"The Course of True Love
Never Did Run Smooth"
Disclaimer: I don't own Who's the Boss
I know objectively, Tony was meant to consider Frankie's proposal in order panic Angela to admit to herself that she was in love with him. But in universe, it does seem odd that Tony, in which love is so important to his character, would consider it. What happened to "you don't think these things, you feel them!" ?
Tony had been looking forward to the street fair. It was a perfect occasion to spend the day with his family and his Brooklyn friends. So, what if Angela almost burned all of Mrs. Rossini's fish cobs? At least she tried, and spending time with Angela was always worth it.
And then Tony came face to face with the one woman who had never dated him in Brooklyn as a teen. Francesca Candino, or Frankie as she preferred to be called. She looked great, with long soft brown hair, excellent body and a confident air. It turned out she'd put herself through law school and her firm represented the Mets!
But what was even better was that Frankie was flirting with Tony and wanted to spend the entire street fair with him. Tony Miceli, the man she'd turned down a date to the school dance and even hanin' out after a ball game. It was so exciting to see her stare at him with fascination as they talked about old times and pull him closer as they danced.
Frankie was even impressed when he told her he was working as a housekeeper. "It takes a man very secure in his masculinity to do a job like that," she said.
"Really?" Tony said, loving this flattery, especially from her. Her lips looked especially inviting at that point.
He was even more pleased that Frankie had won his offer to clean her place for the weekend. And for a thousand dollars? Was he truly worth that much to her? His mind flashed back to Frankie sayin' she'd couldn't go to the dance with him, making Tony feel a bit smaller.
OOOOOOOOOOO
Now he stood tall as she showed him her apartment. Much more than simple apartment. It was a fancy penthouse on the east side. "And this is all yours?" Tony asked, his eyes studying the huge living room, spacious patio in the background, and even a dining room. And, wow, a gourmet kitchen!
Frankie grinned. "Being a successful lawyer pays off, Tony. Are you certain you can handle cleaning all of this? I can't even remember the last time I washed my floors."
A challenge. Tony Miceli never turned down a challenge. He puffed his chest and flexed his arms. "Ay – oh. Oh – ay! You just watch. I'm a cleanin' machine!"
Frankie laughed, while staring at his chest, and Tony grinned back. All women found him irresistible, including those that refused him back in high school.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
"Gee, this veal parmesan is almost better than Mama's," Frankie sighed taking another bite, while still staring at him in a way that showed she found him irresistible.
Smirking, Tony said, "You can take the boy out of Brooklyn, but not the Brooklyn out of the boy." Nothing said their old neighborhood like veal. Just the taste of it took him back to Pop's apartment.
Frankie nodded, her brown eyes growing bigger with delight. "I know what you mean. Even though I live here and am proud of my success, being back in the old neighborhood today was like coming home." She took another bite of the veal.
Tony grinned, swallowing his own veal. Actually, it was better than Pop's apartment, because Frankie was interested in him now.
OOOOOOOOOOO
After the veal parmesan, they chatted about the Mets while Tony washed the pots and pans. "I never thought there could be a better man than Daryl Strawberry, but now we've got Gary Carter," Frankie said as he dried the veal pan. She bumped his shoulder.
He moved closer to her. "What about Tony Miceli?"
"He's even better," Frankie said, leaning in for a kiss.
OOOOOOOOOO
A couple more kisses, jokes about the Mets, and a few saucepans later, Tony finished the dishes. He was about to start washing the kitchen floor when the phone rang. Frankie sighed but left the room. "I should get that. It might be the office."
Tony smiled as he gave the kitchen a quick sweep. In that moment, she reminded him of so much of Angela, who could also never stop wondering if a client might call late a night, as much as he tried to tell her to relax when she was at home.
"… Is this really necessary?" Frankie's said, her voice raised in frustration in response to the caller. "… I see…Tony, it's Angela. She wants to know where you put the laundry detergent."
Immediately dropping the broom, Tony picked up the phone. "Hi, Angela."
