I couldn't resist those pleading eyes when I agreed toride with her to school. Nor when she wanted me toask Harvey-or Donna seeing how he was still in his meeting. I tried to play everything off as Donna stared at me with prying eyes like she knew the real reason I was going with Charlie. I didn't much care if she knew, as longas she didn't tell Harvey. Harvey would kick my ass fromPearson-Specter to Timbuktu and back if he found out I was getting involved with his daughter.
"Mike, I hope you know what you're doing," Donna said with caution in her voice just after she gave the go-ahead for me togowith Charlie.
"I do."
"Good. Tell Charlie I'll be getting her today after school. Harvey says she needs clothes."
"She has clothes."
"None that Harvey is particularly fond of."
I sighed. "Appearance isn't everything to Charlie."
"But it is to her father."
"So? She's a person who thinks."
"She's still underage and in Harvey's penthouse."
"So why is he sending you and not me?"
Donna scoffed. "You, Mr. Skinny-tie, don't have a fashion sense, and I amawesome. The picture of fashion."
I sighed. Not again with the skinny tie. Ties that Harveywears just don't look right on me. I am smaller than Harvey. "I'll see you when I get back. I have myphone."
Donna nodded as I walked awayto the elevators where Charlie was waiting for me. I couldn't help but to think as I walked, well, that doesn't necessarilymean that I will answer if it rings.
As soon as I saw Charlie standing there with her backpack and phone, I smiled. Pressing the elevator button, I tried not to press myhandto the small of her back. I tried not to touch her even though I really wanted to. I loved the feel of her skin against mine. Her breath heating up my body. Her bodypressing against mine in a heated kiss that always took my breath away.
God, what was wrong with me? I am fantazing over a girl who is not only my boss's daughter, but is seventeen.
I held her hand in Ray's car as we rode to her school. I knew I couldn't do much else like kiss her and hold her. But it was still nice to rub the backof her hand with my thumb, relishing in the softness of her skin. For the most part, we were quiet. Maybe Charlie knew the gravity of what we were getting into. What would happen if we lost our control in the back seat of Ray's car as he drove. Who knew what Ray was going to tell Harvey. Just like Donna.
"Miss Charlie, where are you fromoriginally?" Ray asked, breaking the nervous tension.
"North of the city. In the suburbs. Momdidn't much want to live in the city when she became a lawyer."
"Your mother was a lawyer?"
She smiled, getting that small yet loving smile on her face that made me want to hug the woman that is known as Charlie's mother: Robin Atkinson.
"Yeah, she went to Harvard like Harvey."
"So that's how theyknew each other. I was wondering."
Charlie nodded, merelybeing polite. But, just like me when I talk about my grandmother, I could see the hurt behind her eyes. I wanted to get rid of the hurt and the pain. But, I feared, that would meanher mother would have to come back fromthe dead.
"Harvey wants to see you in his office, Mike," Donna said as she stopped me after dropping off Charlie.
I got rid of the smile on myface that was put there by Charlie and her soft lips and nodded, heading straight into Harvey's office. When he looked up from his papers, stopping when he knew it was me, I grew nervous. Oh God, what was he going to talkto me about?
"Donna told me you went with Charlie to school," Harveysaid as he stood, buttoning his suit jacket.
I nodded. "Yes," I said evenly, "she wantedme to go with her."
Harveystepped from his desk, suddenly turning frommyboss toCharlie's dad in a matter of a milisecond. I wasn't scared about losing my job; I was more scaredof getting my ass beat. It doesn't feel sogreat when you get your ass kickedfor fooling around witha girl. I would know.
"Why?"
"She said it was to make sure she goes and that she knew you trustedme to make sure it happened," I said, knowing it was one hell of an exhaggeration of the truth. She wanted me to go to both make sure she went, but so we could spend some time together before she 'went into prison'.
Harveynodded, hopefullybelieving it. It was hard tolie tosomeone who reads people for a living. "Good, at least she's thinking with that supposed brainshe has."
"You saw her grades too?"
"You did?"
"Yeah, you asked me to review them and tell youthe best school for her. Remember?" I said, resisting the urge to make the old joke festering deep inside me about his memoryand his rising age.
Just as Harvey nodded in agreement, Donna walked in. "He barely remembers, between his age and his daughter, whohas time to remember that?"
Thank you, Donna, for saying what I was scared to say. At least he doesn't threaten to fire you, and just threatens your bonuses.
Harveygave her a look, threatening something Donna holds precious. "The life of your next bonus comes with you retracting that."
Donna groaned with a frown. "Fine, I take back the part about your age."
I knew she was off the hook. For now.
It was going to change soon, I just knew it. I can't let things be for long without something happening. It was only myluckthat things happened that way. I get an apartment for Grammy, she dies. I get highwith Harvey, Louis is caught sneaking around in Harvey's office for Hardman. Things with Rachel were going great, and I just had to tell her I never went to Harvard. To this day, I still feel the blows from her hand. Sothis thing with Charlie wasn't going tobe a secret between just us two for long. Myluckwouldn't allow it.
