Finally, the next chapter…
Thanks to everyone for their patience. I will try not to let so much time pass in between chapters going forward!
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
It's nearing nine o'clock and he's finally wrapping up the Anderson settlement after spending the last forty-five minutes painstakingly reviewing opposing counsel's edits. He sent Donna home an hour ago, planning to meet her at her place as soon as he was done. He only has a few more pages to go when the ping of his phone pulls him from his computer screen.
Glancing down at the device, he can't help the smile that sweeps across his face when he sees her name popping up on his notifications.
Opening the message, his smile immediately widens when his eyes land on the selfie Donna just sent him. He can only see from the chest up, but he recognizes the silk robe she's wearing and it causes his skin to flush with heat as imagines what she could be wearing underneath.
The photo has a bit of cleavage – just enough to tease him, but he carefully inspects the image and spots a bit of lace at the bottom of the shot, clueing him into what she might be hiding under the robe.
He's still sharing at the picture when another ping echoes through his office.
How much longer are you gonna keep me waiting?
He doesn't even have the chance to respond when another message comes in.
If it's much longer, I'll have to start without you
He audibly groans when he reads it, all kinds of images floating through his head as he types out a response.
Don't you dare
As soon as the message is sent, he glances back at his computer screen, scrolling through the remainder of the document to see how much more he has left, and debating whether he can just come in a little earlier tomorrow to finish it before his meeting.
The decision has just about been made when the sound of his phone pulls him from his thoughts once again.
Oh yeah? What are you gonna do to me?
The moment he reads it, he knows there is no way he's finishing the review tonight. Giving in, he starts shutting down his laptop, eager to get to her place and get a peek underneath that robe.
He's just about packed up all his things when he's jolted by a late night intrusion.
"Harvey, we need to talk," Jessica proclaims when she steps into his office, quickly closing the door behind her.
The sound of her voice causes him to flinch, not expecting anyone else to be bothering him so late. It's almost nine o'clock and he thought he was alone. Suffice it to say, Jessica's appearance at his door is certainly unexpected and a bit unnerving given the hour and the look on her face.
"Okay…" he says, ominously, as he closes his laptop, giving her his full attention, while she takes a seat across from him. Internally, he's cursing her name as he has somewhere else he really wants to be. All he can do is hope that this is quick.
"Someone told me something about you today, and well… it's not exactly the most trustworthy source, but I'm going to ask you anyway," she prefaces, looking uncomfortable in a way he's not used to seeing her.
"Alright…" he responds, curious as to what this is all about.
Inhaling a breath, she takes a moment to stall and Harvey starts to think that maybe he should be concerned.
"This morning, Norma pulled me aside… she said she saw you kissing Donna in your office last night," she explains, her eyes already scrutinizing his for a reaction.
And well, he's so caught off guard that he doesn't have time to properly school his features. And yeah, Jessica knows in an instant that the accusation is the truth.
"You've got to be shitting me," she declares, bolting out of her chair. "Seriously, Harvey? Seriously?" She shouts as the anger floods her body.
"Jessica," he cautions as he stands up from his desk, well aware where this conversation is going.
"No, don't 'Jessica' me," she says, pointing at him and shaking her head. "Harvey, this is serious. Do you have any idea what a huge liability this is?" She exclaims.
"C'mon, you're being a little dramatic," Harvey objects. "Donna's not going to sue us," he assures her, completely confident in his words. After all, he trusts the woman with everything – the key to his condo, his social security number, his banking information, his credit cards, and every one of his secrets.
"Yeah, I'm sure that's what most men say before they start fucking their secretaries," Jessica proclaims, practically growling out the words.
"Hey," Harvey snaps back, before thinking better of it when Jessica's eyes dart back to him, full of fury. Inhaling a breath, he tries to calm himself before defending himself with, "Jessica… you know it's not like that."
"Oh? So, you're not sleeping together?" Jessica challenges, not believing it for a second.
Harvey responds with a roll of his eyes. "I meant… her and I… it's more than just… that," he explains, trying to find the words. "It's serious," he tells her.
And well, that definitely takes her by surprise. Still, she hides it pretty well, maintaining her anger. "I don't care how goddamn serious it is, Harvey. This is a problem!" She insists. "She is your subordinate, and there is an unequal power dynamic at play here," she reasons, trying to make him see her point of view.
