The next morning Rollie left for the airport with his father. They were on their way to pick up Leo and would meet Elena at the airport.
Rollie couldn't believe that he was about to leave New York without seeing Angie. In all their years together he had never once left on a trip without saying goodbye to Angie. It felt odd and...wrong somehow. Half of him wanted to turn the car around and go slamming into her old apartment demanding to see her. The other half of him realized that he couldn't go on chasing after her. If she wanted to see him she would have said so by now. Sure, he thought stubbornly, he made his choice but so had she. Mangela was right. He had lost the thing that was closest to his heart but at least Angie would be safe.
Dingo and Rollie were halfway to Leo's hotel when Rollie suddenly realized that he had forgotten an important piece of equipment that he had planned to bring along with him to London. They had to turn back and had almost arrived back at Rollie's when Dingo's car started lurching, wheezing, and backfiring. They were lucky to make it back as the Caddie wheezed to a stop at Rollie's and refused to start again.
Rollie called Elena from the loft and told her about the car problems. She assured him that it was fine. She could have the flight delayed. Elena said that she was on her way to pick him up.
"Do me a favor and pick up Leo? We were supposed to give him a lift but—"
"All right," Elena groaned. She wasn't too pleased with the addition of Detective McCarthy.
Rollie entered the loft while his father stayed outside and worked on his car. He scanned the loft quickly, looking for the equipment he had forgotten to pack. He couldn't believe he had done that. Rollie had gone over everything two or three times the previous night just to be sure. Eventually, Rollie found the item right where he left it and started back down the stairs. That's when he heard the muffled sound. It sounded like...crying?
Rollie went back up the stairs. His heart stopped.
There was Angie, slumped on the couch crying her eyes out. Rollie put the package down and ran over, kneeling before her and unable to believe that it was really her.
"Angie?" he whispered.
Angie didn't move. She didn't hear him through her sobs.
"Angie?" Rollie whispered again as his hand gently touched her shoulder.
Angie stirred and looked up slowly. "Rollie!" she cried as she flew into his arms. Rollie's hand went out to the floor to stop them from falling backwards. "I thought I missed you. I came and you were already gone." she sobbed. "I thought you were gone!"
"My dad and I left early. We were going to stop for breakfast and we had to pick up Leo, but—"
"Your dad's here?" Angie blinked through tears.
A huge smile suddenly lit up Rollie's face. "Never mind all of that," he urged her as he pulled her close, almost crushing her. "Oh God, you feel so good!" Rollie exclaimed.
"I'm so sorry. I couldn't let you leave thinking that I didn't love you—"
"I don't think that." Rollie smiled down at her as he brushed some hair from her eyes. His eyes roamed all over Angie's beautiful face, drinking everything in. The darkness and ache in his heart was gone now, obliterated by the sunshine of Angie's love.
"I'm sorry Rollie. I love you so much. I'm sorry for being so prideful and scared. I just...I just don't want to lose you. I can take anything but that. And then I did lose you, and it was all my fault for being such a stupid idiot—"
Rollie stood and pulled her to him as his lips quieted hers in a hungry kiss. "Oh Angel," he whispered in her ear. He held her tightly in his arms, squeezing her, crushing her to him, imprinting her body onto his. Rollie inhaled Angie's scent and gazed down at her eyes, eyes that were bright and shiny with tears. Rollie planted a lingering kiss on Angie's forehead, as he thanked the stars for her being in his arms right now.
"Oh Rollie," Angie whispered as her hands went around his neck and pulled his face down to hers. She kissed him passionately, her tongue tasting his. "I love you, you big, stubborn idiot."
"Thank you!" Mirth danced in Rollie's eyes and he smiled down at her. Suddenly, Rollie pulled away slightly, his eyes sobering. "I um, I still...I have to go."
Angie touched her lips with her finger, tracing the memory of Rollie's lips on hers. "I know," she whispered with hardened realization. Her eyes lowered. "I knew when I came here that I had given up on any idea of trying to talk you out of it. I don't have to like it though, do I?"
"I guess not." Rollie smiled softly. "Be that as it may Elena is on her way to pick me up. She should be here soon." Rollie stared deep into Angie's eyes and was lost in them. They had so little time until Elena would show up and he wanted.... "But until then...Bluey secure loft!" Rollie pulled Angie to him and started kissing her passionately again.
Angie's arms went around Rollie's neck, pulling him to her. Her hands went through his hair as she pulled his face to hers. Rollie's hands pulled Angie's shirt out from her skirt waistband and moved up her ribcage. Her skin tingled from his touch. Angie pushed Rollie's jacket off his shoulders and it dropped to the floor. Her hands roamed all over his chest and then she pulled his shirttail out of his pants. Angie's hands went under his shirt and up Rollie's chest.
"We don't have much time." Rollie panted.
"I know." Angie hushed him, her mouth closing in on his again.
As if on cue, they heard a knock at the door and Elena call out Rollie's name.
"One second!" Rollie yelled, surprising Angie, who shook at his booming voice, which was right in her ear. He kissed her again.
There was another knock and a more demanding Elena on the other side.
