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9. Iris

Angela felt incredibly silly sitting alone in the darkness of her car, trying to ignore the fact that Tony was a few feet away, and sitting alone in the darkness of his car. She wondered briefly about his reasons coming up to Inspiration Point tonight, but wondered more about whatever impulse convinced her that following him was a good idea. Finally, she released her seatbelt and pulled on the door handle, deciding that she should face this head on. She knocked timidly on his passenger window, watching as a smug smile appeared on his face. The grin was still there as he leaned over and unlocked the door. She treated him with a glare as she crawled into the jeep, not really mad but a little embarrassed by her actions. "Funny meeting you here," he teased as she settled into the seat beside him.

"Yeah, funny." She agreed vaguely, trying not to let anything slip.

"You know," he continued, "it's the strangest thing, but I could have sworn I saw you everywhere I went tonight."

She gritted her teeth; thankful the darkness hid the blush creeping across her cheeks. "Really? Maybe you should see someone about this little problem of yours."

He ignored her. "I was grabbing a bite at the diner and the whole time I felt as if someone were watching me. But every time I looked, it was like I was just missing whoever it was. Once though, I could have sworn I saw the flash of blonde curls ducking behind the window."

"Maybe it was just the flash of headlights?"

"Oh, and I was shooting some pool at the bar and the waitress came over and told me some lady across the room was checking me out. Said she was tall and classy and definitely out of place. Of course, by the time I looked, she was gone."

"Oh my, you attract all types don't you?"

"Then on my way out here, I stopped to help some woman change a tire and this late-model Jag flew by me. I could've sworn it looked just like the one sitting right over there." He nodded his head towards her car. Folding his hands neatly in his lap, he sat and waited expectantly.

Time to 'fess up. "Tony, I'm...." She closed her eyes, trying to build her courage. "I followed you tonight. I shouldn't have. It's just that... I wanted to talk to you and Mother suggested that I... I'm sorry." Would the earth just please hurry up, swallow her up, and end this misery? Slowly opening her eyes to take a peak at him, she noticed that he didn't look angry, just amused. "You're not mad at me?"

He chuckled slightly at this and shook his head. "Angela, if you wanted to talk to me, why didn't you just, I dunno, talk to me?"

"After the fight we had the other night, I wasn't sure if you would want to."

With all seriousness, he replied, "You're my friend. I always want to talk to you. Even when I don't want to talk to you, I want to talk to you. You know?"

She smiled at his confused words, understanding him perfectly. "I know." They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. "I broke up with Barry."

"I know."

With surprise, she asked, "You know? How?"

He shrugged and answered; "Barry came by to pick up his jacket yesterday. He told me."

Angela let this news digest in her stomach for a moment before speaking again. "I threw out the flowers."

"I noticed." Silence again.

"And I broke the vase."

"Oh?"

"Tony, I'm so, so sorry. It was the vase you gave me for Christmas. It was an accident, I swear, but it's ruined. I'll replace it as soon as I get a chance."

"Angela, sometimes I think that there's no use in trying to replace something once it's broken or lost, because no matter how hard you try, it's never the same."

She felt a hollowness open up inside her – one that could swallow her up if she let it. "Do you think that's true for all things?"

"Like what?"

"Like friendship. Like love. Do you think the once they're broken, they can't be fixed?"

"Oh hey, I was talking about replacing, not fixing. They're two different things. Replace something and the emotion behind it is gone. Repair it and the emotion goes on. It might not be perfect anymore or sparkling new, but the value inside still stays the same."

"Tony, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For pushing you away these past few months."

"Eh oh. You were giving your relationship with Barry a shot. The last thing you needed was some hairy Italian sticking his broken nose in where it didn't belong."

"But it did." The statement hung in the air.

Finally, Tony asked, "Huh?"

"Tony, you were my best friend, you're one of the most important people in my life. Of course you had a right to be involved."

One word stuck out in his mind. "Were? You mean I'm not your friend anymore?"

"Were. Are. Still. Maybe?" she looked at him hopefully.

He placed his hand on hers and squeezed it gently, looking intently into her eyes. "Always."

