THAT PARIS WEEKEND CHAPTER 13
It's just before seven in the morning when Harvey steps off the elevator. The place is quiet, and he's relieved. He was determined to make it in early so no one would ask about the bouquet of peonies in his hand. Ray was kind enough to pick them up from the florist last night, to save Harvey from searching for a last-minute, convenience store variety this morning. He knows Donna probably wouldn't care, anything from him would make her happy, but, for her, the everyday kind just won't do.
Stepping into her office, Harvey's eyes immediately zone in on the white vase from Thomas. The limp rose is all but dead, its yellow petals now brown along the edges.
Good.
Harvey knows it's petty, but that doesn't stop him from placing his giant bouquet right in front of the tiny white vase, completely blocking it from view. Then he props the small card in front, "Welcome back. I hear it was pretty special. - H."
As he makes his way back down the hall, Harvey is surprised to see Louis flying around the corner, briefcase in hand.
"Harvey! Welcome back. I thought we're meeting at 7:30?" He asks.
"We are, Louis. I just wanted to get a jump on a few things before then," he replies.
"Everything good?" Louis asks, noticing that Harvey looks unusually calm and rested.
"Everything's good, Louis," he agrees with a certain nod, but not ready to offer anything else.
"Great! Looking forward to our meeting… and to our weekend." Louis is way too energetic in the morning for Harvey's taste. "Trust me, you'll feel like a new man after mudding."
"I'm sure I'll feel like something, Louis," Harvey responds, his voice is dripping with sarcasm as he steps away to head down the corridor.
On the way to his office, Louis passes Donna's and he sees the giant bouquet on her desk. It confirms what he had already suspected. When Gretchen distributed the updated client list last Friday, Louis noticed that Thomas Kessler and Associates was notably missing. At first, he thought it was an error, but Gretchen confirmed otherwise. He was going to call Thomas but decided against it since he figured it had something to do with Donna. And, today, Louis sees a happy, rested Harvey plus flowers on Donna's desk, and it all adds up.
xxx
Wearing a tailored, white sheath dress and carrying her new pink Hermès bag over her shoulder, Donna exits the elevator and steps onto the 50th floor. It's been nearly a week since she's been away, and she feels like a completely different person.
As confident as she comes across at the office, there's always been something missing deep down. A void, an emptiness in her heart that she has never been able to fill. And after thirteen years, she's become a master at hiding it, of pushing it somewhere that's almost unreachable.
At the office, Donna has perfected the routine of exuding confidence. Every morning, just before the elevator doors open, she takes a deep breath, draws her shoulders back and gives her head a little shake. Then, with her hands tightly gripping whatever handbag she has that day, she steps off, poised, self-assured and very Donna. She's ready to do battle. Not with Harvey, but with her feelings for him.
The last time Donna pulled that elevator move, she was dating Thomas, and even though she had high hopes for that relationship, she never felt settled the way she does now. Her hopes for Thomas were never enough to cancel out her very strong feelings for Harvey. This morning has been quite interesting though. She forgot herself after stepping off the elevator. She just walked out happy, really happy.
Donna also takes note of how strange it feels to have something so significant happen to her while no one at the office has any idea. She feels like a bit of an imposter. And she thinks about Mike, and what it must have been like for him to walk these halls, carrying his secret for so long.
How did he manage it, all that time, without losing his mind?
Donna's thoughts then turn to Harvey, and she wonders if he's feeling the same. If this change between them has affected his day the same way. Even though they've both come to terms with their feelings, Harvey has always had his own way of dealing with his emotions and, because old habits die hard, Donna is a little worried how they'll manage their office relationship. Will he overcompensate and keep her at arm's length or will he be upfront and tell everyone?
This morning, Donna finds herself both missing him and relieved she hasn't bumped into him yet today. These mixed feelings confuse her and so to reassure herself, she pulls out her phone.
"Good morning! Just got in. Is it weird that I miss you?"
Seconds later a reply.
"Not weird. Miss you too. I'm out of the office right now. See you tonight xo?"
"It's a date xo".
Donna breathes a sigh of relief and puts her phone away.
You just saw him two hours ago. It's fine. Relax!
As Donna makes her way down the hall, her first stop isn't her desk, but the corner office of the Managing Partner. Sitting with his back to the window, the morning sun streaming in, Louis is busily pouring over a stack of documents. Donna quietly leans against the door frame before speaking.
"Do you know how many varieties of French wine have your name on them? You really should visit France, you're practically royalty there," she quips, as she pulls a $200 bottle of Louis Jadot Pinot Noir out of her bag.
Louis instantly looks up, his eyes wide and affectionate as he greets her with his toothy grin.
"Hey Donna! Welcome back. How was your trip?"
"Well, great actually, but not what I expected. I can definitely say that."
"I saw Harvey this morning," Louis says, not wanting to pry but making it clear he understands. "Not sure what happened to him, but there's definitely a spring in his step."
"Really…?" Her eyes twinkling, a sly grin forming on her face.
"I take it things worked out the way they were supposed to?" Louis asks.
