Part 6.4 – An Invitation

Once downstairs in the kitchen Della and Kathy decided on just tea, much to Perry's disappointment. He had wanted Della to eat more, to give in to her love of sweets, but she wouldn't. She had withdrawn from him again since their pleasant exchange before Kathy's arrival, and focused most of her attention on her old friend.

He sat listening to the girls as they reminisced about diving horses, rolling chair excursions, and some exotic treat called 'paddles' – loving the relaxed happiness in Della's voice, as well as the differences in their speech patterns and geographical accents. Although Kathy had lived many years in California, she had not lost much of her East Coast accent, whereas he hadn't realized how accustomed he had become to Della's decidedly northern accent. The longer they talked, the more apparent each accent became to him, and he was grinning from ear-to-ear listening to Kathy say 'wood-er' and Della say 'wah-turrr' for 'water', and Kathy saying 'shoo-er' to Della's 'shurrr' for the word 'sure'. He silently refilled their tea cups several times, surreptitiously prolonging the interlude for Della's sake and for his own enjoyment. It was apparent that their friendship had been deep and true, and that the years apart, while painful and long, hadn't robbed them of their affection for one another.

It was nearly three o'clock when Kathy noticed the time and jumped to her feet, exclaiming that she needed to get home and cook dinner for David, on this, her one evening off duty. She winked at Della when admitting that she had an extra special dessert in mind for her husband, and after giving the patient a quick hug and insisting that she remain seated, followed Perry to the front door.

Perry opened the door and stepped aside to allow Kathy to precede him onto the porch. She turned and patted his shoulder. "Buck up, Perry," she said, "she's just a bit confused right now. Plus she's miffed at me for telling you about Gregg and deep down I guess I can't blame her. But as her physician I'm responsible for her total well-being and I have to ask you a personal question. How do you feel about her history with Gregg?"

Perry stared out over the expanse of lawn, his expression sober, blue eyes clear. "It's part of what makes her the woman I love," he answered simply. "Do I wish she had told me about him by now? Of course I do. But I had a lot of time to think while she was in the hospital and I realized that she's always internalized things that were difficult for her until she felt they were sufficiently resolved, or she had worked up a good case for her to argue. Then and only then does talk about them with me." He smiled. "She would have made one helluva lawyer."

"Or professional poker player," Kathy remarked dryly.

Perry chuckled. "Even I can't tell what she's thinking sometimes, which is part of her allure. Life with her is never dull."

"Was this surprise about Gregg too much for you?"

He shook his head emphatically. "No. I'm not a fool. She's the best thing in my life and I don't doubt she loves me. At least now I know why she won't marry me, and I won't get quite so frustrated the next time she refuses my proposal."

Kathy gave his arm a quick squeeze. "She's worth every effort you put into loving her," she told him.

Perry smiled. "I couldn't agree more, Dr. Spencer."

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Della had the kitchen cleaned and was reseated in her chair with an innocent look on her face by the time Perry returned. He bit back an admonition about taxing herself and not having been able to see how much she had eaten, and merely tousled her hair as he passed by her to lean against the counter. She made no sound of protest, didn't swat playfully at him as she usually did, and held her eyes downcast.

"Della, is there something you want to say to me?"

"Yes, I want to say something. We need to talk, but I have some more thinking to do before we do."

He wished she would just tell him now, her thoughts raw and unformed, but he knew better. She only did that when she was upset, and the last thing he wanted was for her to get upset. He knew the topic of their discussion would be Gregg, and that her talk with Kathy had spurred the urge to finally tell him herself about the man she had agreed to marry. So he changed the subject.

"You know, I think now would be a good time for that nap."

She smiled with relief that he hadn't pressed her to talk this instant and reached for his hand. "Maybe it is. You didn't answer me before. Will you rub my back and tell me a story?"

He contemplated her beauty, her enormous eyes, her creamy complexion, and that smile – that breathtaking, dazzling smile that never failed to bring him to his knees and give her whatever it was her heart desired. If rubbing her back and telling her a story would result in a nap, then he wasn't going to jeopardize her health by refusing that little intimacy. He took her hand and pulled her to her feet slowly.

"All right, Miss Street, you win. I'll tell you a story and rub your back. And then you are going to take a nap for at least an hour."

