Chapter 9

After calling Geneviève Pechet a few days ago and telling her about the mess she was in Angela got more and more nervous. Time was running out. Geneviève wanted to consider the idea and call her back when she did some research of her own. Angela's patience was put to an acid test. Finally, she got the call from Paris and Geneviève told her the good news. Round three corners she had found out that Jim Peterson was in trouble. It seemed that since he had pushed his boss to fire Angela more than a year ago he was unable to succeed in the position Wallace & McQuade gave him. Understandable, he never had Angela's excellent competencies, but this man was too vain to admit that he didn't have Angela's abilities. That it always was Angela who came out with big campaigns. Now he had to deal with the consequences. To Angela's surprise Geneviève gave her a real commission for a new shower gel. It was only a small account, no more than 50.000 Dollars, but in default of a soul the devil puts up with a fly. She needed all the money she could get. Angela leaned back in her chair, now a little more content than she was in the morning. Mona came in wagging with some documents in her hand.

"Look, Angela, Pechet Fragrances has already faxed the papers."

"Oh, good, I'll start the campaign now, even if it costs me a sleepless night and grey hair."

"Gee, Angela, you always dye your hair blond what does it matter if it's grey?" Mona couldn't stop teasing her.

"Oh, mother, please just go. Go to the hairdresser, to Bloomingdale's or whatever but don't get on my nerves."

Angela didn't want to waste her time with an argument. She grabbed the papers, put on her glasses and wasn't available for the rest of the work day. Absorbed in her work she didn't notice the late hour, but when the phone didn't stop ringing she interrupted her activity. She rose from her chair and went over to her mother's deck, marveled that the agency was completely empty. Checking her wristwatch she noticed it was already 6pm. Of course, she was alone. On Fridays the working time usually ended at 4.30pm. The phone stopped ringing. Only one more hour she promised herself. Taking an espresso from the machine she went back to her desk. Next time she got interrupted was from hard knocks at the outside door. She crossed the room and opened it. Tony stood outside with a careworn face.

"Angela, what are you doing here so long? I'm worried about you! I thought you were in an accident or something. Why didn't you call? You always do when it's getting late."

"Late? It can only be seven something."

"It's half past nine, Angela," Tony shook his head, "how can anyone lose time like this?"

"Oh my god, I'm sorry, I forgot time and space over this account but it's almost done." A loud rumble was heard. Angela held her hand over her stomach. "Oops, I forgot to eat as well. "

"Well, Angela, good that I'm here now," Tony said and pulled a basket from behind his back, "and I care for your well-being."

"Tony, you drove all the way from Fairfield to Manhattan to bring me some food? Why didn't you call me?"

"I did, but you didn't answer the phone, I only got the answering machine. Someone has to ensure that you're not going to starve here." Tony went over to Mona's desk which was empty except for the phone and three nail varnish bottles. He opened the basket and took out a white table cloth and a candlestick. He set the table and rolled over a second desk chair. The lighted candle and the now dimmed lights put the room in a romantic light.

"Tony, if I had known you would be here with a candlelight dinner tonight I would have chosen more appropriate clothes." Angela glanced down on her now wrinkled blouse and skirt.

"You look great like always. Antipasti?" Tony filled her plate with zucchini, tomatoes and eggplant.

"Tony, it smells heavenly, you should open a restaurant." Angela told him after tasting the Antipasti.

"No way."

"I thought you liked cooking," Angela was surprised. Maybe the housekeeper job wasn't so enjoyable for him.

"I do, but only for my family," he stood up and went over to the microwave to warm up the lasagna, "I don't like cooking for crowds."

"So what you are doing here is cooking for your family, or for your boss?" Angela questioned him.

"Maybe a little of both. Or none of those," Tony replied and looked in her eyes.

"How am I supposed to understand this?" Angela asked quietly although she was flustered inwardly by the strange look in his eyes.