"Yes, Louis, they did. You were right about that." Donna steps in with the bottle. "Maybe I'll tell you all about it one evening over drinks…and speaking of drinks… "
She places the bottle on his desk.
"I brought this for you and Sheila to enjoy after the baby arrives. It also comes with babysitting when you're ready… so you two can enjoy a night to yourselves."
"Thank you," Louis replies. "We'll definitely take you up on that."
"Great. Let's catch up soon Louis. I've got a full day ahead of me," she says as she turns to walk away.
"Donna," Louis calls, his eyes full of fondness for his friend. "You look really happy."
"Thanks Louis, I am." Her smile saying it all.
xxx
As Donna walks out and heads towards her office, she slows her pace as she spies the large bouquet on her desk. She can't help but smile to see the beautiful vase of her favourite flowers... fuchsia, pink and white peonies.
Harvey
Reading the sweet note, a flutter tickles her stomach. These are the butterflies that only come around when she thinks of him.
"Gorgeous flowers. That's quite the boyfriend you got there." The voice at the doorway startles Donna. She looks up to see Samantha standing there, a smirk on her face. "I'd say Thomas is pretty smitten. You went from a single yellow rose to a stunning bouquet all in one week. Nicely done."
Samantha's presence is a surprise, and not a welcome one at this moment. As she steps in and takes a seat, Donna takes Harvey's card and casually tucks it into her bag.
"Sorry, Samantha, you just caught me off guard. I'm still getting over the jet lag and now I've got a ton of work to catch up on." Donna shuffles the files on her desk, hoping Samantha gets the hint.
"So…you don't even have a minute to spill anything juicy? Did you two have dinner at the Eiffel Tower like you hoped?" Samantha wants details.
"It was a great weekend, and so was the Eiffel Tower, but can I take a rain check?" Donna suggests, trying to look rushed as she pulls together her files for associate interviews. "I have back-to-back meetings today and I've got a report due in the morning." That second part was a lie, but Donna is not going talk about her weekend, especially since she and Harvey haven't even discussed how they would let the office know.
"Ok. I'll leave you to it. Maybe we can grab a drink after work one of these days," she offers.
"Sounds good," Donna replies, a tight smile on her lips as her eyes carefully follow Samantha out.
Donna takes a deep breath, and then leans over to inhale the fresh scent from her lovely flowers. As she does, she notices the small white vase sitting behind them. Thomas's business card left Harvey unsettled, and she wonders if he saw the vase this morning.
Donna determinedly tosses the vase into the trash, along with all the lies and false hope that went with it.
Before heading to the conference room, she pulls out her phone and texts Harvey.
"I love my flowers, thank you."
Heart emoji.
Within seconds of sending, he replies…
"I know they're your favourite. Dinner tonight? My place? I'll cook."
Donna responds…
"I'll bring dessert"
Harvey texts back…
"Excited about dessert. Sleepover?"
Eggplant emoji.
Heart emoji.
Donna giggles.
"You're really getting the hang of this emoji thing. Mike has created a monster."
Harvey responds with an entire row of ridiculous emojis, leaving Donna laughing as she heads down the hall.
Walking into the conference room, Donna gives her head a shake in an effort to put her game face back on. She's always prided herself on being a professional, but today she's finding it hard to concentrate. Her mind is flooded with questions about the future, especially how they're going to balance their lives at home and at the office. It's something she needs to talk about with Harvey tonight, and she hopes they can agree on what to do. Just like Harvey has been cautious on the personal front, Donna wants to be sure they handle the professional side just as carefully.
How will we work together now?
Can we leave our personal lives at home?
How do we tell everyone?
What will they say?
What will they think?
So many questions….
xxx
By late afternoon, Harvey is back at his desk, trying to put the finishing touches on a merger deal that shouldn't be taking as long as it is. When it comes to his job, he's always had a strong work ethic, and an uncanny ability to put everything aside and just focus on the day's work. But not today and never when it comes to Donna. He's been staring at the same piece of paper for five solid minutes with no recollection of what he just read. Today, he just can't stop thinking about her, and about them. His mind flooded with images of smiles and red hair and bedsheets and legs tangled.
It's one of the reasons he's avoided Donna's office all day. He's uncertain how he might react, not sure if the change between them will be written all over his face. Yes, their new dynamic has definitely thrown him off. He knows they'll figure it out, but he just needs this one day at the office to get his bearings.
As Harvey forces himself to reread the same paper for the fifth time, his cell rings.
"Well look at that, he actually answers his phone!"
"Mike. I was going to call you first thing, but it was two am in Seattle, and you're a bear without your beauty sleep. I couldn't do that to Rachel."
"Forget about Rachel, let's talk about the sleep you haven't been getting lately."
"Alright Mike… What do you want to know? And I'm not giving you any details."
"Well, first of all… that picture…Harvey Specter does not send pictures like that. What the hell happened to you? Either you're in deep or Donna slipped something in your scotch."
Harvey chuckles. "Maybe both... I guess being away for a few days has had an affect on me… Remember that conversation we had at the bar after Donna kissed me? You said she was the one..."
