"Rachel, call Teddy and ask him—" Harvey comes out of his office with his head in a file and looks bewildered when he finds a redhead at the desk instead of his associate.
The phone rings so Donna holds up her finger to stop him mid-sentence.
"Harvey Specter's office, how can I help you?"
"Byron Vanderfield," she repeats and Harvey shakes his head and mouthes no vehemently.
"I'm sorry he's not available right now, I will ask him to call you back."
She hangs up the phone and scribbles down Vanderfield on a post-it.
"Do me a favor and file that one under not a chance in hell."
Donna looks at him and he stares right back, flashing her a grin for just one second before going back to a neutral face.
"Fine," Donna relinquishes and crumples the post-it in a ball.
"Where is Rachel?"
"In the library with Mike."
Before Harvey can protest, she adds, "Doing associate things, you know as an associate should."
He stares at her again but she doesn't look up and just continues typing.
He sighs, before rounding the cubicle, his intention to sit next to her on the edge of the desk but it's full with stacks of paper.
Seeing him glance around, Donna sweeps a stack into a corner and he uses the opening to sit down at the corner of the desk after all.
His eyes scour their surroundings. Piles of papers and folders everywhere.
"Did you just?" He gestures at the chaos around him.
"Oh I love Rachel but her filing system lacks finesse."
"And therefore you thought it would be a good idea to get rid of it altogether?"
"Don't worry, I'll put it all back, just in a superior color-coded way."
He stares at her for a third time and this time it's Donna who sighs. She rolls her chair backward, swiveling around until she is right in front of him.
"While I don't appreciate how you want to dictate my private life," she says at Harvey pouting his lips, looking slightly remorseful, "You have been good to me and Olivia so I have a proposition to make this worth your while." She waves around the blank check he gave her earlier.
Harvey sees a tiny, corpulent figure heading in their direction and he barks, "Don't even think about it, Louis."
The bald man lingers, wringing his hands, until Harvey snarls, "Go back to your side of the building, Louis, now."
The short male with the slightly too big suit slinks away to where he came from and Donna frowns.
"When he finds out you used to be in theater he won't leave you alone and I don't want to inflict Louis onto you until absolutely necessary."
"I don't need protection from him." Donna shrugs.
"How do you know? You've just seen him one second from a distance."
"Because she's Donna," a tiny voice pipes up.
"That's right." Donna agrees with her niece, even though she kind of forgot Olivia was listening to their conversation. "I know people."
Harvey softly pulls one of Olivia's pigtails. "Hey slugger, didn't see you there."
"That's because Aunty Donna and Rachel made me be really, really quiet," she whispers.
"Well, the man in the office underneath mine is a real grouch so you have my blessing to run or yell and especially to sing at the top of your voice," Harvey chuckles.
"Sweet!" Olivia skips happily inside the corner room.
"Harvey!" Donna's voice matches the hardness of her gaze.
"What?" he says innocently.
"I'm trying to teach her manners and then you do this. You may own my ass until Christmas but I don't appreciate you meddling with my daughter's parenting."
Harvey's eyes travel downward. His head moves somewhat to the right and he licks his bottom lip ever so slightly. "If I own it, I can think about it and if l can think about it I can—-"
"Harvey, stop ogling my ass," Donna smacks his leg playfully.
He leans forward, his brown eyes blazing into hers.
"Come on, you know you've thought about it," he says in a curious tone of voice.
"Yeah, I think about a lot of things." She holds his gaze.
"And you would." His timber suddenly becomes much lower as he utters the words.
"But I won't." Donna's reply is firm, although a smile flickers on her lips.
"You're afraid you'd fall for me." He leans into her even more, his voice huskier than ever.
"Oh please," Donna grabs the file Harvey is still holding and seals a colored tag on it. "If anybody is falling for anybody here, it would be you for me."
"Sounds like a challenge," he whispers in her ear.
"One you will never get to take."
"Why not?"
Donna takes a second to answer and at that moment a tall woman appears.
"So the grapevine was right."
Harvey instantly shoots up. "Jessica." He buttons his suit jacket.
"Did you finally hire a decent secretary instead of those still wet behind the ears temps?" Jessica looks approvingly at the organized stacks.
"Actually, she's not—" Harvey starts.
"I'm temporary as well but the backlog that is his agenda will look immaculate by the time I'm done." Donna sweeps her red locks over her left shoulder.
"Huh," Jessica huffs, "does that mean you finally added actual skills to the required skill set instead of just looks?"
"You should know that—" Harvey tries again but Jessica raises her hand to silence him.
"What's that?" She tips up her right ear to listen.
Donna bites her lip, Harvey scratches his neck with one hand, stuffing the other in the pocket of his suit pants.
Olivia comes marching past the glass facade, that is the front of Harvey's office. "If you're happy and you know it, stamp your feet," she is not so much singing as she is yelling and when she gets to the word stamp she balls her fists for emphasis as she really digs her heel into the carpet for some good stomps.
Jessica's head swivels to the glass wall so fast, Harvey is afraid she might incur a whiplash.
Donna, sliding down the office chair, scrunches up her whole face, briefly closing her eyes in embarrassment. She throws Harvey a little side eye, he instigated this.
"You really hate Paul Porter that much?" Jessica inquires.
"We both know he is a butt-kissing weasel." Harvey shrugs.
