Author's Note:
Sorry, it took me quite a while to write this chapter. I hope, somebody is still interested in how the story continues... There's one more concluding chapter to come and I promise it won't take that long. Thanks once again to 'stayathomemom' for keeping in touch and helping me with my English. Enjoy!
Part Two: THE BUDDIES - THE LADIES
Chapter Three
The inquiries of their friends had left both Tony and Angela mulling over whether they weren't so wrong after all. Were they really meant for each other?
THE BUDDIES
Tony was still a bit lost in his thoughts. Somehow he had always known that money could be a problem in their relationship. It had bothered him once in a while already, for example when Angela had bought him the Jeep. For her, it hadn't been such a big deal, for him it had been the most expensive purchase he ever made. And all the vacations they had made on her purse. She didn't rely on her ex-husband to support her, like so many other women. She really was extraordinary in her financial autonomy. In a way it daunted him a bit, but it mainly impressed him. He had never met such an independent, strong and hard-working woman. He admired the way she held her ground in this relentless business world, how she went out there every morning to face mostly male executives who thought they could make her small just because she was a woman. The women he knew before would totally rely on their husbands in financial matters as well as in organizing their lives - the Gabriella Cantenucci type of women. Finding a husband who cared for them and being a wife and mother would be their goal in life. Marie also was one of that kind. He had loved her dearly with all his heart, but sometimes - now in retrospective - he thought she could have supported him a bit more. For example, when his baseball career had come to an end so abruptly and he hadn't known how to provide for his family. But he had to be fair, they had been a traditional Italian family and he had been responsible for the financial matters, it hadn't been her duty. So he had been very thankful Mrs. Rossini had offered him a job as a fish truck driver. It had never occurred to him then that a wife could also contribute to a family's income. Not until he had been hired by Angela.
"Guys, don't you see what Angela achieves every day? I'm really proud of her. She's intelligent, well-educated and ambitious and doesn't want to waste her abilities by being just a housewife and mother." Tony summarized his thoughts.
"This is going to be your job then - to be the housewife and mother - I suppose?" Philly said sarcastically. "You'll be the man behind the woman's success!" He hated it to be so rude but he didn't want his friend to be like Angela's prince consort.
"She never lets me feel that way. It's a team effort, don't you see that? Everybody does what he does best. And she does her best job in a suit, not in an apron!" Tony defended their division of tasks with vigor. And he wouldn't be the housekeeper forever. After he graduated from college, he would work as a teacher. A job Angela herself had talked him into, telling him she always knew he would do something important. Although both knew that teachers were underestimated, underpaid and under appreciated. She just knew that being a teacher would fulfill him more than being a business executive, that doing something meaningful for society suited him better than chasing the almighty dollar. And she wanted him to be happy with his new career. He loved her for that attitude, she let him be who he was, she didn't want to change him to fit into her world.
"I tell you something really important now and you better listen because I'm not gonna explain it again!" Tony was very agitated. He didn't like the superficial view his friends were having about his relationship with Angela. It was unique in so many ways: because it had taken them seven years to get together although they had been attracted to each other almost from day one, because they had entrusted the other with so many personal affairs over the years, because from the beginning they had lived together as if they were family, and last but not least because they had shared their first kiss as teenagers in summer camp. Compared to all of this, the fact that she made more money than him was of minor importance. Something they would have to deal with, yes, but nothing which could really jeopardize their love.
"People are more than their jobs. Angela is much more than just a working mom and I love her for that. I love her for the way she loves Sam, for the way she helps me raising her. I love her for the way she trusts me when she tells me things she's never told anyone before. I love her for how she tries to fit into my Brooklyn world. Do you know how important it is to her that you like her?" Vinnie, Philly and Tiny looked at each other. No, they hadn't anticipated that yet. "I love her for being there when I need someone to talk to, we can talk about everything ... okay, almost everything. I love her for how she took her life in her own hands after her husband had left her and little Jonathan. I love her for the way she adores the food I cook for her and how she appreciates what I do for the agency. And I most of all love these two sides of her: the tough business woman at work and the sensitive woman at home. I'm just loving everything about her ..."
The entire bar had fallen absolutely silent, a needle dropping to the floor would've been heard. Everyone was looking at Tony as he had become so impassioned in his harangue. A declaration of love like this hadn't been heard in this bar until this day and most of the people were rather used to love professions like "Babe, glad I married you, your veal cutlet's the best!". So the touching speech Tony had given managed to attract the attention of everyone at Marty's Melody Room, but the three men at his table, who had known Tony for ages and knew how secretive he usually was when it came to his feelings, had literally turned to stone. They stared at him saucer-eyed, with jaws dropped and unable to utter a word.
Tiny was the first who tried to say something but "Wow!" was all he could say.
"Okay, I think we understood, Tony. You are serious about her!" Vinnie recapped what had become clear to everybody.
It was Philly who spoke out loud what they all had been thinking during his passionate oration. "Tony, the last time I heard you talk about a woman like this was when you talked about Marie." He had watery eyes and would normally feel embarrassed by it, but not this time. "Man, are you in love! I'm happy for you, Tone. You've obviously found true love a second time and that's more anyone can ask for." He gave Tony a big hug and patted him on the shoulder. "There is nobody on this earth I rather want to see happy than you, my friend."