"I remember, and you looked at me like…"
Harvey interrupts. "I'm only going to tell you this once… You were right. I've known it for a while, but I was afraid to admit it to myself."
"I'm sorry Harvey, this must be a bad line, can you speak up?" Mike is determined to enjoy every second of this conversation.
Harvey rolls his eyes as he leans forward on his desk. "You heard me."
"So, how's Donna with all this?" his tone suddenly earnest. "We had all but given up hope on you two. Rachel said Donna was dating that hot furniture guy?"
Mike's take on Thomas irks Harvey, but he lets it go. "I'm sure you'll hear the rest from Rachel... but we're good… happy…really happy, actually."
"Harvey… glad you sent me that picture. You belong together… and you both deserve this."
"Thanks Mike. You and Rachel are the only ones who know right now… so if that picture ends up on even one of the eight hundred apps you have on your phone, I will hurt you."
"Yeah, Harvey… gotta go, there's some stuff I need to delete…," Mike chuckles back.
Harvey grins. He's forgotten just how much he enjoys talking to Mike. When they do, they always seem to pick up right where they left off. Harvey makes a mental note to not let too much time go by before they speak again.
"Hey man… I miss you, it was good to catch up." Mike says, his tone sincere.
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about that. I thought I'd surprise Donna with a weekend trip to see you guys. Maybe next month?"
"That would be great, I'll talk with Rachel about the details."
"Sounds good. And Mike… it was good to talk to you, too. Stay out of trouble."
Harvey has all but given up on the merger documents. He needs a change of scenery, so he gathers up his papers and decides to leave. Before he heads to the elevators, he walks by Donna's office. He just can't help himself and hopes to see her face, but she's not there.
Looking through the glass, Harvey notices the tiny white vase is gone. He exhales and smiles to himself.
Good.
"Beautiful flowers, aren't they? Donna's man is quite the boyfriend." Samantha says as she sees Harvey staring into Donna's office. "Gorgeous, smart and successful… he's definitely a keeper."
"Looks like it," Harvey says as he moves towards the elevators, annoyed that Samantha thinks Thomas is still in the picture. He decides that he and Donna need to sort out this office thing sooner than later, because he's not sure how much longer he can stand hearing about that asshole Thomas Kessler.
As he waits for the elevator, Harvey pulls out his phone. Even though their relationship is new, it feels strange to him that he would leave for the day without telling Donna.
"Missed you at your desk. Heading home. See you tonight xo"
xxx
As the workday draws to a close, Donna gathers her files for one last meeting. Her office smells like a spring garden, the peonies have bloomed even bigger than this morning. This first day back was incredibly busy and Donna realizes that although they have texted throughout the day, she really missed not seeing Harvey.
It's not lost on her that this is quite the turnaround from the last year, when her days were spent trying to avoid him and trying to move on with her life. Donna turns back to her papers when her phone rings.
"Hello, sweetheart."
"Hi Dad… how are you?" Donna is a little surprised to hear from her father as she's typically the one to check in. A Jim Paulsen telephone call usually means he wants to bounce one of his harebrained schemes off of her. "Everything ok?"
"Everything's fine. I'm coming to the city on Friday for a couple of meetings, and I thought we could meet for dinner," he suggests. "Thought I'd stay with you for the night and then head back home on Saturday?"
"Yes of course, and dinner sounds good… Dad… I have some news," She hesitates for second, and then decides to put it out there. "You remember Harvey? It's a long story... but we're together… It's new, and it's important to me. I'd like to invite him to join us for dinner."
There's a silence on the line.
"Your boss Harvey?" he asks, his tone less than impressed. "Bachelor Harvey?"
"He's not my boss anymore, he hasn't been for a long time, Dad." Donna already feels defensive.
"Is he still a ladies' man? I thought you were dating that furniture design guy…Thomas, was it? Weren't you just in Paris with him?" Jim's voice is laced with concern. He was encouraged to hear about Thomas, hopeful that Donna finally met a good man to settle down with.
"Well that didn't work out… and Harvey is not a womanizer. I know you've had your issues with him, but you need to trust me, Dad. I haven't been this happy in a long time."
"Fine, bring him along, but I'll be honest, I'm worried you're going to get hurt. Men like Harvey…" Jim warns.
Donna cuts him off. "I'm a big girl, Dad. I know what I'm doing. Harvey's not what you think. I'll see you Friday."
"Ok. Love you, sweetheart. See you then."
Donna is suddenly anxious and her stomach is doing summersaults. She already has a lot to talk to Harvey about tonight. Now her father coming to town is another layer to pile on. Even though they've crossed paths over the years, Jim and Harvey are not exactly friends, or even friendly for that matter. In fact, there's been no love lost between them after Harvey threatened to put a stop to her father's business dealings when he tried to involve her.
Her father and Harvey are the two most important men in her life. Donna is hopeful they can make peace, or at the very least, find a way to get along for her sake.
After all, Harvey is the love of her life. He's not going anywhere... and neither is she.