Chapter Ten

Della jumped slightly at the buzzing , she had been typing for hours transcriping, in the rhythm, and had not even noticed that it was well passed lunchtime. She had last seen Perry at ten 'o clock he had not wanted her presence had in fact been brooding and sour. Usually such behaviour signposted a particularly tricky case, sneaky client or illusive witness. She suspected this time it was from self inflicted

"Miss Street, a Mr Benson is here to see Mr Mason."

She leaned through the door, "Perry your four o'clock is here, Mr Benson." it was only as she finished speaking that she actually looked at him and took in the mess that was Perry Mason Attorney at Law. He sat at his desk leaning on it reading something, his hand scrunching up already messed up hair, his tie was dragged off and his shirt was crumbled and greyish. His eyes were bloodshot and he didn't look like he could pod a pea let alone save some misinformed miscreant. Instead of closing the door she stepped in and closed it behind her.

"Perry," her tone scolding, but lightly so, she held out her hand to him, and without hesitation he reached for her, she slotted her hand into his and gently guided him around the desk, "Perry you look a mess." She said quietly but with a tone full of affection and the smile on her face was gentle and understanding not derogatory. She lead him into the small bathroom off his office running the hot water tap, "Now." she said in firm tones, "I want you to change your shirt, wash your face, put some eyedrops in your eyes, " he was looking at himself in the mirror thinking the outside of him looked like he expected he should be feeling, he had a hangover, but other than that, he looked much worse for wear than he felt. His attention turned back to her at the touch of her finger on his chin, "And a shave wouldn't kill you right now." she told him sternly. She turned and tested that the water was hot before damping a face cloth, she turned back to him, "you have five minutes." she said. placing it in his hand, the warmth of the flannel was nothing to the lighting that struck him at that moment, looking down at her, smelling her perfume, seeing every perfection of her face. He stared at her his eyes open wide as if he had never seen her before. She patted his cheek and turned to leave, he grabbed her wrist, not letting her go so easily. He was so tired he couldn't think straight yet through that fog a very clear realisation was making itself known to his post inebriated brain.

"I'm not sure what I would do without you," he said softly,... sincerely. She smiled that teasing grin of hers.

"That's because I'm a handy girl to have around."

"No, I mean it Della, what would I do without you."

"What you mean after you went broke because you would be convinced by all those helpless souls needing pro bono work or from scaring off potentially paying customers with your disheveled appearance." She squeezed his hand before extricating her fingers "Or after you worked yourself into an early grave because you didn't stop to eat or sleep?"She ticked each item off on her finger. Now can I trust you to make yourself presentable?"

"You can trust me."

"Good, five minutes," she told him.

TCOT...

Laura had gone out of there lives, for the moment, he had finished reviewing the briefs Della had typed up for him, he'd made some changes but was not intending to get them updated tonight, tonight he was going to ask Della out to dinner. He had not told her what he'd realised, the day after Laura and he had had their final blow up. The day after he and Paul had hit the town, three nights after he had spent the night with a blonde from out of town, a blonde who had helped him realise he and Laura were over, the morning after Della had been a tad withdrawn, he had hoped she had not worked out where he had spent the night. Before she left for the day, when she had her coat on, and her handbag in her hand he had watched her emotions flicker over her face then she had steeled herself with a breath and closed the door leaning back against it. Whether to stop anyone coming in or stop herself from running out he wasn't sure.

"Chief."

"Yes Della."

"You know I would do anything you needed, anything you wanted me to," she blushed and added quickly, "anything … for a case don't you."

"I think your actions are evidence of that," he admitted. He had never hesitated to ask her for that anything either, but that didn't occur to him, he expected it and she gave.

She looked at him for a long moment, studying him unashamedly, "Perry it doesn't extend to your personal life," she said.

"What do you mean?" he knew what she meant, but he couldn't have any misunderstandings between them, he gave her room to explain.

"I had a phone call asking me if you had worked late in the office with me on a certain night, that you had said you had worked back with me. I hadn't worked with you on that night, I had had a drawing class."

"I didn't know you were taking drawing classes."

