CARMENS POV:
I flopped down on Mikes couch, waiting for a text back from Star. Of course I was asking for my job back, the money I got from Harvey was only manageable through stripping. Opening up Mikes laptop, I search for apartments. I was suddenly saddened. Nothing would compare to the condo and luxurious tub. Nothing.
I tried hard not to think of Harvey. I occupied myself in video games, a little bit of Mikes weed, a few beers and, well, I sat there in my lingerie. It felt defiant of Harvey's wishes.
"You know, you can't sit on my couch like that all day. It's gross." Mike said, completely unphased by my half naked body.
"Guys sit in their boxers." I reply, shrugging at him and smoking another hit of weed.
"Okay! I'm not letting you do this!" He comes to me and rips the joint out of my mouth.
"Hey!" I shout.
"I'm not playing this game, you need to figure your shut out within a few days, either with Harvey or the club, but I'm not letting you wallow!" He shouts at me.
Star texts back just in time, offering me to stay with her at her sisters. Obviously a rough patch with Josh. That was frequent.
"Fine." I growl at Mike, gathering my stuff, along with a long coat and storming out.
"I've got a place, and I've got a show. Star offered me my job back. Thanks for the fucking chill, Mike. It's been a shit of a month."
I'm about to leave when I realize, Harvey will come looking for my tickets to the Barboas show.
"Here." I say, smacking them into Mikes chest.
"Carmen, I didn't me-"
I slam the door shut, and I felt like never looking back.
HARVEYS POV:
"Ray, I need you to stop at Mikes." I howl to the front of the car.
Like clockwork, Ray pulls off, not even saying anything, not even thinking twice.
"Here, sir."
"Thank you. Wait right here. I shouldn't be long."
I rush up to the apartment, taking the stair case to his floor which seemed like a workout all in its own.
As soon as I burst through the doors, without knock and without warning, I smell a strong whiff of pot.
"Mike, again?" I ask with a short laugh.
"Carmen was smoking." He grunts, picking up beer bottles of many sorts.
I pick one up, placing a hand in my pocket.
"Was she now? Guessing she was drinking too?" I chuckle, looking at the bottle that I had in my hand. I wasn't much for beer, but this girl was drinking a mans beer and it made her slightly more intriguing.
Everything I thought I knew about her I didn't at all. She was soft around the edges and damaged on the inside. My exterior was entirely rough, she was my polar opposite.
"Well, she's got a show tonight, so.." Mikes boyish voice rang through my ears.
"Run that by me again?" I ask him, motioning him closer toward me.
"She's got a show tonight?" He looks at me confused.
"Isn't that a while from now?"
"Actually, she gave me the tickets.."
He pulls out two Barboas tickets and fans himself with them.
"Isn't that great?!" He shouts.
"What show, Mike?
"Oh, I mean, at the club."
I wasn't sure what came over me but, I slapped Mike.
"You let her go back to stripping?!" I shout at him, taking the Barboas tickets into my hand and stuffing them into my sports jacket.
"Which club?" I ask with my mouth hardly opened.
"WHICH CLUB?!" I shout again when he is too slow to answer.
"Chics." He mutters and within a second, I'm back out the door.
"Chics, Ray, take me to Chics."
"A strip club, sir? Are you sure? I mean, is that the best place for you to be se-"
"Did I stutter?" I speak through gritted teeth.
"Sure thing, boss."
And within ten minutes, I'm there, at Chics, with nothing but her tickets and a little self doubt.
CARMENS POV:
I stared at myself in the mirror, reapplying my blush with a slow hand gesture. I loved my costume, I loved my performance, and I knew the crowd had missed me, but for some reason, it didn't feel like it was all cracked up to be anymore. I had had a taste of a real life, a bright future, and now that I was here, in the back of this dirty theater, staring at myself in a mirror covered with lightbulbs, all I could taste was dirt.
"You're on in five, Carmen." Josh scowled.
He wasn't reluctant to bring me back onto the stage though, I was pretty and he knew that. I had regulars that had gone missing and word had gotten out that I was back. It was a rapid spread of infectious news to all the old dirty men in the city, and when I hear them all shout my name I feel sick.
My song begins to play and I take center stage in the darkness, a string in my suit pulled, and I display gorgeous wings, a few fellow dancers come up to me, showering me with lust as they tear off my clothes. I slowly strut to the very end of the stage and move my body smoothly and softly to the music.
Men whistle, men cry for me, and for some reason, I couldn't get Harvey's attention.
"Creatures of my dreams, raise up and dance with me! Now and forever!"
HARVEYS POV:
"I'm your king!" The music shouts loudly and is booming through the entire club, and there, on stage, I see Carmen, surrounded by other strippers, about to remove her bra.
I run up quickly and jump onto the stage, throwing her over my shoulder before she's exposed.
"You can't do this! You can't touch the strippers!" She screams, beating my back.
She doesn't know who has grabbed her.
"Put me down!!" She screams again as I strut out of the club. No one said anything to me, my face too intimidating.
"I'm calling the police!" She shouts as I put her down and push her against the car door. Her eyes are shut tight.
"I've got heels on! I won't refuse to use them!"
"With what phone will you call the police?" I ask quietly.
