Standard disclaimer stuff applies here. I have borrowed the characters for a brief period to exercise my enjoyment of writing some simple romantic fluff. No money was made or will be made during this process.
This piece of work was inspired by mamc031282's AU work. If you're still around, thank you for the great reads.
When Angela Met Tony.
Come on, come on. Just a little bit farther. The Jag sputtered again, losing even more speed so that now it was just barely moving. Another hundred feet and she would make it to the gas station. Even if the Jag died completely now, Angela thought, she would feel a lot safer on this well lit street then she would have out in the dark on the side of the freeway. Oh brother. The gas truck was at the station blocking part of the entrance. Just as she started looking for a way around the truck the engine went completely quiet. Angela pounded her fist on the steering wheel in frustration then quickly jerked the car over to the side of the road before it stopped rolling completely. Well, she thought, at least I made it this far. She shut the lights and the ignition off and then quickly grabbed her purse from the passenger seat.
As she climbed out of the car, Angela allowed herself a flash of pride. Here it is nearly ten at night, I'm out of gas, and I'm in control. I'm going to just deal with the situation, and I'm not going to lose it.
As she got closer to the gas station, she noticed a man slowly pacing up and down beside the fuel truck. Must be the driver, she thought. Hmm, what a nice .. Angela, Angela, she thought to herself. Here you've spent your entire career fighting sexism at work and the first thing you notice about some stranger is that he has a nice butt. She smiled to herself. Okay she thought, it is nice. However you may not assume that because he has a nice butt that he is just some mindless hunk. Right she thought, I will think of him as an intelligent individual who I will probably never get to meet .. with a nice butt. Oh god, she smiled to herself. I must be more tired than I thought. Now I'm getting silly.
Tony glanced at his watch as he turned and casually strolled toward the back of the truck. Should be done soon now. As he looked up he noticed the Jag rolling silently to the side of the street. He allowed himself a small smile. Almost but not quite. I guess even Jags need gas to run. He took a quick look at the trailer as he heard the familiar sound that told him the tank was starting to run dry. Well back to work, he thought. He glanced back toward the Jag sitting on the street as he started to pull his work gloves on. Just in time to see a tall beautiful blond get out and started walking toward the station.
Tony stood there for a second with his glove only partially pulled on. Whoa, he thought. That is nice. Tony was entranced. Then he realized that he was staring. He forced himself back to his work. This isn't Brooklyn he thought. In Brooklyn the girls might expect you to look alright, but out here it would probably just make the woman very uncomfortable at this time of night.
As Angela started walking onto the gas station's lot, she found herself trying not to stare at the driver as he was disconnecting hoses and putting them away. He even moves really nice, she thought. Smooth, well controlled effortless looking movements. Angela, what is wrong with you, she thought. All you have done since you caught sight of the man is "ogle" him. Control yourself, she told herself with a quiet laugh as she reached for the door.
"Good evening Ma am. How may I help you," the clerk asked as she walked in.
"Hello. I need gas. My car run out of gas just down the street," Angela said as she pointed in the general direction of her car.
"So you're going to need a gas can," the clerk said more as a statement than question while looking concerned.
"Yes Please"
"Let me go check. See if we have one." With that the clerk disappeared through the door behind the counter.
Angela sighed. She looked around the inside of the station, but there really wasn't that much that she wanted to look at. She finally glanced out the windows at the fuel truck just in time to see the driver walking around the front of the truck with his clip board. She quickly looked away. You've stared at the man enough Angela, she thought to herself. Just look at something else. Still she found herself watching the reflection in the windows opposite the entrance. Waiting for another look at him.
Tony could see her standing inside. She wasn't looking in his direction so he felt safe having a quick look at her. Nice, he thought. Very nice. And way out of my league, he sighed to himself. Still it didn't hurt to just look he thought as he pulled the door open and stepped inside. As he stepped inside he glanced down at her legs and then started worked his way back up. He was just admiring the way she had her hair done, when he noticed her looking back at him in the reflection of the window.
Angela bit back a laugh when she met his eyes in the reflection. Then quickly looked away and took a couple of casual steps to look out one of the other windows. She looked over at him with the intention of just casually nodding at him as a greeting. However when her eyes met his something else happened.
"It's a lovely evening, isn't it?" she found herself saying.
