You´re sure it´s love?
Chapter 3
"Compromise?" Angela looks at him confused.
Tony smiles cautiously "yes kind of a compromise, hey I have no idea how long it will take
until I find a job, jobs don't grow on trees either, especially not ones that pay so well"
He winks at her.
"Tony.." she rolls her eyes and wipes the tears from her cheeks.
"We'll get through it somehow, and believe me, you're not going to lose me! So, I'm
Here now, what would you like to eat?"
Angela frowns and points to the kitchen clock. "Sorry Tony, nothing, I have to go to work!" "ok..." He looks slightly disappointed, then he has an idea "Should I drive you? You're like that late, then I could drive the Jaguar into the inspection right away...". He looks at her and waits looking forward to her reply. "Ok..." she says.
10 minutes later they leave and after a while they have arrived at the agency. You can tell that Tony has a guilty conscience when he carries her briefcase up to the office and stops grinning in the room. Like a little butler.
"Thank you, Tony," Angela says to him and takes the briefcase from him. She gives him a quick kiss on the cheek, which she doesn't think about at this moment, and says goodbye. Tony stands there as if rooted to the ground. A slight tingling sensation comes over him. Even though this little kiss was so fleeting, it means something to him. He feels a strange feeling. It's as if he's suddenly torn. Is he doing the right thing? Does Angela feel anything for him? He'll never know, and if he does, she's in a different league.
Thoughtfully, he walks down the stairs. He gets into the car and drives to the car-workshop.
There he waits until the inspection has been carried out. He is torn out of his thoughts when the mechanic speaks to him, "the brake pads should be replaced, otherwise everything is tip-top.
"Ok, then I'll leave the car here, here again the number, please call when the car is ready"
The car mechanic nods.
Tony takes the train home. Once there, he takes care of the dishes and laundry.
Dishes and laundry... It echoes in his head as he thinks of Angela's words. How can she say he doesn't need her anymore? His family! Angela! And how he needs them.
Why is everything so complicated?
When he has done the housework, he cooks the food. He is lost in thought when the doorbell rings. Tony puts the wooden spoon aside, goes into the living room and opens the door.
„Hey Tony Baby"
"Frankie..." He says surprised.
She goes inside and presses a big kiss on his mouth.
"Hey, everything alright?" She notices that he's not quite on the job. She takes off her coat and lays it over the chair and then sits down on the couch. Then she taps the sits next to her with one hand and gives Tony the signal to sit down next to her.
Frankie takes his hand, "Tony, what's wrong? You're kind of far away with your thoughts?"
Tony looks at her sadly.
In the meantime, Sam comes in the front door, but the two don't notice it immediately.
"Oh Frankie, it's not that easy for me...I have to put all this behind me. I like it here, you know. It's a new life change for me and for Sam even though we both get married..."
"Get married? You two want to get married?" Sam is frightened out of her school books.
Tony stands up, startled. "Sam hey...um, yes...that's what we want," he says and walks over to her. Sam takes a step back. "Dad?! I can't leave here! I don't want to leave here. It's like in my dream! What about school and my friends? What about Mona and Jonathan and what about Angela? Don't you care?"
"Oh hey no Sam, of course i care... hey"
"Oh man..!" Sam angrily runs up the stairs.
Tony turns to Frankie, "well, that went really well," he says in a sarcastic undertone. He is about to run upstairs to Sam when Frankie stops him. "Let me do this Tony, I'm talking to her. From woman to woman ok". She pats Tony's hand and then goes upstairs.
Frankie knocks on Sam's bedroom door.
"Go away!" shouts Sam.
Frankie, however, refuses to be dissuaded and cautiously enters the room.
"I said go away!" she turns around and sees that it's Frankie and not her father. "Oh ... hey Frankie.."
"Hey Sam, may I sit down?" asks Frankie.
Sam shrugs. Frankie sits down next to Sam and looks around. "Wow, you really have a nice room. As a little girl, I always dreamed of a room like this. But my parents would never have been able to afford such a thing..."
Sam looks at her and then asks, "And you really want to get married?"
"Yes. That's what we want. But your blessing is still missing. That's very important to us, Sam. And you don't have to worry, you can stay here for the time being. I think it would be a bit too much. A new school, new friends, a new home and a new family. "
"I already have a family Frankie, Mona, Jonathan and Angela."
