Writer's block.
Donna couldn't believe it, after releasing two successful novels, her agent had been asking for the first chapter of her latest book for two months now and nothing, she couldn't write a single sentence. She had been sitting in front of her computer in her large New York penthouse for two hours now, and as she stared at the horizon, the town starting to wake up, she sighed — still nothing. As she wrote two words before erasing them, she sighed as she heard her phone ring and saw that her agent was calling her.
«Hello?»
«Donna, finally»
«I'm sorry, Rachel. I was... busy»
«Busy writing?»
«Of course»
«Donna»sighed the brunette.
«I can't, Rach. Nothing comes to mind, I can't even write a chapter or even the prologue, I have no idea where to start or what I want to write about. I'm not going to make it, I can't»
«Seriously? Donna, you're the most famous romance author of your generation, in five years, you've sold more books than anyone else. You're a star, and everyone is eagerly awaiting this third book»
«That's the thing, Rachel. Everyone is waiting for it, and I can't find the inspiration, I won't be able to make it»
«Change scenery, then»
«What?»
«Where are you now?»
«Home»
«Go elsewhere»
«I don't know»
«Donna, please. I'm sure going elsewhere and changing your surroundings will give you more inspiration, and it will keep you from thinking about Mark too»
«Rachel, everything is fine with Mark, I mean, I'm glad things are over, we were not meant to be together. Plus, I'm thirty-four, I still have time to find love again, right?»
«I'm sure, Donna»
For a few more minutes, the two friends chatted again, and after Rachel reminded the redhead of the importance of quickly submitting a first draft to the publishing house, Donna hung up before sighing. Maybe the brunette was right, she had to move and change her environment, but where? Leaving the writing of her novel aside, Donna began some research before finding the perfect destination for this fall season: Vermont. Between its orange gradient, the falling leaves, the adorable little villages, and the serene calm, it was the perfect destination to disconnect from the hubbub of New York and its crowded spaces. So after finding a small cabin isolated in the middle of the beautiful nature, Donna rushed to rent it, giving herself fifteen days to at least finish her first chapter, and a few days later, as she had been driving for almost three hours, already arriving halfway through the trip, her phone rang.
«Hey, Rachel»
«Donna, how are you doing?»
«I'm great. I followed your advice, and I'm changing the scenery»
«Really? Where are you?»
«Stowe»
«Stowe?»snorted the brunette.
«Yeah, apparently it's beautiful, especially now during fall»
«Alright, if you think it could help you — for how long?»
«I gave myself fifteen days»
«Alright, I guess we'll hear from each other in fifteen days, then?»
«Exactly»
«See you, Donna»
«Bye, Rach»
As soon as she hung up, she smiled, taking a deep breath as she followed the GPS to this small town in Vermont that might change her life. Once in front of the small rented cottage, she stayed a few seconds in front, observing it while thinking. Alright, that was cute. It was certainly not her New York penthouse in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Manhattan, but it was at least calm and relaxing. After dropping off her things, she looked for the nearest supermarket to run some errands because she was pretty sure that food delivery was not an option, as she was happy to have the opportunity to be able to cook again, something she had lost the habit of. Clearly, Stowe wasn't Soho, and people weren't used to shopping in Jimmy Choo heels, Prada dresses, and Gucci bags, making everyone turn to look at the newcomer, especially when her sparkling hair gave her away too. At the same time, the redhead was happy to see that she wasn't stopped every thirty feet to ask for an autograph or a photo and that, in Stowe, no one seemed to recognize her. Once the few groceries in her bag, she went back into the cottage and put everything in the fridge before setting up her computer in front of the large bay window and starting to brainstorm. One hour, two hours, three hours, nothing. Alright, if it started like this, fifteen days here were going to be long, especially since the silence was starting to weigh on her, after all, she was a New Yorker now, she needed life around her, noise, and people passing by so as not to feel alone physically and in her head. For a few minutes, she was looking for a nice place to go and sit down, wanting to avoid a Starbucks being too cliché, as she found a bar not too far from the cottage where she could go on foot while enjoying the fresh autumn air: The Closer. While comments were positive — nice setting, good atmosphere, very nice bartender and manager — she changed into wide-leg black pants and a fluffy olive green sweatshirt quickly before grabbing her laptop, her phone, her bag, her keys, and leaving the cottage to head to the bar. As in the pictures, the interior was beautiful, a mix of being a chic place while remaining a bar in a village a little lost in the middle of Vermont. Mahogany wood, large bar with the possibility of sitting, with a lot of bottles of alcohol standing behind, soft lighting, and a series of booths everywhere, Donna walked into the place until finding a spot where there were not too many people and taking out her laptop as she whispered.
«This is perfect»
On the other side, Harvey had just hung up with his brother, and again, he was pissed. So, determined not to scare away his customers, he took a deep breath before leaving the reserve to return to his bar and work. If he was tense after that phone call, he never thought he would be able to relax, but as he looked up, that's when he saw her. Long red hair glistening down to the middle of her back, an absolutely gorgeous body, a classy and seated walk, and incredible eyes as she smiled at some people already seated, taking the bartender's breath away. He had never felt this way, but as she approached to take a seat without having seen him, he had the feeling that a heavy weight had just been lifted from his shoulders. Just by her presence, it was as if all his problems had disappeared and he was finally calm, without all that anger that was eating him up from the inside, as crazy as it might have seemed. Seeing one of the waiters approaching her, he quickly beat him and approached the redhead, signaling to his employee that he would take care of her. If she was busy looking on her screen, not having obviously noticed him, Harvey decided to speak.
«Can I get you something?»
As she raised her head hastily, she swallowed with difficulty as the bartender chuckled. In front of her was the most handsome and sexy man she had ever seen. Big deep chocolate eyes, such a particular smile, a prominent jaw, a stubble, and dirty blonde hair. He was so handsome that she couldn't believe it, feeling like a teen facing her first crush. After looking at him for a few seconds, she inhaled quickly before whispering.
«Do you have pumpkin spice latte?»
«Los Angeles?»
«What?»
«You're from LA?»
«No, New York»
«I see, then»chuckled Harvey.
«What?»smiled Donna.
«We don't serve pumpkin spice lattes here, but I can make you a latte»
«That's perfect, thank you»
«Alright, I'll be back»
Just the way his raspy voice had said that last sentence, the redhead felt herself shiver as she let out a sigh she didn't know she was holding. If for a few minutes she questioned her whole life while looking at him disappear, he came back with a large mug a few minutes later before setting it on the table while looking at her gently.
«Thank you very much»
«You're welcome. Call me if you need anything, I'm just over there»
«Thank you…»
«Harvey»
«Harvey. Thank you, Harvey»
Once he left, she found herself alone, and if a few minutes ago she had no idea what her book would be about, suddenly, everything got mixed up and thousands of prompts were running around in her head. After taking a sip of coffee, she began to write the first line, then a second, then another before continuing without stopping. If she was completely obsessed with her screen, she realized that someone was next to her when she saw a pair of legs next to her table, dark pants, a denim shirt with a white t-shirt underneath, and always the same cute smile on his lips.
«It's late, do you want to eat something?»
«What time is it?»
«Eight»
«Shit, hum, I have to go, here, that's for the coffee, thank you so much, it was really good»
As she closed her wallet, she quickly put her things away while Harvey watched her do it with a pang in his heart, and, as she stood up and they were now face to face, Harvey just wanted to grab her, put her on the booth table, and kiss her passionately while sliding his hands on her thighs. But as she simply smiled at him, he couldn't help but whisper to her.
«Are you staying in Stowe for a long time?»
«A few days, yeah»
«Alright. Maybe next time…»
«Donna»
«Donna… Alright. See you, Donna»
«Bye, Harvey»
That night, the redhead was so inspired that she even forgot to eat, the errands she had done when she arrived were of no use to her as she fell asleep from exhaustion after midnight, her computer still open next to her on the bed. The next day, after having her coffee, she took a shower and got dressed before walking around Stowe and drawing inspiration from the fall colors to depict the setting of her new story. When she was done, a few hours later, while the redhead went back to her cottage to cook something, Harvey was wiping the glasses while his gaze did not leave the front door, his heart beating a mile an hour every time it opened.
«You're alright, brother?»
«What?»
«You keep looking at this door, what's going on?»
«Nothing»
«Hey, come on, it's— »
«Mike, let go»
He barely had time to answer before the door opened, and his breath caught at the sight of her. As she was wearing simple black wide leg pants and a fluffy beige sweater, while her long, wavy red hair was cascading over her shoulder, he couldn't help but admire her as he heard Mike chuckling next to him.