"Maybe, we can call it… a date?" The last word came out almost inaudible.

"A date? Tony, we never had… a date." Angela blushed.

"That doesn't mean that we couldn't have one… now, "Tony looked into her eyes, "or do you have a better offer for tonight?"

"The only offer I have tonight comes from my bedroom. I'm tired but not too tired for a date with you," Angela admitted, secretly hoping that this date would be a real date.

Tony opened a bottle of "Micelli wine" and filled their glasses. He had ordered five wine cases from his Uncle Aldo in Italy. Aunt Rosa had sent them to him as a pre-wedding present due to his comment that he and Angela would possibly get married. Tony was in an embarrassment because he certainly could never take back the remarkable statement he'd made when he pushed his overbearing family out the front door after a one week visit in Angela's home. Thank god, Italy was 5000 miles far away. If it wasn't, his aunt would probably pull him by his ear down the aisle.

Angela relaxed in her chair. Maybe this was the right time for a serious conversation about future plans.

"Tony, can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything but I don't know whether I have the answers to all your questions."

"Ok, try this: Since you won the money you haven't told me anything about your plans. You can't be seriously considering staying my housekeeper forever. What about college? You played hooky a lot last week. Do you want to continue working on your degree?" The questions fired out of her mouth without thinking. They were in her head for so long and at last she hoped for an honest response. At first he didn't say a word, surprised by her direct queries. He was concerned that she seemingly believed he wouldn't complete his degree.

"Angela, I know I skipped classes this week but it happened so much at once. There were so many things to do and it was great for me to do something for my old friends. Ok, I bought this crazy car but is it that bad to accomplish a desire? I promise I'm not freaking out about this money thing. I'll attend lectures again next week, don't worry; you know I have an aim in view. I'll become a teacher, come what may." Tony filled her glass again with the dark red wine then he placed the bottle back in the cooler. He filled his own glass with mineral water because he wanted to drive home safely.

"But Tony, you can't clean our house in the long run; it will feel odd to give you your paycheck. It's … degrading." Angela looked down on the desk avoiding his glance.

"For whom? You or me?"

"For both of us."

"Angela, when I started working for you it felt odd for me taking a paycheck from a successful career woman, especially for housekeeping. People laughed at me, my buddies laughed at me even my Italian family laughed at me. The neighborhood talked about us, … but I don't care anymore. I'm above such things. They don't bother me," Tony put two fingers under her chin, "look at me, if I'm able to forget about what people are saying, I'm sure you'll be able, too. "

"I don't understand why they were talking about us that much. We don't do anything."

"Ang," Tony sighed in disbelieve of her naiveté, "they don't know that. You're a beautiful, successful, fantastic, funny and beautiful woman and I don't even look like the hunchback of Notre Dame. We are living under one roof."

"You said beautiful twice and you're cocky and vain."

"I always say it twice and I'm not cocky and vain. One more thing: Why should I stay in your house if you don't allow me to do the housework? Ouch. That came out wrong." I'm sorry, that's not what I wanted to say. It's only… if I stop working for you there'll be much more to talk about for people like Joanne Parker.

Angela swallowed hard. These weren't words she wanted to hear. Aghast, she felt tears coming into her eyes. Simply as it was, he was right. There was no reason for him to stay. Suddenly, she felt his hands on hers. Looking at him, she was touched by his soft glance.

"'I'm sorry, I don't want to let it sound like this. There are many, many specific reasons for me to stay, you know that. You… you wouldn't give me any reason to leave, would you?" he anxiously waited for her answer, "you don't misunderstood me, do you?"

"No, Tony, I… don't want you to leave… never," Angela whispered, "but I don't know if I can handle that, it feels so… surreal."

"Please, let's wait. We all need our time to get used to this," Tony pleaded with his eyes for her appreciation, "and our neighbors have to get used to it even if it isn't important to me what they will think."

