CHAPTER NINE
It had been a wonderful evening. She had gotten acquainted with the partners wives, danced with Tim and of course Archie. He told her she looked beautiful, but she noticed he could not keep his eyes away from that Laura woman. When she got a chance, she would ask Elise about her.
As it got toward midnight they began talking about leaving soon and that was when it happened. Perry Mason and Laura seemed to be having an argument. She must have won because she grabbed his hand and marched over to their table as he reluctantly followed her.
Without even a greeting she sat herself next to Archie but spoke to the senior partner Justin Jacoby. "So, Justin, I hear you may be having an opening in your firm soon."
Trying to be civil he spoke quietly. "Are you thinking of leaving Landris and Cole?"
"Not at the moment," she said slyly. "However, I may know someone who might be leaving his present position."
"Well you can tell someone there are no vacancies and I do not anticipate any in the near future." Jacoby's tone was firm.
Perry Mason was looking at the orchestra, tapping his foot impatiently, and looking decidedly uncomfortable. Della knew then this was the same man and felt badly for him. She leaned over to Archie and asked, "Would you excuse me for a while I need to rescue someone."
Archie looked completely confused. Della was shaking inside as she got up and moved over toward the lawyer. What was wrong with her, she was never this bold. Yet Miss Greer was so engrossed in whatever it was she was trying to accomplish she didn't even see Della get up. She asked, "Mr. Mason would you be interested in a dance?"
Laura Greer was still questioning Mr. Jacoby and Perry practically grabbed her and led her to the dance floor. They hadn't been out there for more than a minute when the song ended, but he didn't let her go. Instead he guided her onto the terrace. This all seemed too familiar.
He started to open his mouth to speak when the music began again and for the second time in their acquaintance he began to sing to her.
"I remember you, you're the one who made my dreams come true, a few, kisses ago.
I remember you, you're the one who said, I love you too. Yes, I do didn't you know?
I remember too, a distant bell, stars that fell, like rain, out of the blue.
When my life is through, and the angels ask me to recall the thrill of it all, Then I shall tell them I remember you."
Nothing and no one could have stopped that heart pounding, life altering kiss he gave her, and she never wanted it to stop. When they pulled away his arms were still around her. He began oh so softly in her ear, "when the angels ask me to recall the thrill of it all…"
"Perry," she began, "I don't know what possessed me to…."
He interrupted her, "Look Della I don't know what comes over me when I'm with you."
Suddenly a hand ripped her sleeve and inquired viciously, "just what the hell is going on here."
Della looked down at the angriest, most hateful face she had ever seen.
Perry moved her behind him and took the other woman's arm. "You were so busy with your business I ask this young lady to dance with me. Don't you ever touch anyone like that again. You will also pay for the damage you have done to this young lady's dress. Now go back to our table."
She glared at him, "This hussy is after you. She knows a good thing when she sees it."
His face was like granite as he told her, "you are causing a scene now if you don't want to go home unescorted you will go back to our table."
Perry turned to look at Della, he wanted to apologize, to tell her he never did things like this, but she had more than she could take. She walked around the couple while holding onto her sleeve. Elise was coming toward her toward her with her wrap. "What happened out there?"
Breathing hard she said, "I'll tell you later. Do you think we can just get out of here?"
"Sure sweetie. The only good thing is the party was breaking up once they got rid of Laura. She was so busy kissing up to the men she didn't realize her escort was gone. She can't imagine men not following her like puppies."
Determined to not turn around Della told her, "I just hope I never have to encounter her again."
"I can't guarantee that," Elise told her. "She likes to be seen at these events, but now you know what to expect. Wow, that Mr. Mason is great looking. I hear he is a nice guy. I wonder how he got hooked up with her?"
Shaking her head, she declared, "I don't know and don't care." But she did care. Never had she been kissed like that and time seemed to stand still when she was with him. He made her feel like she was Cinderella and he was Prince Charming.
On the ride home she was quiet but perked up when she heard Archie say, "So I hear Laura was telling everyone she has hooked Mason and she will soon be planning the wedding."
"Oh no!" she thought. "It couldn't be true that now he was the one who was unavailable."
She must have made a sound because Elise put her hand on her arm and asked, "Are you alright Della?"
Squeezing he friend's arm she said, "it was certainly a night to remember. I think I'm just tired."
"Well sleep in tomorrow and things will look better." Elise assured her.
There was no way she could reveal that on a night, that seemed so long ago, she had met and fallen in love with a naval office. Then she had walked, no run, away from him because she was engaged. Then miraculously she met him again when she was free only to find out he was unavailable. Life sometimes seemed so unfair.
Archie had walked Della to her door and she gave him the obligatory goodnight kiss. He didn't ask to come in and they both seemed to realize there was no spark. Of course, she wouldn't realize until later he was still in love with the obnoxious Laura Greer.
All she wanted to do was go to bed and forget what had happened. Yet deep down she knew she wanted to remember him singing to her and THAT KISS, that amazing earth-shattering kiss. Her last thought before falling into an exhausted sleep was, do all people in love do such stupid things?
