The Case of the Lover's Dream
Slowly, Della Street opened her eyes to greet the sunlight that was streaming through the bedroom curtains she hadn't quite managed to close completely the night before. For a moment, she struggled to remember why her heart was pounding and she felt so excited, albeit a little confused. As she stretched away the night's sleep from her legs and arms, slight panic overtook her as she grasped why she was in such a great mood. Della had experienced one of those inexplicably "real" dreams, one that seemed to last the entire night and took you to places (and feelings) you'd only imagined. She gasped as she began to replay the dream in her mind.
First, she and Perry had gone out to dinner … nothing out of the ordinary. Something they actually did several times a week following a late night in the office. They'd enjoyed a very companionable meal chatting, and admittedly, a little flirty teasing, always common between the two of them. Then, he asked her to dance.
As she recalled her dream, she realized that was the moment when everything changed. Perry looked at her with that ever-present twinkle in his startling blue eyes that seemed to appear whenever his eyes were trained on her. And with those cute dimples that emerged when he grinned at her, she was helpless.
Always the gentleman, Perry helped her from her chair and led her to the middle of the dance floor, his hand gently guiding her by a bit of pressure on the small of her back.
When Perry was satisfied by their location on the dance floor, he quickly enfolded her in his arms and … everything just seemed different. They'd danced together before, but never like this. He'd held her closer and she'd gratefully snuggled into his neck, loving the scent of the cologne that was the trademark of her "oh-so attractive" boss. Then, he pulled back a little to look in to her eyes. "Della, you've seemed a little distracted today. Is everything alright?" Della smiled back at him and softly replied, "I'm sorry. I was just having some trouble concentrating today. I'm fine." Hearing that, Perry held her even tighter, and closing his eyes, gracefully whirled her around the dance floor to the sounds of the orchestra playing "It's Magic." The female singer, doing her best to imitate the Doris Day rendition, sang, "Without a golden wand or mystic charms, fantastic things begin when I am in your arms."
The timing of the words and the fact that Della always marveled at how well the two of them seemed to fit together wasn't lost on the dark-haired beauty.
Della sighed as the singer warbled the last few notes of the song that ended, "When in my heart I know the magic is my love for you."
As the song came to an end, Perry broke his hold and led her back to the table.
Della put her hand over her heart in a feeble attempt to calm it as she reflected on the powerful emotions she'd felt in her dream. The pounding in her chest resonated from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. Being in his arms just seemed so right. She felt safe, cherished, and desired.
"Stop it, Della! What's wrong with you?" her mind yelled at her. She shook her head as she tried to banish the memories of her dream but, they kept coming.
As Della settled in the chair that Perry had gallantly pulled out for her, she let out an audible sigh. Perry chuckled as he sat down, "If everything is fine, what was that for?" His grin extended from ear to ear and he moved his head slightly to look deeply into her lovely hazel eyes.
She returned the smile and replied, "Okay, can you keep a secret? You caught me. I was just thinking how lovely it is to sit here and enjoy the music without having to worry about the phone ringing and interrupting the moment."
Perry nodded and quickly agreed. "Can you keep a secret?," he chuckled. "I know exactly what you mean. It's been a challenging week. And, speaking of a long week, are you ready to go home?"
Della closed her eyes and smiling, nodded her agreement, adding, "Only If you promise to come in for a nightcap." The tall attorney stood and took Della's elbow as she raised herself from the chair. "It would be a pleasure," he whispered to the lovely lady.
The shrill ringing of the telephone intruded into the sweetness of her remembered dream. Della shook her head from side to side in an attempt to clear it and reached for the bedside instrument. "Hello?"
"Della? It's Perry. I didn't wake you, did I?"
Della smiled as she recalled what she was thinking about before the phone rang. "No, I'm up."
"Listen, I'm sorry to bother you on a Saturday, but I think I'm finally ready to finish that brief on the Reynolds' case. If you don't already have plans, would you mind terribly if I asked you to work today?"
"Not at all, Perry. What do you have in mind?" she quickly responded.
"Well, I have a few more things to work out, but I was thinking we might start working at 2? Would that work for you?"
"That's fine with me. It'll give me a chance to get a few things done."
"Fine. I'll pick you up on my way in."
Della realized she was a little nervous as she hung up the phone. Perry was coming to pick her up, but he'd done that many times as he drove right past her little apartment on the way in to work. Why was she feeling so uncomfortable about it now?
Ah yes … the dream. The kind of dream that always made it more than a little difficult to continue looking at someone the same way. One where you wake up and can't help but wonder if the other person had the same dream. That dream … Heavenly and frightening all at the same time.
It all made sense as she once again found herself thinking about what transpired in her dream. The drive home was uneventful, although very comfortable. Each lost in thought she remembered wondering what her handsome boss might be thinking. Then again … she wasn't sure she wanted to know. She was also well aware of the butterflies swirling around in her stomach as she wondered where she got the courage to ask him to come in for a nightcap.
