The smell of Autumn was in the air. The weather was cooling along the New England coast and the city was filled with commuters leaving town for their Friday afternoon trip home. Being the planner that he was, Tony left home two hours prior to their 6 O'clock meeting time in anticipation of traffic and normal Friday evening delays. Arriving at the hotel thirty-five minutes to six, Tony quickly freshened up, put the finishing touches to the room and headed across the street to The Pulitzer Fountain where he was to meet Angela at 6 o'clock sharp.
Being the perfectionist that she was, never late for an important meeting, Angela was already at the fountain when Tony spotted her, her back towards him, facing the three-quarter of a century old, 22 foot high ornamental fountain named after publisher Joseph Pulitzer.
The sun was beginning to set, turning the sky into a beautiful mix of burnt orange and red, like a fire flame upon the evening's sky.
Making his way towards her, Tony leaned in from behind and whispered, "Hello Gorgeous!"
As she turned to face him, Tony was awestruck by how incredibly beautiful she looked. Taking a moment to gather his senses as he gazed at her, her hair up in a tight, sexy, tuck, wrap, her long neck adorned with a beautiful diamond necklace and her face glowing with the beautiful smile that first attracted him to her so many years prior.
"Wow! Marone a mi! You," clearing his throat, "You look even more beau-ti-ful than I ever could imagine."
"Awe Tony," she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, " You look pretty spectacular yourself."
Dressed in a black tuxedo with a dark blue bowtie and cummerbund that matched her dress, he laughed, "I do, don't I," he chucked, "If I do say so myself."
"Tony," she giggled! "So now what," she inquired.
"Your carriage awaits, my lady," he replied as he took her arm in his and lead her around the fountain, giving her a full history lesson of the historic fountain that dated back to 1916. As they crossed the street towards Central Park, a beautiful, white, horse-drawn carriage awaited to take them on a sunset ride through Central Park.
Snuggled under the warm, wool blanket, Angela gushed, "Oh Tony, this is absolutely amazing, the most romantic thing I've ever done. Thank you," leaning into him for a warm and passionate kiss.
"You ain't seen nothing yet, baby," he grinned, wrapping his arms around her as he brought her closer into him.
The hour-long ride, felt like a dream as they snuggled, giggled, and admired the beauty of the city lights that filled the night's sky. As they made their way out of the park, Angela cried, "Is it over already?"
"No, my darling, it's only just beginning." He smirked.
As the carriage came to a stop, Angela looked up, eyes wide as pools and gushed, "Tony, The Plaza Hotel, what are we doing here?"
"Making a memory," he replied as he leaned in, kissed her, and exited the carriage, extending his hand to help her out.
"But Tony, The Plaza, you can't af," he cut her off before she could finish. "Angela, tonight is our night and I want to make it special for you, don't worry or asks questions that don't need to be answered."
Taking a deep breath, realizing the enormity of what tonight meant to Tony, Angela simply replied, "Okay," as she took his arm and drew him close into her.
Escorting her into the nearly 90-year-old historic Plaza Hotel, Tony and Angela were both taken back by the grandeur beauty of their surroundings. Classy and opulent, they were met by the fresh scent of gardenias that filled the air of the gold-trimmed lobby adorned by a magnificent crystal chandelier that was beyond breath taking. Making their way towards The Plaza Food Hall restaurant, they barely spoke a word, consumed by the spectacular setting that surrounded them.
"Micelle, table for two," Tony told the maître d as they approached the entry. "Yes sir, right away." He replied.
Leaning into Angela, Tony whispered, "Oh boy, I feel like royalty." He chuckled.
Shaking her head in amusement, she giggled, "You should!"
Feasting on entrees such as Tandoori Chicken and Fennel Dusted Salmon, the conversation was light hearted and playful; Angela filling Tony in on her afternoon shopping spree for the perfect accessories to match her beautiful new dress and Tony amusing her with his story of how he had to push Jonathan out the door in his frantic mission to make their date on time.
Finishing their glasses of wine, Tony seductively whispered, "Would you like to join me for a cocktail and perhaps a spin around the dance floor?"
"Nothing would delight be more," she replied.
Taking her hand as he lead her from her seat to The Rose Club Lounge, Tony couldn't help but lean in, taking a deep breath of her magnificent scent and exclaim, "Have I told you how absolutely incredible you look tonight?"
Blushing, Angela whispered, "All because of you."
Entering the lounge, they secured themselves a cozy and quaint, blue-velvet antique love seat, tucked away in the far corner of the room where they could easily access the dance floor or enjoy the privacy of their own company.
Ordering themselves two dry Martini's, Angela's drink of choice on a Friday evening, Tony and Angela took to the dance floor as Liza Minnelli's version of, "New York, New York" began to play. Swaying on the music, Tony whispered into Angela's ear, "This is better than any dream I could have ever had. Holding you in my arms, looking so amazingly beautiful, I think I'm the luckiest man on this earth right now."
"Oh Tony, tonight has been a fairytale come true. You have absolutely out done yourself. I don't know how it could get any better."