"There is a lot you don't know about me," she commented, "But that is beside the point, the 'anything you need' it does not extend to covering for you in your personal life."

He looked at her, watching her, studying her, knowing she had covered for him already.

"One time is once too many," she said, knowing he knew she had lied for him, if only by omission.

"Your not leaving me then?" He felt a weight lift off him.

"Of course not what gave you that idea?" she looked at him as if he were crazy, "I just wanted you to know, where the limits are."

"Understood," he said, "loud and clear."

"I'm not asking you if you understood, I am fairly certain of your high level of intellect on all levels, I am asking you not to ever do that again.'

"Deal breaker?"

"It is," her tone was soft but firm.

"It will never happen again," he said sincerely.

"Thank you." Her eyes lingered on his, it was a thank you too that they could be this frank with each other.

"Della"

"Yes."

"You know I only make a mistake once."

She laughed at that.

"What's so funny."

"Counsellor, no man makes a mistake with women only once."

He gave her a curious look and she left him to his thoughts. She gave him a wink to know that she was not holding anything against him.

"I don't suppose you would have dinner with me?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to take a raincheck, I have a drawing class tonight, goodnight Chief."

"See you tomorrow."

He tried not to think about it but he knowledge that he had burned within him, he couldn't believe she did not know, couldn't see it. How had he been such a fool, he was going to burst. The afternoon of the next day arrived she was packing up some files in his office.

"Miss Street."

"Yes Mr Mason."

"You do know how much I rely on you don't you," he said, had he told her before how much he appreciated her, he couldn't remember, surely she just knew.

"I'm just doing my job," she replied, with a shrug suspecting that he was teasing her.

"You know I rely on your judgement and your insights," he continued, she didn't respond to that watching him suspiciously, crossing her arms, her chin jutted out and she watched him through narrowed eyes.

"So I want to know why you failed to tell me some very basic information."

She was used to him challenging her, questioning her, demanding her own interpretations without giving his own, without justifying his own position until it was all over.

"And what basic information is that?" she queried, amusement creeping into her tone.

"Why didn't you tell me I was in love with you."

Her heart stopped, her lungs wouldn't work, years of practice forced her lips to curve into a smile. She did not know how much time passed before she could actually speak, "Oh Perry you're not in love with me," she said, looking at him with wide eyed innocence, "you just like working with me, because we work so well together."

"I don't think that is true." He chewed his thumb as he considered her from out of the corner of his eye.

"It is true, I give you everything you need, but that is not love. That's efficiency," she replied. 'And', she thought to herself 'chronic symptoms of rebound'. Despite the near miss with the law, Laura Paisley had bounced back and was regularly in the gossip pages with a new beau on her arm, being pursued by any number of top law firms and rich bachelors, she was hot property.

"You are wrong," he said. "You know between us its not … its not efficiency." He shook his head as if giving the idea for consideration, "No... that's not what it is."

She crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back in a pose he knew well, usually heralding a particularly pointed observation. As often as not a barb directed at him. But he saw her change her mind, "If you are so convinced why don't you ask me in a year," she said instead.

"A year?" he wasn't sure he could wait that long, not now that he knew how he felt. "A year is a long time," he pointed out."I think you should just marry me now."

"Marry you" she laughed at him, genuine amusement in her tone took the sting out of it, now that proved he was on the rebound, "Me? Just because I am a good secretary doesn't mean I'd be a good wife, anymore than you would make a good husband." she narrowed her eyes, "No I take that back you would be a good husband, a good provider, its just that you would leave your wife in a big house, on a big hill probably, and run off on your next big case with your not so big secretary. I'm not really the type to wait at home." She stopped realising that she was sounding as if she had given the whole matter way to much consideration. She blushed and a little more personal than she had intended. However after considering her through heavy lidded eyes, his face cracked into a broad and cheeky grin, "Mhmmm," he shook his head, "I can't imagine you waiting in some house alone." But he could imagine her in his house, funny, because he had never been able to imagine Laura there, not as a permanent fixture, not with a ring on her finger.

