Okay, I know it's taken me FOREVER to update this, but I don't know – I just wasn't thrilled with this chapter when I reread it and I've been trying to make it better for months, but at some point, I think you just gotta pull the trigger. So, that's what I'm doing. Hopefully, this doesn't suck.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
"Ready to go over your calendar?" Donna inquires as she steps into his office, sashaying her hips, with her legal pad tucked in between her forearm and her ribs while she uses her other hand to twirl her multi-colored pen.
She's doing her best to project her usual confidence, but it's all an act, and she's praying Harvey doesn't notice. It's why when she stood in front of her closet this morning, she pulled out her reliable green dress – the one that perfectly hugs her curves and reveals just the right amount of cleavage. She's had it in her closet for years, and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't noticed the way his eyes always linger more than usual whenever she wears it.
He already showed his appreciation when she walked out of her bedroom wearing it – his face lighting up with a smile and his hands immediately gravitating to her hips. "I love that dress on you," he murmured in her ear as he pulled her close. She fell into his arms, letting him unknowingly calm her nerves as a few scattered kisses landed on her neck. Unfortunately, it didn't last long – it's only been half an hour and now that they're at the office, about to go over his schedule for the day, it's all bubbling back up again.
Still, she's doing her best not to let it show.
"Yeah, go ahead," he confirms with a nod, as he puts down his phone and leans back in his chair, giving her his undivided attention – his eyes raking over her form as she takes a seat across from him.
"Okay, so uh… you have a call with Oliver Centauro at nine thirty," she begins, trying to refocus. "He wants to discuss removing his soon to be former brother in law from the board of directors," she explains as she scribbles down a note, reminding herself to print out a copy of the bylaws for his reference during the call.
"Did Mike finish reviewing the by-laws?" Harvey questions before taking a sip of his coffee, eyeing her over his mug.
"Yeah, I put his notes on your desk," she tells him, pointing to the packet next to his laptop. "And I'll print out a copy of the by-laws before the call," she adds as she finishes jotting down her note.
"Great," he responds with a bob of his head as he grabs the notes and moves them closer so he can review them after she leaves.
"Okay, and then, Marianne is stopping by at ten thirty to review her deposition transcript and sign the errata sheet. It's three hours of testimony to go over, so I'll put her in conference room C. I just figured you'd want to set aside a few minutes to pop in and say hello at some point," she continues, adding a small check mark to her note.
"Right, good idea," he concurs, still nursing that coffee while keeping his gaze on her.
"And Charlie Stuntz is expecting to get the finalized SEC filings before noon," she relays, momentarily glancing up from her notepad before adding another check to her list.
"They're pretty much done. I just want to review them one more time and then I'll send them over," he promises, opening his laptop back up so he can open up the file to look over later that morning.
"Okay and James Zilner wants to know where you are with the due diligence on the CEO candidates he sent over on Friday. Can I schedule a call for one?" She asks, peering up from her notebook.
"Sure," he confirms with a shrug. "I just need to get an update from Vanessa, so make sure you can schedule a call with her before then," he instructs, as he takes another sip from his mug.
"Alright," she says, jotting down a few notes. "I'll try to get something scheduled with Vanessa for twelve or twelve-thirty," she assures him.
"Okay," he agrees, nodding along.
"And have you had a chance to review the licensing agreements Theo Britten e-mailed yesterday?" She inquires, moving on to the next item on her list.
"Not yet. With this whole Jones Vega merger dropped on me yesterday, that got put to the side, but I'll look them over this morning," he promises.
"Okay, he was hoping you could give him a call this afternoon… how about two thirty?" she suggests.
"That's fine," Harvey replies while continuing to scrutinize her features.
"Great, I'll call him and let him know," she says, writing it down. "Also, the discovery deadline in the Carlisle case is coming up, so if you want to send out any requests, they need to be out by Friday," she relays, still focused solely on her notepad.
"Yeah," he agrees. "I'll have the kid start working on some document requests and interrogatories, and probably a few subpoenas once the mock trial is over," he decides.