With a devilish chuckle, Tony replied, "Oh sweetheart, the best is yet to come!"
"I can't wait," she whispered nuzzling her lips on his neck.
Lost in each other's arms, swaying on the dance floor, they hardly noticed the music end and the dance floor cleared leaving them alone in their moment, completely oblivious to their surrounds. Still dancing, alone on the dance floor, they suddenly snapped out of their trance as Frank Sinatra's, "I've Got a Crush on You," began to play.
Tony, never one to miss a song by Ole Blue Eyes, lit up as he heard the trumpet melody begin to play, "They're playing our song," he whispered.
Extending his arms out, with Angela's hands in his, he twirled her around him, bringing her back in for a tight fit into his arms. With one hand on the low of her back and the other wrapped around her arm, he began to sing the words to her,
"But you had such persistence, you wore down my resistance
I fell and it was swell
I'm your big and brave and handsome Romeo
How I won you I shall never never know
It's not that you're attractive
But, oh, my heart grew active
When you came into view"
"Oh Tony, I love you!" Angela gushed as she buried her face into the creek of his neck, kissing it softly.
"I've got a crush on you, sweetie pie
All the day and night-time hear me sigh
I never had the least notion
That I could fall with so much emotion
Could you coo, could you care
For a cunning cottage that we could share
The world will pardon my mush
'Cause I have got a crush, my baby on you"
He continued, pulling her closer into him with every step.
Working her way from his neck to his cheek to his lips, Angela wrapped her arms beneath his, pulling him deep into her embrace as the trumpets continued the melody, deepening their kiss till neither had a breath left in them.
"Make love to me," she sighed as the last lines to the song played, "'Cause I have got a crush, my baby... on you!"
Making their way to the 18th floor of The Plaza Hotel, room 1824, in a gold-trimmed, mirrored elevator, Tony and Angela were glad to find themselves the sole occupants of th rectangular box that was ascending them to paradise. Hardly able to keep their hands, arms, and lips off each other, they nearly missed their stop as the doors opened and they failed to exit.
As they entered the room, the realization of seven years of longing and three weeks of sexual tensions was just a few short moments away of becoming fulfilled. The room was filled with pink roses, Angela's favorites, a CD player loaded with Sinatra, Bennet and a soft mix of love songs, and the sweet scent of candles glowing through-out the room. The perfect atmosphere for the perfect night.
Breathless and shocked, Angela gushed, "Oh my God Tony, it's beautiful, how did you do all this?"
"I have my ways," he quipped, leading her by the hand into the room for a full view experience.
"Glass of champagne," he offered, "Mais oui," she replied. "Who's going to stop us," he laughed as he handed her a crystal flute. Interlocking their arms together, in a toast, Tony recited, "To us, seven years of friendship and a lifetime of love. Angela, you have loved me, despite my not always loving myself or feeling worthy of your love. I promise to always love you and be the man you deserve, forever and always."
With tears in her eyes, Angela replied, "Tony Micelle, you are the sweetest, most honorable and wonderful man I have ever known, and I can't imagine my life without you. I love you more than words could ever express." Her voice cracking, "What you have done tonight, this absolute fairytale of an evening, you have made me feel like the most special woman in this world, I could never have imagined something so wonderful and special and I will never forget tonight for as long as I live."
"You deserve this and more Angela, every day, and I hope I can spend the rest of our lives showing you just how much I love and adore you."
Placing her glass down on the side table, Angela wrapped her arms around Tony and kissed him passionately and with purpose. Her desire for him no longer able to be kept bottled up. She was ready to give herself to him in all ways she ever dreamed of. The wait was over, this was their time, their moment to make their dreams come true and she wanted nothing more than to make love to him right then.
Standing in the center of the room, they kissed, passionately and vigorously, their arms wrapped around each other's bodies, their hands tangled in each other's hair.
Tony grasped the clasp of her hair comb, gently pulling her hair out of its tuck wrap, allowing it to flow delicately on to her shoulder.
"God, how I've always loved your hair," he inhaled a deep breath of her scent along the side of her neck. You don't know how many times, I've wanted to just run my fingers through it," he sighed, "Kiss your neck and never let you go." He placed gentle sweet kisses along the base of her neck, moving towards her ear, eventually landing on her lips. "You're so beautiful Angela, I don't know why I was so stubborn and stupid for so long."
"Oh Tony, it was the path we had to take and I'm just happy we finally found ourselves and we're here today, together, in this beautiful hotel."
"Dance with me?" He whispered as "I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore," began to softly play in the background.
"What started out as friendship has grown stronger
I only wish I had the strength to let it show... I tell myself that I can't hold out forever
I said there is no reason for my fear
'Cause I feel so secure when we're together
You give my life direction, you make everything so clear..."
Tony took Angela in his arms as the song continued to play, their foreheads pressed together, lost in each other's eyes, swaying to the music.
"And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might And I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I started fighting for
It's time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars, forever…."