She went out and sat at her desk, her hands were trembling, she wondered if she could go home, she needed some space, needed to get away from him and his intense eyes, away from the words that she had longed to hear but... She shook her head, she was not going to be a rebound for Laura Paisely, and she was not going to fall at his feet because he told her the words she wanted to hear. Had not realised how much she had wanted to hear them until they were uttered out loud. She had loved working for him, from the very first, they worked hard, very hard, and she had never been afraid to follow him on any of his investigations, and more than willing to be sent in to run interference for him. But this she didn't know what she wanted, she was saved by Paul barging in waving around a subpoena that he did not want to honor. She buzzed him through, asked Perry if he needed anything then told him she was heading home. When she got back to her apartment there were flowers waiting for her, the card simply said, "Twelve months truce, on my honour." It wasn't signed. She couldn't wipe the grin of her face or stop her heart from racing. He was heading to New York for a week, she wouldn't see him for that long, long enough for her to be able to compose herself to face him when he came back.

He called her on the Tuesday to check in.

"Any messages Miss Street?" he asked with his mock formality.

"None that need a response at this moment Mr Mason, " she replied.

"You must be terribly bored with me not there," he teased her.

"Terribly, but I'm managing to keep myself awake, what with the back log of mail, filing, notes to be typed, bills to be sent... " she replied, listing all the things that got neglected when they were on a case.

"Sounds like you've got it all under control. I'll call you on Thursday. Ring if you need anything."

"Okay Chief, bye."

She was still smiling twenty minutes later when Gertie came running in holding the door closed behind her as if someone was about to barge through with an axe.

"What is it Gertie?" Della asked in concern.

"Miss Paisley is here, she has asked to see you, I told her Mr Mason was away but she is insisting that she see you."

Della felt her stomach clench into a knot, she drew in a breath and nodded, "Show her in Gertie."

"Are you sure, she is looking awful mean," Gertie asked fear written over her face.

"I'll be fine, I've got some holy water if she starts showing her fangs." This brought a giggle from the receptionist and she went back out to show Miss Paisley in.

Laura came through the door, she was dressed in a dark grey suit, a silver silk blouse, and silver necklace. She was the epitome of chic. Her head was held high, but her chin tilted slightly defensively to the side.

"Thank you for seeing me Miss Street."

"I'm afraid Mr Mason is in New York until Friday, Miss Paisley."

"I know, that's why I came now. It's you I wanted to see."

"I don't see how I can help you?" Della admitted, not trying to cover the confusion in her eyes.

Laura let her eyes roam up and down the secretary, she would never have guessed that this woman contained so much steel, it just was not apparent even now.

"But you already have Miss Street, I have few allusions about who or what I am. I know what I need to do to get where I am going. I also know that Mr Drake would have shown you those photos, he was positively dripping with enthusiasm to show Perry." Laura watched to see if the secretary would respond, "I know that Perry has not seen those photos, he knew I had lied to him ..., yet he still came and asked me to tell him. I told him some but not all, I couldn't tell him all, he would never understand. You can't know how it feels to know that the man you love..." she didn't finish that sentence, "I have treated you badly, and yet you stopped Paul Drake from showing him those photos, you must have told him to come and see me after Mrs McIntyre was killed. Even though you knew I'd set James on you, ironic isn't it if I hadn't have done that, your Mr Drake wouldn't have had any reason to have him followed. I would probably have been in the firing line again. So for as many reasons as I don't have to thank you, I have my liberty and my family to thank you for. On that note you will probably be pleased to know that I have accepted a job with Ricker and Ricker based in Denver."

Della was speechless, but she forced herself to hold out her hand to this woman, "It is not an easy choice to have to make, I'm sorry you were ever in that position," Della said sincerely while she tried to understand what Laura wanted,

"You have too much compassion for someone who works in this area of the law and more strength than I credited you for. Thank you."

"You don't owe me that," Della said.

Laura looked Della straight in the eye, "Now that it is said, you and I don't owe each other anything, but I wanted you to know that I'm grateful that you ..."

"There are no photo's" Della said gently answering the question Laura was too scared to ask, "no photo's and no negatives, they are gone."

"Paul Drake would never destroy evidence like that," Laura pointed out, knowing how seductive it was to believe something you wanted to believe was true, but evidence was the best proof. And Della had to admit regarding Paul destroying that evidence that was true enough.

