A/N: Re-uploading this fic, despite my hesitation with how realistic Paula and Donna's characters are in this. I got a dm asking why I took it down and figured even if I don't feel like this is my best work, it might still entertain someone. Paula is such a hard character to immerse myself into but honestly, I just wanted a scenario between her and Donna where Donna manages to keep her badass image. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy! Critiques, reviews, and suggestions are always welcome Xx

AU Note: Mark and Donna have dinner in 7x08 before ultimately Donna decides she cant sleep with him because he's still married at the end of their date.

Not Second Fiddle

Paula smiled at Harvey as he took her hand and gently placed it in the crook of his arm, as they waited near the bar for their table to come up. She felt a little bad at first for being the reason they had to wait for a table, but at the last minute she decided to forgo her Carbone reservations and opt instead for a last minute table at Carmine's, a respectable italian establishment that she knew wouldn't be too busy to get into on short notice. She hadn't yet shared the reason for the last minute change with Harvey, because quite frankly, she hadn't decided if it was her overreacting or not.

The reason she had decided that Carbone was not the right choice for their outing directly correlated with a certain redhead suggesting it in the first place as if it was a frequent restaurant in a roster of hangout places she and her boyfriend went to. And while Paula knew there wasn't anything going on between him and Donna, that perhaps the suggestion was an awkwardly rushed excuse for an extended helping hand between friend and new girlfriend, Paula definitely did not want to celebrate her and Harvey's two month anniversary in the shadow of his complicated codependent relationship with his coworker.

Besides, maybe Carmine's will be their place, she mused softly to herself.

She glanced around the place, finding its soft yellow fairy lights comforting, and the wooden bar they were waiting at added a nice rustic ambiance to the whole place. While the place itself may have been a substitute for Carbone, it was definitely not second fiddle to the place. It was still as upscale, homely and successful as Carbone.

As they continued waiting for their table to be ready, Paula found the time to think over her relatively new relationship with Harvey. She couldn't believe they were already at the two month benchmark, nor could she believe how far he'd grown since they first met a year ago. She hadn't been this hopeful about a man since her cheating ex partner, and that was at least two years ago now.

She had missed this, celebrating the little trivial things in a relationship that felt insurmountably big and new and exciting. Hell, Paula even missed just dating at all. While she hated the anxiousness she always felt getting dressed up and wondering if she chose smartly, and the awkward small chit chat they always had to go over made her want to shoot her eyeballs out - she did enjoy critiquing her date, whether the place they chose represented them, whether she could read and understand them, whether they matched up or not, she loved it all.

She glanced quickly up at Harvey who was still standing by her side, texting his mother about something, which made her heart flutter for a myriad of reasons. Pride as both his former therapist, and new supportive girlfriend. It also made her heart speed up exponentially as she took in his boyish smile, the smile lines around his face that made him look even more handsome under the golden lights, his tall well built physique in his impressively tailored tom ford navy suit- bloody hell was he fit.

Paula was sure Harvey Specter was the hottest, if not one of the hottest men she'd been with. It made her reappraise her look for the night. She had opted for a silky white slightly plunged neckline dress that wrapped around her body tightly. It was simple, yet classic and elegant.

She glanced around at the fellow patrons in the vicinity, casually appraising what the others were wearing.

Most were dressed up nicely as well, making up a sea of impressive black suits, power pantsuits, white and grey dresses… her eyes quickly scanned the room and landed on a speck of color near the front door.

While Paula's eyes picked up on a daring color choice, her ears picked up something she hadn't heard in years. Someone speaking french.

"Monsieur Etienne, J'adore quand tu me parles français, tu me fais paraître si jeune et parisien." It was the customer, addressing the maitre d', standing at the reservations podium a mere few steps away from where Paula and Harvey were standing. Paula wanted to commend the French, spoken almost perfectly in a little Italian restaurant in Manhattan. She had missed the clash of cultures and languages you'd so eloquently and periodically find in Europe. She admired the customer's ease with both the language, and her body's language. She was resting slightly towards the maitre d, her red hair styled beautifully along with her blushing pink long winter coat that had feathery accents to its sleeve cuffs. The customer even had on a matching pair of pink stiletto heels. Paula wished she could be more bold with her attire like that. She was in slight awe and jealousy of this mysterious french customer.

Etienne, presumably the maitre d, laughed at the customer in return and shook his head in reply "Miss Paulsen, you are young and parisian."

Suddenly Paula put two and two together. The customer she was admiring had the same red hair she had caught a glimpse of earlier. It was Donna. The pink Valentino coat she was admiring belonged to Harvey's Donna.

"Alright, your order will take un moment." Paula overheard the maitre d' say.

"Merci, Etienne." Donna sighed happily, finally turning around and consequently, front facing Paula.

Paula saw her eyes widened in surprise as they locked their gazes together. "Oh my god, Paula!" Donna tried to hide her surprise as quick as she could as Harvey looked up to gaze at her as well. She seemed hesitant to cross over the distance to greet her, but Harvey, who was still on his phone a mere second ago, made the decision easy as he put away his phone and walked over to Donna, with Paula in tow.

