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“You’ve been living here for two years now.” Angela ran her finger down the stem of her champagne class. It felt good to touch something solid while going out on this fragile limb. “What exactly do you think we are?”
Tony stammered. “Well …. Uh …. Huh ... I don’t know.” He volleyed the question back to her. “What do you think we are?”
“I asked you first.”
“Alright, Angela. You want to know what I think?”
“It’s why I asked.” She smiled at him.
Tony reached over and took the champagne bottle out of it’s bucket, set it on the table in front of himself and leaned into it.
“I think we should, uh, take this here champagne over to the fireplace and … discuss it.” The look on his face was not one Angela had seen before. It was vulnerable, yet coy.
“Maybe we should.” She replied and felt her stomach do a small twirl at the idea.
They collected their glasses and the champagne, and headed to the fire place. Tony set his glass down and returned to the living room to gather a few of the cushions off the couch. When Angela realized his intent, she smiled and kicked off her shoes. Tony laid out the cushions and then followed her lead and shed his shoes. They sat down on the cushions side by side, the warmth of the fireplace radiating against their legs. Angela felt warmth in her belly that was partly a result of their romantic setting and partly due to the champagne.
“You’re definitely not *just* my boss.” Tony started.
“You’re definitely not *just* my housekeeper.” Angela responded.
Tony looked at her. “Sometimes, I feel closer to you than anybody.”
“I feel the same way.” Angela looked down into her glass of champagne, unable to hold his gaze. “So are we friends?” She asked.
“Yeah, we’re definitely friends. The best, even.” Tony paused and looked down. He gently traced his middle finger around the bottom of his champagne glass. “I think if things were different, we’d maybe be more than friends.” Tony turned back to look at her. Their faces were close together.
“Things would have to be different?” The question was out of her mouth before she could fully process she had asked it out loud.
Tony didn’t reply right away. He looked at her and licked his lips before slowly exhaling. “I just don’t think we are really right for each other.”
Angela felt a wave of embarrassment start in her stomach and rush to her face. Oh, God. She had totally misread this. She had been the one to push the issue, and he was looking for a way out of an uncomfortable situation.
“Oh.” She looked away from him. “I’m so sorry. I understand.” She tried to keep her emotions in check as she began to gather her shoes.
“No.” Tony reached out for her arm to stop her. “I don’t think you do understand. I think you think I’m trying to let you down easy, but I’m not.”
“Tony, it’s alright. I misinterpreted…” She felt sweaty from the rush of adrenaline, and desperately wanted to escape to her room.
“You didn’t misinterpret anything. I have feelings for you.”
Angela looked at him. “You do?”
“Yeah.”
“What kind of feelings?”
“Feelings. Ya know, the kind of feelings I think we both felt the night we were stuck at that motel together…” Tony looked at her.
Angela blushed and gave a small nod.
“But not just *those* feelings,” Tony continued, “You’re so smart and independent. And passionate -- about your work.” he emphasized, “And you have such a big heart. Not just with me, but with Sam too.”
Angela blushed.
Tony looked at her earnestly. “I mean it. I’m not just saying that. And I know I tease you about being uptight, but you really are a lot of fun to be around.” He paused before finishing with, “And I think you’re beautiful, I have since the very first time I saw you.”
“I don’t understand then, if you feel this way, why do you think we’re not right for each other?”
“Well, what kind of feelings do you have for me?” Tony delicately traced one of the leaves on Angela’s dress, his warm finger tip tickling her knee.
“You know, about the same. Feelings.”
“I just wonder if your feelings are more… based on physical attraction.”
“Pardon me?” Angela pulled back a bit. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
“Maybe the attraction is more because I’m not someone you would normally date. I work for you. I’m from Brooklyn … Italian. Maybe you’re just curious about what it would like between us.” If he wasn’t normally so sensitive and sweet, she’d want to smack the smug look off his face.
“And you’re not curious?” Angela retorted.
Her face must have conveyed her annoyance, because Tony quickly replied. “No, I am. But what we’ve got is way more important. I don’t want to mess up this family we’ve created just for a few nights of incredible sex.”
Angela felt a flash of warmth hearing him say those words. “Who says that’s all it would be?”
“Come on, Angela, what am I going to do? Take you out in my van for burgers? I can’t afford to take you to Broadway shows, or the ballet. You date guys who have limos and fly first class. And you deserve those things.”
“I love burgers! And we can go to the movies. And I don’t care what you drive.”
“I know you say that now, but you will care after a while.” Tony set down his champagne glass. “Say we’re at a party, you’re going to introduce me to your friends as your housekeeper?”
“My friends already know you’re my housekeeper, but no, I would introduce you as my boyfriend … or, I mean my date, Tony Micelli.” She said his name with pride.
“Yeah, and then someone will ask me what I do, and I will say I’m your housekeeper, and they’ll get that look in their eye. You know the look, don’t pretend you don’t.”
“Then we’ll come home and have incredible sex and forget all about it.” Angela said with an innocent smile.