"Right, and you have that motion hearing in the Rovi case on Thursday, so we have to get the opposition to the courier by 3PM," she reminds him.
"I finished that last night, so you can sign my name and get it out this morning," he relays.
"Great," she nods, adding a reminder to her list. "And then… you and Jones are meeting with Vega and his attorney downtown at five thirty," she explains, doing her best to keep her cool.
"Have any luck figuring out who he hired to represent him?" He wonders.
"I did," she nods her head before inhaling a breath. "It's Scottie," she relays as casually as she can.
"Ah," he says, leaning back in his chair, looking like everything finally makes sense.
"What?" She questions, raising her eyebrow, and lowering her notebook into her lap.
"That's why you've been acting so weird," he assumes, relieved to have finally solved the mystery that's been plaguing him all morning. He knew something off, but he had seriously been struggling to figure out what. While he was fairly certain he hadn't done anything worthy of making her angry, she was acting so strange that he was starting to think it was something he did.
"I have not been acting weird," she defends. Although, she knows it's not true. She has been weird.
She woke up a little earlier than usual this morning and when she couldn't fall back asleep, she decided to get a jump start on the day. While Harvey stayed in bed, she made a couple calls trying to figure out the name of Vega's attorney.
Ever since Dana's name popped up, her whole morning turned upside down.
It's the first time either of them has seen Scottie since she and Harvey started doing… whatever it is they've been doing, and knowing her and Harvey's usual arrangement when she comes into town, she's not sure how she's supposed to feel about it.
Even though they've been spending all this time together, she doesn't have any sort of claim over him. Technically, he's free to do whatever it is he wants.
The problem is, she has no idea what that is or if it involves Scottie.
"You were quiet all morning… and you mentioned Marianne without making a joke about her cats," he points out, as if it's definitive proof of her unease.
Sometimes, she forgets that he knows her almost as well as she knows him.
Still, she's not about to let him know that.
"So?" She says, crossing her arms over her chest, refusing to give in.
"Donna," he replies as he gives her that look. "C'mon," he says as he gets up from his chair, rounds his desk, and leans on the edge, so he's right in front of her. "Are you… feeling weird about my meeting with Scottie?" He presses, momentarily hesitating to find the appropriate adjective.
"No," she declares, completely adamant, refusing to admit her true feelings on the subject. She hasn't let herself really dive into it all, but it doesn't take a genius to know that she's really not thrilled about it.
"Okay…" he responds, not finding her particularly convincing. "It's just – you seem… off," he continues, once again struggling to find the right adjective.
"I'm fine," she argues. "I just… I didn't sleep well last night," she maintains as she awkwardly shuffles in her seat. It's a complete lie and they both know it, but she's not fessing up and he's not going to call her out on it.
Still, he's not about to completely let her off the hook. "Are you sure that's it?" He questions while searching her eyes for answers.
"I'm sure," she declares, before standing up and running her hands down her skirt to fix the imaginary wrinkles. "So, if that's all, I really need to get back to work. I have a lot to get done and I was hoping to watch at least some of the mock trial."
"Okay," he responds, although he's basically talking to her back as she's already halfway to her desk.
Harvey watches her walk away, more confused than ever. He gets why this might be strange for her – she's well aware of his past with Scottie, and it's the first time he's seen her since they got together, so it makes sense that it could be a bit weird. But surely, she knows that nothing is going to happen between them.
Although, given the way she's been acting this morning and the way she acted just now – he has a feeling, she might not be as sure as he is.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
The rest of the day rolls by without incident except that Mike's entire strategy for the mock trial goes up in flames and Donna has to come to his rescue.
Maybe it's just because she spent a good chunk of the day dealing with that, but he feels like she's avoiding him. It's clear as day that she's not herself – stuck in her head and not making a single quip. She's obviously trying to act as if their conversation this morning didn't even happen, as if he's not about to go to a hotel to meet his ex-girlfriend, as if she isn't bothered by it in the slightest.
It's honestly unsettling.
He's really not sure what to believe. Is she just acting as if she doesn't care or is she really not bothered by it?
