Hi Folks! I know I am a tad tardy on my promise to update, but I have finally and here it is. This chapter is short but I think it's enough to get us through until I can write more of where the story is heading. Thank you for sticking with this while my creativity encompassed a old ship which I have been writing since I was in my 20's before I realized fan fiction was a real thing. Ha!Ha! Thanks to all your patience and loyalty and hope you enjoy this little update. Love -Carebearmaxi
The Boxer Guy
Chapter 15
While Donna was being wined and dined during a late night/early morning supper with Thomas, Harvey was sitting with his brother in their apartment. Harvey was getting a verbal tongue lashing from Marcus who thought the whole idea of fisticuffs with someone who used to be his best friend was stupid and could permanently damage him in some way.
"What if Travis damages your hands and you can't be a musician anymore? That would kill you..."
Harvey interrupted him. "Marcus..." he whined. He stood up and looked down on his younger brother who still sat on the couch petting the dog.
"Do you honestly thing Travis is going to kick my ass? He could never kick my ass even when we were kids. Travis is no pushover, so I've been training especially hard with Mike these past weeks," Harvey started loudly and then softened the tone of his explanation and sat back down.
"Harvey, this is stupid. Travis will pay in court for what his actions to dad and the band," Marcus reasoned.
"He challenged me, Marcus, and I'm not backing down from a fight."
Marcus rolled his eyes and realized that once Harvey made up his mind there was no way in hell to divert him from it.
They regarded each other in silence. Harvey rose to his full height then and made his way to their small kitchen. He busied himself preparing himself a cup of coffee while he contemplated his brother's nagging doubts.
"So tell me about Kate. When's the wedding?"
Marcus rose smelling the coffee. He recognized the change in subject meant his big brother brooked no more argument on his challenge of Travis Tanner.
Deciding to heed Harvey's stolid change of subject, Marcus asked, "Hey, Harvey, do you think you could make me a cup?"
Harvey turned toward his brother and eyed him from over his shoulder. "Sure, but this is espresso and I know you always say it gives you the 'shakes'."
"I don't care at this point. I need to stay up anyway. I promised Katie I would call her."
"Speaking of Katie, you still didn't answer my questions," Harvey said knowing that his brother still wanted to dissuade him from boxing with Travis on Saturday.
"Mom's good although you have avoided asking."
Unseeing to his brother who sat behind him, Harvey's face took on a rather grim expression. The large dark eyes became hard and his mouth set in a straight line.
"Marcus-"
"No, I know, you don't give a shit about our mother, but she is still our mother. She still loves you despite all the turmoil between you."
Harvey turned around impatiently pushing the espresso to his brother across the bar spilling some of the contents.
"Marcus. I told you. I don't ever want to talk about her or know what is going on with her. She lost that right to be my mother a long time ago!"
Marcus raised his cup and put it against his lips as he contemplated again the horrible events that led up to this distance between his brother and their mother. Marcus had forgiven their mother a long time ago and still enjoyed a relationship with her and their father. Marcus knew down deep that Harvey still cared it was just that Harvey had a very hard time when forgiving someone for disloyalty. Marcus did not comprehend that their mother had betrayed her loyalty to more than just their father. Harvey's loyalty was betrayed just as badly when their mother requested a young Harvey not to tell his father of the men he would find when he would come home from school. It took a little bit, but Harvey eventually realized that his mother had been welcoming men other than his father into her bed.
By the time the situation had come to a head, Harvey had left home with a couple of his bandmates. All thoughts of a family unit replete with a mother and dad having left Harvey's conscious. Having no real money until the band became studio musicians with an occasional steady gig, Harvey remained with the Garfields for a short time until he had enough money to secure this little apartment in NYC where eventually his brother had joined him while he attended culinary school and cooked at various establishments.
Marcus lowered his eyes and then looked up following his brother's barefoot walk back to the couch where he settled against the cushions. Beanie jumped up next to Harvey and put his head in his lap. Harvey's hand came down and patted Beanie and scratched behind his ears out of habit.
"Katie and I are great. Thank you for asking. No, we haven't quite got a date yet."
"You look happy, Marcus. I'm glad for you."
Marcus looked down into the espresso filling his cup. He could see a dim reflection of nostrils and knitted eyebrows.
"Hey how's Donna? I haven't been back to the bistro since I left for Boston."
