The Conversation That Never Was – Part 2

Laura & Perry

My apologies to those of you kind enough to review after reading. I am not sure what went wrong with my settings but hopefully it is all sorted now. I will keep checking just in case.

I decided to do another couple of little drabbles along these lines and decided maybe I could give Laura a little redemption and answer why she never pushed on with Perry if Della was in other relationships. Hope you enjoy

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'It was my plane leaving the last time.' Laura finally sounded thoroughly defeated. When she would have welcomed a close embrace, all she was granted was a warm press of his lips against her hands. It was at that precise moment she finally acknowledged where his true feelings still lay.

'You love her.' Laura made the simple statement with no malice in her voice, no accusations. It was a simple, straightforward truth as far as she was concerned. Perry dropped the hands he had brought to his mouth and stared at Laura. For one slight moment she thought she saw the ever expressive blue orbs go wide in surprise before going soft.

'What makes you say that?' He asked quietly.

'I see it in you even after all these years. The longing in your gaze when you look at her, the way you need to touch when she's close.'

'She's my best friend.' Perry sighed. 'Always has been.' He turned to look through the bars of the window even though he could see nothing through the frosted glass, wondering if she was waiting for him as always not too far away, perhaps on the other side of the window.

'I know she told me.' Perry twisted back to look at Laura, this time the surprise in his face was evident.

'Why would she tell you that? You two have always been….'

'Rivals?'

Perry nodded. 'Yes. I suppose that's the best word to use. Although I never quite understood why.'

Laura allowed herself a light chuckle. 'For a brilliant man you could be so dense when it came to women.'

'Do tell.' Perry was now curious. He had always thought himself an astute reader of people but then immediately recognised in this case he had already allowed himself to be blindsided by a beautiful ex-girlfriend, so maybe he didn't understand certain aspects of women. He'd never understood the instant animosity between Della and Laura.

'Della is a beautiful woman, always has been, she still is.'

'Agreed. So are you.'

'Thank you. Does that not tell you anything?' Seeing no comprehension in his eyes, Laura continued. 'From the moment Della and I met, I saw she was everything you never stopped talking about. Kind, gracious, professional etc, etc. How do you think that made me feel? We were looking to our future then it came crashing to a halt. I never once thought you wouldn't follow me here to Denver before she landed in your office.'

'Our ideas of law were vastly different Laura, it had nothing to do with Della. We would have never worked and I wouldn't have lasted two minutes in your corporate world.'

'I know that now, but I didn't know that then. For years I blamed her for our split.'

'What happened for you to change your mind after all these years?'

'That day when I went to your suite to discuss the case for Glen. We were waiting for you and I asked her outright about the two of you.' She could see Perry visibly swallow as his eyes narrowed. Laura waved her hand in dismissal. 'I never knew it was you that has been pining for her these last thirty plus years and not the other way around.'

Perry moved around the table and dropped into the opposite chair before his leg finally gave out. It was time to finally lay it all out.

'I've loved her forever Laura,' he admitted. 'What I couldn't do was give her what she wanted or deserved. A home or a family because I didn't want one. It was all about the work for both of us. I couldn't give you that either because I didn't want to.'

Laura jerked in her seat slightly as if he had slapped her. 'That was awfully blunt of you.'

'Della was awfully blunt too one day about everything. She wasn't willing to risk anything we already had based on a precarious situation of being involved outside the office. And it would have always been precarious she explained. We settled for being the best of friends and she found…..ugh…outside interests.'

'You were jealous?'

'Of course I was, I'm not denying that.'

Laura nodded in understanding. 'If I had the slightest inkling Della was engaged to another man, I would have come back and tried to get you back. But I never knew.'

Perry shook his head. 'It still wouldn't have worked between us Laura for all the reasons we discussed across all the years we've known each other.' Sighing heavily, Laura looked towards the door as it opened and the escort guard peaked his head shyly around the door.

'Ma'am, your husband's here,' he announced quietly. Laura nodded briefly in acknowledgement as Perry used the lever of the table to heave himself up to his feet and move towards the door.

'Perry.' He stopped with his hand on the door handle and turned back, a question written on his face but not voiced. 'Times have changed. We've all changed, some for the better and some….not…..don't you think it's time you told her again? Don't waste what's left of your lives being only friends when I think you both clearly want more.'

'Goodbye Laura….and thank you.' Without further words the great lawyer left.

Outside the courtroom on the top of the main steps, Perry found Della shivering slightly into her white coat. He studied her for a moment recalling Laura's words of encouragement to tell her once again how he truly felt. It was a discussion that had been on hold for thirty five years and he made up his mind that it was about time that conversation continued in the very near future. Standing alongside his secretary, Perry slipped an arm about her shoulders and pulled her close so her head briefly rest against his shoulders.

'Let's go home.'