Chapter 2: An Affair to Forget
The next morning, Tony and Angela woke up wrapped in each other's arms. Exhaustion was felt throughout their bodies as they discovered just how much they enjoyed losing themselves as friends. Once they were finally satisfied in every way that a couple can be satisfied, it was almost dawn. Despite only getting a few hours sleep, they felt rejuvenated.
"Good morning Angela…" he said as he wrapped his arms tighter around her body.
"Good morning to you too…" she said as she curled into his side even further.
"How did we wait this long to be together Tony? Seven years! Seven long, lonely years but last night more than made up for it!" she said.
"Hmm…" said Tony as he barely registered her voice.
"Tony? Are you alright? Tony?" asked Angela as she waved her hand in front of his face.
"Oh sorry Angela. I guess I'm not myself this morning" said Tony.
"Anything to do with what was said… and done last night?" chuckled Angela.
"Maybe a little…I couldn't sleep a wink last night. I couldn't stop thinking about you last night… finally nothing separating us!" he said as he leaned down for a kiss.
"Oh Tony it's so wonderful to finally be able to express how we feel! I've imagined being able to show… and tell you just how I was feeling for so long. Every stolen glance, accidental touch… I've wanted to tell you just how much I love you…" she said.
"Oh you ain't kidding Angela… you know… I'm so tired of keeping it bottled up. I mean I wanna shout it from the rooftops, I wanna tell it to the world… but I also want to keep it to ourselves, enjoy this for us if just for a little while" said Tony.
"I guess Tony… but at least we can tell the family…" said Angela.
"Family's the worst Angela! Who wants to live under a microscope? Besides… Mona already knew I was going to propose but she figures I blew it like usual and chickened out. Which means… no one will be suspecting anything until we are ready to tell them! It doesn't have to be forever, but I'd like to spend sometime just us!" said Tony.
"Well, when you put it that way… how can I say no?" she said seductively.
"You can't…" he said as he rolled them over and began celebrating their engagement all over again.
By mid-morning, after celebrating another two times, they showered and got ready. Tony had packed them an overnight bag in hopes of celebrating their engagement. They snuck back into the house but were pleasantly surprised to see no one was home.
"So we have the house to ourselves… any ideas how we could spend our time Angela?" he said with a smirk.
"You are Italian aren't you! Well as truly tempting as that offer is… I have to get some work done today…" she said with a laugh as she watched a pout form on his face.
"An-ge-la! I wanted us to spend the day together… then I'd cook us a romantic, candlelight dinner for two… then…" he said as he pulled her flush against him, allowing her to feel exactly what he indeed had planned for dessert.
"I'm supposed to have an advertising banquet tonight though… which I think I'll ask Mother to attend in my place" she said.
"What are you going to tell her?" asked Tony as his hands began to explore her body.
"Oh I'll think of something…" she said as her hands started an exploration of their own. Soon, they were coming close to needing to relocate themselves upstairs when they heard someone coming down the stairs. They quickly pulled apart, Angela taking off her engagement ring. Tony panicked and shoved Angela to the side, almost causing her to trip over the side table.
"You okay Mom?" asked Jonathan with concern in her voice.
"Yes sweetheart I'm fine… just a bit of a klutz I guess…" she said as she gave Tony a stare. He returned the glance with an apologetic look, mouthing the words 'I'm sorry'.
"So you've got plans tonight?" asked Tony.
"I've got a date tonight!" said Jonathan.
"Oh that's right! You have a date tonight Jonathan! Umm… listen Jonathan… You're mother and I have been talking and we decided that you're old enough to stay out until eleven… heck… make it midnight!" said Tony as Angela looked on in amusement.
"Really? Thanks guys! See you guys later!" he said as he walked out the front door.
"One down, one to go… just need to find Mona…" he said as he went in to kiss her. Again, they were interrupted by Mona walking through the swinging door. Angela knew better this time and practically jumped to the side before Tony could panic and shove her aside again.
