Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while, they're not mine...

1. Forsythia

Tony nervously paced through the living room; trying to convince himself he wasn't losing his mind. It was a simple plan really. When Angela walked in the front door, as he knew she would in approximately 5 minutes, he was going to ask her out. Not as a diversion for a lonely Thursday night, not just as two good friends going for a night on the town, but as two people who cared about each other in a much more than platonic way. Doubt seized his heart as he approached the front door in his hundredth sweep through the room that evening. What was he doing? Angela was his boss – Did he have a right to want anything more out of their relationship? Was this right? Getting involved with your boss sounded like a bad idea – something he'd always counseled other people against. So, where did he get off ignoring his own advice? The advice of a handsome, charming and very wise man; he mentally corrected himself. No, he thought with a grin, he liked Angela; he liked her a lot. Okay, he liked her more than a lot, in fact he... No use getting ahead of yourself Micelli, first you've gotta step up to the plate and ask her out, then you can think about the rest of the game. He was feeling more confident now, more assured of himself and of the outcome of tonight. He stalled his pacing and glanced about the room in a seemingly calm and confident manner. This was Angela after all, his best friend. Someone he knew cared an awful lot about him too. The flowers! What had he done with the flowers? He turned and rushed towards the kitchen, glancing impatiently at his wristwatch.

Angela breezed into the house at the exact same moment as Tony returned to the living room, tightly gripping the flowers in his somewhat sweaty palms. He stopped and watched her, a swirl of color and energy flowing into the room.

She turned away from the coat rack, smiling as she heard his footfall. Brightly, she greeted him, "Hi Tony! How was your day?"

He felt a goofy look appear on his face as he greeted her in return. "Hey Angela. Good, my day was good. You sound like you've had a good day." Good God, what was he blabbering on about?

"Oh Tony, it's been a wonderful day! I bowled them over with my Squeegee Pop presentation, then the Mayers Company called about a new campaign, and then there was this guy... Oh Tony that reminds me. I hope you didn't go too much trouble for supper. I should have called, but I've got plans tonight."

He felt his heart begin to slip to the floor. It couldn't be, could it? It almost sounded as if she were going out on a date, with another guy. "Well, actually I, um, I ah..."

Angela raised her eyes up from the pile of mail she was leafing through and looked at him, really looked at him, for the first time since she came in the door. He was wearing a jacket and tie, his hair was neatly combed, and his shoes were practically shining. She felt a momentary pang of jealousy as she spoke. "Oh, you're all dressed up. Do you have a date too?"

The last shreds of hope he had been holding on to crashed and fell to the floor, along with his heart. So, it was a date, with someone else. He felt the stems of the flowers start to give as he crushed them in his hands.

Before he had a chance to speak, Angela glanced at her watch. "Oh my! Look at the time! I've got to go get ready." She was already halfway up the stairs before she remembered him and called out, "Bye Tony! Have fun tonight!" Then she was gone.

He stood dumbfounded, staring blankly at the space she had just vacated. What exactly just happened here, he wondered. What happened to my perfect little plan? The flowers began to droop haphazardly in his hand. A bubble of anger rose in his chest. He didn't know if he was angry with her, himself, or this unknown guy, but he was certain of the anger. He glanced down at the cheerful little bouquet in his grasp and noticed the card sitting there, taunting him with his own words. How stupid was I to think that this would ever work? He crumpled the card, briefly giving in to his rage.

It was in this moment that Mona entered through the back door, cheerfully calling out, "Hiya Bub! Whatcha..?" Her words trailed off as she noticed the black look on his face. She softened her voice and asked with concern, "Hey. Are you okay?"

As she took tentative step towards him, the urge to get out of the house as fast and as far as possible overtook him. He didn't want her of all people to know his humiliation. He carelessly tossed the flowers into the nearest vase, along with the card. "Yeah Mone, I'm fine. Look, I've got to go." He barely looked at her as he grabbed his jacket and opened the door. "Bye Mona." The door shut roughly behind him.

Mona's brow furrowed in concern, trying to pull together what had just happened. The guy who just left might look and sound like Tony, but he sure seemed an imposter. Just as her mind began to ponder the significance of the flowers, she heard the click of heels on the steps and the sound of Angela's voice carrying down the stairs.

"Mother, is that you? Can you come up here for a minute?"

Mona gave her head a disturbed shake in the direction of the door and followed her daughter's voice upstairs. Maybe Angela could give her some insight into what had just happened.