There it stood in all its wonder and glory. The Stanley Hotel. Why did it look like it was smiling at her like the Cheshire cat? Oh, why did I let Tony talk me in to this? The tickets for a weeklong stay during New Year's Eve arrived at her door one night. No one knows where they came from so why should they not go? Her mother kept saying.
Tony got out of the cab and helped the driver with the luggage. "Come on, Angela, let's go!"
Angela shrugged the creepy feeling off her back and got out of the car. She knew in her heart that she should let go – have fun, after all, she's here for a week with Tony. Tony - who is no longer with Kathleen and no signs of Andy. Who needed Andy anyway? He was just a distraction from the floozy.
The shiny white hotel with the blood red roof and steps beckoned all to enter. The view was simply stunning. The snow covered mountains surrounding the place was just what Angela needed it to be - peaceful and serene with a break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas in the city. Quietness engulfed her as she looked around and the frigid air made her hold her coat tighter. The brightness of the snow made her wish that she had her sunglasses.
A man in a black suit opened the door and welcomed them inside. He pointed them into the direction of the front desk.
"Oh, Tony, it's just how I pictured it would be!" Angela whispered.
Tony grinned. "Why are you whispering?"
"I don't know it just feels like one of those places you need to whisper," she said.
"You aren't scared are you?" He asked as he elbowed her arm.
"Why should I be scared? It's beautiful!"
Tony looked at her. "How many times did I scare you after you read "The Shining" and how many times did I hold you close when we watched the movie?"
Angela cleared her throat. "Oh, that. No, I'm not scared." She turned around quickly to make sure that there were no twin girls holding hands, looking at her. "Not at all." There was no way that she'd let Tony know just how frightened she was.
"Hi, welcome to the Stanley. Is this your first visit with us?" asked the chipper reception lady.
"Yes, yes it is. I'm Angela Bower and this is Tony Micelli. We have two adjoining rooms." Angela smiled at Tony.
"Oh, here we are. I hope that you will be joining us for the New Year's Eve Crystal Ball. It's an extra charge, oh, wait, I see you already have two tickets for you!"
Angela looked at Tony. "Did you know about this?"
"Uh, no, but hey, sounds like fun, plus I have my dancing shoes," he grinned at her.
The lady handed Angela the two tickets and the invitation to the ball. "Oh, a desert bar is included." She proceeded to tell them all about the hotel and amenities that were included. "Enjoy your stay."
Tony grabbed the nearest luggage cart as the bellhop loaded the luggage. Angela looked down at the gold plated room key. The numbers 217 stared back at her. Why did that number sound so familiar to her?
"Tony, what is your room number?"
He looked down at the key in his hand. "219, did they give us the wrong rooms?"
"No, I guess not. Mine is 217, does that sound familiar to you?" she asked.
The bellhop tilted his head and started to say something to Angela, then looked back again. He began pushing the luggage cart towards the elevator.
Angela shrugged it off and followed. This really was a grandiose place, she thought. The old time music was softly blaring through the ceiling as Tony began to whistle. Calm down, Angela, you are here, with Tony, so what could go wrong? The bellhop stared straight ahead during the short ride to the second floor.
Walking closely behind her, Tony began to whisper, "Angela, come play with us!"
"Stop it! Now! No more!" Angela yelled.
Tony stopped walking. "Oh, hey, I'm sorry. Just kidding around. Really I'm sorry."
"It's ok. I'm just a little tense from the plane ride. You know how I'm not a fan of flying," she told him.
Take a deep breath, Angela, there are no little girls at the end of the long hallway asking you to play. Just rooms - with ALIVE people and you don't see dead people, she kept saying in her mind.
The door to room 217 creaked open. Tony went in before Angela and put down her luggage. She stopped and looked at the number beside the door. 217, oh yay.
"Brrr, its cold in here, Angela, you better get that heat on quickly," Tony said, as he walked towards the thermostat.
Angela looked around the room. Now she remembered. This was supposedly one of the most haunted rooms in the whole hotel. Great, she thought. Why me?