«Oh, alright, I got it»
After they both smiled at each other, Donna walked to the end of the room while Mike laughed, seeing his best friend under the spell of the redhead as he whispered.
«Well, since you're not moving, I'll go take her order»
«Hey, don't move, I'll go myself»
As he pushed his best friend to pass, Mike was dying of laughter, reminding him of the carefree and arrogant Harvey he had met while the older man was running out of behind the bar to approach the redhead, who was already busy on her computer.
«Hey»
«Harvey, hey»
«What can I get you?»
«Latte, please»
«Alright, coming»
«Thank you»
With one last smile, he went back behind the bar as Mike continued to smirk at him.
«Are we offering lattes now?»
«Shut up»
«When did you learn how to make that?»
«Yesterday afternoon»
«How romantic — and you're good at them?»
«Well, she drank it all»
«Maybe she's just polite»
«Or maybe I'm good at it»
«Maybe. Anyway, let's address the elephant in the room — who is she?»
«No idea»
«Harv»
«Her name is Donna, she's from New York, and she's going to be staying in Stowe for a few days»
«That's it?»
«Yeah, that's it»
«Alright — what are you waiting for?»
«What?»
«The latte»
«Oh, yeah, shit»
Once the coffee was finished, Mike saw Harvey lean over to open a small fridge below the bar where he took out a red fruit muffin, hastening to murmur without even looking at his best friend.
«Shut up»
A few seconds later, he returned to the redhead's table to put the hot drink and the pastry on the table while she stammered.
«Oh, I didn't have — I mean, this is not— »
«On the house. Enjoy»
«That's nice, thank you»
Once alone, Donna prayed she hadn't blushed too much, especially when his bulging biceps were a few inches from her face as Harvey then returned behind the bar where Mike was waiting for him with a big smile.
«Don't you dare —»
«Did you really buy her a muffin?»
«It's not —»
«Oh, brother... you're so done»
«What are you talking about? I don't even know her»
«But you still bought her a muffin»
«Don't you have other things to do?»
As Mike teased his best friend some more, Harvey continued to work until he gave her a little wave as she left the bar a few hours later, laptop under her arm, while he had a stupid smile on his face. The next few days were the same: she arrived late in the afternoon, around four, he served her a latte and a pastry that he had picked up at the bakery before work, then let her tap away on her keyboard for hours, impatiently waiting for her to come back to greet him, her beautiful smile making him swoon. If things hadn't really progressed, even though she'd been coming for five days now, Harvey couldn't help but melt at the sight of her focused on her screen, her eyebrows furrowed, while the bar was slowly deserting itself. If his phone already showed ten, he approached her before whispering.
«Hey, it's late»
«What?»
«It's ten already»
«Oh, shit, I'm so sorry, you probably have to close your bar, and I'm stopping you from doing it, it's —»
«Don't worry, I still have a few clients left anyway. What worries me though is that you haven't eaten yet»
«Again? Urgh»
«Well, I haven't eaten either, if you want, we could... you know»
«Eat together?»
As he looked at her a bit embarrassed, she couldn't help but feel her heart pounding as he nodded quickly, the redhead melting at his beautiful face.
«Yeah»
«Love the idea»
«Alright, let me close the bar, and I'll cook us something»
«You don't need help?»
«It's fine, you look busy anyway. Go on, keep on with your thing, and I'll bring you a meal when it's ready»
«You sure?»
«Yeah, yeah»
«Alright. Thank you?»
As he winked at her, a shiver ran through her as he walked away, letting her refocus on her screen as he hurried to push two accustomed to leave the bar, closing it for good, his heart pounding at the thought of being alone with Donna. As he saw her in the distance continue to type on her keyboard, he headed to the small kitchen in the back, quickly preparing mac and cheese before approaching the redhead to place the two plates on the table, Donna closing her computer at the same time to put it to the side.
«Thank you so much, I'm starving»
«Well, I apologize in advance, I'm a terrible cook, I hope you're not like a chefor something »
Seeing the redhead chuckling with an apologetic look, he couldn't help but laugh and talk as well when he saw her take a bite.
«Alright, you're a chef»
«I'm not a chef, but I'm a good cook»
«Great»
«But if it can reassure you, it's the best mac and cheese I've ever eaten»
«I'm glad — so, what are you typing on your computer all day? Or maybe it's private, I don't know»
«It's not, hum, I'm a writer»
«Journalist?»
«Novelist»
«No way»smiled Harvey.
«Yeah»chuckled Donna.
«And you're famous or something? I mean, are your books selling?»
«A bit, yeah»
«I should read them»
«Oh no»
«Why not?»
«It's not your kind of book»
«How could you know that?»
«My audience is more teenage girls who dream of the great love, or women in general»
«Well, maybe I dream of the great love too?»chuckled Harvey.
Oh, alright. So, he was single and didn't find his great love yet.
«Maybe, yeah»smiled Donna.
As he was looking at her with his beautiful eyes and she felt herself melting, she cleared her throat before whispering.
«What about you?»
«Me? Hum, I'm the owner of this bar»
«Owner? Really?»
«Yeah»
«That's good. What else?»
«I was a lawyer»
«A lawyer?»asked Donna, surprised.
«You like whiskey?I need to drink to talk about that »sighed the bartender.
«What? Hum, yeah, sure»
As the plates were almost empty, Harvey left the booth to come back a few seconds later with two glasses and a bottle. After serving Donna and then him, she swallowed a sip as Harvey sighed before speaking.
«I went to Harvard, then I worked at the DA's office in Manhattan to gain experience before going to work for a big firm, except that my boss asked me to hide evidence, I didn't want to, but I felt stuck. I would have liked someone to stop me and remind me of what was right to do, but I was alone and I complied, I hid this evidence. For me, it was a one time thing, I would have never done it again, except that it started again and again until the day I could no longer look at myself in the mirror and I left everything to run away. I'm an asshole, right?»
«No, I mean, I know what it means to do things because you are pressured»
«What's your story?»
«Where to start? Well, I was an actress, but I never made it on Broadway, and one day, my college sweetheart found out that I was writing a play, but it was just for fun. Anyway, he worked for a publishing house — still does — he submitted my work, and they asked me to write it as a novel, I did it, and it worked. From there, my boyfriend became kind of my agent and pushed me to write for almost three years»
«And where is the boyfriend now?»
«Well, maybe with the girl I caught him in bed with»
«Asshole»
«Yeah»
«How are you feeling about your new life?»
«Relieve»
«Good»smiled Harvey.
«What about you?»
«I'm better, not still there, but better»
«Good»giggled Donna.
As it was almost midnight and Donna yawned, Harvey smiled before muttering.
«Alright, I think it's time to go»
«Yeah. Thanks for keeping me company tonight, by the way»
«And thanks to you too, I had a really great evening»
«Me too»
«Do you live far?»
«I rented a cottage about ten minutes walk away»
«Alright, I'll walk you home, then»
«Thank you»
After clearing the table and putting everything away, Harvey turned off the light of his bar before going out and walking through the dark streets of Stowe, chatting about everything and nothing until the redhead's cottage, where they said goodnight and went their separate ways, their hearts pounding and the butterflies in their stomachs going crazy. The next day, even though he had gotten home late and had trouble falling asleep, the redhead clouding his mind, he had arrived early at the bar and was impatiently waiting for the redhead, who arrived at four o'clock sharp. Without even asking her, he prepared her latte and brought it to her with a slice of lemon poppy seed cake on the side. Again, she worked on her computer until the bar closed and Harvey ordered pizza, the two of them chatting over a glass of whiskey, talking about everything and nothing. And while both were a little tipsy, Donna swallowed another sip of alcohol before murmuring.
«Why Vermont?»
«Why not?»
«You were in New York»
«You choose Vermonttoo »smiled Harvey.
«Yeah, but for fifteen days, not my entire life»
«Yeah, you're right. Hum, I left New York because of work, but I decided on Vermont to escape my family»
«You're not on good terms?»
«Not really, hum... my father died a few ago — he was my everything — and I constantly argue with my brother»
«I'm sorry about your father»
«Thanks»
«What about your mom?»
«I hate her. She cheated on my father and asked me to keep it a secret so as not to hurt him, and when he learned about it, she just left, she abandoned me and my brother to get with her lover without ever thinking about us. Because of her, I believe love is not worth being experienced»
«That's not true»
«You're a novelist»chuckled Harvey.
