Chapter Text
The Whole Time
Chapter One- The Pilot
As always, the credit goes to the WTB? cast, crew and writers!
Angela was still on cloud nine over the news of her promotion to President of Wallace and McQuade. She made sure Jonathan was settled in his room feeding Wilbur before heading into her room for a nice, long bubble bath. She decided they needed to celebrate her good news. It took her by surprise when she realized she had meant all five of them, not just Jonathan and her mother. Regardless, she knew everyone needed to be there to celebrate.
She quickly got dressed and found Tony and Samantha back in the kitchen, getting hydrated from their basketball game.
“Nice and relaxed Angela?” he asked as he poured himself a glass of juice.
“Oh very relaxed! Actually… I was thinking of taking you up on your suggestion to have a celebration. Would you like to go out to dinner? All of us that is!” she said, overemphasizing the importance of the word all.
“Sure! Where should we go? Bongo Burger? Pizza Place? Whatcha in the mood for?” he asked as he wiped his mouth on his sweater.
“How about Chinese? There’s a place not too far from here. We could leave in an hour. I’ll call my mother and have her meet us there” she said as she turned and headed to her study to make the call.
An hour later, Tony was driving the station wagon to the restaurant. Again, she was taken aback at how comfortable and normal it felt for the four of them to be together. It was as if they had been doing this for years. Tony glanced over at her, giving her one of his smiles that brought butterflies to her stomach. She smiled back and turned to look out the window, willing the redness she knew was creeping across her face and chest to lessen.
“Alright gang! We are here! Last one inside is a rotten egg!” said Tony as they all exited the car, running at full speed to be the first ones to the door. Tony beat them all, gloating and doing a celebratory dance that made Angela laugh. As they walked inside, they spotted Mona across the room, flirting with the head chef.
“Mother! Over here!” she said as she waved her hand in the air. Mona pretended not to know them but soon gave up the ruse when Jonathan came over shouting Grandma.
“So I hear congratulations are in order Madam President! Way to shake up that boys club over at Wallace and McQuade! Jim Peterson must be livid right now!” laughed Mona.
“Thank you Mother! Oh I’m sure he’s happy for me… in his own slime ball way…” she said. A few minutes later, they were seated at a table and given menus.
“I’m having the white rice!” said Jonathan as he closed his menu. Angela and Mona just shook their heads, knowing all too well Jonathan’s picky eating habits.
“And? You forgot the main meal! What sounds good? Peking duck? Pork fried rice? General Tso’s chicken?” he asked him, trying to ignore the disgusted look on the boy’s face.
“Yuck! That’s nasty!” he said as he stuck out his tongue.
“Jonathan! We don’t say that! And Tony’s right… it’s about time you ate something besides rice. What are you going to get Samantha?” she asked, hoping to change the subject.
“Hmm… I think the duck! Maybe some spare ribs! Those are my favorite!” she squealed.
“I happen to know the secret ingredients for the duck… the chef was kind enough to share all his secrets with me…” said Mona as she made eye contact with the chef once more.
“Well I for one am having the sushi and the egg drop soup!” said Angela as she closed the menu.
“So it’s up to you buddy! If I had to guess… I’d say you’re a shrimp kinda guy! How about we try the dumplings and the fried rice? Hey! We could make it like a smorgasbord! Whatcha say?” he asked Jonathan.
“I guess…” he said reluctantly. Tony gave him a hug as he gave a wink and a smile to Angela, who gave him a grateful smile in return.
The waiter came over and took their orders. Angela ordered a bottle of wine for the adults and sparkling cider for the kids. Once it came out and every member had their glasses filled, Angela raised hers.
“I wanted to thank you all for coming out to celebrate tonight. This promotion means the world to me. I’ve worked for the past ten years for this company- from a copywriter on up to Vice President, now President. I am so very grateful to have you all here to celebrate with me!” she said as they all clinked glasses.
The waiter brought out all the dishes, placing them around the table. Tony took the liberty of plating Jonathan’s plate as well as his own. He made sure to put a little of everything on his plate plus extra dipping sauces.
“Alright Jonathan! Have you ever used chopsticks before?” he asked as he opened up two sets of sticks.
“No! They look like you could poke someone’s eyes out!” laughed Jonathan as he took the sticks from Tony.
“I’m sure you could but I’d rather you eat with them than make them a lethal weapon! Here let me show you…” he said as he helped Jonathan maneuver the wooden sticks in his hands. It took a few tries and Tony needing to go hand over hand, but soon he got the hang of it.