"All right, I'll see you in a bit for dinner, okay?" Tony said.
Angela looked behind her. "Oh, yeah, sure." Ugh, why did Tony have to leave?
Tony walked over to the suite door and opened it to his room. "Hey, Ang, I got chocolate on my pillow!" He shut the door behind him.
A pop from the closet made Angela run to the suite door and open it. "I'm just going to leave this open, you know, because of the lack of heat. I need to call Mother and let her know that we arrived."
Within seconds, Angela could hear the water running in Tony's shower. She stood there before picking up the phone. Tony. Naked. Wet. Water dripping. Tingle.
The phone call to Mona was pleasant as always. She kept asking Angela if they ditched the extra room yet. "Oh, Mother!"
Angela went ahead and took a shower, too. She double checked to make sure that the suite door stayed open. As she slammed the bathroom door shut, she heard the suite door slam shut. She grabbed her towel and ran to the suite door and pulled it back quickly. Thankfully Tony was still in the shower. She walked back to her bathroom and proceeded again. The suite door slammed shut.
"Darn it!" she yelled. She grabbed her towel and this time she pulled a chair in front of the door. "There we go! No draft will move that." She smiled at her accomplishment and tried to get a shower again. This time there was no slamming door so she could relax. The warm water was very welcomed on her jet lagged body. Her tense shoulders relaxed as she began to focus on what the week held. Her mind drifted to the New Year's ball in a few days. She pictured Tony in a suit. BIG SMILE. This week will be fun, she kept reminding herself.
An Hour Later…
"Wow, you look beautiful," Tony told her as she stepped out of the bathroom.
Angela blushed. "You don't look half bad yourself, Mr. Micelli."
Tony put his elbow out for Angela to take hold as he escorted her to the dining room. Her mind began to settle down even more and she was very relaxed. She squeezed a little closer to him as he opened the door for her. They walked over to a table and Tony pulled the chair out for her.
"A whole week of nothing but wining and dining, how 'bout that?" Tony asked her.
"And in two more days, the Ball. Won't that be fun?" Angela blushed at the thought of being with just Tony at midnight – no kids, no mother - just her and Tony.
Dinner was delicious and the music was delightful. They talked and danced and felt that there was not a care in the world. It should be like this always!
Tony looked at his watch. "Wow, look what time it is. Can you believe it's 1 a.m.?"
"No, I hadn't noticed," Angela said, wishing that the night didn't have to end.
"Guess we better head on up if we are going to do all that we planned for tomorrow. I've never been to Colorado, so I'm looking forward to getting some clean air," Tony said, laughing. He took her hand and helped her up. She never let go as they walked back to the adjoining rooms.
Angela took out her key to room 217, forgetting anything that anyone had ever said about the place. "It's almost crazy to think that they gave us two keys, because we're always together." Tony followed her into the room.
"Well, who knows if one of us needs to make a midnight run to the snack bar or something," he said, stopping to look at her. "So, I guess this is goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."
Angela couldn't help herself. She reached up and hugged him. "Thanks for a great night," she whispered. He gave her a light kiss on the forehead and turned to go to his room.
"Dang it!" she said.
"What? Did you say something?" he hollered from his room.
"Uh, no, stubbed my toe," she lied. What did it take to give that man a hint? Ever since the floozy he's backed away. They were no longer seeing other people, so what was his problem? The air had been cleared, words had been said; she had forgiven. But had he? She reached in her drawer to get her flannel gown, but didn't find it anywhere. The only thing she did see was a turquoise lace nightgown. "MOTHER!" she said. Angela put it on and laughed. Mother was always right. " I guess that's why she asked if I had unpacked. I was too busy being scared that I just started throwing things in drawers." Scared. Nope, not anymore. She looked over at the chair in the doorway, secretly glad that Tony didn't say a word about it. Angela walked towards the chair and then stopped. This may be easier than I thought. I'll leave it open, you never know if one will sleep walk or something? A devilish grin crept across her face. Hum, I bet he's sleeping in nothing but his underwear. She stretched her head slowly to see if she could see in the next room. Nope, pitch black. She let out a sigh and pulled back the covers and turned out the light.