«Still. My partner of ten years cheated on me, and yet, I still believe I can find the one someday, at least I hope. You'll find the one too»
«Yeah, I don't know about that. And even if I will, I'll fuck everything up because I'm not alright when it comes to love and commitment»
«You never know… if she's the one»winked Donna.
«That's what my dad told me»
«He was a wise man, then»
«Yeah — anyway, you want another one?»
«Urgh, no, it's fine. I'm already tipsy enough»
«Alright, I understand. Should I bring you home?»
«If you don't mind»
«I don't. Let's go»
Again, he took her home before going home and waited patiently the next day to see her again. In the evening, while Donna had cooked eggplant parmesan and Harvey was closing the bar, the two of them were sharing a moment together where the tension was at its peak, until they were interrupted for the third time by the bartender's phone.
«Who is this?»
«My brother»
«You don't pick up?»
«I'm pretty sure it's just to piss me off»
As the phone started to ring again, Harvey sighed before picking up, isolating himself to talk to his brother, and if Donna was waiting for him to come, she never thought she would hear a loud blow against something as she stood up quickly. While she ran toward Harvey, she stopped abruptly when she saw him hitting the wall.
«What are you doing?»
«Sorry»
«Don't be sorry, what's going on?Are you alright? »
«My brother»
«What happened?»
In reality, they were strangers, they had only known each other for a week, and yet, he just wanted to tell her everything and snuggle into her arms to forget all his problems. As she looked at him with a soft gaze, he sighed before muttering.
«He did shit again and now he needs money. Fuck, I work my ass off, I give everything to this bar, all that only to give him everything in turn, I'm so sick of that. This bar is my entire life now, I built it with my own hand, and because of my past, I feel like I always have to make up for my family's mistakes without any recognition»
«What are you gonna do?»
«I don't know, I need to think. Well, forget about it, I'm pretty sure a good night's sleep will help. Anyway, we should go, it's late already, do you want me to take you home?»
«You don't mind?»smiled the redhead.
«Absolutely not, let's go»
With a final smile, he turned off all the lights before closing the establishment behind them and moving towards the bartender's car. If it was drizzling a little on the way out, arrived at the entrance in the driveway leading to the small cottage the redhead was renting, it was raining cats and dogs, and it only took a few seconds for both of them to be soaked when they arrived on the porch.
«Oh my god, Harvey. You should have stayed in the car, now you're soaked»giggled Donna.
«It's fine. I'm still going home now anyway»
«But you're going to wet the whole inside of your car, don't you want to go inside to warm up a little? You'll leave when the weather calms down a little»
«Do you mind?»
«Of course not, come inside. Please»
As Harvey followed Donna, both of them were shivering, and not just from the cold rain but mostly from the fact that they were alone in a house with a multitude of make-out areas. Once the door was closed, it was the redhead who whispered first.
«I'll get you some clean towelsfor you to dry off »
She then disappeared to come back a few seconds later and put the necessary in the bathroom before smiling at him as soon as she was back.
«Um, you can use the bathroom»
«What about you?»
«I'll take the bedroom»
«Alright»
Once both in their respective rooms, Donna hurried to undress, dry herself, and change into more comfortable clothes with the idea of taking a hot bath later as soon as the bartender had left, as she started a fire in the living room fireplace while waiting for him to come out. For his part, if Harvey had also taken off his wet clothes to dry himself, he found himself currently in boxers without anything to put on while waiting for everything to be dry. Since he was shameless, he came out of the bathroom like that when he observed Donna crouching in front of the fire wearing only shorts, revealing her long pale legs and a big sweatshirt on top, sweet baby Jesus, this woman would be the death of him. The moment she noticed him, she stood up quickly, her cheeks red and not because of the fire, as she looked at him. God he was hot: muscular torso as it should be, slightly defined abs, developed shoulders, bulging biceps, and a line of hair starting from his navel and running away into his boxers that still stuck a little to his skin because of the rain, leaving no room for imagination as to what was inside. As he slid his hand into his hair, flattening it back, he smiled at her.
«Hey, sorry, I hope you don't mind? I don't have a change of clothes»
«Oh, no. It's alright. I mean, you're not the first naked man I've seen»
«Yeah, but I'm pretty sure they weren't as hot as I am»chuckled the bartender.
«I can't believe you just said that»snorted the redhead.
«Alright, let me enjoy the fire for a moment»
As he sat in front of the fireplace right on the floor, the flames reflecting on his chest, Donna headed towards the kitchen while murmuring loudly for him to hear.
«You want something to drink?»
«You have whiskey?»
«Just white wine»
«Will do»
«Perfect»
After grabbing the bottle she had bought a few days ago to make up for the lack of inspiration just in case, she took the corkscrew and approached Harvey before handing everything to him, smiling.
«What? You're the bartender, right?»
«Alright, I see»
As he expertly uncorked the bottle, Donna was about to go get glasses but was surprised when the man brought the bottle directly to his mouth and took a sip, handing the bottle to the redhead right after.
«Seriously?»
«What? I usually don't do fancy glass of white wine»smirked Harvey.
«Alright»
Donna then took a seat next to him in front of the fire before taking a sip, both of them remaining silently sitting on the ground watching the flames until Donna murmured.
«Don't you feel too lonely here? I mean, it's not New York»
«Well, I've spent my life surrounded and yet, I've always had the feeling of being alone, so it doesn't change a lot. The only difference is that before, I had the impression that everything was fake — my clients, the trials, the galas, the professional meetings and all that — but now, people come and go, so I'm still feeling alone, but it feels less fake. You understand?»
«I do»
«Plus, I have Mikeby my side »
«The guy at the bar with you?»
«Yeah. He's my best friend, like my little brother»
«How did you meet?»
«This idiot was a promising lawyer, I had spotted him when he was still in school and I was working at the DA's office, I had even planned to make him my partner as soon as I would have gone to work in the firm where I was supposed to go. I mean, the guy had a photographic memory, that's a gift»
«What happened so that you two ended up in Stowe?»
«He was selling test answers at college, got caught, and fired. Then, because of bad company, he started smoking pot, became a courier, and did nothing but shit. When we met again, I was at a bad place at my job, and when we talked, I realized that I needed to leave, temporarily or permanently, I didn't know yet, but I had to leave, and he followed me»
«That's quite a story»
«Yeah— what about you? »
«What about me?»smiled Donna, taking the bottle from Harvey.
«Don't you feel too lonely? Because going from being an author living in New York to a stranger in Stowe drinking white wine with a bartender tells me that something is bothering you in your current life»
«I don't know if something is bothering me, I mean, something is missing for sure, but I don't know what»
«How do you know?»
«Well, I always thought I had everything with my ex, the perfect life, you know. But when I caught him cheating and we broke up, I realized that this wasn't the life I wanted. I mean, I love writing, for sure, but it's like I'm missing something, like there is this one thing that makes me feel like I'm not truly myself. I'm pretty sure that's what gives me writer's block»
«Have you made any progress, by the way?»
«Not that much. I wrote the prologue and a part of the first chapter, that's already quite a bit»
«Well, how much time do you have left here?»
«A week»
«Well, maybe you'll be done with your first chapter before you leave»
«Maybe»
«Or you can imagine extending your stay»
«If only I could»
As she had murmured these last words while looking at the fire in front of her, Harvey observed every detail of her face as if to memorize for eternity, so as not to forget anything the day she would leave and he would never see her again — the most perfect face he had ever seen. As she took yet another sip, the bartender watched as a drop of wine escaped from the corner of her mouth to roll down her chin and neck as she murmured.