"You'll have to take my word for it," Della replied.

"You know, "Laura gave a tight smile, "I can live with that. Goodbye Miss Street."

"Goodbye Miss Paisley and good luck."

Laura looked back from the door, holding it open, there was no smile on her face, "I can't say I wish you the same," Laura replied with a lifted eyebrow, "I'm sure one day you'll understand why." She closed the door behind her. Della sank down into a slump in her seat. "Phewshh" she let out an exclamation of air. That, that, she had not expected.

TCOT...

Perry was standing at the conference in his office, flicking through some papers, she was in the kitchenette, the door was open, he heard her sharp outake of air hiss through her teeth."Della?"

He went to the door, she had her finger in her mouth and was glaring at the coffee pot with ire. "You burnt yourself?" he asked, she nodded, looking up at him, her finger in her mouth. He crossed to her, he took her hand and examined her finger, he should have put it under the tap, he should have done anything but what he did, which was to stare into her eyes and put her finger into his own mouth. The wordless ohh that formed on her lips, lips pouty and wet. Her finger forgotten by both of them as he kissed her, lifting her up on to the bench to better access her, their tongues clashing, one hand moved up pushing her skirt up until he found the exposed skin above the top of her stocking, his thumb stroking, his fingers... His lips moved down her neck as he unbuttoned her shirt his lips tasted her through the satin material of her bra, but as his lips found her nipple through the thin material, her body convulsed, then froze, "If we do this here Perry, I can't come back," her words came out way too husky, he didn't stop immediately as if the words had to travel some distance to reach him, his intention was evident and pressing into her thigh. Her words actually didn't reach him as words only as emotions, loss, great loss. His lips stopped their movement, but he still leaned in on her breathing in her scent.

"Baby.." he groaned, unable to pull himself together, She reached down and removed his hands from her thigh, gently she pushed him back she only used her finger in his chest and he responded. She slid off the counter and moved past him to the door, when she passed the threshold away from his sight she ran to her office. Shaking fingers rebuttoning her shirt, a quick lift of her skirt to reattach her stocking clasp, she pulled out the mirror she kept in her top draw and reapplied her lipstick, her hands momentarily stopped shaking with this familiar task. Knowing he couldn't very well come chasing after her. She put on her coat and took her bag and leaving the door locked fled for her car, grateful that the lift arrived within seconds.

"Mr Mason still working Miss Street?" Gerry asked politely, they were always rushing around those three Mr Drake, Mr Mason and Miss Street, so her rushing into the lift held no significance to him, nor did her slightly flushed face.

"Yes Gerry, he's got some tidying up to do."

He let her out, "Have a good weekend Miss Street."

"You to Gerry." she replied with her normal warm smile. Gosh Gerry thought, but she had to be the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen up close and he got to see her every day, and she was the nicest lady ever.

TCOT...

Perry brooded in his flat. Ridiculously he was almost glad of the whole Laura thing, if she hadn't have been around there would have been nothing to stop him and Della, and the passion might have scared them both off, without the solid base of friendship and respect that had grown out of their working relationship. He smiled, he knew how stubborn she could be, he knew how determined but oh boy the fire in her. The grin slid off his face though as he thought about what she had said.

"Yes?" he answered the phone, only Della, Paul and his family had the phone number to his private number. He knew that it was not Della. He knew that after that afternoon she was unlikely to call.

"Perry?"

"Yes?" he didn't really care who it was."

"Its your … its Robert " his uncle said."Come over for dinner, bring that rogue of a detective and that beautiful assistant of yours."

"I can't" he lied.

"Yes you can, Ellen is expecting you see you at 7.00"

He brooded but decided that there were worse things in the world than hanging out with his acerbic uncle and his young wife, although she was Perry's age so he wasn't really sure if he felt that young.

Paul joined him, ditching a night out prowling to hang out with his friend who he sensed was brooding, he thought that maybe the announcement in the paper of Ricker and Ricker welcoming the lovely Laura Paisley to their Denver commercial law branch. In addition the undercurrents of the various articles suggested a much stronger link between another prominent firm's young starring attorney and Miss Paisley, echoed by a photo of them smiling at each other at some gala event while Laura has recently toured that city.