"Donna." Paula noticed his greeting of her name sounded song-like and amused with discovering her here. Paula also noticed that it took the redhead for him to finally put away his phone.

Donna smiled in return, a bit hastily, as her eyes crossed over to Paula once more, "Harvey."

For a second, both of them simply gazed at one another before Paula quickly interrupted.

"I didn't know you spoke French, Donna." She politely commented, hoping her opening for a quick small chat would slightly smooth over the awkward interaction they had five hours ago in Harvey's office.

"Ah, juste un peu de français, tu le parles aussi ?" Paula saw Harvey's eyebrows raise slightly at Donna's accent, but his eyes glinted more with thinly veiled amusement than anything else.

"Very very little." Paula replied with a terse smile, slightly annoyed that Donna seemed to be amazing at everything.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Harvey asked.

"I'm just here to pick some food for me and my date. They have great Italian here. " Donna explained.

Suddenly, Paula felt a weight off her chest lift slightly. Donna was dating, dating. Paula really did have nothing to worry about. Not that she was worried in the first place. But if Paula were being honest with herself, she was ignoring the tell tale signs of hesitancy that Donna's words and mannerisms had as she announced this.

"Well why are you the one picking up the food then, what, is chivalry dead?" Harvey mockingly teased and Donna shook her head slightly, glancing at Paula and shooting her a look that read "can you believe this guy?" Paula smiled more easily back in reply.

"Well as you know Harvey I've never been a woman to let a man lead, besides I have a way of flirting my way with the maitre d for extra cannolis."

Donna's words were flirty and airy, spoken with a level of nonchalance that Paula couldn't help but be amused and impressed by, with her charmlike confidence-or maybe arrogance was the right term- either way, Paula let out a laugh at her response as she felt more and more like she had misinterpreted the awkwardness with Donna earlier. She could see why Harvey was friends with her.

Maybe her analysis of Donna was off, maybe she wasn't in love with Harvey, but simply just loved him, as a coworker and friend. Certainly that was the case for Harvey, so why couldn't it be the case for her as well? Afterall, a woman with Donna's clear level of confidence wouldn't wait around for heartbreak. And here was the proof, in Donna, dressed to the nines out and about on a date.

Harvey simply shook his head at her antics. "Of course you do. Only you would find a way to talk yourself into a free dessert at a place like this."

Donna shrugged, "I had experience working under a stubborn as-"

"Oh-kay perfect timing, your food's ready! Bye now Donna." Harvey smirked as Donna grabbed the bag of takeout from Etienne who had just returned. She winked at Paula in return, laughing slightly to herself as she bid them goodbye and turned around to exit the restaurant.

Paula managed to catch a glimpse of a man of average height with salt and pepper hair and bread to match kiss Donna chastely on her cheek, before grabbing her hand and leading them away.

Harvey shifts slightly next to Paula, averting her attention back to him.

"Is something the matter?" Paula asked casually sensing a shift in Harvey's demeanor.

Harvey shook his head. "No. Just didn't realize she was dating." Harvey's words seemed nonchalant, but his entire body read as stiff and slightly tense as he let his eyes wander to where Donna was just standing outside.

"Does it matter?" Paula laughed slightly nervously about what she's about to uncover from his response.

"She could do better is all."

Paula thought back to the man and how ordinary he seemed with his short mustard colored wool coat. Perhaps he was right. Still, his words sounded heavier. Was he implying something bigger than friendly concern?

"Did you know him?"

Harvey shook his head once more and let out a scoff. "Not really, just that he's some boring architect she dated a few years back."

Paula's eyes narrowed slightly as she searched for any clue that could help her decipher a hidden meaning behind his words, a reason as to why Harvey was scoffing at his friend's boyfriend. For a second, Paula wondered if it was jealousy that was clouding his eyes, or perhaps even anger?

Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, Harvey hesitated slightly before saying something again. Almost as if he didn't want to offer up any more information, like he was hiding something from her. "They ended things badly last time. He's kind of a douche."

Paula shook her head slightly at her over analyzing thoughts. This wasn't a therapy session between her and Harvey, she wasn't his therapist and he wasn't her patient. There was nothing to interpret or prod about Harvey's words besides admire his ferocious loyalty to one of his dear friends. It was one of the many things Paula had come to admire and fall in love with him for. Of course he wanted what's best for her. He was simply looking out for one of his closest friends. She squeezed his bicep comfortingly in response, before moving them back to lighter date night talk.

"What, like being a lawyer, is so fun?" Paula teased Harvey, which earned her smirk as she referenced his snide remark on architects.

"The way I do it, abso-goddamn-utley." Paula laughed at that as Etienne the maitred', finally called out to their table.

Paula and he walked over to their table and Paula was happy to find that she wasn't trying her hardest that night to erase the look of confusion and slight annoyance Harvey had sported when talking about Mark, Donna's date. Because it and the thought that perhaps Harvey wanted Donna, evaporated almost completely from her mind when Harvey gave her a copy of his key. A man like Harvey wouldn't do so had he not been falling for her. Because just like Carmine and Carbone, she wasn't second fiddle to know one.

And with that thought, she put the idea of Harvey and Donna's intrepid relationship to bed. Her and Harvey were going on the right track. They would be just fine.