Tony gave her a look that made her sure he wasn’t amused.
“I don’t care.” Angela insisted.
“I do care.”
“Enough to maybe miss out on something great?”
Tony sighed and said, “Tell me, Angela. Before you met me, what did you picture as your ideal man? When you’d imagine yourself meeting “Mr. Right” and living happily ever after, did you ever picture him being a blue-collar guy? Having a high school education? Barely enough money in the bank for a road trip, much less a fancy vacation?”
“No.” Angela said definitively.
Tony deflated a little, and gave an expression that he figured as much.
“But,” she shyly reached for his hand, “I did think about wanting to find someone thoughtful, caring and sensitive. Someone who values my opinion, and whose opinion I value. Someone I enjoy spending time with. Someone who is a wonderful father and would love Jonathan as much as I do. You’re all these things, Tony.”
Tony stared at her for a moment. Then he licked his lips, leaned over and kissed her. Angela quickly reciprocated by turning fully towards him and cupping his head in her hands. His tongue was soft and warm, and she felt electricity flicker from where their mouths met down to her center. God, he was a good kisser. They had kissed once before, but Angela had had quite a bit to drink and embarrassingly didn’t really remember it. She didn’t know how she would ever forget how this felt now. Angela slid her hands from his hair to his lapel and tugged to bring him closer.
Tony pulled away. He gently wiped her lips with his thumb and said, “I just don’t want to lose what we have.”
“I don’t either. I want more.”
Tony nodded a little sadly.
“Say we don’t give this a shot.” Angela continued. “Say we keep going about our lives the same way. At some point, Tony, one of us is going to meet someone. If you fall in love with someone, or I fall in love with someone, what will we do? We can’t all keep living in this house together. We will still lose what we have now.”
“If we’re meant to be, I don’t think we will fall in love with anyone else. Since I’ve met you, I have a hard time picturing myself with anyone else because it never outweighs what we have. If that changes, then I’ll know.”
“So then we just keep going on like this? Date other people, have sex with other people, but hope to never fall in love with anyone else, but also never give in to each other? I love our family, Tony, but I don’t know that I want to sacrifice my own happiness until the kids are grown.”
To make her point clear, Angela leaned over for another kiss. Tony didn’t deny her.
When their mouths finally parted, Angela went in for one more little peck on his lips before he said, “So then … we start dating and what? Should I move out? Am I still your housekeeper?”
Angela’s stomach did a small flip at the fact that they were actually discussing logistics of a possible relationship.
“I don’t know. We don’t have to figure it all out tonight. Maybe we could just start with a date?”
Tony nodded. “Okay, a movie?”
“Yes. But I want a burger first.”
Tony smiled and leaned in for another kiss, pulling away again before it got too deep.
“I don’t think we should tell the kids. Not for awhile. Not until we’re sure.” Tony said.
“I agree. I don’t want to get their hopes up in case it doesn’t work out.”
“What about Mona?” Tony smiled.
“Her hopes are already up, but I don't think we should tell her. Not right away.” Angela said.
“And I’m going to be a total gentleman. No fooling around!”
“Why the hell not?” Angela realized that sounded a little whinier than she imagined it would.
“Because, Angela. We need to figure out if we are compatible as a couple for the long haul. I think we both have a pretty good idea that we will be compatible in the bedroom. It’s all the other rooms I’m worried about.”
“How do you know? What if I’m frigid?” Angela put on her most uptight expression.
Tony looked confused. “Are you?”
Angela stared him in the eyes and replied sexily, “No.”
Tony sighed, annoyed.
“How do I know you’re not a quick trigger?”
“Ay-oh! My trigger is well calibrated. Don’t you worry.”
“Maybe there’s something else….”
“No fooling around.” Tony said sternly. “Any issues in the bedroom we can work through later. Not for nothing, but I’d like to try and salvage what we can if this doesn’t work out. Do you think you’d still be able to sleep down the hall from me knowing what it was like between us? I wouldn’t.”
“No, probably not.” Angela paused. “Alright, but for how long?”
“I don’t know… let’s see how things are in six months or so.”
“Six months!” Angela exclaimed. “Three months. And can we still kiss?”
“Yeah, yeah.” Tony leaned in. “We can kiss.” He kissed her.
“Can we touch?” She said suggestively.
“Above the waist.” He replied.
“That’s not fair! I have more fun stuff above the waist than you do.”
“Oh yeah? I’ve seen the way you look at my above the waist. You can’t wait to get your hands on it.”
Angela laughed and they kissed again, this time Tony let the kiss deepen. Angela cupped his warm cheek in one hand, and slid her other down to his waist to tug his shirt out of his pants. The kids weren’t home and she didn’t plan to waste any time to show him just how good they could be together. Tony winced as she pulled.
“Oooooh” He pulled away and grabbed at his side.
“What? I was above the waist!” Angela teased.
“Ohhhh, no, it’s my stomach. It’s killing me!”
“Oh my God, I poisoned you!”