"Where's Della?" his uncle asked,

"She had something on," Perry lied, he thought he saw a brief flash of disappointment on Ellen's face. He realised that Ellen's idea of a fun night was not sitting round talking to the three of them.

"Well I hope you boys are hungry, I have some killer steaks. What can I get you to drink?" His Uncle asked.

"She... It wasn't that she was busy." Perry admitted to his Uncle, Paul was helping Ellen in the kitchen, he could be quite a domestic boy given the right motivation, right now, Perry assumed that motivation was spending time with a beautiful woman. It was in fact because Paul sensed Perry needed to talk to his uncle, he knew Perry struggled to confide in him, he figured it was the whole Laura thing, but...

"I didn't think so, I sort of got the impression that anything you asked her got first priority."

"She takes her work very seriously, she is a professional." Perry added.

"And what about Laura, I saw the paper, today."

Perry shrugged, "I knew she was going, she said I had to ask her to marry me if I wanted to stop her, "

"And?"

"Those few months, being back together, it was different"

"Why do you think that is?"

"It was out of habit, out of familiarity, I was so mad with her but I think I would have, to stop her going, if you hadn't have said what you said."

"And what was that."

"That I would loose Della if I chose Laura. Surely if I had loved her that wouldn't have mattered."

"So you regret your decision?"

"No, not for one second," He looked directly at his Uncle and realisation brought a smile to Roberts face, that his nephew had recongised the truth about how he felt about Della.

"But, today, I pushed Della, I made a pass at her in the office."

"She's a big girl, brush you off did she."

"I didn't leave it open to interpretation," Perry admitted

"Oh." his uncle said, given his own behaviour over the years he was hardly going to judge his nephew. "Have you spoken to her since?"

"No. Sometimes, its best to let her alone."

'Maybe, but you can't let her turn up on Monday with out some sort of resolution, women hate that."

Perry stopped himself from saying that Della wasn't a woman, she wasn't like other women, at all, but she was most definitely a woman and that was what had got him into this mess. "I have to go to the Paisley's tomorrow for Laura's farewell, I don't suppose you want to come?" he asked his uncle. The big man laughed, "that snake pit, no thanks."

"He was your best friend once."

"A long time ago boy, and those ties are better off cut, for all of us I think," Robert sighed."You're timing could have been better Perry," his uncle observed, "Launching yourself on your secretary on the day before the world finds out your ex has dumped you for good, so on top of everything else she gets to feel like rebound girl."

"I knew about Laura weeks ago," Perry defended himself,'we were over months ago,' he thought,

"And who did you tell, who can prove that, who can plead your case counsellor and don't tell me Laura because she is a hostile witness."

"No one," Perry admitted.

"Not even Paul? Boy you really screwed up." Robert poured them another drink and handed it back to his nephew.

"I ..." what could he say that wasn't the worst of it,

"Are you in love with her?" His uncle handed him another drink.

Perry groaned and sat down, clutching the drink to him and sipping it.

"Or is it only lust?"

"Last year when, before you'd moved back, when Laura and I were on one of our reunions Laura accused me of not being present."

His uncle chuckled, "Distracted, not present. she knew, oh dear, no wonder she is fleeing to Denver. You could tell Della why Laura finally left you, that she didn't like sharing your attentions with another woman."

"You are a great help. You think that I can win her over by telling her that the last three years every time I made love to Laura I was thinking of her, and I only realised it after Laura had walked out on me and Della walked in on me looking a mess."Perry shook his head the moment was seared in his memory, "she pulled me back together, she handed me a face washer, she touched my face and it was like a lighting bolt, how had I not known?"

"Perry, I … Della is a sensational girl, you know Ellen and I adore her, you can probably credit her with more sense than most women who are in love with you. But you might want to think about what you want from her, because maybe you can't have her as your secretary and your lover, maybe that is not what she wants from life."

