ANGLES - CHAPTER 2
Donna.
She'd spent a very fast ten minutes in the bathroom fixing her makeup before her date rang on the phone. She scrambled to pick it up.
"Hey Greg! No, I'm just running a second late but I'm ten minutes away. Meet you there?"
Her face was still flushed but she'd dodged a bullet with her dress, which was not stained with anything deemed inappropriate. She thanked the powers that be for that little nugget and ignored the slight ache around her pelvis and the frission still coursing through her veins.
Now wasn't the time for thinking; and if she didn't hustle then she'd also be late. And it wouldn't do to be late to her Boss's very publicly attended wedding.
Seven devils all around you
Seven devils in your house
See I was dead when I woke up this morning,
And I'll be dead before the day is done
Before the day is done ~ 'Seven Devils' – Florence and the Machine
The congregation looked to be the cream of New York; lawyers from not just Pearson Specter but a flurry of the top of firms in the city; even some out-of-towners along the way. Now that Harvey had finally made Managing Partner, Harvey and Jessica had become a formidable force within the world law and that meant putting on a good show. This was just as much a business venture – as much as he hated to admit it – as it was the joining of two people. If he continued to look at it like that then it would most likely go a lot a quicker and without time to think about what had still only happened an hour ago. He waited at the church entrance for the guests.
"Hey brother; looking sharp."
The similar voice immediately rang a bell.
"Markus; you're not late…I'm surprised." Harvey said in his usual deadpan tone; hugging his younger brother and looking to the left where his wife Julie was ushering her two little girls down the aisle. He gave her a wink, looking back to Markus. His brother was dressed in the same suit as Mike. At a glance they looked like brothers more than he and Markus ever did.
"How are you feeling?" Markus asked.
"Fine. Good." He replied, almost reciting the words.
"Where's Donna?"
The question came out of nowhere and nearly knocked him off course. He frowned, feeling suddenly irritable.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harvey fired.
"Nothing! I just haven't seen her yet that's all." Markus backtracked, feeling the tension.
Harvey's eyes searched outside. "She'll be here."
"Mother here yet?" Markus asked.
"Not yet had that pleasure."
"Try not to fight with her today, Harvey. She's really happy you invited her."
"I didn't." Harvey mumbled.
"Donna?"
"Donna." He nodded. How many times was he going to have to hear or say her name before walking down the aisle with someone else?
Just in the nick of time Mike had returned.
"Mike. This is my brother, Markus." Said Harvey.
The associate smiled, wide eyed and a little unfocused, but shook the outstretched hand.
"Hey nice to finally meet you!" Said Mike.
"You too? Sorry, Harvey doesn't really talk much...about anything, really to do with work. I think Donna's mentioned you though." Markus said.
"You know Donna? Of course… Where is she by the way? She's going to be late for the wedding." Mike said; eyes searching around.
"Can everyone just calm down; I'm not marrying Donna." Said Harvey; her name clearly aggravating him.
"Yeah and how exactly did it turn out like that?" Markus mumbled under his breath, earning a look from Harvey and a sideways glance from Mike.
"Well if it isn't the blushing Groom." Jessica's velvet tones flooded the church entrance as she glided in on black Louboutins, a charcoal coat with a sharp woollen corsage attached and a devilish grin on her lips.
"Jessica. You're late." Harvey said, a calculating smile appearing on his crooked lips.
"Like hell I am." She indicated towards the aisle with a flirty raise of the eyebrow. "Where do I sit?"
"Left. Louis is already down there." He said, setting the bait.
"Fabulous…" She replied with a look of distaste. "Good luck, Harvey. Don't screw this up." She warned him with a red popping smile and pointed look.
Just as Jessica arrived, a small woman in sharp, almost Joan Collins' attire walked in; her peach and cream dress and jacket clashing with the zingy green pin on the lapel and a blonde bob.
"Mother," He tried to make it sound as cool as he cold.