Tony still feeling a little embarrassed at being caught checking her out was totally unprepared to answer. "Yea, .. yes, it's a .. gorgeous night." he finally replied.
She smiled and nodded in agreement, before looking away. Brooklyn she thought. Big mistake looking him in the eye though. Sometimes when you look in a persons eyes, you know that there's a real person in there, she considered, and there is definitely someone in there.
Tony smiled back while thinking, Oh I'm in love. His next thought was, Yea right! That kind of woman hardly knows you exist. She's probably just got an over active politeness gland or something like that. On the other hand, hardly anyone actually talks to anyone else in these neighborhoods. The store clerk come bustling out of the little back room about that time carrying a very dirty beat up old gas can. She stepped around the counter and set it on the floor then offered the rag that she was using to carry the can to Angela.
"You're probably going to want to use this ma am"
As Angela slowly reached for the rag with a look of disappointment on her face the clerk smiled at Tony.
"Hey Tony! All in the tanks"
"You betcha Marilyn. Looks like I'm gonna have to come back tomorrow night too"
"Yea, it's quiet now, but you should have seen it earlier. Thought we were gonna run dry before you got here for a while"
Tony watched Angela looking at the gas can and then at the rag in her hand. Then back at the gas can. He stepped forward.
"Excuse me ma am"
Angela looked at him. "Yes"
"Give me a moment to look after the paper work here with Marilyn, and then I'll help you with that"
Angela looked relieved. There was no way she was going to handle that dirty old gas can without ruining her good suit."Oh yes, please. Thank you"
What started out as just friendly smiles between someone who wanted to help and the someone who needed help became something else. It probably only lasted a couple of moments but for Tony and Angela it was as if time stood still. Marilyn who was digging in a drawer behind the counter looked up at Tony, then over at Angela. Shook her head, then smiled.
"Hey Tony"
That seemed to break the spell. Tony looked over at Marilyn.
"The paper work Tony"
"Oh yea. Paperwork." Tony half mumbled as he plunked his clipboard on the counter in front of Marilyn who proceeded to sign and stamp the paperwork in various places. He smiled at Marilyn in mild confusion , and tried hard not to look at Angela too often. Angela was busy herself trying not to look at Tony. She wandered over toward the door and tried to figure out what had just happened.
Tired. I'm tired, she thought. I'm tired and my imagination is running away with me.
Tony stood watching while Marilyn did her thing and took her copies of the paperwork off of his clipboard, but his mind was really someplace else. Trying to remember when or if he had ever felt this way before. He was startled out of his reverie when Marilyn finally picked the clipboard up and poked him with it.
"There you go, Tony"
"Oh, .. ah thanks Marilyn"
"Any time Tony." Marilyn nods at the gas can. "See you in a couple of minutes"
"Yea, yea. Should only take a couple of minutes"
Tony nods at Marilyn and then turns and looks at the gas can then at his clipboard. Thinking for a moment he turns to Angela.
"Uh, excuse me ma am"
Angela who was still looking anywhere else surprised herself with the quickness that she turned and replied, "Yes"
"Could you hang on to this while I look after the gas can?" Tony asked as he held out his clipboard to her.
"Yea, sure," Angela responded and put her hand out for the clipboard.
Her right hand Tony noticed. He handed her the clipboard and then turned and pulled his work gloves out of his back pocket and put them on. It didn't matter if there wasn't a huge honkin diamond on her other hand, because women like her didn't date guys like me. You're going to do the lady a small favor, she'll thank you and then you'll never see her again, so get over it.
Tony grabbed the gas can and started over toward the door where Angela, seeing that Tony was ready pulled the door open for him and then followed him out.
"So what kind of gas do you put in your 'automobile'?" Tony asked as he headed over to the gas pumps.
"Premium." Angela answered a little to quickly.
"Well it's a premium kind of car, so I guess premium is what you would put in it," Tony quipped and then immediately thought, Oh that's clever Micelli. Real clever.
Angela gave a short quiet laugh and then was stuck for something else to say. Oh yea, way to go Ms. Big Time Advertising Executive. What a quick and witty reply.
Tony, meanwhile walked over to the premium pump and started pumping gas into the gas can. Once he was finished and he had hung up the gas nozzle, he turned to Angela.
"Why don't you go pay for the gas ma am, while I put my clipboard away, and then we'll go put the gas in you car"
"Angela." Angela couldn't believe she was telling this man her name. "Angela Bower" Then she stuck out her hand to shake.