An hour later, Angela woke with a start. She sat up in the bed. Where am I? I'm not in my bedroom. Oh, now I know. She rubbed her temples. She was drenched in sweat, but freezing at the same time. Whispers were coming from somewhere. Angela slowly turned her head. Moonlight streamed in the room. What is that? A lady in a long white dress was standing in her bathroom beckoning her to come in. A rotten earthy odor filled the room. Every hair on her arm stood on end. She lay back down realizing it was just a dream. She sat back up in the bed. The lady was still there in the doorway. Angela tried to scream but no sound would leave her throat.
I'm still asleep, she thought. She heard a soft footstep sound. Was the strange lady coming towards her? Why is this room so cold? She reached for the cover, but realized that she was clutching it tightly around her. Maybe it's Tony in here. If it's Tony, I don't want him to think I'm scared, so she pushed back the cover and reached for the light. IT wouldn't work. The footstep sound stopped just beside her bed.
"Tony?" she asked quietly. No answer. A chill collected in the middle of her neck and crept slowly down her spine. Something wasn't right. Her hands began to tremble. All she could picture was the lady in white. She grabbed her knees and laid her head on them and squeezed her eyes shut. "Wake up," she said aloud. Another shiver ran down her spine as a cold hand gently touched the top of her head and lightly caressed her hair.
Angela couldn't take it anymore. The scream that was bottled up in her throat finally rang out. She let out the loudest sound she could. A few seconds later, Tony flipped the light switch by the door and was by her side.
"Angela, are you okay?" he asked as he knelt down beside her bed.
She slowly looked up at him. What could she say? What should she say? "I, uh, had a bad dream, a really bad dream." He reached over and held her for a minute. She scooted over in the bed and he joined her.
"There was a lady…" she shut her eyes again.
"It's okay, I'm here now. Nothing to worry about. I'll wait until you go back to sleep," he said. "You're sweating." He gently pulled the covers back.
"No, please don't go. Please stay. It was so real," Angela pleaded to him.
Tony smiled at her. "Let me get the overhead light."
She grabbed his arm. "Angela, really, I'm just going to get the light," he told her again.
She released the tight grip on his arm and watched as he walked over. He came back to the bed and reached for the bedside lamp and switched it on.
"The lamp…never mind," she said. It was all a dream - just a silly dream. "You can turn it off, I'll be fine."
Tony reached to switch it off and then he put his arm around Angela. She gently laid her head on his chest. He rubbed her arm and felt her body slowly calming down. "Cute nightie, by the way," he said.
Angela totally forgot about her gown and blushed when she realized that a thin piece of fabric lay between her and Tony's body. I'll have to thank that crazy lady if I see her again, she thought. On second thought, I hope I never do.
After a few minutes, they both drifted off to sleep. In the morning, Angela woke to something pressing into her. She opened her eyes and looked down at an arm draped around her stomach. Tony, she sighed. She lay on her side for a while, thinking about how badly she didn't want to get out of this bed. She could feel his bare chest going up and down as he gently breathed on the back of her hair. She felt his other arm on the top of her pillow as if protecting her from anything. Her bladder was begging her to get up now, so she gently tried to move. Tony had such a hard grip around her that there was no way that she could do this without waking him.
She rolled over on her back and his arm got tighter around her waist. He snuggled closer to her.
"Tony, Tony," she whispered to him. "I need to get up."
Tony raised his arm without opening his eyes. Angela walked to the bathroom and quickly got back into bed. Whew, no lady in there.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked quietly. "Any more bad dreams?"
"Yes, thank you and no to the dreams. Thank you for staying, you don't know how much I appreciate it," she told him.
"I really do like that nightie," he told her, never taking his eyes off her face.
"Thanks, I have a few more that are different colors," she said. Oh, crap, did I just say that out loud?
Tony smiled at her. "Good to know. Well, I guess my job is done. I'll go grab a shower and we can go down to breakfast."
"Uh, Tony. Can you take your shower in here? Please?" Angela innocently asked.