"Hi, Tony, I'm sorry to bother you," said the voice that made his heart leap. "But I've looked everywhere for the dishwashing detergent."
An image of her soft brown eyes scanning the kitchen for the detergent appeared in his mind and he briefly wished he were standing right next to her. "Nothin' is ever a bother for you. Look behind the bleach on the shelf behind the machine."
There was a pause. "Oh. I found it," Angela said, her voice coated with relief. "Thank you, Tony."
"Anytime, boss." He smiled as he put down the receiver, but Frankie shook her head.
"I don't see why she had to pester you tonight. Couldn't she spend a couple of extra moments looking for the dishwasher detergent?" Her face, which had a delighted smile on it all night, now had an ugly scowl and Tony didn't like it.
"Ay – oh, oh – ay. Angela's not used to doin' her own dishes, and it was no trouble for me to tell her where it was." Tony had always found her struggle with the domestic cute. In the corporate world, Angela was a powerhouse who knew exactly what she wanted, but in her own home, she relied on Tony. "Now, how 'bout I start washing your floors?"
Frankie's scowl turned back into a grin.
He washed the kitchen floor, wiggling a bit because he knew she was watching him, and Tony loved it when women studied his body. Especially a woman who didn't want to hang out with him after his baseball game back in Brooklyn.
OOOOOOOOOOO
After the floors, Tony moved onto cleaning Frankie's large bedroom, with its king-sized bed, wall to wall carpeting, and plenty of mirrors. Her eyes still focused on him as Tony vacuumed and kissed him as he shined the mirrors and fluffed her pillows. After that, it seemed inevitable that they tumbled into bed. And of course, Frankie thought he was even more fantastic there, just as all women did.
She now knew what she could have known as a teen. There was no beating Tony Miceli.
OOOOOOOOO
Waking up to warm, soft kisses was a luxury Tony had almost forgotten, and he responded immediately, knowing she wanted him again.
"Tony, I think we should get married," Frankie moaned as he sucked on her ear.
"Uh huh," he said, moving his lips and his hands lower.
Her deep brown eyes gazed into his. "I'm serious, Tony. I think this is the start of something really great." Her own hands moved lower, but he rolled away from her, shocked.
"Madonna mia, Frankie!" Last night had been amazing. It had been a while since he'd had sex, and it being with a woman who'd rejected him as a teen made it wonderful. But marriage sounded so bizarre, especially as he was in love with someone else.
But Frankie grinned. "I know this is sudden, but we clearly have a connection." She kissed him again, showing just how great it was between them. "And I have plenty of room for you and Samantha in this place; you know she'd love living in a penthouse."
And it was great. "But shouldn' gettin' married be about love?" He stared deep into her brown eyes, wondering how such a great woman could not care about that.
"But with such a great connection between us," her hands stroked his bare chest, playing with his nipples, and Tony struggled to focus on the conversation. "isn't love inevitable?"
Sighing, he gently pulled her hands away, vaguely wondering if he was crazy. "I don't think it's that easy."
But Frankie refused to be pushed away. She kissed him again, warmly on the mouth. "Look, I know you're still in love with Marie, and I respect that. But do you really want to spend the rest of your life alone? No one to enjoy mornings in bed?" Her lips twirled around his nipples, showing what he could be doing with her every morning in bed. "And I love you."
OOOOOOOOOO
Frankie's offer was tempting, Tony had to admit. It was easy to see why she was a lawyer; she knew how argue what she wanted. He'd never thought he'd consider marryin' a woman he didn't love, but nothin' was ever going to happen with the woman he did love.
Angela may value his friendship, but she was never gonna to marry her housekeeper. The sound of Fred and Ginger's laughter at the very idea still caused Tony almost as much pain as the time he'd smashed his shoulder. He told himself that what they had was enough, but was it really?
Having sex last night and this morning sure felt good. If they married, they could do it every day, while with Angela Tony had to settle for smiles, laughter, little touches, and if he were very lucky, perhaps a dance. They meant the world to him, but they suddenly seemed small compared to what Frankie offered. Frankie was a successful woman, too, but she'd grown up in Brooklyn, so marrin' a housekeeper clearly made sense to her.
