Donna Meets Lily -
Chapter 37
Discovery
Mike had deplaned with Donna in sunny California a week later. They decided to take the first night easy and just enjoy some of the places that Donna frequented when she lived there those few months. They set up shop in Donna's old apartment which the landlord was more than happy to rent back to her for about a month. However, he looked at her condition and was worried that there would be a new tenant before the month was up.
"No. Doctor said it was ok for me to travel. The baby is all tucked in nicely. I still have a couple of more months."
The landlord said he was glad to hear it and wished her well. It was in all the papers what was happening between her and the producers. He was surprised she had not been hit with papparazzi at the airport. Donna shook her head and said in her most intimate way, "I'm not that famous." The landlord again wished her well and hoped that everything would go well.
She thanked him and he went on his way.
Mike had been sitting at the small kitchen table waiting for Donna to finish with the landlord.
"So what did you do with yourself while you lived out here?"
"Same thing I did in New York. I went to work, dined with friends, went to an occasional show and then came home and went to bed and did it all over again the next day."
"So when did you sign this contract?"
"When I first came out here in a highly emotional state. My agent, Ian, and my friend, Brenda, who is a casting agent urged me to sign it."
"Do you know if they received any kickbacks from you signing it?"
"Other than the 15% my agent got when I signed it which is his contractual terms. No. At least I don't think so."
"Did Brenda cast you or others for the film?"
"No, but she did know one of the producers because she worked with them on other films," Donna said taking a seat at the table across from Mike.
"Donna?" Mike asked seeing Donna's facial expression take on a look of incredulity almost as if she remembered something bad and finally placed it and could not believe what she now knew as fact.
"You know, Mike? I don't really remembering signing that contract."
"What?"
"No, I know I signed a contract, but I don't remember reading those bits and pieces about altering my look, or it was understandable that I was to have sex with my costar on screen, or even the fact that if something that would change their production that I owed them money for it."
"What did you do with the signing bonus money?"
"I never cashed the check. I didn't need it, so I just put in my top..." Donna suddenly leaped as best as a seventh months pregnant lady could leap from her chair and tear to her bedroom. The bureau was still there and Donna remembered suddenly she had stashed the check in an old jewelry box which she had found at a second hand store that she particularly liked.
"Where are you going?"
"Just a minute," Donna called back to Mike.
While Donna was busy in her bedroom, Mike's cell rang.
"Hey, Harvey," Mike said. "Why are you calling me instead of your wife?"
"Because I wanted to ask you if she told you any more regarding the circumstances of her signing that contract than she told me."
"I just found out she never cashed the signing bonus they gave her. She's looking for the check now."
"That's great, Mike. Don't tell Donna I called. She thinks I can focus on the firm while she's away. I will tell her later there is no way in hell I can do that."
"Sure, Harvey, I understand. There may be something else I'm onto as well. I just have to confirm with Brenda, Donna's friend."
"Well, what is it?" Harvey asked regretting he was not there with Donna.
"Donna has a mind like a steel trap even if she's been emotional, right?"
"Yes. I have never seen her rattled, well, may be a couple of times but that was when her freedom was in question."
"Exactly, so she told me that she doesn't remember the parts of the contract wherein those specific statements pertaining to authentic sex scenes and altering her appearance actually existing in the contract that she supposedly breached."
"Are you thinking fraud or bait and switch?"
"Yes. However, I also want to talk with her friend, Brenda, because I think there was money changing hands embroiling Donna into a situation that she was not aware of."
"Well, let me know the minute you find anything additional, ok?"
"Of course."
"Take care of my girl or girls or...son," Harvey did not know what to say.
"I got it. 'Night Harvey," Mike hung up his phone.
Donna came running into the kitchen. She held her large baby bump with one hand and a piece of paper in the other.
"I knew I didn't cash it. Here it is," Donna said breathlessly as she handed the check to Mike.
"That's great. We can negotiate with this. Also is it possible to talk to Ian and Brenda about this?" Mike held up the contract.
Donna said, "Not tonight. Brenda told me she's casting for a late night TV movie and she told me that she's been working early into the am."
"What about Ian?"
"I don't know. I haven't checked in with Ian since I left."
"Do you mind if I try him in the morning after we seen Brenda?"
