It's been a while! I'm afraid I'm terribly behind on reading all of the what I'm sure are amazing fics that pop up in my email alerts as well as even attempting to write for this fandom. I miss you all! When the Facebook group presented the #wtbfanficwriterschallenge2023 I thought it might be the perfect thing to help pull me out of my writing funk. This prompt is from Renata:

How did Tony know Angela loved pink roses? We know she mentioned it once but when exactly? And what were his thoughts when he heard her say that?

My mind went straight to Jonathan Plays Cupid...

Angela and Tony sat back in their chairs as the waiter walked away from their table. Tonight hadn't turned out as either of them had imagined, but they couldn't complain about the company even if this was no longer a Valentine's Day date – or a date at all.

"I still don't know what Michael was thinking," Angela said. "Does he really think setting us up on a blind date and paying for a gourmet meal might possibly lead to us getting married? To you adopting Jonathan?"

Tony shrugged. "Stranger things have happened."

"It's more that I'm struggling to picture him thinking all of this through. Why would he think there's an interest between us? He's a spur-of-the-moment kind of guy, not a schemer."

"I dunno. It seemed to me that the whole custody thing with Jonathan had been thought out."

Her face tensed at the memory. "Only the legal aspect. He didn't think for a second about the difficult side of parenting. He's only ever known what it's like to be the fun parent."

"Maybe that's part of all this tonight. He still loves Jonathan even if he isn't cut out to be a full-time parent. He still cares about you. Who knows, maybe he saw us out in LA and got the wrong idea. Maybe this is about making sure Jonathan is taken care of."

Twisting her lips, Angela said with a hum, "I don't know, Tony. It's a little bit strange to think about my ex-husband going to such lengths to see me matched up with another man. I mean, this goes farther than supporting one enough."

"Ah, maybe you're right. Must be pity."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks."

"Hey, if you're gonna be pitied it might as well be in a French restaurant, right?"

Fiddling with the stem of the rose she'd brought with her, she regained her amusement in the situation as she nodded.

"Who gave you that?" Tony questioned, just noticing the flower now.

"Guess."

"Well," he hmphed. "We know who the favorite is."

"I better be!"

"But he wants me to adopt his son."

The absurdity of the situation hit her again and she laughed. "Maybe I can coerce the maître d' into giving me Michael's credit card number so we can buy you a rose on the way home."

"You probably could. Seems like an easy sell."

She laughed again.

"Nah but really, It should'a been me bringing you roses."

"You thought you'd been invited to dinner."

"Yeah, but if I'd known it was you I would'a been more of a gentleman."

"Because I sign your paychecks?"

"No," he quickly corrected. "You're a classy lady is all. But yeah… I guess also because you're… who you are. There's nothin' wrong with a friend acknowledging a friend on Valentine's Day."

"That's so sweet."

"Too bad this isn't a real date. Then I'd really be laying it on."

Angela shook her head though she smiled. "And to think I was just considering giving you this rose to return the sentiment."

"It's yours," he said in all seriousness. "Every woman should be given a red rose on Valentine's Day."

"I agree," she teased despite his genuine tone. "Although, I've always been partial to pink roses."

"Yeah?"

"Figures. I've told Michael that a dozen times. He never could remember."

"Maybe he didn't want you to catch on."

"Maybe."

A lull passed over them as Tony pondered her words until he accidentally mused aloud, "Pink roses, huh?"

"Yes," she replied with a note of question in her voice."

"I'll have to remember that."

"For our next blind date?"

"Yeah, sure," Tony chuckled as the waiter returned with their first course. The topic of conversation changed with it, but in the back of his mind, he was promising himself never to overlook this detail about Angela as Michael had. Lately, he found it to be instinctive to collect these bits of information about her. It wasn't at all conscious, but he felt like it was important even if for nothing more than to find an opportunity to make her smile.

Angela likes pink roses. He repeated the words silently.

Maybe next year…