Instead, Harvey just looks offended. "I'm not using my position of power to sleep with her, if that's what you're implying," he retorts, feeling sick at the allegation. Sure, he may be her boss, but anyone who knows them knows that she's always been the one in control.
"That's not what I'm saying," Jessica insists. She knows Harvey and even though he's slept through half of Manhattan, she knows that he would never take advantage of a woman – especially Donna. Still, it's not the point. "You know how this would look in court."
"We aren't going to court," he argues.
"Harvey, if something happens…" Jessica tries to reason with him.
"Nothing is going to happen," he interrupts before she can finish the thought. "We're solid… we're great," he amends. "Nothing is going to happen," he repeats, possibly trying to convince himself just as much as he is Jessica.
"You have no idea what's going to happen," she retorts, letting her frustration show. "You could fuck this all up tomorrow and she could be filing suit by Monday," she grumbles.
And yeah, that really pisses him off.
"Well, what the fuck do you want me to do?" He asks, visibly agitated. "I'm not ending it," he adds, making it absolutely clear.
"Well…" Jessica begins as she considers the issue. "Then, she needs to be on someone else's desk," she proposes.
"No, that's not happening," Harvey refuses with a shake of his head, unable to fathom her not being right outside his office every day. He loves his job, but she's the thing he loves most about it. Not having her there to experience it all with him – that's a nonstarter.
"Harvey…" she protests, her tone telling him everything he needs to know.
"Jessica," he retorts, mimicking her tone. "I need her," he declares, leaving no room for argument.
Letting out a heavy sigh, she already knows by the look on his face that he's not going to give in on this. Beyond that, she knows he's right – he does need her. She can hardly imagine what would become of Harvey if Donna wasn't there to steer him in the right direction.
Leaning on the back of the chair, she glances around the room, trying to think. "Okay then, she'll have to sign a waiver stating that the relationship is consensual and releasing the firm from any liability," she decides, figuring it's the only other option.
"Seriously?" He groans, hating the idea. "You know Donna… you know she would never do anything to put the firm at risk," he maintains.
"Harvey, I have to do what's necessary to protect the firm," she argues, "And you know what? I never thought she'd do something as unprofessional as sleeping with her boss, so I guess I don't know her as well as I thought," Jessica retorts, a fresh swell of anger rising in her.
"Jessica…" he says, getting agitated. "You're acting like we got drunk and fucked in my office or something… we're two consenting adults in a serious relationship," he reasons, doing his best to remain level-headed about this. He's known all along that there would be some ethical/legal issues with their relationship and he understands the position it puts his boss in, but it doesn't make him hate this situation any less. He can deal with someone questioning his integrity, but Donna deserves better.
"Harvey, you're still her boss!" She exclaims, trying to knock some sense into him. "No matter how you spin it – it's inappropriate," she chastises. "So, if you don't want her working on someone else's desk, you'll make sure she signs that waiver," she declares, leaving no room for argument.
"Fine," Harvey says with a frustrated sigh. "I'll talk to her," he agrees, feeling like he has no other choice.
"Good," she says, about to walk out the door. "Tonight, Harvey. You'll talk to her, tonight," she adds when she turns to look back at him.
"Yeah, okay," he says with a wave of his hand. "I'll talk to her tonight," he promises.
And then, with a simple nod of her head, she's gone.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
"Finally!" Donna calls out when she hears him walk through her front door. "What took you so long?" She wants to know as she turns the corner to meets him in the hallway. Except, the moment his eyes meet hers, she's surprised to find him not looking like the usual carefree, after-work version of himself she's used to seeing in her hallway.
"Everything alright?" She questions as she watches him struggle to loosen his tie. Erasing the space between them, she brushes his hand away and takes over for him, removing the tie with ease.
"Thanks," he musters as she hands it to him. He looks like he's trying to tamp down his frustration, but he's clearly unsuccessful. She can't imagine what has happened in the last half hour to sour his mood, but she knows it can't be good.
"What's going on?" She asks him, concern coiling in her stomach.
"We need to talk," he says, blowing out a breath.
"Okay…" she responds, the unease deepening inside her as they make their way into her living room. "What is it?" She inquires, all kinds of possibilities running through her head.
"Jessica knows," he declares, exhaling a breath.
"She knows?" She says with a questioning glance. "Knows what?"
"About us," he clarifies.
"What?" Donna says, her eyes wide. "How?"
