Summer loving

Saturday morning

"I can't believe it is this hot!" Angela complained "And they say it will be this hot for at least a week, maybe longer. I honestly can't remember the last time it was this hot in Connecticut!"

"Yes, dear that is true." Mona replied "That's why I need this next week off."

Angela gave her mother a quizzical look.

"Alexander is taking me out on his boat." Mona smiled.

"Mother! A week? There is so much work to be done at the agency. We have that big campaign coming up!" Angela was annoyed with her mother. A last minute request always annoyed her so much. Well it wasn't so much a request as it was a statement. "Mother you can't do that!"

"Too late. I already told Alexander you agreed to it. He was very happy and assured me that the next detergent campaign was yours."

"Detergent campaign? Also mine? Mother what are you talking about." Angela thought for a second. "Which Alexander are you talking about?"

"Alexander McAllistair." Mona's smile turned into a wide grin.

"Alexander McAllistair? THE Alexander McAllistair? Of Softwash detergent?" Mona's already wide grin widened more at the look of her daughther's face. "Mother no?"

"Angela, yes." Mona smiled "Maybe you should also take the week off. You work so hard and never take a break."

"Why mother? I have this big campaign coming. Jonathan is leaving for LA for 6 weeks tomorrow. Sam is leaving with Bonnie to visit Marci. And Tony is heading to Brooklyn for 2 weeks. Why would I stay home alone."

"Is that why Tony is working out in this heat? To get more ripped for those Brooklyn beauties?" Mona chuckled.

Angela felt her chest clenching. "Maybe, honestly I don't know. Don't know how anyone can work out in this darn heat." Angela fanned herself with the file she was holding.

The doorbell rang, Angela moaned getting up and slowly made her way to the door and opened it.

"Hey Wendy." Angela smiled at the sight of her friend. "How are you?"

"Stressed! I am feeling quite stressed. How are things here?" Wendy asked trying to see passed her friend.

Angela leaned so that she was looking straight at Wendy. "Tony's in the garage working out." She smiled.

"Too bad, was hoping he'd be out here. Bending or something. He has such a nice tush." She said dreaming away.

"Really?" Angela faked surprise. "I hadn't noticed."

"HA!" Mona laughed. "Liar! You must be blind or dead not to have noticed. Well on second thought, there is a reason why your love life is dead." She laughed as she walks off to the side door.

"Your mother is something Angela!" Wendy laughed.

Angela rolled her eyes. "Come on in, Wendy." As she lets her pass. Angela points at the couch for her friend to take a seat. "Can I get you anything?"

"No I'm fine." Wendy fidgets in her seat.

"Is there something I can do for you Wendy? You seem quite anxious." Angela was amused by her friend's behaviour, because she know Wendy is hoping Tony will enter soon.

"Well Herb has a dental convention in San Francisco this coming week and well.. we thought we'd make a family trip out of it, we will be gone for a total of 2 weeks. And well." Wendy shifted again. "Maybe you could keep an eye on the house and maybe water our plants." Wendy had never asked Angela to do this, so her request came as a surprise. "I know you're very busy…" Wendy continued.

"I'd love to Wendy." Angela smiled as she interrupts Wendy. "The kids are gone, so are Tony and my mother. It'll just be me. So I am sure I can make time."

"Oh.. Really Angela? It's not a problem?" Wendy seemed surprised.

"It definitely isn't. I'm happy to help. That's what friends are for."

"That's just fantastic Angela! I was almost afraid you wouldn't be able to because of you owning your own agency. I know how busy you can get. And please, feel free to use our pool during the weeks. I know the weather predictions for the coming week." Wendy smiled.

"Oh of course, I forgot Herb and you had that pool installed last year." Angela smiled at the thought of taking a dive in the pool after a long day of work.

"It will be especially nice with this upcoming heat. So please feel free. The pool man will check the pool next Friday. I told him you have the keys to everything, if he needed anything."

Angela arched her eyebrow at her friend and then cocked her head. "I thought you didn't even know I'd be able to housesit?"

Wendy turned red as she got caught in her lie. "Well.. uhm.. you see.."

Angela laughed "Never mind Wendy. But I will take you up on your offer concerning the pool."

"Great! Here are the keys. Every key is labelled, you know how Herb is." Wendy handed Angela a bunch of labelled keys. "We'll bring you something back from San Francisco. Thanks again Angela." Wendy was about to leave when Tony entered the living room.

"Hi Mrs. Wittner." Tony smiled at her.

Wendy turned around and softly gasped at the sweaty Italian in his singlet. "Oh my! Hello Tony." Wendy nearly drooled at the sight of him.

Tony made his way up the stairs. "I will be right down Angela."

"Okay." She smiled.