"Harvey." Was all she said.
It had been years since she'd tried to bother him. She'd listened when Donna had said that maybe his Mother would have been 'above all things very proud to attend his wedding', regardless of their past history and the blame that Harvey still held towards her over his Father's lonely later years.
Her fingers touched his lapel, her pale freckled hands toying with the silk in his pocket.
"You look VERY handsome, Harvey."
"Thanks Mom."
He was thankful that she didn't mention his father. It would have gotten his back up and he would have had a bad time holding back a retort.
His brother cut it. "Hey Mom, let's get you seated, we're nearly ready." He said with a friendly wink, taking her hand.
"Good luck." She said; almost a little too firmly, before allowing Markus to show her to the front of the church.
"Sooo," Mike said, stretching out the syllables. "That was your Mom, huh?"
"Yes. It was." Harvey replied. He glared at Mike when he saw the unanswered question on his face. "What?"
"How long has it been since you've seen her?" He asked.
"Three… four years?"
"Oh."
"What?" Harvey asked.
"Nothing."
He wasn't in the mood to hear any more pearls of wisdom from his mentee. His mother, above all other topics was off limits.
"We should all take our places. The rest of the guys will join in a sec." Mike suggested.
Would she actually turn up?
The idea worried him. Things were changing and not in the way he wished them to.
She had to come.
She had to. She knew that...
Being at the front of the whole congregation was a sobering experience. In front of most of the top firms, lawyers, judges, and members of the DA; Harvey felt like he should have had a speech prepared.
Just when he thought that this was it; Donna appeared. Looking far less red and slightly less naked; hips swishing lightly, lips pursed and jaw set; she hung on the arm of a very tall looking Doctor-type. The name 'Greg' floated vaguely in the periphery of his mind, but he couldn't be sure if it was right.
Her eyes flickered towards him as quickly as they darted away. He tried to ignore the sharp pang of anger in his chest at the plain fact that she was ignoring him.
She was the reason he was stood here in the first place.
3 Months Earlier...
"So?"
He heard Donna's expectant voice behind him as he thumbed through his albums.
"How's Alexandra?" She said, popping the 'd' in a way he'd never heard before.
He didn't need to look at her to tell that she was pulling some sort of face; some tainted innuendo on her lips. He'd noticed that she was like that with practically every woman he'd dated more than three times. The difference was that he'd dated Alex for a while. She was an heiress from England; brought over as a client when the Pearson Darby marriage had hit. She'd challenged him in a way none of the other women had. She'd been sexy, headstrong, empowered and first and foremost challenged him on practically everything. She was also a demon in the bedroom and had a habit of skipping out on him. It drove him crazy, but somehow, six months down the line they were very much ensconced in each other's lives.
"She's…good." He tiptoed around the question.
"It's your six month anniversary soon." She reminded him.
"How did you?"
"Really…?" She gave him that 'I'm Donna' look.
He huffed; eyes flicking back to the vinyl in his hand.
"Well… are you going to get her something? Arrange something?" She asked.
"Maybe…" He said, flirting with the word.
He didn't really understand the point of an anniversary; having not really celebrated any of them in his love life; they seemed pointless, over congratulatory reminders that you hadn't broken up yet.
"Harvey, you have one day. I took the liberty of arranging a list of restaurants. She also likes Impressionist Art and there's an exhibit at the Met; if you decide to bother at all."
"Uh…thanks." He said, accepting the pile of paperwork she'd arranged for him.
"And Harvey?"
"Yes?" He replied, humouring her.
"She's a good one. You should think about your future you know…"
Donna had noticed immediately. It was hard not too; Alex was smart and she'd made Donna an immediate focus; knowing just how much of a right hand she was to Harvey; the slightly younger woman had taken it upon herself to charm a very uncharmable woman. She'd managed it; and exactly how, Harvey wasn't really sure. But two months in and Donna was quietly accepting of the new woman in his life.