«Shit»
If she was going to wipe it away with the back of her hand, she didn't expect Harvey to do it. In a split second, he slid his finger down her neck, up her chin to her mouth, brushing her bottom lip before bringing his finger to his own mouth and licking the drop of wine mixed with the taste of her skin. As she watched the bartender do it with her breath taken away and her eyes wide, a heat invading her completely, without thinking, she leaned towards him, and in a split second, Harvey captured her mouth in his, pulling on the bottom lip with his teeth to slide his tongue inside, eliciting a moan from the redhead who was losing her mind. Seeing Donna's lack of resistance, he pulled her by the hip until she was straddling him, and the two of them kissed passionately in front of the fire. Feeling that it was too much and that he was unable to resist her, Harvey slid his hands under her sweatshirt to take it off, revealing her pale and freckled skin while she was only left in her bra, the material squeezing her breast, causing an involuntary pelvic movement from the former lawyer, who couldn't help but groan as she undulated her body above him, rubbing against his already strained boxers. Completely obsessed with her, he grabbed the end of her long red hair before wrapping it around his hand and pulling on it, giving him better access to her neck and cleavage thanks to her arched back while Harvey alternated between open mouthed kisses, bites, and licks to soothe the marks, the friction between the crotches becoming more and more present as the redhead couldn't help but moan while digging her nails into his upper back. Between pain and pleasure, neither of them knew what to do, too overwhelmed by emotions and sensations to make a rational decision. Quickly, Donna plunged her hand into Harvey's boxers before moaning as she felt him heavy and big in her hand as he gasped, afraid of coming right in her hand. So after some arrangement, they managed to get their underwear out of the way as Harvey filled Donna suddenly, both of them moaning at the sensation. They hadn't thought about it and hadn't questioned anything, they just needed each other, compensate this week of frustration pretending that it hadn't been love at first sight for both of them but also for several decades of feeling deeply alone. For the first time, it's like they were finally whole, entirely themselves, that what they had always lacked was finally there and that it was so obvious for them to be together. As Harvey was sitting, Donna straddling him, he had wrapped one arm around her back, the other supporting her ass as he slid her up and down his length, the bartender's head on the redhead's neck to muffle his groans as she had her arms wrapped around his neck and moaned in his ear, leaving Harvey to take care of her, completely at his mercy as he did marvellous between her legs. After a brief kiss on her neck, he whispered.
«You're so beautiful»
«Harvey»moaned the redhead.
«When I saw you in that bar, it was like my world stopped, I couldn't believe that I was seeing someone so beautiful in front of me. Then we talked, and I realized you were more than just a pretty face. You are perfect»
«You are too. Absolutely the perfect man»
They had no idea how long they had been busy making love, but between all the sensations of pleasure and the fire burning next to them, they were hot, so hot that beads of sweat were starting to form on their foreheads, their limbs were clammy and slippery as they both began to be exhausted. The bartender then fell back, his back on the floor mat, while Donna moaned, placing both hands on his chest to support herself and continuing to undulate her body above Harvey, the man completely obsessed with her, watching her clothed breast move right in front of his eyes and feeling her nails digging into his chest as her eyes were now closed and her mouth slightly once, endless moans escaping from it. Sensing that they were both close, he flipped them over, finding himself on top of her, her legs around his waist, her back against the floor mat, before he grabbed both of her wrists and held them above her head with only one hand, the other landing on her stomach to keep her pinned to the ground as he sped up the movement. A few seconds later, he felt her contract violently around him, the redhead letting out a sexy, high pitched noise as he felt the muscles of her stomach spasm under his palm, their skin soaked against each other. Unable to hold back, if he considered pulling out for a second, when he felt Donna's foot pushing on his ass, a sign that he could come inside her, he hurried to push two more times, coming in turn as she was still pulsating around him, the redhead moaning, feeling his warmth diffusing inside her as Harvey's arms gave up, the bartender falling back on top of her. They stayed like that for long minutes, his body heavy on her but comforting as she slid the tips of her fingers on his soaked back while feeling him kissing her neck and her face. If neither spoke, it was Harvey who started the conversation.
«Well, when you suggested to go inside first to warm up a little, I had no idea that I would be this hot now»
«Oh my god»snorted Donna.
As the two of them were chuckling, Harvey straightened up slowly, propped himself on his elbows placed on either side of the redhead's head, sliding his fingers into the red hair, forming a halo around her while he alternated between lazy kisses and sliding his nose on her face. As he became soft inside her, he pulled out, both of them groaning, as Harvey fell back next to her and whispered.
«You know what would be great now?»
«What?»
«A nice bath»
«Wanna share the one here?»
«I thought you were never going to ask me»
As both of them were chuckling at Harvey's joke, Donna sighed before whispering, her eyes closed.
«I actually feel so good here, I don't want to move. I don't have the strength, anyway»
«Alright, I'll help you»
As Harvey stood up suddenly, straightening his boxers that he hadn't removed during sex, their positions only allowing him to free himself enough to be inside her, he observed Donna still lying there with his typical smirk, clearly proud of himself.
«What?»chuckled the redhead.
«Sorry about the panties»
If he had been able to pull his underwear down enough to get his dick out, disturbed by Donna's panties, he had simply torn the fabric with his bare hands while she was sitting on him, allowing him full access without being restricted. So seeing her propped on her elbow, still lying on the floor in her bra and with her panties torn, the lace shredded at certain places, he felt himself hard again just looking at her as Donna started to murmur.
«I don't mind»
«Really?»
«Yeah, it was hot. You know, a bit like a caveman»giggled Donna.
«A caveman?»laughed Harvey.
«Yeah, I mean, I'm not used to my partner ripping my panties in two with bare hands just because he was horny»
«I was so horny»
«Made you look so manly, I love that »
«Oh really?»
Without waiting for a response from her, he leaned over her, slid one hand down her back, the other between her legs to rest on her ass, lifting her up in a sort of bridal style before moving into the bathroom. Once on the ground, the redhead's legs still weak, he opened the hot water valve before approaching her as she was in front of the mirror. Seeing her grab all her hair to make a bun, he moved forward until he was behind her, pushing her slightly until she found herself stuck between his body and the sink, and as he began to rub his crotch against her ass, she placed both hands flat on the bathroom counter, exhaling as he started to drop kisses on her neck. He took the opportunity to hook his fingers in the elastic of her panties, lowering them until the tore material fell to the ground, unhooking her bra and grabbing her breast between his huge hands to squeeze it while biting her neck. If her first instinct would have been to bend over and let him do whatever he wanted with her body, hearing the water running, she whispered.
«Harvey»
«Hum?»
«The bath»
«Oh yeah, right»
As she watched him through the mirror walk away, after he had dipped his hand in the water and seemed satisfied by the temperature, he chuckled, whispering.
«Your bath is ready, my queen»
«What a gentleman»
As she climbed into the large bathtub, Harvey pulled down his boxers, and the redhead could clearly see what had been giving her pleasure for long minutes, she moved to give the bartender room behind her as he groaned when he was enveloped by the hot water. As soon as they were both settled, she positioned herself between his legs, her back against his chest while Harvey's arms surrounded her and Donna sighed contentedly. For long minutes, they stayed like that, in silence, enjoying each other's bodies and the calm to completely relax. After a while, Harvey felt Donna move against him, and as he opened his eyes to see her take the bottle of soap, he grabbed her wrist before growling in her ear.
«Don't»
«What?»
«Later»
«And why is that?»
«Because I'm hard»
«I can feel that»whispered Donna.
«And seeing as how —»
As he slid his hand down her stomach to insert two fingers between her folds suddenly, the redhead gasping as she grabbed his strong forearm between her hands, she shivered when he whispered in her ear.
«— horny you are too, it's better that we wash afterward, right?»
Without giving her time to answer, he turned her around, both of them facing each other, splashing water out of the bath in the process, and quickly, Harvey was moving inside her once again, but this time, their gazes were locked and both could see the pleasure on each other's faces as the little waves of water were splashing their bodies with each movement. As both came hard one more time, Donna fell back on Harvey, exhausted, as he leaned over to grab the soap bottle behind her and whisper in her ear.
«Now we can wash ourselves»
For about another half hour, they chatted about everything and nothing, sharing the bath until the water became cold and both of them got out. Without even discussing it, Harvey stayed in his boxers, Donna put on her pajamas, and then the two of them lay down in the redhead's bed, where they chatted until the middle of the night, only to fall asleep in each other's arms, both of them invaded by a feeling of belonging and familiarity, as strange as it may be. A few hours later, after a short night of sleep, Harvey was abruptly woken up by his phone and sighed when he saw that it was a message from Mike asking him where he had been. So reluctantly, he sighed once again before turning and looking at Donna sleeping in his arms, and after a few seconds, he decided to move, dropping a kiss on her lips.
«Hey»
«Hum?»
«I have to go»
«Alright»
«See you?»
«See you, Harvey»
While she was still visibly asleep despise talking to him, he chuckled before hugging her and getting up to retrieve his now dry clothes, get dressed, go through her room again to kiss her one last time on the lips, and finally leave the cottage discreetly to let her sleep a little longer. As he made a detour home to shower and change, barely arriving at the bar, he saw Mike looking at him with a grimace before he started to speak.
«Finally»
«Sorry»
«I had to move all the stock alone»
«What? It was too heavy for your little skinny arms? Poor baby»chuckled Harvey.
«Yeah, sorry, not everyone has your sexy, strong, muscular body»snorted Mike.
«Don't be jealous»
«What happened?»
