"Puhl--eezze STOP! I can take care of this myself..." Angie stared at Rollie,
fire in her eyes...
"I was just making sure ya' ok.."
"I'm fine. Fine. Just let me get this done. Stop breathing down my neck.
Jessh" Angie sighed and turned her attention to the glow of the computer.
Rollie slunk off, his shoulders slumped "I was jus' making sure ya alright"
he
mumbled.
From the reflection on the screen Angie glared at Rollie. Finnally. Two weeks
of this had been too much for her. Rollie watched her every move! he was
her
shadow and quite frankly, it was getting on her nerves. Angie typed franticly.
Rollie had agreed to allow her to work 'only a little'.. yea right Angie
thought. Somehow, Rollie had let the whole place go to pot...including all
the
files on the computer. Rollie kept an exact record of items orderd, shipped,
sold and recived. Although Rollie had shut the place down during and after
her
kidnapping[why?], everything from paper cups (rollie, in all his tecno-know
how still used them to hold paint) to electrical wires had shown up at the
doorway. Angie sighed...Rollie had let everything just sit...and the files
were backed up a full three weeks. So here she was....four years of tec school
down the drain too organize the aussies computer. Angie rubbed her neck giving
only a slight glance at the gauze still wrapped around her wrist. Streching
her arms Angie stopped...eyes. Eyes were watching her.
"Rollie?"
_______________________________________________
"Rol?" Angie's eyes flicked around the room. It was so dark. Angie strained
her ears she heard{laughter} nothing. It was so quite. "Stop being silly."
she
thought. Angie stood up and let out a yelp. She looked down, her leg had
fallen asleep sending a rush of pins and needles up and down. Rubbing her
leg,
angie went to move and was thrown back by a wave of dizzyness. Angie let
out a
moan. A loud crash filled the room Angie let out a muffled scream.
"ANGIE?!" A form rushed towards her. Pushing back in her chair Angie held
her
breath. The form came closer and the face of Rollie Tyler filled her eyes.
Angie let out a hushed "Rollie." and then took a deep breath.
Rollie turned on a lamp and looked at Angie, concern filling his face,
sympathy in his eyes. "what happend?" Rollie kneeled down.
"uh..I'm fine." Angie let out a nervous chuckle.
Rollie stared at Angie. Her face had blanched. Her eyes filled with..fear?
"No.No you're not. You look awful."
"Thanks.."
"Now what happend?"
Angie searched the aussie's face. Time and time again she had tried...tried
to
lie? no, not lie...just. Hell! she hated it when people gave her that 'look
of
sympathy' and she always told everyone 'im ok...see?' but Rollie? He always
ALWAYS knew...knew....knew she was lying...sometimes he would grudgenly
smile...but the look on his face told Angie that their was no use telling
him
'i'm ok'
Angie sighed..."my leg just fell asleep and....a-and I got dizzy...I'm just
tired..."
"damn it angie..I told you! Listen did you take those pills." Rollie looked
around the desk
"no..I HATE them...they I, I can't concentrate when I take those things..."
Angie rubbed her forhead.
Rising from the floor Rollie looked straight into Angie's eyes "exactly!"
_________________________________________
"What do you mean? 'exactly' " Angie frowned.
For the first time since entering the room, Rollie took note of the dark
circles under Angies eyes and the tiny frown lines that creased her forehead
The vibrant energy he always associated with Angie had faded away, replaced
by
a weary air that marked her every movement.
"Well look at you!" Rollie glared at Angie "Every flipping day its 'im fine-im
fine' but your not fine. Y-y-." Rollie took a deep breath. Kneeling down,
he
gently grasped Angies face in his hands "I almost lost you."
Confusion crossed angies features.
"I almost lost you to that monster."
Dumbfounded angie just stared.
"Just look at you. Your sitting here white as a ghost. You come in only three
days after being discharged ang."
"B-but"
"No. No buts. I let you here cause. Cause. Hell!" Rollie stood up, his arms
flying in the air. "Why...I let you here so I could....! Why the bloody hell
are you here? Those files can wait a year if they have to. You say to me
'i'll
go crazy if I have to sit at home. Let me do something.' I say 'sure' I SAY
SURE!! And l-l-LOOK at you! You almost fainted when I saw you! "
"I'm just..." Angie wisperd.
"You shouldn't be here. Take a vacation."
"I don't need a vacation." Angie looked determined.
As if not hearing her Rollie sputterd "You haven't been sleeping. Have you?"
Angie stared.
"HAVE YOU!! You don't sleep. You don't eat. Stop being so damn stubborn.
Stop
worrying about ME take care of yourself before...." Rollie was yelling. His
face beet red.
Angie sat up "I-I can't take a vacation."
"Why??" Rollie ran his hand through his hair "because of these precious files"
rollie laughed his voice dripping with sarcasim.
"Rollie. Please."
"Don't. Don't you do that." Rollie stood silent. Angie could only lower her
head.
"Ya know what!" Rollie gave angie a somber smile "You're, YOU'RE FIRED!!"
Grabbing the edge of the table Rollie leaned towards angie "You heard me."
"F-Fired? What do you mean fired?"
"I mean that you no longer have a job here."
Angie swallowed hard. "Rollie."
