Moving Forward chapter four
The week went by relatively smoothly for the family. Mona checked in with Tony during the week both to find out how how his studying was going since Angela filled her in on his college pursuits but more importantly to Mona, to find out more about the mystery guy in Angela's life. Tony was relatively quiet on Angela's new love life, throwing out there he may or may not have overheard her making plans for the weekend. It was half true as he did overhear her making plans. It just happened to be with him and the kids, followed by an anticipated make out session at his place. He could have kissed Mona for moving out when she did, despite missing her.
"Alright everyone! Let's get family fun night started! I'm going to get a head start on the popcorn!" said Tony.
"I'll get the movie started! Samantha, you mind getting the drinks?" asked Angela as she and Jonathan headed into the living room. Jonathan went to go grab some blankets while Angela got the room ready. Soon, they were all huddled together on the sofa. Angela purposely sat in the middle of the sofa, hoping both kids would sit on the outside leaving Tony sitting next to her. She was pleasantly surprised when Tony ended up next to her with Jonathan next to him and Samantha on her other side.
"Good choice on the movie Jonathan! I wanted to see Short Circuit in the movies when it came out last year!" said Tony as the opening credits started to play.
"I love Ally Sheedy too! I've seen The Breakfast Club at least a half a dozen times!" said Samantha.
The family settled into the movie- Samantha snuggled into Angela's side half way through the movie, while Jonathan ended up asleep on Tony's lap. Tony's arm had found its way around Angela's shoulder as she cuddled further into his side. By the end of the movie, only Tony and Angela were awake.
"So much for family fun night! These two need to work on their stamina!" whispered Tony with a chuckle.
"I just think they were exhausted and comfortable- it can be a hard combo to fight to stay awake!" she whispered back.
"I know we should wake them but part of me just wants us to stay like this… like a family" he said.
"I know what you mean. This just feels so… right…" she said as she looked down at Jonathan sleeping in Tony's lap and Samantha asleep up against her arm.
"Alright… I need to get some feeling back in my legs! He's not so little anymore!" he laughed as he was able to move and pick up Jonathan. Angela gently woke up Samantha and helped her up the stairs. By the time they got both kids in bed, they were exhausted.
"Okay Angela, I'm going to go clean up downstairs and then head back over to my place. You get some rest…" he said as he leaned over a gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He was barely turned around when Angela pulled him into a passionate kiss. Knowing they could be spied on at any time, Angela led him into his old bedroom before shutting and locking the door.
"You know the kids could wake up at any time Angela…" he said in between kisses as they made their way over to the bed.
"Uh huh…" she said as she started unbuttoning his shirt, running her hands all over his sculpted abs.
"We really… we really shouldn't…" he started but couldn't finish the sentence as the blood rushed from his brain.
"We won't go all the way tonight Tony. It's too risky… but I've been wanting to feel these muscles all week. Wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise…" she said as she began kissing his exposed torso.
"Well… we couldn't have that happen, could we…" he said as he allowed her exploration to continue. After what felt like an eternity, Tony rolled her over and pulled her sweater over her head, leaving her in only a bra. His hands and mouth were instantly all over her chest, causing her skin to flush.
"Hmmm…" was all she could muster as he continued his journey over her chest. He was about to remove her bra and risk finally losing themselves as friends when they heard a noise in the hallway. They both jumped up, Angela finding her sweater and putting it back on. She crept to the door, opening it just a crack in time to see Jonathan practically sleep walking to the bathroom.
"It's just Jonathan. He's using the bathroom" whispered Angela.
"Okay good… let me run downstairs before he gets out" said Tony as he gave her a quick kiss and made a mad dash for the stairs. Angela waited until Jonathan headed back to his room before she crept to her bedroom. She could still feel the touch of Tony's hands and mouth on her body as she got ready for bed. She knew they would need to find more alone time before their weekend away.
The Friday morning of Tony's exam was a flurry of activity in the household. Mona had begrudgingly agreed to take the kids from Friday night until Sunday afternoon. Tony let Angela in on the fact that Mona only agreed to it because she thought Angela was going away with the mystery guy from the month earlier.
"Alright you two! Get home straight after school today! We will be leaving right away! Your bags are all packed and ready to go!" said Tony as he handed them their lunches.
"Break a leg today Tony! Don't forget your number two pencil!" said Jonathan as he gave Tony a hug.
"You got this Dad! You'll be a college man in no time!" said Samantha as she gave him a hug and kiss. Angela gave them both a hug and kiss, giving them strict instructions to behave while with Mona. Both kids headed out the door as Tony went to grab his stuff.
"Alright so we will meet at Grand Central after you drop the kids off and then you and I will finally have our weekend away, just us…" she said as she grabbed her suitcase and coat.
"You really think everyone will believe our stories?" he asked as he helped her with her bags, picking up his own.