"Norma," he says, practically growling the word. "She saw us last night in my office and she told Jessica – and God knows who else," he explains, internally chastising himself for being so careless. It was late at night and he had been sure they were alone – he figured it was safe for a quick kiss, but he should've known better. If he had just kept his hands to himself, they wouldn't be in this situation.
"Goddammit Norma," she curses as she collapses on the couch.
"Yeah," Harvey agrees, plopping down beside her.
"So… what did Jessica say? Am I fired?" Donna questions, turning to face Harvey.
"Of course not," he says, a hand immediately reaching out to reassure her.
"Oh… okay, good," she replies, surprised and relieved by his response. She was sure she'd be fired.
"But… she wants you to sign a waiver," Harvey explains.
"A waiver? For what?"
"It'll just say that everything between us is consensual, I'm not sexually harassing you and you won't sue the firm if things change between us," he clarifies as he brushes some hair out of her face. "I'll give you the names of a couple attorneys, so you can have someone look it over," he offers, tucking the locks behind her ear. "Just use my card to pay the retainer," he instructs.
"Can't you just look it over?" She suggests. "I trust you," she adds, the words making his heart swell.
"The waiver is about me… it would be a conflict of interest," he explains, his fingers continuing to work their way through her hair.
Letting out a sigh, she reaches out and starts to absent-mindedly fidget with the collar of his shirt. "I guess things are getting kind of complicated, huh?" She muses.
"Looks like it," he agrees with a nod.
"I mean… I knew we couldn't hide it forever – that someone would find out, eventually, and things would get…" she says, drifting off at the end and gesturing wildly around the room with her hand. "I guess I was just hoping we'd have a little more time," she explains, avoiding his gaze.
"I know," he agrees. "But, it'll be okay," he promises her, taking her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"Yeah…" she says, seemingly unconvinced.
"Are you… are you having second thoughts?" He wonders, the concern evident in his expression.
"No," she says with a shake of her head, as she finally meets his eyes. "You?"
"Definitely not," he assures her. "I'm in this… even if it gets complicated," he promises before lifting her hand to his lips.
"Me too," she smiles before leaning in to get a kiss out of him.
"Good," he murmurs against her lips.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
"Hey, can I ask you something?" He inquires as the two of them are climbing into her bed later that night.
"Of course, what's up?" She replies as she crawls underneath the covers.
"It's just… something Jessica said to me tonight… about us," he begins, trying to find the right way to frame it. "About you being my subordinate – how there's an unequal power dynamic between us," he continues, still struggling to ask the question.
"Please, we both know which one of us actually has the power here," Donna teases.
Except, when she barely gets a smile out of Harvey, she realizes that he's actually concerned.
"Harvey, look at me," she insists as she directs his attention towards her. "Everything that happened that night at the bar… afterwards and since then…. I didn't do anything I didn't want to do," she promises him. "I didn't feel pressured or coerced because you're my boss, okay?"
"Okay," he replies, nodding his head, as he tries to let her convince him.
"I know that I'm technically your employee, but you've always made me feel like we were more like… partners," she tells him after finding the right word.
"Because we are," he assures her, a warm smile lighting up his face.
"I know," she mimics the expression, her lips curving upwards as her palm rests on his chest. "So, I'm not some powerless secretary and you're not a creepy perv pressuring me into sex to keep my job or something… you didn't do anything wrong," she promises him.
"Okay," he says again; although, this time it's a bit more convincing. "I guess I just don't usually think of you as being my employee… you're just… you're Donna," he smiles as starts to toy with her hair again. "So, the power dynamics thing… it just didn't even dawn on me until Jessica said it today," he explains.
"Well, that's because we both know that between the two of us, I'm the real boss," she grins at her second attempt at the joke.
This time, she gets the desired reaction – a genuine laugh and a big smile – and it feels like all is right with them again.
Suddenly, all of the stress from the last hour has lifted and all that is left is the lust he had been feeling before Jessica swooped into his office. Donna has been wearing that silk robe all evening, but now that his mind is clear, it's like she just put it on for the first time – and all he wants to do is rip it right off of her.
"C'mere," he growls as he wraps an arm around her body and pulls her into him. "Now that we've dealt with all of that, I can finally deal with what's actually important," he tells her as he hands start to travel lower.
"And what's that?" She beams as she straddles his body.
"Finding out what's underneath this robe," he announces, already halfway to untying it.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
"So, how did that meeting with the attorney go?" He wonders as he joins her on the couch, throwing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.