"But I need her,"

"Maybe you should be honest with her, Perry, I don't doubt she loves you, I don't doubt she is in fact in love with you, but look at it from her point of view, you have a relationship with another woman for over ten years. She leaves you and you ask Della out on a date, she moves to Denver and you make a pass at her. I have a feeling that as much as you mean to her she will not be your rebound girl, and that is what you have made her feel like. "

"How did someone with your history get such insights?"

"I think its Ellen, she doesn't get angry at me, she explains things to me. It is quite revealing, she is very patient," Robert admitted. "Talk to her Perry, but you need to listen as well.

TCOT...

Perry had showed up as requested. Mr Paisley was right, they were all connected by their past, they were to some extent family and that required acknowledgement of each others existence. So he was here as they farewelled Laura again. Laura had seen him come in, she did not rush to him, although she was circling closer. She did not want to be dressed down in front of their friends. His presence alone had saved her from further whispers.

"Why don't you come and sit with me Mr Mason while she gathers up the courage to come and face you?" He turned around and looked down into the face of the aloof Mrs Graham. She was a short woman, with a kind face and determined eyes, she would have been a great beauty in her day.

"Why Mrs Graham, did you want to blackmail me over something?" he asked bluntly. He was not taken in by her pleasant demeanor.

"I would never blackmail you Mr Mason. You are far to clever."

She turned to go to one of the unoccupied table and chair sets. He sat down and watched her. "You took a big risk blackmailing Samuels, it could have backfired on you rather badly." He observed quietly.

"Blackmail?Is that your favourite word today?" she asked him, "I'm sure if you had any evidence of that, you wouldn't have hesitated to throw me to the police."

"It is a defense attorney's greatest conundrum, to have a truth and no evidence," he admitted.

"I was in no danger, " she continued, "I can read men very well, and Samuels was in love with Rose McIntyre. He just would not have given up his company to protect her. He loved money more than her."

"She was prepared to leave Charles for him but she didn't trust him."

"That's the problem with being a cheat, Mr Mason, you can't be trusted, but you lose the ability to trust. I think she may have loved him, but she didn't believe he loved her, she looked for evidence to support that and she found it."

"You are a student of human nature?"

"It has advantages for someone in my position," she admitted.

"Why do you think she killed him?"

"She found out he was not going to marry her. She realised that Charles knew about them she would loose them both."

"She was that scared of him?"

"Of Charles, no, it was me that she was scared of. Silly little fool. But Charles would have cut her off with nothing if he had have found out about the baby. It was the only thing that would make him dishonor his vows. He wanted children more than anyone I know. He would have let me handle it if he knew that."

"Did you have her killed."

"Of course not. That would be immoral," she said affronted by the cheek of that question.

"But James was one of your fixers."

"James did not want Laura finding out that he was blackmailing Ian Samuels and Rose McIntyre, it was purely self preservation."

"So he wasn't taking one for the team."

"He was acting entirely on his own," she assured him, "exactly the reason he would never be a part of our team. Laura had been told to cut him loose."

"Have you ever failed to get what you set your mind on?" he asked.

"Of course not. I'm glad you've come to your senses and realised Laura is not for you."

"Is that what she told you?"

"She's not wearing your engagement ring what more do I need to be told?" She didn't flinch from the fierce expression on his face. She continued in the face of it, "Laura knows that I don't approve of you. You are too selfish, she needs someone to love her to the exclusion of all other things. It was a hard lesson for her to learn that you don't even love her. But the pain she feels now would be nothing to what she would feel if she wasted her life married to a man whose love for clients that come from the gutter dragged her down their with him."

"Laura must thank the Lord everyday to have you has her protective Godmother. I believe Laura is ready for me now, you will excuse me." He got up and left her not waiting for her to respond. His good bye to Laura was brief, the tears in her eyes only barely being held in control.

"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble Perry," she said in a quiet voice.

"I'm sorry you didn't trust me," he replied.

"I did trust you, you were the only one I trusted, to get me out of trouble."

"You still don't understand Laura, you should have trusted me enough to tell me from the start, to tell me what Mrs Graham had demanded of you."

"You can't know," she turned away from him.

"But I do know and I'm truly sorry." He squeezed her shoulder and then turned and left.

TCOT..

