A/N: I decided to update 2x's in one week. Hard to write this story with current storyline of the show (UGH! PAULA/HARVEY). Anyhow, I am going to continue with my other tribute to the current storyline with "Really, Harvey" shortly. This one is wrapping up soon! Hope you're still enjoying it! Thank you - Carebearmaxi.
Donna Meets Lily -
Chapter 38 -
Settlement
When Mike left Brenda's apartment, he placed a call to the lawyers on the contract. They had many prior commitments, however, they were more than happy to see him at 6:30 pm two days later without an appointment. Mike looked at his watch and it read 3:00 pm now so this gave Mike a few hours to do some research work of his own.
Schwitzer & Learson were notorious Hollywood lawyers. They were notorious because they would take any case if they knew it could be twisted or not contested in their clients' favor. However, Mike had a little ruse he was going to try and see if he could scare these guys into settling.
Mike was shown into a conference room much smaller than any in the PSL offices. It was approximately twelve feet from one side of the room to the other in which they stuffed a large oblong table with folding chairs. A whiteboard on one wall, a old metal overstuffed filing cabinet in the corner against the other wall. The wall themselves were painted yellow but after years of people smoking in the room the bright yellow was dulling to beige. Mike declined any refreshment offered from the pretty young receiptionist and waited patiently for either Schwitzer, Learson or some other lawyer who was handling this case to enter the small room.
Finally after about a ten minute wait wherein Mike sent Rachel and Harvey each a text and called Donna to see if Brenda was able to locate the original contract, a man around Harvey's age came in. Like Harvey he carried himself with a little bit of arrogance and the knowledge that he was smarter than the other guy in the room. Because of Mike's boyish good looks and looking much more innocent than he was, everyone always underestimated Mike and his eidetic memory.
"Mr. Ross, I'm Earl Schwitzer, Jr., I am the one who drew up the contract which Ms. Paulsen breached," Mr. Schwitzer, Jr., shook Mike's hand who stood up and decided he could be polite first.
"Good to meet you, Mr. Schwitzer. I'm sure you probably know why I'm here," Mike said as he resumed his seat. Earl took a seat across the table from Mike.
"Well, I guess you would like to settle this situation out of court, correct?"
"Yes, Mr. Schwitzer, however, I don't think this is the kind of settlement you were looking for," Mike said revealing nothing in his blue eyes.
"What are you talking about? Give me a number."
"You don't really need the money, Schwitzer, you and those producers just want to make a name for yourselves so no one ever tries to do what Ms. Paulsen had to do."
"She signed the contract. She knew what it said," Earl said.
"Well, I have some discovery of my own," Mike said.
"What would that be?"
Suddenly a ping sounded off on Mike's phone.
"Well, I think my partner can help you understand that."
The door to the small room opened suddenly and the receptionist stood there and following behind and pushing his way ahead and shutting the door closing out the receptionist who protested that he just barged straight through was Harvey Specter himself.
"Now, Mr. Schwitzer, my name is Harvey Specter and I am sure you're not going to like what I am going to say. However, if you continue to pursue this and harrass my wife, yes, my wife then it will be brought to light all the other falsified contracts that you have duped others into signing.
"Do tell, Mr. Specter," Mike said sarcastically.
Harvey's presence filled the room. Mike was glad that Harvey had continued to research after the conversation. It was also fortunate that Schwitzer and Learson had tried their Breach of Contract tricks on New York clients as well.
"Well, it doesn't matter if you married Ms. Paulsen, she still signed the contract," Earl said.
"Before you decide that you will win this case take a look at that," Harvey placed a piece of paper and a flashdrive on the table in front of him.
Harvey came and stood behind Earl. He leaned one arm on the table and insinuated himself between the chair and Earl himself.
"Now, contained on this thumb drive is a copy of every single one of these contracts and their signers on this list. No big deal there. All legit signatures on legit contracts at the time of signature."
"This proves nothing."
"Wait, Earl," Mike said holding up a finger.
"This flash drive contains paperwork which was then said to be the same contract signed by the contractees. That's not all, though. There is also a detailed analysis of the paper and signatures of those signers. It seems that you have done this little bait and switch of contracts more than just now."
"Where did you find that? Our secretaries are very careful in what they keep and what they shred."
"I don't think you paid those secretaries enough. You see, Ms. Paulsen, Mrs Specter, Donna was my secretary and she kept meticulous records. These signers are people that were in my wife's theater group and whom had been invited to California to sign a contract as well. It just so happened that with a little help from those same people we've been able to locate all the original contracts with original signatures."