She takes Sam's hand in hers. "Yes, Sam, I know, but this isn't real family, you know. Angela and Tony are boss and employee and you live here because your father works here. But that's about to change. You deserve a real family. A normal family! And maybe my new friend?" Frankie nudges her with her shoulder on Sam's shoulder.
Sam looks sadly at the floor. She knows what Frankie means, but she also knows that the Bower family is like a normal family to her. And she doesn't want to change that. But it is also important to her that her father is happy and finally finds a wife again.
"Frankie, do you love my dad?"
Frankie looks at Sam questioningly, because she didn't expect this question. "Yes, of course Sam!"
"And does my dad love you too?"
Frankie pauses for a moment, because she hasn't really heard the words `I love you` from Tony yet. "Yes...yes he loves me".
Sam gets up and goes to the window, she looks outside. "Do you have such a beautiful view in your house?"
Frankie stands up and stands next to Sam. "Yes, i have, I have a small garden behind the house, you can look out directly from your room."
"And do you have a basketball hoop in your driveway?"
"A basketball hoop? No, not yet, but that can be changed" She puts her hand on Sam's shoulder.
Sam turns to her, "Can I visit Angela as often as I want? She's very important to me, you know, she's always been like my mom..."
Frankie looks at her sadly, she knows that she will never take Marie's or Angela's place "of course you can, as long as Angela has time".
Sam quickly replies, "Angela will always have time for me, Frankie! It is important to me that my father is happy. It was him with my mum. Very much so, and here too. He's happy here with Angela and the others, I don't want him to be unhappy!"
"Sam, don't worry, he will, I promise you, he wouldn't want to marry me if he wasn't happy, would he?"
Sam shrugs her shoulders again. "Ok, I still have schoolwork to do".
"Ok Sam, thank you for listening to me then I'd rather leave you alone, if you want you can come with me tomorrow and then look at your new room".
"OK..." Sam says slightly dismissive but still friendly.
Frankie says goodbye and goes downstairs. She looks around and looks for Tony. She hears him in the kitchen and goes to him.
She watches him cook and sits down on the chair where Angela usually bursts when she talks to Tony.
"I talked to her," she says to get Tony's attention, who turns to her.
"Yes? What does she say?"
"I think she's happy for now, she had some worries but I was able to talk to her about it. I'm a stepmother by birth, but in a good way," she laughs out loud.
Tony frowns. And turns around again. He stirs the stew and then puts the lid on the pot.
He doesn't know what to say. Angela would never have made such a statement...why does he have to think of Angela right now? He's going to marry Frankie soon, so he'll actually have to get used to the idea that Frankie will be Sam's stepmother. A strange thought. Angela has somehow always taken Marie's role as a surrogate mother well, she was always there for Sam and helped her. Angela is an important person in Sam's life. And also in his life...
He shakes his head to shake out the thoughts before they go too deep and become too emotional.
He sits down with Frankie at the table. She takes his hand. She leans over for a kiss but they are interrupted. Angela comes into the kitchen. She stops for a moment when she sees the two of them sitting at the table holding hands and gives them a disparaging look without the two noticing.
"Oh Hey Angela!" Tony quickly lets go of Frankie's hand and quickly gets up from the table.
"I've cooked minestrone, it's already ready, sit down. I let Sam know that the meal is ready, Jonathan is having lunch at his friend Peter's place today" Tony seems a little nervous.
Angela is still standing in the doorway when Frankie gets up and says goodbye to Tony with a small kiss on the mouth, but he doesn't really return the kiss.
"See you tomorrow Tony," she says fleetingly, and then leaves.
Angela looks after Frankie for a moment. And then tosses her hair back as if to say- yes go ,quiet now I'm back here in my territory.
She walks over to the table and sits down. Tony calls Sam to dinner, who quickly dashes down the stairs and sees Angela already sitting at the table. Sam smiles at her.
Tony takes the small soup bowl out of the cupboard and arranges the food. He sits down with Angela and Sam and wishes them a good appetite.
At this moment you don't notice anything about the plans tony has, that he and Sam are going to move out soon, and that he is going to marry Frankie, it's all the same as always.