Her wings spread against almost the whole length of the car. I won't deny it, she looked wonderful in this. The lingerie shimmered in a light blue sparkle, gold sequence lining each and every trim. The wings white and fluffed, and her hair flowing in a sweaty mess.
"Harvey." She says, opening one eye.
"Harvey!" She grunts loudly, shoving her palms into me.
"What are you doing here?!" She screams again, shoving me once more.
A couple walked passed us, the looks of confusion on their faces was priceless. Who would have thought of me speaking with an angel, it was so strange to them. She truly looked like one.
"Why were YOU going through my things?!" I raise my tone of voice, grabbing her wrists and pinning her to the car so that she would quit hitting me.
"Does it matter?!" She screams.
"I lost you! Of course it matters! You are a great worker and I want you back at my house!"
She rolls her eyes with a smile, but I notice tears dropping.
"I had this huge crush on you, but when I saw what was on those pages, I felt so stupid. What made me different? Absolutely nothing. And I knew this wasn't worth my time anymore."
"Carmen! This is work! It's not a place to fall in love! Come back home.. Please.."
"Candy! What the fuck, your shift is not over! Star gave you an opportunity and you're wasting it! Get your tiny ass back in-"
This was the guy? This was Josh? Her ex? Her old boss? I whip around and smile at him.
"Who are you? She's to look at, not buy." He says blankly to me.
I chuckle and take a step forward to him.
"Look, I paid her more than anything she could ever make here." My lip twitches just looking at this guy.
"Oh yeah? A hooker now? That's low, Candy, glad to know you've hit rock bottom."
"Josh, I-" Carmen tries to speak and he comes up to her, spitting on her shoes.
"What?! What the hell are you going to say Carmen?! You're a whore! Never expected anything more! And expensive one at that! Congra-"
"Josh, is it?" I ask, tapping his shoulder.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" He asks me, turning to face me.
I punch him hard in the jaw, the sound of his body dropping was almost satisfying.
"It's everything to me. This is my PA, she works in my firm, she isn't a whore, and I'm not buying her body, or service, I am buying her company and dedication. She will not be coming back here." As I speak to him, I straighten out my cuffs and push Carmen into the back of the car, her wings hardly fitting.
They smack me in the face as I sit beside her and I smile at her warmly.
"Why do you like me?" I ask her.
She looks out the other window, obviously angry that I had come to get her.
"Carmen."
"Your charisma, your work ethic, your humor when it exists, the way you make me feel nervous and anxious yet comfortable, obviously your looks play a good part too but most of all, I like you because... You're the complete opposite of me."
She had noticed too? That we were nothing alike? She's so willing to open up to me and I feel more guilty than I did before.
"Carmen." My voice was now softer, and I struggle slightly to push the wing out of my face.
I notice her crying and it makes the pit in my stomach grow. I grab her by her chin, tenderness in my touch.
"Carmen. You're so beautiful to me, you're kind and giving and all around modest. But commitment is not for me, and I'm not sure I could do anything but sleep with you, I haven't liked a woman more than that in a very long time and I would only hurt you."
I was hoping the rejection would be enough, but to test the waters, she leaned in and kissed me. Her lips were so soft, so delicate, and any trace I had of my mind before this moment was left far behind. It wasn't until I tasted a small tear in between our skin that I had finally let go of her cheeks.
"Thank you." She whispered, looking to turn back to the window, but, I didn't let her. It may cost me my PA tomorrow, but she gave me a taste of something I had wanted for a while and it was undeniable.
I pull her back to me, ripping off one wing so that she could lay on top of me in the back seat. I bit her lip to pull her mouth open, sliding my tongue onto her sweet tongue. It was warm and welcoming and I could feel her grind into my body.
"Carmen." I can't help but whisper.
But her name, her god damn name, it made me feel sick.
"Carmen." I say more sternly this time.
She removes her lips from mine, the peels away leaving a tingle on my mouth.
"Yes, Mr. Specter?" She asks with a smile. It felt like a lot had been forgiven, but I needed to be honest with her.
"I'm afraid that if this goes far enough that I won't want you around me in the morning. I want to wait, until I feel capable of not hurting you."
She got up and chuckled a little.
"What?" I ask her, in unison with her chuckles.
"As your PA, I never thought I'd see the day Harvey Specter wanted to wait."
"I like you as my PA. I don't want to hire anyone else." I say, because, this was true.
"Why do you have those... Issues..." She questions with a soft tone of voice.
She was honest with me, she is my PA, and unfortunately, my current interest.
"My mom, cheated on my dad.... A lot. It tore my family apart."
"I'm... Sorry. I think that's the only thing we have in common." She's smiling, why is she smiling?
"What?"
"My dad cheated on my mom. A lot. And never with the same woman, different women, all the time. Even would bring them to the house and my mom knew about it. Had no clue why they stayed married. But I didn't let it affect my judgement. That's our difference. We always have to be different." Her eyes look tired.
I pull her into me, wrapping her up with an arm over her shoulder.
"What did you do with the book?" She quizzes, looking up at me.
I kiss her forehead and respond,
"Donna didn't tell you? I burned it."
"Really?"
"Yes, I haven't needed the book anyways." I say with a wink, which in turn earned me a smack on the chest.
"You smell good." I say to her, laughing.
"You smell like Mikes house."