Tony looked confused for a moment, then quickly took his glove off and took her hand. "Tony. Tony Micelli"
"Nice to meet you Tony"
"Likewise, Angela"
They ended up standing there for just a couple of moments longer, just looking into each others eyes with slightly silly smiles on their faces. Both of them enjoying the sensation of physical contact from the handshake far more than they probably should have. Finally Angela managed to look away.
"I, uh, better go pay for the gas," murmured Angela.
"Yea, yea, sure," Tony said.
Angela and Tony finally let go of each others hands and then Angela handed the clipboard over to Tony, then turned to reenter the station. Smiling as she went. Tony just stood and watched her go.
Be still my beating heart, thought Tony as he finally turned to go toss his clipboard in the truck. She smiles at me like that any more tonight and I'm not going to be able to sleep when I get home.
Tony dropped his clipboard off in the truck and was standing over by the gas can again when Angela got back. He was purposely looking in another direction when he heard her footsteps approaching. He wasn't too sure that if he looked her in the eye again he wouldn't make a fool of himself.
"Well that was good timing," Angela said as she walked up. "Your friend Marilyn said the station is closed now, but she'll be around for a few more minutes closing out so we can return the gas can"
"Hey that's great"
"She also didn't charge me a deposit on the gas can since 'you' were helping me"
"Marilyn's good people"
"That's what she said about you"
"Well, uh .. let's go get your car running again .. Angela"
"Yes please"
They walked for a couple of moments in silence towards Angela's car before Tony spoke.
"You know, in all the times I've been out here in the last year or so, I've never got use to how quiet it is out here at night"
"It's wonderful isn't it Tony. It wasn't one of the reasons we wanted to move out here in the first place, but it's something I've really come to really appreciate in the last few years"
"Yea. .. So," Tony asked trying to hide a little disappointment, "How long have you lived out here"
"I've been here about five years"
"Oh"
"Michael only lasted a couple of months"
"Michael?" Tony was confused.
"My ex. Well I guess technically we're just separated until he signs the papers. So almost ex". Angela replied while thinking, Subtle Angela, real subtle.
For some reason Tony felt his spirits lift with that little piece of information as they arrived at the Jag. His spirits took another dive as he realized that they would probably be going to go their separate directions again as soon as he put the gas in her car.
Angela was feeling that time had suddenly started moving too fast. If she didn't do something quick this man was just going to wander out her life, and she would never see him again. Unless she wanted to start hanging around gas stations in the evenings.
"So, .. was this the last gas station you do for the night Tony," Angela found herself asking.
Tony looked over at Angela as he waited for the last little bit of gas to drain out of the gas can. "Yea. Last one"
"Hmm. Straight home now?" Tony sets the gas can down and fiddles with the cap, now that he's finished. Straightens up and looks at Angela.
"Yea, straight home in a round about way"
"Oh"
"Take the truck back to the yard. Do a post trip check. Turn in all my paper work. Then just a short forty five minute drive, .. straight home"
"Oh, that must mean you get home pretty late," Angela asked while trying furiously to think of some way to keep this conversation going?
"Oh probably about 2:30 in the morning," Tony replied.
"How about I buy you a cup of coffee or something. Just as a small token of thanks for saving me a few bucks on dry cleaning.
"That sounds real good Angela, but where are you going to find a cup of coffee at this time of night"
"Actually there is a late night diner just a block up the street and around the corner. Foods edible"
Tony stood looking at Angela for a moment trying to figure out why this vision of loveliness wanted to buy him a coffee. Then just as quickly thought, don't ask silly questions, just accept and enjoy.
"Okay," Tony said, "Just let me take the gas can back to Marilyn, and then we can head on over"
"Great," Angela answered and then quickly asked, "Do you want to walk over or drive"
"Hey lets walk. I mean if it's just up the street a ways "
"And it's too nice of a night to sit in a stuffy old car," Angela finished.
"Sounds great." Tony nodded and then waved in the general direction of the gas station with the gas can and started that way without taking his eyes of Angela.
"I'm just going to pull my car up beside your truck, .." Angela said as she awkwardly gestured toward the station.
Tony finally just nodded and turned toward the gas station. Angela quickly jumped in her car and drove up beside the truck and parked.