Without incident, Mason pulled his car into the apartment building parking lot. As he turned off the ignition, he glanced quickly and admiringly at his lovely companion. A look that wasn't lost on her. He quickly got out of the car and walked around to open her door. Because he was always such a considerate companion, Della wasn't surprised when he took her hand to help her out of the car, but still, the action sent shivers down her spine. As she gracefully exited the vehicle, Perry reached around her to shut the door and turned to grasp her elbow. Ah yes, the comfortable hold that always made Della feel so secure.
They walked that way until they got to the door of her apartment. As she dug her keys out of her purse, Perry opened his hand, palm up. Smiling, Della dropped them into his open hand. Skillfully, he inserted the key in the lock and opened the door, allowing Della to enter first.
She entered her cozy apartment and her heart threatened to jump out of her chest. This was the first time Perry had been in her apartment as a man, rather than as her boss. It was a heady feeling. She struggled to calm her breathing as he closed the door behind him.
"Please make yourself at home, Perry. I'll get some glasses and join you on the couch."
Della remembered walking into her little kitchen and taking several deep breaths in an attempt to slow her heartbeat and her breathing. But, of course, it didn't have much of an affect.
Once she was in her small, efficient kitchen, she grabbed two high ball glasses. Raising her voice so she could be heard from the kitchen, "Rocks or neat," she asked.
Quickly, Perry responded, a bit of a lilt in his voice, "Jack Daniels? Neat."
Della poured the bourbon into the high ball glasses. To hers, she added a few ice cubes before placing the glasses on a tray to take them into the living room.
She couldn't help but wonder and worry what he was thinking, but all those fears disappeared as she walked back into the living room. She noticed that Perry had taken off his coat and tie and folded them neatly over a chair that was sitting in the entry way. She chuckled to herself as she also noticed that he'd unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and rolled his sleeves up. After all, she said he should make himself comfortable, right?
Della chuckled gently, "You do look comfortable."
Perry stood up, grinned, and said, "When a woman tells me to make myself at home, I believe her."
Gently, she set the tray down on the coffee table and came around to the front of the couch. As she sat down at the opposite end, she took Perry's drink and, reaching her arm out, handed it to him. Perry grinned at her and lifted the tumbler to his mouth, enjoying the taste of the whiskey as it slowly coated his throat.
Shaking her head, Della tried to clear the images from her mind. After all, she only had a few hours to complete what she'd intended to accomplish on her Saturday off. Two o'clock would be here before she knew it! Della slipped into the shower, put on her makeup, and dressed in a casual, but professional, skirt and blouse in a lovely pastel pink that always made Della feel very feminine.
And, as she anticipated, time flew by. She managed to wash and fold a few loads of laundry and frankly, was grateful for the mundane chores. Before she knew it, the clock chimed 2 p.m. and she wasn't surprised to hear the doorbell ring at that exact moment. Perry was nothing if not punctual.
Working hard to keep the butterflies at bay, Della opened the door to greet her handsome boss.
"Good afternoon, Chief," she smiled as she grabbed her purse.
"Good afternoon, Miss Street," he grinned. I'm glad this worked out for you. I'm really anxious to get that file off my desk."
Della laughed, reached for her jacket, and preceded Mason out the door.
Once in the office, the afternoon flew by, although, memories of her dream kept flitting in and out of Della's consciousness. As she was putting the finishing touches on the paperwork for the Reynolds' case, her heart nearly leaped out of her chest as she recalled the last part of her dream. Della's gaze fixed in a blank stare as she remembered how Perry had quickly taken her drink from her hand and set both of the glasses on the coffee table in front of them.
"Della," Perry said as he reached for her hand that had been holding the drink. Almost imperceptibly, Perry slid closer to his lovely secretary, quickly closing the gap between them. "I'm not sure what makes the most sense in this particular situation, but I know I need you to be a bigger part of my life. Working so closely with you these past several years has made me realize that there's something missing in my time away from work. And … it finally dawned on me that it's you I'm missing."
"Della!" The pretty lady shook her head as she recognized the booming voice was coming from the intercom on her desk. "Yes, Perry," she replied hastily.
"Did you finish that last document," he inquired.
"I'll bring it right in for your signature," she responded.
Silently, Della chastised herself for daydreaming and getting lost in her thoughts. She prided herself on being the ultimate professional woman, not prone to typical feminine lapses.
"Here it is, Perry. I guess once you sign this, we're done for the evening."
"Not quite, Miss Street," the attorney grumbled as he put his signature on the document.
"But I thought you just wanted to finish up the Reynold's brief," she asked.
Not looking up from the paper in front of him, Mason said, "That's right. But that doesn't mean our day is over. Unless, of course, you have other plans." Perry slowly raised his eyes to meet those of the dark haired beauty standing in front of him.
