Part 5
PMDSXXX
Perry looked over at the pieces of fine jewelry displayed and noticed lockets, rings, trinkets, and watches. All of a sudden, a few sailors bumped into Perry. One of the sailors was C.P.O. Drake, who strolled in with another young sailor, looking at the gifts on display.
"Lt. Mason, I'm surprised to see you here." Drake saluted him with a toothy grin.
"C.P.O. Drake, it's not a coincidence that I find you here." Lt. Mason lowered his hand from his cap and turned on his heels in search for the perfect gift for Della.
"Who's the lucky gal, Lt. Mason? I'm sure you wouldn't be here for a reason other than buying a wristwatch. Am I correct, Sir?" he asked as he glanced at the fine jewelry.
"If you must know, Lt. Street." Perry chuckled as he looked at the items when something caught his eye.
"She's a real beauty, and you're one lucky guy to wake up to her every morning." Drake informed him with a hearty laugh and browsed the collections.
"Nothing has happened yet, and we are taking our relationship one day at a time. Since we have talked a lot about what we want, we both share the same ideas."
"Sure, nothing happened, yet. That's what they all say because one thing will lead to another, and then you are married. I have heard it before, Lt. and, it's nothing new on me." Drake grinned and picked out a silver necklace with a nautical knot with a rose inside it.
"Who is your lucky gal, Lt. Drake?" Perry asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.
"The blonde nurse, Gertie Lade, is the one." Drake enthusiastically told him while he purchased the gift.
Finally, when he was alone, he picked out Della's gift, a gold chain with a single pearl that hung on the chain, which was on display and placed it in a keepsake box after he paid for it. He also purchased a ring for Della, if by chance he asked her for her hand in marriage. He wanted to be prepared and she was a once in a lifetime catch if she said yes to his proposal. Once he placed it inside his jacket, he found Della admiring the local artistry when he saw another officer walk into the craft shop.
"Isn't it very stylish? I admire the genuine craftmanship of the locals." The dark-haired man startled Della when she turned around and saw another officer who wasn't Perry.
"Yes, it is." Della replied with a smile. She picked up a diary, a small scratch note pad, and pencil case. As she walked around and looked at different art pieces, she noticed the officer followed her every move which Perry observed before he stepped in and made his presence known. Unfortunately, the man whose intention towards Della bothered Perry, he sauntered inside the shop and quickly grabbed her elbow gently before she turned around and saw him smiling down at her.
"Did something or someone distract you, LT. Mason?" Della whispered to him.
"Yes, something caught my eye, and I made a quick stop." Perry whispered into her ear. She bashfully smiled at him and walked to the counter to pay for her items. Perry fished out his wallet from his breast pocket and paid for her items after he placed his hand over hers and stopped her. Perry quickly laid the bills down on the counter before the clerk gave his change back. The man that had been interested in Della bumped into Perry accidentally. Perry slowly turned around and saw a familiar face that was on his ship long ago before he had managed to transfer to another squadron.
"Excuse me, Sir. I didn't see you there. LT. Mason is that you?"
"Yes. Can I help you?" Perry focused his attention to the soldier.
"It's an honor to be in your presence, Sir and I've heard so much about you." He shook his hand in greeting and looked over at Della, who held her items in her hand.
"All the men on aboard talk highly of you, Sir. I'm sorry if I intruded on your date, and I didn't mean to step on your toes if this lovely lady is with you." The soldier stepped back from Perry and looked over at Della as Perry placed his arm around her waist.
"It's quite all right to engage in a conversation with Lt. Street because she can manage herself; however, we are late for a movie and dinner since this is our last night on shore leave." Perry squeezed Della to his side and showed him that they were indeed together.
"Yes, we are going to be late, but before we go, I need to stop by the hotel." Della replied as she looked up at Perry and glanced at the soldier whose gaze made her uncomfortable.
"It was nice to finally meet you, Sir." The eager soldier watched them leave before he browsed the shop alone.