As she got out of the car she thought, Darn. I better phone Mother and let her know where I am. She quickly glanced around until she spotted a phone on the side of the station, then quickly walked over to it.
Tony was just opening the door when he noticed Angela moving toward the phone. They caught each others eyes and again the smiles happened. I might as well not even bother lying down when I get home, Tony thought. There's no way I'm going to sleep with the vision of her smiling at me running through my head.
Tony was still smiling when he walked up to the counter where Marilyn was. Marilyn had her own smile on and was shaking her head as Tony came up and set the gas can on the floor.
"What," Tony exclaimed.
"Tony, Tony, Tony. What are you doing to the poor defenseless woman out there"
"I ain't done nothing, Marilyn"
"Yea. And she's probably out there hoping that that will change soon"
"What are you talking about"
"When she come in to pay for her gas, "
"Yea"
"She never even stopped smiling, and, .. I don't think her feet even touched the floor. Once"
"Aw, come on now. You're exaggerating," Tony exclaimed.
"I got five bucks right here, right now, that say she gives you her phone number, or she gets yours before you say good night to each other tonight." Marilyn's smile had grown even bigger.
Tony opened his mouth to deny everything, and then stopped. Opened his moth again, then changed his mind and decided not to argue with her about it.
"Maybe you just better hang on to your money Marilyn," Tony finally said. "Probably see you tomorrow night," Tony waved and headed out the door with a smile on his face.
"Yea, good night Tony." Marilyn watched the smile on Tony's face as he went out the door thinking, Yea whatever you're doing to her, she's doing the same to you.
Tony stepped out into the comfortably cool night air just in time to catch the tail end of Angela's conversation on the phone.
"No Mother. I'm fine here. The auto club will be here in thirty, forty minutes and I'll be able to bring the car home." Angela looked up and Tony felt like she was looking straight into his heart. "You just stay right there with Jonathon and I'll be home as soon as I can. Yes, .. yes, that's right. In a few minutes. Bye"
Tony smiled at her, "Mothers." he exclaimed as Angela hung up the phone.
Angela meanwhile was feeling a little awkward about getting caught lying on the phone nervously started to explain, "It's sort of a defense mechanism, you know. If I'm even just vaguely interested in .. I mean if I'm even just talking to a good looking .. uh"
"I know what you mean Angela"
"You're mothers like that too"
"My mother's been gone a long time"
"Oh, I'm sorry"
"Hey, but now I have a Mrs. Rossini," Tony laughed.
"A Mrs. Rossini?" Angela looked mildly confused.
Tony starts smiling fondly. "Yea, a middle age crazy Italian woman who lives next door in the apartment building I live in. She's known me since I was a kid, knew my parents, helped my wife out raising Samantha when I was on the road playing baseball all the time. She helped keep me from getting too big a head when I was doing good. Then, .. " Tony suddenly looks sadder, "she helped me keep going when I hurt my shoulder, and then she helped me deal with Marie ... "
Angela watches Tony for a moment thinking she can see tears in his eyes.
"Mrs. Rossini sounds like a very special person Tony"
Tony is looking off into the distance, then a quiet smile starts to form on his face. He slowly turns and looks directly into Angela's eyes, then quietly, "Hey. She also helped me realize that there was still plenty in the world that was really beautiful and that all I had to do was look"
Maybe it was what he said, or maybe it was just the way he was looking into her eyes but Angela could feel the warmth coming up in her face, and found herself thankful that it was night time and that the artificial lighting probably wouldn't show the extra color in her face.
Tony finally broke the spell, "Now how about the coffee you mentioned"
"Coffee, right, coffee." She turned in the direction of the diner and Tony stepped in beside her as she started walking.
"So, Samantha's your daughter?" Angela asked.
"Yea, yea. And Jonathon would be your son I guess"
"Yes. It sounds like Marie was your wife?" Angela couldn't believe all the personal information they were exchanging only minutes after they met. Not only so quickly, but so openly.
"Yea." Tony for his part wanted Angela to know about Marie. Normally he didn't tell anyone about it unless he had to.
"What happened"
"Cancer"
"Sorry"
"Yea, me too." They walked in silence for a while before Tony broke the silence. "A good friend of mine told me, Focus on all the good things, the happy moments that you had together. Remember the best, forget the rest"
"Sounds like good advice Tony," Angela said.
"Easier said than done, but I'm getting there, I'm getting there."
End of part 1.