«I…. overslept»
«You? Overslept?»
«Yeah, I watched a game and I didn't see the time, so I went to sleep super late, it was like three or four in the morning»
«You idiot»
«Come on, I see a lot of other alcohol boxes to move, stop talking»
«Well, now with your muscles..»
As the two of them laughed, Harvey joined his best friend to finish putting away the supplies and setting up the bar for the day. During the day, as Harvey was checking his phone every five minutes, Mike stopped cleaning the tables before shouting from across the room.
«Everything okay?»
«What?»
«You keep looking at your phone»
«Oh, nothing. I'm waiting news from a supplier»
«Alright»
Even though Mike wasn't convinced, he didn't say anything and continued to work, but as Harvey continued to check his phone and stare at the door, the young blonde approached his best friend before whispering.
«Hey?»
«What?»
«What's going on?»
«It's five»
«So what?»
«She's not here»
«What?»
«I lied to you»
«How so?»
«I didn't stay up late because of a game. I stay up because I spend my evening and night sleeping with Donna»
« You dog»
«And she didn't came today»
«Is it a innuendo or— »
«I'm serious, Mike»
«Alright. So what happened?»
«Last night, she stayed with me at the bar, we had a drink, we ate, and we talked about some pretty personal stuff. In the evening, I walked her back to her place, it was raining cats and dogs, and she suggested that I stay at her place until it calmed down»
«And you accepted»
«I couldn't refuse, bro. It's her»
«Then what happened?»
«Well, I went inside to dry off, we shared a bottle of white wine, and then, I don't know, we talked about intimate stuff again, and what was supposed to happen happened — we kissed and we slept together. Twice»
«Wow»
«Mike, I'm so down for her»
«I can see that»
«I've never felt so myself as when I'm with her. She's what I've been missing all these years. The evening I spent with her yesterday… it was so natural. You know how many girls I've already been with, but now, I'm not just interested in sleeping with her, I mean, I even overslept at her place, that's why I was late, I felt just so good in her arms»
«What? Harvey, it never happens. I mean, don't take it badly brother, but you're more the kind of guy who sleeps and leaves, going from one girl to another without caringor commit »
«I know, and that's the thing. I'm obsessed with her, I think about her every moment of the day and night. I mean, even if the sex was incredible, it's especially the moments we spent together when we were just talking and laughing that I remember and that make my heart racewildly »
«You mean.. you're in love?»
For a few seconds, Harvey said nothing because even if he knew that deep down it was the case, he had forbidden himself to feel this way for so long that he had trouble imagining that he could be in love right now. But what he felt for her was crazy, as scary as it was exciting. So when he looked up to watch his best friend, Mike understood how much his best friend was done for the redhead and smiled.
«So why are you looking so sad?»
«She's turning back in New York in a week»
«Harvey, hey, come on. Don't think about that now. If she's the one, you'll find a way to be together, alright? Don't rack your brains about it now»
«Don't rack my brain? Mike, she's not here, and I feel like throwing up. How do you expect me to accept that she is in New York and me in Stowe when I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack every time I think about the fact that she's not here today»
«That doesn't mean anything, Harvey»
«After only a week of coming over every day, the day after we slept together, she doesn't come over? It must mean something, and the very idea makes me sick»
«Hey, I don't know her, but she seems like a nice girl, there must be a reason»
«I don't know, Mike»
«Brother, stop. Give her time. Everyone deals with their emotions and feelings in their own way, maybe she needs time»
«Time is against us, Mike. I can't lose time with her»
«Just — Give her time, alright?»
«Alright»
She hadn't come that night, or the next day either, so when he was starting to lose patience, he asked one of the employees to close the bar before driving to the cottage Donna was occupying, gathered his courage, and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing Donna in the same outfit as when he had left her — big sweater, shorts, socks with flip-flops — while her hair was in a bun, and she had obviously not slept much given the dark circles under her eyes.
«Harvey?»
«Did I do something wrong?»
«What?»
«You haven't given me any news for two days»
«Two days?»yelled Donna.
«What?»
Alright, either she was crazy or she was making fun of him, but as she sighed, rubbing her eyes with her hands, he saw her whispering.
«Urgh, I'm so stupid. So sorry, Harvey, it's just that, after our night together, I was super inspired, I started writing, and the time went by super fast, I didn't realize — has it been two days already? — god, what an idiot, it's just that I had so many ideas, I couldn't stop writing, and I completely lost track of time. It's just that —»
«Have you made any progress?»
«I'm on chapter eight,but I am hesitant »
«And everything is good between us?»
«What? Of course it is, why are you —»
Without giving her time to answer, he entered, grabbed her ass to lift her up and hold her against him, the redhead's legs wrapping around his waist as he kissed her passionately, and headed to her room to throw her on her bed, hearing her moan as he took off his t-shirt.
«What are you doing?»
«I helped you find inspiration the other night, right? Let me do it a bit more, I heard you need to finish chapter eight anyway»
«Harvey»giggled Donna.
As he continued to kiss her, she whispered against his lips as she chuckled.
«I prefer to warm you, I don't remember the last time I took a shower»
«Well, that's gross»snorted the bartender.
«I know, right?»laughed the redhead.
«Well, you'll have to take a shower after what I'm going to do to you anyway, but if you want, I can check»
Without even waiting, he took off her sweater before kissing and nibbling on her stomach and under breast, taking a deep inspiration against her skin before laughing against her belly button and whispering.
«It must be recent because you still smell like soap»
«Good, then»
As he came back to her lips to kiss her again and again, sliding his hand into her panties, he heard her moan as he couldn't help but whisper in her ear.
«I missed you these last two days, I've only thought of you, all the time, you're driving me —»
«Wait»
As she pushed him away, Harvey looked at her a bit shocked as he watched her throw her arm back to grab her phone on the nightstand and unlock it before whispering.
«I have an idea for my novel»
«Really? Now?»
«Told you, sex with you really inspires me»
«Oh, really?»smirked Harvey.
«Yeah»
Without even answering her, he grabbed the redhead's shorts, and with a quick jerk, removed everything, leaving the redhead's bottom bare before throwing the clothes in the corner of the room. He then grabbed her ankles to pull her towards him, settling comfortably on his stomach before throwing her legs over his shoulders to start kissing the inside of her thigh, gradually going up towards her center while Donna was fidgeting and moaning.
«Harv, let me finish writing my idea, I'll lose it otherwise»
«Keep writing, I'm busy right now»
If Donna was suddenly very inspired again, it was difficult to write her ideas down in the app notes on her phone as her eyes were closing unconsciously while Harvey was going down on her, doing wonders between her legs. Soon, her phone was forgotten, and both of them relived the night of two days ago for a while, and as they had both come several times, after regaining his strength, Harvey took Donna against him to the shower. Barely under the jet of water, both of them alternated between kissing and washing each other while Harvey murmured a little embarrassed.
«You didn't miss me?Because I missed you »
«I missed you a lot, but I couldn't stop writing»
«I'm glad»
«How could I not miss you when you're so sweet and that hot?»
«I am reassured, then»smiled Harvey as he kissed her softly.
«Well, you can be»
«So you think I'm hot?»
«Alright, I don't want to boost your ego or anything, but you're like the sexiest man I've ever seenin my life »
«In your life?»
«Yeah, you now, my type of man is usually more like the one in suits and tie, working in an office, clean shaved and everything, but I have to say that man in jeans and t-shirt with stubble who rips panties with bare hands or who goes down on me while being shirtless with jeans low on his hips is pretty hot too»
«Alright, I have a few pictures to show you then, because, let's me tell you, I can be both»
A few minutes later, both of them were lying in the redhead's bed, Harvey in boxers and Donna in pajamas in his arms, she chuckled as she looked at the picture he was showing her on his phone.
«No way»
«I was a lawyer in New York, I couldn't look the way I do now. Anyway, what do you think? I told you I could be both »
«Well, If we had met on the streets of New York, I would have dumped my ex without hesitation for youbecause you're totally my style — you're smoking hot, Harv »
«Good to know»
As she continued to stare at the photo he showed her of himself from a few years ago in a three-piece Tom Ford suit, his hair slicked to one side and his face clean-shaven, she was completely ecstatic as he was laughing at her, dropping kisses on her face. The rest of the night, they chatted about everything before falling asleep in each other's arms until the next day, when Harvey woke up with Donna sitting next to him on the bed, laptop on her lap, typing non-stop. It was only when he placed a kiss on her thigh that she realized he was awake and smiled at him.