The soldier knew Della was taken by the exchanged looks between the couple. Perry and Della walked down the street towards her hotel so she could freshen up and leave her items in her room. Della caught a glimpse of Perry out of the corner of her eye and knew that he purposely made his intention known to that soldier was of no interest to Della.
"Perry, thank you for what you did back there at the shop, and you handled yourself very well. How did you know I wasn't interested in the Army scout?" Della coyly asked and quickly got Perry's attention.
"Della, from what I observed back there, your body language said otherwise, you walked away when he tried to get your attention. I showed up and saved the day." Perry replied as he removed his cap and waited for her to reaction to his playful mood.
"Perry, he did make me uneasy at first, but I knew you could handle the officer. You wanted to show off your prowess." Della bumped his shoulder while they walked to her hotel.
"Ok so I'm a showoff because I correctly read your body language, Della." He chuckled heartily, and she smiled as they walked down the street. Della carried her belongings to her room while Perry waited in the hallway. Gertie was surprised when Della returned early since she thought Della would be gone most of the day. Paul had planned for romantic evening and would be showing up anytime to take Gertie out on the town.
"Della, I didn't expect you to return so soon since this is our last night on land. Are you not going to have a good time?" Gertie replied enthusiastically before she spotted Perry out in the hall. She remembered his face from the lounge before Paul whisked her away as a fight had started. Gertie knew he was one handsome fellow and eyed him as he smiled in return.
"Gertie, I am going to have a good time tonight since I'm going out with Lt. Mason and he'll have me back before midnight." Della walked to the door as Perry waited for her.
"Gertie, I would like to formally introduce you to Lt. Mason. Lt. Mason, this is Gertie Lade and she is a nurse on USS Solace and a very dear friend of mine." After Della introduced them, and Gertie saluted Lt. Mason as he firmly shook her hand.
"You're Ms. Lade, C.P.O. Drake's girl. He is a good man and has been an exceptionally good friend of mine for many years." Perry informed her and turned his attention to Della.
"Yes, Paul is so wonderful, and I'm sorry for holding your date up, Della. Have a good time tonight. Paul is picking me up shortly, and we are going out on the town." Gertie winked and smiled at the two of them.
Perry and Della watched a matinee and enjoyed the sunset later that evening. Perry didn't want the night to end, but there was nothing he could do since it was inevitable. Della observed the crowds enjoying themselves when Perry grabbed her waist and held her close as they walked. Della couldn't be any happier being with Perry, and how he made her feel. For the first time in her life, she felt protected and loved. Perry was not the type of man who just wanted a quick romp in the bedroom with a lovely lady. He treated her with utmost respect, and she loved that about him since he didn't make any unwanted advances on her.
"Della, I see a nice restaurant ahead and I hear the jazz music playing. Would you like to go there for dinner and dancing? Afterwards, I will take you back to your hotel." Perry asked with a deep rumble in his chest which Della felt through her body.
"Sounds great Perry. I wouldn't miss it for anything." As she smiled up at him, a young local woman approached them and handed Perry a Superior lei of fresh flowers and placed it around his neck while she greeted him a warm kiss on his cheek. While Perry blushed at the thoughtful act, Della watched in awe.
"Perry, I knew it was going to happen by the end of the night. Do you realize you're going to be wearing that all night?" Della leaned forward and smelt the scent of the flowers on his broad chest.
Perry plucked a flower from his lei and studied it before looked at Della and placed the flower in her hair. He leaned forward and smelt the sweet fragrance before his nose brushed her cheek gently. Della acknowledged his sweet gesture with a quick kiss to his cheek and felt the warmth from his touch. No words were spoken between them as they looked into each other's eyes. He brushed an errant curl away from her brow and saw the color of her eyes change a darker shade of green. Della gazed lovingly back into his baby blues and took his arm.
While the sun began to set over the horizon, Perry and Della entered the establishment which was half full by the time they were seated at their table. The waiter handed them their menus and took their orders while the music played softly in the background. The atmosphere was very relaxed, and some couples danced while others enjoyed their dinners.
