Harvey Specter wasn't known for having an eidetic memory, that title would forever belong to Mike. However, he did have an excellent memory, so not remembering an entire part of his day was really starting to make him uncomfortable, and it would almost worry him if he had enough self-preservation to care about his health. At first, he thought fatigue was simply causing him to forget that he had gone to bed, as if he were in a semi-conscious state guided by exhaustion. Except, that wasn't the case. Harvey was genuinely forgetting things, he realized that a few days ago.
He was having his coffee before heading for work, Paula had already left for her own office, and she sent him a text message to wish him a good day, among other things.
"Thanks for last night."
"Last night ?"
"Don't play innocent, you just want me to say it to stroke your caveman ego. You're really good in bed."
"In bed ?"
"Yes, in bed. Do I need to explicitly say that sex was extremely satisfying and last night even more so ? Have a good day, Harvey. See you tonight."
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" We had sex last night ?! " He thought.
What. The. Fuck.
How could he not remember that ? It made no sense. What the fuck was going on with his body ? First the near-constant nausea, the fatigue, and now memory loss. Harvey was finally beginning to understand that maybe not everything was just in his head after all.
Harvey was nervously adjusting the bow tie of his tuxedo for the tenth time in the back of the car as Ray drove him to the Plaza.
Donna had taken care of booking one of their reception rooms, using her magic, as everyone in Manhattan knew it took years in advance to get a spot at the Plaza. But no matter what her status, Donna always worked miracles.
Finally arriving at the venue, he thanked Ray and dismissed him for the night.
The room Donna had chosen was tastefully decorated. Large floral arrangements adorned the room, the 360° bar in the middle of the room was unique and blended in completely with the decor, and waiters were already navigating between guests with appetizers and glasses of champagne.
Judging by the crowd, he could tell that most of the guests had arrived, yet only one person caught his attention.
Donna's naked back was the first thing that drew his eye. She was facing away from him, laughing at a joke from Mike and Rachel, and she was stunning even if he wasn't able to see her face yet. The black dress, of course, had been tastefully chosen, like everything the redhead wore, and he already knew he would find that dress in his dreams. The nude back that went all the way down to the base of her loins, the fabric that hugged her hips and buttocks perfectly, and the small train that finished off the very distinguished dress. He approached his friends, and Donna turned around to greet him even before he announced his presence as if her intuition knew he was behind her, staring. Once facing her, he couldn't help but notice that the front of the dress was just as impressive as the back. A beautiful cleavage highlighted her breasts without being too plunging or vulgar, and the dress was slit on one side to mid-thigh. The dress perfectly accentuated her body, yes, but what truly took his breath away were her eyes. A smoky makeup that highlighted her eyes and gave him the impression that her gaze could see through his soul.
As he stood before her, his heart raced with admiration and frustration.
"You're gorgeous, it's killing me," he thought, but he knew better than to let those words escape his lips. Instead, he opted for something safer, less revealing of his inner turmoil.
"Nice dress," he murmured, his voice betraying none of the chaos churning inside him.
Her response was a mysterious smile, one that seemed to suggest she saw right through him, as though she was peering into the depths of his soul and understanding every unspoken thought. It sent shivers down his spine, leaving him both intrigued and unnerved by the intensity of her gaze.
"Thanks, Harvey." The tension between them was palpable and obvious to everyone. Harvey decided to change the subject and turned his attention to Mike instead.
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"Oh, look, the puppy finally has his own tux. He's growing up so fast." Harvey remarked, his tone teasing yet affectionate. Mike rolled his eyes at the comment but smiled at his boss's remark. Harvey seemed more at ease tonight, and even though physically he didn't seem to be doing any better, it at least appeared to be in the company of the Harvey everyone knows in terms of repartee.
"Did you manage to tie that bow tie all by yourself or should we all thank Rachel for that?" Harvey said, giving Mike shit.