"Yeah, you're right, Phil. We are all happy for you, Pal!" Vinnie said.
"This calls for another round of beer! Marty, four beers on my tab! We've got something to celebrate!" Tiny shouted through the bar. "Hey, Tone, how about a game of pool? I'll erase that stupid grin from your face and make you weep ..." They all laughed and steered towards the pool table where they had already played hundreds of games.
THE LADIES
Angela thought about how important Tony had become in her life. And she knew he was far more important to her than anything - even her agency. That surprised her. She thought back to the time her career had gone off, when she had still been married to Michael. And she noticed a remarkable difference between her relationship to Michael compared to the one to Tony: during her life with Michael she had to decide between her career and her marriage, but Tony supported her career unconditionally, he knew it was an integral part of her which he would never ask her to neglect because of him. He wasn't jealous but proud of her and realizing this very special trait of their relationship warmed her heart so much she had to smile unwittingly.
Isabelle hadn't noticed Angela's silent contentment, so she asked again, "Angela, won't it be difficult for you to defend your spouse time and again. You don't want the people to look down on you ... and Tony, do you?" she insisted and she probably was right, Angela thought, people might look down on them, but that didn't scare her.
"I don't have to defend him. If people can't see what a wonderful man he is, I can't help them." She said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders.
"You can't look through rose-colored glasses for the rest of your life, Angela!" Isabelle told her matter-of-factly.
"I'm not a foolish teenager anymore, Isabelle! I'm not jumping head over heels into a tawdry romance. I've given this relationship so much thought it almost drove me insane. I was ready to love Tony years ago. The way he kept on stepping on the brakes because he felt he wasn't good enough for me made me doubt it would ever happen. I don't need Tony for money or status, I'm an independent woman." She was very pleased with herself to be able to claim this. She hadn't felt very independent right after her divorce. "But I do need him for so many, far more important things. I need him as a surrogate father for Jonathan, first of all. I need him to help me raising him ... and Mother!" They all chuckled thinking of Angela's extraordinary, non-conformist and sometimes even a bit childish mother. "I need him to celebrate with me when I won a new client, and more than that to cheer me up when I lost one. I need him as my soul mate - I can talk to him about everything knowing he would never betray my trust. I need him to make a home out of my house. I need him to teach me to relax and embrace life. I just need to have him in my corner. He makes me feel cherished and loved like never before in my entire life ... Does that sound so odd?"
For some time Angela's question was hanging in the air, unanswered. Her two friends were in awe about this powerful confession. They had never heard Angela talk about a man like this, not even about Michael during their best times.
"No, Angela." Isabelle swallowed hard and looked at Wendy. "Actually, that sounds wonderful! I'm sorry, I guess our view of you and Tony was a bit superficial. Don't think badly of us, we just wanted to prevent you from getting hurt but obviously our concerns were unreasonable. We have always liked Tony, you know that, don't you? But I guess we had no clue your connection to each other was so profound. It seems as if you have looked for and found each other and both of you deserve a happy second marriage after your sad first ones. I'm very happy for you, my dear." She hugged her with deep compassion and was relieved Angela was smiling at her. She obviously wasn't resentful.
"Me too, Angela," Wendy got back from the just listening position, "and I always wanted to have a little Hollywood in my life. And with you and Tony marrying we have 'Pretty Woman' right in front of our noses - only the other way round." Angela shook her head and rolled her eyes about this comparison but had to laugh. She hugged both her friends and felt flattered they cared so much about her. "Another margarita?" she asked them. "On me?"
"No, this calls for the best champagne and it will be on us." Isabelle replied. Wendy choked on some tacos but eventually nodded approvingly. When the glasses were filled, they clinked and Isabelle called a toast. "To you and Tony and happily ever after."
"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."
"Uh, Angela?" There was one thing Wendy still wanted to know.
"What?"
"Is it true what people say about Italian men?" She bit her lower lip and looked to the floor.
"What do you mean, Wendy?" Angela asked suspiciously, eyebrows raised.
"Well, they're supposed to be ... uh ... I heard ... uhm ... great lovers." She stared at Angela questioningly, desperate for an answer.
Angela smiled sweetly, which solely could have been an answer, but was eager to incite her friend's fantasy to punish her a bit for her indiscrete curiosity. "Not that I have a huge treasure chest full of experience but ..."
"But?" Wendy was almost fainting out of suspense.
"I never had a better one!" was all Angela said mischievously and left the rest to her imagination.
THE BUDDIES
On their way to the pool table Philly pulled Tony a bit to the side and murmured, "Hey, Tone, how is ... uh ... I mean ... you and her ... let me put it this way: are you two in for a horizontal mambo contest?"
Tony couldn't believe his ears. "What gives you the idea I would tell you? That's absolutely none of your business!"
"Oh, come on, Pal. Let me believe you're still a wild man!" Philly begged, needing a proof of masculinity from his former idol.
"A gentleman never tells! And I - most definitely - am a gentleman!" Tony smiled and that also could have been an answer by itself.
