Hello everyone! I'm sorry that it's been so, so long since I've written. Life and work has just been in the way. But I haven't forgotten about Harvey and Donna. I want to finish this story before the show returns on March 28 so that if the writers don't give us a happy ending, we can come read one here. So look for more chapters to come. At least one more after this. Maybe two. Happy reading! And all reviews are GREATLY appreciated.
Donna slammed the taxi door a little harder than necessary. She was exhausted, more bone tired than she could ever remember being. The smile she kept plastered on her face all day made her facial muscles ache.
As she rummaged in her purse for her keys, her wallet tumbled out. "Damn!" she cursed quietly. She reached to pick it up just as a man walked by and kicked into one of the little window alcoves along her building.
"Fuck!" she yelled at the man's back as he continued on, oblivious. She ran after it, pulling it from the mud.
"I'm surprised to hear such language, Miss Paulsen." Said a voice. She whipped around to see Andrew Mailk standing uncomfortably close behind her.
Malik wore a sneer and, she noticed, wobbled slightly before leaning on the wall beside her, completely boxing her into the small space.
He was so close now that she could smell the whiskey on his breath.
She straightened her spine. "What do you want, Mailk?" she asked, painting her words with as much derision as she could.
"I'm just checking in, just seeing if you're still enjoying your ill-gotten position of CEO."
Donna shook her head dismissively. "Go to hell, Malik." She said, as she tried to push past his arm. But he held firm, keeping her trapped, and a little alarm bell began sounding in Donna's mind.
"You know, if you hadn't left the DA's office to chase after Harvey, I could have offered you all kinds of positions." Malik'svoice was low as he pressed her back against the wall of the building.
Donna raised her right hand to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist in a vice-like grip. She gasped in pain. He seemed to believe she was gasping in excitement and took it as an invitation to lean into her body.
"I'd still be willing to help you out."
"Get off of me, you drunken ass!" Donna pulled against his bruising grip on her wrist. He squeezed harder and pulled her arm up painfully behind her back.
"You and Harvey both think you're so much better than stupid little Andy Malik. You think you've gotten the best of me because Jessica got off scot-free, again!" He wrenched on her arm harder, pulling it higher behind her back. Donna couldn't keep a small cry of pain from escaping.
Mailk continued, his voice harsh and his eyes unfocused. "You think you have all the power, you think you know all my moves. I'll show you power!"
With that he crushed his lips onto hers. His free hand grasped her jaw like a vice, holding her head in place. His breath was fetid and Donna gagged. He took the opportunity to shove his tongue roughly into her mouth. Instinctively, Donna bit down on it, hard, and tasted blood.
Malik roared in pain, pulling back from her before raising his hand and hitting her so hard across her cheekbone that her ears rang. She fell sideways and he finally let go of her arm, causing her to land on her side in the mud.
He stood over her for a second, and his face was full of astonishment, as though he had just woken up to the scene before him. He spun on his heal and was gone in a flash.
Donna sat where she was for almost a full five minutes, watching the odd person walk by on the street. No one stopped to ask if she was alright. Maybe they thought she was drunk. Maybe they thought she just liked sitting in the mud. Or maybe they just didn't even notice.
Finally, still numb with shock, she tried to stand up. She made the mistake of leaning on her right hand. She cried out softly as pain shot up her arm.
Slipping and sliding in the muck on the ground, she finally got to her feet and ran into her apartment block. She was grateful her doorman didn't really look up as she rushed past to the elevators.
She let herself into her apartment and collapsed against the door. Muddy and exhausted, shaken and sore, she didn't notice the small white envelope that had been pushed under her door that afternoon. She took a step and it stuck to the mud on the bottom of her shoe. Still unnoticed, it flew under the hall bench as Donna kicked of her shoes and headed to the shower.