He has no idea.
But, it's nearing five thirty and if he wants to be on time to this meeting, he really needs to get going soon. Except, he's not exactly sure how to leave things – do they need to talk or is she truly alright with all of this?
And then, as if she's reading his mind, the buzz of the intercom snaps him from his thoughts. "Hey, Ray is downstairs to take you to your meeting," she informs him, completely casual.
"Thanks," he replies as he watches her from his desk, studying her body language in an effort to figure her out. He's not sure what to make of it. She's acting completely fine – like maybe she's over whatever it was that was going on with her earlier, but something inside him just doesn't buy it. Still, she didn't seem like she wanted to discuss it so he's not sure what he's supposed to do about the whole thing.
Letting out a sigh, he closes his laptop, gets up from his chair and grabs his suit jacket that he'd discarded earlier before his feet carry him towards her desk.
"You want me to pick you up after this meeting?" He asks her, leaning over her cubicle.
"No, that's okay," she declines. "I'll just grab a cab," she assures him, offering up a tight-lipped smile.
"Okay… should I meet you at your place?" He questions, having difficulty trying to read her.
"No, I'll meet you at yours," she decides, barely making eye contact as she briefly glances up at him.
"Okay… you sure you don't want me to pick you up, then?" He inquires again.
"That's alright," she dismisses. "I have a couple errands I have to run after work," she explains as she types away on her keyboard.
With a bob of his head, he takes a moment to search her eyes, once again trying to figure out if she's being completely truthful. But ever the actress, he has absolutely no idea.
"But I'll see you tonight?" He presses, wanting to be sure.
"Yes," she confirms, a more genuine smile touching her lips this time. "I'll see you tonight," she promises, finally meeting his eyes.
Mirroring her expression, he offers a smile in return, relieved that she doesn't appear to be angry with him. "Okay, then I'll see you at my place in a couple hours," he reiterates.
"Yep. See you in a bit," she replies with a nod, before watching him walk towards the elevators.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
The moment their clients are out of sight, he can feel her eyes on him. When he glances up, he finds that familiar gaze of hers directed right at him – flirtatious and suggestive and telling him everything he needs to know.
"What?" He asks, anyway.
"I was thinking we could hammer out the rest of these details upstairs," she flirts as she crosses her right leg over her left, purposefully causing her dress to ride up her thigh.
And well, it's not that Harvey wasn't expecting something like this to happen – he definitely was. For years, they've been hooking up every time they happened to be in the same city.
Still, even with him expecting it, the comment catches him a bit off guard and he awkwardly stammers out a response. "Uh…. actually, I can't," he tells her.
"Why not?" She frowns, his response taking her by surprise.
"Well… I'm seeing someone," he informs her, trying to shake away the discomfort this conversation is provoking.
"What?!" Scottie spits back, her eyes wider than he's ever seen. "You're seeing someone?" She repeats, seemingly not believing his words.
"Yes," he replies, somewhat offended by just how surprised she appears to be. It's not as if he's never dated – and sure, it's different with Donna, but he's been exclusive with a woman before. Just because it didn't usually last for very long doesn't mean it couldn't happen.
"You mean… seriously?" She inquires, still having trouble accepting the concept. It's just – all the times they've met up like this, there's never been anyone else in the picture – or at least no one that prevented them from their usual activities.
"Yes," he confirms. The next several seconds drag on as he just sits there, trying to hide his unease under her scrutinizing gaze.
"How long has it been going on?" She eventually asks, quite curious.
"A couple months," he responds.
"That doesn't seem that serious," she remarks, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Well, it is," he retorts, suddenly becoming annoyed by her dismissal of his relationship.
"Okay, okay," she says, lifting her hands in surrender, a bit taken aback by how defensive he got.
"Sorry," he quickly apologizes, suddenly feeling silly for letting her get to him. "It's just… yeah, it's serious," he tells her, starting to absent-mindedly fidget with his tie.
"Well, I can't wait to meet her," Scottie says with as much teasing enthusiasm as she can muster. "I mean, the woman who finally got Harvey Specter to settle down? … She must really be something," she quips.
