Harvey finished preparing the steaks and started setting the table when Donna walked back in. Harvey looked her way, his motion stopped at her sight. She was wearing black high-waist shorts with a white shirt tucked underneath, a few top buttons undone. Her hair was up in a ponytail, exposing her freckled neck. She looked beautiful, soft make-up on, her long legs and ass put forth by her choice of clothes. Harvey couldn't not stare, his eyes taken by her, as he exhaled slowly, causing Donna to ask: "What?" He put his poker face back on, managing to say: "Nothing". She doesn't believe him for a second, tilting her head in her attempt to make him talk. He mimics her movement, a now old habit between the two of them.
She smiled knowingly; secretly glad she could have that effect on him. "Can you help me put this necklace on?" she asked, walking towards him. She turned her back to him, as his hand reached to gently move the dangling ponytail. He took the necklace from her, closing it around her neck, as images of her freckles under his lips flashed before his eyes. He shook his head in an attempt to remove those images, as she felt her skin tingle under his breath. When he finished, she turned around to face him, standing inches close. Donna felt intoxicated by his presence and the alcohol in her veins. Whatever was about to happen was stopped by the door bell, as Donna stepped away and walked back into the kitchen.
Harvey looked at her not quite understanding why she had walked the opposite way from the door. "Do you want me to open it?" he asked, about to start walking. "Wait wait wait" she stopped him, walking back with two full glasses of wine. They clicked their glasses before Donna drank it all in one shot, causing Harvey's eyes to widen in surprise. "Donna!" he said, as she giggled, making him smile fondly. Shit, she was drunk. He took the glass from her hand, putting them both on the table. She raised her hand to his hair as he ducked, before her let her fix it. The second ring made them realize they really needed to open the door.
They stood side by side as Donna opened the door to greet her mother and a short round man. "Donna!" her mother exclaimed, hugging her daughter. "I missed you" she continued, as Donna hugged her back. "Missed you too mom" she answered. Donna's mother noticed Harvey's presence when she let go of her daughter. "Donna! You didn't tell me Harvey was joining us" she smiled widely with a suspicious look towards her daughter before hugging him tight. Harvey was not used to such display of affection, enjoying it nonetheless. "Mary" Harvey greeted her. Mary turned around and introduced them to her boyfriend. "Rick this is my daughter Donna. And this is Harvey, Donna's…" she started awkwardly, before Harvey extended his hand and shook Rick's. Donna threw daggers towards her mother, however unable to fully blame her. She didn't even know how to define what she and Harvey had. He wasn't just her boss because well… you don't invite your boss to dinner when you meet your mother's boyfriend. He wasn't just her friend either because how they acted around each other, looked nothing like a friendship. And then there's that time too…
Donna's thoughts were cut by Harvey's voice inviting them to sit in the living room. Harvey sat on the couch for one, while Mary and Rick sat on the big couch. Donna casually walked and took a seat at the arm of Harvey's couch. It was even harder now not to stare at her perfect legs, his hands itching to contact her soft skin. "How you've been?" Mary asked, looking back and forth between Donna and Harvey, who looked like a couple. "Good. Busy with work, you know" Donna shrugged, as Harvey was worried her drunken behavior was showing. Rick opened his mouth for the first time that night, his voice more soft than what his physique would show, making Donna struggle not to laugh. "So how long have you two been together?" he asked.
Great start, Donna said. Harvey looked at Mary who seemed to be interested by the question just as much. They both spoke together, their words overlapping: "We're not.." "work together" before Donna unintentionally said: "it's complicated" causing Harvey to look at her, as she eyed him from the top. "It is?" he was able to whisper. He didn't mean for it sound reproaching, but the words came out of his mouth that way. It was simple; SHE had made it simple when she put her rule, leaving no room for any hope of anything more. Donna just looked into Harvey's eyes, realizing she had babbled more than she intended. "So you're still single huh?" her mother interfered, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
Donna was angry by her mother's reaction, hurt. "I don't think that's a topic to discuss when we are here to meet your boyfriend mom" she snapped. "It just saddens me, you're not growing younger you know…" her mother kept pushing. Donna could feel the blood boiling in her veins, Harvey noticing her distress, thinking of ways to comfort her. "So what do you do Rick?" Donna asked, completely ignoring her mother. "I work at a video game shop" the man spoke softly, having nothing more to say.
An awkward silence passed before Donna got up. "Let's just have the entrée here, then move to the table" she said, walking towards the kitchen. "I don't mean to hurt her Harvey" her mother confessed to him when Donna left the room. "I honestly don't get why you two don't…" she continued, before Harvey politely stopped her: "I'm going to help Donna", standing up and following the redhead's steps. He wasn't ready for that either, for questions he wasn't able to answer himself.
