The first concrete thought that takes form in Louis' blurred mind, penetrating the thick layers of shock, confusion and the rapid increase of his pulse resonating in his skull after he spotted Sheila, is that he is having another heart attack and therefore is hallucinating as his failing heart muscle doesn't provide his brain with the oxygen supply it needs to work accordingly.
Because, this just couldn't be real.
This couldn't be Sheila.
"Mr. Lift? Are you alright? You don't look so well, is everything ok?"
Louis' eyes shift away from the Fata Morgana he witnessed, trying to focus on the grey haired lady in front of him.
"What? I… ehm… "
He takes another glimpse over his shoulder, and the mirage hasn't faded away in the meanwhile, it still appeared to be solid and therefore reality.
It even performed a phone call, and the wind carried some single words across the street like "... car… late… What… When? … kidding me?"
So, not a hallucination.
No heart attack.
Yet.
"So, Mister, is everything ok with you? Do you… "
"What? Yes, I'm fine, goddammit!"
But how could he be fine without her?
Donna was right, as always.
He could understand Donna better than anyone else, especially in this situation, because his life would never be complete without the love of his life as well.
And he shouldn't have blamed Donna for trying and fighting.
He should have tried too.
He should have fought.
Solely the fact of seeing her face, her silhouette pacing back and forth on the pavement, the sound of her voice screaming at another incompetent Uber driver, filled him up with such an immediate and vigorous longing, he only realized what he's doing half way across the street, on his path to her.
Apparently alarmed by the approaching footsteps behind her, Sheila turns around.
Her eyes open wide in pure perplexity, gasping for air.
"Louis? What are you do…"
Louis prevents her from finishing the sentence by pressing his lips upon hers, the fierce collision only comparable to a supernova, destroying the previous structures, fusing elements and creating something universe bending in the aftermath.
Like it always used to be.
Louis breaks off the kiss abruptly.
Otherwise he would have lost the battle between the rules of civilized behaviour and his primal instincts, consummating their love right in front of the cat lady.
The pervasive stare he crowns his endeavour with ensures that Sheila couldn't mistake neither his feelings nor his intentions, even though he had to walk away from her for now.
The clacking sound of his soles meeting the asphalt echoes through the empty street, only subdued by the distance he rapidly puts in between him and Sheila.
Levitated by the rush of a glorious victory, Harvey almost hovers through the halls of Pearson Specter Litt, incapable of moderating his cocky smirk into a milder version of complacency.
With the combination of wit, the dirt Elisa provided and pure blackmail, Alex and Harvey managed to intimidate Van Dyke to the point where he seriously considered to back off for good.
Optimistic that Van Dyke would withdraw his motion immediately after, or otherwise face not only disbarment but also some severe jail time, Harvey left Alex behind to monitor the unfolding of their endeavor and to make sure it would proceed as planned, and headed back to the office to spread the good news to his staff in person.
His first impulse lead him straight to Donna's office, as she was the catalyst and the initiator to the solution of their Van Dyke problem.
Or at least that's the explanation he quickly constructed in his head when he found himself only a few steps away from her office door.
Straightening his suit and adjusting his tie before entering, his heartbeat increases, and not because of the agile pace he has been keeping up ever since he stepped out of the elevator.
Just to find her office empty.
His eyebrows wrinkle, along with his forehead, as he checks his watch.
Sure, it was after 5 p.m., but still, on an important day like this, with all that has been going on, and the fact she normally never left before at least 7, it was quite suspicious.
"She left. About an hour ago."
Startled by the sudden appearance of Mike behind his back, Harvey swiftly turns around.
"Mike! Good you're still here! I was on my way to your office to give you the good news myself anyway! Long story short, it worked, Van Dyke is backing off, and we're in the clear! As I always said, don't play the odds, play… "
"Yes, play the man, right."
The enthusiasm in Mike's tone doesn't show its full potential, even after such a relieving declaration.
"Well, that's great, really. I mean, phew, this son of a bitch almost had us by the balls!"
"Yeah, but well, he should have known better than to fuck around with me or this firm, or otherwise expect to get his ass kicked. Exactly like last time. This imbecile just didn't learn a thing."
