Chapter three: The Worm is Out of the Can, and He's Lovely
I wonder what dirt tastes like.
Not that Harvey tastes like dirt or anything. I can't explain why that is the only thought currently circulating in my brain as he pulls back with a smirk.
"I'll figure it out one day, Saffron. Now shoo, get out of my office and do some work or something, preferably without causing more damage to your face."
My magically seductive whispering abilities and I walk out in a confused fog. Note to self: Never whisper to Harvey again.
This has been the weirdest day, like ever.
"Saffron!" I jump, heading shooting up to stare a ways down the hall. A few people send me passing glances, but most know better than to question Louis, even if he is shouting at a possibly brain damaged woman. He waves a hand frantically in a beckoning gesture and I hastily approach; anything to gain distance between me and Harvard at the moment.
"Well?" He asks expectantly, waggling a brow. "What do you think?" He straightens his jacket with purpose.
"Think about what?" I ask quickly, perhaps too quickly. I certainly wasn't thinking about anything, especially not about kissing a figment of my imagination, no, never.
"The tie, Saffron. Are you alright?"
"Oh!" I exclaim, taking a step back to reassess the man's current state. He is in fact wearing the Orange Tie.
"Hmm," I pretend to think about it, placing a hand on my chin. "Do a spin for me."
Louis promptly pivots on his heel, adding a little flourish of his hands and a hesitant beam.
"Oh wow," I nod approvingly. "Orange is so your colour, you look great Louis."
"I do, don't I? Now what's got you running from Harvey's office like your ass is on fire? Not that I don't completely understand, of course."
I completely still my face under his line of questioning, because I am a strong woman who totally wasn't just kissed by a figment of her imagination. "I have no idea what you are referring to."
Louis raises an eyebrow but decides to leave it. "What are you still doing here anyway?"
"What do you mean?" The collar of my shirt has dealt with a lot of sweat today. At this rate I'll be able to ring it like a rag by the end of the hour. "Where- where else would I be?"
"Uhh- Jessica's office? She just walked by not too long ago with Rachel, demanding I tell them where you were, which-"
"Uh- gotta go Louis." I hastily half jog, half sprint my way towards the elevators. Nope! I have had enough confrontations for one imagined day!
"Saffron!" I trip, just managing to stop myself from faceplanting by catching myself on the wall. I hastily look over my shoulder. Uh oh. Jessica and Rachel make a scary pair, especially when they're staring at you like you just stole their sharing stapler.
Panic! Wait- don't panic! Ugh!
I'm not proud to admit I fell back into old habits in order to save myself. "Fire!" I shouted.
People immediately turned my way, and I shouted again with panic, backing up as the woman started to close in. "Huge fire! Help!"
It takes only a second longer for people to start speaking loudly, crowding the hall, walking this way and that to see what I'm shouting about. And that's when I spin on my heel and start sprinting. HA!
I don't make it nearly far enough before my face is cushioned by another wall. "Ouf!"
"Watch it, what have I told you about running in the office Saffron?" Harvey grouches, holding me back by the shoulders, glancing over my head. I don't have time for this!
"Release me!" I practically shout, hastily trying to work my way out of his hands and around him. The exit sign is so close yet so far, the fluorescent light is taunting me I tell you, taunting me!
"Saffron!" Rachel snaps nearby in exhaustion and I jolt, increasing my struggle. "Harvey! Don't let her go!"
"Oh, what have you done now?" Harvey groans quietly, spinning me around by the shoulders to face the approaching woman. Not only has this figment of my imagination run me over with his car and kissed me, but he's also just lined me up for the slaughter! Does his imagined audacity know no bounds?!
"Relax everyone," Jessica says loudly, wiping a stray hair out of her face with expertise. "There is no fire, it's just Saffron." There is a collective sound of understanding, and I watch in awe as the office masses return to what they were doing before. Huh. Cooler-Saffron and I seem to have a lot more in common than I thought. The awe at those particular thoughts quickly turns into horror, however.
