At 7p.m, Harvey found himself at Donna's door, remembering the last time he was there. He hesitated for a second before knocking on the door, assessing whether this was a very bad idea and if he could go through with it. After all, they rarely spent time together outside the office, and the thought of spending an evening just the two of them with her mother and boyfriend made his heart race fast.
He finally knocked on the door, exhaling slowly, before the door opened wide in front of him. Donna was standing there, apron on, her hair up and held with a pencil, looking absolutely overwhelmed. He loved to see her looking so "domestic" and it was a sight he didn't get to see much. "You're early" she said, panic in her voice. She looked at him, wearing beige pants and a dark blue v-neck sweater. He looked so relaxed, a bottle of her favorite wine in his hand.
"I thought you'd need some help" he explained, tilting his head playfully. "You look good" he stated, making her roll her eyes. "Do not mock me Specter, you weren't supposed to be here before an hour" she warned. He wanted to explain that he meant what he said; that she still looked beautiful, despite her reckless demeanor. But his words died in his throat, the signature smirk he uses often as a shield on his face.
"What's for dinner?" he asked curiously, following her to the kitchen. Donna panicked even more at his question, walking towards the already filled glass of wine, standing next to half an empty bottle. She chugged it all, before taking a deep breath. "Seasoned shrimps as an entrée , sautéed vegetables with mashed potatoes and steak as a main, and mango tart as a desert" she listed, noticing his lips curl in a small smile at the mention of the desert, his favorite.
"Ok first of all, it is rude to drink alone" he teased, reaching for a clean wine glass and filling it. "Second, why don't you let me work on the vegetables while you do your entrée?" he reasoned. She eyed him suspiciously, assessing whether she should involve him in this. "Donna, I can do this" he said, his voice stretching as he called her name. "Ok" she finally surrendered, out of despair rather than conviction. She handed him the washed vegetables and a knife, as he took a space on the counter next to her. He tried to push the sleeves of his sweater up, pouting when they fell down, before Donna walked towards him, her hands reaching for his arm.
She extended his hand, as it brushed with hers, before she started folding the sleeve up, just below the elbow. She notices the small chills on his arm, and tries to ignore his poignant look at her, as she does the same to the other sleeve. "Here" she whispers, finally raising her eyes to meet his. "Thanks" he whispered, their eyes locking for a few seconds. He took a big gulp of wine, before focusing back on the task at hand.
He started cutting the vegetables, remembering the last time he had cooked. He loved it, something nobody knew, but he hardly had time to do it at all. He cut fast, elegantly, causing Donna to stare at him work. "I didn't know you could use a knife" she pointed out, the surprise clear in her voice. "I like to cook" he stated matter-of-factly. Donna smiled to herself at his admission. He never had to tell her anything, she just knew, and it was an ability she enjoyed having, and what he appreciated so much about her. But he would very rarely, on a number of occasions that could be counted on one hand, share with her something, a piece of information about him. And she cherished those willingly given stories more than anything. It meant he was opening up, removing a small block from the walls he put between him and the rest of the world.
"My dad and I cook together, when I go to see him" he continued. "It's been a while" he realizes then, feeling a bit of guilt. "You should go see him this weekend" she agreed, as he nodded. Donna looked at a focused Harvey, realizing that her admiration for this man kept increasing, something that scared her immensely. Harvey could feel Donna's gaze on him from time to time, and wondered what was on her mind.
"So, your mom's boyfriend huh?" Harvey asked, trying to start a conversation, anything that would distract him from her. "Yepp. Rick" she replied, the annoyance visible in her tone. "It's serious?" he asked again. "I'm sure it's not. I'm still convinced it's all an act, to make dad jealous you know?" she explained, not even sure of her own words. Harvey tenderly looked at Donna, who was clearly in denial of her parents' situation. "Donnaa" Harvey started, "why am I under the impression that you plan on pulling a parents' trap?" he joked, mentioning the movie he knew she loved. She let out a laughter, quickly answering, "Maybe I do, maybe I don't", putting on a mysterious tone.
He looked at her, tilting his head to make her understand she was being irrational. "I know. I know" she whispered back at his facial expression. "It's stupid, they are divorced but I just thought that maybe.." she explained before stopping. "It's not stupid" Harvey stated, cutting the last carrot. "When I find out about my mom…" he started, opening up again, "I refused to believe it. I thought it was just a rough time they'd get through, I even blamed my dad…" he said, anger in his voice, walking to put the vegetables in the presto. "That was until she left us" he added, his voice low. Donna didn't know what to say, as she tried to keep working on her shrimps. "Point is" he concluded "the faster you accept it, the less it'll hurt. For you and your father".
"I guess you're right" she agreed, finishing up the last shrimp. "What was the reason they split up?" he asked. "I don't know" Donna answered. "I told mom that she cannot not know, that there was too much history to just let go" she continued. "You know what she told me? Feelings go away" she breathed, letting out a mocking laugh at the end of the sentence. Harvey swallowed hard before he asked: "Do you believe they do?"
"No" she immediately replied. "I mean I don't think so…Not after that much time. Do you?" she asked skeptically, trying not to read more into this conversation and not to see parallels with their situation. "I'm not sure" he replied honestly. He walked towards the bottle of wine, filling his glass again. Donna gave him a look that said: "Fill mine too" as he gave her a warning look. "Donna, at this rate you won't make it to dinner" he reasoned. "Oh I'm gonna need it believe me" she insisted. "What kind of name is Rick anyway?" she mocked, as Harvey let out a laugh. She was so stubborn, refusing to let go of the negative impression she has of a man she had never met.
Donna put the shrimps in the oven, and started preparing the steak as Harvey leaned on one of the counters, watching her work. "Come here" she said, as he hesitantly walked towards her. She filled the wooden spoon she was using with the sauce she was preparing, holding it out for him. "Be careful it's hot" she warned him, as he stepped closer to her, his mouth covering the spoon. She retrieved it from his mouth, their proximity making her feel hot. It didn't help that he stared at her then, licking his lips and using his husky voice to say: "delicious"
Donna swallowed hard, stepping away from his, hoping he hadn't noticed how clustered she was by his proximity. "Perfect" she said, "can you start frying the steaks? I just need to wash my hands and change". He nodded, before standing closely, facing her. She gave him a flirty look, wondering what he was trying to do, before she felt his hand behind her back. He leaned closer, her breath hitching, before he undid the tie of her apron in one motion, his fingers burning the skin under it, as he helped her out of it. She smiled at him, leaving the kitchen as she let out a breath she didn't know she held.
Thank you so much for your reviews on the first chapter. I didn't think I'd update so fast, but your kinds words motivate me. Let me know what you think of this one, I'd be waiting for your opinion :)
Review!
-G