Chapter 38: Do You Think Jack's Cute?

"I swear," Sam said shaking her head. "How on earth you all managed to go seven years as friends, or actually I would say, knowing what we all know now, more like friends with occasional benefits, is beyond me! To think that you all shared a bed 'platonically' like four or five times before you ever officially got together is something!"

"Well," Angela said feeling the heat rush to her cheeks. "It might have been a few more times, but I don't think we need to go into those details. Remember what we said when we started this trip down memory lane; some things are off limits."

"Wait, Mom, there's more?" Jonathan asked his eyes wide. "Not that we need to know all the details but when else? I mean, we know you didn't, even when you could have. You know once you actually got together, but I think I'm jumping ahead a little."

Angela looked at Tony who was looking back at her with a bemused look on his face. Jonathan was about to open the can of worms of what had happened between them after that fateful night at the carnival, but there had been so much that had taken place before then to push them towards that memorable night that changed everything. All the little stops and starts, and as Sam had said, their little dalliances of being "friends with benefits" helped them scratch that itch that kept popping up over the years.

Tony cleared his throat and said, "Well, do you all remember Angela's co-worker Jack? The guy who did the magic tricks?"

"Yeah, he worked for Angela for a long time and was kinda cute in a nerdy sort of way," Sam said thinking back. "What about him?"

"Well, let's just say that I thought there was more than meets the eye to his relationship with Angela when she first hired him," Tony continued as he threw Angela a glance just in time to see her cover her mouth trying not to laugh.

He remembered how heightened yet mixed up his feelings were for Angela at that point. It was no wonder with everything they'd been through, especially those last few months: their late-night prom make-out session followed by Angela's confession of "I love you" in her sleep that led to their roundabout conversation, in the tiki bar, about their "feelings" and then the frat party debacle.

They seemed to have developed some kind of silent understanding through all of that that neither one of them would date anyone seriously; not that either of them wanted to. So that's why it threw Tony for a loop when he saw the rapport that Angela and Jack developed right off the bat. At first, he tried to convince himself that Jack was maybe after The Bower Agency, but little by little, seeing how they interacted together chipped away at that theory. When Mona told him that Angela and Jack were spending the night in the City at The Plaza, he had to find out for himself if Angela was really willing to throw away everything they had built up over the past five years.

How relieved he had been when Jack had opened the hotel room door with his girlfriend Carol, not Angela, at his side. His ears started to burn as he remembered the conversation that he and Angela had over coffee after she had built back up his confidence by saying, with that sexy smile of hers, that hiring him was the best move she ever made. Tony's thoughts drifted back to their discussion once they had found a 24-hour diner and settled into a little plastic booth.

"Can you believe it, Tony? Carol actually thinking that Jack and I are sleeping together?" Angela said shaking her head with a bemused smile on her face.

With a sigh, Tony leaned back and said sheepishly, "Well, actually she wasn't the only one."

"What?" Angela said her eyes growing wide. "You really thought that? Why would I do that when I have everything I need at home? Umm, I mean, I'm much too busy to think about dating right now and would never date an employee. That is, I mean, an employee at The Bower Agency. Never mind. Let's just say that I'm not looking for anything more than what I already have," she finished softly forcing herself to look at Tony.

Tony reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "Angela, it's ok. I understand, and I'm sorry I ever thought that. I let my insecurities get the better of me," he said quietly.

Angela squeezed his hand in return before suggesting they head back to the hotel since it was getting late. By the time they walked back, it was almost midnight, and Tony would never forget what happened next.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight," Tony said as he turned to give her a quick hug.

"Tony, wait. It's late and a long drive back to Fairfield. Why don't you just stay here tonight?" Angela asked softly; biting her lip.

"Here? In your hotel room?" Tony asked to make sure he understood what she was saying.

"Well, yes. I mean we're best friends, and I don't want my best friend driving home in the middle of the night especially when I can tell he's tired," Angela said giving him a look.

Tony couldn't deny that it had been a long day, actually a long couple of days, and he hadn't slept well with his mind in turmoil over what he thought was going on between Angela and Jack.

