Tunnel of Love?
After a very quick stop at Perry's place for him to pick up some essentials, they drove to Della's apartment. Perry gently took her elbow as they walked down the hallway to her door, not just to steady her, but to give him an excuse to touch her. Opening the door, she dropped her keys on a table just inside the door, and turning, smiled at him.
"Have a seat Perry. It won't take me long to pack."
"No need to hurry. We have time. I figure if we take the Coast Highway, we should be there just in time for dinner."
Della started down the hallway to her bedroom but stopped, looking back at him.
"There's scotch in the cabinet over the sink if you'd like a drink." Then she disappeared into her bedroom.
Della took an overnight bag down from the shelf in her closet. She started to pull clothes from her closet to pack but then she sat heavily on her bed. She thought about the man currently in her apartment. He had put his practice and essentially his life on hold to take her away from the city because of her fear. Was it just because she couldn't seem to function when the earth shook or was there something else there? Most bosses would have been either been joking or angry at her fear. But not Perry. Della decided she was thinking about things that were better not to delve into. Standing, she finished packing, and headed back to the living room.
Perry walked to the kitchen, opening the appropriate cabinet, taking out the bottle. He noticed it was the same brand he kept at the office, and it had not been opened. He thought it a little strange, since he knew Della didn't really drink, except for the occasional glass of wine at dinner or champagne at social functions. So he had to wonder why she kept his favorite scotch in her apartment.
Finding a glass in another cabinet, pouring himself a good measure, he leaned back against the counter, letting the fiery liquid slide down his throat. He knew his feelings for her were changing, but he also knew that he could not act on them. She was his secretary and he was not one of those stereotypical bosses who went after his employee. His very beautiful, very sexy employee. This thinking would lead to nothing but trouble. He quickly downed the scotch and poured himself another.
Della came down the hallway, carrying an overnight bag. Seeing Perry with the glass in his hand, she smiled. "Oh good. You found it."
He raised the glass in a small salute. "Yes, thank you. My favorite brand, by the way."
Della blushed deeply.
"I bought it some time ago. In case we had a late night...ah...were working late here...ah...you know. Shouldn't we be going?" She headed for the door to hide her embarrassment.
Perry finished his drink, placing the bottle back in the cabinet and rinsing his glass before setting it in the sink. Taking a deep breath, gathering his thoughts, he turned with a smile. "Yes, let's go."
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Perry headed the big Cadillac along the Pacific Coast Highway, hoping the ocean views would have a calming effect on Della's nerves. And he wanted to avoid the newly opened I-10 with its traffic.
A gentle breeze brought the scent of ocean air into the car through the open windows. Even Perry relaxed, thinking they should do this more often. Maybe if they spent a little more time out of the office they could...no, Mason, danger lies in that thinking.
Glancing over at Della, he saw that she had leaned her head back, her eyes closed, obviously finally relaxing. He started to reach out and take her hand but thought better of it.
As if she somehow sensed his thoughts, she opened her eyes and smiled over at him.
"Thank you again Perry."
He smiled back. "For what? I needed a small vacation too. Of course I'll spend the next three weeks going to the gym to lose the weight I'll put on from Mae's cooking."
Della laughed. "She does love to feed you. She likes you...quite a bit."
Now Perry did reach out for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "And I like her too."
Della looked out the window to see the curved and vine covered arch of the McClure Tunnel. "Looks like we made good time. I hope Aunt Mae has some of her jasmine tea brewing."
As they entered the semi-darkness of the tunnel, Della felt the air cool. Thankfully traffic was light, perhaps only fifteen cars besides theirs.
They had traveled only 100 feet through the 400-foot long tunnel when the rumbling started. Perry had to fight the wheel to keep the car from drifting as the tremor hit. Della grabbed the arm rest to keep from sliding across the seat.
The brake lights of the car just ahead of them flashed brightly in the dim light, just as the first piece of the concrete ceiling fell, crushing the car flat.
Perry jammed on the brakes, causing the big car to slide sideways, the front bumper slamming against the wall of the tunnel, throwing them both forward. Before either of them could move, the overhead lights flickered and died, pitching them into total darkness.