"I'll wait, what choice do I have?" Angela had managed to fight back her tears and took a deep breath, "I still can't believe that you want to go on working for me. I don't know any men who would do that."

"I'm not "any men", I'm Tony," he stroked her hands to make sure that his earlier unwitting lapse was forgotten, "and I never want to make my date cry."

"I won't cry, I had a stressful day with that account from Geneviève. I want to edit it as soon as possible and hopefully I'll manage it tomorrow. You're still sure you want to help me? Meeting Amber again?"

"Of course, I'm sure. I want to know what's wrong with that girl. She must have the devil in her doing such things and I can't believe that she has so much criminal drive to come up with this on her own."

They talked and talked and at some time they stopped and made their way back home. Angela leaned her head on Tony's shoulder and was asleep after a few minutes. It was almost one in the morning when he pulled into the driveway. The outdoor lights were left on for them and made the house inviting. He didn't want to wake her up but when he moved she opened her eyes. They went out of the car and reached the front door. Angela turned around to him. They were standing close together.

"Tony, thank you for that wonderful dinner and … that you take care of me so much," she smiled at him and touched his hand, "it means a lot to me. You… mean a lot to me."

"So do you to me. Although I never had a date like this. Usually I don't talk about work and business with my dates, not that I date very often." To be precise, he hadn't dated for months.

"You're disappointed?"

"Not until now. And there is still a chance that I'll get what I usually get from my date."

"What exactly do you want to get from your date?"

"This."

He pulled her in his arms and looked in her warm brown eyes. Despite her tiredness she looked beautiful. There was no other place in the world he wanted to be at this moment. Holding her like this was a secret dream of him for years but he didn't dare to come too close to her when he was only a student and a housekeeper. For a short moment it occurred to him that money could change so much. It changed uncertainty to certainty in more than one way and that wasn't that bad.

Angela looked at him and her heart raced. Could this be the moment she waited so long for? Tony cupped her face with his hand and drew her closer, his other hand wrapped around her waist, never losing eye contact. Carefully he pressed his lips on hers. The kiss was soft and tender at first, but grew more deeply after seconds. He couldn't stop kissing her. Her smell was sweet and had a little taste of Micelli wine. Their tongues entwined almost by themselves. He stroked her back and pulled her more closely; his other hand was playing with her hair.

Angela was overwhelmed by her emotions and pressed herself to his muscular body, her arms around his neck. She had never been kissed like this before. Desire built up to intolerable dimensions. She never thought that feelings like this were possible.

Tony started kissing her neck and made his way to her earlobe. By nibbling on it Angela sighed which only intensified his longing for her. He never wanted a woman more than her right now. He wanted her for years. The headlamps from a passing car which shed light on the front door brought Tony back to reality. Making out at the outside door wasn't a good idea. He pulled back looking at her. Seeing confusion in her eyes made him uncertain again.

"Oh god, Angela, I don't know what came over me, I'm so… "Tony breathed heavily.

"Please, don't say the word when we did something we both wanted to happen," Angela took a step back from him, "you don't have to apologize for anything but we should go into the house."

Tony took the key out of his pocket and opened the door. They entered the living room both flustered from the change they were going through. Together, they climbed up the stairs quietly and carefully not to wake up anyone. When they stood in the middle of the hallway they stopped and looked in each other's eyes again. His heart started pounding again.

"Angela, you know what I want to do right now?" Tony swallowed at the sight of her beauty and her messy hair, "but we are not alone and…"

"Tony, we have all the time in the world," she came closer again and laid her hands on his shoulders, "I only want to make sure that we both want the same thing." She kissed him again, this time more tentatively; she didn't want to force things to something he didn't want to happen.

"Good night, Tony." Albeit grudgingly she let him go but held on his hands.

"Good night, Ang, and… I really, really liked our date." Tony kissed her again.

"So did I." Unwillingly he let her hands go.

"Sweet dreams."

"I'm sure I will."

Angela smiled and both turned to their bedroom doors.