This is my first fan fiction; I hope you enjoy it.
It takes place in the third season after the Ferguson's wedding but it has no chronological order.
And many many thanks to "stayathomemum" for correcting this story. I could not post it without her help.
Disclaimer: I'm not the owner of the characters of WTB, I own nothing, no copyright violence intended
The contest
Chapter 1
Late at night after leaving the Ferguson's wedding, they all got into the car for a long drive home. They were all tired and Tony closed the doors realizing there was a notice under the wiper. He stuck it in his pocket and entered the car. The kids had fallen asleep directly after he left the parking area. The wedding of Angela's best friends was one of the most amazing evenings in the last months. To choose Tony as the best man and Angela as the maid of honor had given them many opportunities to be close together and the possibility to walk down the aisle together. Tony felt overwhelmed standing with Angela behind their friends at the altar. It was incredible. His heart had pounded so hard and his mind was racing, dreaming that Angela felt the same. When they danced he never had held her so close and never had felt so much love for her. " … Only with the right person." It was a sentence that never got out of his head.
After arriving, Angela got out the car carrying Jonathan into the house immediately to his bedroom and Tony did the same with Samantha. After tucking in the children they all met in the living room. Mona had opened a bottle of champagne and filled three glasses to have a nightcap. They chinked the glasses.
"So we should call it a night, what do we toast to?" Mona asked.
"Maybe… eternal love…" Angela looked up to her.
"After that wedding it's a good idea." Tony smiled.
"Eternal love." They toasted all together. Angela looked in his eyes, the eyes she loved from the first time he stood at her threshold. He stared back and swallowed hoping she was not able to see the desire he felt. They looked away.
Tony found the notice in his pocket when he removed his jacket.
"Oh look, Angela, Dancing contest at the Starlight ballroom, the only contest for unmarried people …."
"Let me see this." Mona grabbed the notice out of his hands.
"Oh guys, that's the right thing for you two, your dancing is so perfect, you both should do that, really."
"Mother, I don't know. There are a lot of people who can dance pretty well too."
"But you can win a trip to Las Vegas with the whole family with free entry to several shows for a long weekend and … oh … wow."
"Wow, what?"
"Nothing, nothing, there is a Siegfried & Roy show as well, I like them and the white tigers as well."
"You know mother, the best men are gay or married."
"Com'n Angela, let's give it a try, this might be a lot of fun and now that we are free from all this wedding stuff. We can practice over the week; you know I'm a good coach."
Angela glowed at the thought of dancing with Tony every day. That was too good to be true.
"OK, let's do it."
"Yeah, we are going to Vegas, I'll subscribe you tomorrow, the contest is already next Saturday." Mona mentioned.
"But Mona, first we have to win."
"You will, I know it… Happy days are here again, the sky above is…."
Singing loudly Mona left the room and went over to her apartment. Angela and Tony just nodded their heads.
"Let's go to bed … I mean, separately of course ahem . . . you know what I mean." Tony blushed, took Angela's hand in his and they went upstairs. In Angela's mind was "not separately" a good idea.
"Good night Tony, thank you for this wonderful evening." She gently kissed him on the cheek.
"Good night, sweet dreams, I'll see you in the morning." And with regret he let go of her hand.
The next morning in the kitchen.
"Hey Angela, how did you sleep? What do you want for breakfast?"
"Just juice and coffee as always. I slept like a log. I like that we decided to go to this contest and I will go shopping today. It's time for new clothes!"
"You look beautiful in all your clothes." Their eyes met and the intensive expression made her heart race."
"Thank you, Tony. Bye."
"Bye, Angela."
They went through their days and in the evenings Tony pushed the furniture away and they danced together through the living room and kept on practicing. Tony knew that their dancing as a couple was beautiful and they really didn't have to do this all night but holding her in his arms so many times enriched his life.
Saturday came fast and it was time to get ready for the contest. Angela was in her room for hours to put on her new dress. Her hair was falling in soft waves over her shoulders. When there was a knock from the door she looked up.
"Can I come in?" Sam asked.
"Of course." The door opened and Sam came in. "Angela, wow, you look gorgeous, I never saw you look so beautiful. You and Dad, you both will them all knock out."
"That is so sweet of to say, honey. To tell the truth, I'm really a little bit nervous about tonight."
"With that backless dress there is no reason to be nervous. You'll wow them." Mona came in a long deep red evening gown. I just want to wish you luck for this evening. My date is just arrived and I will ride with him."
"Thank you mother, have a nice time."
"I will, Howie is fifteen years younger than me. See you later."
After a last look in the mirror, Angela nodded her head, stood up, straightened her back and left the room. Tony stood at the front door as he saw Angela coming downstairs. They exchanged glances. She was the most beautiful women he had ever seen. The small pink dress flittered around her long legs. He had to clear his throat.
"Angela, I don't know what to say, you look …. I'm beyond words."
"You're looking very handsome yourself too. Your tie is the same color as my dress."
"Yes, that was Mona's advice. So now we are dressed to kill, let's go."
The "Starlight Ballroom" was filled with a lot of wonderfully dressed people. The dance floor was covered with beautiful flowers all around and a big banner hung over the stage where the band already played soft songs. Angela and Tony peeked over the room to find Mona and her dubious date. After a while Angela saw her with a baby-faced man on the dance floor. They found their table and sat down.
"Oh no, Tony, my mother is here with a teenager, I won't survive that."
"But Ang, maybe he's older than he looks." Mona and the young man stopped dancing and came to the table.
"Hi guys, this is Howard Carlson, he is one off the arbitrators. Howie, these are Tony and Angela the winners of the contest…."
"Mother, wait and see."
