"Della, would you come in here, please. And tell Gertie we are not to be disturbed and she is to hold all calls."
Della Street felt her heart begin to pound. Something was wrong. She felt it in her bones. For three or four weeks now, she had had the impression that her relationship with her boss had changed. They had lost the easy camaraderie, the banter, the relaxed give and take. He had stopped gripping her arm to steer her through waiting journalists at the courthouse. Suddenly the late-night "working dinners" had ceased and there was a decided chill in the air. Their former easy-going conversation had become stilted and awkward. Della racked her brains to think of what could have happened to alter things. Had she inadvertently done something to annoy him? She picked up a notepad and pencil and headed into Perry Mason's office.
He was sitting behind his desk and barely looked up when she entered.
"You wanted me, Perry?" she asked, heading for the chair beside him from where she usually took dictation. He looked up and nodded at the client chair across from his desk. "Please sit over there, Della, I have something I have to say to you."
She did as she was asked, her heart racing as she waited for him to speak.
"Della…." His discomfort was obvious as he fiddled nervously with the pen from his desk set. "Della, there's no easy way to say this," he said. "I'm afraid you'll have to find another job."
Her heart sank. She had expected something bad, but not this. "You're firing me?" she asked, ashen-faced.
"Yes…no…. I'm not firing you. I'm just saying you will have to find a new position."
"And that's not firing me?"
"Della…"
"What have I done, Perry? Please tell me what I've done. I thought we worked well together. I don't understand."
"You haven't done anything, Della. It's just that I can't work with you any more."
"I don't understand," she said again.
"Tom Chalmers at Chalmers, Hope and Taylor is looking for a new personal assistant. It's a very prestigious firm. The salary will be better. I've spoken to Tom. The position's yours if you want it."
She looked at him with a shocked expression. "I don't want it. I don't want to work for Tom Chalmers. I don't want more money. I want to stay here. Why do you want to get rid of me?" Despite her best efforts to stay calm, she could feel tears brimming in her eyes.
He could see how upset she was and the last thing he needed was her tears. "God, Della, please don't cry! I can't bear to see you cry," he said.
"Well level with me, then! Tell me what's wrong! Surely I deserve an explanation, Perry?" The tears were now streaming unhindered down her cheeks.
He stood up and strode over to the sliding windows leading to the balcony. His back was to her, so she didn't see the inner struggle which was evident on his face. At last he sighed and turned towards her.
"All right, Della. I'll tell you the truth, but I'm not proud of it. Lately my feelings for you have changed. I've come to realise that I am very attracted to you. It's got to the stage that I have to struggle not to touch you. I'm afraid that I won't be able to control myself around you much longer and I might do something despicable. I always vowed that I would never mix my personal and professional life. I despise men who take advantage of the women they work with. In my opinion they are the lowest form of life. But having you near me every day is driving me crazy. You have no idea what you do to me. I'm ashamed to say that there are times when I daren't come out from behind my desk because of the effect you have on me."
She stared at him open-mouthed.
"There!" he said. "Now you know. Now you understand why you have to get out before I make an utter fool of myself around you."
She stood up and came over to where he was standing. "Perry," she said softly, "Kiss me!"
"What? "
"I said kiss me." Tentatively he cupped her chin and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
"No," she said. "KISS me!" Suddenly all the fire and passion he had pent up over the past weeks exploded into the searing kiss he gave her, his tongue seeking her mouth and their bodies locked together. It took him several moments to realise that she was not resisting; that she was returning his kiss with an ardour he could not have imagined in his wildest dreams. When finally they drew apart for air, she smiled demurely at him.
"Now what does that tell you, Mr Mason?" she asked coyly. "Do you still want to fire me?"
He enfolded her in his arms. "Remind me to call Tom Chalmers and tell him he'll have to find his own P.A."