Chapter 4
Tony took a deep breath as his entire three year plus relationship with Angela seemed to flash before his eyes:
- her opening the door to him that first morning in a well-worn pink bathrobe, her hair wrapped in that ratty towel
- his declaration, late that first night, about never sleeping with his employer, followed by their "Crunchy Crawlers" conversation the next morning
- seeing Angela stark naked only a week later (a beautiful image he knew he would never forget!)
- watching her get down and dirty fighting with Teresa (to defend his honor, no less!)
- their forced dinner together that opened his eyes to Angela as potentially more than just his boss
- her unwavering support as she helped him clean out his father's apartment, followed by their flirtatious dancing of The Lindy on Christmas
- Angela's unbelievable kindness in being there for Sam and him as his daughter turned into a young woman
- their first fight which was over the newly painted red Jag (to this day, it was still apparent that he'd made the right decision by how unbelievably sexy Angela looked when she was driving it)
- the disbelief when Michael "asked" him to leave, followed by the relief when Michael asked him to come back and "take care of" Angela
- waking up with Angela in Sam's bed, feeling like it was a glimpse into their future
- their drunken first kiss in the kitchen, he could still feel the taste of her lips on his
- discovering that they were also each other's first kiss as teenagers (well, he was 11!), followed by doing everything they could that night at the motel to keep from doing the one thing they both wanted to do
- becoming closer as they fought Michael for custody of Jonathan
- the slow realization that what he wanted in a woman was right in front of him
- their flirtatious and fun Valentine's Day dinner, courtesy of Mr. (Jonathan) Bower, where it became obvious to both of them that they had become each other's best friend and maybe more...followed by Jonathan calling out the elephant in the room when it came to the two of them and sex (he'd thought more than once about just giving in and then letting nature take its course; he was pretty sure Angela felt the same way)
- the realization that dawned on both he and Angela as they watched their worlds collide through Eddie and Emily and how hot and sexy it could be
- Angela's speech about him at the PTA meeting; even though he'd challenged her about it later, she'd defended it as all part of the campaign, but they both knew the truth
- Angela barging in on him and Genevieve in her hotel room, something he was secretly glad had happened as he knew his feelings for Angela were intense enough by this point that he would have felt some sense of embarrassment and maybe even guilt facing her the next day if he had slept with Genevieve
- Angela acknowledging how much she needed and relied on him after she caught him doing his best to not fool around with Diane Wilmington
- babysitting the "Clintster" which also felt like looking into a crystal ball
-almost taking their relationship to that next level the night Angela cooked their anniversary dinner (he was still angry at his appendix for ruining everything even though it was long gone!), followed by his declaration of love even though he said it while under anesthesia
- consoling Angela when she was fired and assuring her that they were a family and families stick together, followed by being the rock she needed as she took his suggestion about opening her own agency to heart and made it a success
- telling Angela how proud he'd be of Sam if she turned out like her, feeling grateful that Angela relished her role as Sam's surrogate mother
- the fantasy of him and Angela kissing at the alter as they stood up for Isabel and Paul as best man and matron-of-honor, followed by the painful conversation and realization that they were fooling themselves if they thought there would ever be a way for them to be together
- Angela throwing herself headfirst into her romance with Geoffrey (with a G) as a roadblock to anything more developing between the two of them
- Christmas that year when it was painfully obvious to everyone (except Geoffrey; the guy was clueless most of the time!) that the gifts that he and Angela gave each other were a reflection of their true feelings
- Angela letting the Geoffrey relationship almost go too far, especially after "their" night at the Fairfield Inn and the pink roses comment, another testament to their true feelings for each other
- the realization as they reminisced on that snow day about the part that each of the five of them played in forming the family they had become
- the completely unexpected and beautiful portrait of Sam that Angela had commissioned to show her gratitude for his support as she built her business; as with their Christmas gifts, the portrait said what they weren't ready to
- the terrible fight between Sam and Angela after his little girl had her heart broken for the first time
- Angela's "wild" phase starting when she chased the Armando Ghia account and culminating in their kiss in his van at "Inspiration Point" (while Tony definitely appreciated the silly yet sexy "cuchi, cuchi" outfit she'd worn, which didn't leave much to the imagination, he was glad Angela had come to her senses before she became even more undressed for the world to see); he also didn't think he'd ever forget the intense dream he'd had with the two of them dancing while long white curtains billowed around them; Angela in a gorgeous sparklingly fitted midnight blue gown and he in a black tux; another glimpse into their future perhaps?
- his own "wild" phase when he moved into Mona's suddenly vacant apartment; no sooner had he moved in than he realized that "home" with Angela was the only place he really wanted and needed to be
- finally, just a few weeks ago, their veiled declaration of love after he'd turned down Frankie's marriage proposal, was a true sign that his and Angela's relationship was changing; they were ready to take that next step, whatever it might be...
"Tony," Angela asked again, her voice a little louder now. "Are you ok?"
Tony nodded his head, returning to the present, realizing that he had taken too long to answer her.
"I, uh, I've just got a few things on my mind, and I really am not feeling too great," he said, forcing himself to look at her.
"Is there anything I can do? " Angela asked with a sympathetic smile. "You know I'm a great listener."
"Thanks, but no," Tony said, closing his eyes briefly. As much as he hated lying to Angela, knowing that when he was finally ready to tell her the truth, he was going to break her heart nearly broke him. Beyond that, he wasn't sure that the relationship they had built and were still building could withstand something like this. He couldn't imagine losing his best friend and the woman he was falling in love with, yet he knew that was a genuine possibility.
"Ok, well, then get some sleep. And don't feel you need to make breakfast in the morning, either. Mother and I and the children can fend for ourselves," Angela said, squeezing his shoulder before turning around and walking back towards her desk.
"Thanks, Angela. Good night," Tony replied as he turned and walked out of the study, closing the door behind him.
Angela sat back down at her desk, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that whatever Tony wasn't telling her was going to rock their little family to the coreā¦
