Another Brick in the Wall

This is a follow up to a previous story Building Walls. Thank you for all the kind reviews.

Disclaimer ; I do not own the characters of Perry Mason & Della Street. I make no money from them. All rights are the property of the estate of ESG.

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As he sat at the end of the bar on a high stool downing his second scotch, there was no doubt about it in his mind. Perry Mason finally knew his personal life was imploding. Oh sure, his professional life had taken off by leaps and bounds. It wasn't just his brilliant mind and spectacular courtroom antics that brought the clients to him. No, he was aided in his pursuit of justice for all by his best friends Paul Drake and Della Street.

Paul Drake had become his friend almost instantly they met. Within a short space of time, they were firm friends and as his loyal bloodhound of an investigator, eventually Paul had become his closest ally and confidant. They were quickly becoming an unbeatable team and Paul was a first-class detective.

Then Della Street had walked through the office door to be interviewed for the position of his personal and confidential secretary. Younger than she pretended to be, he knew from the moment that she opened her mouth and gave him her version of what being a confidential secretary and the meaning of justice for all meant to her, she was the one. The fact that she was easy on the eye, graceful, could keep up with him and generous to a fault helped matters tremendously. All the clients, even the nervous and jumpy ones, felt at ease with her. Most of the L.A.P.D, regardless of their feelings for her boss, fell a little, or a lot in love with her. Just having her next to him in court, somehow gave him a few extra bonus points with the judges.

Everything was just about perfect in his imperfect world where his work took place. Now however, he was seated at a bar ordering his third scotch of the evening and contemplating where his personal life had suddenly taken a wrong turn and flown off course in spectacular fashion during the late afternoon.

PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

'Laura, please no more.' Perry gently guided his ex-fiancée into the client's chair after extricating himself from her firm embrace.

'But I missed you,' Laura pouted dramatically.

'You shouldn't miss me anymore.' Perry went behind his desk and sat himself behind the solid wood barrier. Then he allowed himself to breathe again.

'I'll always miss you darling. Anyway, our reunions are so spectacular. Remember last time when we went to see Sinatra?' Laura dropped her voice seductively and batted her long eyelashes at him.

'We no longer have reunions Laura. We have dinner, dancing, the same old arguments and then….'

'Explosive sex!' As Laura finished his sentence for him, the door between Perry and Della's office opened. Della was hallway through the door before stopping in her tracks. The flush on her face told him she had heard the last part of the conversation. He shot up from his seat.

'Della?'

'I'm sorry Mr Mason, I wasn't aware you had any visitors. I've just returned from the bank.' Della withdrew hastily and slammed the door a little harder than she had intended.

'Damn it!' He swore under his breath.

Laura watched quietly the short scene that had just unfolded in front of her eyes. Surely it wasn't what she thought it was. Perry Mason appeared to be infatuated with his common little secretary. Time to remind him just what he was missing.

'Perry,' Laura slid out of the chair gracefully and elegantly pawed his shirt. 'How about lunch?'

PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

'You did what this afternoon?' Paul Drake had taken the high stool next to his best friend and ordered two drinks before Perry could protest.

'What makes you think I did anything?' Perry pinched the bridge of his nose. Paul merely looked incredulously at him.

'Doesn't take genius to know you did something to hack that gorgeous secretary of yours off. She was so cold when I walked into the office not so long ago, I thought I was in a freezer. So, what did you do?'

'Laura.' The lawyer sighed.

'What about her?'

'You asked me what I did. Laura.'

Paul opened his mouth to ask again when it suddenly dawned on him what Perry said.

'Oh, you mean you and her…' Paul whistled.

'Yup. I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did.'

'So where does Della fit into this?' Paul's eyes went wide. 'Oh my Lord you didn't do it in the office and Della caught you did you?' He managed to sound suitably horrified.

'Of course not! We went to her hotel around the block. But I missed an appointment this afternoon and in the course of apologising to Della, Laura made a point of calling the office and let out what we'd done and why I missed the said appointment. Laura found it amusing, my secretary didn't.'

'Ouch.' Paul made a grimace and shifted in his seat uncomfortably. 'Perry,' he lit a cigarette. 'I thought you and Della were getting on really well.'

'So did I until today.'

'But there's nothing between you right?'

Perry narrowed his eyes and took a sideways glance at the detective. 'Where's this conversation going to Paul?'

Paul shrugged and took a drink of his scotch.

'You're acting like you've just cheated on your new girlfriend with your old one.'

'Uh?'

'Well let me put it this way. You have a brilliant working relationship with Della, right?'

'Yes.'

'But you're not dating her?'

'As in?'

'Dinner, dancing, snuggling, smooching, sweating up the sheets?'

'Hey!' Perry fired him a warning glance. 'Della and I have dinner and we go dancing.'

'But that's after a long day in the office, not a date. And I'm guessing you leave after seeing her to her door?' Perry nodded. 'So, what's the problem? Della's your friend and Laura is the one who gives you something to play with.'

'That's crude Paul.'

'But so very true. Or is it you want more from that lovely secretary of yours?'

'I've been seeing how it goes. I just want to get to know her better.' Perry threw back the last of the contents in his glass and signalled for another.

'Well for a guy who just wants to get to know a lady better, you're sure getting steamed plenty. You want some advice?'

'Not really but I know I can't stop you.'

'Ditch Laura once and for all. Apologise profusely to Della because let's face it, there's going to be no better secretary ever to walk into your office. And, then hope Della sees you on a personal level as nothing more than a horny idiot with bad taste in women.'

Paul finished his drink and slapped Perry on the back as he stood up.

'Perry, you messed up big time the day you started dating Laura, but I can forgive you for wanting a little fun. You have to admit to yourself though, when Beautiful walked into your life, you knew it was going to get complicated. I'm guessing you want more from Della than she's willing to give right now?'

Perry nodded. 'I'm trying Paul, but that personal wall she's built up around herself keeps getting higher every time I think I'm making progress.'

'Well Pal, I'm off home to get some sleep before you wake me in the middle of the night again.' Paul started to walk away then suddenly stopped and turned back to the big lawyer. 'By the way,' he started.

Perry looked expectantly at his best friend. 'What?'

'Take my advice really this time. You want to make progress outside the office on a non-work basis with your secretary?'

'I've already admitted that's what I'd like, preferably without scaring her off, but that wall…...'

Paul gave a short laugh. 'Well then ditch Laura once and for all. No reunions of ANY kind when she comes back into town, that includes afternoon sex, evening sex or basically any kind of sex with her. No dinners, no dancing and did I mention no sex or you're going to have a major issue with Della. Missing appointments will be the least of your problems'

'Yes!' Perry sounded exasperated. 'I hear you.'

'It's simple, that wall you keep saying she's building around herself. You keep on with Miss High & Mighty and that wall is going to be the God damned Great Wall of China!' Paul began chuckling as he left the bar.

Perry stared at the next glass of scotch that appeared in front of him. Paul was right, he had decisions to make and walls to hopefully tear down.