"Of course! Mother thinks I'm going away with the mystery guy. If she only knew…" she said with a smirk.
"When I called to make reservations, they said they had a hot tub… I think we need to make the most of all of the amenities…" he said as he leaned over, getting within inches of her face.
"Hmmm…" she said in a tone that made logical thought nearly impossible for Tony. "But first you need to ace that test! So here is my lucky number two pencil! It will bring you luck!" she said as she handed him an old looking, chewed on pencil.
"Gee… thanks Angela!" he said as he took the pencil. He put it in his jacket pocket as he gave her a quick kiss before they both headed out the door.
Tony arrived back home after the exam. He wasn't sure exactly how he felt about the exam but he was sure of one thing- he was glad it was done. He really hoped he qualified for college and could start making something of himself. If this weekend away was anything like he hoped it to be, he knew him and Angela needed to start to figure out how to make this work long term and out in the open.
He grabbed the kids' bags and threw them in the van. He had stopped at the florist and picked up a dozen pink roses for Angela. He remembered the first time he found out they were her favorites. After they had finished dancing at Michael's wedding in California, they had decided to head to the bar to get an after dinner drink. They were enjoying each other's company when another bridal party came in, both the bride and groom half in the bag.
"Don't you two make a cute couple! You must be married for ages!" said the bride.
"Oh no we aren't married! Just… friends" said Angela as she looked over at Tony.
"Really good friends…" he said as he gave her hand a quick squeeze.
"Well you could've fooled us! Here catch this!" said the groom as he toss Angela his bride's bouquet, a small bunch of beautiful pink roses.
"Oh wow… thank you! Are you sure you don't want this?" she asked as she tried to give it back to the newlyweds.
"No! You two keep it! Maybe it will give ya some ideas!" laughed the bride as she grabbed another drink and headed off with her husband.
"Ah… to be young and in love… and totally trashed!" laughed Tony.
"Oh the hangovers those two will have! At least I got my favorite flowers as a consultation prize…" she said as she put her face into the flowers, smelling the fragrance of the freshly cut flowers.
"So pink roses are your favorite huh? Will have to remember that…" he said as he tucked that bit of information into his long term memory. Tony was lost in that memory when the kids came running into the house.
"Dad! How was the test?" asked Samantha.
"It went pretty well… I think! Alright use the bathroom and grab a quick snack so we can head out!" said Tony as he pulled out a sleeve of cookies for the kids. Fifteen minutes later and they were all on the road. An hour and fifteen minutes later, Tony was pulling up in front of the hotel. He was able to double park to unload the kids and their belongings. Samantha helped Tony get the bags out of the back of the van when she spotted the flowers.
"Dad… why do you have pink roses in the back of the van?" asked Samantha.
"Ahh… ahh… I bought them for Mrs. Rossini! She's been having a hard time, feeling kinda sad. I figured she'd like some flowers!" said Tony, hoping his lie would go over.
"Awww! That's so sweet Dad! She will love them!" said Samantha as Mona came around the side of the van, Jonathan right behind.
"Who's she and is that she me?" asked Mona as she peeked into the van's back. Tony shut the van doors before Mona had a chance to see inside.
"Nothing! Just some flowers I bought for Mrs. Rossini! Alright you two! Listen to Mona and don't get into any trouble! I'll call to check in tomorrow afternoon" he said as he kissed the kids goodbye, giving Mona a quick hug before jumping back in the van.
"He's off in a hurry! It's like he's got a hot date or something…" said Jonathan.
"Well he does have flowers in the back!" laughed Samantha as Mona got a serious look on her face. It was as though the pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together but weren't quite there yet.
"I'm just curious… they weren't pink roses by any chance were they?" asked Mona, a huge piece coming together if she was right.
"Yeah actually… how did you know?" asked Samantha.
"Oh, just a lucky guess!" said Mona as she suddenly couldn't wait for Sunday afternoon.
Tony pulled up to Grand Central and put the car in park as Angela walked up to the passenger side door. Tony ran around to grab her bag and opened the door for her, helping her inside. He opened the back doors and threw her bags inside, grabbing the flowers. He got back inside the van and handed her the bouquet.
"For me? Oh Tony they are beautiful! You remembered…" she said as she brought the flowers up to her face and smelled the beautiful fragrance.
"Of course! I'm not gonna forget my girl's favorite flower…" he said as he reached over and grabbed onto her hand. Whether it was his touch or his words, she felt her face start to flush and her heart start to race.
They drove up and out of the city and onto the interstate. Angela had found a quaint bed and breakfast just over the border of Connecticut in Massachusetts. They both figured it was far enough away from Fairfield not to be recognized. Traffic was heavy for a Friday evening, but neither of them minded. They stopped for a quick dinner at a diner off one of the exits before heading back out on the road. Angela was able to check in with Mona and confirmed the kids had settled in nicely at the hotel. They pulled into the bed and breakfast just before eight.