«Hey»
«Hey»
«Slept well?»
«With you by my side, always»smiled Harvey.
«Oh, stop — When do you need to leave?»
«What time is it?»
«Almost nine»
«Urgh — I need to go soon or Mike will complain that I let him take care of the bar alone once again»
«Well, I have to write anyway, so I wouldn't be very good company either»
«But can I come back tonight?»
«I was afraid you'd never ask»smiled the redhead as she leaned down to kiss him tenderly while he was still lying down in her bed.
«I can't wait»
After one last kiss, Harvey got dressed and left the cottage to go home before going to the bar. Again, he had someone replace him for closing the bar that night and rushed to the redhead's place to spend the evening chatting, making love, and going to a few confessions until they fell asleep in each other's arms. The days passed and were similar. In the morning, he woke up to see Donna already busy on her computer writing next to him, then, after a few minutes together, enjoying each other's presence, he went home, then to work after and finally returned home to find her on her computer, focused on her screen while he had only one desire: to help her relax after an entire day sitting down, writing her book. One evening, after a rather hot back massage, Harvey continued to place kisses on her bare and oiled back shoulder blade, murmuring against her skin.
«You're almost done with your book?»
« I do.I'm still missing the endthought »
«Can I read it?»
«It's not done»
«So what?»smiled Harvey while caressing her hair and dropping kisses on her neck.
«I never let anyone close to me read my book except my agent and my editor, I don't know, I'm afraid it'll bring me bad luck. You'll have to wait like everyone else for the book to come out… if it comes out»
«I'm sure it's gonna be amazing, Donna»
«I hope»
«It will»
After that, neither of them spoke, too busy doing something else before falling asleep. If everything was perfect until then, the next morning had a bitter taste as soon as they woke up. These were their last days together, because the next morning, Donna would leave for New York, and neither of them would see each other again, probably never again, breaking their hearts forever. If neither said anything, they could feel the anguish rising in every gesture, kiss, and caress. If he usually woke up with Donna already busy working, this time, she was still lying next to him, watching him and sliding her fingers on each feature of his face until he opened his eyes with difficulty, looking at her with love.
«Hey»
«Hey»
After that, Harvey rushed to kiss her, take off her pajamas before making love to her passionately in silence as he arrived late for work. All day long, Mike could see his best friend lost in his thoughts, and even if he didn't ask him why, he knew exactly the reason Harvey looked so sad. Again, he left early and rushed to join the redhead, jumping straight into her bed to try to make her understand everything he wanted to tell her through his actions, not knowing what to say to express how much his heart was bleeding at the idea of seeing her leave him. In the middle of the night, as they were both naked lying on their backs, Donna in Harvey's arms, playing with his fingers, she heard him whisper.
«Are you going to come back one day?»
«Maybe, I don't know»
«Right»
«I would like to, really, but unfortunately, it's from now on that the days are going to become intense, and I have no idea where I'll be tomorrow or in a few months»
«I understand»
«I'll never forget you»
«Me neither»
After one last kiss, they both fell asleep in each other's arms until the morning when Harvey woke up before her, leaving the bed when she was still asleep, knowing he didn't have the courage to see the redhead disappear. So without a last glance, he went home and was the first at the bar to unload the stocks, trying to think of everything except her. Meanwhile, Donna woke up alone in her bed, and when she no longer felt Harvey's warmth behind her, her eyes filled with tears as she was overcome with an intense sadness at the idea that everything was over. These fifteen days had been the most beautiful and memorable of their lives, and even if they knew that their stories would end at one point or another and that they would end up heartbroken, they couldn't help but be together. Now she was gone and Harvey felt alone again, while for Donna, it was with a heavy heart that she put the first draft of her book on her editor's desk a few days later, written in barely a week.
One year later….
As Donna stood in the back of the store, her head against the cold tile of the wall, she hadn't even heard Rachel enter the room until she whispered her name.
«Hey, Donna»
«Oh, Rach»
«Are you alright?»
«Yeah, it's just all these interviews that are giving me a migraine»
«I can imagine, but girl, have you heard them?Best love story of the decade, it's incredible»
«Yeah»
« Why do I feel like you're not convince? Donna, your book is going to be a hit»
«It's not the book, it's…»
«Him? Right?»
«Yeah»
«Why don't you go find him?»
«Now? Between the book launch, the interviews, the press release, and they're even talking about making a movie adaptation, do you think I have time to go find him? Plus, it's been a year, he probably moved on, he always told me he wasn't the type to commit, he probably forgot about me»
«I'm sorry, Donna»
«It's fine. Look, I don't want to dwell on it, tell me what's planned for today?»
«You have an interview for the New York Times — it will be here — then at two, you have the signing session plus a question and answer session with the readers, and tonight, a dinner with the directors and a bunch of people from the publishing houseto celebrate »
«Great»
«And Donna?»
«Yeah?»
«Smile»giggled Rachel.
«Yeah, sure, sorry. How long before the interview with the New York Times?»
«Ten minutes»
«Alright, let me enjoy the cold tiles for a few more minutes, then I'll be there»
«Great»
As soon as her agent left, Donna took a deep breath and enjoyed the cold on her forehead a little longer before leaving the back of the store and answering a few questions from the journalists. Barely time to freshen up, she sat down at a table where she signed and chatted with fans for hours until her agent invited her to sit in the room set up for the question and answer session. If the majority of the questions remained basic and were quite simple — her favorite book even, what made her want to write, which authors inspired her, had she ever had writer's block or even the writing process — it was the questions specific to this novel that were the most complicated to answer.
«I was wondering, what lesson did you learn from writing this novel?»
«That even if we know that we will end up with a broken heart, if we have the feeling that it is worth living, we must go for it so as not to have any regrets afterwards»
«But in this novel, we can't really talk about a happy ending, the two protagonists don't end up together. Why implying at the end that they are happy?»
«Well, love is complex, and even if the story is only fleeting, it doesn't mean that it didn't impact the protagonists. Through their love story, as brief as it was, the two lovers were able to discover through the other a part of themselves that they didn't know. So yes, their stories allowed them to evolve, separately for sure, but they became a better version of themselves»
«Why a bartender in Vermont?Usually, in your book, the protagonists are slightly different. What inspired you, then? »
Faced with the question, Donna swallowed hard before answering in a slightly trembling voice.
«Well, I was in Vermont when I wrote this book, so that answers part of the question. And as for a bartender, I don't know, I wanted to change for once, to go to something that I was less familiar with but that provoked the same feelings in me as when I wrote a protagonist in a suit working in a New York open space. Sometimes, it's what we least expect that surprises us the most and— »
As she was about to continue her explanation while trying to calm her voice, she gasped slightly as she observed the newcomer in the room. Three-piece Tom Ford suit, clean-shaven, hair slicked to the side, a huge bouquet of flowers in his hand, and the same arrogant smile who haunted her days and nights for over a year now, Donna couldn't believe it, he was here, right in front of her. As the room had been silent for a few seconds now, Donna felt all eyes on her as she hurried to finish her sentence in a shaky voice.
«Sorry, I've been a bit off-track, long day — as I was saying, you have to let yourself be tempted by the unknown to discover things you would never have thought of before. Things that can make your head spin, trust me»
Seeing the pale redhead with her eyes wide open and her mouth slightly open after the man's interruption, Rachel decided to intervene and rushed to speak.
«Alright, we'll take a break and come back a little later for more questions. Thank you everyone»
As Harvey looked at her with his charming smile, nodding for her to follow him, she hurried to get up and leave the room as she found him leaning against a book shelf a few feet from her, clearly waiting for her to arrive. The moment their eyes met, she ran to him directly before jumping into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck and her legs around his waist before feeling him tighten his hold around her to the point she could barely breathe.
«I can't believe you're here»
«I buy your book the second it was published, and I read it over night, I couldn't not come»
«I missed you so much»
«I missed you too, you have no idea»
Without further ado, they kissed, again and again, until their lips were bruising, but they didn't care, they missed each other too much, their mouths fitting together perfectly as if they were made for each other, their hearts beating wildly as when they had first seen each other, as if this year being separated had not existed and they were back on this cottage rug, making love by the fire. Gasping for air, they broke apart as Harvey whispered against the redhead's lips.
«These long months made me realize that, without you, I was empty, you've changed me, and you've changed my life forever»
«Harvey»
«I love you, Donna»
«I love you too, you have no idea. I never want us to be apart again»
«It won't happen»
«Promise?»