"She is," he confirms, trying his best to bite back a smile as thoughts of Donna fill his brain. These last couple months, he's just been… really happy. Being with Donna is unlike anything else he's ever experienced – unlike any other relationship he's ever had. With her, it's just… easy.
"Wow, you're… smitten," Scottie playfully accuses as she examines his expression, surprised by his response.
"I am not," Harvey immediately refutes, feeling slightly embarrassed by being caught. "I'm just… she's just… great," he awkwardly defends.
"I'm sure she is," Scottie retorts with a placating tone. "So, when can I meet her?" She wonders, still teasing. In her mind, she's still imaging some Sport Illustrated swimsuit model with an IQ of seventy and a vocabulary of a third grader.
"Uh… well… you have met her," he admits, scratching at the back of his neck.
"What?" Scottie replies, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "Who?" She asks, suddenly very interested.
Momentarily hesitating, he's not sure if he should tell her. It's supposed to be a secret, one that no one else knows, and he's not sure if divulging it is the best idea – especially to Scottie, of all people.
But, the thing is, he does trust her.
Not when it comes to business and their rivalry – in that case, he wouldn't trust her for a second. But, he knows that she cares about him. He knows she'd never do something that could hurt him.
He's almost certain he can trust her with this.
"It's… Donna," he eventually confesses, bracing himself for her response.
And well, her reaction is roughly as he expected. Her eyes are wide, her jaw is dropped, and she's completely silent for what feels like forever.
"Donna?" She asks, after several seconds go by. "As in your secretary?"
"Yes," he responds with a bob of his head.
"How long?" She follows up, immediately.
"I told you, a couple months," he says, knitting his eyebrows together in confusion.
"No… how long have you had feelings for her?" She clarifies. Her whole demeanor has completely changed – what was once silly and teasing is now humorless and somber.
Oh. "A while," he acknowledges. He's never actually admitted that out loud before and the confession kind of takes him by surprise – but, then again, it also doesn't. Donna has been a huge part of his life for the last seven years and she's always been more than his secretary, no matter how much he pretended otherwise.
"Right," she sighs, unable to look him in the eye.
"Look, I'm sorry," he apologizes, instantly feeling guilty. He's never been oblivious to Scottie's feelings for him, especially considering the fact that she's never been especially keen on hiding them. There was a time in his life, where he thought that maybe, someday, they'd both get their shit together and make a real go of it. He used to think that Scottie knew him better than anyone, that she challenged him in the best possible ways. He used to think they might end up together someday.
Now, he knows that Donna is the one who truly understands him, the one he can be himself with, the one that he can trust with everything.
Now, he knows that the way Donna challenges him is what he really needs in his life. The way she supports him, encourages him, and believes in him, but never hesitates to call him out on his shit and push him to be better.
Now, he knows that he and Scottie would never work – always competing against each other instead of working together.
Still, he doesn't think that Scottie's fully realized all of this yet and when he sees that distinct look in her eye, his stomach twists in knots at the idea that he's hurt her. "I do care about you, Scottie… I always have, I just…" he says, struggling to come up with the words.
"Care about her more," she assumes.
"It's… different," he hesitates. "With her, it's…different," he sighs, unsure how else to explain it without hurting Scottie any more than he already has.
"It's okay, Harvey," she assures him, trying for convincing. "I mean, seeing you with her… the way you've always put her up on that pedestal… it's not like I had no idea," she tells him. "I just… tried to ignore it," she explains with a shrug. "But I'm… I'm happy for you," she adds with what appears to be a genuine smile touching her lips.
"Thanks," he replies, offering a smile in return.
She nods her head in response before momentarily gazing around the room until her eyes return to him. "Well, if we're not gonna have sex, I guess I should head back," she declares, playing it off as a joke, as she stands and starts collecting her things.
"Yeah," he agrees, his tone light, as he follows her lead and gets up from his chair.
"Bye, Harvey," she says with a warm smile, as she lifts her arms for a hug.
