Chapter 5

Harvey didn't usually care about what his dates had to say, not that this was a date. Don't get him wrong, Harvey loves women. He appreciates and adores them. He just has no desire to get deep and meaningful with them afterwards. He has no time for relationships and how clingy women can be. He's watched his friends get into unhappy relationships and does not want that for himself. So, he's got in to a routine of loving and leaving beautiful women. He has everything he needs. He likes his life exactly how it is.

Harvey catches the waiter's eye and asks for another bottle of wine. "I've got a meeting at Cartier in the morning, I really shouldn't drink any more" Alex said. "Nonsense, you'll be fine, I can tell you can handle your drink better than American women" Harvey countered. "True, we Brits can drink" Alex agreed. "See, I really am the best closer in New York City" Harvey confirmed with a smirk.

As they stared on their second bottle of wine Alex was ready to hear about his love life. Much as she'd suspected, he loved women and despite playing it down, she read between the lines and could see that he was the 'love them and leave them' type. He was a very busy man so that's how his needs were taken care of. "I love my job. It allows me to afford the finer things in life, which I love. But I work hard and work long hours so my personal life has always taken a back seat. So my current lifestyle works for me. Honestly, I just haven't met anyone that I actually want to keep around." Harvey instantly regretted his honesty. He didn't want to put Alex off. Not that he wanted to keep her around. Did he?

Alex leaned forward and said "Maybe, you just haven't met the right woman" with a cheeky smile. She was taken aback by his honestly initially, but then she saw it as a bit of fun and a challenge. But did she want to accept it? Harvey Specter seemed like a complex man. Did she have time for this?

"Maybe" came his reply. He liked what she was suggesting. She could tell there was more to his story though. She could almost see pain behind his eyes. "There's something more though, I can tell. What aren't you telling me Harvey? Come on, we've known each other for like, 3 hours, you can tell me anything" she teased. He didn't know what it was about this woman that made him let his defences down but he did. He never opened up to anyone but there was something about her, probably the fact he thought he'd never see her again. He couldn't believe she could tell there was more. He was hard to read yet she'd managed to read him. "I don't trust women." There, he'd said it. "My mom cheated on my dad when I was a kid and so I guess it's scarred me. I know it's irrational and not all women cheat but I can't help it. What she did tore our family apart. I would never get involved with a woman if I knew she was married or in a relationship. I just couldn't do it." "Wow, Harvey I'm sorry. That's awful. You're right though. Not all women cheat." She could see why he was the 'love them and leave them' type now. It protected him, prevented him from getting hurt. Or from unwittingly hurting someone else.

Harvey waned to change the subject. He didn't want her to think he was damaged goods. "So, enough about my love life, or lack of love life. What about you? You must have guys falling over themselves for you? One in every port?!" he said winking. "Well, actually no, not one in every port. I'm a one-man kind of woman. I've never cheated or been cheated on; as far as I know. So maybe I can be too trusting or naive because I've never been hurt like that. I came out of my last long-term relationship about a year ago. He lived in London. He turned out to be an idiot." Harvey nodded "he must have been, to let you go". He smiled, pleased with himself, she'd walked straight into that one too.

"So you're single then?" Harvey asked with that smile. "Yup" came Alex's reply. He looked thoughtful as he poured what was left of the wine into their glasses "Interesting. You. Me. Both single. Very interesting" he said and then cocked his head to the side, pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows. Alex just smiled and drank her wine. She wasn't about to become one of Harvey's many women. No way. But this was fun and he was gorgeous.

This was my first fanfic so I'd really appreciate any feedback and reviews.

I'm tweaking/perfecting this again for 2019 and posting chapter by chapter (lots of you requested that so you could review each chapter).

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Thanks for reading!