«Promise»
After that, they kissed again and again, Donna still against Harvey, pinned between the book shelf and the bartender, moaning in each other's mouths, until they heard someone clear their throat next to them. As they parted, their lips still brushing each other, they quickly turned their heads to see who was there, Harvey still holding Donna.
«Seriously? This is a bookstore, guys»
«Rach. Hey»
«You know, when you told me he was a sexy bartender from Vermont, that wasn't what I was imagining at all»
«He's so hot, right?»
As Donna was smiling wildly, she turned her head slightly to look at him lovingly as she placed both hands on his jaw, caressing his cheekbones with her thumbs before placing butterfly kisses all over his face, Harvey melting as he looked at her and seeing her blushing slightly. If they were lost in their moments again, it was Rachel who interrupted them by talking to Harvey.
«You know she was a mess without you?»
«You should have seen me. I think my best friend wanted to kill me because I was such a wreck after she left»chuckled the bartender.
«It's a good thing you came today, then — anyway, I'll leave you two alone, but Donna, five minutes left, then, you go back»
«Alright. Thanks, Rach»
As soon as the brunette disappeared, Harvey rushed to kiss Donna again, still holding her against him, as he murmured against her lips.
«Let's enjoy these five minutes, then»
«God, I missed you»moaned Donna as she felt his tongue brushing hers.
Enjoying a few more minutes indeed, they continued to kiss until Harvey pulled away and reluctantly put her down, picking up the bouquet of flowers he had dropped in the process.
«Here, this is for you»
«You're so romantic»
«I told you I could be both, a caveman and a dude in suit and tie who brings you red roses»
«God, I loved the picture, but this… you're really hot»smiled Donna while sliding her finger on the dark blue fabric of his vest, looking at the outfit one more time.
«Wait until I rip your panties with bare hands with my Tom Ford suiton. You'll really love that »whispered the bartender as he bit her earlobe.
«Alright, stop. I need to keep answering questions in a few minutes, and if you keep talking to me like that, there is no way I'll be able to stay focused on whatever they'll ask me»
«My bad»
As they kept kissing and laughing, they heard Rachel calling Donna as the redhead finally left the bookstore's aisle and turned back into the room where the question and answer session was taking place. The second part of the afternoon was different, while the answers were much deeper and more personal, everyone understood that something had changed during the break and that it probably had something to do with the hot guy in a suit sitting in the back of the room with a bouquet of red roses and a copy of the book in his hands, looking at the author with love. Once the session was over, she thanked everyone and answered a few more fan questions while she kept gesticulating, not holding still, feeling Harvey's burning gaze on her as she felt like a teenager with her first crush. Once finished and no longer surrounded by her fans, Harvey approached her to wrap an arm around her shoulders, the redhead imitating him by sliding her hands on his chest and back, hugging him as she felt his lips on her forehead while she looked at Rachel with hope and whispered.
«What time is the restaurant?»
«Eight»
«Let's go, then»
Without waiting, she grabbed Harvey's hand to pull him outside and call a taxi before giving the address of her penthouse, feeling Harvey's lips doing wonders on her neck, his hand slipping gently under the magnificent asymmetrical olive green dress from Max Marra that she was wearing. Quickly, they arrived at her place, and she barely had time to open the door that he grabbed her hip to bring her closer to home, then to the bedroom under her indications, throwing her on the bed and quickly undressing her. After almost an hour where Harvey had kept his promise by ripping her panties with bare hands with his Tom Ford suit still on, both of them found themselves lying in the redhead's bed, panting and sweating, staring at the ceiling while trying to catch their breath, as Donna murmured.
«That was intense»
«Are you okay? Wasn't I too violent?»
«No, no. Told you, I like your caveman side»chuckled the redhead.
«Good then. It's just that I haven't had sex in a year and I needed to vent the frustration»
«Really? A year?»
«Yeah. What? You had?»
As he looked at her a little annoyed, she couldn't help but chuckle before whispering in turn.
«No. How could I have? No man could have been as good as you»
Seeing his satisfied smile, clearly proud of being better than the other men as she had just said — typically caveman again — she couldn't help but laugh before using her last strength to cuddle in his arms and continue to whisper.
«And even then, how could I when I was crazy in love with this sexy bartender and only thought about him all the time, hum?»
«All the time?»
«Every second»
After that, they kiss before spending the rest of the time talking and laughing about everything and nothing still naked under the sheets, Donna lying in his arms while playing with Harvey's fingers, fascinated by his big hands, alternating between placing kisses on his palm, bitting the side softly, and sliding her nose on his still wet chest while he couldn't stop slipping his fingers between her red hair strands. It was only around six that Donna reluctantly left his arms to start getting ready, glancing at the sexy man lying in her bed who was scrolling on his phone, the sheet low on his hips, revealing his fine abs and his muscular arms, one thrown haphazardly above his head while holding his phone with the other. Once ready, she kissed him one last time before leaving her apartment, giving the bartender time to discover the redhead through her interior while Donna was eager to go home and go back to bed with him. So as soon as she arrived, she greeted the few people before hearing a male voice that she knew all too well resonating behind her.
«Donna»
«Mark?»
«Hey. It's been a moment»
«What are you doing here?»
«Well, I'm celebrating the release of your third book»
«Why?»
«I was there for the first two, it's normal that I'm here for the third one, right? Plus, I work for the publishing house»
«You're just an assistant, I mean you are not — well, forget it. Have a good evening, Mark»
It had been over a year and a half since she had caught her college sweetheart and ex-fiancé under the sheets with another, and if she thought the breakup would have been painful, she would never have thought she would move on so quickly and, above all, meet the love of her life when she thought she was doomed to end up alone. Harvey had made her forget about Mark in a split second, and with him, she had never felt even a thousandth of what the bartender made her feel. Since their breakup, Mark had tried several times to get back with Donna with messages and surprise visits, but apart from his cheating, she would never have been able to be with him again because she was crazy about Harvey. As she couldn't help but smile when she watched her screen — a much too daring selfie she had taken of the two of them earlier when they were kissing in the redhead's bed, the sheet barely covering their bodies — her heart sped up when she saw that he had just sent her a message.
I miss you so much already. I can't wait for you to come home
As she quickly replied that she would be leaving the restaurant soon and was excited to see him too, she turned around hastily when she felt a presence behind her and stepped back when she saw Mark looking at her.
«Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you»
«It's fine»
«Look, I was wondering, would you like to continue the evening in a bar tonight, just the two of us? We could talk about your book»
«Sorry Mark, I'm expected tonight»
«Oh, hum, alright. Good night, then?»
«Good night, Mark»
Without even turning around, she left the restaurant without a last glance at her ex-fiancé and called a taxi, her heart pounding and the butterflies in her stomach going crazy at the idea of joining the love of her life after almost a year without seeing him. If she was eager to see him again, Harvey was in the same state. He had taken advantage of her absence to go do some shopping for when she would return. On the menu tonight, candles, another bouquet of red roses, strawberries with whipped cream, and a romantic evening in perspective. So if he paced around the apartment, the moment he heard the sound of the lock, he rushed to greet her while she jumped into his arms to kiss him. This was the last time the couple separated. Now that they had found each other again, there was no way they would not be together anymore. So the days passed, turning into weeks, then months, and the couple did everything they could to juggle between New York, Stowe, Donna's career, Harvey's bar, and their life as a couple, and until now, they did great. Donna's third book had been a hit and after the huge success, the redhead had decided to take some time off from all the press, interviews, and presentations only to return to Stowe with Harvey and live in his apartment — now theirs — above the bar. She took advantage of the calm, enjoying her new life with him, discovering Vermont, resting, and helping Harvey at his work even if the bartender refused to let the redhead lift a finger, treating the woman he loved like a real queen. From time to time, when it was necessary and Donna had to return to New York, Harvey rushed to go with her, the two of them refusing to be separated, as he gave the bar keys to Mike and lived in the big apple with his girlfriend until they both returned to Vermont when she was done. Since the publication of her book, Donna had forced herself to stop writing, taking a break, but between the autumn colors of Stowe and the passionate nights with Harvey, she was enormously inspired and couldn't help but start the second part of her book. Only, if she was already on her seventh chapter, she was slowed down in the writing when she woke up for the third time to run to the toilet, emptying her stomach of everything she had eaten the night before.
