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It was dark outside with no moon and overcast skies dimming the starlight. The omnipresent glow of the city lights was diffused beyond her office windows. It had been a long and difficult day. Not only was she feeling the strain of her workload tonight, but she was also still slightly reeling from her lunch with Harvey. It was never going to happen between them. He had made that clear, though not unkindly. Having only picked at her food, that wasn’t what she was having a hard time digesting. Instead, it was the finality of Harvey’s words. He left no room for question.
Oddly, he had also said he wouldn’t be seeing Paula again. She desperately wanted the details but was too gobsmacked over the entire thing to even go there. It seemed he was taking himself out of the game.
She had her bag and had slipped on her coat as she paused at the doorway, turning off her office light. She heard footsteps and watched Mike’s back unnoticed as he made his way down the hall, headed in the direction of Harvey’s office. Within a minute, a far light was extinguished. No doubt the managing partner flipping the switch in his own office. She stepped back, not wanting to be seen. Certainly not in the mood for conversation. She wanted to go home and lick her wounds without preamble. Even a message from Rachel had gone unanswered.
The message had a déjà vu quality to it. A text saying, “Mike@Harvey’s. Call me.” Suspecting its meaning, she didn’t have the energy to delve into it. Maybe after dinner and a glass of wine, she would throw a call in. She knew from talking with Rachel Sunday afternoon, that Mike had been with Harvey all weekend after some row. Was he still staying there? Did it have anything to do with Paula’s demise? She currently found it too exhausting to speculate on.
The two men came into view, Mike with his topcoat on carrying two briefcases. Harvey appeared to be struggling to slip his coat over his suit jacket. He stopped with Mike continuing on a few steps before noticing. She could hear the murmur of words spoken between them.
Harvey now had the coat completely off, preparing to try again. Mike set the briefcases on the floor, gesturing with his hands. The coat was handed over to be held open. Having secured the sleeves of his suit jacket firmly to his palms with clenched fingers, he reached back to ease into the topcoat sleeves. Mike guided them to where Harvey’s hands searched blindly behind.
Sliding it up and on, it was not only shrugged into place by Harvey but the shoulders were also smoothed by Mike’s hands. Harvey turned, and smiles were exchanged. A palm touched Mike’s arm in gratitude. He in turn, reclaimed the briefcases from the floor, waiting while Harvey made last adjustments before handing one over.
Now facing each other, Mike made a comment, Harvey a retort. Peering directly at each other, they burst into joint laughter. Donna was familiar with that look on Harvey’s face. She’d know it anywhere. She watched as the laughter faded, but the smile remained. Watched as it spread wider, and the crinkles along his eyes grew deeper. His hand rose to Mike’s cheek.
She felt her heart sink just a bit as Mike’s eyes fluttered and he relaxed into the contact. The hand then travelled down to the shoulder, turning the younger man. As they again began their walk to the elevator bay, Harvey’s hand dropped to the small of Mike’s back where it remained as they took the corner and were out of sight.
Well, Harvey. She thought to herself, After all these years, aren’t you still just full of surprises?
She slipped back into her office, leaving the light off. Sitting on the sofa still wearing her coat with her purse in her lap, she chewed at her thumb. She wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon, giving the boys, her boys, plenty of time to be well out of the building before again contemplating leaving herself.
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Harvey ushered Mike into the elevator with one hand blocking the door from closing and the other still planted firmly on his back. Mike pivoted and pressed the lobby button.
“How did you leave it with Rachel?”
“Only that I was moving out for an undetermined time to consider where I want to be.”
“Is that true?” There was something in the way Mike had answered that somewhat threw Harvey.
“Yeah?” He furrowed his brow, shaking his head slightly in a question.
“I didn’t know there was a question. I was under the impression your decision had been made.”
“For the most part it is. But it’s still new. You understand that, don’t you?”
“No Mike. I honestly don’t.”
Mike felt a tightness creeping in on him. Harvey was a master at the blank slate. People couldn’t read him when he didn’t want them to. He had the mask firmly in place, but Mike had caught a glimpse of hurt.
“Harvey,” he soothed along with a touch to the man’s arm. “I can’t go back to my place with Rachel there in any way other than to retrieve belongings: change of clothes, books, mail. I’m not going to boot her out in the night. She still doesn’t know for sure it’s over between us. When she does she’ll need time to find somewhere new.”
“You’re going back to your place after she’s gone?”
“I was planning on it.”
”Why?”
“What do mean, ‘Why?’ It’s mine. It’s where I live.”
They had reached the lobby, and the doors opened. Besides being fatigued, or maybe because of it, Harvey felt out-of-body, confused. Mike gave him a nudge to start him walking. They stood almost on the same spot where Harvey and Paula had argued not that long ago.
“You alright, Harvey?”
”No. I’m not, Mike.” A hint of anger tinged his voice. “I thought you were moving in with me.”
Mike blinked once, then just stared. He was starting to feel a bit off-balance himself. He blurted out, “You want me to move in? Like permanently?”
“That’s not what you were planning?”
”No.”
The hurt was obvious now.
“Oh Harvey. I would love nothing more than to move in with you. I guess I just didn’t know that was already on the table.”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Because it’s all new?” There was a smile creeping across his face as he realized Harvey was just as besotted as himself. “You don’t mess around, do ya?”
”I try not to.”
Shrugging a shoulder, he admitted, “I was thinking it was just a pipedream for me to move in.” Mike was smiling wide at him. “Whether I stay with you from tonight on or if we ease into it with me at my own place, this is on. You and me. I don’t want you to think I have any doubts about us.”
Harvey visibly relaxed.
“Come on. Ray’s waiting for us. We’ll talk some more over dinner,” Mike said, relieved the tension in Harvey’s brow was fading.
Harvey still had a touch of uncertainty in his eyes.
Mike was smiling again. “You know Ray’s going to be privy to this whole thing before anyone else. I don’t want to hedge around him.”
Harvey took a cleansing breath and put on his game face. “Well then Rookie, you ready to own this?”
Mike only smiled and extended a hand. Harvey took it in his own, giving it a gentle squeeze. Walking hand-in-hand, they pushed through the doors to make their way out to the waiting car.
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