And what if he did learn to love Frankie? She claimed to love him already…
"I'll think about it," he said to her, after he finally left her sparkling clean penthouse.
Frankie grinned and kissed him, once again showing what she had to offer. "I know you'll see it my way soon enough."
OOOOOOOOO
Tony was still thinking about what Frankie had to offer the next morning, while he scrambled eggs and brewed coffee. But returning home made him feel surrounded by Angela. It was her furniture, her china, and her tiles. It wasn't a gourmet kitchen like Frankie's, but it was warm and inviting. He'd made countless meals for their family in here, chatted as he did the dishes, and sipped tea together in the middle of the night.
Could Tony give that up for a life with Frankie, even if she did love him?
Jonathan bounced into the kitchen while Sam grumbled that Elvis, a boy she'd met at the street fair, was such a jerk. "He promised me he'd call!" Tony scooped the scrambled eggs onto their plates, hoping Sam didn't see the smirk on his face that she wouldn't be dating Elvis, especially as he was Tiny's son.
"He really is a jerk for not calling, Sam," said Angela's voice as Sam kept grumbling. "Don't waste your energy on him, honey." Her soft brown eyes were directed right at Sam, and he could hear the how much Angela cared about his daughter in her voice.
Sam sighed as she took a bite of her eggs. "Yeah, I guess." Samantha may enjoy living in Frankie's penthouse, but how would she live without Angela's care and support? Memories of Angela helping Sam buy her first bra and crying about what a great friend Angela was when Ray Charles sang his song flashed through Tony's mind, and his heart swelled.
Would Sam ever have such a deep bond with Frankie? And yet, Frankie's touches on his chest this morning sure felt good…
"You heated the dinner I made for you without any trouble last night?" asked Tony as he poured Angela's coffee.
"Oh, of course, Tony," Angela said. For some reason, she wouldn't look at him, but her voice was just as sweet as ever. "It was all pre – made, so I managed to use the oven without burning anything for once." She chuckled a bit, nothing like Frankie's deep, throaty laugh, but still beautiful. He couldn't help but chuckle along with her.
Tony wondered what Angela would do if he married Frankie. She needed him to cook and clean and do her laundry, and Tony loved taking care of her that way. Frankie may have enjoyed his cleaning, his company, and of course, his bedroom skills, but she didn't need him. Growing up in Brooklyn, she'd learned how do all those things herself.
OOOOOOOOOO
Tony had just finished washing Angela's kitchen floor, wondering if she even knew how to use a mop, when the doorbell rang. It was Frankie.
Staring at her, he said, "It's the middle of the day. Shouldn't you be badgering someone in court?" Part of his attraction to her was that she was a successful career woman. Hadn't he already decided he wanted a woman who did more than hover over him?
Frankie grinned and walked into Angela's house as if she owned the place herself. "No, that's tomorrow. Today I want to badger my favorite media. With that, she kissed him, reminding Tony why saying "yes" was so tempting.
"Everything is happening so fast," he said as they withdrew. "I feel swept away. A fella needs time."
Frankie's big brown eyes turned seductive. "Mr. Miceli, have we, or have we not always been very attracted to each other?"
"Am I under oath?" said Tony. Frankie nodded. "Then I'm guilty as charged."
"Gentlemen of the jury, I ask you, what could be more wonderful than this man and his beautiful daughter sharing a life with yours truly? In a now very clean east side penthouse?" Frankie said, still just as seductive and confident.
"It's clean, yes," Tony said, unable to say anything else. Once again, he saw why she was such a successful lawyer.
"Imagine your days filled with happiness and your nights filled with," she paused and gave him another big kiss that reminded Tony of how great things were between them in the bedroom.
"I don't think the jury needs to know all the details," he said, more uncomfortable than he should be with a woman he'd spent the night.
"There are other details, too, Tony," Frankie said with a softer smile. "We come from the very same place."