«Shit»
As Harvey was already busy working in his bar and had no idea what was going on upstairs, after pretending to go for a walk, she rushed into the city a few miles from Stowe and took a deep breath in front of the various pregnancy tests. She wasn't stupid, sure, she was on the pill, but Harvey and her were reckless, living their love story fully and passionately without worrying that after barely six months together, she could end up pregnant. So after buying four different tests, she rushed home and did them all, waiting impatiently for the results — the longest three minutes of her life — before gasping when she saw that all of them were positive. That was it, she was pregnant with Harvey's baby, and if it was an accident and way too early, she couldn't help but be extremely happy. The problem was that she had no idea how her boyfriend was going to react because, even though he loved the redhead more than anything in the world, he still had a fucked up past and was afraid of a lot of things, even if she was there now. So after learning she was gonna be a mother, she decided to calmly discuss the situation with him as soon as he was done with his evening, hoping he would be as happy as she was right now. It was when she heard the door slam a few hours later and the bartender calling her from afar that the anxiety began to rise.
«Babe?»
«Bedroom»
A few seconds later, he appeared and looked at her with a mix of love and tiredness as he moved on to let himself fall on the bed, growling.
«You're already?»
«I'm fucking tired»
«Oh, honey»
«And my back hurt»
«You want a massage?»
«I thought you were never going to propose»snorted the bartender.
«Of course. Let me take care of you»
He then took off his t-shit pretty quickly, lying on his stomach as Donna settled on his ass, grabbed the bottle of oil on her nightstand before rubbing it between her hands to warm it, then dug them into his back as he moaned. For a few minutes, they both stayed quiet, enjoying the moment before she bent over him to drop kisses on his bare shoulder blade. Without warning her, he grabbed her wrists from behind to stop her before moving so they found themselves face to face.
«What about your back?»chuckled Donna.
«What about it?»
«I though you were in pain»
«I'm way better now, your hands did wonders. Let me take care of you now»
As they were side by side, he tried to move Donna once again with the idea that she found herself lying on her stomach, and if he was always passionate in his actions, grabbing her hips to immobilize her, he was surprised when she whispered quickly.
«Harv, wait. Be careful»
«What?»
«Just.. don't»
«Is everything alright?»
«Can we talk?»
«Sure. You're scaring me, what's —»
«I'm pregnant»
If the announcement had come out like that, without warning, she saw her boyfriend's face go through a multitude of emotions, and when she saw him smile, his eyes filled with tears, she couldn't help but imitate him.
«You're pregnant?»
«I am, yeah»
«I —»
«I know it's not planned at all, and that it's way too quickly too, but at the same time, we've never done anything like the others, right? And I hope you're not too —»
«I've never been so happy»
«What?»
«This is amazing, Donna»
«Really?»
«Yeah. I mean, you're right, it's way too early and not planned at all, but all my life I've sought to be surrounded by people who love me and care about me to finally feel like I belong somewhere. I thought I had found that with you, but a baby... Donna, you're giving me the most beautiful thing I could hope for, a family of my own. It's — Thank you»
«You're welcome»
If Donna had panicked that Harvey wasn't completely ready to be a father, she never would have thought he would have been so invested. The next day, he had started emptying the until then office to transform it into a nursery, even though she was only a few weeks pregnant. At the first ultrasound, he had silently cried when he saw their baby on the screen for the first time, but also when he had gotten down on one knee to propose to her and she had accepted, then, when they got married in Stowe in a small ceremony, and even when they found out they were gonna have a little girl. Everything was beautiful, but the couple had to make some life decisions, so they decided to move to Boston, the city that had seen Harvey grow up for a while, an equivalent distance from Stowe and New York, where they had kept their apartments in each city. If Donna continued to participate in some events in the big apple, she spent her time mainly in her new house recently bought with her now husband to live her pregnancy fully, continuing to write her book but also on the blog she had created a few months ago for amateur writers. For Harvey, the former lawyer had taken a step back and given the keys to the bar permanently to Mike, managing from afar while staying at home to take care of his wife and his baby soon. He also launched his new range of whiskey that he had created when he left for Boston: Bear Fight, a successful business that allowed him to offer his wife a dream life and prepare for the arrival of the future baby Specter as it should be. Weeks go by, and now 25 weeks pregnant, as today marked their one year anniversary being together, the couple already had plans and couldn't celebrate the way they wanted, but in no case, they would have missed this special day. As Harvey entered the set with a huge bouquet of red roses, his trademark jeans, long-sleeved white t-shirt, and stubble, he could help but smile as he spotted his wife from afar, sitting on a chair, her long red hair cascading down her back as he waited for the two actors to finish their scenes to join her. As he leaned against a back wall, obsessed with his wife's glowing hair, he heard footsteps and saw as a man stopped next to him before speaking.
«Are you waiting for your girlfriend?»
«Wife, actually»
«She works for the movie?»
«Sort of, yeah»
«Alright»
«What about you?»
«You see the redhead over there?»
As the man was pointing at his wife, Harvey started to look at him oddly before whispering, already feeling the anger rising in him, the tone used by the guy not pleasing him.
«Yeah»
«That's my ex fiancé»
Understanding that it was the asshole who had cheated on Donna a few years ago, Harvey was about to throw the flowers on the ground before grabbing the other man, throwing him on the ground in turn to punch him in the face, his caveman side that his wife loved so much ready to emerge. But while they were on the set of the adaptation of the redhead's novel, not wanting to create a scandal, he took a deep breath before speaking.
«So what?»
«I screwed up with her as she was the perfect fiancée. You know, successful, talented, hot, I mean, the perfect woman to come home to and to introduce to your family, not the kind of girl I was sleeping with. I should tell her that»
«Yeah, I can imagine, but I supposed she was much more than that too, right?»
«What?»
«I don't know, maybe she was sweet, nice, supportive, caring, you know, that kind of things»
«Yeah, I supposed she was that too. You think I should tell her that too? That she's going to fall for me if I say that kind of things?»
«You can try»
«Yeah, you're right, it's a good idea — alright, I'll go»
As the director announced the end of the scene, the man winked at Harvey before approaching Donna. If the bartender would have beaten the guy up for talking like that about the redhead, he knew what was coming next was going to be even grander, chuckling already as he saw the man walking with confidence. As Donna was sitting in her chair, focused on the filming, making sure the adaptation reflected reality as much as possible, she gently caressed her belly, hoping that the little girl inside would calm down, but as the director had just yelled «cut», she heard her name a few seconds later.
«Donna, hey»
As she turned her head, she was surprised to see Mark, and if the man was still behind her, a few steps from her, the redhead contorting herself to look at him, he clearly hadn't seen her swollen belly yet.
«Mark?»
«It's been a while. A year, I believe»
«Yeah, but what are you doing here?»
«Well, I haven't had time to congratulate you on the success of your book yet, and now the movie adaptation too. It's crazy, Donna»
«Thank you?»whispered the redhead, not sure of what she should say.
«Look, hum. You changed your number?»
«No, why?»
«Because I texted you for months now and you never replied, anyway, my mom asked me about you the other day, and it made me realize that we were good together and my family loved you too. I screwed up, sure, but let's forget about it and get back together, I'm sure that —»
As he was about to answer, Donna stood up and turned around, facing him while Mark stopped abruptly, opening his eyes wide at the sight of her t-shirt stretched over her swollen belly.
«You're... you're…»
«Pregnant, yeah»
«How?»
«I had sex with my husband, and I got pregnant»
«Husband?»
«Yeah, me»
As Mark turned hastily, he found himself face to face with the bartender, who, despite being the same height, was much more massive and impressive, making Mark seem very small in front of him. If he was ready to smash his wife's ex, seeing the redhead looking at him lovingly, smirking at the fact that he was marking his territory around his woman just the way she loves, while supporting her belly with her both hands, he couldn't help but quickly forget about Mark as he walked towards her and leaned in to kiss her tenderly, murmuring against her lips.
«Hey, babe»
«Hey, honey»
«And hello to my princess»
As he dropped a quick kiss on her belly, he then put his hand on it, caressing her clothed stomach slowly before kissing her one more time and whispering.
«Happy anniversary»
«And happy anniversaryto you too »
As they kept kissing, when they felt that Mark was still behind them, Harvey barely separated from his wife's lips, their mouths still brushing against each other as Donna's hands were on his face, both of them looked at Mark before the ex-lawyer groaned.
«You're still there?»
Without a word, the other man disappeared as Harvey took the opportunity to slide his two arms around his wife, kissing her again and again, the bouquet of red roses pressed against her back, holding her close to him while they smiled in the kiss, feeling their baby kick, hitting both their stomachs as they couldn't stop, way to in love and obsessed with each other for that, forgetting everyone and everything surrounded them.
God, writer's block was the best thing that ever happened to them.
The best thing.