"So him and you.. never.. not even.." she whispered at Angela, but Tony could definitely overhear them.

"No never!" Angela whispered back. "Tony is my best friend and I am his. We help raise each other's kids. There is love, respect and friendship. Nothing more."

"That's more than most married couples!" Wendy smirked.

"Wendy!" Angela's voice warned her friend.

"Well it's true .. and to be fair, you two would make a very attractive couple together." She wasn't whispering anymore as she thought Tony couldn't hear them anymore. Not knowing he was standing at the top of the stairs listening in on their conversation.

"I will check in on you in a couple of days, okay?"

"That's fine Wendy. Please give me your contact details in case I need you for anything."

"Oh yeah.. smart thinking. I will drop it off later tonight." Wendy smiled. "Thanks again Angela."

"Don't mention it."

Quick goodbyes were said and Angela closed the door.

A couple of minutes later a fresh, clean Tony came downstairs, neatly dressed.

"What was that about?" Tony asked "You know with Mrs. Wittner?"

"Oh you know Wendy.." Angela quickly exits to the kitchen.

"Well no, I actually don't, please enlighten me." He smirked, knowing damn well what was said.

Angela pretended to busy herself. At first clearing the table and then starting a fresh pot of coffee. She threw out the old coffee.

"Angela?" Tony stood close behind her. She could feel him.
He felt her back stiffen as he spoke closely to her ear. "I made that coffee just before my workout."

"Oh." She stepped aside. "I'm sorry I assumed it was old coffee." She had a hard time focussing. Wendy's words danced in her mind ~You tow would make a very attractive couple.~ then he stood this close to her. She knew she felt physically and mentally attracted to him, but also remembered the conversation they had. 'That things were good between them the way they are.' Still, secretly she fantasized how amazing things would be between them the way they weren't.

"Yo Angela!" Tony's voice brought her back to the kitchen.

She felt the colour rising in her cheeks. "Oh sorry." She blushed.

~She looks so cute blushing.~ he thought. "You were miles away." Was what he eventually said.

"Yes, well, I was thinking about my conversation with Wendy." She lied, but he'd never know, she was a good liar. That was also what made her brilliant in the advertisement industry, her ability to sell Americans overprized products they didn't need. "Herb, Wendy and the kids are travelling to the Westcoast. Herb has a dental convention in San Francisco. So they're all going and adding a week of vacation down there."

"So?" Tony's interest van piqued.

"Wendy asked me if I can keep an eye on their house while they're gone." Angela gave him a smile. "And I said I would."

"Oh?" Now Tony was actually surprised. "And what about your work?"

"Well as everyone will be gone as of tomorrow and the temperature is only rising. I might work from home instead of the office and only go into the office when needed. And besides it's the summer and business is always slower as everyone is taking their summer breaks."

"Yeah and Mona will be doing all of the business with that McAllistair guy!" Tony laughed.

"Are you all set for your trip to Brooklyn tomorrow?" Angela quickly changed the subject.

"Yeah, Sam and I are ready. How about Jonathan?"

At that moment the kitchen door swung open.

"Done packing!" Jonathan smiled proudly.

"Good." Angela smiled back.

"Mom? Do I have to go that long?" Even though Jonathan is a teen, he whined.

"Sweetheart, your dad hasn't seen you since last summer. And back then you only went for 2 weeks." Angela was loving yet stern.

"But mom.. 6 weeks! With dad and Heather? Smooching.. yuck!" he whined again.

Angela had a hard time containing her laugh.

"Ah but Jonathan.." Tony grinned. "You are forgetting one thing!"

"Which is what?" Jonathan gave him a curious look.

"All those Californian blonde beauties!" Tony gave him a big bright smile.

Jonathan's face lit up.

"Tony!" Angela's eyes grew as big as saucers. In her eyes Jonathan is and always will be her little boy.

"Yeah and 6 weeks, a girl a day.." Jonathan thought for a second. "Oh yeah 42 girls!"

"Jonathan!" Angela's mouth dropped. "Your father and Heather will also be there."

"I know but they'll only have eyes for each other. So maybe 42 is too much. But I have to start somewhere, don't I?"

"Did you also pack that aftershave I bought you last week?" Tony smiled.

"Oh I forgot, I'll quickly go pack it. Then I'm ready." Jonathan disappeared again.

Angela swallowed hard.

"You're gonna miss him, aren't you?"
Angela swallowed again, fighting back the tears she felt well. She cleared her throat. "This is the first time he'll be away this long."

"I know, I'll miss him too. And Sam, Mona.." he looked at her "And you too."

"I'll miss all of you too." Angela's voice was a mere whisper as she looks at her shoes.

"But at least you have 2 houses for yourself." Tony joked to lighten the mood.

Angela chuckled. "And a pool too."