Angela asked Mona to cover for her at the advertising banquet, making up some crazy story Tony could barely follow. He tried not to laugh out loud at how outlandish Angela sounded. He knew she was good at selling things, but this took that skill to a whole other level. Finally, after convincing Mona, she left to go back to her apartment.
"What was that Angela?" he asked with a laugh.
"Hey… we needed an excuse for me not to go and I gave you one! Quit your complaining!" she laughed.
"So you think they bought it? You really think we might have figured out a way to finally be alone?" he asked.
"I think so Tony… any ideas what you plan on making?" she asked.
"You mean aside from your wildest dreams come true?" asked Tony.
"Wow… you were saving that corny line for a while huh?" she laughed.
"Well just for that, I'll make you wait and see what I end up making!" laughed Tony.
"Well, at least let me know what you're doing for dessert…" she said with a smirk.
"I was thinking I'd leave that up to you Angela…" he said seductively.
"Well, if you're good… I'll tell you what's for dessert…" she said as she turned around and walked into her office, stopping before she got there to look over her shoulder and flip her hair, the way she knew it drove Tony crazy.
"There goes my diet!" he chuckled as he headed into the kitchen to start their dinner.
Angela spent the rest of the afternoon in her study, finishing up some last minute work. Truth be told, she would have been done hours earlier if her mind hadn't almost constantly wandered to thoughts of Tony and their new found relationship and of course the physical side to their relationship. She finally allowed herself to start thinking about their wedding, envisioning Tony in a tuxedo standing at the altar. It was a miracle she got any work done at all.
She packed away her work and headed back into the kitchen, the aroma of the food Tony was preparing enticing her into the room. Tony cut her off before she could come in.
"Now no peeking Angela!" said Tony as he gently nudged her out of the kitchen.
"No fair! That smells delicious!" she said as she tried to look over his shoulder.
"It will be ready in about an hour. Just enough time for us to get ready. Make sure that ring is back on that finger missy… I want us to be able to officially celebrate our engagement!" he said as he lifted her hand and kissed her ring finger.
"You know… we could save time and water by showering together…" she said as she took a step towards him, coming within a few inches of his body. He let out an audible gulp as his face started turning red.
"Never mind… I guess I'll just have to shower by myself…" she said coyly as she started to walk away from him. She let out a laugh when he started to chase her through the living room and up the stairs.
An hour later, after opting to get ready separately or risk never leaving the room for the rest of the night, they headed downstairs, Tony coming down first and heading into the kitchen to finish off dinner. Tony was dressed in a suit and tie, while Angela opted for a black cocktail dress that hugged her body in all the right places according to Tony. Angela walked through the door as Tony was taking the meal out of the oven.
"Ok now will you tell me what you made?" she asked as she came over to see the food.
"Duck a l'orange, roasted vegetables and a salad!" he said as he showed her the food.
"Oh Tony! That looks delicious! I can't wait!" she said.
Just then Samantha walked in the back door, nearly causing Tony to drop the duck. He started to panic, thinking their night was ruined, when Angela came up with yet another lie about a potluck dinner they were attending. Tony stopped trying to keep up with all her lies, silently amused at her ability to be so nonchalant about it. Whatever lie she told, Samantha bought it and left to go to the movies.
"Nice one Angela! Do you lie like that often? Wait… do you?" he asked as the thought maybe she lied to him this easily started to formulate in his mind.
"Whatever do you mean? I think the duck is getting cold Tony… and remember… it's my pick for dessert…" she said as she grabbed the salad and headed out into the living room. Tony could only picture the dozens of ways his 'dessert' could play out as he quickly grabbed the rest of the food and headed to join Angela.
"Oh Tony! You have really outdone yourself!" she said as she sat down and unfolded the napkin in her lap.
"Oh not really… it's just a little, simple dinner at home…" he said as he used the remote to play the music from the stereo. He also dimmed the lights, a cocky smirk forming on his face as the room grew dimmer. His final touch, the curtains closing on the clapper, caused her to laugh. He grabbed the bottle of champagne and poured them each a glass.
