The rising sun over the Atlantic crept over the city, illuminating the sky with a rich glow of golden haze under a clear blue background. The moon was still visible in the distance as the rays of sunshine descended upon the quite city that had yet to awake into a bustling musical arrangement of horns, whistles, laugher, and conversation.
As the sunlight crept through the sheer, white drapery that hung over the large, panoramic window, Tony shifted slightly, readjusting his left arm that lay under Angela, wrapped tightly around her delicate body.
"Is your shoulder okay," she groggily whispered, knowing she was laying on the shoulder that ended Tony's baseball career nearly eighteen years prior. "Ya, I'm fine," he gingerly relied pulling her into him tighter. "With you in my arms, everything is perfect," leaning in and kissing the top of her head softly.
Slowly rising off his arm, pulling herself up on his chest so she was now facing him, she smiled, "Hi." "Hi," he replied.
"Sleep well," he inquired? "Better than ever before." She slyly responded. "Oh ya," he teased, "Any particular reason?"
"Oh, I don't know, could be because of the most amazing night I've ever had in my life, or maybe because of the incredible sex I had with the most incredible man, or maybe because I slept in the arms of the man I love, or maybe it was, you know, the champagne," she quipped, leaning down and kissing his chest.
"The champagne, definitely the champagne," he repeated, pulling his head up to meet her lips with a tender kiss.
"Pretty incredible night, huh," he sighed. "Beyond incredible," she gushed staring into his dark brown eyes. "I could lay here for eternity, with you in my arms, holding you. I don't think I've ever been so happy," he declared.
"I can think of something to make you even more happy," she uttered seductively, flipping her left leg over his so she was now straddling him. Moaning as her body made full contact with his, Tony teased, "Just what might you have in mind," as he grabbed her hips and brought her closer into him.
Covering his chest with soft, gentle kisses, she made her way up his neck and onto his ear, whispering, "Morning sex," as she continued to nuzzle his neck and ear.
His willingness became immediately obvious as his body quickly reacted to her proposal causing her to purr, "I take that as a yes?"
Crashing his lips onto hers, their mouths consumed with each other, he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer and tighter into him. Effort wasn't needed between the two of them to easily fit perfectly into each other's worlds. Their love making was just as effortless as their dancing. Fitting into each other like two perfect pieces of a puzzle, their rhythm steady and in tune with one another- they gave a whole new meaning to "The Horizontal Mambo." They were perfectly aligned with each other's needs, as if the years of non-intimate intimacy had subconsciously prepared them for this part of their relationship, the most exotic and fantasied part of their romance.
Satisfying each other's morning needs, they both fell back onto the bed, attempting to catch their breaths, covered in passionate sweat, sprawled out, no longer able to move any fragment of their bodies until their breathing regulated itself again.
"Oh my God Tony," she puffed breathlessly, "I always knew it would be good, but my God, I never thought it would be this good," letting out an exhausted breath.
"Oh ya," he quipped, "And just how often did you imagine this?" He inquired, with a proud smile and raised eyebrow.
Blushing and slightly embraced by her declaration, she mumbled, "Oh, I don't know, maybe once or twice," trying to calm the glow of her cheeks. "What about you," she growled, "How many times did you fantasize about his?"
"Who me," he snapped, now his turn to be embarrassed. "Yes you!" She mocked.
"Well, I- I," he stuttered, "You know, uhhhh, a few, maybe." He blushed.
"Maybe, Tony!" She challenged as she nudged his arm with force.
"Hey now, careful, I'm fragile right now, don't hurt me," he joked. "Then answer me," she insisted.
"Okay, okay," he replied, rubbing his arm as if she had pained him terribly with her nudge. "So, I had a few fantasies, okay, quite a few fantasies but, marone a mi," he exclaimed, rolling over to face her, "None of them could hold a candle to the real thing. This was better than any fantasy I could ever have, well, maybe except one." He pondered.
"One what," she spat defensively. "One fantasy," he ribbed her, enjoying the reaction she was on the verge of having. "And what fantasy might that be, pray- tell," she spat annoyingly.
"Oh just one I had a few years back, about marr..." he drifted, "At Dr. Ferguson's wedding." He quickly recovered.
"Oh ya, at the Ferguson's wedding?" She questioned, "What was it about?"
"Oh, nothing much," he hesitated, "Just uh, you and I getting married," he mumbled quickly, almost unintelligibly.
"What did you say," she pushed inquisitively.
"You and I getting married ok, I fantasied about you and I getting married while we were up at the alter standing up for the Ferguson's." He spat out in a ramble.
Staring at him with a shocked look, her eyes larger than pools, she gasped. Tony hadn't mentioned marriage since Jamaica, before everything turned upside down and then right side up again. Then his eagerness to get their accidental South Carolina marriage allude dimmed her hopes that he would ever be ready to discuss marriage again. But this look of shock wasn't associated to either situation, this look was a direct result of a shared fantasy.