Slowly he nodded his head and said, "Ok; I am somewhat beat and could use a good night's sleep."

The next thing he knew, they were in Angela's hotel room as she closed and locked the door behind them. Even though they were at The Plaza, it was a fairly ordinary room with a king-size bed, a small sitting sofa and a desk and chair.

"I'll just take the sofa," Tony said quickly to avoid any awkwardness.

"Tony, that sofa is barely big enough for a child to sleep on let alone an adult," Angela said rolling her eyes. "We managed to share a bed just a couple of weeks ago, so I think we can do it again."

Tony nodded without pointing out the obvious. That a couple of weeks ago Angela had been blasted and not feeling well and as she had pointed out, he would never take advantage of a situation like that. But now, they were both stone-cold sober in a hotel room far away from the family. But, he was willing to give it a try if she was.

While she got ready in the bathroom, Tony pulled off his sweater and jeans leaving just his undershirt and boxers and slipped into the bed under the covers. He groaned inwardly when Angela came out of the bathroom wearing her satin blue nightgown that left very little to the imagination. And judging by the way she kept glancing at him and then looking away, she was starting to second guess this decision.

"Ay-oh-oh-ay, it's just us Angela. Two best friends making the best of this situation," Tony said trying to lighten the mood. "And I know we're both tired."

"You're right," Angela answered quickly slipping under the covers before turning off the bedside lamp that had been softly lighting the room. Somehow, once the room was engulfed in darkness, that seemed to relax both of them.

"Goodnight Angela," Tony said softly.

"Goodnight, Tony," Angela said turning on her side away from him. Suddenly, she wasn't feeling as tired as she had been a few minutes ago, and she couldn't help as a giggle escaped when she thought about the fact that Tony had really thought she might be lying in a hotel bed in this hotel with Jack of all people.

"Angela, what's that for?" Tony asked immediately.

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking about you thinking I might be lying here in bed with Jack, and I couldn't help it," she said biting back another giggle that was percolating at the back of her throat.

"Oh yeah?" Tony asked as he reached out playfully to grab her shoulder and turn her towards him. "What can I say? I have an active imagination."

"What else have you imagined?" Angela asked realizing as soon as the words were out of her mouth that they sounded a lot more flirtatious than she'd intended.

Tony raised his eyebrow slightly before leaning forward to capture her lips. "This…"

In an instant, their bodies were drawn towards each other as their teeth and tongues crashed together. Soon Tony's hand had pulled down a sleeve of her nightgown and scooped out one of her breasts. He had just started to lightly tease her nipple with his tongue when Angela abruptly sat up, pushed him away slightly and turned the lamp back on.

"Tony, I know things are all mixed up and confused between us, maybe even more so than they've ever been, but I'm still afraid of what could happen if we go down this road and things don't work out. I feel like we're closer than we've ever been, and I don't want to lose that. Ever."

With a sigh, Tony nodded and said, "I know Angela, and I get it. We keep finding ourselves in these situations. Maybe it is fate pushing us together, yet we both don't want to lose what we have. We keep walking this tightrope, and once in a while, we fall off, but we get back on. And, for now, it's probably where we still belong. You're the best friend I've ever had, and I know I still need that especially as I figure out my future."

Back on his side of the bed, Tony reached for Angela's hand and gave it a squeeze. She squeezed back before turning the lamp off again. With a final goodnight, Tony remembered that they did finally manage to fall asleep albeit restlessly.

"I can't believe that you thought Angela was having an affair with Jack!" Sam said rolling her eyes. "And, of course, yet again, that you all ended up in a bed together, in a hotel of all places, especially so soon after Angela's drunken escapade. I really have no words other than again, how did it take seven years?"

"Oh wait," Sam said smacking her hand upside her head. "Wasn't it just a little bit after that when you all went to St. Louis for Dad's baseball reunion? There's no way nothing happened there."

Angela looked over at Tony and smiled. Sam was right; there really was no way that nothing had happened in St. Louis…