#needed something happy

Two days later Harvey is walking out of Rosschild industries with pep in his step. So excited by his “awesome win” not to mention the amount of billables this case is going to bring him, he practically mows down an old woman coming in the building.

“Oh crap! Are you okay?” He stutters, reaching out to grab her before she topples over.

“I’m fine young man. A little in a hurry are you?” she asks.

Harvey notices she is a little unsteady. Feeling a bit guilty, Harvey tries to overcompensate. “Yes, I wasn’t looking where I was going. Are you sure you are okay, I can call someone for you.”

“If you are going to keep pestering me, the least you can do is tell me your name.” She huffs.

“Harvey Specter” he smiles at her spunk.

“Well Harvey, I’m old not dead. And I have had more than my share of cocky young men try to push me around” she says with a wink. “Now go on about your day, but do us all a favor, look where you are going.

Harvey flashes her his most charming smile. “Yes mam.”

She continues on to the information desk where she is greeted by an older African American lady with a devilish glint her eyes.

“Still know how to pick them Mrs. Ross.”

She laughs warmly, “They get younger and younger.” She pauses for a moment before addressing the woman in front of her again. “Gretchen do me a favor will you? Can you tell me who Mr. Specter was here to see today? Oh and could you please get my grandson on the phone for me, I have an errand I need him to run.”

“Right away Mrs. Ross.”

Harvey walks back into Pearson Hardman with a smile on his face. He just knows he has passed his “test” with flying colors and can’t wait to tell Jessica. He sees Donna scaring the mail carrier as he exits the elevator doors.

“Pull out the can opener Donna; I am on my way to see the boss.”

“Well that was quick” she responds while simultaneously explaining that she could indeed sign for anyone here and especially Harvey Specter. As usual, she wins her argument and mentally adds another hash mark under her name. Best legal secretary in the world one, everyone else zero.

“Well Harvey, I would have thought you would have had this done yesterday, but I guess today isn’t bad overall.” Jessica chides taking a sip of tea.

“Huh. I’d like to see anyone else try and do better.”

“You mean besides me?” His silence is the only answer worth giving.

“And when are you’re your interviews for an associate?”

“Harvey thinks about reminding her once again why he doesn’t need one, when his self-preservation kicks in. “Donna has the interviews set up for Friday” he mumbles.

“Good. Now get out of my office. Or do you have some free time to do pro bono work?”

Harvey hastily leaves to find Donna arguing outside his office with yet another courier- this one on a bike.

“And I’m telling you, that I have no problem signing for him. As you can see, he is busy and I’m right here.”

The blond man looks up at her trying to ignore the spike of fear that his creeping into his belly. “And all I am really trying to do is what I was asked to do by someone very important. And that is to hand deliver this envelope to Harvey Specter.”

After five minutes Harvey can see they are still at it. He gets up, annoyed at the bickering going on outside his door.

“You really are not going to give up on this.” She concedes slightly amused by the stamina the young man is displaying.

“Nope. And I am sure you don’t want this to be the reason Pearson Hardman loses a very important client. I mean after all Jessica would hate to have to explain to one of her oldest friends that a misunderstanding prevented them from continuing their lucrative partnership” he smiles not too innocently.

Harvey can see Donna bracing herself to go all in. He decides now would be a good time to step in before the child gets hurt and they lose whatever the hell business he was prattling on about. He snaps his fingers to get their attention. Donna turns her glare towards him. “Easy tiger.”

Harvey turns to the boy, scratch that man child, with long lean legs, an ass he can probably bounce a quarter off and the most pair of gorgeous blue eyes he has ever seen. Anywhere else, he might take an interest- but now is not the time to invest in those types of emotions.

“Who are you and what is all his about?”

“Look dude, I am just trying to hand deliver this personally to Harvey Specter, which according to your bouncer here…” he thumbs at Donna who actually preens at the insult. “…is you.”

Harvey takes the envelope from the young man’s outstretched hand. “Yes, I am Harvey Specter and don’t call me dude.”

“Whatever.” He grabs his bike and turns toward the elevator.

“You still didn’t tell me your name?” He yells.

Looking back he catches Harvey checking out his ass. He gazes at the older man slowly from top to bottom, making it obvious he is also checking him out. With a wink, he calls out across the hall. “It’s Mike and have a nice day…dude.”

Harvey retreats into his office with Donna on his heels.

“Can you just tell me what the hell just happened? And why the hell you thought it was okay to flirt with the guy who dared to disobey me?” she asks incredulously watching Harvey rip open the envelope.

“Me. Flirting? I was doing no such thing. What you saw was just me being awesome; using an unorthodox solution to solve your problem.” She levels him with a pointed stare.

