Harvey heard from day one of the British Invasion the whispers. That Stephen Huntley was the British double 007 version of Harvey Specter to Darby. They were both suave bachelor types with a respectable dating background to back it up. (Although, Harvey will concede, Stephen apparently had dated someone seriously for two years across the pond… not that Harvey was stalking him). They both were considered right hand men for the managing partners of their respective firms, both doing shady things in the grey to win. They both chose harsh physical activities as their main sports. Him, boxing, Huntley rugby. They both seemed to have the same taste in women from Elizabeth Hurley to… Donna Paulsen (he sourly realized).
He didn't like the fact that they even seemed to think of Donna in the same way, his blood boiling at the accurate description of her body like a runway supermodel from the 90s to the mind of a sassy politician like Maggie Thatcher. But he hated the comparisons of them, as if he and Huntley came from the same department store of men- yet, Harvey could tell it was uncanny. While Harvey definitely saw himself as the taller, more ruggedly handsome one between the two, he's more than secure in his masculinity to admit that Huntley was attractive as well in his buff 5'9 stature, with light green eyes and short brown hair. Hell, they even had the same damn initials just god damn reversed.
So, he understood the comparison to an extent. He just absolutely hated it.
But what Harvey hated the most about the comparison was the aspect of his close friends interacting with said knock off Marks & Spencer's version of him. He hated when Louis unabashedly exposed his man crush on him.
"Wow you have a thing or two to learn from him Harvey- he got me those British cookies- sorry, biscuits- I like as a welcome gift!" To which Harvey sourly replied "You get that it's your firm he's coming into right?"
He hated that Mike was easing his way into respecting and trusting the guy, going over case points together with the prick, and double checking back with Harvey to tell him that everything seems onboard and legit with the guy. He definitely didn't care for his associate stalking his online profile like an incessant girl with a school crush.
"Why don't you trade info with Donna when she gets back Romeo? See if your information matches up, did you get his zodiac sign as well?" (He made sure Donna was not at her cubicle when he used her as a dig to Mike - and that the intercom was off).
But what irked Harvey more than he thought possible was Donna's interactions around Huntley. It started bad enough with him realizing she was stalking his boarding situation when he was in town.
"You looked it up because it was on a need to know basis for you."
"I-"
"Save it." Harvey cut her off with his hand up in the air as he turned around to get back into his office. It was a light teasing remark, something he tried not to over think about over the course of the next two days.
He thought about it. A lot. Especially when Rachel would go around near Donna, and the intercom would still be on, something Donna would usually catch but had slipped her mind this time. Probably because of the British Invasion happening in her head.
"Oh c'mon he's obsessed with you!"
"All men are, Rach." Donna swiftly replied not stopping her incessant typing as she responded.
Rachel rolled her eyes at Donna's sassy remark. "He's not like other men. He's a hot British dude who has hit on you not once, not twice, but three times. and let's not forget the flashy vintage car race debacle of oh- last night."
Harvey frowned at that tidbit. What exactly had happened last night between Donna and Huntly after he won the race?
"Rachel Zane-"
"Donna, you have to go out with him!"
"How many times do I have to tell you I don't date guys I work with."
Harvey's mind reeled at Donna's rule, exactly how many times did she utter it to her so-called best friend. Was it about other guys at the firm? Lawyers, managers, she debated sleeping with? Or could she maybe be talking about them. Did Rachel maybe nudge Donna to talk about him and her together, and if so-
"But that's just the thing. He's leaving. We might be merging with his law firm but Stephen is definitely setting base over there. He'll be visiting New York here and there in the beginning, but then? Back to london. It's practically as if you work for two. Seperate. Law firms."
Donna hesitated for just barely half a second. But Harvey picked up on it immediately.
"I don't know Rach, it's still a messy situation."
"Ok just answer me this. If you didn't work together, if you actually got around to the idea of it being a moot point because he's going back to England - would you date him?"
Donna laughed. "You're so nosy today."
"Oh please, we haven't had girl talk in ages! Just tell me you find him attractive." Rachel whined.
Donna sighed dramatically, putting on a show of how she doesn't want to entertain this topic - but he's assuming both him and Rachel saw through it.
"Ok sure. He's attractive. Really hot. Very easy on the eyes. And who wouldn't like the chase and the challenge he's been these past few days."
"What challenge? He's practically begged you to sleep with him." Harvey felt his jaw clench at the mention of another guy harassing Donna with sexual innuendo and flirty come ons.