"So?"
Mike then piped in, "Harvey, can I?"
"Sure. Why not jump in here and have some fun?"
"So, if you decide not to settle this issue with us and agree never to pursue this in any way shape or form, all these people have agreed to sue you and your firm in a Class Action Suit."
"What happens if I do sign? What prevents these people and I assume Donna Paulsen from suing my clients and my firm anyway?"
"Nothing. However, I can guarantee you that my wife will not pursue it. However, the other 100 people can go to another firm to represent their cause. We have no jurisdiction over their collective conscientious." Harvey just wanted to see this guy squirm. He was so glad that Mike allowed him on the case. This was Harvey's wheelhouse and it was Harvey's family. Those two items alone motivated Harvey to not listen to Donna and jump on the next plane to LA.
Earl, Jr., looked at Mike and then he looked at Harvey who continued to stand. His arrogance and confidence exuding from all of Harvey's pores.
"Where did you find all these original contracts?" Schwitzer, Jr., wanted to know.
"Is it important how we found them or that we found them?" Mike questioned Schwitzer, Jr.
Earl reached for the affidavit which after signing would settle the matter at hand, and Mike handed him the bonus check that Donna never cashed.
"What is this?"
"That is the check that Ms. Paulsen (Harvey coughed)...sorry, now Mrs. Specter never cashed when she signed the contract. Since wealth and fame were actually the least two items that motivated her into signing on to doing the movie in the firstplace."
"Well...thank her. That was good of her."
Then Harvey did something that he had every intention of doing. He plucked the uncashed check and placed it in his pocket.
"What the hell are you doing?" Schwizter asked angrily.
"I'm making a husbandly decision. As both her lawyer and her husband, my wife was under duress when she accepted the check and under duress when she decided to give it back. So being that the check was not actually signed over to you, I am taking it back and putting it in our soon to be born baby's college fund."
Winking, Harvey said, "You have a nice day."
Mike rose from his seat and smirked out of the side of his face and was sure to take the affidavit with him followed Harvey out the door.
Once they left the office, Harvey looked at Mike and said, "That was the most fun I've had in a long time."
"Batman and Robin did it again," Mike said as they both high-fived.
Donna was sitting at her table going through some of the photos on her phone that she wanted to send to her computer and then print out for framing. Most of the pictures were of her and her friends at her Shakespeare In The Park group and pictures of Lily and Bobby and then the piece de la resistance pictures from her City Hall wedding to Harvey. Of course this was going to be nothing like the big splash they would be celebrating shortly before the birth of the baby. These pictures, however, were very special because they would be the first wedding pictures of her and Harvey.
Her back had been to the door of her apartment as she wanted to feel the sunshine on her face and feel the breeze coming in from her windows. So when she felt a hand on her shoulder and a kiss between her neck and collarbone, she jumped until Harvey's soothing voice said, "It's ok I know your husband."
"Harvey!" Donna then jumped up and hugged him so hard that Harvey thought he would turn blue in the interim.
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, I couldn't stay away. You know that wasn't going to work. Me worrying about you here and physically being at the firm. Besides Mike needed some help from New York so Rachel and I dug and we found that these lawyers did not only scam you but a whole bunch of your friends from your theater group."
Donna's eyes lit up. "They signed authentic contracts and then they were switched?"
"Yes. Unfortunately we were only able to find a few, but Schwitzer and Learson don't know that. They signed this affidavit that they did, in fact, defraud you and about a hundred other people who signed with Darrick and Larsen. However, as long as you we did not disclose the bogus contracts, they would no longer pursue Breach of Contract charges. Case closed."
"Did Mike tell you about Brenda?"
"Yes, he did. I got something out of it for her, too. I'm not sure how much it will help her get back to casting again, but it can't hurt."
"You got them to print a retraction for all the blackballing, didn't you?"
"I most certainly did. So, do you want to tell Brenda or should I?"
Donna slid her arms around her husband's waist and said, "How about we go together?"
"Ok. Then maybe we can get something to eat. I've been here in LA for two days now and I don't think I've eaten anything more than the pretzels on the plane."
"Oh, poor baby, I can see you're starving." Donna pooh-poohed.
Donna smiled into his eyes and Harvey smiled back at her with all the love in his heart.
"We'll pick up Brenda and then we will have to get Mike or he'll complain to his wife that I didn't take care of him."
While they talked they walked toward the door, Harvey opened the door for Donna and she stepped forward before him. He closed the door and then Donna turned toward Harvey and kissed him deeply.
"I am so happy you didn't listen to me, this time."