“As for what this is about, I have no idea. But it appears that Rosschild industries have a few minor adjustments they want to make to the contract we just signed today. These changes are being instituted by one Edith Ross.”

“Who is she?” She asks, swallowing her response to her problem solving skills as she sees Jessica Pearson out the corner of her eye.

“She, is one of the founding partners of Rosschild industries” Jessica’s voice answers from the hallway. “Harvey what the hell did you do? Just a few minutes ago you were strutting in my office like some peacock and now I hear that you somehow fucked this whole thing up.”

Donna takes this opportunity to slither out of the office giving Harvey her “innocent” smile. Traitor he mouths silently before turning back to his boss.

“I did not fuck up Jessica. If anything they did. My agreement with the younger Mrs. Rosschild was solid. It’s not my fault she didn’t get permission to make the deal she offered.

“Well I suggest you fix it.”

“It will be fixed by morning. I can guarantee it.” His voice strong, a tad bit on the cocky side.

And how are you going to guarantee me that?”

“Because with the new proposals came an invitation to go over these new additions-tonight. Don’t worry; I will woo her with my charm.” He says smugly holding up the handwritten note.

Jessica reads the note, and recognizes the looping scrawl. She smiles to herself. Oh Edith, what are you up to? “Get it done.” She tells him, handing it back.

~~~

“We’re here.” Ray announces. Harvey checks the address again then looks out of the window. They have stopped at an upscale independent living complex. Surely this can’t be right he thinks as he walks in and presents himself at the front desk.

“May I help you?” a soft voice asks.

“I think I may have the wrong place. I am supposed to have a meeting tonight with an Edith Ross and…”

“Oh yes, she told us she was expecting someone. Right this way.”

Harvey follows the young woman down a few hallways until he reaches a spacious living area or library. The room has a few different chairs, a large desk and several bookshelves one completely filled with music albums. There is even a reading couch.

“She will be right down, can I bring you anything while you wait?” the soft voice asks cutting through his thoughts.

“No, thank you.” Harvey answers, wandering over to look at the music. He finds it filled with the likes of Muddy Waters, Charlie Parker, and Duke Ellington. He pulls out an Ella Fitzgerald album; the one he remembers hearing over and over as a child.

“Are you a fan?” An older voice rings out from behind him.

Harvey turns, slightly embarrassed that he is caught. He glances at the woman and immediately recognizes her as the woman he ran into (literally) when he was leaving Rosschild industries earlier today.

“You. I mean Edith Ross, I presume.” He smiles and remembers she asked him about the album he was holding. “And yes, I am a fan.”  

She stretches out her hand. “Yes, I’m Edith Ross.” “You know…” she indicates to the album, “I got to see her when I was a teenager. Incredible voice; she could make you feel every note, every emotion. It was one of the highlights of my younger years. Well anyway. Thank you for coming out here to go over this agreement. Please sit. I rarely get involved in some of the details of most things, but my company has been in business with Pearson Hardman for a very long time and I like to keep my hands in the thick of some things especially when it comes to relationships I have cultivated over the years.”

Harvey watches as she walks around to sit at the large desk and pulls on her glasses. He takes a chair in front of her, his back to the door. “No problem. What would you like to go…”  They are quickly interrupted.  

“Grammy, sorry I am late, and why didn’t you tell me we were meeting down…” He stops for a moment realizing that she was not alone. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Harvey, my grandson Mike Ross” she introduces. Harvey turns around and recognizes the courier from earlier. Except instead of biking shorts and helmet, he is dressed in khakis and a soft sweater. His brown eyes look up to lock with familiar blue ones.  

“Mike, I like you to meet…”

“Harvey Specter.” He answers glancing up at his grandmother who is smiling wryly. “Yes Grammy we have met. Remember, you wanted me to hand deliver that envelope earlier today to him and him alone?” he says suspiciously.

“Oh dear, that’s right. I must’ve forgotten. I am old you know.”

“Old my ass” he mumbles before returning his gaze to the older gentleman who is smiling.

“Well join us dear, we are just about to go through the contract.”

Harvey’s eyes grow wide with surprise. “I’m sorry.” He turns back to look at the young man still standing in front of him. “Are you a lawyer? I only ask because the last time I checked you were a bicycle messenger.”

A small smile crosses Mike’s lips. “Nope, not a lawyer, but I bet I can hold my own.” He challenges.

Harvey coughs. “Oh really and what makes you even think you are remotely qualified to do that?” not hiding the amusement in his voice.

“Let’s just say I have some unique talents. Oh and I have passed the Bar.”

“It will take more than passing the Bar to beat me, junior.”

“Bring it on old man.” Mike chides, settling on the couch.

Edith smiles softly to herself, letting the two men try and outdo each other. Reaching for her phone she sends a text message planning her escape. A moment later someone enters the room. “Mrs. Ross. Dinner is ready. Shall I bring it in here?” “Oh, thank you dear. Yes bring these two their dinner in here and I will take mine in my suite.” She answers sweetly. The two men look up. “Don’t stop on my account. You both can get started. I will be back after dinner.” She smiles.

The next couple of hours go by in the blink of an eye. The food is devoured, and Mike has not had this much fun sparring with someone since his last boyfriend Trevor. It doesn’t hurt that Harvey is easy on the eyes- solid lines, hard edges. He bites his lips and silently wonders just how the hell he let himself get played by his sixty year old grandmother.  

Harvey is very impressed by Mike’s quick mind not to mention a few other attributes. Like the way he eyes can be as clear as ice one moment and turn dark like sapphires when he is passionate about something. Or how he constantly licks and bites at his lips. It makes Harvey want to reach across and do the licking and biting. He has to keep reminding himself that this is a client. And speaking of that, he starts to wonder.

“Do you think she is coming back?” Harvey asks when there is a lull in the conversation.

“Knowing my grandmother…no.” Mike has gone back to worrying his lip with his tongue and Harvey can’t stop himself from watching. Mike blushes when he notices Harvey looking. Harvey’s eyes have gone dark and something about that makes Mike’s blood head south. It’s for lack of a better word, intoxicating.

Fuck it, Harvey thinks. “Would you like to go and get a drink?”

Mike starts at the bold question, the heat and intent coming through loud and clear. Before he can think about it, an answer escapes through his lips. “Yes. Just let me ..um… leave a note for my grandmother.” He grabs his phone out of his back pocket and types out a quick text letting her know he will check in on her tomorrow.

“I’m all yours.” Mike murmurs, knowing full well what he is saying.

The drinks are abandoned lieu of stolen kisses that grow filthy filled with open mouths and battling tongues. Clothes no longer become necessary and are quickly discarded as the two of them come together to get up close and personal with any and all surfaces such as walls, tables, the couch and the softest bed Mike has ever felt. Conversations between the two of them is in a language filled with soft sighs, guttural moans and curse filled screams that could wake the neighbors, not as if they cared.  When morning finds them still wrapped up in each other’s arms, Harvey makes an executive decision to hold an early morning “meeting”; one Mike is very agreeable to.