Mike buries his hands in the pockets of his pants, shifting his eyes towards an imaginary point in the corner.
"Sure. Didn't learn a thing."
Bothered by Mike's alarming yet subtle hint of discontent, Harvey's already fading high takes another hit.
"Mike, what the hell is it? I really was expecting you to care more about the wellbeing of this firm, after all… "
"It's not about that, Harvey. I am happy that this piece of shit Van Dyke is out of the picture, but the greater threat might still be at large."
"What do you mean by that? What other treat? We defeated him, Mike, so what the hell are talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Harvey. You're standing in front of it."
"In front of it? What the f… "
Harvey's eyes follow the lead of Mike's persistent stare, only to read the sign on the office door saying Donna R. Paulsen, COO.
"Mike, what… "
"Cut the bullshit, Harvey, I know what happened between the two of you, so let's stop pretending it didn't happen. It happened. But the more important question is, what you're gonna do about it."
The growl leaving Harvey's throat has little to no resemblance to a human voice.
"Mike… "
"No Harvey, you can tell me it's none of my business, and you can yell at me all you want, but I'm not that easy to impress as Louis, and I do care about Donna. So, before you do anything else, you should figure this out. For your sake. And hers. And the firm's."
Subsequently, Mike turns his back on Harvey's enraged gaze, walking down the hallway, leaving Harvey and his emotional chaos behind.
The shiitake mushroom spring rolls and the grilled calamari the Thai delivery service so kindly provided, remained untouched on the kitchen table.
Donna just wasn't that hungry as she thought she would be.
Or should be.
She should eat, she should remove the last hints of makeup, change into her pyjamas and go to sleep.
And she still had plenty of household to take care of.
The laundry was piling up, the plants had to be watered, and yes, some dusting wouldn't hurt anyone either.
Yet, all she was doing for the past hour was sitting on her couch, thinking about the stuff she should do, not actually doing any of it.
She should at least eat the calamari before they got cold and turned into rubber.
Poking around in the box with the chopsticks, fishing out the biggest pieces and maneuvering them into her mouth, the doorbell unexpectedly interrupts her methodic procedure.
Wondering who this might be at this hour, not expecting anyone, she peeks through the door viewer, with the result that her stomach automatically drops down to her knees while her heart performs somersaults.
Holy shit.
Thank god she didn't put on her pyjamas yet.
The black turtleneck pullover with golden buttons as a decorative application wasn't that stunning, but still better than the washed out pink flannel.
Taking a deep breath beforehand, she slowly opens the door.
"Harvey! What… What are you doing here?"
"You weren't at the office."
The long awkward pause following this inadequate explanation gave her enough time to think of something clever to respond.
"Ok... yes, I left early, but there is this new groundbreaking invention, called phone?"
"I… I wanted to tell you this in person. It worked. Van Dyke is history. Thanks to you. You saved our asses. Once again. I just wanted you to know that."
The half hearted attempt of a mischievous grin plays around the corners of his mouth as he turns around.
The panic that erupts in her chest by seeing him leave provokes her to spill out the words impetuously without thinking a second about the consequences.
"Do you wanna come in?"
"Do you wanna come in?"
He should have seen it coming, but he absolutely didn't.
As soon as he hears those words, he turns back to her, the capacity of his actions beyond that bold move limited to just standing there and staring at her.
The obvious answer lingering on his tongue would be a definite 'yes'.
The sheer sight of her, the red locks playing around the pale skin, the hazel eyes, unveils a series of moments of intimacy he buried deep inside a long time ago, barely managing to keep his fingers away from her now as they were brought back to the surface.
The freckles on her shoulders, him kissing each and every one of them this one night, yet not finishing this job because of other, at this time seemingly more interesting parts he focused his whole attention on.
He wanted to have all the time in the world to finish what he started.
But.
But there was Paula.
It would not be right.
"Donna… I can't."
The sudden change of her features from anxious but hopeful to pure bitterness makes him regret his reply instantly.
"Ok, I get it, Harvey. It's fine. Let's just forget about it."
"D… "
She slams the door shut before he can explain himself, or even pronounce her name.