Moving Forward- chapter 3
Angela stopped dead in her tracks after hearing Mona's words. She spun around to see her mother reclined on the sofa, both arms sprawled out over the back of the sofa. A smug, satisfied smile was plastered on her face.
"Isabelle called? Oh good! She called earlier today and had to cancel our plans last minute. She said she was going to call back when she knew her schedule. I called Wendy instead and had a nice time" she said as calmly as she could muster.
"Oh really… so where did you and Wendy go for… dinner?" asked Mona.
"It was a lovely little Italian restaurant a few towns over. The wine was delicious, a perfect pairing with the linguine with clam sauce. The dessert was exquisite too, a double fudge chocolate cake!" she said, her mouth watering as she described all the fake food.
"I see… so you and Wendy had a wonderful time together. At what point did your lipstick smudge, your hair get tousled and your dress get wrinkled?" she asked as she watched Angela's face flush. Just then, Tony walked in through the back door.
"Hi Tony! And what have you been up to this evening? Hopefully your story is more believable than Angela's…" said Mona. She watched Angela's face turn so red she thought her face might explode. Tony, on the other hand, seemed to lose all color in his face. She couldn't wait to hear what excuse he was going to come up with; she knew Tony wasn't as good of a liar as Angela was so she just sat back and waited.
"I… I was out with Philly and the guys! They called it quits early- they can't keep up with wild man Micelli! I just stopped by to see if Samantha and Jonathan were still awake" he said.
"Philly went home before you did? With a girl I hope? At least one of you should be getting some…" snickered Mona.
"Mona! My personal life is none of your business! So are the kids still up?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.
"They just headed up to bed. I'm sure they are still awake. What time are you heading back Mother?" she asked, trying to figure out if she could sneak in some alone time with Tony again.
"I really should head back soon… once you tell me who you were really out with tonight!" said Mona.
"You were out tonight Angela? Oh right… who were you out with again?" asked Tony, hoping he would lead Mona astray.
"Don't say Isabelle… that covers been blown wide open!" said Mona.
"Fine! It was someone I met while running errands the other day. He gave me his phone number and we made a date for tonight. I'm not broadcasting my personal life like some others I know…" she said as she looked Mona straight in the eye.
"Angela… out on a date… with a man? I think I feel faint!" said an overly dramatic Mona.
"So who was this lucky guy? He treating you good?" asked Tony, a cocky smile forming on his face. Angela was torn- on the one hand she wanted to smack the smile off his face but on the other hand she wanted to wrap her arms around him and kiss the smile off.
"Oh he's just a guy. Don't know if I will see him again. My schedule is quite busy…" she said coyly.
"Alright I'll leave you two ladies and check in on the kids before heading in myself. Safe travels back Mona- don't be a stranger!" he said as he gave her a quick hug and headed upstairs, stopping on the landing to eavesdrop.
"Angela… what are you doing? Going out with guys you've just met when you've got an eligible one right next door, who is currently upstairs. Why don't you take advantage of his newfound freedom…" she said.
"Mother! He's Tony! He's not interested in me like that…" she said, hoping Mona couldn't see the blush that was slowly coming across her face again.
"If you believe that, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you… which if the two of you don't start making some moves sooner rather than later, with each other, I might be jumping off of!" shouted Mona.
"Aren't we being just a wee bit dramatic Mother? Anyway, thank you for watching the kids tonight. We really appreciated it. I'm going to go and check on the kids too" she said as she went to get up.
"Suit yourselves… alright Angela have fun with mystery boy…" she said as she grabbed her coat and walked out the door.
"Oh I am Mother, I am…" she said as she headed up the stairs. She almost ran into a spying Tony.
"Oh my gosh you scared me Tony!" she said as she gave him a slight shove.
"What? I was just seeing if you were going to give your mother anymore details on this mystery guy…" he whispered to her, just in case the kids were listening.
"You should know… I don't kiss and tell… especially on my first date…" she said as she leaned in to kiss him, coming within inches of his face before turning and walking to Jonathan's bedroom. Tony just shook his head and walked towards Samantha's room.
By the time the kids were settled in bed asleep, both Tony and Angela had headed back downstairs to raid the fridge. They were starving by the time Tony reheated the pizza. Angela poured them two glasses of iced tea as they sat down to eat.
"Here's to… reheated pizza!" laughed Tony.
"Here's to the heartburn that will hit us both later on tonight!" laughed Angela.
