Disclaimer: I do not own these characters…or even this idea really.
A/N: One of my amazing reviewers, Animal Talker, told me I should do a story with Della and Perry married and then gave me an idea of how to spin it, so that's where this came from. I must also thank LIB for shooting ideas back and forth with me! This is what came out of my/our musings, so I hope you like it. I claim no ownership of the restaurant I mention, I do not even know if it exists, I just feel like it's a nice name for a restaurant. It actually came from CSI: Miami…it was the name of a boat! I also claim no ownership of Caldwell Soup. Props if you know where that came from! Also, this is going to have all the characters from the old PM series, the black and white ones, but in a modern setting (so computers, CD's and digital cameras exist). Anyway, enjoy!
Della rolled her eyes as the lady left the table. Perry was just laughing at her. "You think she faked it."
"I don't think she faked it, I know she faked it!" Della clarified. "There is no way she accidently fell over the leg of your chair, onto your lap. Just because she wanted an autograph…from both of us!"
Perry laughed. "You aren't really annoyed, are you?"
"I'm just amazed at the lengths some people go to," Della told him. "But if you think about it, I guess it wasn't that crazy. I just don't understand why she needed my autograph too!"
"She was just a crazed fan who's seen your picture in the paper too often," Perry said.
"Crazed fan, my foot," Della contradicted. "Hard, hair-sprayed blonde hair, too much make-up for her complexion, sickly sweet high voice. Don't you know who that is?"
Perry tried hard to conceal another laugh. He knew Della wasn't really annoyed, she was just fed up. Perry took her to dinner at Luna Nueva tonight so they could relax. The office was closed tomorrow (Friday) and they weren't working all weekend. To top it all off, they had just come off a case where the defendant, a pretty girl, was hanging all over Perry. It wasn't that Della was the jealous type, because she wasn't. She knew Perry loved her and she knew he always would, but she was like any other woman and didn't like to see girls fawning over her man. Their relationship was mostly private from the public, Della didn't want their dating to hurt Perry's practice, so not many people knew that Perry was taken.
Della sighed and thought maybe she should say yes to Perry's next proposal, just to get the public off their back. She quickly shook that thought away. She knew if they got engaged the public would never get off their back and Perry's business would really suffer. She wouldn't let that happen. She was shook from her thoughts by Perry's voice.
"Who is she?" Perry asked.
It took Della a second to catch up with Perry's question, but she quickly realized he was talking about the girl who "tripped" and ended up in his lap.
"Miriam Lyle," Della responded. "She writes for some sleazy magazine, kind of like Spicy Bits. An advice column, or a public interest column, something like that. She's probably going to write that we were at a restaurant together. So, I'm guessing she wanted my autograph to make sure I was Della Street, the secretary."
Perry wrinkled his brow. Something still seemed to be off about her. He hated it when people called her "the secretary" but she never seemed to care. She always asked him what else they were supposed to call her. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Della nodded. "I just don't like some magazine girl slinking around the restaurant when we're trying to enjoy a nice dinner."
"Slinking?" Perry asked with a raised eyebrow. "They have to eat too."
"Not here," Della argued.
"Do you want to leave?" Perry lightly teased.
Della smiled slightly and rolled her eyes at herself. "No. I'm sorry. I'm just fed up with this week and the case. I am glad we get a long weekend to rest."
"Me too," Perry agreed. He smiled as their waitress, Fiona, brought over their food. He laughed as Della began to dig in as soon as it came. "See what you would've missed if we left."
Della rolled her eyes again, this time at him, and kept eating.
-%
"It's very good men, but I've already seen these ideas," Mr. Caldwell told the advertising company Edwards, Parker and Stephens. Luke Edwards and Brian Harding were showing him the sketches they had made.
"You've already seen them?" Luke Edwards asked. "Where?"
"At Garrett and Sons," Mr. Caldwell said. "Your last sketch for a billboard is original, but I don't like that one as much as the other ones and the few others I saw at Garrett and Sons."
"But Mr. Caldwell—" Luke Edwards began.
"I was thinking about changing my advertising agency, but Garrett and Sons has been my agency for years, has been selling my soup well and can come up with original ideas," Mr. Caldwell said. "Sorry men."
As soon as he walked out, Luke Edwards growled. "We have to find that mole!"
Brian Harding looked at his boss with raised eyebrows. "We have to find what?"
"We have a mole in the office!" Luke Edwards proclaimed. "Someone is taking our ideas and giving them to Garrett and Sons. I wouldn't say that if this was the only account it has happened on, but it's happened on two others before this. Caldwell Soup is the last straw!"
"Who could it be?" Brian asked. "Not very many people have seen these sketches."
"I know," Luke admitted. "And that's the problem. Whoever it is must be someone close to us. The only two people I can think of, besides our wives, are our secretaries. I think our best bet would be to fire them."
"Fire them!" Brian exclaimed. "Don't you think that's a bit rash? Angela has been with you for years! If she was going to give away ideas, this would've been going on for years, not for a couple of months."
"I guess you do have a point," Luke admitted. "And May has been with you…"
"For a couple of months," Brian said, filling in the gap. "Should I fire her?"
Luke Edwards thought about Brian's question. Normally he made quick decisions, reacted on impulse and always had the answer. This was a different situation. He had met May and he really liked her. She was a very sweet girl and if they were wrong, they'd be throwing a young girl out of a job she liked and a job she did well. "I think we need to investigate or have people in the office tested," Luke decided. "I'll put you in charge of that. I'm going to call Mr. Caldwell back. Surely we can give him another pitch that will make him change his mind about our campaign!"
Brian Harding shook his head. That was his boss, never relenting and never giving up, even on a Friday afternoon. He mouthed "good luck" to Edwards and then went to his office to try to get started on that investigation Edwards so desperately wanted.
And that's it for the first chapter. It may be slightly boring, but I had to set everything up. I hope you'll review and tell me if you liked it. Usually I say and let me know if you want me to continue. I hope you'll tell me if you want me to but if not…could you keep it to yourself. I worked for a looooong time on this story and unless I get zero interest it will most likely continue. Anyway, I hope you liked it, I hope you'll review so I'll know exactly what you did like and thanks for reading!