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that my father had come into the ring and dismissed my trainer and challenged me. He had told me that something was off with me. I jabbed with him and urged him to drop it, but he didn't. He just kept coming at me until I lost my temper and knocked him on his ass. I then confessed that mom had been doing Bobby behind his back. I accused him of being ignorant and I felt so guilty."

Donna laid her hand on his forearm. She had no words. All she could do was to utter him a sympathetic look which even without words from her conveyed all her understanding.

"Donna.." Harvey said.

"You don't have to say anymore about anything tonight. You should really get some sleep. I'll catch a cab," Donna said quietly.

"Don't go, please?," Harvey asked. His confession to another living soul about his mother's infidelities and the part he played was cathartic. He knew instinctively that Donna would never tell another human being of the details of his split with his mother and his fierce loyalty to his father.

"Donna, my bed is clean and I just changed the sheets this morning. You can sleep in there and I will take Marcus' bed," Harvey suggested. He could not bear to have her go out by herself before dawn on a cold March morning.

"Harvey, it's ok..."

"No, Donna. I insist. If anything should happen to you, I don't know what I would do."

Donna smiled at him and stroked his cheek. "Ok. Thank you. Just for the record, it would take a lot more than a cold March morning in New York to see me off."

Harvey smiled and then showed her to his bedroom.