Mike said, "I know we promised each other we weren't going to talk shop right now. So since what I have in mind I can't possibly do tonight, let me take you and that beautiful baby bump out for a steak dinner?"
Donna said, "I like what you're saying. I know exactly where we can go."
"Good. Because I have no idea how to get anywhere here in California. This is my first time here."
"Then let's try to accomplish two things on this trip. Get this contract crap gone for good and for you to have some good stories to share with Rachel."
Mike gave a snortful laugh. "Thanks for insisting I come instead of Harvey."
"Don't tell Harvey that," Donna said as they left her apartment.
Harvey worked into the night and when he got back to his home he found a foiled cover aluminum pan with a note attached.
I know you probably won't eat between worrying about Donna and working at the firm, so this is for you.
I Love you,
Mom
Harvey, gratefully surprised, smiled and removed the foil. Mom made his favorite dish "Chicken Parm". That was a nice thing to do for him since she and Bobby were leaving for Boston in the afternoon. Harvey had said his goodbye to her and Bobby when they visited him at the office earlier in the day. He decided to warm it up in the oven and went to the bedroom and changed. He was just finishing donning his trousers when he heard a knock on his door.
He opened the door and his associate stood there.
"Rachel? What are you doing here?"
"Well, I needed to drop this brief off. I finally finished it."
"Thanks, but you didn't have to run it all the way over here," Harvey paused for a minute then asked, " Say, are you hungry?"
"Starving, why?"
"Then come in and help me eat my mother's Chicken Parmesan. I guarantee you that you have or every will have anything better."
"Thank you. I can't resist an invitation like that."
Harvey and Rachel sat quietly eating at his table. Harvey had opened a bottle of wine from his extensive liquor cabinet.
"Red Merlot Donna's favorite," Rachel observed.
"Yes, I am stashing it until after she has the baby and can drink it again," Harvey said taking a corkscrew to the bottle. Once he pulled the cork he poured a glass for Rachel first and then one for himself.
Rachel took a bit of her food. She had created a salad out of the vegetables stashed in Harvey's refrigerator. Luckily she found a bit of dressing still left in the container and brought it to the table.
"This is delicious. Your mother must have been quite a cook," Rachel said wiping the sauce from her lips.
"Yes...when she wanted to be," Harvey said quietly. He had taken a sip of his wine and had put down the glass.
"I talked to Mike. He and Donna arrived at her old apartment safely. He already thinks he has a way of shutting all this breach of contract shit down." Harvey mentioned before taking a bit of his tasty dinner.
"I know it was very hard for you not accompanying Donna back to California, but you know that Mike won't let anything happen to Donna or the baby."
Harvey smiled a little and then said, "I know he won't."
After a few minutes where each was savoring the meal and alone with their thoughts, conversation resumed.
"When I met your mom, I was surprised."
"Surprised about what?" Harvey asked giving Rachel a quizzical look.
"Oh, I am not sure what I expected and I have no idea what the issues were between you and your mother; but I thought she was lovely. Your stepfather is a fun guy. Donna told me about your plane ride home from California. I was surprised she and Bobby had a long standing bet about you two."
"That machination was some of my mother's best work, I gotta say."
"Thank God for her. Otherwise, you two would still be stuck looking longingly at each other."
"What? I never looked longingly at Donna or her me!"
Rachel just gave him a look.
"The looks were subtle and to a less observant party would have noticed nothing," she remarked a breathy, singsong voice
"Well, ok, I know what you mean," Harvey acquiesced and smiled.
Rachel suddenly held up her wineglass.
"Then I want to toast to Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Specter and their soon-to-come baby Specter."
They clinked glasses and Harvey smiled at Rachel and took a sip of wine. His mind suddenly remembered Donna and how much he missed her and wanted to desperately take the front line on this case. He figured he with Rachel's help could do a little sleuthing from this coast as well.
Two days later, Mike and Donna arrived at Brenda's apartment. Mike had contacted Ian in the meantime, but he was disappointed that the phone message said Ian had taken a Bermuda holiday and would not be back until October. Mike did not leave a message in return figuring that if things worked the way they should then they would all be out of here by the end of the weekend.