"I did it all by myself, thank you very much," Mike falsely took offense before adding, looking down sheepishly. "But I gotta admit, it wasn't straight, so Donna fixed it." Mike added his head pointing towards the redhead.
"He's not growing up THAT fast after all, is he?" Harvey asked Donna, meeting her gaze.
Donna smiled. "Certainly not."
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Despite Harvey's attempts to appear "normal-ish," Donna couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. Over the years, she had always found Harvey undeniably handsome, regardless of any fluctuations in his weight. Yet, as she looked at him now, a pang of sadness tugged at her heart. He seemed so thin, thinner than she had ever seen him before.
Deep down, Donna knew there was more to Harvey's appearance than met the eye. She longed to reach out to him, to offer comfort and support, even though she understood he was involved with someone else. The urge to wrap her arms around him and reassure him gnawed at her, accompanied by a desire to nourish him with the hearty meals he loved so much. After all, food had always been a source of joy for Harvey and seeing him like this stirred a protective instinct within her.
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Seizing the opportunity as a waiter passed by, Donna swiftly grabbed an appetizer and pressed it into Harvey's hand. "Eat," her tone brooked no argument, more of a command than a request.
"I'm not particularly hungry. It's still early. I'll eat when I get home," Harvey attempted to protest, though his words lacked conviction. Despite the slight improvement in his nausea, his appetite remained elusive, and he doubted his stomach's ability to keep anything down.
"Harvey," Donna's voice softened, her worry evident as she addressed him by name. "Please."
He found himself unable to refuse her, especially not when she looked at him with such tender concern. Few could resist her gentle yet insistent gaze.
"Okay," he relented, as he took the appetizer and brought it to his lips. He chewed slowly, prolonging the moment before he had to swallow, dreading the inevitable. "Happy?" he inquired once he had finally consumed the appetizer.
"Very. Thank you," Donna replied with a relieved smile.
"It was shrimp, by the way," Harvey remarked, a knowing glint in his eye as he made a subtle reference to the disastrous dinner at her apartment.
"Does it remind you of anything?" Donna's smile widened.
"It reminds me of your mother," Harvey quipped, and their laughter rang out, a rare moment of lightness between them. In that moment, they forgot about Mike and Rachel, who observed the exchange with a mixture of amusement and exasperation at their friends' obliviousness.
Harvey's laughter faded rather quickly when his gaze shifted to the entrance, where Paula stood scanning the room, her eyes searching for him. She was clad in a midnight blue dress that hugged her figure elegantly, the fabric cascading below her knee. Objectively, she was strikingly beautiful, but Harvey couldn't shake the thought that she paled in comparison to Donna. The realization gnawed at him, igniting a wave of self-loathing so intense that it brought back the nausea he had been struggling to suppress. Fuck. He wasn't going to be able to keep down this appetizer.
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The trio of friends observed the shift in Harvey's demeanor with growing concern. His tension was palpable, evident in the rapid rise and fall of his breaths. There was an unsettling air lingering around him, a cloud of unease that hovered without explanation. It was clear that something was amiss, and the uncertainty of it all made them uneasy. Rachel, sensing the need to intervene, gently suggested that Harvey should find Paula before she vanished into the bustling crowd of guests. Harvey offered no verbal acknowledgment but instead made his way toward Paula.
As the couple exchanged brief words, the interaction felt strained, lacking the ease and comfort one would expect from two people in a relationship. When Paula leaned in for a kiss, it was a gesture that felt forced, almost unnatural. Harvey's demeanor remained distant and aloof, and the kiss was terminated abruptly, leaving an awkward tension lingering in the air. Mike and Rachel exchanged a perplexed glance, their silent communication not escaping Donna's keen observation.
"Ok, what is going on?" Donna started. "I don't want to turn around and see them together unless I absolutely have to but that doesn't mean I don't want to know," Donna's impatience and curiosity were palpable as she voiced her reluctance to confront the scene unfolding behind her.