“I did it! I did it!” he yelled as he happily chewed a shrimp dumpling. Tony congratulated him as he helped him set up again to try some of the fried rice. Angela just sat back, watching in amazement as her notoriously picky child devoured all his shrimp dumplings and half a quart of fried rice. She barely even touched her sushi as her gaze moved back and forth between the two of them.
“Oh Angela… you going to eat your food? Unless you’ve taken over as the picky eating Bower…” quipped Mona. She had been silently watching her daughter as she practically swooned over Tony’s caring interaction with her grandson. She was hoping Tony would be a positive influence on not just Jonathan.
“Oh yes! Sorry I was… distracted thinking about… work!” she tried to cover as she took a bite of her sushi. Soon, the family was engaged in conversations about work, school and the local neighborhood gossip. By the time the table was cleared and the fortune cookies brought to the table, they were all content.
“Ooh I want to read mine first!” said Samantha as she reached for one of the cookies, breaking it open and pulling out the small piece of paper. “All good things come to those who wait!” she read out loud.
“Not necessarily…” started Mona as both Angela and Tony yelled her name in unison, startling them both.
“I want mine now!” shouted Jonathan as he reached for his own. He broke it open and read it. “Great things come in small packages…” he read, not understanding the double meaning.
“Don’t even think about it Mother! Here let me take mine” said Angela as she picked up one of the cookies. “You will find love where you least expect it” she said. She could feel her cheeks start to flush as she quickly took a sip of her water.
“Okay I’m up next! Let’s see here… a new adventure awaits you… well that makes sense! This job must be the new adventure!” said Tony as he popped the cookie in his mouth.
Just then, Jonathan started to choke on his fortune cookie. Everyone at the table started to panic except Tony as he stood up and got behind him, putting his arms around Jonathan’s abdomen and began administering the Heimlich maneuver. After two or three thrusts, Jonathan spit out the half eaten cookie, coughing and sputtering but breathing normally.
“Oh my god Jonathan! Are you alright?” yelled Angela as she knelt down next to him, pulling him to her chest.
“Yeah… I’m okay…” he said as Tony handed him a glass of water.
“Here sip this… slowly” said Tony as he started to gently rub his back.
“Thanks Tony… you saved my life!” he said as he practically leapt out of Angela’s arms and straight into Tony’s.
“Hey! What are housekeepers for? You’re lucky I took that CPR class over at the YMCA in Brooklyn!” he said as he ruffled his hair.
“Thank you… thank you Tony” she managed to say as she put her hand on his forearm, giving it a quick squeeze. Their eye contact only lasted a few moments but it was so intense and full of emotion, they both ended up turning away at the same time.
“Well I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m ready to blow this pop stand! A date awaits!” said Mona as she stood up and headed for the door. Samantha and a recovered Jonathan ran after her, leaving Tony and Angela behind.
“Well, we got him to try some new foods although I’ll be surprised if he tries fortune cookies again though!” he chuckled as he helped Angela on with her coat.
“Thank you Tony… he’s tried more foods in the past forty-eight hours than he has in the past four years! Not to mention saving his life…” she said. Before he could answer her, she pulled him in for a hug. It was the second time that day she found herself wrapped in his arms and surprisingly enjoying the contact. It didn’t take both of them very long to remember they were still in the middle of a crowded restaurant and quickly pulled apart. They headed to the door, wished Mona luck on her date and piled back into the station wagon to head home.
As soon as they walked through the door, Tony shuffled the kids upstairs to get ready for bed. Angela headed into her study, trying to get a head start on her work, knowing by tomorrow the work from her new promotion as President would be overwhelming. She managed to break away for a few minutes to tuck in Jonathan. She found herself drawn to Samantha’s room as she got ready for bed, making sure she had enough water and was tucked in. By the time she was done, Tony was walking out of Jonathan’s room.
“All good in there?” she asked as she motioned to Jonathan’s room.
“All good! He’s already out like a light! Sam good?” he asked as he looked over her shoulder at her door.
“She’s good! Almost asleep…” she said. It was too early for her to be in bed but she wasn’t in the mood to do more work. “I think I’m going to head downstairs and watch some television. Would… would you want to join me?” she asked, hoping he wouldn’t laugh in her face. What boss would invite her housekeeper to watch television with them? She almost took back her offer, when he answered.