"Here's to us Angela. We've waited seven long, lonely years for it to finally be our time. To know you will soon make me the happiest man alive by marrying me… it fills my heart with so much joy and love… I love you Angela…" he said as he clinked her glass with his, each taking a sip.
"That was beautiful Tony! I can't wait to marry you too! But first… I want to try this delicious smelling dinner!" she said as Tony started to serve the food.
"Oh Tony… this is absolutely delicious!" she said as she tried the food.
"You like it Angela? It was a new recipe. Well not really new… I always wanted to try it after that Roberto or Robert or Robbie… whatever his name was… made it for your date with what's his name when we first moved in!" laughed Tony.
"Oh wow… Mitch from Boston… I had all but forgotten about him! I don't think I ever told you about this, but once he showed up… I was so disappointed. I had much more fun with you…" she said.
"I wish he hadn't shown up either. It was the first time I really considered acting on my… ya know my feelings for you… I even started preparing a nightcap for us but I chickened out…" he said.
"I know neither of us was ready for a relationship back then but I was definitely feeling the attraction that night too…" she said as she continued eating.
"We might have taken the long road to get here Angela, but it was worth it to be sitting here with you" he said as he leaned over and kissed her.
They enjoyed the rest of their meal, finishing off the champagne. Tony quickly cleaned up the table and joined Angela on the sofa where Angela proceeded to start to show him what was for dessert. Just then, they heard a car pull up. Initially they opted to ignore it, but soon curiosity got the best of them and they looked out the window just in time to see Mona walking up the path, shopping bags in hand. They quickly ran to Angela's study to hide. Unfortunately, running in the heals Angela was wearing proved challenging as she slipped as she was rounding the living room chair. She had a fleeting thought her ankle would most definitely hurt in the morning.
Once Mona tipped the cab driver and revealed she skipped out on banquet, Tony did everything in his power to subdue a rage filled Angela. He silently cursed Mona for ruining their romantic night; even if they were able to eat dinner, he was really, really looking forward to dessert. They were just about to head back to the sofa as Tony had calmed her back down until they heard voices at the front door. They ran into the side closet just in time to see Jonathan come into the house with his date. Tony really couldn't be mad since he was doing just what Jonathan was doing, however he had to admit not nearly as well.
"Tony we need to get out of here…" she said as she tried to straighten his shirt and tie.
"We can't stay in the house if Romeo and Juliet out there will be here… where should we go?" he asked as he tried to remove himself from the drapery attachment.
"How about we go for a drive and try to figure it out in the car" she said. They nodded in agreement and snuck out of the closet. He grabbed his wallet and keys and they headed out the door.
"Where should we go? Back to the hotel?" she asked.
"Nah… they might give us looks signing in again for just the night! I might even have to sign in under a fake name!" he chuckled.
"How about we drive up to that secluded spot by the lake? We can park the car right up to the water's edge. It will be magical…" she said.
"Sound perfect Angela!" he said as he drove off in the direction of the lake. Soon, he parked the car along the water's edge and sat back in his seat.
"Aren't you glad I bought you these seat covers? No more sweat stains!" he laughed.
"I wouldn't mind breaking into a sweat Tony… you know… finally showing you what's for dessert… unless you want to just admire the view" she said coyly as she started to pull back from leaning over to Tony's side of the car.
"An-ge-la… we've seen the view before… I'd much rather see the beautiful view in front of me…" he said as he leaned over to nuzzle in her ear.
"Hmmm… we could let this happen at it's own time and place… let things evolve naturally…" she said with a smirk as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek.
"After all, a fine wine needs to be aged before it's uncorked…" he said as his lips found a sensitive spot behind her ear.
"Patience is the key…" she said as she let out a deep, satisfied sigh.
"I'm ready to be uncorked Angela…" he said as he leaned over the console and started ravishing her in the front seat of the Jaguar. Their passion for one another took over so much so that Tony didn't even realize his foot hit the parking break until it was too late and they were headed for the water. Terror at their situation soon turned into frustration as they realized the car was stopped in the shallow end of the lake, avoiding a very dangerous situation, but far enough in to total the car.