The exchange of looks between Mike and Rachel spoke volumes, hinting at their shared concern over Harvey's uncharacteristic behavior. Their silent communication conveyed a sense of mutual understanding and shared unease.
"Harvey kissed a girl and it... he looked...uncomfortable," Mike replied. His response was measured, reflecting a blend of puzzlement and uncertainty over Harvey's actions.
"Harvey is never uncomfortable when it comes to kissing a woman. It doesn't make sense," Donna mused aloud. Her remark carried a tinge of disbelief, while she was confused and struggled to reconcile Harvey's behavior with her perception of him. Her thoughts raced, searching for an explanation that could reconcile Harvey's usual confidence with the discomfort evident in his recent actions.
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Meanwhile, Harvey tried to have as little contact as possible with Paula. He couldn't explain why, but their text exchange was still lingering in the back of his mind. He didn't understand what was happening. It was impossible to forget having had sex with someone. Something deeply bothered him without being able to pinpoint it, and of course, he couldn't talk to Paula about it because he would have to admit that he had forgotten sleeping with her, and he couldn't even imagine the argument that would trigger. God knows he wasn't in the mood to be part of one either.
The lawyer first circled his biggest clients with Paula. He told himself it was because he hadn't seen them yet but truthfully, he wanted to put off the meeting between his two worlds, as long as possible. When he ran out of excuses, he finally approached his friends to introduce Paula, who obviously knew who everyone was since Harvey had talked about Mike and Rachel in therapy, not to mention Donna, who had been a big part of why there was therapy in the first place.
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"It's nice to see you again, Paula," Donna smiled amiably. She was only making the effort for Harvey because it seemed to matter to him, but the idea of a psychiatrist dating a former patient made her very uncomfortable. He'd been in therapy with this woman, which meant she'd gotten inside his head, and the power that gave her over Harvey was more than a little unhealthy for the redhead.
"Have the two of you met before?" As Harvey posed his question, his surprise was palpable in the furrow.
"Briefly, just before you resigned, but it's not important," Donna tried to downplay their previous encounter. Her hand sought to sweep away the significance of their past interaction as an attempt to shield herself from the raw vulnerability threatening to surface.
Behind her composed façade, Donna grappled with a torrent of conflicting emotions. She could feel the weight of her longing for Harvey pressing against her ribs, threatening to burst forth. Years of suppressing her feelings had taught her to wear a mask of indifference, but beneath it, her heart screamed in protest, feeling as though it were being trampled upon in real-time. Despite her strength, the ache of unrequited love gnawed at her insides, a relentless torment she bore in silence, as always. Perhaps the gods heard her when she realized Louis was about to give a speech to thank the guests for their presence.
.
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Although Harvey was the managing partner, Louis had begged him to make the speech as a Name Partner, and Harvey pretended to be annoyed and doing him a huge favor when in reality, he was relieved not to have to do it. But he would never admit that to Louis.
Mike, Rachel, and Donna approached to listen to Louis while Harvey and Paula stood immediately behind them. During this terribly long and boring speech, Harvey found himself stuck with his thoughts again, staring at Donna's form. The sight of her back, adorned with a constellation of freckles, stirred a tempest within him. If he deserved her, he would lose himself in that back, in that cluster of freckles. He remembered everything as if it were yesterday : her scent, the softness of her skin, the places on her body that responded most to his touches. But he didn't deserve her. And so, he remained rooted in place, a silent sentinel, clinging to her presence as though it were his lifeline, as long as she didn't leave, everything was fine. He can handle anything and everything as long as she's there. As long as she doesn't leave him.
Amidst the tedium of Louis's speech, Harvey's mind wandered to forbidden territories, his thoughts a tangled web of longing and regret. "Please, don't leave me. I will move no more, I will talk no more. I'll hide somehow, listening to you laugh, watching you smile," his silent plea echoed in the recesses of his mind, a desperate supplication to a deity he no longer believed in. " Just don't leave me," he implored as a silent prayer.