"Here's to my best friend…" said Tony, more seriously this time.
"Here's to a new beginning…" she said as she clinked glasses with Tony. They sat in silence for a few minutes, their hunger winning out. Finally done after finishing off three slices each, they leaned back in their seats.
"I'm never eating again!" said Angela as she placed her hands over her stomach.
"You say that now Angela… dinner tomorrow is veal parmesan!" he chuckled.
"Ugh Tony don't mention food right now! Even delicious food! How about we see what's on television?" she asked. Tony nodded and quickly cleaned up their plates before joining her in the living room.
"It's almost ten, I doubt anything is on right now…" she said as she aimlessly flipped through the channels.
"Maybe we can just… talk?" he said as he cuddled into her side, taking one more glance towards the stairs to make sure no eavesdropping was going on.
"Talking only? Why do I think you're lying Tony!" she chuckled.
"I'm sure there's room for talking and other things…" he said as he wiggled his eyebrows.
"So I know this is still very early on, but where do you see this going between us?" she asked.
"I… I don't know Angela. I've obviously been attracted to you- I have been since day one. It's only gotten stronger over the years but it's more than that. I have feelings for you. I'm not sure I know exactly what they are, but they are very real" he said as he pushed a piece of fallen hair from her face.
"I feel the same way about you Tony. I'm not sure I've ever been this attracted to someone before and it's not just physical. I've had… feelings for you too for a while now. I really can't see my life without you in it…" she said, tears now in her eyes.
"Do you think about how this will work out? I'm still your housekeeper Angela" he said.
"You are but we both know you're much more than that! Look at everything you've done with the parents' association! You've gotten more parents involved, fundraised hundreds of dollars and really made a difference in those kids lives! You'd make a wonderful teacher" she said.
"Ha! Me, a teacher! I have about ten teachers in Brooklyn that would say differently! Besides I'd need a college degree" he said.
"Tony! That's a great idea! You should go to college! You're smart, hardworking and could tackle a job plus courses! I'm sure you could pass the entrance exam and then check out one of the local colleges!" she practically squealed. He loved how excited she got over an idea, even one as far fetched as him as a college man.
"Angela that takes smarts, time and especially money I ain't got…" he said.
"Excuses and poor ones at that. Just think about it Tony! When you put your mind to something, there's no stopping you. Either way, I think you and I have something special. Once we know more about us and let people know, I really don't think people will care about you being a housekeeper but we can and will figure it out, I promise. I just want to enjoy this relationship with you" she said as she snuggled even closer to him.
"You're right. We will figure it out… now I don't know about you, but I'm done talking right now…" he said as he leaned down for a kiss. They both intensified the kiss as he reclined her back on the sofa. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his found her lower back. They spent the next half an hour wrapped up in each other, wishing they had the house to themselves.
The next morning, Tony was up getting the family up and ready for their Monday. He packed the kids' lunches and made them all breakfast. He had Angela's juice and coffee waiting for her when she came down.
"Morning everyone! Hope you all slept well!" she said as she sat down.
"Like a baby! I think the weekend's partying got the best of me!" chuckled Tony.
"Are you gonna party every weekend Tony? And can I join you?" asked Jonathan.
"Not every weekend pal! I'm not that young anymore! Besides, I like hanging out at the house too!" he said as he sat down with his breakfast.
"Sure you do Dad… you were out every day this weekend…" said Samantha as she rolled her eyes.
"Eh oh, oh eh! I love spending time with you all! How about Friday we have a fun family night! Dinner followed by homemade popcorn and a movie!" he said.
"Can I pick the movie?" asked Jonathan.
"Sure pal! I think it's your turn anyway!" said Tony.
"Just make it something non dweeb-ish please!" said Samantha as she put her dishes in the sink.
"We can go to the video store and pick a few movies out! We will go Friday afternoon!" said Tony as he helped Jonathan clean up his area. He handed Samantha and Jonathan their lunches as they walked out the door.
"Need a ride to the train Angela?" he asked with a smirk.
"I should really drive myself but… I guess I could take a ride with you…" she said as she walked over to where he was standing at the sink. She leaned into his body as she placed her cup in the sink, enjoying the direct contact with Tony. He pulled her even closer to him as his hands found the lower part of her back. She leaned in for a quick kiss, neither of them wanting to take a chance of being caught.
