It was 5:30pm on a Friday evening. Della walked into Perry's office, holding several typed pages in her hand.
"I'm leaving now, Chief. That is unless you need me to stay a little longer?"
"That's ok, Della. Have a restful weekend!"
"You too, Chief! Oh, here are some letters I typed up for you."
"Thanks. Bye."
"Bye, Chief."
She left.
He looked over the letters. Among them was something unusual: It was a piece of scrap paper with a note written on it:
"Dear Perry,
Meet me at my apartment tonight at 7:30pm sharp.
Della XXX"
He smiled and put this note in his front pocket.
He arrived at her apartment at 7:25, carrying a bouquet of roses. He knocked on her door, and she opened it. She was dressed in a sexy black dress that went down to her knees.
Seeing him, she smiled. "You're a little early!"
"I always like to show up early."
"Come on in!"
He came in, and she closed the door. He gave her the flowers. "Beautiful roses for a beautiful lady."
She smiled. "You always give the best compliments, Perry! Let me put them in something, You can just sit down for a while."
"Ok."
He sat on the couch, while she put the flowers in a vase and filled it with water. A record of instrumental mood music was quietly playing in the background. Eventually, she walked over to him. "Would you like a drink?"
"A gin & tonic would be fine."
"Coming right up, sir."
And then, he noticed something about her; she was barefooted!
"No shoes?"
"I just felt that going barefoot would be more...'intimate.' If you disapprove, I'll put some on."
"No, not at all! That's a good idea. As a matter of fact, I'll take mine off, too."
He did this. She smiled and made the drinks-a gin & tonic and a whiskey sour for her. She brought them over and gave him his. "Cheers."
"To a romantic evening," he responded.
"I'll drink to that!"
They toasted and drank.
"I need to check on the food."
"It smells wonderful!"
"Leg of lamb."
"My favorite!"
"I know, Perry!"
She went into the kitchen. He sat and sipped on his drink.
A few minutes later she came back out, carrying a tray. It had the lamb, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans. She put it on the table.
"Dinner is served."
"Yes, ma'am!"
They brought their drinks to the table and sat down. She served the food, and they began eating.
"Della, this meal is fantastic!"
"Thank you, Perry."
They finished the rest of their drinks. A bottle of Champaign was on the table, a wine opener beside it. Perry took the bottle and began to open it with the opener. A couple minutes later, it opened with a "pop." He poured the wine into crystal glasses she had on the table, and they drank them.
"The perfect accompaniment!" he said.
"It is!"
They continued eating.
"So, what inspired you to do this, Della?"
"I just felt that we needed it. We haven't been able to go on one of our weekend retreats for a while."
"I've been really busy, for the last few weeks!"
"Yes, I know!"
"One question, though: What if I told you I needed you to stay extra with me, tonight?"
"I anticipated that; I had an extra note with me telling you to meet me tomorrow night."
"Smart girl; I think I'll keep you around for a little while!"
She smiled. "Thank you, Perry!"
The record side ended. Della went to the record player and changed the side. Then she went back to the table, and they continued eating. They also poured more Champaign for themselves.
"You are a great cook and a great host."
"Thank you, Perry."
"And you did it all without shoes on!"
She smiled and rubbed his leg with her left foot. "That's right!"
Twenty minutes later, their plates were clean. At that same moment, the record side also finished. This time, Perry got up. He took the record off and put on another one.
"How about a dance?" he said, as the music started.
"I'd be delighted, kind sir!"
She got up and joined him, and they danced to the song.
"Della, this evening has been wonderful! Thanks for the idea."
"You're welcome, Perry."
"And I promise: We will go back to the Miller Hotel soon. If not this weekend, then definitely next weekend."
"I'll mark my calendar."
The song ended, and so did their dance.
"If you help me clear the table, I've got a little surprise for you."
"Sounds good!"
He helped her clear the table, and she stayed in the kitchen for a bit. He sat back down and poured more Champaign for them. A few minutes later, she came back with two bowls with something brown in them. She gave him one, and put the other one at her seat.
"Chocolate ice cream?" he asked.
"No, chocolate mousse."
"A fitting ending to this meal!"
They began eating.
"Miss Street, you've outdone yourself!"
"Thank you, Mr. Mason!"
They ate the mousse and finished off the Champaign.
"I'm beginning to feel light headed!" said Della.
"Well, you don't have to go too far, at least."
"True-but you do!"
He smiled. "No, I don't!"
She also smiled. "No, you don't!"
He was silent for a bit. "No, I don't!"
They finished off the mousse and the Champaign. They got up and cleared the table. Then they went into the living room. The side ended, so Della flipped it over. Then they sat on the couch together.
"Can you massage my feet, Perry?"
"Of course, Della."
She put her feet in his lap, and he began massaging them.
"Perry, I think I'll keep YOU around for a little while, too!"
"At least for the rest of this evening?"
"And for the morning, too!"
"Sounds like a plan!"