They mounted the stairs silently, hand-in-hand, pausing on the landing for a breather and Perry tugged at her hand, bending to kiss her quickly. She smiled softly and touched his cheek, their actions speaking louder than any words either could utter. In the bedroom, he lifted her effortlessly onto the bed, removed her shoes, laid her down and covered her with the throw (he really must ask Martin to buy at least a dozen more). The blankets she had snuggled in while out on the porch were lying on the floor. He folded them, returned them to the blanket chests in the blue room, and came back to Della. As he lay down on the bed, he smiled and put his arms around her.

"Come here, pretty girl," he ordered gently. "What kind of story would you like to hear?"

Happy to be in his arms again, Della indulged in a contented sigh. Looking up into his handsome face she gave him a sleepy smile. "Can we have a dream date?"

"Sure we can. Where would you like to go?"

"To the carousel. You know, the one at Belmont Pier Kathy and I talked about. The one that has the horse with the blue and silver ribbons."

"That's where we'll go then." His fingers tenderly touched her lips. "No more talking, baby. You have to be quiet while I tell the story."

"I'll be so quiet you won't know I'm here," she promised.

"I hardly think that is possible, darling, but you get the idea of how quiet you need to be." He pretended to lapse into deep thought. "Let's see, where should I begin…." He cleared his throat and continued in his famous courtroom voice. "ONCE UPON A TIME…"

Della giggled.

"And just what is so funny about 'once upon a time'?"

"Nothing, darling, I'm sorry. I'll be quiet."

He began to rub her back lightly. "Now, as I was saying, once upon a time in a very big city, in a very big building, there was a very big lawyer…"

Della giggled again. "Oh, Per…rry."

"Shhh. Please, Miss Street, you wanted me to tell you a story, and I'm trying to oblige, but you're making it extremely difficult. You'll have to be quiet or I won't be able to continue."

"Okay, I'll be quiet." She tried to stifle a yawn.

He drew his finger across her cheekbone then returned to rubbing her back. "So, there was this big lawyer and he had the most amazing secretary in the world. He had dreamed of this woman for a long time, never thinking that they would ever meet again, let alone work together. The secretary was incredibly beautiful and so special that something happened to the lawyer almost immediately after he hired her. Do you know what that was?"

"Mmmmhmmm," she mumbled, her eyes closed, her breathing low and even. Perry moved her slightly, rearranging her more comfortably in his arms. He put his face next to hers and spoke very softly.

"That's right. He fell hopelessly in love with her forever."

Perry pulled back and looked at Della. He loved her so much, and the past couple of weeks had taught him that no client and no case should ever interfere with what they had between them. She was where she belonged, with him, in their bed, in his arms. His hand moved up and down her back soothingly and she snuggled closer to him. He never got to the part in the story about the dream date at the carousel. She was asleep, her mouth curved in a tiny smile. He kissed her forehead, so relieved that it was cool and not burning with fever.

"That's my precious girl," he whispered. "Sleep." Her breathing deepened and he didn't think it was possible, but she seemed to sink even further into his arms. "There's time for everything else later."

Perry closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillows, planning a surprise for the beautiful woman who lay so rightfully in his arms. In a while he would call Kathy and when Alice and Mae came back from town, he would have a little chat with the two women.

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Della turned slightly, reaching for someone who wasn't there. Opening her eyes reluctantly, she realized that she was alone in the enormous bed. She stretched languidly, sat up, and put one hand on the bedpost. Holding on to steady herself, she slid to the floor and stood for a moment, shaking off the slight fog of her afternoon nap. Opening the door and walking into the square hallway, she descended the stairs in search of Perry. As she hit the next to last step, she heard her mother's laughter coming from the kitchen, followed by a guffaw from Aunt Mae. She was more than a little surprised, since there had been a decided shortage of laughter from her family lately. Entering the room on stealthy feet, she stopped abruptly, her eyes wide with disbelief. Aunt Mae and her mother were seated at the table laughing – no that wasn't the correct word – they weren't just laughing, they were destroyed, holding their middles with tears running down their faces. On further discovery, Della realized the reason for their condition was that Perry was figuratively holding court, standing in front of the sink, gripping the counter with one hand, the other on his waist. In his best lawyer fashion he was regaling the women with courtroom stories, playing different parts from Hamilton Burger to Judge Anders Fleming, whose accent was so thick he often wrote out his objection rulings on a small chalkboard and flashed it to counsel and the court reporter, but no one could decipher his handwriting, either. Della watched this wonderful scene silently so as not to ruin the moment. Alice finally caught sight of Della hovering in the doorway and tried to gather herself so she could speak.

"Della, oh honey, Perry was…was just telling us the funniest stories about ...about what sometimes happens in court. I can see why you love your job so much."