As they waited for their dinner, Perry looked at the different choices of wine and champagne. He lowered the menu and looked over at Della, who watched the people as they danced. He cleared his throat and got her attention.
"Della, what refreshments would you like- champagne, wine, or a fruit cocktail?" Perry asked while she scrunched her brow and thought over the choices.
"I'll choose a fruit cocktail. What about you, Perry?" Della brushed his leg under the table with her foot and demurely smiled.
"I'll have the Lava Flow Tropical Cocktail." As their waiter approached the table with their food, Perry's voice caught in his throat.
They enjoyed the local cuisine and each other's company, their waiter returned with their drinks on his tray. As the pleasant evening progressed, Della drank her cocktail, Perry was mesmerized by her mouth and lips as they slid across the straw. When he shifted in his seat, she blushed and looked in his direction. He slowly stood up and offered his hand to her as the jazzy song played in the background, and couples swayed to the music.
Once Perry took the lead, Della draped her arm around his neck and moved it across his shoulder while he held her waist with one hand and clasped his large hand over her smaller hand. They slow danced to the music and with Perry being a big man in stature, he had to watch his feet since he almost stepped on Della's toes by accident. He chuckled in her ear while she giggled and leaned toward him. As they danced around the room, Della laid her head on his shoulder, smelt his cologne, and nuzzled her nose at the crook of his neck.
Contented, Perry held her close to him as his body temperature rose up a notch, and they continued to sway to the music. When they didn't pay attention to anyone on the dance floor, Perry let his guard down, and slowly placed his mouth near her earlobe and whispered something only she could hear.
"Beautiful." Perry placed a kiss on her cheek while they danced and swayed to the music. Della smiled at his comment and stroked his broad shoulder, relaxed into his broad chest, and squeezed his hand with hers.
Once the music ended, the couple drank another cocktail before they left the restaurant. Perry looked at his watch and noticed that it wasn't that late in the evening and decided to take Della to a sacred place where there was a waterfall that paid homage to the Hawaiian gods. Della was at a loss because she wasn't sure where Perry was taking her since she hadn't recognized the trail. When they reached a point that forked into two different directions, Perry pointed to the right that went towards a large, lush, flower garden. Upon their arrival, there was decorative plague with a few offerings that had been left to appease the spirits. A beautiful waterfall surrounded by boulders was located a few yards away from the flower garden.
"Perry, where are we? I never saw this place before, and it's absolutely stunning." Della gasped in awe and walked in front of Perry, who enjoyed the view that was right in front of him. He smiled at her comment because he knew she would fall in love with the waterfall. She walked a few yards ahead of him, turned around, and saw him gazing at her.
"Della, this is Manoa Falls. I thought you might enjoy this place since it's absolutely beautiful here. As you can imagine, people come here and relax. This waterfall was something I wanted to show you before we departed the island." Perry joined her as she watched the cascading water fall down the mountainside pool into a lagoon.
While they quietly watched the water fall and listened to the roar of the water, Della closed her eyes and heard the birds chirping as she inhaled the sweet aroma from the flowers. Perry leaned in and chastely kissed her cheek. Della suddenly opened her eyes to see him and noticed the loving look in his eyes. In the impulsive moment she kissed him on the lips. She slid her tongue into his welcoming mouth, and their tongues caressed each other. Della gasped for air and licked her bottom lip as Perry removed his cap and held it in his hand while Della gazed back at the waterfall.
"Della, when our tour is over, how about you and me…." Perry's voice trailed off when she touched his cheek with her palm and silenced him and placed her thumb to his lips.
"Perry, what you and I have shared these past two days has been wonderful. If we only knew what our future held, I would drop everything to be with you; however, with the war raging now, it is uncertain." Della replied truthfully.
"Della, I know the war is uncertain, but my feelings for you will not ever change. I will take you back to the hotel since our ships will be leaving port in the morning." Perry disappointingly said to her.
"Yes, we better be going because the day is almost over. I wish it could last forever." Della took Perry's arm and they strolled back to town arm in arm. They exchanged glances of sadness along the way since their evening was coming to an end.