"Ha-ha, what brings you ladies to this side of the office?" I hesitantly joke, tugging at my collar. "How's- that weather, amiright?"
"Do I even want to know?" Harvey ignores my valid attempts at casual weather chatter, raising his eyebrows towards the two disapproving women.
"Actually," Jessica says seriously, staring me down hard. "I think you do."
I gulp.
"You.." Speechless, is one word to phrase it. Mad, yes, mad is definitely another phrase. Though to say Harvey was just mad would be an understatement, safe to say, he's pissed.
Jessica had dismissed Rachel and herself from Harvey's office with a simple "Handle it." having noticed the storm brewing on Harvey's face long before me clearly, as I was taken aback by the sudden onslaught of rain.
"So when you were confused about me speaking to Jessica about our relationship, it's because you don't remember anything?" He looks sick, wiping a hand down his face. The epiphany strikes me then that he's just given me the perfect excuse for my crazy. It's not like I can explain that I'm living inside of a tv show and I am actually dead now can I?
"Yeaaah. That's right. But it's only what, a few weeks right? And I still have bits and pieces here and there. So no need to… throw up all over." I say hesitantly, taking a step back. Hopefully I'm not in the splash zone.
"A few weeks! Bits and pieces!" Harvey curses, pacing before pivoting towards me to grab my arm, a lot more gently than his angered expression would suggest. "I'll throw up if I goddamn wanna! Let's go. Donna!"
"Ray just pulled up to the curb. I'm coming with you." I can only blink as Harvey practically hauls me out of the office with a teary eyed Donna chasing after us in toe, who had apparently been listening in the whole time from the intercom like the talented little spy she is.
I blink rapidly as I am escorted out of the building like a rather testy bomb. "Woah, why are we all freaking out? I'm fine!"
"Well. She is going to be just fine." The doctor sighs, dropping the papers he had been flipping through back onto the clipboard.
"See? I'm just spiffin ''." I readily agree with the doctor, though given his completely inaccurate diagnoses, I can't help but question the validity of his fake medical license in my brain. After all, if you can't even diagnose a crazy dead patient, what's the point? I sigh, internally shaking my head. The American health system, people.
Harvey doesn't seem to give a damn, tossing out a hand with angst. "Like hell she is. She can't remember a goddamn thing from the past two weeks! Why the hell should we trust your judgment, considering the last time we were in this hospital you completely missed this massive problem! What's stopping me right now from taking you to court and revoking your sorry excuse of a medical license, which I'm pretty sure you purchased off ebay." Hey, that's what I said! Sort of. And, well, thought. And a lot less threatening and mean, too.
"I said I have bits and pieces." My humble comment goes woefully ignored. The doctor seems to think my oddity is from the fact that I have amnesia, not the fact that I am dead and am actually imagining all of this, which is completely inaccurate. Not that I can blame the doc as I haven't exactly given him all the information. Hmm.
The doctor sighs, completely unaffected by Harvey's threats. Honestly? As Phil Tandy Miller once said: Good on ya. "Retrograde Amnesia does leave a chance of her memories coming back, but there is an even higher chance that they might never return unfortunately. Thankfully it has not affected the part of her brain that can create new memories. We got lucky it was only a few weeks."
Harvey immediately puffs up at the terms, brow's narrowing dangerously as he wags a finger severely. "Lucky!? We got lucky! I'll show you lucky-"
Donna is quick to put the car in park before Harvey can start revving up his engine, though I think the doc is safe considering he isn't a woman or his fake subordinate.
Donna says in that tactful way of hers, "Yeeeah, time for us to go now, Doc. But we all thank you for your help."
"Actually, Mrs. Saffron, if we could have a word in private?" I blink, before looking at the retreating backs of a huffing Harvey and the reassuring nod from Donna.
"Uhm, sure." The door clicks shut.
"Phew!" Suddenly, all the bravado the doc was showing before vanishes as he slumps back into a rolling chair, tossing the clipboard over his shoulder without a care. It dinks against the wall before clattering to the floor. That's when I notice the papers are completely blank. "I thought they'd never leave."