"Tony," she began, "What exactly do you mean by fantasizing about us getting married at the Ferguson wedding? After the whole ordeal with those people from Buffalo, whatever their names were- I really don't care to remember them," she huffed because of their rudeness and degrading comments about Tony being a housekeeper. "I would think that would be the furthest thing from your mind, especially after you literally pushed me into Geoffrey's arms, despite you being MY date." She frowned.
Tony could sense a strange tone in her questioning, and he could definitely read between the lines of her Geoffrey comment. "Well, it was before that whole ordeal, it was while we were, you know, standing there at the altar, together."
"And," she inquired? "And well, I saw us up there, you know, getting married." He finished shyly.
Tears swelling in her eyes, Angela swallowed, "Tony, you're not going to believe this, but the exact same thing happened to me. We were standing there at the alter and when the vail lifted, it was me at the altar with you and we were getting married and..." she drifted into a faint, shy smile.
Sitting up on his elbow, facing her, "And I we sealed it with a kissed," he smirked. "Yes," she smiled, "We sealed it with a kiss."
"Like this," he leaned in and kissed here tenderly. "Yes, the prefect couple" she replied.
"Wow," he exclaimed! "That's CRAZY," he emphasized. What a coincidence that we had the same fantasy, at the same time, at the same place." Crazy, huh," she stated. "Insane!" He agreed.
"What do you think it means," she questioned hesitantly, trying not to scare him with the marriage conversation.
Momentarily pensive, Tony replied, "I think great minds think alike and I think we both had a lot of unresolved feelings we needed to sort out and I think I was an idiot for pushing you to Geoffrey with a G." He groaned.
"Oh Tony," she sighed. "Now I understand why you reacted the way you did and why those idiots comments bothered you so much and why you pushed me to Geoffrey. You were overwhelmed, weren't you?" She lovingly questioned as she tenderly caressed his arm.
"Ya Angela, I didn't see any way out except to push my feelings down deeper and that meant throwing you at Geoffrey and believing what they said about people like you and me not working out. I was scared of what I was feeling for you and I wasn't ready to face my feelings. Guys like me, don't end up with women like you Angela, and it still scares me that I won't be able live up to what people expect with you on my arm and get out of the shadow of being, you know, your housekeeper. But I couldn't keep it in any longer and I'm sorry for the pain I caused you in the process of facing my own stupidity."
"Oh Tony, you don't ever have to be sorry for anything," she cried, "I love you more than you'll ever know and you have made me the happiest woman, especially after this most amazing night. Nobody but you would ever have done this for me and I don't care what other people think or say because I know who Tony Micelle is and he's the most wonderful, thoughtful, caring, generous and honest man I've ever known and….," she drifted, "the best lover also, but I won't share that part with anyone." She winked.
Leaning in, wrapping his arms around her, his lips met hers for a tender and lingering kiss, "That was one hell of a walk down the aisle, wasn't it?" He quipped. "It sure was," she replied, "Maybe one day, that fantasy will come true as well?" "Maybe," he acknowledged with another passionate kiss. "I love you Angela and I knew that day you were the only woman for me, no matter how hard I tried to bury my feelings. I knew, no other woman would ever hold a candle to you, no matter how much I tried to pretend you were just my boss and I was your housekeeper, my heart won't let anyone else in, it belonged to you, it's always been you and it'll always be you."
"Awe Tony," she cried, "You know when I knew?" "When," he inquired? "When Frankie proposed to you," she began, "I got so scared, I was certain you would accept her proposal. After all, you both have same background, you grew up together, she's beautiful, smart and successful, I was certain we were about to be over so I almost told you that day that I loved you, but then you turned her down and I was so relieved, but my stupid self still didn't tell you."
Interjecting, Tony quoted, "The course of true love never did run smooth." "You were right, it was love." He smiled.
A bright smile crossed her face, "You remember," she cried. "Of course I do, I remember everything about you, everything that means something to you," he caressed her cheek as tears once again swelled in her eyes, "And I remember that I knew then that I never wanted to be lost to you because I already knew I loved you too." He extended his arms around her, bringing her into a warm and tight embrace.
Lifting her chin up, wiping the moistness from round her eyes with his thumb, "What do you say we get some breakfast and then we can do whatever you want to do today."
"You mean we can't stay in bed, like this all day?" She asked. "Well, we can," he replied, "But I don't know how long I can keep up my stamina without some sustenance to revitalize my energy," he laughed, "Angela Bower, I think you wore me out."
"Well, we can't have that now can we," she chuckled, "I've got to have you in tip top shape!"
A decadent breakfast complete with Angela's favorite, juice and coffee was served with an array of muffins, fruits, and crisp bacon just shortly after seven-thirty. Tony and Angela feasted on their trayed meal as the city below began to awake.
Setting his napkin on his plate, Tony folded his hands under his chin as he gazed in admiration at Angela while she sipped on the last of her coffee, "So, what so you want to do today," he inquired, with stars in his eyes looking at her.