"No. Angie. Don't say anything. I can't have you working here if... " Rolllie
let out a sigh. Running his hand across his face Rollie leaned back.
"...You're Fired.."
"I don't understand Rollie."
"Yes you do Ange..."
"But I've.." Anger flicked across Angies eyes
"You've what? WHAT!!"
Angie just continued to stare. All that betrayed her emotions was a single
tear that hung in the corner of her eye.
During her stay at the hospital a 'therapist' Dr. Emma Kildate had come to
speak with Angie about her kiddnapping. Angie was the classic 'strong' victim.
Strong vicims were determined to prove that they were 'tough' enough to deal
with the situation without the need for support they weren't sure was really
there for them. For the strong victim it was much easier to convince
themselves that the support they needed was not available to them and to
insit
that they HAD to be self-reliant in order to cope. The therepist had told
rollie this.
Softly cursing himself Rollie looked at Angie. He did not mean to hurt her.
He
had ment to help her. At first he thought that having here at the shop would
be helpful, that he could talk to her. But now...
kneeling down again, Rollie gently cupped Angie's chin in his hand. He took
a
deep breath "Three weeks" he wisperd. "For the next three weeks you are fired.
Please. Rest. Eat. Just...... Talk with Dr. Kildate. If, If you.." Rollie
closed his eyes and let out a sigh. Raising his hand to brush her cheek,
Rollie opend his eyes "Everyone is here for you ange. Mira, Francis..Me.
No
one is going to leave you. Least of all me."
The anger drained away from Angies countenance and was replaced with a
tenderness and a need that forced tears from her eyes. Her tears fell down
her
face and onto the floor between them. Rollie raised his right hand and touched
Angies hair, gently pulling her into his arms. She didn't want to..but she
couldn't stop it. She just couldn't stop it. The sobs seemed to well up from
her very soul. She clung to him. It was a torrent of pain and anguish that
she
feared would drown her. There was no escaping it. All she could do as it
poured out of her was hold on to him for dear life.
Angie closed her eyes, relishing the feel of the cool ocean breeze on her
face
as it swept through her hair lifting it, caressing it, sending the soft
strands dancing about her shoulders. With no visual distractions, the sound
of
the waves seemed that much louder now. The distant roar increasing in volume,
the waves gathering speed in their inevitable race to the shore, ending in
a
soft hissing sound as the water reached out across the sand and almost touched
her feet.
She could swear she even heard the foam bubble and pop as a new batch was
left
behind by each retreating wave, only to vanish as quickly as it appeared.
The
darkness behind her closed eyelids lifted a bit as she raised her face to
a
brilliant sun suspended high overhead.
Angie smiled as she looked back on all the summer vacations she had spent
at
the beach. Not here, of course, but a place very much like it.
Those warm and glorious childhood days when she had combed the beach, scooping
up colored rocks and an endless array of seashells as they washed ashore.
Chasing friends up and down the sandy stretch, giggling and shrieking as
they
ran in carefree abandon, the waves tugging at their ankles and nipping at
their heels.
They were so precious to her, those memories. She'd tucked them away for
so
long, preoccupied with other things. She'd almost forgotten. But now she
called them forth again, playing them over and over in her mind, longing
to
recapture that joy - that sense of absolute freedom and contentment.
Angie smiled. Rollie had insisted she go on a vacation. The day after.....well
the day after everything Rollie had shown up at her doorstep.
___________________________________________________________
"'aye....so how ya feeling?" Rollie stared into Angies face.
"I'm better" angie sighed.
"Good. So where ya going?" Rollie looked around the apartment.
"Huh?"
"Well..." From behind Rollie two large suitcases appeared."...ya see you
called me here for these...so where are ya going?"
Angie pointed at the suitcases. "I di.."
"Oh yes you did." Rollie dropped the suitcases and smiled "You called me
and
you told me" Rollie proceded to bat his eyes and speak in a hushed,falsetto
voice "OH! Rollie PUhlleezze come over here. I can't fit all my BEAUtiful
things in such a small suitcase. Pulezzze." Rollie thrust his arm across
his
forhead and 'fainted' to the floor.
Angie let out a laugh. Sitting down she stared at the suitcases. Rollie sat
up.
"So. Where ya going?"
Angie thought a moment. Looking around she said "Someone will have to watch
the apartment and feed..."
"It's all taken care of." Rollie smiled.
After a while Rollie left. They had talked. Angie felt even better.Three
full
weeks. Angie had told Rollie that she wanted to go on a 'road trip' but she
had no clue where she was going....no she knew where she was going she just
didn't know how she was going to get there.
The next morning angie awoke to a loud honking. Throwing her pillow Angie
sat
up..ready to kill whoever was making that rackett. Throwing the window open
Angie stuck her head out.
"SURPRIZE!!!!" Below her was Rollie,Mira and Francis. And a large, bright,
turquoise convertible. It turned out that a friend of Francis's 'owed' him
a
favor. Thus.....
Two days later Angie packed 'her' car with three suitcases. Two of them from
Rollie. Sitting behind the wheel, Angie looked at the rising sun a smile
crossing her features.
"well" she thought to herself "If a hero can ride off into the sunset a maiden
can ride off into the sunrise."