"Uhh-" I blink a few times, confused. Yes, I would say mostly confused. "Huh?"
The doc waves a hand flippantly, spinning in the chair. "Listen up, Saffron Saffron, I've heard your prayers, and such and such, and so I've decided to reward my most devout follower, yadda yabba."
"Huh?" I repeat again, bewildered. Yes, I would say mostly bewildered.
He stops spinning, looking at me seriously before smiling brightly. "I know what's really going on here Saffron," He reponds, as if I'm stupid. That, or I rammed my face into a car earlier this morning. He leans forward at my uncertainty, hovering a hand over his mouth to amplify his next whisper. "I know you don't have amnesia."
"Uhh, uhhh-" I laugh it off shakily, waving a hand dismissively. "Puhsshhha- That's- good one doc, that's- Funny. You're funny."
The doc grins, shaking his head a bit and moving side to side in the chair as he clasps his hands behind his head. "Relax, I'm not going to lock you up for the rest of your eternity, You're not crazy Saffron," He snorts. I watch on, more than a tad suspiciously. After all, I had indeed thought those exact thoughts once upon a time..
"Why would I do that?" He continues diplomatically, seemingly to thoroughly enjoy the mash potato of emotions warring on my face. "After all, I'm the one who put you here in the first place."
"Huh?" I say. Yes, I would mostly say that I've said.
"You've treated my disciples well, and that has not gone unnoticed, Saffron!" Suddenly, the doc leaps out of the chair, a spry in his step and a twinkle in his eye. "C'mon, take a guess, who do you think I am?"
This is really not what I was expecting. I mean, Nurse Rebecca is nothing like this man. In fact, in face of Scalpel Guy, her expression was lifeless! I am in unfamiliar, medical professional(?) territory.
"Wrong! I'm not actually a doctor, Saffron," The doc- not(?) doc immediately chides, before muttering to himself. "I thought that much would have been obvious by now."
"You- you- you-" I point a shaky finger in his direction, stunned. He just- he- My-
"Yes, yes, I did just read your mind," He continues on leadingly, moving his hand in a circular motion as if to keep my thoughts rolling. "Annnnnnd…?"
"Guhg- uhh- guh- guh-"
"Here, why don't I help you out a bit?" He says, kindly. Before I can stutter out some more guhs or uhhs the man steps up real close to me, slips his hand into his lab coat pocket and pulls out…
"Here." He grabs my hand and holds my palm towards the sky, plopping the little gift in my awaiting palm. "His name is Jermey. He liiiiikeees you."
I stare down at the little worm dancing in the palm of my hand blankly. A… He…
Jeremy?
"Yes, Jeremy." The not-doc nods happily, resting his hands on his hips as if to say job well done.
"What is happening?" I ask, as calmly as possible. After all, I am not used to other gentlemen also keeping worms in their pockets and being able to read my mind.
"Okay, fine! I'll just tell you." The not doc clears his throat, straightening his shoulders a bit, before spreading his hands. "I am Worm. The, you know, God of Worms."
My eyes enlarge, a fluttery feeling emerging in my dead little stomach. I inhale a deep breath. The Not-Doc-Worm-God watches on smugly. "Woah."
"You're intriguing." He continues, as if he hadn't just changed the form and reasoning of the entire universe with a single sentence. "And after your recent Scalpel Guy Trauma, I figured you deserved a little vacation."
Jeremy wiggles in my palm. "Um.." I stutter. "Thanks. Um, Mr. Worm- uh God- Mr. Doc- Mr. Worm Doctor God. I don't know what to say."
"You can just call me Doc while you're here." 'Doc' shrugs, jerking his chin towards Jeremy. "Also, Jeremy was hoping he could stick around for a bit. For reasons he doesn't wish for me to disclose."
I look down as Jeremy wiggles innocently in my palm again. I lean close, making sure to inflict as much of the genuineness I felt into my words. "I would love to. You can be my little partner in crime. Saffron the worman and Jeremy the worm, they'll never know what hit 'em."
