This is a MM from TCOT Lady in the Lake. In this movie, Della stands at the hearth of their hotel after telling Perry about her theory of the kidnapping of Amy, in connection with the disappearance of Sarah Travis. Reading Perry's mind about what he needs to know about Sarah Travis' will, she gives him a certain look before she walks away from him.

I think Perry followed Della upstairs afterwards. This is what I think happened. Two chapters….

(please keep on R&R, I'm still Dutch, practising my English and my writing…)

Anniversary

He didn't bother to check her room, because he knew she would be in his. Of course she had a key to his room, like she had a key to his appartment, to his office, to his safe, to his car, to his heart. He opened the door to his hotelroom, and suppressed a dimpled grin as she was standing there, obviously waiting for him.

" What took you so long? ", her smiling eyes welcomed him as much as her sultry voice.

" How on earth am I supposed to concentrate on the case when you look at me like you did? , " he asked her, leaning back to the door. He threw the documents he had examined on the couch, and walked towards her, taking in her smooth curves, quite visible now that she had taken off her jacket.

She chuckled at his fake despair. " Like what? "

" Like you did when you stood at the hearth, and when you walked away..."

" Well, it's the hearth….you know….it reminds me of the one in your appartment. " She smiled at him, holding her head to the side.

" Oh, yes, I know how hearths affect you…, " he chuckled, and gently tapped her nose with his indexfinger.

Her eyes narrowed, and she bit her lower lip. " Why, counselor…" she crossed her arms in front of her, " ….you forgot…. "

He took off his suitjacket. " Forgot what? " His eyes went through the room, as if the answer was written somewhere on the walls.

" I can't believe you really forgot…"

He sat down on the armrest of the couch, and suddenly looked at her from under his lashes, as if he remembered something important. " Well, yes, I forgot…" He rubbed his beard before scratching the back of his neck. " Am I in trouble now? "

" No…, " She laughed at him. " But it would be the first time in about forty years, Perry….. This Traviscase is something else, isn't it, getting you so distracted? "

" Forty years...has it really been that long? It sure doesn't feel that way…." He leaned forwards to take her hands and pull her to him. She stood between his legs and wrapped her arms around his neck.

" You think so? " She brought her lips to his and kissed him, lightly at first, but then more and more passionate, as she felt his body responding to her, and his breathing heavied with hers. His strong hands roamed over her back and hips, the swell of her bottom and then up, underneath her shirt to touch the silk skin of her waist. He knew his ways. She pulled back from his eager mouth, and inhaled firmly, as their kiss had been long and literally breathtaking.

She took his face in her hands and looked into his eyes. " It really has been forty years, Perry… and I still want you. "

" I noticed.….you should...especially today…. " His impossibly low and sultry voice sent shivers down her spine. His hands went from her waist to the back of her skirt slowly, and found the zipper.

A knock on the door made him sigh. She chuckled. He rest his head against her breasts and grunted, " Who is it? "

" It's me. Paul."

" Get lost, Paul…. "

" Afraid not, Perry. I need to speak to you, it's important. "

He looked up into her eyes, and sighed again. He let go of her waist and straigthened her shirt and skirt.

" I'll open the door, " she whispered, while she whiped her lipstick from his mouth. He brushed a non-existing curl from her forehead.

Della opened the door. " Hi Paul, how have you been? "

" Howya Della, fine, thanks. I need to talk to mister niceguy there in private. Sorry. "

" Some boytalk I'm not allowed to hear, hmmm ? So, I'll be the one to get lost now? "

She knew better than to argue about her presence while Paul talked to Perry. She would go to her room and take off her make-up. Maybe she could phone Vi Westwood, her old schoolfriend, to ask her if she could have lunch with her tomorrow. It would be so nice to see her again, catching up on some old memories.

" Della? "

" Yes, Perry? "

" Don't get lost. Be back, please…"

" We'll see about that, counselor…"

She noticed the champaign on ice on the coffeetable immediately when she switched on the light in her hotelroom. The two glasses next to it, the two red roses, and the envelope made her smile. She shook her head, and picked up the envelope. The note inside was written in a very familiair handwriting.

….of course I didn't forget….

Come to me and bring the champaign, if you still want me …..