It lasted a month until she was back to her usual self and started pushing him towards a certain future.
He'd decided to take her to the Met after all; it was a good choice on Donna's part; she was right, Alex had a soft spot for Monae, Renoir, but most particularly Paul Cezanne; due to most of her childhood spent in Provence; and when bored, trying to understand just why he'd painted the Montagne Sainte Victoire so many times.
Alex had been so pleased with the choice of evening activity that she'd forgone dinner and dragged him back to his apartment; a tangle of limbs and light brown hair as they'd fallen into his bed. She was light and uncomplicated and put very little strain on him. Plus she did this thing with her tongue that was just…
"Marry me." He found himself whispering into her thigh.
"What did you just say?" she asked, holding back a laugh.
"Marry me." He repeated.
She blinked twice pulling his head up to meet hers.
"That's what I thought." She mused; scratching her neck. "It's only been 6 months Harvey…"
"So… I'm happy. Are you happy?" He asked.
"Of course…I just… I always thought you'd be an eternal bachelor. Who am I to take you off the market," She joked, threading her hands through his hair. "Is this your proposal?"
"Something tells me you're too sarcastic for hearts and flowers."
"So you went with during sex option?" A real unabashed laugh escaped her lips.
He started to think of this as a very bad idea. It was the worst time for a first impulse.
"Look, if you think it's a bad idea…" he said starting to get up.
Before he had time to register she tackled him.
"So is that a 'yes'?" he mumbled into her shoulder.
She looked at him, eyes overly glassy for someone who never cried. "Yes Harvey Specter; I would love to marry you." She kissed him soundly, and for the most part that was the coherent conversation they'd shared for that night.
His palms were sweating. His palms never sweated. He felt like a teenage boy. This should be the most uplifting thing to get off your chest; but somehow telling Donna was like explaining to your Dad that you'd totalled his car and that it was lying at the bottom of the Senaca Lake.
It was getting late and she would most likely go home soon. His window was approximately ten minutes and he'd spent the whole day ignoring the impulse to come out with it until he'd told Mike and the first thing out of his mouth had been 'Have you told Donna yet?' and that had put him off. He leaned to the intercom.
"Donna, could you come in here a sec?"
She sauntered in, in a flurry of Jade.
"What's going on?" She asked, direct; straight to the point and expectant of an answer.
"What?"
"You've been acting strange all day. Out with it." She said, looming over him.
"Sit down."
"What?" She frowned.
"Take a seat." He gestured.
"Oh my god; am I getting fired again?" She said, frowning.
"No, Donna, just SIT."
She complied with a huff, folding her dress under herself as she sat back, eyes a little wider than usual.
He took a breath.
"I am… getting married." He finally said.
He couldn't tell if she'd heard the information properly. She just sat there, her mouth changing shape in tiny increments.
"Donna?"
"Well," She said, a little breathy. "It's about time!" She finished with a smile.
"Are you…?"
"I'm…very happy for you." She said warmly; but rose from her seat almost immediately. "Do you need me to…do anything?" She said, flicking back into an almost work mode.
"No. I'm pretty much done here." His reply was vague.
"Good. I'll finish up." She said with a smile, slowly gliding back to her desk.
There was pause.
He didn't quite know how to take the whole conversation.
He couldn't see what was going on in her head.
"Do you need me to schedule an appointment at Tiffanys?" She asked through the intercom.
"Yes Donna, thank you." He replied; overly coridal.
That was the start of a crack.
She'd retreated then. Not questioning who he called on his phone anymore, no ensconcing herself in his life. She'd retreated from anything other than what was required for her job unless he asked her directly. It felt more and more unacceptable with each passing month.
Occasionally he would see a bouquet of flowers on her desk, or hear her toying with someone on the phone – no doubt the latest guy in her life. He tried not to let the sense of a quiet chasm opening up between their so far seamless coexistence.
It only got bigger.
The silence was deafening.