It's been three days since his talk with Jessica and things have been moving quickly. She had the waiver in both of their e-mails the very next morning, telling them she expected it to be signed within a week.
"It was okay," Donna shrugs, her eyes remaining fixed on the television.
"Did he approve the language?" He presses.
"Most of it, yeah," she casually responds, still not looking at him.
"Well, which part did he have a problem with?" He asks, trying to pry the information out of her.
"Oh, I don't know," she dismisses.
"Donna," he challenges, well aware that she's dodging the question.
Letting out a sigh, she switches off the television, finally turning to face him. "He wants to add a provision stating that if we break up, I won't lose my job… that I'll have the option of moving to another senior partner's desk," she explains, internally preparing herself for his reaction.
And just as she expected, he's clearly offended by the comment, physically recoiling from her words.
"Harvey, he just wants me to be protected," she reasons before he has the chance to respond, hoping she can diffuse this before it gets out of hand.
"I don't care what he wants… I care what you do… do you honestly think you need protection?" He demands to know.
"I…" She begins, unsure how to follow it up. Suddenly, she's avoiding his gaze again and it sets him off.
"Seriously?" He exclaims, his eyes wide at her inability to deny it.
"Harvey, we don't know what's going to happen," she gently reminds him. She watches him take a few breathes, so obviously trying to swallow down his frustration while his mind is clearly going a mile a minute.
Reaching out, she places her palm at the base of his neck and starts to give him a light massage, hoping it'll calm him down a bit. "Harvey, you know it's not personal, please don't get upset," she implores.
"Not personal?" He retorts, his eyes wide. "Donna, you're basically saying that you don't trust me… that you don't believe in us – that you're expecting this to fall apart, and that when it does, I'll screw you over," he remarks with increasing exasperation. "How can I not take that personally?" He presses.
"I didn't take it personally when you asked me to sign the waiver, in the first place," she points out, keeping her voice law.
"Jessica asked for the waiver," he corrects her. "And I told her we didn't need one – that you would never do something to hurt the firm," he adds.
"Okay, but you're the one who wanted me to see this lawyer," she reasons. "This waiver… it's supposed to protect both of us… you're protected from being sued, so it should protect me from losing my job," she maintains.
"I know, it's not the language I have a problem with… it's just… how could you think I would ever fire you?" He questions, clearly hurt by the implication.
"Harvey," she sighs as she considers her response. "It's not that… it's just… how could we ever work together after this?" She wonders, idly running her fingers through his hair.
"I… I don't know," he concedes. "But I would never fire you," he insists.
"I know you wouldn't," she acknowledges. "I do trust you," she assures him, stroking his jaw. "I always have," she promises. "But, if things didn't work out between us, I just… I don't think it would be healthy for either one of us to continue working together," she explains. "And this way, Jessica would have to find another spot for me."
Harvey nods his head as he takes in her words. "I get it, I just… I hate the idea of you planning for us to break up," he admits.
"I'm just trying to be realistic, here," she reasons. "I mean, you're the one who's always advising clients to get prenups… how is this any different?" She questions.
"Because it's us!" He retorts, his voice full of exasperation.
"I know," she bobs her head as her fingers land on the nape of his neck. "And look, nothing would make me happier than everything working out between us but… it's only been a few months and… it's not like we have the best track record when it comes to relationships," she points out, trying her best to be levelheaded about this.
"I know," he concedes, as his expression softens. He hates talking about this – he hates even thinking about it. "I know you're right, I just… I still don't like it."
"If it makes you feel any better, neither do I," she tells him.
Nodding his head, he presses a light kiss to her temple before pulling her into his chest. "You're happy though, right?" He questions, out of the blue.
Surprised by the question, she pulls back to meet his gaze and see if the inquiry is a serious one. Surely, he knows how happy he makes her.
But one look at his face and she see can spot the edge of uncertainty. Resting her palm on his face, cupping his jaw, and gently stroking his cheek with her thumb, she gives him a warm smile and nods her head. "So happy," she assures him, hoping he can see the truth in her eyes.
After studying her for a moment, he mirrors her expression and pulls her even closer. "Good," he responds before leaning in for a quick kiss.
"What about you? You happy?" She wonders as she settles back beside him.
"I've never been happier," he promises.
"Good," she replies, planting another kiss on him. "So, we'll get this stupid contract signed and hopefully we'll never have to think about it ever again," she declares.
"Sounds good to me."
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
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