"Oh Tony! This looks beautiful! I can't wait to see the inside!" she squealed as she opened up the door and jumped out. He quickly got out, grabbing the bags from the back. They walked arm in arm up the front path. It really was a quaint looking house with a white picket fence, wrap around porch and swing hanging from the porch. There were candles shining from each window of the three story house. There was a beautiful spring wreath on the door. An older woman of about seventy opened the door, greeting them with a warm welcome.
"Good evening! Welcome to our Bed and Breakfast! My name is Shirley and this is my husband Harold" she said as she held the door open and gestured to an older gentleman sitting on a recliner in the living room.
"Hi! My name is Angela and this is my fiancé Tony" she said as they all shook hands. They decided to lie about the status of their relationship after reading the brochure. Words like 'family values', 'traditional' and 'conservative' were repeated throughout it and both agreed it would be easier to fib a bit than to try and explain their relationship. If they were both being honest, it was invigorating to pretend they were engaged.
"Let me show you around and then to your room. You have the master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom. I can show you the outside tomorrow during the daylight. Breakfast is served from six to nine. The best time for hot water is after eight in the morning…" said Shirley as she continued the tour of the first floor. She led them up a large staircase to their room before leaving them alone for the evening.
"Look at the size of this bed!" said Tony as he flopped onto the king sized canopy bed.
"This is the biggest bed I think I've ever seen… looks comfy, cozy…" she said as she sat on the edge of the bed, spreading her hands over the soft comforter. Nerves were starting to get the better of both of them as they just sat there in silence.
"I guess I didn't realize how nervous I was…" she said as she bit her bottom lip.
"Eh oh, oh eh! There's no reason to be nervous! We are adults! We don't have to do anything either one of us isn't comfortable with…" he said as he sat up next to her, putting his hand against her cheek and pulling her into a quick kiss.
"You're right Tony! How about we freshen up and get changed?" she asked as she stood up to grab her bag. She headed into the bathroom as Tony got out his pajamas. He had stopped the other day and grabbed a box of condoms; he assumed they would be crossing that line this weekend and he wanted to be prepared. He quickly got changed into a pair of pajama bottoms but opted to leave his shirt off. He had packed a bottle of wine and two glasses. He carefully opened the bottle and poured the wine into the glasses.
He was so focused on not spilling any wine on the cream colored carpet that he didn't hear Angela come out of the bathroom. She stood there in the doorway until he finally turned around, almost dropping the glasses. Angela stood there in a silk, low cut nightgown with two long slits revealing her long legs. She had pulled her hair up with a clip, allowing a few strands to fall to the sides of her face. After taking a loud, audible gulp, Tony took the half a dozen steps over to her.
"Angela! You… you look stunning!" he said as he handed her a glass of wine.
"Thanks Tony! I'd hope you'd like it! I stopped after work earlier in the week and picked it up" she said as she twirled around, giving him a full view.
"Like it? I love it…" he said as he guided her over to the bed. He took the glass back from her as she slid into the bed. He was able to get in on the other side as they cuddled into one another.
"How about a toast?" he asked as he raised his glass.
"Here's to us… to our friendship, to our family, to us…" she said.
"To the most beautiful woman in the whole world who, out of everyone else she could have chosen to be with- guys more sophisticated, smarter, richer- she chose me… I'm the luckiest guy in the world…" he said as they clinked glasses and sipped their wine, Angela taking a moment to wipe away some tears.
"That was beautiful Tony! I think we are both pretty lucky if I do say so myself…" she said as she took their glasses and put them on the nightstand. "I think I'm done talking for now, if you catch my drift…" she said as she leaned back against the pillows.
"Oh I catch it alright…" he said as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss. She pulled him flush against her chest, both enjoying the sensations of his bare chest against her silk nightgown. Their hands began exploring their bodies; his hands running along the sides of her body down to her hips while hers traveled to the tight muscles of his back.
After what felt like a torturous eternity but was in reality only a precious few minutes, they both knew they needed to remove the extra layers of clothing between them. Angela grabbed onto his pajama bottoms and yanked them down, Tony helping her remove them all the way. She sat up and pulled off her nightgown, leaving her only in her underwear. The sound Tony made at the perfect vision in front of him almost made Angela laugh. The humor was short lived as Tony's hands and mouth were all over her once again.
"Ang…Angela… do… do we need protection?" he somehow managed to speak out loud.
"No… I'm… I'm on the pill…" she also somehow managed to voice out loud. No words were spoken after that as they removed the remaining clothing barriers between them and joined as one.
"Oh my god… that… that…" she started to say when her words failed her as they both slowly came back down to earth.
"Well worth the wait! I can't believe it took us this long to lose each other as friends!" he said as he wrapped his arms around her body.
"Hmmm… it was worth it…" she said, with a satisfied smile on her face.