- P -

She chuckled, shaking her head again. Of course he hadn't forgotten. This anniversary was as special to him as it was to her. Since there was no weddinganniversary for them to celibrate, they had made up another anniversary because of a special event. Actually two special events, that had taken place on the same date, indeed about forty years ago.

It had been very late on a fridaynight. They had to finish the dictation of a brief for next tuesday. Monday's schedule was packed with appointments for Perry, they had to finish this now, so she could type it out on monday, and they'd review mondaynight.

At 9.30 p.m. they were both starving and decided to have a quick diner before continuing. The food was nice, but the atmosphere was nicer. Their conversation was easy, talking about last week's cases, they laughed at inside jokes, and tasted the food from eachothers plates. He sat close to her, way too close for a boss and his secretary. They touched hands, and when they strolled back to the office, he put his arm around her shoulders, and placed soft kisses in her hair. His familiair scent excited her. She did not mind at all, smiling at him, noticing the sweet tension between them build up, like so many times before.

She was in love with him. And, from his ways around her, she knew he was in love with her too.

They'd had plenty of opportunities to express how they felt about eachother, by kissing or even more, they were aware of it and had even talked about their mutual desire to do so. But they were both waiting for the other one to make the first move. There just never seemed to be a right time and place. Maybe tonight would be different.

Now she sat next to him at his desk, taking his dictations in the same atmosphere as in which they had enjoyed diner. Joking, laughing, teasing eachother. Both knowing it was only a matter of time now.

She stared at the clock and saw it was past midnight, while he was flipping through the pages of a lawbook. When he found what he was looking for, he was about to start dictating again. He shifted on his chair a little, when their knees touched by accident, and they both noticed. He looked at her from aside. She smiled and bit her lower lip, when she noticed he was moving closer, while he continued dictating. His eyes were piercing hers, then he looked at her lips, her eyes, and then her lips again. He raised an eyebrow when she stopped taking notes, and put down her pencil to try and hide her shaking hands from him. Then he gave her his boyish smile and narrowed his eyes, still mumbling sections of law, very slowly, in a mesmerizing way. She played along with him, her heart pounding, her eyes narrowing with his, while moving her gaze from his eyes to his mouth, and back to his eyes, when she finally felt the courage to say the words.

" Perry Mason, will you just shut up and kiss me…..now….."

He smiled and gazed into her eyes, putting his hand under her chin. He closed his eyes, while he let his lips brush hers lightly, and opened his eyes again to examine her reaction. Not only the approval that was written all over her face, but also the little twinkle of mischief in her eyes made his heart race, and he decided to take it further. He leaned forward and kissed her again, pressing his lips on hers, tasting her lipstick. This was definetely the right time and place. He wanted more. He put his hands on the armrest of her chair and moved it to his, so he could pull her closer as he slowly, irresistably deepened their kiss just a little. He put his hands on either side of her face, and began to stand up from his chair. She grabbed the lapels of his jacket when he pulled her up to stand with him, and he kicked away both their chairs. She leaned back to the desk, moaning softly when she felt a flick of his tongue against her lips. Unable to resist, she pushed her body closer to his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and moaned when he parted her lips with his tongue to seek hers, demanding. He tasted like she was tasting, of wine, coffee, ice-cream, tabacco. He allowed his inhibited hunger to surface and pushed her to the desk, a small grunt escaping his chest, and he roamed his hands from her face down to her neck, her shoulders, to the side of her breasts, down to her waist, to the small of her back. She shivered from this longwanted touch. Her hands ran through his hair when they both breathed heavily and she felt the plain proof of his desire pushing against her. He became aware, and let go of her mouth, to see how she felt about the arousel he really did not want to hide from her anymore.

Relieved he saw her smiling, he kissed her cheek, and moved his face to her neck very softly, encouraged by her eager sighs.

He nuzzled her neck, swallowed hard, and whispered to her ear " Good grief, Della Street …. please do tell me to shut up more often…" then he let go. Still breathing heavily, he watched her with darkened eyes.

" I think you better take me home, " she said in a hoarse voice, her fingers straightening her blouse.

" No, " he shook his head.

" No? " she said, amused by the sight of him. He struggled to regain control, she wanted to tease him with it.

" Seriously, Della, if I take you home now, I can only take you to my home…." he said, rubbing his lips and chin. " I'll get you a cab to your place..."