"A pool?" Tony stared.

"Herb and Wendy had a pool installed last year, remember their barbecue?"

"Oh yeah I forgot." Tony smiled. Tony's mind wandered to Angela in a bathing suit, the fabric tightly hugging her body, her perfect body. He wondered about how she would look in a bikini. She hardly wore them, only once in Jamaica and he had hardly seen her then. He remembered trying to look down her towel when he heard she'd lost her top. He couldn't help but admire her body ever since he had seen her naked.

"Tony?" Angela's voice erased his train of thoughts.

"Uh What?"

"I asked if you had also already packed for your trip to Brooklyn?"

"Yeah, didn't I just tell you that Sam and I were set for tomorrow."

Angela could have smacked herself. "Oh yeah, I'm sorry. I guess Jonathan leaving for 6 fweeks has me more upset than I care to admit." Angela sounded sad.

"Oh Angela." His voice filled with both concern and love as he takes her into his arms and hugs her.

Angela puts her head on his shoulder as she takes in his smell. She puts her arms around his waist. He pulls her closer by her shoulders and takes a whiff of her hair. Both knowing how they felt about each other, both still not ready to give into those feelings.

Angela is reminded of her conversation with Sam. "Your father and I have this very complicated, open-ended, evolving relationship, that's kind of in flux. And we just don't know where it'll end up, understand?" she had asked. How could Sam understand if she didn't even understood it herself. Their relationship was complicated, but it was their relationship. Even though she'd love for it to be more than it was at this time. She knew Tony wasn't ready for it to be more. And she'd wait for him as long as needed or as long as she could. She couldn't wait forever, maybe one day.

Just like Angela's thoughts, Tony's were also thinking about them. How well she fit in his arms and their passionately shared kiss in Jamaica. She showed him, she was willing to wait for him, until he figured it all out. He couldn't believe it had been a year since that kiss. He absentmindedly pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"You'll be fine." He whispered in her ear.

His hot breath made the hairs in the back of her neck stand up in delight.

When they heard the kitchen door swing open, they reluctantly but instantly parted.

"Dad?" Samantha pretended not to have seen what she had just seen. "Have you seen my leather jacket?"

"Oh yeah. I put in in your suitcase." Tony replied.

"Oh." She simply stated.

"No good?" He asked.

"No, no I wanted to wear it tomorrow." She smiles at her father. "No worries. I'll take it out of my suitcase."

"Don't make a mess out of your clothes in the suitcase." He warned. "I just neatly repacked it."

"Yes dad!" Samantha chuckled, knowing exactly what her father is like.

"You're all ready for your trip Samantha?" Angela asks.

"Yes! I can't wait, to see Marci again. It'll be great. Us girls together again. And as I am going to college next year, this will be the perfect preparation of my independence." Sam gave Angela a happy grin. "Will you be okay with all of us gone?"

Angela caresses Sam's face. "I will miss you all greatly, but I'll be fine honey. You guys should just enjoy your trips. And maybe we can have a family barbecue when you all get back?"
"Maybe we can have 2, if the weather allows it. One when dad and I get back an one when Jonathan gets back?"

"That sounds lovely." Angela loved this young woman as if she gave birth to her herself.

Tony just watched their conversation go on with a smile on his face.

~The two most important women in my life.~ he thought to himself. His own thought caught him off guard as his mind continued repeating the sentence again and again. He quickly stands up.

"You okay dad?" Samantha asked.

"Yeah, yeah, just forgot that I didn't back my razor." As he walks towards the kitchen door.

"You know they do sell razors in Brooklyn, don't you dad? At least they used to!" Sam snickers as Angela laughs at Sam's observation.

Tony walks upstairs, his mind still thinking about the two most important women in his life. After Marie died, Sam had become the most important person in his life. But she was leaving for college soon. And she had expressed her feelings about living on campus.

When had Angela become the most important woman in his life? He couldn't remember. He had felt an immediate attraction to her from the day they met. But this was deeper, much deeper. He loved her, respected her and trusted her. He had once asked her to take care of Sam if something would happen to him during his appendectomy. He had trusted her with Sam. He still trusted her with Sam. She would make the right decision for her if needed, she loved Sam like her own and she knew he loved Jonathan like his own. They even had the official papers drawn up to support this. There was no one else either of them trusted enough with their children. He loved her more than life itself.

~I'd give my life for hers.~ he thought to himself.

He walked into the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face. He knew he broke things off with Kathleen for her. He splashed more cold water on his face. All of a sudden he is reminded of his conversation with his priest.

He'd asked about his relationship with Angela. Of course Tony told him he'd been a good Catholic. He remembered his own words as if it had been said yesterday. 'Like you see father, I do have feelings for her. You know enough that I get jealous if another guy makes a pass at her. That's what got me in this jam in the first place.' His father even said she was smart and he shouldn't let her get away, even though she is not Catholic. And still he dated Kathleen after that conversation.