"I was thinking… maybe we can figure out a night just for ourselves again. Maybe… maybe even a weekend away eventually… that's only if you want to…" she said, second guessing herself at the last minute.
"I'd love a weekend away! What about the kids though? You think Mona would watch them?" he asked as he his hand slid lower down her body.
"I doubt she'd come back out here just to babysit. Maybe we can arrange something where they go visit her at the hotel. Maybe say I've got a work conference somewhere and you've got something going on in Brooklyn" she said.
"I love how your mind works! Alright… let's plan something soon! Let me get my keys and wallet to get you to the train" he said as he reluctantly let her go. They were settled in her car, discretely holding hands as Tony drove to the train station. Both of them wanted to kiss each other goodbye, but they knew the risk was too high.
"Bye Tony… I'll see you tonight…" she said as he gave his hand a quick squeeze.
"Bye Angela… I'll pick you up from the station" he said as he squeezed back. They made one last eye contact before she got out of the car and headed to the train station platform.
"Alright Micelli! If you really want this to work long term, changes are gonna have to start today!" he said out loud as he put the car in gear and headed back on the road. About fifteen minutes later, he pulled into a large parking lot. He got out of the car and stood for a few moments staring up at the old brick building. He took a few deep breaths and headed into the ivy covered building.
"Hi, I'm Tony Micelli! I'd like to to talk to someone about going to college here at Ridgemont" he said to the receptionist.
Later that afternoon, as Tony was putting the final touches on dinner prep, Tony made the decision to take his admissions exam. He was able to look over the paperwork the receptionist gave him earlier in the day. He figured if he spent the next month studying for the exam, he could still apply for the fall semester. With Angela's blessing, he could figure out a way how to balance work and school.
By the time he picked up Angela from the train and dinner was served, Tony had worked up the nerve to drop the bombshell on the family.
"So I was out today running errands and I took a detour to… Ridgemont…" he started to say. Only Angela realized what he was saying, tears starting to form in her eyes.
"What were you doing there Dad? Get lost on your way home?" laughed Samantha as she took a bite of her dinner.
"Very funny! Actually, I was there picking up information about taking an admissions exam. I figure if I can get a good enough score, maybe… maybe I can start college in the fall…" he said as he looked over at Angela. The love and admiration he saw in her face brought a smile to his face.
"That's awesome Tony! You could join a frat! Take me with you to a party!" said Jonathan.
"No way dweeb! If he's taking anyone to a frat party it's me!" said Samantha.
"No one is gonna be at any frat party! I'm gonna go to college to get an education not to party!" said Tony as he shook his head at them.
"I think it's wonderful Tony. I couldn't be more proud of you…" she said as she held out her hand to take hold of his, both of them momentarily forgetting they had an audience. They quickly pulled their hands back and set to clearing the table.
"Well I think it's cool you are going to college! You're not exactly young anymore Dad so you better do it now!" she laughed as she headed into the living room.
"Jonathan, why don't you start getting ready for bed. I'll come up to check on you in a little while" said Angela as he too ran out of the kitchen.
"Can we talk for a minute? In my office…" she said as she turned to walk out of the kitchen, Tony following her as the dishes were left to soak in the sink. They reached the office, Angela open the door for them, allowing Tony to walk in first. The door was barely shut and locked before she practically jumped into his arms, passionately kissing him.
"I'm sorry Tony… I just couldn't wait until we were alone again…" she said when they finally pulled back.
"If I'm being honest, I would have found an excuse to be alone with you tonight. I'm just really scared, but excited about this whole college thing and there's no one else I wanted to share this with than with you…" he said as he wrapped his arms around her lower back.
"I'm so proud of you Tony! I always knew you would do big and important things…" she said as she leaned in for another kiss.
"So my exam is in four weeks. It's a Friday… I was thinking maybe that could be our weekend away…" he said.
"That's perfect! I'll make up some conference or business meeting and meet you at the train station. We can drop off the kids with Mother at the hotel!" she said, her face almost glowing with happiness.
"Then it's settled! I'll make up some excuse about spending a weekend in Brooklyn celebrating. We can maybe find a B somewhere and spend some more… alone time…" he said as he tightened his grip on her waist, letting her know exactly how excited he was about their plans.
"Why don't you stick around tonight and we can watch some television… together…" she said in a tone that said they would be doing something other than watching television.
"Sounds good to me…" he said as he gave her one final kiss before heading back to the kitchen.