He felt Paula hold out her hand as if to bring him back to reality. He froze for a moment, remembering where he was and who he was with, and offered her a forced smile, but she didn't buy it. So she squeezed his hand tighter, and he pretended to listen to Louis. "This fucking speech is endless," he thought as he looked at him again, but it didn't seem to be enough for Paula, who squeezed his hand even harder. Unable to ignore the feeling, he finally looked at her, feeling his hand sore. He gave her a questioning look, which she ignored, so he turned back to Louis again, but Paula kept squeezing his hand harder and harder until he couldn't hold back any longer.
"Stop doing that, you're hurting me," Harvey finally let out in a whisper, withdrawing his hand with a wince. He attempted to cloak his discomfort with his voice barely audible amidst the din of the crowd. Luckily, Mike and Rachel did not hear him. However, despite his efforts to maintain appearances, the tension in his jaw betrayed the agony coursing through him.
Donna, ever perceptive to the slightest shift in Harvey's demeanor, turned slowly to assess his well-being. A flicker of concern danced in her eyes as she met his gaze, a silent exchange laden with unspoken questions. She scrutinized him, tried to read between the lines, but he shook his head and she received the message clearly : "Stay out of it, I'm fine."
As the speech drew to a merciful close, Harvey made a swift exit from the stifling confines of the room, testifying to the turmoil raging within him. Paula followed in his wake, and found him outside waiting for a cab.
"You're not even going to wait for me ?" Paula's voice rang out, thick with anger and hurt, her eyes flashing with indignation.
"I really don't feel like talking right now," Harvey snapped, his tone edged with irritation as he bristled at the confrontation.
Paula's features hardened, as she met Harvey's gaze.
"So you act badly, and on top of that, you're the one annoyed. That's really the pot calling the kettle black," she retorted, her words laced with a bitterness that cut through the tension like a knife.
"I act badly ? I'm not the one hurting the other one." Harvey shot back, his disbelief palpable in the air between them as he struggled to contain his rising temper.
"Not physically, no, but what about my feelings ?" Paula's voice cracked with raw emotion, her facade of composure crumbling under the weight of her vulnerability.
Harvey's jaw tightened, a muscle twitching imperceptibly as he fought to rein in his rising frustration. He knew where this conversation was headed, dreaded the inevitable descent into accusations and recriminations, yet found himself powerless to halt its spiral.
"What are you talking about ?" Harvey's voice was a low growl as he braced himself for the onslaught of accusations to come.
"Oh, please, you were literally drooling over Donna," Paula shot back, her tone dripping with cold disdain as she laid bare the truth she believed to be self-evident.
Harvey's nostrils flared with indignation, his hands balling into fists at his sides as he struggled to contain the surge of anger threatening to consume him. "I was lost in my thoughts and staring at an invisible point, and it turns out that yes, Donna was in front of me."
"Bullshit. You were looking at her," Paula's voice was a whip-crack of accusation, her eyes blazing with righteous fury as she refused to back down from her stance.
Harvey knew he was lying to himself and lying to Paula. Of course, he was looking at Donna. Who wouldn't look at her... He knew Paula was right, he hated himself for it, he hated making her suffer. It was his fault, she wouldn't have had to hurt him if he hadn't acted wrongly.
"Silence implies consent," Paula's voice was a tremulous whisper.
Harvey felt a pang of remorse tighten his chest, a knot of shame coiling in the pit of his stomach as he faced the consequences of his actions.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, his gaze fixed on the ground as he grappled with the weight of his guilt. "You're right, it's my fault."
Paula's shoulders sagged with the weight of her own remorse, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she sought to atone for her part in their heated exchange.
"I shouldn't have hurt you," she admitted, her voice barely audible. "It won't happen again."