Jessica reaches for the vase in the corner of the cubicle. "You need that weasel's vote this Christmas," Jessica rearranges some flowers, pulling out a rose. "If you don't want to be kissing his and Louis' butt soon." Jessica points the stem full of thorns in Harvey's direction.
Donna's lip curls as a small chortle escapes her but she quickly adopts a neutral look as Jessica's gaze lands on her.
"I assume she is with you?"
Donna nods.
"You're Donna." It's not a question but a statement the name partner makes, realization dawning on her face.
Harvey leans forward. "I thought it'd be a good idea to spread the word a bit already," he whispers.
"So give her a tour. Don't turn my firm into a goddamn daycare, Specter." Jessica's whisper is loud enough for Donna to hear.
She slinks back in her chair and quietly divides the last few papers into the correct stacks before reaching for her handbag. "We should go."
Harvey places his hand on her right arm. "Wait."
Donna looks over to where his hand is located, a pleasant warmth seeping through her sweater, leaving a tantalizing sensation on her skin.
Her look causes him to recoil his hand.
"That's not what she meant. Right, Jessica?" Harvey looks up to find confirmation from his mentor but Jessica has turned on her heels already.
"My office, fifteen minutes," she calls over her shoulder before she slips out of view.
Donna locks the computer. "I was going to offer to organize this desk for a few weeks since I'm on the clock but I don't think—"
"You are just going to leave me here with this mess you made?" Harvey interrupts her.
"It's not a mess. It's more organized than it was before. It just needs color codes corresponding to the Excel file I made. I'll explain it to Rachel." Her voice reveals a hint of annoyance with him labeling her system a mess.
"Rachel is an associate, she needs to focus on her casework. I want you to do it."
"Oh, now you suddenly care about her education?" Donna frowns, her lips pressed into a thin line.
"Just don't leave it like this? I beg you?" Harvey stares at her intently.
"Fine," Donna guffaws. She plonks down her bag to start shifting some stacks. He doesn't seem like a guy who begs. "Just don't expect—" She turns around, only to find Harvey going into his office.
He catches Olivia mid-march, lifting both his arms underneath the giggling little girl to fly her to the windowsill. He places her on top of it and Olivia presses her nose up to the glass, Harvey pointing to something they are seeing in the distance.
Ten minutes later Donna is just slipping the last paper stack in a folder and sliding that one into a drawer when Harvey comes out of his office with Olivia hitching a piggyback ride from him.
He drops the little one next to Donna. "Let me walk you girls to the elevator."
Donna nods, checking her watch. "The big boss is expecting you."
"I'm not afraid of her, I just hate being late."
Donna raises her eyebrows so high, they are practically screaming, "Oh really?"
Harvey cocks his head, his eyes travel from Donna to Olivia and back to Donna again.
He sighs. "She can be so bossy," he says with a pout.
Olivia giggles. "That's why she is the boss."
"You, young lady, are too smart. I better be careful that the boss doesn't hire you instead of me."
Harvey places his hand on the small of Donna's back and softly stirs her to the elevator bank.
She glances towards him from the corner of her eye and he gives her the tiniest of smiles but it does reach the wrinkles around his eyes.
A flush appears in her neck and creeps up to her cheeks as they power walk through the hallway.
"Wait for meeeeeee," Olivia yells running first after and then straight past them.
Harvey lunges forward and manages to grab her before, in her excitement, she runs straight into the shortest lawyer in the office.
"Harvey," Louis says, approaching the three of them.
"Louis," Harvey reciprocates, lifting Olivia up on his arm.
"Is this your niece? I didn't know it was bringing your family to work day?" Louis gives Olivia a smile but his smugness causes him to bare all his teeth and Olivia's eyes grow wide before she hides her face in the crook of Harvey's shoulder.
Harvey's hand instantly flies to her back and rubs circles. He's very sorry to inflict Louis on the poor kid.
He contemplates how to respond because he doesn't want to flat-out lie in front of Olivia but Donna beats him to it.
"Darling," Donna enthuses, placing her left hand on Harvey's chest. "It's been wonderful to see where the best closer in the city does his magic."
Harvey raises one eyebrow ever so slightly.
"But now Liv must practice for the Notre Dame Christmas recital." Her hands creep up to his tie to adjust the knot ever so slightly.
Harvey hums his approval of her slipping in a mention of Olivia's highly-rated prep school.
Donna takes Olivia over from Harvey just as Louis speaks. "So you are?"
"Donna."
"Donnaaaa….?" Louis' words hang pryingly in the air.
"Just Donna. It's a name and title in one." Donna flicks back her red locks with one hand as she balances Olivia on her other arm.
"I'm sure we'll be seeing each other in the Hamptons at Christmas." Donna nods. "Just don't wear those lifts in your shoes and don't bring your cat. You love it more than it loves you."
Louis' jaw goes slack, his eyes bulge and he draws back his head. "Mmm," is the only sound he is able to produce.
The tiniest of smirk appears on Harvey's lips for a second. He leans forward, grazing Donna's cheek. "Thank you," he whispers hoarsely, giving her goosebumps all over, and then proceeds to give her a lingering kiss on her cheek.
"I need a day," Louis mutters, taking in the scene before him, and steps onto the elevator meant for Donna and Olivia. The door closes in front of their eyes.
A/N: 170 days, 25 Monday's to Christmas so we better count down the days with Darvey. Will they actually get that white Christmas in the Hamptons? Let me know what you think of this chapter and maybe, together with the grey weather, it'll inspire more merriness in July.