"See? What did I tell you, Jer?" Doc chuckles, cooing at Jeremy. "Oh- and before you go Saffron- Worms can in fact hear music, thanks to you. I never thought of that before."
"Awesome." I whisper, enthralled. Before rapidly shaking my head, a load of questions and possibilities suddenly dunking over me like a bucket of orange juice. "But what about-"
"Don't worry about anything Saffron, I've got my eye on you." Doc winks. "Just be yourself. You'll be surprised at how well you can handle yourself."
I walk out of the examination room in a daze, Jeremy safely tucked away and squirming in my pants pocket.
"Saffron?" Donna says, hesitantly. I lurch, looking up to find her hastily walking towards me, placing a careful hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright? What did he say?"
Suddenly, the past twenty minutes start to fall on me and I can feel my eyes water.
Donna, completely misunderstanding, "Oh, hun," she pulls me forward into a backbreaking hug, briefly running a hand against my back in a soothing motion. "Don't cry. Everything is going to be alright."
I can't help but feel somewhat bad, as she has clearly misunderstood my unadulterated joy at having met the actual God of Worms, but she smells real good so I lean into the hug, wrapping my arms around her.
Looking up from Donna's shoulder blade as Jeremy squirms, I catch Harvey staring at us from a distance with a blank expression and a tray filled with coffee cups. Noticing he had caught my attention, he waggles the tray temptingly, raising a brow.
"Donna," I say slowly, leaning back from our hold. "I am being tempted.."
"Now, I know I'm rather gorgeous Saffron, but you're not in the most stable mental state right now.." Either way, Donna still follows my line of sight, turning towards the approaching man with a hand on her hip and a raised brow herself. Sorry Harv, but Donna's eyebrow game puts yours to shame. Shame.
"I was wondering where you ran off too," Donna chides, knowingly.
"While this definitely isn't a fantasy I've had before coming to life that I'd hate to end so soon," He checks his watch before passing me the tray. I readily accept it, much to Jeremy's.. excitement? I'm not sure, I haven't learned to interpret his squirming at this point in our relationship. Maybe he likes coffee. Now that's a novel concept. "We really should be getting back. Well, when I say we, I mean me. Donna, do you mind-"
"Taking her home and getting her brain unscrambled? Well, as much as I'd love to do that," She looks at Harvey considerably, grabbing the tray from my hands without a word. I blink, clenching my fingers experimentally at the empty space. "I think you'd be more suited for that particular job."
"Yeah, well, that particular job is going to have to be scheduled for later." He mutters, sighing. "I have a meeting in twenty-five minutes."
"A-huh," Donna says, unbelievably. My head snaps back and forth between the two of them, as they.. Decide my fate? I don't know. I am still a little- no, sorry, a lotta, star struck from my brief stint with the Doc.
"So…" I start magnanimously, not entirely sure why in the first place. "I guess we should head back to the office then? I'd hate for you to miss your meeting 'cause you decided to hit me with your car without proper scheduling it all out."
Donna smirks approvingly, heading off in a direction which I assume is the exit. I smile with much giddy, because I, Saffron Saffron, have not only made The Donna Paulson proud, but have also met The God of Worms in under an hour. I am on fire.
"You're making jokes," Harvey sighs, wiping a hand down his face but ah ah, those pearly whites are peaking! He can't fool me. "Only you, Saffron, seriously," He sighs again before heading off to follow Donna.
I watch him walk away, once again marveling at what just transpired. So, I'm not actually crazy and or dead and or comatose? This is just some… vacation?
Harvey looks over his shoulder, his bat-senses clearly tingling and pointing out that I haven't been following. "Well? Are you coming or what?"
Cool.
I grin, running to catch up with his quick strides. I've never been on a vacation before. Let's see where this takes me, then.
Harvey splits off after dropping Donna and I back at the office. "Are you sure you're alright, Saffron?" Donna worries at my side in the elevator, which makes perfect sense considering we are currently passing the floor which shall not be named. I let out a breath as we securely made it past the fourteenth, before smiling brightly at Donna.