Harvey offered a weak smile, as he sought to ease the tension between them. "It's nothing, it's my fault," he insisted. "Don't worry about it." He approached her and took her in his arms to seal his apology.
Yet beneath his placating words, Harvey couldn't shake the gnawing sense of unease that lingered in the aftermath of their confrontation. His apology, though sincere, felt inadequate in the face of Paula's palpable distress, leaving him grappling with a sense of remorse that weighed on his heart.
The next day Harvey didn't feel less guilty. Determined to avoid the fallout from the previous night's, he navigated the corridors of Pearson Specter Litt with the stealth of a fugitive.
Every glance cast toward Donna's office made Harvey uncomfortable, a reminder of a confrontation he desperately sought to evade. The thought of facing her filled him with a sense of dread so profound it threatened to suffocate him.
With precision, Harvey buried himself in his work, using his focus as a shield against the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. Yet, try as he might to lose himself in the mundane minutiae of legal briefs and client meetings, the memory of last night lingered like a specter haunting him.
The previous night, with a heavy heart, Harvey had succumbed to Paula's entreaties for reconciliation, his body moving on autopilot even as his thoughts remained firmly ensnared by memories of Donna.
Fuck.
Harvey felt like a fucking pervert. The night had been an unrelenting torment, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions and shattered illusions. He hadn't slept a wink, the weight of his own guilt and self-loathing bearing down upon him like a leaden cloak. As expected, the meager appetizer and champagne he had forced down earlier came back to haunt him, their sickly-sweet taste mingling with the bitter bile rising in his throat.
Between the lingering remnants of insomnia from the previous night and the accumulated fatigue that had plagued him for weeks, Harvey struggled to keep his eyes open, his vision swimming in a haze of exhaustion. Despite the several coffees he had consumed in an attempt to stave off the encroaching lethargy, his eyelids began to drop, his body aching with the bone-deep fatigue that gnawed at his very core.
With a weary sigh, Harvey lowered his head to his desk, the cool surface a welcome relief against his fevered brow. He told himself it would be just for a moment, just long enough to gather himself and finally manage to focus on his work. But as he closed his eyes, the pull of sleep proved too strong to resist, dragging him down into its murky depths before his head even touched the desk.
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Meanwhile, Rachel, on her way back from the break room with a steaming cup of coffee in hand, happened to pass by her boss's office. What she saw there stopped her dead in her tracks, her eyes widening in disbelief as she took in the surreal scene before her.
There, in Harvey Specter's office, lay the man himself, his usually immaculate appearance marred by the disheveled state of his slumbering form. The best closer in the city, the youngest senior partner the firm had ever known, Jessica Pearson's protégé, and the current managing partner, all rolled into one, was napping on his desk at a time when the office was buzzing with activity.
Rachel's heart leaped into her throat, a surge of panic coursing through her veins as she scanned the surroundings for any sign of prying eyes. Thankfully, the corridor outside remained deserted, and the only sound was the soft hum of the office air conditioning. With a sense of urgency, she swiftly entered Harvey's office and closed the door behind her, her footsteps muffled by the plush carpet beneath her feet.
Approaching her slumbering boss, Rachel hesitated for a moment, her hand hovering uncertainly over his shoulder. With a deep breath to steady her nerves, she gently shook him awake.
"Harvey, you have to wake up. Harvey ?" she whispered to rouse him from his slumber without startling him.
Harvey stirred at the sound of his name, his brow furrowing in confusion as he lifted his head from the desk, his eyes clouded with sleep and disorientation. "Rachel ?" he questioned, his voice thick with drowsiness as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings.
"You dozed off. I'm sorry to have to wake you up, but it's better if the associates don't see you like this," Rachel explained, her tone soft and soothing as she sought to ease his embarrassment.
"Yeah, of course," Harvey murmured, his voice still tinged with sleepiness as he rubbed the fatigue from his eyes, his gaze still unfocused and bleary. "I fell asleep," he added, as if offering an explanation to a puzzle Rachel hadn't realized needed solving.