"Yeah, that's right," he said, remembering how easy it was to talk to someone who knew Brooklyn. "So why don't we keep datin' and we'll see what happens?" That sounded nice. Then he could have Angela and Frankie in his life.
Frankie sighed. "Tell me, Tony. What are you expecting to happen? What is it? Is it Angela?"
Her question hit far too close to home. Especially in Angela's own house. But Tony couldn't let Frankie feel sorry for him, loving a woman he could never have. "Angela? What does she have to do with this?"
Frankie moved closer to him, and he felt her heat. "Well, isn't it true we were having a terrific weekend until she called to see where you keep the dishwashing detergent?"
Tony shrugged, unable to see the problem. "When you have to do a wash, you can't wait."
"Neither can I," Frankie said forcefully, patting his hand warmly in a way that made a part of him wish for more. "One of these days, your going to figure out what's best for you. When you do, give me a call." She kissed him one last time, as if that alone would change Tony's mind. "If I'm still available."
With that, she left. And despite some lingering disappointment that he couldn't have more kisses, Tony felt free. How could he have considered marryin' a woman he didn't love?
OOOOOOOOOOO
Tony attempted to resume cleaning again when the woman he did love arrived. "What is this, a national holiday?" Why were all the career women suddenly taking the day off?
Angela smiled as she walked into the living room, somehow appearing less confident than when Frankie did the same thing. "No, I gave Mother the afternoon off, and I decided to play hooky."
There was something seriously wrong with Angela, and Tony's heartbeat increased, desperate to fix whatever was the problem. "You? Hooky?" He touched her forehead, but it felt normal. "Are you feeling all right?"
Angela glanced around the house. "Are the kids home from school yet?"
"No," he said. She still acted so much more nervous in their own home than Frankie had, and Tony hated to see her like this.
"It's nice to have privacy if we ever wanted to talk privately," Angela said, her eyes still jumpy.
"I've got something private I'd like to say to you, and if you don't mind, I'd like to go first," he said. He hoped the news that he was staying here would make her less jumpy.
Angela shook her head. "No, I have something I have to say to you, and I just feel I have to say it. Tony, I – Wait a minute. Did you say wanted to go first?"
Well, he did, but it if it would make her feel better, Tony thought she should go first, and said as much. But they spent the next couple of moments arguing over who should go first.
Finally, Angela said "Tony I – "
And Sam rushed in before she could finish, bouncing with excitement. "I have the best news! Elvis's stepsister got food poisoning. Isn't that great? That's why Elvis didn't call! I'm going to sew teddy's head back on." She ran upstairs.
"The course of true romance never did run smooth," Tony said, happy for Sam, but still wishing she had less romance.
Angela shook her head. "Love."
"What?"
"'The course of true love never did run smooth.' It's Shakespeare. A Midsummer Night's Dream." Angela sounded more confident now than she did a few moments ago, and Tony's heart melted at that.
"I saw Frankie today," he said, hoping this news would make her even happier.
"Are you going to…" said Angela, her nervousness coming back. She couldn't even finish what she wanted to say.
Luckily, Tony knew exactly what she was asking. "Oh, no."
"Why no? She's Italian beauty," Angela said. "She's a Harvard graduate. She drinks beer from a bottle."
"But I don't love her," Tony said, unable to stop himself from gazing into her deep brown eyes. "And love is important."
"It is," Angela said, for some reason gazing into his eyes the same way. "It is."
"I told you mine. Now you tell me yours," Tony said more causally.
Angela shrugged. "It was just something about how I didn't want to lose you."
"That's good because I didn't want to be lost." Tony said, sure that in this house, with her and their family was exactly where he should be. "Hey, ah, we should have these private talks more often."
Angela nodded. "Maybe we will."
He picked up the laundry basket, remembering he still had work to do, when he paused. "Are you sure it's love?" Romance made more sense to him…
Angela smiled softly as she looked at him, and Tony returned it. Madonna mia she was beautiful. He wondered how he'd ever thought sex and a life with Frankie was worth leaving the woman he did love.
"Positive," she said.