"You okay?" he asked, as soon as he stepped into the kitchen. She had her back to him, preparing the shrimps in Margarita glasses. "Yes" she answered, not turning towards him. "She just does this every single time, you know?" she asked, turning around to face him. "She comes and makes me feel like my life is worthless, that I need to apologize for who I am or what I do when I'm actually HAPPY" she explained, throwing her hands in the air. "You don't have to apologize for anything" Harvey quietly answered, hoping to comfort her. "Let's just go back and try to have a good time" he said, holding two of the glasses in his hand. "Did you hear his voice?" she pointed out just as they walked into the living room, making him hold a laugh, which caused her to giggle.
They ate the shrimps, admiring the spicy hint of the seasoning. Donna got up to remove the glasses, when Mary started talking about Rick's work. "He has this little room, where he does all his wok" she started explaining, as Donna muttered between her teeth, only for Harvey to hear "Creepy…" , her eyes going in every direction. "It's just a tiny tiny little room" her mother emphasized, making Donna say: "I bet it is not the only tiny thing he got". Harvey isn't sure why he's the only one to have caught that; she had said it pretty loudly. Instead, her mother turned her head in the direction of the kitchen, asking: "What's that sweety?" Harvey tried to hold the laugh in, struggling to swallow the last piece of shrimp. "I just said I'm not used to TINY things, you know? Harvey's is huge" she shouted from the kitchen, Harvey's eyes widening even more in surprising, starting to burst into laughter before he choked on the shrimp in his mouth, causing him to spit it. His eyes followed its path, terrified as they landed in Mary's hair, who didn't seem to notice anything. Rick himself didn't seem to see anything either. "His office I mean" she shouted again. Harvey was in complete panic mode, walking as fast as possible into the kitchen, babbling a "be right back" before he exited the living room.
"Donna!" he said in panic, as she looked at him with her fake innocence: "what?" before she noticed how panicked he was. "Donna Donna! I spat a shrimp into your mother's hair" he explained. She stayed silence for a fraction of a second, before her voice cracked from laughter: "Why did you do that?" she asked. "Why? Harvey's is HUGE?" he said, as she enjoyed his panic mode a bit too much. "Well it is" she confessed, biting on her lower lip. It was too much to handle; Donna clearly dirtily flirting with him, while her mother sat in the living room, clueless of the existence of a shrimp in her hair. The silence that followed was broken by Donna's laugh, a high one that didn't stop for a few minutes, causing Harvey to join in. "My mom's hair?" she repeated, tears from laughter forming in her eyes, as she struggled to take a breath. "Why didn't you take it off?" she managed to ask. "What do you want me to say? Euhm sorry Mary just let me remove the shrimp I spat in your hair" he said sarcastically between laughs. "And Rick didn't even to notice anything" he added.
That was it, Donna's laugh went completely hysterical, as she put a hang on his arm for support, her other one on her aching abdomen. Harvey joined in too, noticing how long it has been since he laughed that hart. He looked at the woman next to him, drowning in her laughter tears, and felt that somehow, with her by his side, everything would be okay. "Are you okay in there?" Mary asked, worried. "Yes mom, just preparing the main dish. It'll be two minutes" Donna answered, trying to speak with her most normal tone. "Would you remove it?" Harvey asked her, his voice pleading. "What do I get in return?" she negotiated. Harvey couldn't help but smile at how strong she was. He gave her a look that said: "Just say it". "I want a three day trip to the Hamptons…and not off season" she started, as he nodded hesitantly. "And a new bag" she added innocently. "Two days and a bag" he negotiated bag. "Three days, a bag, or the shrimp shall forever stay" she pushed again. "You're impossible" he nagged. "Fine" he said, making her face glow.
She started walking out of the kitchen, when she noticed him not moving. "What are you doing?" she asked, seeing him opening the new bottle of wine. "Oh we're gonna need more wine" he said, a devilish smile on his face. They walked back in, as Donna invited them to the table, and Harvey poured wine into the four glasses. Donna casually walked towards her mother, complimenting her hair: "Love your hair mom" she said, causing Harvey to raise his eyes in a threatening look. She quickly removed the shrimp without her mother noticing, as Harvey sighed in relief, Donna shooting a smile at him. They sat down, Donna's knee slightly brushing against Harvey's side, as they tried to avoid each other's eyes, struggling to fall into another wave of hysteria.
To be continued…
So..last night's episode. Mixed feelings really, disappointment mainly. With that said, here's a warm and fuzzy chapter to compensate. I'm pretty excited about what I have planned for next chapter, I hope you are too. Let me know what you think; the more I hear from you the faster I'm likely to for reading, Review!
-G