"I can see that, yes. Are you sure everything is okay ?" Rachel looked genuinely concerned, and Harvey didn't understand why. Everything was too blurry for him, he once again felt like he was out of his body, which seemed to be a constant feeling these days.
"I just think I'm coming down with something," Harvey admitted softly, his discomfort evident as he straightened in his chair, his hand moving to rub at the tension that had settled in his neck.
"Okay. Just know that I'm here if you need anything, just like you were there for me last year." Rachel said.
"I hope you didn't tell anyone about that," Harvey cautioned, his eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion.
"As you made me promise, I didn't say anything." Rachel assured him.
"Good, then keep quiet and don't say anything about this either." Harvey instructed with a stern tone.
"I'll tell you exactly what I said last year: I won't say anything, but I won't lie either, so if Mike or Donna directly ask me, I won't lie," Rachel asserted, her voice firm and resolute.
"Miss Zane, I find you extremely impertinent with your superior," Harvey teased, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes as he regarded Rachel with a playful smirk.
Rachel smiled, her worry momentarily forgotten in the face of Harvey's familiar banter. With a nod of acknowledgment, she turned to leave his office, her steps light as she made her way back to her own desk.
Lily Specter wasn't an easily impressed woman. Whether in her career as an artist, with men, or even more so with her children, she didn't bend easily and wasn't easily impressed. But when she saw her eldest son walk into the restaurant where they had planned to meet, Lily could admit to herself that she was possibly a little impressed. She had never had the luxury of seeing him in his element, in a city he knew like the back of his hand, in one of his very expensive three-piece suits, and seeing him talk to the reception staff as if he owned the place. Yes, Lily was undoubtedly as proud as she was impressed by her son. Until she caught his dull gaze. Something seemed to be bothering him, and she hoped it wasn't because of her.
Harvey finally made it to their table and embraced her tenderly, which momentarily pushed aside the thought that she might be the cause of his distress. He genuinely seemed happy to see her, which was a relief for Lily, as their relationship was still a bit fragile. They exchanged small talk during their order-taking and while waiting for their food, they discussed Marcus and the kids, her students, and Harvey's work. When the dishes finally arrived, Harvey hardly touched his food. Lily couldn't shake the sense that something weighed heavily on Harvey's mind. His lack of appetite and distracted demeanor only served to heighten her concern, prompting her to broach the subject delicately.
"Harvey, what's wrong ?" Lily's voice was soft, tinged with a mother's worry as she regarded her son with a searching gaze.
Harvey's response was guarded, his demeanor betraying a hint of hesitation "What are you talking about ?" he deflected as he avoided her probing gaze.
But Lily refused to be deterred, her maternal instincts driving her to seek out the source of her son's distress. "Something's wrong with my boy, I can see it. I don't want to push you, I'm just worried about you," she pressed gently.
"I know, I..." Harvey hesitated. "Can I ask you a question ?" Harvey was uncertain, and it was clearly out of character for him.
"Anything," Lily responded without hesitation, her heart aching at the sight of her son's vulnerability.
"When you met Dad, did you know right away that you were going to marry him and have kids with him, or did it take time ?" Harvey's question hung in the air.
Lily's breath caught in her throat, a rush of memories flooding her mind as she grappled with the implications of Harvey's inquiry knowing that her and Gordon's marriage is a touchy subject for Harvey.
"Well, I can't say I knew as soon as we started dating, but I knew fairly quickly, yes. Why are you asking me this ?" she replied, her voice tinged with a note of apprehension.
Harvey paused, her confession hanging heavy in the air between them. "I've been seeing someone for two months, and even though I care about her, I feel like my mind is somewhere else," he admitted.
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The decision to open up about his relationship with Paula to his mother felt like a long-overdue step for Harvey. After years of estrangement, he had chosen to reintegrate Lily into his life, and he refused to conceal this significant aspect of it from her, even if he chose to avoid everything else.