“Sure! I’ve gotta clean up the kitchen but that can wait a bit!” he said enthusiastically as he headed downstairs.
Soon, they were sitting on opposite ends of the sofa, Tony flipping through the channels. Finally, he gave up when nothing caught their attention. They chatted about her new promotion and how Tony was acclimating so far to the job.
“I could really go for a cup of tea! Would you like some Angela?” he asked as he stood up.
“Sure! Thank you Tony!” she said as he headed into the kitchen. A few minutes later, he walked back in with two cups of tea.
“Here’s to the newest advertising President in the city! May all your ads go… national!” he laughed as they clinked mugs.
“Thank you Tony! I have so many ideas for campaigns, I don’t even know where to start. I hope to really take Wallace and McQuade to the next level… that is if I can get past the male chauvinism in the room…” she said as she sipped her tea.
“Eh oh, oh eh! No ifs… just when! When you get past all them idiots who think a woman’s place is in the kitchen! You’re gonna do great things Angela! Just…” he said, stopping himself short of giving his full opinion.
“Just what?” she asked as she involuntarily moved closer to him on the sofa.
“It’s just… look I barely know you!” he said, trying to figure out a way to get out of this awkward conversation.
“Spill it Tony! What?” she said, her irritation quite present in her voice.
“Okay, okay! Look it’s none of my business but I don’t want you to sell yourself short, that’s all! I’m sure you’re twice as smart and successful as any of those clowns you work with! And you don’t have to share your… Crunchy Crawlers with anyone to prove it! You deserve to be respected for who you are!” he said. He looked at the tears that were forming in her eyes as fear took over him that he had overstepped.
“Oh Angela… I’m.. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you!” he said as he scooted closer to her, handing her the box of tissues from the side table.
“No! It’s just… I haven’t had someone say such nice words to me in… in a very long time. It’s nice to hear…” she said as she wiped her eyes.
“Well, now that I’m here, get used to the compliments! And while I’m at it… I think I need to apologize to you…” he said, his shoulders slumping forward as his head hung low, focusing on a scratch in the coffee table leg.
“Apologize? For what?” she asked, genuinely unsure of what he could need to be apologizing for.
“For overstepping with your boss, what’s his face…” he said.
“Grant?” she asked.
“Yeah Grant. I shouldn’t have done that…” he said as he looked up and over at her.
“Well, maybe not but I know why you did it… I don’t know you all that well either but I can tell you have a good heart. The way you have stepped in for Jonathan and you care for Samantha… it’s refreshing…” she said. Neither one of them realized they had moved even closer to each other, now only inches from their legs touching.
“Not for nothing but I get why Grant would try and make a pass at you. Him or any other living, breathing male…” he said with a slight nervous laugh as he reached over to give her hand a slight squeeze.
Angela felt something stir within her- she couldn’t quite place the feeling but it felt magnetic. The touch of his hand on her own sent sparks through her body. Her eyes moved from their hands up to his lips. She knew from the moment he walked through the front door that he was good looking but until she had this up close and personal look, she didn’t truly understand just how gorgeous he was.
Tony was caught between a rock and a hard place. A beautiful, sexy woman had her hand on his and was looking over at him with want and desire. That sexy woman was also his boss; her son and his daughter were asleep mere feet from where they sat right now. The conscious, rational part of his brain was finding it hard to remain in the driver’s seat as a pull started to come over him. His gaze moved from their joined hands up to her lips and finally settling on her deep, brown eyes.
Finally, all rational thought left their minds as they leaned into one another, slowly until their lips were grazing one another’s in a feather light touch. They looked one last time into each other’s eyes before deepening the kiss. The electric sparks that ignited between the two of them could have lit up a small city. Their hands unlocked from one another and moved to their respective backs as they pulled in closer. They were risking taking it even further when a small voice interrupted them.
“Mommy? Mommy?” cried Jonathan from the top of the stairs.
“Jonathan! I’m right here!” she said as she pulled back from his arms. “I’m… I’m so sorry Tony!” she said as she ran up the stairs, taking a half asleep Jonathan back to bed.
Tony collapsed back against the sofa, the feeling of her hands and lips still imprinted on his body. He had to take a few deep breaths to get the blood flowing back to other parts of his body. After a few moments, he stood back up, fixing the pillows on the sofa and heading back into the kitchen to clean up, hoping he hadn’t ruined the best job he’d had in a long time.