Disclaimer: Again, not mine...
10. Single Pink Rose in Full Bloom
Angela couldn't stop the goofy smile from appearing on her face as she entered the front door and saw Tony standing inside. A perfect end to the week, she thought, only barely registering the familiarity of the scene. She quickly shrugged off her coat and threw down her briefcase before making her way towards him.
"Hi honey, I'm home!" she teased as she wrapped her arms around him, leaning in for a short kiss.
"Some of my most favorite words in the English language!" he teased back, bringing his lips to hers again. "Good day?" he whispered into her ear.
Angela felt his muscles tense slightly beneath her hands and moved to get a better look at him. She suddenly wondered why he was so dressed up and why his eyes seemed so big, dark, and serious. "I had a wonderful day - but Tony, are you okay? You seem...not yourself."
He thrust a beautiful, if slightly unusual, bouquet of flowers between them and announced, "These are for you."
She blinked, and then looked down at the flowers, letting a smile replace the confusion on her face. "They're lovely, really." She closed her eyes and breathed in their heady scent. Her hand rose and rested on his as she asked, "Tony are you sure you're all right?"
He nodded unconvincingly and swallowed nervously. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Better than I've been in months really."
She stared at him, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, she prompted, "But...."
"But? Oh no, Angela, no buts. However..."
She stood very still, hoping he wasn't going to tell her that they had made a mistake. That last night he hadn't been thinking clearly and maybe they should just go back to being friends.
He grasped her hands tighter, noticing her smile fade and her body tense. "No, I'm not telling you that I regret telling you that I love you. I don't. I still do." He shook his head, knowing he was making a mess of things. "It's just that there's been something I've been meaning to ask you for a long time, and I thought it was about time. Only, I've tried once before and it didn't work out as I hoped."
Angela smiled slightly and fingered the pale pink rose sitting in the center of the bouquet. Looking up at him she asked, "What is it Tony?"
"I was wondering if you'd be my date for tonight, for every night?" He stopped suddenly; realizing it sounded like he was either propositioning her or talking marriage. "I mean. Not that...or that. Not that I don't want to, but not. What I was trying to say was..."
She struggled to suppress a giggle as she watched him falling over himself for the right words. Did she really have that affect on him? "It's okay Tony, I understand."
A wave of relief washed over him and he visibly relaxed. She leaned forward and kissed him gently. Instinctively he held her closer and deepened the kiss. Pulling away with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, she casually announced, "Oh, and by the way Tony, yes."
"To what?" he called after her as she mounted the stairs.
She paused at the landing and replied in a light voice, "To this and that, and everything else."
They gazed at each other for a heartbeat before Tony cleared his throat and announced, "The kids are staying with friends tonight."
"I know."
"Mona's got a date." He offered.
"I know that too."
He smiled at her and she smiled back. "So what exactly is 'everything else'?"
In a seductive voice she replied, "You'll just have to find out for yourself." Tony turned and set the flowers in a nearby vase of water, before racing up the stairs towards her. Angela released a peal of laughter as he caught up to her and prevented her escape. She grabbed his hand and they stumbled up the stairs together, knowing that eventually the flowers would wither and fade, but their feelings for each other would only grow stronger with time.