Everyone smiles at each other and chats animatedly. Tony's thoughts are completely free. He watches Angela as she gestures wildly with her hands as she tries to explain something to Sam and then Sam laughs out loud. ...what a wonderful woman...she is so good to Sam. It's good for her, it's so beautiful. I hope it will be the same with Frankie...
"Or Tony?
It pulls him out of his thoughts again
"Excuse me?"
"The basketball game, back then, me with my red glitter dress and you in the suit, when we played basketball, I think I would have easily beaten you!" says Angela haughtily. Sam claps loudly and laughs, "I would have loved to see that".
"You think you hit me?" says Tony. He points his index finger first at Angela, then at himself.
"Yes!" replies Angela, louder.
„YOU? Oh yeah? Well, we'll see. I challenge you here to take revenge on Angela Bower!"
"Tony, but?" she says in a shrill voice.
"No, no, no but, just the way you are, let's go out and play basketball!"
Angela looks down at herself, she is still wearing her orange blazer, blouse and pencil skirt from work.
"Ok….um…, I'll take the challenge!"
"It's going to be fun, I'm the referee," Sam says lukewarmly and claps his hands.
Everyone stands up. Sam fetches the basketball and Angela and Tony go outside.
They are ready when Sam comes out with the ball.
"Ok Angela, 5 baskets, fast round, then we'll see if you can beat me so easily".
"5 baskets? I raise by 10! It's not supposed to be a game for toddlers!" She sticks her tongue out at him.
She kicks her pumps off her feet, pulls up her skirt slightly and stands on silk stockings ready to finish Tony off.
He is enraptured by the sight, but tries to clear his head ... ok Micelli, that's a trick just don't let yourself be upset...
"Ok ready, aaand let's go!" Sam throws the ball high in the air and Tony is faster and grabs the ball. He dribbles off but is then slightly pushed aside by Angela, she waves back and forth and then quickly grabs the ball, she dribbles once or twice and then throws at the basket. The ball ends up in the basket.
Angela performs a dance of joy on "ha ha ha ha, first point for me".
"That was pure luck Angela, just wait!"
Tony gets the ball, he dribbles and then throws at the basket from long range and also scores. His second shot also ends up in the basket. He looks at Angela with a big grin.
"Well, Angela..." he says, Angela quickly grabs the ball, starts dribbling, Tony tries to attack her from behind and reaches around her with both arms. He enjoys her brief closeness, as much as she does.
She dribbles on, bending lower, Tony is momentarily distracted because her skirt slides higher and Angela sinks the next hit into the basket.
"Have you been practicing secretly?" he asks in astonishment and stops. "You're not fighting fairly".
Angela knows what Tony's allusion is all about and grins cheekily.
Sam cheers Angela on, then Tony, always taking turns.
It's getting dark and the lights on the street are coming on.
They continue to play for quite a while. Tony is two baskets ahead. Sam starts yawning.
"Hey guys, can you work this out between yourselves, the referee is really tired and has to go to bed!" she says and quickly scurries back into the house.
Angela and Tony stand silent. They look at each other questioningly. Tony looks at the ball, then to the basket and sprints off, Angela had the same thought and runs quickly to the ball. She grabs it and holds it very close to her body. Tony is behind her and tries to steal the ball from her. He reaches around her with his arms. She leans forward. "No no Tony, that's my ball, you won't get it!"
"Ange, give me the ball" (this is the first time he abbreviates her name).
She grins and enjoys the closeness and attention she gets from him at this moment. She will probably never be so close to him again, she has to take advantage of that.
He clings to her like a monkey and tries everything possible to get the ball.
Her tightness excites him easily and he lets go of her. He clears his throat briefly. "Um, ok...can we continue to play normally now so that I can finally defeat you?" he says scornful.
"Oh yes...well, come and get the ball!" she says, mocking him.
He bites his lip and goes back to her. She holds the ball all the way up and stands on her tiptoes. He stretches his arms up for the ball. She dances around him, back and forth, until he holds her by the hips, squeezes her tighter and suddenly pulls her very close to him. "Angela...give me the ball," he says in a whisper. His face very close to hers. She didn't expect this gesture at all. Her heart is pounding wildly. She didn't expect this reaction and lets the ball fall to the side in fright. They stay like this for a short time.
Tony would love to kiss her right now.
Their lips are only a few inches apart.
Both feel each other's warm breath.
Both are thinking exactly the same thing...should I kiss him/her now?...