Della's heart was about ready to pound out of her chest. She didn't have other plans, hadn't had any "other" plans since she started working for the handsome attorney. Within weeks of beginning her employment, she knew in her heart, that no man would ever live up to the human being she'd come to know, respect, and love, the man who was Perry Mason.
Those piercing blue eyes looked right through her, a question mark written in the captivating irises. "Nah - no," she stammered. "I don't have other plans."
As she quickly recovered, she smiled and said, "What are your plans?"
"Plans," he queried as he raised his large frame from his chair. "I have some. My plans are to take you out to a nice dinner and maybe a bit of dancing to thank you for your willingness to work on a Saturday," he grinned as he came around the desk.
"You've seemed a little preoccupied today and I was hoping to take your mind off whatever is distracting you," Mason whispered as he took her arm.
As always, the meal was wonderful and the company exquisite. Della couldn't help but reflect on what happened next in her dream. And then, all of a sudden, there was Perry standing next to her, asking her to dance. She looked up into those gorgeous eyes of his and without words, put her hand in his and rose to her feet.
It was all she could do not to pass out when she realized that what was happening was exactly what occurred in her dream! Perry's hand gently rested on the small of her back, guiding her to the middle of the dance floor.
And, just like in her dream, he quickly wrapped her in his arms and it honestly did feel different. She sincerely hoped her imagination wasn't running away with her because he did seem to be holding her closer than he had in the past. The nearness of him was intoxicating and for a split second, Della thought about propriety and what people might think who saw them together. Then, she caught a whiff of that wonderful cologne and decided at that moment that nothing else mattered. Della snuggled into his neck just enjoying the feelings.
Then, he pulled back a little to look in to her eyes. "Della, you've seemed a little distracted today. Is everything alright?"
Della's mind nearly screamed as the words from her dream brought her back to the present. Somehow, she managed to harness her excitement and softly reply, "I'm sorry. I was just having some trouble concentrating today. I'm fine."
His concern subsided and the two resumed their previous positions, just enjoying their time together. Once again, Della's heart started racing as it dawned on her that the selection being played by the orchestra was identical to that in her dream! Quietly, they both began humming along with the female singer as she sang, "Without a golden wand or mystic charms, fantastic things begin when I am in your arms."
Trying with all her might, Della was having a tough time ignoring the similarities between what transpired in her dream and what was happening at this moment in time.
And, just as in her dream, Della let out a small sigh as the singer ended the song with the poignant lyrics, "When in my heart I know the magic is my love for you."
The song ended and Perry and Della walked back to the table.
Della sighed as she lowered herself into the chair Perry offered. Grinning, Perry said, "If you're fine, what was the sigh for?" She smiled at Perry and replied, looking deep into his blue eyes, "Do you realize that's the first time in months that we've sat down to dinner that hasn't been interrupted by a client calling with some type of problem?"
Chuckling, Perry admitted, "It's been a long time. And, it's been delightful." Continuing, the handsome attorney said, "It's been a challenging week. Are you ready to go home?"
Della winked at her companion, nodded her agreement, and added, "Only If you promise to come in for a nightcap." The tall attorney stood and took Della's elbow as she raised herself from the chair. "It would be my pleasure," he whispered to the lovely lady.
Della couldn't help thinking of her dream on the ride home and tried in vain to calm the butterflies that were flying around in her stomach. This déjà vu stuff was getting a bit eerie. Then, just as in her dream, Mason maneuvered the car in to a parking spot at Della's apartment building, got out, walking around the car to open the door for his charming companion. As she started to get out, Della's breath caught in her throat as her handsome escort took her hand to assist her. Once she was out of the car, the attorney reached behind her to push the passenger door shut.
Mason grinned at her as he took her elbow, gently guiding her to the door of her apartment. Unlike the actions in her dream, Della had already dug her keys out of her purse so they wouldn't waste time standing at her door. Almost imperceptibly, Mason reached over, gently took them from her hand, smiling at her while he eased the key into the lock.
"My mother always taught me that it was impolite to leave a lady standing too long in the doorway." Just then, Mason pushed the door open, handed Della back her keys and waited while she stepped over the threshold. Just inside the entry way was a table where she deposited her keys in a bowl and set her purse down beside it.
As she turned back to Mason, he closed the door and smiled as he grasped her arms just above the elbows.
"Della, I've been thinking that we need to have a talk about some plans I have." Startled by his words, Della tried to calm herself as she looked deep into his blue eyes. "Plans," she queried. "Yes, there's something I've wanted to say to you. And, it never felt like the right time or place. It feels right, now," he said as he moved his hands down to take her hands in his. "I had a dream the other night that made me realize that things between us need to change."
Della started as she said, "I think I might have had the same dream. What happened in your dream?"
Gently and lovingly, Perry Mason raised his hands to Della's face, running his right thumb across her porcelain cheek. "This," he said as his mouth captured hers in a romantic kiss.
Breaking away, Perry continued, "How does that compare to your dream?"
"Even better than I imagined," Della admitted as she moved closer to welcome his mouth once again.