"Sure, I'll go get my things and be right back," Tony said.
Tony never saw the big smile on Angela's face.
After breakfast, they took a stroll around the hotel's grounds. A huge garden maze was a main attraction for the place so they did the touristy thing. The familiar cold air didn't hinder them from having a good time. At one point, Tony grabbed Angela's hand as they walked.
"Now would you like to talk about the dream?" Tony asked.
"No, not really. It was nothing. Just a silly dream," Angela said. A horrible "felt real" kind of dream.
Tony stopped and looked at her. "Silly dream? Nah, it was more than that. I'll listen when you are ready to tell me."
"Thanks. Are you ready to go in for a bit? It's getting colder," Angela said, as she snuggled a little tighter.
"Yes, my lady. Anything," Tony said playfully.
The rest of the afternoon Angela spent picking out a beautiful ball gown for the following evening while Tony went to the gym. She really didn't want him seeing her until that right moment. Angela made a hair and makeup appointment. Luckily there were still some times available. The hotel always expected a big crowd every year. And with the snow not as bad, more people would come. The hotel had the ball room locked shut until tomorrow night. Word around the hotel was that they went all out this time of year, as well as when they have "The Shining" Halloween ball.
Dinner and dancing was just as wonderful as the previous night night. Ugh, last night. The thought went through Angela like a knife. Did she see a ghost last night? They opted not to take the Ghost Tour around the hotel due to Angela's nightmare. She knew that people would stop outside her hotel door, but wouldn't come in since guests were staying there. She even overheard the tour guide say that Jim Carrey had stayed in this room, but left in the middle of the night. Who could blame him?
They walked back arm in arm all the way to the room. Tony took out his key first and opened his door.
"Let me go in first and look around?" he asked.
Angela smiled. "Sure, Tony. But really, I'm okay."
"Just stay here and I'll be right back," he said.
Always the gentleman, Angela thought. How sweet of him to do that for her. After a few seconds, he came back and took her by the hand. All the lights were on in both hotel rooms – even in the bathrooms.
"Thanks, Tony, but you really didn't have to," she started.
"Stop it. I wanted to. Anyway, I'll let you get ready for bed. Just holler if you need me," Tony said.
Think, Angela, think of something without sounding too desperate. "Thanks" was all she could come up with. He retreated to his room as she started looking for a fresh nightie. Black. How erotic. She walked to the bathroom, but checked behind the door first. All clear. She came out of the bathroom and noticed that Tony's bedside light was still on. She could see him lying there, arms behind his head, watching TV. God, that man was sexy. All he does is lay there and I get chills, she sighed. She walked over and turned out the overhead light.
"Night, Tony," she called out. She stood in the doorway, arm tall, propped against the door. One leg stuck out just enough to let him see that long leg.
Tony sat up in the bed and turned off the TV. "Uh, yeah, night, Ang," he gulped.
She turned around slowly and gracefully walked back to the bed, smiling the whole way. She cleared her throat and turned off the bedside lamp. The whole room was silent. She noticed that Tony never turned back on the TV, so what was he doing in there? Every now and then she thought she heard him talking, but wasn't too sure. Maybe he called Sam? After a few more minutes, Angela drifted off to sleep, dreaming about the Ball tomorrow night.
"Angela, wake up!" Tony said.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. "What? How did I get here?" Angela looked stunned as Tony helped her up.
"I heard you calling my name, at first you sounded miles away and then you got closer. Now I see why," he said.
"How did I get here by your bed?" Angela asked him.
"When I turned on the light, you were curled up in a ball, saying my name and asking for help because she was there again," Tony said. "Let's get you back in bed."
Tony put his arm around her as he walked her back into her bed. She didn't have to ask this time, he just got in bed with her. "Nice nightie."
"Tony, this is weird. I don't remember anything," Angela said, alarmed.
"It's ok, go to sleep. We have a big night tomorrow night. It's New Year's Eve and I'll be with the most beautiful girl at the ball," he whispered.