Della was flabbergasted, not knowing what delighted her more: the fact that her mother continued to refer to Perry by his first name or the fact that he had made her laugh. She raised one eyebrow at Perry. "Giving away all our highly kept secrets, Counselor?"

Perry eyed her with a most serious countenance, but his eyes were full of the devil. "Why Miss Street, however can you accuse me of something like that? You know I make it a practice never to divulge confidential information. I was just explaining to these two young, intelligent women that sometimes in our business we come across the strangest things." Then he grinned.

Della continued to hold that one eyebrow aloft, trying not to laugh and start a coughing fit. "I should report you to the Bar Association for courtroom shenanigans." She couldn't hold out any longer and broke into giggles thinking about Judge Fleming and his chalkboard hieroglyphics.

Fearful of a coughing fit erupting, Perry walked quickly over to her. Aware that Alice and Mae were watching them, he gently put his arm around her. "How was your nap, young lady?"

"Very nice, thank you. However, when I woke up – "

"Your mother and Mae came back about an hour ago," he interrupted nonsensically, not wanting them to know he had been in bed with Della, even if it was on top of the covers and totally innocent. Showing how things were between them at the hospital was one thing, but here at the house was something altogether different, as Alice had pointed out. "We were just having tea and chatting a bit. You were still asleep and we didn't want to disturb you. I was going to come up in a few minutes and check on you." Realizing he was babbling, he pulled her closer momentarily to whisper in her ear. "I love to watch you sleep, baby."

A smile crossed Della's features and Alice was well aware that she had just witnessed one of those private moments between her daughter and Perry Mason that Mae talked about. Sensing that Alice was about to spoil the congenial atmosphere, Mae spoke.

"We've had the nicest invitation, dear," she announced brightly. "Joan Martin called a little while ago and invited your mother and me to dinner. Of course, she included you and Perry in the invitation, but Kathy thought it might be too much for you and put the kibosh on it." She closed her eye in a slow wink. "Besides, your mother and I think it's about time you and Perry spend some time alone. Don't we, Alice?"

Cornered, Alice merely nodded.

Della's eyes lit up and she smiled brilliantly. Walking over to her mother, she bent and embraced her. She then repeated the embrace with Mae, giving her an extra squeeze of thanks.

Alice pushed herself away from the table. "Well, as nice as this interlude has been, if you will excuse me, I think I'll go upstairs and get ready to leave for the Martin's."

"I think it is about time we did," Mae concurred. "Come on, Alice, you can help me decide what to wear."

Alice moved toward where Della was standing next to her handsome attorney and gave her another hug before exiting the comfortable kitchen. Mae lingered behind, wiping up imaginary crumbs from the table.

"Have a nice evening you two. Don't let her overdo it, Perry. I'll keep Alice out as long as I can." Her aunt's eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Aunt Mae!"

A look of understanding passed between Mae and Perry. She burst into laughter and walked out of the kitchen.

Perry immediately wrapped Della in his arms, and as she turned into him, she noticed the same mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "All right, Counselor, confess. What are you up to?"

"What makes you think I'm up to anything, my dear? I was just having a nice time with your mother and your aunt. That's all there is to it."

She regarded him skeptically. "Hmmm. I haven't spent all these years in a law office to take a statement like that at face value after witnessing the circumstances leading up to it. But since you were being so charming with Mom and Aunt Mae, I'll let it slide. This time." Her voice lowered. "Thank you, darling. Thank you for being so wonderful with them. I think Mom is finally getting used to you being underfoot."

"I certainly hope so, sweetheart, because I hope to be underfoot for a very, very long time. I want everyone to be happy." He brushed his hand across her cheek, then kissed her. The kiss was lingering, so much different than the little peck on the porch earlier. Della's heart fluttered.

"That was very nice, darling. May I have another?"

"One more, you maniac, then you will have to find something to occupy your time until dinner is ready."

"Can't I watch? I find it very sexy when you cook. Can I make a salad?"

He laughed at her eagerness and gave her the promised kiss, his exploration of her soft and willing mouth thorough. "Not tonight, baby," he told her smoothly after reluctantly breaking away. "Tonight I have a special dinner planned and I'm going to spoil you. There might even be a surprise. You can help with dinner tomorrow night."

Della pouted, pushing out her lower lip elaborately and glaring at him in a sidelong glance. "I guess I can find something to do until dinner is ready. But I'm only doing what you say because you mentioned a surprise. Maybe I'll lie on the couch and listen to music very loud so you can hear it."