"Well, if we must leave this beautiful room, I was thinking, what would you say about a couple's message? They have a world class spa here."
"A couple's message, ay, oh, I don't know, that sounds a little weird, I don't want someone rubbing their hands all over me, well except you," he grinned with a skeptical look.
"Oh Tony, it'll be fun, we'll be right next to each other, I'll even hold your hand if you want me too," she kidded, "Please, I've always thought it would be so romantic to share an experience like that with the man I love."
"Well, when you put it like that, how can I say no? I'm sure not going to deny you a romantic experience," he leaned in and kissed her lips.
"I'll make the reservations," she glowed. "And I'm going to take a shower," he rose from the table, grabbing her hand and kissing it.
Putting the phone receiver down from securing her reservation for two at the Guerlain Spa, Angela could hear the shower running and Tony singing "Wait a moment, wait a moment longer." His favorite tune when he was in a particularly good mood.
Momentarily hesitating her next move, she decided to throw caution to the wind, stepped into the bathroom, dropped her robe to the ground and whispered, "Can I join you," as she opened the door to the rectangular glass shower.
Quickly wiping the water from his face, he scanned Angela's body up and down, dressed only with a smile, "Absolutely!" He purred.
"I thought maybe you needed some help washing your back," she grabbed the soap bar from the holder as she stepped closer into him, no room between them except for water droplets. Reaching her arms around him, she messaged the soap up and down his back, from his neck, down his spin, gently completing the round of his rear.
He quivered as her hands round his hips, landing in close proximity to his groin. He always thought there was a wild and exotic woman beneath the sophisticated, demur façade she created and that her mother so often teased her about; Angela, the prude, Angela the uptight, executive, Angela the..."Oh my God," he thought to himself as he suddenly felt Angela's body slide down his chest, her lips descending down his stomach, inches from his waist, moments from his..."Oh my God," he panted.
He reached his arms out, bracing himself on the walls of the shower, his head leaned back, his mind spinning in ecstasy, his body quivering with each touch. He had imagined and fantasized about Angela a million time in hundreds of ways, but this was one he never let his mind envision. Her bold, take charge personality was obviously not reserved only for the boardroom. And her perfectionism was apparently not only reserved for business as she was most thorough and proficient in all aspects of her life.
Sensing himself on the verge of no longer being able to contain himself, Tony moaned, "An-Angela." Swallowing hard, aware that his voice was not projecting any sound, "Angela," he repeated, reaching down, grabbing hold of her shoulders, guiding her back up to her feet. Realizing the tremble in his voice would not get him anywhere quick enough, he scooped her up, his hands under her thighs, her legs wrapped around his torso and pushed her up against the glass wall that moments ago was his anchor to stability which would now serve as his support to keep them from slipping off the tile floor as they once again joined in perfect harmony.
Exhaling the deep breath, they had both taken together as their dance concluded jointly, Tony gently let Angela's legs back down towards the ground, as he plastered her mouth with a deep and penetrating kiss.
Still uncertain as to what led to this unbelievable experience and still shocked by Angela's boldness, steading his breath, Tony pushed his forehead against hers, their noses touching and asked, "What was that for?"
"Just a thank you for last night and this morning and for everything you have done to make this special for me, for us. I just wanted to do something for you, something, maybe you'll never forget, like I'll never forget this place and last night."
"Marone a mi, I can assure you I will NEVER forget this," he emphasized. "I didn't know you had it in you." He smirked.
Looking down shyly, "I didn't either, it was- I -well," she stuttered embarrassed to continue.
Lifting her chin so their eyes would meet, "Angela, was this your first time doing that?"
"Hum, well, ya, kind of." She hesitated.
"Wow Angela, I'm impressed," he grinned. "I would have never guessed, but then again, I never imagined... wow, not something I expected but damn that was good." He stumbled to find the words.
Perking up, proud of her accomplishment but surprised that he hadn't thought her capable of such, she retorted, "Really?"
"Well, ya, just, you know, you being you and well, you know, hum, I just didn't expect it, that's all," he scrambled to not sound like a jerk or make her feel bad. "Why not," he suddenly blurted as the warm water continued to stream down upon them.
Pulling herself close into him again, caressing her cheek against his, she replied, "Because you're special."
Surprised once again, he quipped, "Really."
"Yes, really," taking a step back, "Michael and I, well it never really interested him and I wasn't really overly keen on the idea and well, I just never wanted to with anyone else after him and then once we met, even though I was intimate with a few men, it wasn't something I could ever bring myself to do. Never felt right, you know."
"A few men," he questioned? "Don't go there Tony," she warned. His Italian jealousy trying to take over. "Okay, okay, well thank you. I feel truly honored and wow, just wow.' He concluded tenderly kissing her lips.
"Maybe we should finish our shower now, I'm suddenly starved again," he grinned.