"Now I know why you slept with Mike so easily at the office. Sorry too soon?"
Rachel scoffed. "So you admit he's your type?"
"He's everyone's type."
"Can you ever answer a question not evasively?" Harvey had to hold a snort in at Rachel's comment, it's something he was always accused of with Donna, but no one ever accused her of it, despite her evasive nature almost always when it came to her own love life.
"It's part of my charm."
Rachel stared Donna down.
"Fine! He's my type. He's incredibly my type. I don't know if I'd date him, what with the long distance of it all," Donna flared her hand up in the air "but let's just say we'd be on even playing fields if I did bite the bullet, figuratively speaking."
Rachel laughed at Donna's response. "Only you'd think a compliment to a guy is saying he's on your level and just as good as you."
Donna smirked at Rachel "what can I say, I know my worth."
"Well you do realize you just proved my point. You said you wouldn't date him because of the long distance. Ergo, he doesn't work here. Ergo,"
"My rule doesn't matter…" Donna's eyes sparked slightly at the realization before narrowing her eyes at rachel. "You totally used the element of nagging to catch me off guard and reveal my subconscious thought process. That's so… me of you."
Rachel shrugged and batted her eyes innocently.
"Thank me with a cup of coffee after all your amazing impending sex."
Harvey turned off the intercom after that, definitely not wanting the mental image Rachel just provided him of.
He wasn't completely surprised at the end result of their conversation. The minute she hesitated early on when Rachel mention Huntely's base in London, he knew she was seriously considering taking him up on his offer, before she even came to that conclusion.
Because it was the exact same hesitation she had when he approached her years ago, back at the D.A.'s office, for the millionth time. It was right before The Other Time, when he drew a crass image of them as stick figures doing it with whipped cream.
His mind immediately pictured Donna from that one night, her lithe body, her withering hips, her cascading red locks fisted in his hand as she teased his body with her sensual lips and strawberries.
He shook his head abruptly as he imagined Huntley being graced with the same image. His greedy paws all over her.
He got up needing fresh air and an escape from the giggle fest happening in front of his office over that douche.
He buttoned up his suit jacket and walked out of his office. "Donna, I'm heading out for a bagel. Push my-"
"Fifteen to thirty, got it." She replied effectively, still talking to Rachel about something relating to the latest Ballet theatre.
Harvey nodded, sending her a hint of a smile as his thanks.
As he walked down the hallway out of the firm, he realized the worst part about realizing Donna entertaining this Huntley guy wasn't even her waving her hardset rule about dating coworkers.
It was the fact that she said she'd date him if it weren't for the long distance between them. It was him knowing Donna always had her hand on the firm's pulse, meaning she had heard the conclusions people drew of Huntley and him. It was her saying he was her type.
It made him feel less than and secondary. It made him wonder if maybe he was really off about Donna's feelings for him. Maybe the reason she never entertained breaking her rule for him was because he wasn't good enough for her- not just in the way he'd come to learn himself, how she deserved the world and more, but if maybe he wasn't good enough for her at all. Her preference for Stephen said he had something that Harvey lacked.
Harvey racked his brain over and over again, fighting his own ego down to try and truly understand what it could possibly be that Huntley has that Harvey doesn't?
Was it as shallow as an accent and a preference to colored eyes? Could it be his more willing committal personality, was he somehow funnier, friendlier? What the fuck could Stephen Huntley have said or done or been that made Donna Paulsen smitten enough to break her own rules and risk something with that guy?
It wasn't until Harvey was throwing away the shiny wrapper that previously held his pastrami and cream cheese bagel, that it dawned on him. He finally realized the reason Donna was throwing her rule out was because Stephen was the only between them that had asked her to.
Harvey let the realization wash all over him. He took the long way back to the firm to give him ample time to digest this information.
And when he was finally making his way up to his floor, stepping off the elevator and strolling back down to his office, he still hadn't made sense of it all.
He had too many thoughts running in his head, disgust at Huntley not respecting Donna's boundaries, jealousy over his ability to step over them to get what he wanted, alternate 'what if' scenarios playing out in a loop in his mind about what could've happened if he had asked Donna to do the same with him, if he did ask.
In the end- All he could conclude was that no matter how similar or different Huntley was to him, Donna definitely could- and should- do better than them. And with that thought safely rummaging around in his head, he put the idea of him and Donna out of his mind again. For now.