Brenda made them feel welcome in her apartment but at the same time Donna instinctively knew something was off about Brenda's demeanor. After about an hour of familiarizing Mike's association with Donna and Harvey, Donna examined Brenda.
"Ok, Brenda, cut the shit! What kind of payoff did they give you to convince you to cut and paste my signature on a fraudulent contract?'
"Donna! That didn't happen..."
"Bullshit!" Donna exclaimed standing up. "You never wanted me to be with Harvey. This explains your attitude when I told you I was pregnant. Did they make you payback the money?"
Brenda continued to protest, "No, it wasn't like that..."
"Donna, calm down," Mike placated holding his hands up and then taking Donna's hand and helping her back in her chair.
"Ms. Capellini...Brenda...what did you mean 'it wasn't like that'," Mike asked capitalizing on the slip.
Brenda started to cry in earnest. She looked up at Mike and Donna sitting uncomfortably on Brenda's deep soft couch.
"Donna, I just wanted you to have your chance and I owed these producers some good people. The last picture that I was contracted to cast was a bomb and these sharks took it out on me and blackballed me to most of the studios and executives around here. I had been out of work for weeks until you came to town. You were bound and determined not to go back to New York, so I thought you would be a safe bet and a way I could get my standing back as a casting director."
Donna shook her head.
"So, you just took what I confided in you about my situation with Harvey as a means to an end? You wanted to live vicariously through me? That was what your motivation was behind me taking that movie part and how you pushed me down the throat of Bernie and then Ian to take me as a client?"
Brenda sobbed. "Yes, I love you, Donna. I wanted everything for you!"
Donna did not know how to take that statement until she realized that the reason Brenda never had a man was because she was a lesbian and had a huge crush on her. That did not shock Donna, but it was disconcerting in itself. Donna calmed her tone to one containing a little more sympathy.
"What has happened to you since I left?"
"Nothing. I took a job as an executive assistant in a law office. I have some office skills and I can handle people, so the lawyer in question decided she I could work there on a trial basis."
"Oh, well, I know how that is..." Donna murmured thinking of the irony of the situation.
"Brenda, would you testify in court that you made a bargain with these producers to defraud Donna?" Mike asked.
"Would I go to jail?"
"Well, that would depend. I will try to not let that happen. The real criminals are the producers Cathy Larson and Darrell Darrick."
"Can you practice law in California being a New York lawyer?" Brenda asked.
"Yes, I made sure that there would be no impediments between the states before Donna volunteered me for this trip," Mike said with lots of feeling.
Brenda, of course, had not known all Mike had suffered being a fraudulent lawyer for many years; so she had no idea how relevant her question was to him.
"Ok, so here's my plan. I'm going to see these lawyers and try to reason with them and then if they don't go for it I will take them to court and claim their contract was fraudulent and that Ms. Paulsen did not sign the contract they are claiming she signed. Plus she signed it under emotional duress; therefore, her emotional state was in question and she could have been easily coerced."
"Do you think this strategy will work, Mike?" Donna asked.
"If your friend will testify for us. This situation became criminal when Brenda admitted that she did cut and paste your name onto this bogus contract. Do you have a copy of the other contract, Brenda?" Mike held the said contract in his hand as if it were unclean.
"They made me delete it from my computer, but I bet there's a copy in the business office which they may have shred. I will testify for you if they don't settle with you first," Brenda said. "I have alway loved Donna and wanted to be like her, but I am not Donna so I did what I thought I could do to make Donna a star and to help me return back to the prosperity I once had."
Donna who was still a bit pissed at her friend decided to rethink the situation and not project her humiliated feelings at the producers onto Brenda.
"Mike, are you going now to those lawyers?" Donna asked.
"Surely. Do you want to stay here with Brenda?" Mike asked seeing the sympathetic expression in Donna's eyes.
"I would like to go with you and tell those sons of bitches what I really think o them."
"Then no. You need to stay here then, ok?
"Yes."
"Good. I am putting on my best Harvey Specter stances and close these sons of bitches."
"If that doesn't happen, don't blame yourself, Mike. I know you're good but you are no Harvey," Donna quipped.
"You're just prejudiced. You'll see," Mike said standing up taller and straightening his jacket.
"That's my boy." Donna said as Mike walked determinedly out the door of Brenda's apartment.