For Skysea, who asks me to write for Paul and Della. Even though I do not ship them, I have been wanting to try writing something new. This story was written just for you, Skysea; I hope you like it! ❤️

Della Street hurried into the office, her arms full of the mysterious packages her employer, the famous criminal lawyer Perry Mason, had asked her to pick up. She dumped them on the nearest chair and began to take off her coat when her eye caught sight of something on her desk. Della went over and opened the brown paper package. Flowers! Della gasped in amazement as she examined the bouquet of costly pink roses. The little card with them only said "Della".

"Perry must have left them!" she told herself.

She knew he was still in his office. She grabbed up the packages and carried them in to him.

"The flowers are gorgeous, Perry, thank you!" she smiled, "But what is the occasion?"

Perry looked at her for a minute, "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"The roses, didn't you leave them?"

"No, I've been busy going over the notes from court. Was there a card with the flowers?"

"It only had my name on it."

"Hmm," Perry mused, "You have no idea where they could have come from?"

"No."

"You'd better get them into some water," he advised.

Della nodded and went to hunt up something for a vase. Perry watched her go, toying with his pencil. Suddenly, the outside door into his office and Paul Drake poked his head in.

"Hey, Perry," he hissed.

"Come in, Paul!"

"Did I just hear Della say she got some flowers?"

"Were you listening outside the door?"

"Well, maybe," Paul shoved his hands into his pocket and looked sheepishly at the ground.

Perry observed the manner of his friend.

"Why did you send her the flowers?" Perry asked, not looking at Paul as he flipped through the pile of papers on his desk.

"Me?" Paul snapped his head towards Perry's direction, "What makes you think I did?"

Perry smiled and shook his head, but did not answer, "Why did you send her the flowers?"

"She -uh- is a nice girl, so I -uh- I don't know. Look, what does it matter to you?" Paul got defensive.

"I just want to make sure she doesn't get hurt," Perry looked Paul squarely in the eye, "I have seen you go out with so many girls...," Perry did not finish what he could have said.

"Perry, I am going to be honest. Ever since I first met Della I guess I - well, I've grown to like her. A lot. She's great! She's everything I've ever wanted in a girl, but I guess I've liked her so much that I was too scared to ask her to go out or anything. Why would she want an old detective? I finally worked up the nerve to call her beautiful, but she didn't seem to be fazed by it. I don't know, I thought flowers might do the trick," Paul shrugged.

"Why don't you ask her and see if she'll go out for dinner with you?"

Della walked in just then.

"Perry, do you know if my- oh, hi, Paul!"

"Hi, Beautiful," Paul smiled.

Perry watched Paul's face out of the corner of his eye. Paul's eyes lit up as Della walked in, but he was very good at hiding it. Perry had never noticed the joy in Paul's smile before.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked.

"No, Della, I actually came to ask you if you wanted to go out to dinner, then maybe go dancing afterward," Paul said hastily, not wanting to lose his nerve.

Della was shocked and cast a glance at her boss. Perry managed to look deeply engrossed in the brief he was reading, was he was all ears, straining to hear Della's reply.

"I would be delighted," she answered softly, blushing.

"Really? Great!" Paul's smile was enormous, "I'll pick you up at your place around eight tonight."

"I'll be waiting," Della smiled.

Paul turned to go, a spring in his step.

"Thank you for the flowers!" she called after him, making him stop, "They're beautiful!"

Paul's smile got even bigger, if that was even possible.

"Goodbye, Beautiful," he said, and then he shut the door.

"Perry," Della began, "Did h-"

Perry let his eyes linger just a second on the paper before him, to seem as if he was trying to finish reading the sentence. He looked up at her with a poker face. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Nothing," she changed her mind at what she was going to say and went back to her office.

Perry smiled. It was about time Paul asked her out.

Della was ready and waiting exactly at eight o' clock. She stood by her window, watching for Paul to drive up.

Paul. Della had never really thought about going out with Paul. They were just friends, after all! But her heart had skipped a beat when Paul had asked her. And he had asked her out; there was no other reason for them to out to dinner and dancing. She had wondered if Perry had put him up to it, but the look on Paul's face when she had said she would go out with him could not have been fake.

She had not been able to think about anything but Paul all day. Why had she never thought about him before? He was tall, very handsome, and certainly very charming and a true gentleman! He was kind and gentle, a good listener, great with people of all ages, and he had always treated her as a lady. In one single day of thinking about Paul, Della had managed to develop a crush on him.

It had been nearly seven by the time Della had gotten back to her apartment. She ran around, hastily trying to get ready before Paul got there. And then she sat waiting, trying not to wrinkle her gray dress. She had pinned one of the pink roses on as a corsage.

Paul suddenly drove up. Della's heart began to beat faster. She tried to calm herself as she gathered up her coat and purse. Paul knocked on her door. Della opened the door and smiled.

"Hi, Paul," she did not know what to say.

"Hi, Beautiful," Paul admired her dress, "Are you ready to go?"

"Mmhmm!"

Paul held out his elbow to her. Della slipped her arm into his and they went out to his waiting car. This only was their first of many, many dates!

There you go! I cannot wait to hear what you guys think about this one! It was a lot harder to write this than I thought...

By the way: the final chapter of the Paul Drake story is up! I know some people have not been getting email notifications. Make sure that you are still signed up to get them! Click on your username in the upper right hand corner of the page. Make sure your email opt-in is turned on!

Have a great day, folks!