~~~

Harvey arrives at the office quite a bit later than usual with a smile on his lips. Donna looks at him pointedly.

“Who was she?” She asks as he hands her a cup of coffee from her favorite shop.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” He chuckles softly.

“Let’s see, you have your ‘I got laid face” on, you’re late which means you had an extra helping this morning before work and you brought me coffee and not that mediocre shit from the cart downstairs.” She smiles.

“You’re ridiculous.” he counters going into his office.

Undeterred she follows him in. “So not a she then, okay. Then who was he?”

Harvey’s head snaps up to look at her, trying to hide his amazement at how well she knows him.

“Yeah, about that, sooo not a secret.” She continues. “Harvey I have known that you bat for both teams a while now. Doesn’t change anything, now spill.”  

“A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.”

“Humph, gentleman my ass. And you will Specter, you will.” her voice all low and mysterious. She flounces out of the office in time to see Jessica heading in.

“He’s got his ‘just got laid face’ on” Donna stage whispers to Jessica when she passes her.

“Donna!” he yells.

Jessica walks up to him and notices the gourmet coffee sitting in his desk and smiles. “Harvey, I assume you got everything straightened out last night?” She asks suspiciously. Harvey looks briefly away before she continues. “I only ask, because the final version of the agreement I received via email last night from Edith looks exactly like the copy you gave me yesterday afternoon.”  Harvey can’t help but note the light amusement in her voice. “I guess good job is in order.” She turns to leave when Donna’s voice comes across the intercom.

“Harvey, I hate to interrupt...” He notices Donna’s voice is overly sweet. “There is a Mike Ross on the phone for you. He said he would wait.” He looks up to see her smile like the cat that got the cream and he knows then he has been caught.

Jessica looks back raising one of her eyebrows, her mind quickly filling in the blanks. Edith one, Harvey zero, she thinks “Looks like you got played by an old woman.” Jessica laughs sauntering towards the door before she stops. “And Harvey, you still need to find an associate by the end of this week.”

“Yeah, yeah” he mumbles picking up the line. He can’t stop the smile from his voice as he hears Mike’s voice on the other line.

“Hi.”

“Hey”, he answers watching Jessica high five Donna as she passes by her desk.

“We never got around to having drinks, so I was thinking maybe you would like to try again?” Mike asks.