"I'm surprised Mike."
"Surprised I beat you Darren?" Mike shot back, and Darren shook his head.
"No Mikey. I'm surprised you could be such a cold piece of crap. I thought you cared about Rachel, but the way you tore her apart on that stand...Man, I guess winning's all that matters to you huh?"
Mike drained the remainder of his coffee and tossed it in the trash. Then he walked past Darren, resisting the urge to punch the smug dirtbag. Punching Darren wouldn't make him feel any better.
"You did what you had to." He whispered to himself. The words sounded hollow, even to his own ears. He closed his eyes, mind flashing back to the courtroom. Rachel had been on the stand, playing the part of the disgruntled employee. Darren had played his part well, but Mike had been better. He'd painted Rachel, or rather the woman she was portraying, as an employee jealous of her employer's success. More than that, she was jealous of what her employer had been able to do that she herself had been unable to.
Had that just been her character, that would have been fine. But Mike and Rachel both understood what he had been saying. He had gone for the jugular, using what she had told him about the LSAT's against her. He had been a given a choice, and he made it.
"Mike, c'mon. We're getting drinks to celebrate. You kicked ass, so drinks are on me." Harvey said, coming up to him.
"Mr. Ross! My office. Now." Jessica called, and Mike swallowed hard.
"Hey Harvey...I'll meet you later. Get me a double, would you? I've got a feeling I'm gonna need it."
Mike walked away without giving Harvey a chance to respond. He walked inside Jessica's office. She shut the door and gestured to the sofa. Mike took a seat, as Jessica sat in the chair behind her desk. For several moments, she just stared at him, her face an expressionless mask.
Mike resisted the urge to break the silence.
"You won. You went for the throat, and you won."
"Then why do I feel like shit?" He asked, and she chuckled.
"You feel like shit because you're a good man. You used something that Rachel told you in confidence, and you broke her."
"How did you-"
"It's my business to know what goes on in my firm. You have learned the hardest lesson that this job will teach you. Sometimes, you have to hurt other people to win. Even the ones you care about."
"Jessica I swear to you-"
"I know Mike. I know you were faithful to me. But Rachel is still your friend, so tearing her down hurts."
"I didn't have a choice though. You told me to win, so I won. You told me to choose, and I chose." He said, and she smiled.
"Exactly. You chose. You chose to show me, to show everyone in this firm that you can win. You chose to show everyone in this firm that you are not just some run of the mill associate. You are a winner, and I am so proud of you. I'll even let you buy me dinner. Tonight. 6 P.M."
"Is this just because I won Jessica?" Mike asked, and Jessica glared.
"No. If all I cared about were winners, I'd sleep with Harvey. Our personal relationship was never about the outcome of this case. Not really. Personally, I don't care if you're a lawyer. You could be a shoe salesman, and I'd still care for you. But you are a lawyer. So on a professional level, I needed to see if you could win."
"Never, ever use our relationship like that again. Or we won't have one." He said calmly, and she nodded.
"I promise you I never will. Now, I do have something for you." She said, placing a file on her desk.
"Another case? Harvey's got me swamped and-"
"And this isn't for Harvey. It's for me. Pro bono case. Wrongful eviction. I thought we could work it together, unless you're too swamped with Harvey?" She asked, and he smiled.
This would give him the perfect excuse to spend time with Jessica, and it wouldn't even be a lie. Winning at mock trial meant that he showed everyone he could win, and naturally, Jessica would take an interest in a potential rising star. Especially when that rising star worked for her own personal protege.
"It's a date. I'm buying." He said, and she smiled.
"You bet your ass you are."
He walked out a few minutes later, resisting the urge to grin as he heard Jessica yell at him not to be late.
"So, you still think you'll need a double?" Harvey asked as he joined him.
"I think I'll need a rain check. Dinner with Jessica in an hour."
"Dinner with the boss. Moving up in the world. Just remember, you work for me." Harvey said, and Mike nodded, resisting the urge to say what was on his mind.
He may work for Harvey, but he was sleeping with Jessica.
Geez his life was good.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thanks to everyone for reading, and the next chapter will be up soon!