"Your mind or your heart ?" Lily asked, even though she already suspected the answer.
Harvey's gaze dropped to his plate. "After all these years of not talking to each other, it turns out you still know me just as well," he murmured.
"Harvey, look at me." The lawyer raised his eyes, curious about what his mother might want to say. As their eyes met, she continued. "I'm your mother, I have been and always will be, and you can say whatever you want about being the best closer in New York and putting on that arrogant air that fools everyone. At the end of the day, you will always be my little boy. And even though we've been apart, we are still connected. Your body was my body, your heart was my heart, and your breath was in my chest."
Tears pricked at the corners of Harvey's eyes, a lump forming in his throat at the depth of emotion conveyed in his mother's words. For the first time in a long while, he felt a glimmer of warmth blossom within him, a tentative reassurance that perhaps he wasn't as alone in the world as he had once believed.
"Listen, Harvey, I'm not the best person to talk about romantic relationships, but let me tell you this : Sometimes you have to accept that no matter how hard you try, some relationships just aren't meant to last."
Harvey nodded, a sense of resignation settling over him as he acknowledged the truth in his mother's words. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just not so easy to end the relationship even if you know you're heading straight into a wall."
"Tell me about it," his mother responded quickly.
Harvey laughed heartily at the irony of the situation. He never thought he would be able to laugh about this with his mother, but eventually, everything happens in life.
"Harvey, I know we have a heavy history between us, but don't ever hesitate to call me if something goes wrong in your life. Please." Lily said as she reached for his hand across the table.
"I will, thanks, Mom." He responded, giving her hand a squeeze.
Harvey couldn't explain it, but by the end of this meal, his heart was a little lighter. He said goodbye to his mother and promised to call her soon before putting her in a cab. When he returned to his condo, he found Paula waiting to ask him how his dinner had gone. He had initially thought of inviting his girlfriend to come with him to introduce her to his mother, but he had finally changed his mind. It was the first time he had seen her since their reconciliation, and like a selfish child might have wanted, he had wanted his mother all to himself.
"It actually went very well," Harvey smiled, only now realizing that he had nearly finished his meal at the restaurant.
"Good, I'm glad," Paula replied, though her tight lips and frozen expression said otherwise. Her words were belied by the tension that seemed to coil beneath the surface of her composed facade.
"Your facial expressions tell a different story," Harvey remarked.
"Harvey, come on, don't be silly. Why wouldn't I want you to have a good relationship with your mother ? It doesn't make any sense," Paula countered, her tone laced with an undercurrent of exasperation. Even though the question was rhetorical, Harvey couldn't help but think about it.
As Paula's words washed over him, Harvey couldn't shake the niggling doubt that gnawed at the edges of his consciousness. Despite her assurances, a voice in the back of his mind whispered doubts, casting shadows over the fragile equilibrium of their relationship.
"Yes, Harvey, why would you think that ? You're being stupid. Paula only wants you to be happy, she probably loves you, unlike you. She has no interest in your relationship with your mother going badly, right ? Stupid. " His inner monologue taunted, a bitter reminder of the insecurities that lurked within him.
Seeking solace in the familiar routine of his home, Harvey retreated to the bedroom to shed his suit, the weight of exhaustion settling over him. Paula's gesture of hospitality awaited him in the living room, a glass of scotch placed with care upon the table.
Draining the glass in a swift motion, Harvey exchanged pleasantries with Paula, the strain of his evening catching up with him in fatigue. Before he could even set his glass down, exhaustion claimed him, pulling him into the depths of unconsciousness as he collapsed onto the couch in a heap.
Hours later, Harvey awoke to the harsh reality of his body's betrayal, rushing to the bathroom as waves of nausea consumed him. The remnants of his meal spilled forth in a violent expulsion, leaving him shaken and disoriented in its wake.
Fuck.