As Tony slowly got out of the Jaguar and waded into the waist deep water, he helped Angela out and headed to the shore. A young couple who happened to be walking by called to them and let them know they were calling for help. They walked up to the edge of the water and both sat down.
"Did that really just happen?" asked Tony, still in shock and disbelief.
"Yes that really happened… my Jaguar is ruined! All because we wanted to hide the best thing that's happened to us? What were we thinking?" she asked rather rhetorically.
"I'm sorry Angela… I just wanted this to be between us for a while but you're right… I think the universe was trying to tell us something tonight… we shouldn't hide us anymore. We should tell everyone, starting with the family when we get home" he said as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer.
"That sounds like a plan. At least by tonight we will be out in the open!" she said as she snuggled even closer to him.
Soon the police officer came to do his report and start the process of getting the car towed. He gave them each a blanket, which they readily accepted as the temperature was starting to get chilly for a late September evening. The officer offered to give them a ride home, which they readily agreed to, not wanting to have the family come and see the scene- they were embarrassed enough as it was, adding a Mona comment to the mix would only make it so much worse.
Tony thanked the police officer for dropping them off at home. He provided them with all the accident paperwork as they headed to the door. Once they opened the door, they were pleasantly surprised to see Mona, Samantha and Jonathan all sitting on the sofa, engrossed in a movie.
"You guys are home late… for the two of you that is…" said Mona. An argument ensued as all of the lies Angela told that day came undone. Finally, three sets of eyes focused on Tony and Angela, angry at first until they saw the blankets still wrapped around them.
"So what gives? And why do you have blankets?" asked Jonathan.
"So we were in a little accident earlier tonight. It's no big deal but the Jaguar ended up in the lake… we are both fine" said Angela.
"Oh no the Jag…" said Samantha as she shook her head.
"How on earth did the Jaguar end up in the lake?" asked Mona.
"You know… one of my friends had something similar happen to them but they were in the car making out when her foot hit the…" she started until the realization of her words hit her, along with Mona and Jonathan.
"Nothing happened…" said Angela.
"We'll get back into that car until it does!" shouted Mona.
"Look… it's not like that. We wanted some alone time so we made up some stories, which backfired when you all ended up in the house, so we snuck out to have some privacy" said Tony. Mona raised an eyebrow, wondering if he had planned to take her there to propose and more importantly if he was able to do so before they ended up in the lake.
"And…" said Mona, hoping he didn't chicken out once again.
"So the thing is… I love Angela!" he said, the smile growing on both of their faces now that it was finally out in the open.
"So?" said Samantha.
"No, you don't understand… see I love Angela. We are in love… together…" he said as he pulled her close to his side.
"And there's more…" Angela started to say as she pulled out her left hand from behind the blanket to reveal her engagement ring. Jonathan and Samantha were momentarily stunned into silence as they looked at the ring and then between each of their parents. Finally, their excitement came through as they wrapped their parents in a hug.
"It's about time you too! Congratulations you guys! And Tony… no returns- she's your problem now!" laughed Mona.
"Thank you Mother…" she said with slight irritation, which was only momentarily present in her voice as the excitement of finally letting everyone know about their love and engagement returned.
"So we would love to talk more about everything, but we should really get out of these wet clothes before either one of us gets sick. I'll make us all a big breakfast in the morning!" he said as he started to head up the stairs, putting his arm on the lower part of Angela's back as they took the first few steps up the stairs.
"In case I have a nightmare in the middle of the night, whose room should I go to?" quipped Mona. They stood frozen on the stairs, both turning back to give her a glare.
"What? Inquiring minds want to know…" said Mona. Samantha just rolled her eyes, while Jonathan made gagging noises.
"Goodnight Mother…" she said as they walked up the stairs and into Angela's bedroom, making sure the door was shut tightly behind them.