"Oh, I've never been better, Donna. Besides, I'll just get bored in my apartment that I totally remember exists and where it is."
"Right," Donna mutters, a contrite, thoughtful expression furrowing her brows. "I forgot you recently moved… We'll get you all figured out tonight Saffron, that I can guarantee. Don't worry."
"Worried? I'm Saffron, Donna." I say, as if that would surely explain anything. And if the coy side glance and reluctant smile from Donna is anything to go by, it does.
"Yeah, okay, I'll take your word for it." She smiles at me as the door pings open. "Holler if you need anything. Well, don't actually, just- you know what I mean."
I nod, standing still with a serious salut. "Aye, aye."
Given that nice little send off I decide to explore my newfound surroundings, and without the fear of imminent doom or permanent psychiatric holds, it's like a whole brand new world of excitement has opened its arms to me.
I make sure to tuck Jeremy safely away into my front jacket pocket in case he wants to pop his little noggin' out to see the sights himself.
"Louis!" I cheer, swinging into his office by his surprisingly solid glass door. Said man pauses in his clacking away of the keyboard, sending me a narrowed glance before lightening up at my happy mood. "You still have the tie! You really meant what you said?"
"Of course," He immediately replies, that little shark-like grin of his tapering off into something more neutral as I stroll into the room, looking around with renewed vigor. "You're… in a good mood. Which isn't saying much I suppose because you're always in a good mood- but that's besides the point. Why'd you run off so quickly earlier Saffron? I hope I wasn't being too forward…"
I blink a few times, surprised he hasn't heard the news from Jessica yet, but deciding to leave that particular conversation for later I shrug, slouching into one of his comfortable chairs across from his desk.
"You looked so good in that tie Louis I could hardly bear it." I sigh, holding the back of my hand against my forehead dramatically before dropping the act with a grin and leaning forward in the chair. "I was fleeing from Jessica. She's too awesome to handle sometimes, even I have to admit."
"Why? What did you do?" Louis narrows his eyes, leaning back into his chair to scan me from undead-not crazy head to toe. "Or should I ask, what did Harvey do and make you take the fall for?"
"It's okay Louis, you can lower your eyebrow, Harvey didn't do anything." I think again, backtracking to the unexpected kiss earlier for some otherworldly reason, before shaking my head. "Well, nothing I can't handle myself. Say, now that I think about it, I wanted to apologize for abandoning you earlier. That wasn't fair of me, especially after you went through so much trouble to set up the circle sharing session with Mr. Delicious."
Louis blinks, surprise coloring his face before it falls into something more gentler. "Oh, that's quite alright, Saffron. To be honest with you, I hadn't exactly set that up with the purest of intentions anyway. Water under the Sharing Stapler, as far as I'm concerned."
This is a nice conversation, I decide right then. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside, leaning more comfortably into the chair. "You're a pretty cool guy Louis, don't you forget it. It's been a pleasure working with you, I presume." And presume I do, considering I have no knowledge of such.
Louis grins anyway, puffing up a bit in his chair and running a hand over his hair. "Presume away Saffron because the feeling is returned! Now, was there anything I could help you with?"
"Oh, no," I wave my hand, sitting up. "I didn't mean to interrupt- well, I totally did, I just wanted to say hello."
"Well!" He looks even happier than me at that, to my slight surprise. "Hello to you too."
My smile slowly widens and I open my mouth to say something more as Louis goes to drink from his coffee cup but he suddenly frowns, looking inside said cup with annoyance. "Betrayed by my own mug."
"Huh?" I ask, because I never knew such a thing was possible. Louis tilts his mug, showing the emptiness inside. "Ohhh," I nod in understanding. "Judas!"
"Judas indeed." Louis smiles, moving to stand but I hop up to my feet and snatch the cup up from his hands with a look of pure determination.
"Fear not, I shall refill this for you!" I turn to leave and am prancing away happily before Louis can even sputter out a reply.
It takes some wandering around, and by that it feels like hours have passed in my lost stumbling before I notice a quickly walking, familiar back.