How did he always know how to melt her heart? She turned over on her side and Tony put his arms around her like before. She grabbed his hand and held it next to her heart. He kissed the back of her head. She felt so safe in his arms. He squeezed her hand and held her closer. Before she could say another word, she felt his soft breath and felt his chest move up and down. How will I go back home and not have this every night? A few minutes later, she felt his hand slide out of her's and land on her stomach. He began to caress the soft lacy fabric on her belly. She sucked in her breath, afraid to exhale.
"Oh, Angela, you feel so good…so soft…I'm just so sleepy…want to keep…" he started. The soft sound of his snores filled her ear.
Are you kidding me, she thought? Darn him for being so sleepy. "Well, I guess two nights in a row of being awakened by crazy me would do it to any man. Thanks a lot creepy woman who is hiding in the bathroom," Angela whispered toward the door. Luckily, there were a few nights left, so surely, this won't be the end of it. Angela felt so warm and safe being held in Tony's arms, but she wanted more. Her nightmares were chased away by the warmth of Tony's arms and breath against her hair.
The next morning disappointment would not leave Angela, but she had to carry on as if nothing was wrong. Luckily Tony acted the same, talking nonstop about the Ball tonight.
"Wow, I slept good last night…So it's the last day of the year. Got any New Year's Resolutions?" he asked, sipping coffee.
"Well, none that I can think of right now," Angela told him. Or should I say, none that I will say aloud? "Tony, I probably won't see you much today, I have some appointments to get ready for tonight."
Tony looked surprised. "Well, ok. I guess I can find something to do…but I'll miss you."
"What? What did you say?" she asked, standing up from the table.
"I said that I guess I can find something to do," he said.
Angela got out of the dining room as quickly as she could. Fear of further rejection engulfed her. He probably was grossed out by me. She thought about calling her Mother, but felt that she wouldn't have any encouraging words. Just suck it up, Angela, go on, and prepare for tonight.
Hours later, Angela went back to the room to finish getting ready.
"Tony?" she called out. No answer, but she heard the sound of the water in the shower and saw his tux laid out on his bed.
She grabbed her dress out of the closet and hurried into the bathroom to change. Tonight would be their night, she kept saying. She hung the dress on the back of the door and stopped to look at it. The lady in the dress shop helped her pick it out.
"Red hot passion is the name of the color," the lady said, smiling at Angela.
Angela smiled thinking of how her nail color matched the dress. Little silver beads lined the lace trim. The lady also helped her pick out the CFM shoes and Angela blushed when the lady told her what that meant. Angela turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was piled high off her neck, just the way Tony liked it. She put on the matching earrings and then took off her clothes. She stood there thinking, what do I have to offer him? I'm older now, I've got lines on my face, and not young like...oh forget her name. She's in the past. She slipped into the matching lingerie and then put the gown over her head, slowly, as to not mess up the new hairdo. She turned from side to side admiring the dress and, heck, herself. Mother would be proud, she thought. And what man wouldn't be lucky to have me, she kept reassuring herself. Angela loved how the dress had a slit right up the side and how it had a plunging neckline. She hooked the final hook of her necklace around her neck and smiled. If this doesn't work, what will? She reached in her cosmetic bag and pulled out the special perfume that was perfect for this occasion.
"Yo, Ang, you about ready?" she heard Tony call. "Dinner starts at 8 and remember, it's included in the tickets."
"Yeah, just a second," she called out. She took one last look at herself, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
Tony was leaning in the doorway holding the tickets. They soon dropped out of his hands. His mouth wide open, he reached down to pick them up. He looked back at her and just stared.
"I'm ready," she said quietly.
Tony put the tickets in his pocket. "Wow, Ang, you look…." He looked down at her shoes and slowly looked again all the way up to the top of her head.
"Yes? What?" she waited for an answer.
He walked over and touched her elbow. "Gorgeous. Stunning. Sexy. Beautiful. I'm a lucky guy. I'll be fighting every guy in the place."
Yes, those were the right words that she was hoping to hear. "OH Tony," she said playfully. "Look at you. I'll be fighting off the ladies."