She felt the pull of her body towards him but was still surprised when her lips met his, gently moving against them. The moment was surreal. She knew she was kissing him, and she knew she didn't want him to stop kissing her back, but it all seemed as if it were happening in a place and time outside of reality. As her hands made their way around his neck to press him closer, she suddenly knew that this was real and it was something she wanted badly. She knew that she belonged right there in his arms and would be completely happy if he never let her go. The kiss seemed to go on forever, but at last they parted and leaned back to look into each other's eyes. It was Angela who spoke first. "It all comes down to a principle a friend told me about. They teach it to new engineers on their first day of classes to. I don't know. Remind them of the big picture."

"Huh?"

"It's called the KISS principle. A friend of mine in college took engineering and she told me about it. She used to amaze me. I mean, I thought I was brave, blazing a path in the world of advertising, but there she was – one of three girls in a class of seventy. Now that's a trail blazer."

"Angela." Tony interrupted, still feeling the burning of her lips upon his own, "What are you talking about?"

"What? Oh sorry, I got sidetracked. The KISS principle."

Now he really looked confused. "They teach engineers about kissing?"

She laughed lightly and shook her head. "Oh no. Not kissing. The KISS principle – it's an acronym." He looked at her expectantly. "Keep it simple stupid."

"Huh?" The whole discussion seemed too much to focus on after being that close to her.

"K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid. It's a way of reminding them that sometimes the easiest solution possible is best. Not to overcomplicate things."

He chuckled back at her, finally understanding what she was trying to say. "And here I was picturing the nerdy engineers getting make-out tips from their professors."

"Hey, engineers can be wild if they want to be." Tony lifted his eyebrows in doubt. Her eyes twinkled as she added, "Ever hear of the Lady Godiva Ride?" She couldn't repress her giggles as a shocked look appeared on his face. But the laughter was contagious and eventually he joined her.

"So, you think it's as simple as a KISS?" he asked.

"I think maybe we overcomplicate things. That maybe by KISSING we could make things better."

"But maybe there's more to it than a kiss?" he suggested.

"And maybe a kiss is enough." She amended, staring straight into his eyes.

"Angela." He began.

"Yeah Tony?"

"There's something I want to tell you."

Before he could finish the thought, she interrupted him. "I found the card."

He hesitated. "What card?"

She looked away, hoping she wasn't messing everything up by asking him about this. "When I was cleaning up the broken vase. And the flowers. I found this card." Reaching into her coat pocket, she took out a crumpled and now softly worn card. It was his turn to look away. That tiny bit of paper still haunted him all these months later. Tilting her head and trying to catch his eye, she asked, "Is this... Does this... Were those flowers for me?"

He glanced at her briefly and nodded.

"I don't understand. Why didn't you give them to me? Why did you let them sit there and wither and die and not let me know, not let me read this beautiful card?"

"Because Angela," he breathed heavily, "because I couldn't. Besides, it wouldn't have mattered."

"You don't know that."

Momentarily letting his guard down, he released a bitter laugh. "You were seeing Barry. Who was I to make any declarations? I'm just the housekeeper remember? Nothing I said or did would've made any difference except to maybe really mess things up."

The tears were back in her eyes again. "Oh Tony, I'm so sorry."

"For what? You keep apologizing to me but you didn't know that I was feeling what I was feeling. I certainly wasn't going to tell you."

She bit her lip lightly, allowing herself to admit aloud something she had been forcing herself to ignore for a long time. "Maybe you didn't tell me, but maybe I sort of knew, and maybe I sort of felt the same way." She exhaled a shaky breath and felt a tear slide over the curve of her cheek. Softly, as if to herself, she said, "Barry was right. It has everything to do with you." Looking up into his wide-eyed gaze, she felt a sudden warmth fill her chest. "I couldn't love him because I already had you."

"You've always had me. I meant it though." His smile matched hers.

"You meant what?" She was distracted by how the hot breeze of his breath made her skin tingle.

"The card. I love you. With Love. I mean it." Why did words always fail him in the most important moments?

"I meant it too."

"What? The card? You didn't..."

Interrupting, she corrected him, "No, this." Suddenly her lips were upon his, capturing him in a heated embrace. As she trailed kisses over his jaw line, she whispered, "I love you too."