"She's good. She's a little distracted, but she's good," Harvey volunteered.
"What do you mean 'a little distracted'?"
"There's a music producer that has interest in Donna and she wants me to be an act with her. She has been told he wants us to sign with him."
Marcus leapt off his stool and walked toward the easy chair across from the couch where his brother was sitting.
"Isn't that great?!" Marcus asked perplexed as to why his brother seemed not too pleased about the introduction. "That could mean you could get the music career you always deserve! Donna, too!"
Harvey's eyes looked at his brother with doubt in them. Harvey's mouth took on that contorted moue extolling disbelief in not only what he told his brother but his brother's jubilant reaction.
"Now I have never met this guy nor has Donna, but I have heard Donna sing and perform. I seriously doubt that this guy wants me as part of the act. I only sang once with her and it was spontaneous, but she feels we would be good together."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean she says that she wants me to ride along on her coattails. I don't want to do that," Harvey said reinforcing his statements by shaking his head.
"What? Too proud to say a woman got you your break?"
Harvey's eyebrows rose to meet his forehead. "No! Definitely not! That's not it!"
"Then what's the problem?"
"I'm nowhere as good as she is. She's a consummate performer. I'm...just...a..."
"...rock guitarist?" Marcus finished for him.
"Yes! She plays piano and has a voice that..." Harvey did not know how else to describe Donna. "Well, you know. I don't have to explain her talents to you."
"No, you don't, but you're leaving out one little item."
Harvey looked up attempting a benign look at his brother.
"That you're in love with her," Marcus finished for him.
"No, I'm not!" Harvey vehemently shouted. "How do you know that I am in love with her?" Harvey accused using air quotes.
Marcus laughed. "You really are transparent Harvey. Normally when I come home after a few days away especially when I come home on the weekend there is usually some female standing at the kitchen cooking you breakfast or you dressed in your shorts cooking for the female. Or I am coming home when some woman is leaving. I know Scottie hasn't been with you for months because she was in Boston visiting her mother when I ran into her. She asked me how you were."
Harvey stared at his brother. "So. What did you tell her?"
"I said you were doing fine and that you may have a new girlfriend."
"Thanks, Marcus. Now what is she going to think?"
Marcus put his hands on his hips. In exasperation he asked, "What do you care what she thinks?"
"You had no right to say anything!"
"What am I supposed to do? I thought maybe you would want to see if she really cared about you. Make her jealous because she dumped you."
Harvey threw up his hands and then let his head rest in it as he stared up at his little brother. He looked away at the wall and chewed on his bottom lip.
"That's how I know you're in love with Donna," Marcus confided softly.
A minute passed then Harvey still looking away from his brother confessed in a softer but just as urgent tone, "Yes, I am."
"Tell her!" Marcus happily articulated.
Harvey panicked and rose to his feet hurriedly pointing an index finger into his younger brother's chest.
"You aren't going to tell her anything! This conversation stays here! No one and I mean NO ONE knows anything."
Marcus tittered at his brother's pained expression. "Sure, Harv. You'd better perfect that steely gaze around her then because I'm sure you couldn't hide it if you tried."
Harvey stared at his brother. Suddenly, Harvey's burst of temper softened and he said quietly to his brother. "Please don't say or hint anything to her. I don't want to stand in her way."
Marcus affectionately clasped his brother's shoulder.
"I am almost one hundred percent certain she feels the same way."
Harvey smirked and rolled his eyes. "I hope not," he verbalized. "I'm a mess."
Marcus smiled and patted Harvey's shoulder.
"By the way, did you invite her to your boxing match?"
"Yes, I did ask her. She's says she will come, but apparently Travis is the new boyfriend of her friend Samantha."
"Yes, that's the blonde he was with when Donna asked me if her Travis was your Travis the last night I was working before I left for Boston."
When Harvey turned around to resume his seat, he decided that the only dealings with Donna Paulsen should be on a non-musical basis. Although Harvey craved a successful music career, he only felt that he would hold Donna back should this Thomas Kessler guy prove his worth as a producer to her. There was no doubt that Harvey loved Donna, but he refused to be the iron weight that would hold a prospective prolific musical career hostage. If she wanted to remain his friend then that was the only relationship they could maintain at the moment. Platonic friendship but nothing else.