"There are no other ladies, Angela," he whispered in her ear.
Shivers of joy went down her spine. She was glad that she was facing him or he would be sure to see them run down the low cut back.
Tony held her arm the whole way to the ball room. The greeters opened the door and welcomed them in. The place was magical - soft lighting, flowers and candles on every table, gorgeous colors all over the room. Tony checked the tickets and they had table 10, which was in the corner. The table was set for six, but they both secretly hoped that no one else would join them.
The orchestra was playing and a few people were dancing. Tony held out the chair for Angela and then a waiter came to their table. He took their order and suggested the red wine. "I'm sure it's to go along with that dress," Tony said. He stood up and took her hand and escorted her to the dance floor. He twirled her around and then pulled her close.
"Great night, huh?" he asked, trying to keep his eyes at eye level.
Angela pretended not to notice. "Yes, just lovely." He pulled her even closer and she rested her head on his chest. This moment was so wonderful; she felt that her feet were not touching the floor. After a few more songs, they both noticed that their food was waiting for them. They went through the motions of trying to eat, never taking their eyes off each other.
Different people came and went from the table, but neither of them paid attention. A few drinks later, they were back on the dance floor.
"Count down to the New Year begins in a few minutes! Grab your hats and horns and the one you love!" an announcer said.
Angela dreamily went back to the table and grabbed the party favors, with Tony following close behind. Her stomach was warm from their second bottle of wine and her cheeks were the color of her dress.
"10, 9, 8, 7, " the crowd began, "6, 5, 4, 3, 2" Angela's heart began to race. Would he really kiss her? REALLY kiss her? "1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" The crowd began cheering and the confetti began dropping. Tony dropped his party hat and swept Angela into his arms. They looked at each other eye to eye, and then he swiftly plunged his lips to her's. Her heart beating fast, she knew this was it. She opened her mouth and he proceeded nicely wrapping his tongue around her's. The crowd around them was still cheering and toasting, while they stood there locked together, forgetting everyone around them. He put his hands around her face and gently cupped her. After a few seconds of an amazing kiss, they let go. Angela stumbled back a little, but Tony grabbed her.
"Whew, must be the wine, or the champagne," she laughed.
He looked her into her eyes again and planted another kiss on her. This time he ran his hands along her bare back and she put her arms under his coat. They held on to each other as if afraid one of them would run away. His hand began to drop closer to her butt and about that time, someone pushed into them and Tony stepped on her foot.
"Oh, excuse me, sir," said the man as he lead his lady back to their table.
Angela rubbed her foot. Tony took her other hand. "Are you okay? Sorry about that."
"Yes, I'm fine," she said, trying to catch her balance again. The room was spinning a little. "I think I better sit for a minute."
Tony held the chair out for her again as she sat down. He scooted his chair right up to her and had his hand on her back.
"I think I forgot to eat, but didn't forget to drink," she smiled.
"Yeah, me, too. I wasn't very hungry," he said, as he got closer to her face. His hand began to gently touch the side of her neck. Angela let out a soft moan. This time, he didn't jerk his hand away. He kissed the nape of her neck. Then he stuck his finger in his wine glass and rubbed the tip along her nape again. The coolness of the wine gave her shivers. Tony began gently and lovingly licking the wine of her neck.
"OH, dear God," she whispered.
He stood up and took her hand. Instead of going to the dance floor, he was leading her out the door and into the elevator. The door shut and Tony pushed her back into the wall. He lifted her hands over her head and held them down with one hand. He grabbed her back and pulled her closer and kissed her deeply. She opened her eyes and saw their reflection in the mirror behind them. She felt her heart fall to the floor and then back again to its proper place. Was this really happening? A few seconds later the elevator door opened. Neither of them said a word as they walked side by side, with his arm around her, and her looking up at him. He grabbed his key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. She pushed it back with her arm as he grabbed her and slammed the door with his foot. They kicked off their shoes. Then he took her into his arms and fell with her down on the bed. He laid on top of her kissing every area of her face, as she let her hands go freely through his hair.
"Wait a minute," she said. He stopped kissing her and sat up with a stunned look on his face.