I catch up to Mike just before he walks into what I recognize to be the break room, an extra skip in my step and a wide smile as I follow him in.
"Micheal." I greet.
"Jesus, Saffron!" He jumps, startled, nearly slapping me in the face with the folder clutched in his grasp. I narrowly dodge it, because I'm awesome like that. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? And what's with the grin, Cheshire Cat? You're starting to freak me out."
"I've only just had the best doctor's appointment of my life, Micheal, let me tell you." I sigh dreamily, leaning my back against the counter as he fiddles with the coffee machine with a small smile. Which reminds me. "Oh, perfect, can you fill this up for me bud?"
"The last thing you need right now is more coffee," He remarks dryly but still takes the cup from me anyway. "How do you take it?"
I open my mouth to respond only to stop short, realizing I'd never asked. "Damn." I mutter, glaring at the mug. "Judas strikes again."
Mike is giving me a funny look, a smirk growing by the second. That is, until he looks back at the coffee machine. "Annnd- I have no idea how to use this thing."
"It takes two to tango," I remark, solemnly.
"It's the Golden Boy and his sidekick, right? You're Harvey's projects. What's your name again?" I blink, turning to follow Mike's gaze as he also turns to look at the guy suddenly speaking to us, sitting at one of the round tables in the break room with a Judas of his own and a small stack of papers.
"Uh-" Mike sends me a glance as I consider what he just said thoughtfully. Saffron the Sidekick, I decide with a growing smile, has got a nice ring to it. "Mike, Mike Ross and this is-"
"Saffron Saffron, yeah I've heard of you before." The guy looks us both up and down as Mike pauses in leaning towards the min-fridge after having placed Judas delicately on the counter. "Gregory Boone."
I'm impressed by cooler-Saffron, clearly her reputation precedes her. Good for her. "So what're you doing here? Weren't you signing some big deal downtown?" Gregory continues the conversation as Mike pops the cap and takes a sip of his beverage he had grabbed from the mini-fridge.
Deciding to be a little wild I crouch to get a look into the mini-fridge myself, ever the snooper. Ice tea, coke, that fizzy drink Micheal had grabbed, and then the normal water bottles. So many choices… and not a single one of them is orange juice. Bummer.
"Evidently I don't have the privilege yet," Micheal says, if not a tad bit dejectedly. I give him a curious look as I stand back up, ice tea in hand. What're they talking about again?
"Get the adult table speech?" Gregory says, knowingly. Mike pauses and my eyes flicker back and forth between the two like ping pong but with more suspicion and less sweating. Although confusing, something about this seems familiar but I can't quite put my finger on it…
"And instead of watching the deal close, I get to file the patent." I pinch the bridge of my nose, a headache blooming, and it's not because of the foot sized bruise on my face either. Something about this feels strangely like dejavu...
"Yeah, those suck." Gregory agrees conversationally.
"Wait-" Micheal stops short, looking surprised. I peer at him carefully, clutching my ice tea to my forehead and sighing at the unexpected bliss that greets me. Man, how hadn't I thought of that earlier? Must be the slight concussion and shock of, well, today, overwhelming me. "You've- you've done one of these before?"
"Like 100. Why?" Gregory asks with a shrug of his shoulders, slightly confused.
Mikes starts to grin. "I have a proposal…"
I decide to busy myself with the coffee machine again, finding this conversation increasingly boring. Dejavu, whatever, if this was supposed to be a vacation then I could pick and choose what was important, right?
I pick up Judas with a warning glare, sliding him into the little mug spot. I click a few buttons randomly, not at all used to these fancy instant coffee machines and eventually the machine starts whirring and the good stuff starts to fill the mug. "Aha! Success!"
I turn to goad said success in Mike's face but when I turn around both he and Gregory have disappeared. Huh. Well, I guess I'll have to save my goading for later. Jeremy wiggles his support from my pocket and I pat it fondly, cheeks hurting from the smile that it causes.
"Tadaa!" I place the cup with a flourish on Louis' desk, proud of myself as the sloshing didn't go over the rim. "Sorry about the wait, Judas was being difficult."