Then why were they still doing this dance around each other? Because she was still waiting on him. He told her he still needed time to figure himself out. He knew he wanted her in his life, forever. And not just as a friend. He just wished he would one day feel worthy enough to be with her. He knows he is already worthy enough for her, then why didn't he feel worthy enough? He needed these 2 weeks in Brooklyn to get his head on straight. He needs to find a way to make them work for both himself and for her. Because he knew she wouldn't wait for him forever. As he had seen with Peter and Christopher. He had never been so afraid when she was head over heels with Christopher. He counted his blessing starts when it turned out he was a crook.

He grabbed his razor and put it in his luggage. Brooklyn will be the break he desperately needs.

Sunday morning rolled around. The living room was full of luggage. Tony had packed one small bag, Jonathan had one huge bag for his 6 weeks in LA and Sam had packed 2 fairly large bags for her trip.

Angela and Tony had agreed that Tony would take Jonathan to the airport as he was heading into the city.

Sam would be picked up by Bonnie's parents at the hous as they were leaving from Hartford. So Angela would stay with her. Mona's trip wasn't until Monday so she'd keep them company.

Wendy had dropped of the contact details on Saturday evening. Her visit was quick but as always she tried to get a look at Tony's behind. Wendy was the only one Angela didn't mind looking at Tony's behind. She laughed at her friend's attempts. She got it, Tony's behind was really nice. She had found herself staring at it more than once. She thinks he has almost caught her once or twice. She wasn't sure.

Tony hugged his daughter as Angela fought back her tears when she hugged her son.

"Enjoy your time with your dad and Heather." She hugged him tighter.

Jonathan waved his arms. "Can't breath mom! Can't breathe!"

"Take it easy on the kid, Angela." Tony's voice brought her back to her living room.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry sweetheart!" She apologises. "I'm just going to miss you so much."

"I'll miss you too mom." He hugged her again "But if you ever repeat that to anyone, I will deny it."

Angela laughed. She loved her teen and his teen behaviour.

Sam gave Jonathan a small pat on his back. "Hey squirt."

Jonathan turned to face Sam, his eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Have a great time in LA." She smiled.

His eyes were filled with surprise. "Oh yeah, thanks Sam. You have a great time in New Mexico. Don't fall in love." Jonathan winked.

Sam laughed "That's not my intention.."

"You better not." Tony shot her a look and gave both Mona and Angela a hug. Lingering longer as he hugged Angela "I'm only a phone call away." He whispered in her ear before parting. She squeezed his hand in acknowledgement. They didn't need a lot of words between them. They both just knew.

Angela, Mona and Samantha waved Jonathan and Tony goodbye. Samantha would be picked up within the hour.

"Come on Samantha." Angela said. "Your dad made a fresh pitcher of lemonade before he left. You want a glass?"

"I would love one!" Angela put her arm over Sam's shoulder as they made their way into the kitchen.

"Are you coming with us mother?" Angela turned to look at her.

"No dear, I'm good. I'm going to start packing. I will be there soon."

"Soon? But you still have to start packing?" Sam had a look of surprise on her face.

"Won't need much where I'm going Sam." Mona smirked.

"Mother!" Angela warned her, but Sam giggled.

Mona laughed as she exited to the side door.

Samantha was still giggling when they entered the kitchen.

Angela poured them 2 cold glasses.

"Here you go honey." Angela handed Sam her glass.

"Thanks mo.. uhm Angela." Angela looked at her in shock. She'd called her mother before but she had never actually called her mom. She gave Sam a warm smile. Sam blushed as she took a sip.

They spend the rest of their time chatting away together. Before they knew it, time had passed and the doorbell rang.

"That'll be Bonnie and her parents." Samantha smiled.

"I'm going to miss you honey." Angela caught up to Sam.

"I'm going to miss you too." Before opening the door, Sam quickly ran back to Angela and gives her a big hug.

The doorbell rang again.

"You better get that." Angela smiled.

Sam runs back to the door to open it.

"Hi Sam." A smiling Bonnie at the other side of the door said.

"Hi Bon."

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes!" Sam looks back at Angela for a second.

Angela nods. "I'll help you get your bags to the car."

Before getting in Sam hugged Angela again.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay? With all of us gone?" She asks.

"I'll be fine, as long as you promise to call me when you arrive, when you need to talk and before coming back."

"Jeezz Angela, you're starting to sound a lot like dad."

Angela smiles "I take that as a compliment."

"Only you would." Sam chuckles.

Angela cups Sam's face and places a kiss on her forehead. "I love you honey."

"I love you too Angela."