"Bye, Scottie," he replies as he wraps her up in a quick embrace.
"Say hi to Donna for me," she adds, as soon as she pulls away.
"Okay," he says, rolling his eyes at her insincerity.
She chuckles lightly in response before she turns and walks away, heading towards the elevator alone.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
When he gets home that night, he's disappointed not to find her sitting on his couch with a glass of wine, like she usually is when they plan to meet at his place.
Fishing his phone from his jacket pocket, he wants to call and find out when she'll be coming by. Except, it's only seven o'clock, so he decides to give her another twenty minutes.
Instead, he goes to take a shower and then changes into a pair of sweatpants and a white cotton t-shirt, wanting to be more comfortable.
And when he walks out of his bedroom, all dried off and dressed, he can't help but smile when he spots her unpacking some takeout in his kitchen, wearing that green dress he loves to see her in.
"Hey," he greets her, sneaking up behind her as his arms wrap around her waist, and his chin momentarily rests on her shoulder.
"Hey," she replies, briefly leaning into him, before she places the takeout containers on the counter and turns in his grasp, sliding both arms around his neck.
Happy that all of the awkwardness from earlier seems to have dissipated, he leans in for a kiss, letting his lips linger for a few extra seconds before he pulls away in favor of air. "What are we eating?" He inquires as he peers over her shoulder to try to get a peek.
"I had Ray stop at Celeste," she informs him as she returns her attention to their meals.
"Mm," Harvey hums as he goes to grab two plates from the cabinet and places them beside her, so she can divvy up the food. As always, Donna takes some of Harvey's Pennette Bolognese while portioning out some of her Petto di Pollo Ruspante Mandorloto onto his plate. Meanwhile, Harvey pours them each a glass of red wine, grabs the necessary silverware, and makes his way towards the table, with Donna following close behind.
While Donna sits down and takes a sip of her wine, Harvey quickly puts on a record, before returning to sit across from her. They're eating in relative silence for maybe thirty seconds before Donna can no longer keep quiet. She's been waiting for him to say something ever since he walked out of his bedroom, but he hasn't uttered a word and now she just needs to know.
"So…" she prompts. "How was your meeting?" She says while focusing solely on her food as to avoid eye contact.
"It was fine," Harvey responds, with a shrug of his shoulders, as he twirls some pasta around his fork.
She waits a beat, expecting him to elaborate, but he's just taking a sip of his wine and then refocusing on his dinner, completely oblivious to her watching him, expectantly. She gives him about five more seconds before she starts to become increasingly impatient. "Fine?" She repeats. "That's it?"
Glancing up from his food, he finds her staring at him with an incredulous expression on her face, and furrows his brows. "Okay, c'mon – what is going on?" He wants to know. "Things have been weird all day," he adds, gesturing between them. "You said were fine with me meeting Scottie and now… you don't seem fine," he says, looking for an explanation.
Donna sighs, knowing that he's right, and that she's not going to be able to avoid his scrutiny for any longer. "I don't know, I just… I felt weird about you meeting with her," she admits; although, she knows it's not the whole truth. "I felt… worried," she reveals, struggling to get the word out.
"Worried?" He asks, caught off guard by her admission. "Worried about what?" He continues. "What did you think was going to happen?" He presses, his expression a mixture of disbelief and insulted. He's trying to remain calm, but he can feel his blood pressure starting to rise.
"I… I don't know," she says, refusing to meet his eyes, really not wanting to answer his question. Instead, she focuses her gaze on the Manhattan skyline visible from his balcony, while he continues waiting for her response.
When it doesn't come, he voices his assumption. "You thought I would have sex with her," he says, hoping that he's wrong.
Still looking away from him, all he gets is a slight shrug of her shoulders.
Almost immediately, his blood starts to boil and he flies out of his seat. "Donna, how could you think that!?" He exclaims. "You know what my mom did to my dad. You know how I feel about cheating," he continues, gripping the back of his chair so tightly that his knuckles have turned white. "You seriously thought I would sleep with her?" He wants to know, having trouble believing it.