"Typical." Louis rolls his eyes, picking up the mug with a satisfied grin that freezes on his face as he takes a sip. He coughs, clearing his throat and carefully lowering the mug as I stare at him expectantly. "Saffron-" he starts, but seems to change courses as he just smiles up at me. "Thanks. It's- tastes perfect."
"Awesome. Well I should probably get back to my cubicle and do my cubicly duties. See you later Louis." I hum a little tune as I exit his office, ice tea tucked under my arm. To be honest I had tried a sip of the coffee before I brought it over and it tasted horrible but hey, the man likes what the man likes, who am I to judge?
I huff loudly as I finally arrive at my cubicle after an honestly unknown amount of time. Seriously, I'm going to need to make a map to get around this place to stop getting so lost every time I decide to go on an adventure. It wastes a lot of my vacation time, just stumbling around in confusion.
I see Mike made it back before me and he's working away in his own cubicle, headphones in so I decide to leave him be, lest he's listening to Maraiah Carrey because the last thing I want to do is disturb a man's Maraiah time.
I sit in my chair and spin a few times before looking over at my desk, lifting papers up here and there, curiously reading over some and tossing others aside before sighing, resting my chin on the palm of my hand. I rub at my eyes as my head pounds. Who would've thought vacations would be so headache inducing?
"Hey Saffron, how are you feeling?" I look up at a sheepish looking Rachel as she places her hands on the wall of the cubicle. She looks around the room briskly before leaning in to whisper. "What did the doctor say?"
I pause, indeed thinking back to what the doctor had said, a grin slowly breaking back out on my face. Awesome. "Oh, he said I have Gatorade amnesia and might never get my memories back."
Rachel looks as if I was the God of Worms and she had just met me. She shakes her head all of a sudden, eyes tearing up and I balk, hasten to reassure her. If it wasn't for her, I might never have met the Doc in the first place, after all!
"It's fine, really! Please don't be upset, besides, the Doc was so cool." I can't help but sigh dreamily, and Rachel's lip twitches unsurely.
"Wait, like never, as in never ever?" She looks so sad and I stand so I can place a hand on her shoulder and squeeze it reassuringly, making sure to get my point across.
"Really, Rachel. If it weren't for you I probably never would have gone back. Thank you. Please don't cry." I'm practically begging her at this point. I've never been good with comforting people, I might just start crying myself if she breaks down.
"We are so talking about this later!" She vehemently whispers, sniffs, then wipes under her eyes quickly. I sigh in relief, releasing her shoulder and sitting back down in my chair. Crisis averted.
That is, until Rachel pauses as another thought must hit her, an almost accusing expression taking over her face. I am concerned. "Wait, did you just say Gatorade amnesia? Because I'm pretty sure that's not a thing."
I release a relieved breath before waving my hand carelessly, because details. "Details. Something amnesia, something, whatever. It's all the same, isn't it?"
"Uh, no, Saffron, I don't think it is."
I furrow my brow. "I'm pretty sure-"
The phone abruptly rings and I share a glance with Rachel, who urges me to pick it up as I only hesitate.
"But we're talking," I explain to her in a whisper, as if the shrilling phone could hear me. "I don't want to be rude."
Rachel rolls her eyes hard but she's smiling slightly so I consider it a success. She picks up the phone herself and forces it to my ear. I have to hold it as she suddenly let's go with an innocent smile and turns to walk away.
"-affron? Helllooo?"
"Donna?" I question, recognizing the voice immediately. "This is a pleasant surprise."
"Flattery will get you nowhere with me, Saffron. Harvey's back and he's requesting your presence, and I swear to god Saffron, if you ask me why…"
I shut my mouth, very obviously not having been about to ask why. "Alright…"
"Oh, and do me a favor? Ask him to pick up the damn phone himself next time." The phone beeps and I move it from my ear before placing it back down on the receiver. I suppose that means I've been summoned to the Bat cave. I ponder as I stand, noticing Micheal must've disappeared at some point. Does this make me Robin?