"Hi Howie, can we try to entice you with a drink?" Tony smiled.
"No thank you Tony, your future m..."
"Howie please let us dance a little more, the contest begins shortly." Mona interrupted him and took him away." See you later, lovebirds."
"Lovebirds? Angela shakes her head in disbelieve. "My mother becomes crazier from day to day."
After a few minutes the band ended and a well-dressed handsome man hit the stage.
"Good evening, ladies and gentleman, welcome to our first dance contest for unmarried couples. My name is Danny Martin and I hope you all will enjoy this evening. I'm not a man of many words, so I will simply explain the rules. All signed couples have to do three dances. After every dance round the three arbitrators decide which two couples have to leave. The last two have to do two dances. First a fast Quickstep and second the wedding dance: a slow blues. The couple who gets the most scores will win the contest and win the prize. So ladies and gentlemen, allow me to announce the first dance round. I would like to see all couples on the dance floor. Oh and I almost forget the most important point: the contest will be recorded by ABC Network and the camera will accompany the winners on their trip to Vegas.
"Oh, my god Tony, we are on television, I'm dying, I never expected that."
"Don't be nervous, we've learned our lessons and it will be great and hey-oh if we win it's great publicity for the Bower Agency."
"Oh yeah, it will be great when I twist my ankle and fall to the ground and it's all on television."
"Shhh, come on, nothing like this will happen, trust me." He put her hands in his, gently stroking her palms. "So, may I have the pleasure of all the dances tonight?"
They walked through the crowd and stepped on the dance floor with seven other nervous couples, hands entwined.
"The first dance you have to perform is a Wiener Waltz. Good luck to everybody let the show begin"
The band began to play and Angela and Tony took their position and waltzed across the floor like they had never done any other things before. They exchanged glances and after a few seconds they began to enjoy being near to each other and swinging around. After a few minutes Howie walked on the dance floor. He waved at two of the couples to break up the dance and led them away.
"Only six couples." Tony whispered near Angela's ear. "We can make it."
"I'll do my best." Angela smiled.
Danny Martin entered the stage.
"The next dance is a rumba. So guys, you can try to seduce your ladies."
The band played a Cuban rumba. Tony held his hand higher on Angela's back only feeling her soft skin because there was no fabric. Her backless dress seduced him more and more. Angela looked at his eyes never breaking the contact when he led her over the dance floor. They did their steps as if they were born to dance. The next two couples had to leave because of making some mistakes and the next dance was a Samba. It was one of Tony and Angela's favorite dances. Tony had considered some nice and sexy dance moves they could show and the audience clapped their hands and Mona's voice banged through the ballroom, "You got the fever guys."
Angela rolled her eyes and glowed like a Christmas tree in winter. But Mona was right. They made it to the next round, a slow Waltz. Like our life, Tony thought. Living with Angela under one roof for three years had been much like dancing but he could never imagine his life any other way. The camera team liked them and their acting and of course they went through to the final. After a short break the last round began.
"Dear visitors, here especially for you are the last two couples: Brad and Jane. And now: Tony and Angela.
Applause broke out. The camera man walked around and captured some nice shots. The Quickstep began.
"Tony, I'm really nervous now, what shall we do if win?
"That you have thought about earlier, there is no way back. Don't worry, we'll get through."
Tony whirled her around so that she almost got dizzy. Brad and Jane looked a little confused, because Brad had stepped on Jane's toes. And she was hobbling a little bit now.
"Damn, couldn't you pay attention?" Jane grumbled. "It's me you are dancing with- not her so please keep your eyes on me!"
The dance ended and the judges were waiting with their scores. The entertainer came back to the stage to comment on the awarding of the scores.
"Now please the scores for Brad and Jane, I can see a five, a seven and a nine. That means twenty-one points for you two. And the points for Tony and Angela please, oh a six, an eight and another eight. Twenty-two for Angela and Tony, this will be a neck-and-neck race."
"Tony, that will be a tight squeeze, we never practiced a wedding dance."
"Keep cool, we saw one last week, Isabelle and Paul you remember. I think we could do it without training. Take a deep breath, honey."
"Honey? Really sweet Tony, but we are not married."
"Sorry, it came out; I just want to reassure you and by the way, if we were married we wouldn't be here so it's a good thing that we're not married. So we are at one with it or not?"
"Ok, but please don't say it again, it makes me nervous."
The last dance began with slow and soulful music and Tony took her in his arms and pulled her close. They were dancing cheek to cheek. Angela felt his breath next to her ear and wished the dance never ended. Tony was a great dancer and leader and she had no doubts about her steps. To be honest, her head was completely empty and feeling his body so close made her heart pound. Tony's feelings were different. At this time he didn't want to trade places with any other person in the world but he reminded that he was the housekeeper and a friend. This last dance had more effect on him as he imagined. He wanted to say something to her but he couldn't and so they danced close and silently. As the dance ended they both stepped back, holding each other's hands.
"Oh I see it's difficult for people who have fallen in love but we have to come to an end, cameras on position please and the scores for Brad and Jane: A seven, a nine and a ten, twenty-six added together forty-seven for Brad and Jane, this is difficult to top. "
Brad looked very confident but Jane was still a little angry with him and her face was grim. The camera pivoted to Tony and Angela who were still holding hands nervously without noticing it.
"The scores for Angela and Tony now: A eight, a ten and a ….. ten again ! Twenty-eight and together: Fifty points, we have the winners. Tony and Angela."
The audience applauded wildly and called their names.
"So I give you your prize. And it's a really big prize. You guys have won a trip to Las Vegas with the whole family included, a show every night, hotel and of course…. your wedding and your wedding reception. Congratulations, Tony and Angela and best wishes for your future!