Caressing their faces against one another, Tony whispered, " I want to know everything there is to know about you." "You already know everything about me," she breathlessly replied.
Taking a step back from her, releasing his arm from around her waist, he seductively exclaimed, "NO, I want to know EVERYTHING about you," as he ran his hand down the front of her chest, down to her stomach and on to her hip, cupping her rear side into his hand, pulling her close into him. His aerosol, unmistakable against her thigh.
"I want to make love to every part of you," he proclaimed, reaching behind her back, and slowly unzipping her dress. "I want to explore, every inch of your beautiful, soft skin," he whispered, crashing his lips onto hers in a passionate kiss. "I want to," "Shhhh," she whispered, "My turn!" Placing her index finger against his lips, slowly descending towards his collar to loosen his bow tie.
"I want to send your body to heaven," she breath in his ear, unbuttoning his shirt so that his perfectly fit chest was now exposed, "and your mind, south!" She proclaimed, grabbing a hold of his belt buckle as she untucked the remainder of his shirt from his pants.
Taking a deep breath, as her touch, against the low of his stomach, brought chills down his spine, Tony moved in for a bite of her neck, lowering the last part of her zipper causing her dress to suddenly drop to the ground, exposing her in a beautiful black, almost transparent teddy.
Gasping as her dress feel to the floor, Angela blushed as Tony's eyes fell upon her, gazing over every inch of her 5' 7", perfectly shaped frame. Always self-conscience of her breast size, a feature her mother constantly ragged her about, Tony knew the importance of this moment to her and how he had to reassure her of his desire for her and her whole body.
Kissing her gently along the side of her neck, Tony cupped her left breast and whispered, "Perfect," as he slowly guided her backwards towards the bed. With his left arm around her waist, he gently laid her back onto the bed, their feet still on the ground, their legs intertwined together, kissing and caressing.
Pushing himself up off her with his arm, her body lying beneath him, looking down deep into her brown eyes "I never let myself believe that this dream could or would ever come true, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever known, marone a mi, you're gorgeous, you're intelligent, you're funny, you're driven, you're everything I never thought myself worthy of, but that never mattered to you. It mattered to me, but you loved me, for me and it took me a long time, too long to believe in myself enough to believe in us. I am truly the luckiest man on earth, to have you love me, like you do and be here with you, right now, like this. I hope I can be everything you ever wanted and more." He declared as he leaned down towards her, once again, kissing her passionately, not allowing her time to reply.
Tears streaming down her cheeks, she pulled Tony tighter into her, breathing the words, into his mouth, "I love you Tony Micelle and I'm the lucky one."
Lifting her back up into his arm, he knelt on the edge and pulled her up into the middle of the bed.
He let his fingers lightly explore every inch of her perfectly shaped body, covering her neck, chest, and lips with butterfly kisses. As he reached the center of her thigh, she moaned, arching her back into his touch.
Gliding his hand from her inner thigh, around to her waist and up her side, he maneuvered himself so his torso would be perfectly aligned with hers.
There rhythm was speedy as they kissed and caressed one another. Angela gripped his strong arms as he held his weight above her transfixed by the sight beneath him.
"Tony," she whispered, bringing him out of his momentary trance, "I think it's time you lose your pants," she giggled.
"I think you're right," he smirked.
Straddled over her, he sat up and began to undo his belt.
"Let me," she smirked, pulling herself up, grabbing hold of his belt, slowly unlatching it as she trailed his stomach with light kisses from his waist to his belly button, up his un-denying 6-pack abs , through his breast, around his neck, landing in his ear, "It's time!"
Quickly grabbing her waist, he brought her to her knees, in front of him as she finished undoing his belt, unzipped his pants and reached her hands between the soft fabric and his warm skin, sliding his pants off his waist tenderly and sensually.
"You are so amazingly sexy," she ran her hands along his chest, "How did I ever keep my hands off of you," she smiled seductively as she crashed her lips upon his, their tongues intertwined passionately.
Pushing his pants off his legs, he grasped the delicate silk string that held her teddy fastened against her body, now fully exposing her firm, tanned, perfectly shaped body. She was even more beautiful than he remembered from their accidental encounter in the bathroom seven years prior when he walked in on her getting out of the tub.
Taking a deep breath, she bit her bottom lip as if waiting for his approval. No words were needed as the look in his eyes spoke a thousand reassuring words. Taking her in his arms once again, leaning her back onto the bed, their time had finally come. Seven years of friendship and love, seven years of longing and hiding their feeling, seven years of romantic dances and close encounters, seven years of insecurities and missed opportunities, seven years of fantasizing and wondering had brought them to this moment as they finally became one and all their dreams were realized.
And the song played on…..
I'll make love to you
Like you want me to
And I'll hold you tight
Baby all through the night
I'll make love to you
When you want me to
And I will not let go
Till you tell me to
Girl relax, let's go slow
I ain't got nowhere to go
I'm just gonna concentrate on you
Girl are you ready?
It's gonna be a long night