"No, Saffron, what makes you Robin is your knack of needing me to constantly save your ass at the last minute." Harvey jibes upon the suggestion. I shrug, not entirely understanding the point but I'll cut him some slack. The man has had a stressful day, after all.
"And Donna is Alfred, obviously." I continue to explain needlessly. It's quite obvious.
Harvey smirks, taking amusement at that for some reason but cuts me some slack. I've had a stressful day, after all. "Wonderful. Now that that's been all cleared up, come have this drink with me."
He waltzes over to the little glass table he has in the corner of his office, rolling up his cuff sleeves before pouring two generous drinks before walking back over.
I shrug, accepting the fancy glass of amber liquid. When Batman offers you a drink, you take it.
I take an exploratory sip before downing the entire drink, smacking my lips at the flavor. "That tasted yucky."
Harvey smirks, looking up at me from over his glass as he settles in the chair next to the couch. "You constantly amaze me with your profound vocabulary, you know that? You want a refill anyway, don't you?"
"There's that pretty-smart guy I hardly know." I dangle out my glass pointedly, blinking innocently. Ah, yes. This is what vacation should be about. Teasing my imaginary boss and drinking his expensive booze.
"Cute."
Harvey sits back down after refilling both of our glasses, looking at me with contemplation, if not hesitancy. "So," He starts, as if it's obvious.
I lean back on the couch with a sigh, a warm buzz in my belly. I wait patiently for him to continue, content to listen.
"About what's- about me and you." He suddenly sighs, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling and downing his second drink. "I don't expect anything from you, now, you know, knowing you don't remember anything." He says, if a tad bitterly.
I stare, a bit entranced, recalling back to our kiss earlier this afternoon. It's strange how quickly things can change. I swallow, feeling parched all of a sudden for some reason. "So," I start, and this time it's clear it's not obvious why.
"What exactly.." I reconsider what I'm trying to ask, before finally deciding on, no doubt encouraged by the liquor and the knowledge I wouldn't be shipped off to the looney bin at any second. Besides, I'm genuinely curious what he and cooler-Saffron had going on. "Were… we? I mean…"
"If you're asking if we popped our cherries, then yes," Harvey can't help but smirk, but it quickly drops away and he briefly looks disturbed, before rolling his eyes hard and wiping a hand down his face. I can't help but be intrigued by the cacophony of emotions. "God, this is so weird. Just this morning we- I-"
"I know." I mutter, and it's a relief, even if he doesn't know that I'm not really agreeing with what he's saying. This has been such a dishonest day, so unusual for me, well, more so than the obvious, of course. I stare down at my drink, before downing it with a grimace.
"You know," I start a minute later, not really sure where I'm going with it. "Despite everything, this has been one of the most interesting days of my life."
"Yeah?" Harvey mutters, as if he's not actually listening. At some point the sun had begun to set, filling the room with an orange glow and it's really nice that Harvey's office is entirely made of glass all of a sudden. "Can't say I'd use 'interesting' myself."
I rest my elbow on the couch so I can balance my cheek on my palm. The sunset is laying across the side profile of his face rather nicely, accentuating his cheekbones in just the right way. If this is what vacation is like, I might have to consider doing this again. "You look really pretty."
Harvey blinks, looking up at me before his face shutters and he scoffs, turning his head in a poor attempt to hide his smile. "Jesus, I'm screwed. You've screwed me, you realize."
"Apparently." I waggle my brows in a poor attempt to copy his earlier impression, before a laugh bubbles out of me at his affronted look. "Oh come on!" I kick his nearby loafer, goading. "That was good! I looked just like you."
"In your dreams." He sneers, standing. He jerks his head towards the glass doors as I only stare up at him. "C'mon, I'll give you a ride home."
I warily eye him but stand anyway, placing my empty glass in his awaiting hand. "I feel like I should be concerned right now. My headache has only just begun to die down, I don't think a second concussion will help with that."
"Har har." Harvey walks over and gently places the glasses back onto the table.