"I don't think it's that outrageous for me to assume considering that's exactly what happens every other time she comes into town," she remarks, as she finally looks in his direction.
"Yeah, before," he emphasizes. "I mean, the fact that you think I could ever do something like that to you… I…" he stammers, unable to even finish the sentence.
"Before what, Harvey?" She argues as she gets out of her seat to meet his height. "It's not like we've ever actually discussed what this is," she gestures between the two of them. "How am I supposed to know whether you would even consider it cheating to sleep with Scottie? I mean, we never even said we were exclusive," she points out.
As he lets her words sink in, his expression quickly softens and he leans forward. "Donna, we've been doing this for what? Two months now?" He questions. "We're together all the time; we spend most of our nights together, I mean… I thought it was obvious," he explains.
"Okay… well… it wasn't," she responds as her own frustration dissipates.
Nodding his head, he's just about to apologize for not making it clear when a troubling thought pops into his head. "Wait… does that mean… have you been seeing other people?" He probes while his stomach churns at the mere idea of it.
"No," she shakes her head. "Just you," she assures him, her lips bending into a slight smile.
"Okay… good," he replies, more than relieved as he makes his way towards her, reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze. "Hey," he says, waiting until he has her attention. "Nothing happened with Scottie… or anyone else… not since that night we got together."
"Okay."
"I'm sorry that wasn't clear," he says as he tugs on her hand and pulls her closer.
"It's okay… I mean… I could've asked," she reasons, her tone suddenly much lighter.
"Why didn't you?" He wonders, curious as to the reason.
"I don't know," she shrugs. "You're not exactly Mr. Commitment. Didn't want to freak you out," she justifies.
"It wouldn't have freaked me out," he promises her.
"Now you tell me," she jokes, a smirk dancing across her mouth.
Harvey smiles in response, before dipping his head and catching her lips in a kiss. "So… we're good, now?" He inquires, just wanting to be sure.
"We're good," she confirms with a nod.
"Good," he responds. "Now that we've settled that – can we finish dinner?" He wonders, nodding his head towards the meal still sitting on the table.
Letting out a laugh, she bobs her head in agreement and lets him lead her back to the table.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
"Seriously though…. what did happen with Scottie?" Donna inquires as she and Harvey are cleaning up after finishing their meal.
"What do you mean?" Harvey frowns, looking back over at her.
"I mean… wasn't she expecting sex?" She wonders, suddenly acting entirely amused by the whole thing.
"She may have suggested we go to her room," he concedes, trying to bite back a smirk.
"So, what did you do? Make up some ridiculous excuse?" She presumes as a chuckle slips from her lips, while she loads the dishwasher.
"No," he denies, momentarily hesitating. "I… well, look… I know we agreed to keep things between us quiet but, Scottie won't say anything," he rambles, nervously, praying she won't be upset about his disclosure.
"You told her about us?" Donna exclaims, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Yeah," he shrugs, unsure if he's about to be in trouble.
"What did she say?" Donna probes.
"She said she wasn't surprised," he admits with a shrug. "That, deep down, she knew – she just tried to ignore it."
"She knew?" Donna repeats, mulling the words over in her mind.
"Yeah," he nods. "Apparently, I've always put you on a pedestal," he inches closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Well… that's probably true," she grins, as she slides her arms around his neck.
Responding with an affectionate smile, Harvey leans in for a kiss.
"So, what else did she say?" Donna wonders, after they part.
"She asked me if we were serious," he explains as he tucks a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Oh?" She responds, as if she doesn't want to ask about a million questions.
His lips curve upward, watching as her mind spins. "I mean… we are, aren't we?" He presses.
With a smile overtaking her face, she slowly nods her head. "Yeah, we are," she agrees before leaning in for a kiss.
And about two seconds in, she's made the decision to leave the dishes and is pulling him towards his bedroom.
««« ×ǁ WITH A TWIST ǁ× »»»
Don't forget to review & I will try not to wait as long before I post the next chapter!
Next chapter – Harvey and Donna get in a fight.