"That sounds like a good idea. Run along, my dear. Dinner will be ready at six."

Della placed a hand on his cheek. "I love you, Perry."

"I love you, too, Della."

As she left the kitchen and made her way slowly to the living room, a smile played at the corners of her mouth. "You're not the only one who has a surprise planned for tonight, Mr. Mason," she said under her breath.

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After putting on a long-playing Glenn Miller record on the console stereo, stacking two more on the spindle and turning up the volume, Della went upstairs to her bedroom and began preparing for her own surprise for the evening alone with Perry. But as she carefully considered her wardrobe and what would best suit her plan, Kathy's words from their two private conversations played over and over in her head.

"You have to let of the guilt…Perry loves you…it's not fair to him…terrible injustice…Gregg would want you to love again…have to let go of the guilt…it's not healthy…let go of the guilt."

Della shook herself. "Oh Kath," she said aloud. "You're right."

Now she just had to find a way to do it and to fix what was wrong between herself and Perry – the affection and easy banter of a few moments ago notwithstanding. But where should she begin? He was so understanding about everything, even about the things he didn't understand. She smiled at that. He let her be herself, let her do things the way she had to do them. He had to have been shocked when Kathy told him about Gregg, hurt and bewildered that she had never told him herself. Would he understand why she kept Gregg a secret? But more importantly, would he understand her love for Gregg, how she had struggled to honor that love and the promises she had made all those years ago?

She sat down in a comfortable velvety mohair chair, pulled her feet beneath her, and stared out the window. She could hear her mother and Aunt Mae getting ready to leave for dinner, bustling between their rooms and the bathroom, their laughter and good-natured sisterly conversation a huge comfort to her. Having them here was wonderful, but she needed them to be gone tonight so she could be herself with Perry, so he could be himself with her. She needed him to touch her and to talk to her, really talk to her. She rested her head on the back of the chair and closed her eyes.

It had been a difficult case, and it wasn't over yet. They had been in the office working for hours and Paul had just left to follow a lead. It was very late, and she had removed her shoes an hour ago and was sitting with her feet tucked beneath her, her head leaning back against the soft leather of the leather client chair. Her notepad was in her lap, her pencil held loosely in her hand. She watched him pace back and forth the way he always did when his mind couldn't quite wrap itself around the facts of a case, or when something bothered him. She loved to watch him pace. His hands pushed deep in his pockets or fisted in each other, those piercing blue eyes intently staring at the floor, that brilliant mind working tirelessly. Now he moved behind his desk and sat down suddenly in his big chair, exhaustion and something else she couldn't identify playing across his handsome face. He put his arms on the desk and looked directly into her eyes. She tucked her pad in the cushion of the chair, got up, and walked over to stand beside him. Without a word, she placed her hand on this arm and smiled.

He stood quickly and faced her, smiling through his exhaustion. "You're always here, Della," he said humbly. "I wouldn't know what I would do without you and I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate everything you do…how special you are."

She smiled again, touched by his sentiments. "It's my pleasure, Counselor. I'm glad to help in any way I can. That's what I'm here for. I'll always be here." She nearly fainted with the boldness of her words. How could she have said that?

He locked eyes with her, refusing to allow her to look away. He gently touched her full upper lip and traced the decided Cupid's bow to one corner and back again. "Della, I have to tell you something I've wanted to tell you for months, but the time was never right. I can't wait any longer." He tipped her chin up to him, his eyes the deepest blue she had ever seen. "I love you. I've loved you from the first moment I saw you on that terrace outside the jazz club. You probably think –"

She touched his lip then, tracing the line of his mouth exactly as he had. "What I think, Counselor," she interrupted, "is that you should probably stop talking and kiss me. Because, you see, believe it or not, I've loved you from that very same moment."

Not a split second passed before he swept her into his arms and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to hers, standing on tiptoes to make up for the lack of height her discarded pumps would have given her. His arms tightened around her as his mouth explored hers, as his tongue confidently teased her lips for permission to enter. Once she allowed him access to the softness within, she was lost, as she had always known she would be.

There were no more words between them as he broke the kiss, his breathing ragged, his eyes blazing with desire. He led her to the long couch against the wall and slowly pulled her down with him….

"Della! We're leaving now."

She lifted her head at the sound of her mother's voice. "Okay," she responded in a croaky voice. She cleared her throat. "Have fun." Then she smiled at the wonderful little day dream just ended, and knew without a doubt what she would wear to her own dinner that evening.