She reached behind and took off her necklace and the matching earrings. "These cost way too much to be ripped," she said smiling.
She laid them on the nightstand and then pulled him back down on to her. She took his tux jacket off and threw it on the floor. He kissed her again and then sat her up. He reached slowly behind her and let her hair fall loosely around. She pulled his white shirt out of his pants and started unbuttoning the shirt as he bent to kiss her again. He grabbed her close and started caressing her back. He pulled one side of her dress down over her shoulder.
"Angela, where's your bra?" he whispered, tickling her ear.
"You'll see," she said seductively. He pulled the other shoulder down and let the dress fall to her waist.
She caught her breath as he looked lustily at her one piece red corset. He grinned and she stood up to let the dress fall to the floor. The red lacy corset was the only thing standing between her and Tony. He stood up beside her and took in her beauty. Tony reached up and gently pulled off a strap, one at a time. He reached around and grabbed her butt and pulled her into his chest. He grinned again as he felt her bare bottom from the hiked up corset. Oh how she loved how her breasts felt next to his bare skin. He kissed her deeply for a few minutes before putting his hand gently rubbing the lace on the front of her thong panties. She unbuttoned his pants and she heard them as they fell to the floor, with their lips never leaving each other. She felt his hands gently unhooking off the strings that separated her lace panties from the corset and she obediently stepped out of them as she did the same to his underwear. His hands slowly travelled up her belly and onto her breasts, caressing each one as if it were a delicate flower. His mouth traced down her neck and onto each breast as she let her hands travel all over his body. He stopped and inhaled the perfume that she had on her cleavage.
"Oh my God, you are beautiful," he whispered. He nudged her slowly to lie down on the bed, with his hands never leaving her body. She laid her head gently back onto the pillow as he began tracing every part of her body. Every now and then he could hear her moan. He kissed every inch of her body from top to bottom and she traced her fingers along his body, too. After teasing her for way too long, they finally found the perfect rhythm with their bodies in perfect sync. She opened her eyes to look at him and she vowed to have that memory of him forever. His eyes shut, he kept softly saying her name.
After reaching their spot of ecstasy, their bodies exploded together. Never before had she experienced anything like this. Not with Michael, not with Andy. No one. EVER. She held back the happy tears with the fear that he would think she was sappy.
They laid there holding each other for a few minutes before either could say a word. Finally Tony scooted a little away and took her face in his hands.
"Angela, look at me. I love you. I always have," he told her.
She couldn't stop it. The tears fell down her face as he wiped them away. "Tony…I love you so much. For a long time now."
He looked deeply into her eyes again. "Angela…marry me."
His words hung in the air. Did she really hear him right? After all these years, he was finally asking her to marry him? She touched his face just to make sure that she wasn't dreaming.
"Angela, I'm asking you to forgive me of the things I've done. I'm telling you that I love you with all my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life with you – waking up next to you every day. Laying down beside you every night. Being able to kiss you when I want or where I want. I want to be your husband. I want to be the one you rely on. I tell you this all the time, but you are the sexiest, smartest, and most beautiful woman that I know. I want you, Angela. And only you. Forever." He rubbed his hand along her face and ran his fingers through her hair, taking in the scent.
She reached up and kissed him. Years of passion, years of joy and pain, were wrapped into that kiss. Her brown eyes gazing at him was all he could stand. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He rolled on top of her so they could share their love together.
"How about if we come back in the spring and have our wedding here? The place where you proposed and that way Mother and the kids can come?" Angela asked him, in between kisses from Tony.
He kissed her deeply and hugged her tightly. They stayed like that until one of them had to use the bathroom. Seconds felt like minutes until they were back into each other's arms, finding their sync again.
A couple of hours later, Angela heard a sound near the bathroom. Not again, she thought. She looked out of one eye and saw the lady there in the doorway. The lady smiled at her and turned around. The scent of roses hung in the air. Angela closed both eyes and snuggled into Tony. When she woke up the next morning, a vase of red and pink roses were sitting on the bathroom sink.