Two

Perry gets caught and has some quick explaining to do.

Della pursed her lips when the hotel receptionist informed her Mr Mason had already checked in to the room they had booked.

'When I spoke to him this morning he said he was going to surprise you,' Paul offered. After his wife had completed their check in and received the key cards they walked towards the elevator. 'Afterall it is date night and we're here early because you clearly had the same idea. A little romance, a little personal time.' He smiled knowingly. The doors closed and up it shot to the third floor.

Della looked for their room numbers as she moved along the corridor her face flushing slightly at what afternoon delights might be hiding behind the solid wooden doors. Stopping outside 320, she took in the numbers and drew out her key card. Pausing, she thought he would make their inevitable seductive word play more interesting and decided to knock quietly.

'Oh look, we're across from you,' she commented to Paul and Jo.

'I'm glad you're across from us and not next door because the last time….ohmph…' Paul stopped mid sentence and his wife Jo elbowed him in the ribs.

Della was grinning when she knocked on the door of her room but the grin melted away and she froze as the door swung open.

PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

Perry Mason stood bare chested wrestling into a shirt. His feet had no shoes and the belt on his trousers lay open and dangling loose. A series of lipstick smears ran from the base of his neck down his shoulders Directly behind him stood a smirking Laura Robertson, shirt on but partially unbuttoned.

Della said nothing. Her face blank, her eyes darted several times from the now wide eyed look on her husbands face and the woman stood behind him making no attempt to hide her presence.

Behind Della Pauls face took on a dark scowl and his wife had turned away and backed towards the door of their own room.

'Della! It's not what you think!' Perry started to say but his wife saying nothing merely picked up her bag from where it had dropped from her hand, turned on her heel and strode confidently down the corridor back towards the elevator.

Della jabbed the button for the elevator with more aggression than usual, willing the cage to arrive as quickly as possible. The tears were threatening to come fast and freely if she didn't get out of the hotel quickly. She gulped in air and fought with every ounce of poise and grace she had to retain her dignity. Impatiently, she began repeatedly pressing the button again cursing the time it was taking.

'Della please wait!' Della straightened her back and squared her shoulders as the voice came from behind her. She pointedly refused to turn towards the direction from which it had come. Perry Mason was next to her in seconds as she stabbed at the button again. 'Wait please, just let me explain.'

'There's nothing to explain,' she ground out through gritted teeth. 'I think the situation was clear for all to see.'

'No,' he grabbed her by the arm. Della finally looked at him. Hazel eyes now blazing, she looked between his face and his hand on her arm. If looks could kill, he knew he'd be six feet under already. Reluctantly he removed his hand. 'I haven't done anything, nothing happened in there,' he blurted out. Damn it he thought, that's not what I was going to say. 'It's not my fault!' What was he six years old? Perry tried to regain his composure. The doors of the elevator slid open and a young woman peered out. 'She'll take the next one,' he barked. The doors slid shut as the young woman reading the look on his face pressed the doors closed button as rapidly as she could.

'I didn't want the next one, I wanted that one!' Della started pressing the buttons again.

'Please I need a chance to explain.' Perry sucked in a deep breath and started again. 'I came here early to surprise you.'

'Well you damn well managed that!' Della was definitely mad, she had sworn at him. She never swore at him.

'What I mean was, I wanted to surprise you with a few little extras because we haven't had a date night in a while, and I bumped into Laura in the lobby. We went into the bar, talked a bit, she accidently spilt wine in my lap, and I came up to change, she came up to help, you knocked on the door and that's pretty much it!' He was babbling and he knew it. Ten seconds later his brain finally caught up with his mouth and he realised what he had said about Laura helping him. That was a sentence loaded with a double meaning if ever he heard one. 'Well she didn't come to help, she…..' The look on Dellas face told him she certainly wasn't buying it.

'I know exactly the help she wanted to give you.' Dellas voice dropped ominously. 'The same help she gives you every time she breezes into town by any chance?'

'What do you mean?'

'I'm painfully aware when she's in your orbit Perry.' Where was that damn elevator car again. Perry stepped closer to her so she had to look up at him. This close he could now see a sadness overtaking the initial anger.

'Della what do you mean you're painfully aware? What pain….'

'You pull away from us.' She stated flatly. 'When she's in town you become distant from everyone, especially me. Your behaviour changes, late nights, excuses not to be home, you miss family evenings and there's never any real intimacy between us until she's gone and then everything slowly returns to normal. You act like nothing's happened and everyone has to fall back into line without any explanations.'

'I didn't know.'

'No you never do. You don't read the gossip columns. Your cosy little dinners when she's in town, they make the top of the gossip sheets. As Paul says you have a blindspot where she's concerned. You always have had and most likely always will until you wake up and realise not just who but what she really is!' Della was starting not to trust herself. She prided herself on keeping her cool and dignity in any situation and she was going to be damned to hell if she was about to lose her composure in public because of that woman and her husband, no matter how much she loved him. Finally the elevator pinged announcing the arrival of the car.

'I never hid anything from you. I just didn't think mentioning our meetings was that important. They were purely professional.'

Della's eyebrows shot up in exasperation. This brilliant man really was clueless about women at times. 'You didn't think to mention them? They were professional and unimportant? You clearly didn't see the photos in the gossip columns then!' Her anger was starting to burn through with the ferocity of an erupting volcano. 'Perry, I'm through with this running soap opera with Laura Robertson. If you want her, you can have her, and she can have you!'

The look on Perry's face couldn't have been more surprised if she had physically slapped him. 'I don't want her! if I did I could have her a long time ago! Many times over, but I didn't!' He had tried to stop himself but too late. 'Instead, I chose you. I gave you everything!' he thundered, his temper getting the better of him. How dare she not believe him. How dare she tell him who he could and could not see. How dare she be so suspicious of Laura and he when it had been nothing more than a few harmless flirtations.

Della met his glare with her own. She had for a moment felt herself waver under his protestations of innocence, but now. How dare he be so casual with that woman and their marriage. How dare he tell her he gave her everything in life when the reality was she had worked hard and long. Was he implying she would be nothing without him, demanding she believe him at all times, whatever the lame excuse. The nerve of the man! The elevator doors opened. 'Enjoy each other, you deserve it.' She stepped into the car. 'We're done!' The doors closed.