It was Sunday morning, Perry had stared at the phone for ten minutes before he braved picking it up and ringing. Her Aunt put her on.

"Can I take you out to lunch."

"I don't think so Perry," she said.

"Della?"

"Its okay Perry I just need ..."but she didn't know what she needed."I'll talk to you later."

TCOT...

He pulled up in the parking lot, from where he was parked he could view the beach without leaving his car. He got out and leaned against the hood. He spotted her walking along the sand, he knew she would spot him, they could always do that spot each other in a crowded room, in a crowded street, a nearly empty parking lot and a beach were easy. He went and brought two coffees at the icecream van and sat down in on one of the picnic tables overlooking the beach. He waited for her knowing she would come, knowing he should let her choose to come rather than further invading her space. And she did but she sat opposite him not next to him. They had been physically close, always, the touching had never been uncomfortable for them, sitting next to each other, leaning over each other, it came with the job. It had never meant anything, until it stopped and so he felt the gap between them as if it were much greater , felt it as if it was a yawning chasm he passed her a coffee.

"Thanks." she said, her voice low and unintentionally sultry. He watched her hands they were so elegant. The delicate gold band on her little finger emphasizing the neatness of those fingers.

He forced himself to look into her eyes, she was watching him, there was no fear in them, only warmth and affection, but something was hidden from him. He could tell in the way he chin pointed ever so slightly down. In complete contrast to when she looked up at him and challenged him, head tilted, chin leaning sideways and up, looking out the corner of her eyes. He wished she would shoot him that look now and tell him off for his bad behaviour. She didn't she waited for him to talk.

"I acted like one of those men I have always professed to despise, I can't say I am sorry for kissing you, but I am sorry for how and when and that I made you feel you had to run away from me."

She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it as he continued,"I was a wolf, I am sorry, more than you will ever know."

"I didn't stop you," she said, "at first." she grinned a him "And you stopped when I..."

"I only just stopped," he confessed dropping his eyes

'I didn't really say no,' she thought but did not say.

"I won't do it again," he promised. She looked over to him and laughed he felt warmth spread up his body at the sight of that smile. She wasn't going to leave him, wasn't going to walk away because he had thrown himself at her, over her.

"Not like that anyway," he temporized. "Unless you will relent and marry me." He had not meant to ask, no, he had not planned to ask, but when the words left his lips he meant every word. She shook her head.

"I'm not the girl for you," she said.

"Why not?"

"I'm not the marrying kind," she chuckled softly,"I'm not one to wait at home."

He laughed at that, he had to agree with her often enough he couldn't even get her to wait in the office. As she observed the expressions changed on his face she said, "I'm not the other kind either."

"What kind are you then?"

'The loyal secretary kind,' she thought but could not say.

"I don't want the marrying kind I want you," he said in the face of her silence.

"I'm serious Perry," he voice a soft murmur.

"You know despite all appearances to the contrary I can be a very patient man."

"I'm not asking for time," she said softly but firmly.

"Never is an awfully final word Della." His eyes searched hers, "if that is the right word I'll need to hear you say it out loud."

'Say it,' she told her self, 'just say it' but she couldn't say it. The word wouldn't come out. He didn't know how he managed not to smirk.

"Just for the record Miss Street, should you ever change your mind, what signs should I look for?" he asked in the face of her inability to say it outloud. His teasing brought a pouty grin to her lips, she pushed her bottom lip out to try and hide it.

"Rumour has it, Mr Mason, that you are fairly quick on the uptake," she stood up and held out her hand to him. "I'm sure you'll notice, in the meantime would you like to stay for dinner?"

"What's on the menu?" he flirted mercilessly. She looked at him wide eyed and innocent and without even a twitch,"Chicken," she told him.

His eyes widened and his mouth opened and then threw his head and roared with laughter, pulling her to him for a swift embrace before turning and keeping his arm draped over her shoulder as they walked back down the beach to her Aunt's place for dinner.

THE END.

A/N Thanks for reading and reviewing - I'm still blaming Laura for the inconsistencies and issues of continuity. Although it might teach me not to post before I have finished editing. Hope you enjoyed my take on the Laura/Perry saga.