Family Night
Disclaimer: I don't own Who's the Boss?
Angela still couldn't believe she was here. The smell of greasy popcorn, the large crowds, and the complete lack of control of the situation still made her uncomfortable.
When Tony's friend, Mrs. Rossini, mentioned there would be a carnival in Brooklyn the next weekend and both Jonathan and Samantha begged to go, she thought Tony would take them. Angela would stay home and get some more work done; ever since she'd been promoted to president of Wallace and McQuade, she'd had work piling up everywhere. Besides, Angela wasn't eager to go a place where all the women said she was unattractive. And Brooklyn apparently encouraged her to fight.
Angela wasn't supposed to be a fighter, a woman who rolled around the floor, clawing at another woman.
But her new housekeeper could be incredibly persuasive, something Angela had noticed more and more in the two months since she'd known him.
"Come on, Angela," he had said, pleading at her with his deep brown orbs. It was so difficult to say "no" to those eyes… "Your last trip to Brooklyn was bad, but this time it will really fun!"
Angela still had shaken her head. "No, really," Tony had said with his infectious grin. "I'll win everybody a stuffed animal, we'll ride the Ferris wheel, Sam and Jonathan will smash each other in the bumper cars, and we'll eat corn dogs and cotton candy all night."
A part of her thought she should still have said no. Her work was calling to her, and it was clear from last weekend that Angela did not fit in Brooklyn. But the possiblity of eating cotton candy all night had made her pause.
"It'll be real fun for all of us, Mrs. Bower," Samantha had said, and that sweet little grin had forced Angela to agree.
"All right," she had said finally. "See, I can be flexible," she added pointedly to Tony. His comment from last week about her being inflexible still stung a bit.
And as they all wandered through the crowds of people, many of them wearing clothing Mother would enjoy, Angela forced herself to be flexible again. Especially as they all bought corn dogs for dinner.
"Hey Jonathan!" Tony said, grinning as he held out his empty corn dog stick.
Laughing, the two of them played with the empty sticks for a couple of moments before throwing them in the garbage can. Johnathan chuckled and hooted more often in the last two months. Tony was great for her son, not only much warmer than Mrs. Hiller, but how was it that Mother had put it?... A male influence.
Perhaps the taste of corn dogs wasn't so bad.
But it was the sticky, sweet taste of cotton candy that changed Angela's outlook. A steady supply as she and Tony watched Jonathan and Samantha drive around in the bumper cars and spin around the teacups made her smile. This was fun.
Right up until Tony suggested they all ride the Ferris wheel. Angela couldn't admit to her employee that she was terrified of heights; she was supposed to be strong and controlling a large advertising firm. And she certainly couldn't admit her fear in front of her son.
"Why don't we all ride the tilt-a-whirl instead?" she said, noticing the ride next to the Ferris wheel. It may be quick, but it wasn't nearly as high.
She loved the sound of the kids' laughter, as the tilt a whirl spun and moved faster and faster, and Tony's was infectious, but Angela's stomach was beginning to feel uncomfortable. It mattered not; she was used to hiding her discomfort. She simply pressed her lips together and ignored how much her insides bounced and jumped.
Jonathan's laughter was more important. Not how the tilt-a-whirl moved even faster than before.
And suddenly, Angela's insides exploded from her. Pink, rotten smelling liquid covered Tony's shirt. "I'm so sorry," she said, wondering why she couldn't control her stomach this time. She stared at the ground, wishing she were anywhere but here.
"Don't worry about it," Tony said as they climbed off the ride. "I'm used to it; do you know how often Sam has thrown up on me over the years?"
Samantha laughed. "He's right, Mrs. Bower. I've done it that more times than I could count. Here, Dad." She handed him several napkins to wipe off his shirt, as if it truly didn't matter.
Tony even bought her a ginger ale to settle her stomach. Angela finally looked at him after that, surprised to see he wasn't upset about her vomit. Perhaps she could stay here, after all.
"Jonathan!" they both yelled at the same time, as he wandered too far ahead. The three of them rushed towards the game section. "Hey pal'a mine, how 'bout we play the ring toss together?" Tony said, wrapping his arm around her son. He was so good with him.
Especially with the expression on Jonathan's face as Tony presented him the stuffed frog he'd won. Samantha protested she was too old for a stuffed animal, but still happily accepted the teddy bear Tony handed her. Then he'd even given Angela a small bear, as much as she tried to tell him it was unnecessary.
By the end of the night, Angela was glad she'd gone. The smell of greasy popcorn was unimportant, and the large crowds didn't even matter that much considering the four people she was walking around the carnival. It was odd, but it felt almost as if they were a family, enjoying a night together. And the way they all smiled at each other as the left the carnival made Angela wonder if she were the only one who'd thought that. But of course, that was ridiculous.
Tony was a nice guy, but first he was her housekeeper, and Samantha was his daughter. As soon as they retuned to the house, Angela would remember she was the employer and in complete control.