"Bloody hell! I said; one second!" Rollie growled again in frustration. Angie tried to pull him down to the couch but Rollie knew that if he lay down with her he wouldn't be able to get up and leave. He pulled away slowly, their hands still connected. "I can't. I...I have to go."
Rollie grabbed his jacket off the floor and headed towards the door. When he got to the door he stopped suddenly. He couldn't move. Rollie's head rested against the door for a second or two. "I can't," he whispered to himself. "Bloody hell, not yet."
This was too much. This was all he had asked for before leaving for London. This was what he wanted most in the world, to be with Angie before he left.
Rollie turned and with a few quick steps arrived back to where Angie was. She hadn't heard him come back. He reached her, grabbing her by the shoulders, and turning her around.
"I need you," Rollie's voice was horse as he pulled Angie up to him. In a second he had her pinned against the wall as his hands went down to lift her skirt up. His lips were like fire on Angie's skin.
"Rollie." Angie moaned as she wrapped her legs around his hips.
"I need you Angie. I need this, please." Rollie's hot breath whispered in her ear.
"I know. I need this too," Angie breathed. "Rollie," she whispered again as her fingers pulled at his hair.
"Say it again, Angela." Rollie pleaded with her as his hands kneaded her breasts and cupped her buttocks, raising her up to him and pulling at her panties. "Say my name."
"Rollie."
"Again," Rollie demanded as he repeatedly pumped into her. "I need to hear you say my name. Please."
Angie's eyes rolled back into her head in pure rapture. Her mouth opened with unspoken moans as she became breathless. She thought her chest was going to burst. "Rollie," she moaned finally.
The lovers were in their own world, oblivious to the incessant banging and yelling of Elena Serrano outside the loft.
Many hurried moments later the lovers crashed down to the floor in spent energy, absolutely delirious and frantically out of breath. Rollie slowly stood, or tried to stand, as he tried to straighten himself up. He tucked in his shirttail and zipped up his jeans. When he looked over at Angie, she was straightening herself up and having trouble standing.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked, guiltily.
Angie rubbed her neck and smiled. "No. You didn't hurt me. I wanted it as much as you. Besides, it will give me some wonderful memories to keep me warm while you're away." She bit her lip shyly, her hand at her neck. It reminded him of the time on the Pasiphea when he first told Angie he loved her. He wanted her again, now. Rollie was about to make his move when he heard Elena outside the loft, cursing and yelling in Spanish, stopping him in his tracks.
"I better go," Rollie sighed as he picked up his jacket and turned to leave.
"Rollie. Wait!" Angie called to him. "I almost forgot. I have something for you," she said as she searched for her jacket. Angie had a little trouble walking, as her legs were still unsteady.
Rollie followed her to the couch where she found her jacket and sat down. He knelt down in front of Angie as she took out a small, velvet box and held it up to him.
"Open it." Angie smiled as she smoothed her hair behind her ears. Angie watched Rollie's face anxiously as he took the small velvet box from her hands.
Rollie opened it. Inside was a silver chain and on that chain was a very simple pewter ring. He looked at Angie with questioning eyes.
"The story behind this ring is this," Angie began, as tears glistened in her beautiful eyes although she was smiling as she told her story. Her voice was low and Rollie was enraptured by her storytelling. "My father won this ring in a poker game. Until then, he had never really been lucky at the game and only played small stakes. But that particular night, he told me, he was on fire. He couldn't lose. He won the ring and about 2 thousand pesos. It was the most he had ever won. Daddy should have quit while he was ahead but he didn't. Well, lady luck was fickle that night and he started losing everything he had won. Finally, he stopped himself and the only thing Daddy ended up walking away with that night was this pewter ring. My father gave this ring to my mother when he asked her to marry him." Angie smiled demurely and she took a deep breath. "It wasn't very fancy or expensive and my father was always very embarrassed by it, by the fact that he couldn't afford to give my mom the ring he wanted and by the fact that he had won it in a poker game. So, he saved up and worked very hard and after several years of saving...he bought her another ring. A diamond ring. It was beautiful and my mother loved it." Angie smiled as she gazed on Rollie's face. "But Momma always wore this one too. She told daddy that this was the ring he gave her when he asked her to share her life with him. Momma said it was a symbol of their love and that not everything that is precious is expensive or made of gold or diamonds. See?" Angie turned the ring in her hand to show Rollie the inscription. "On the inside it says, 'Mi Corazóne'. My heart. Momma loved this ring more than anything. When we left Cuba, momma gave it to my dad. She told him to keep it near his heart and in that way she would always be with him." Angie wiped a tear from her eye. Rollie's hand went up and wiped it as well. Angie rubbed her face against his palm. "I don't have many family treasures, especially of my mom's. Daddy gave this to me on my sixteenth birthday, remember?"
"I remember."
"Daddy told me this ring's story when he gave it to me. Whenever I felt down or missed Momma, I would always ask Daddy to tell me the story again. It made me feel closer to both of them. " Angie sighed, and then she smiled broadly and held up the chain necklace and put it around Rollie's neck. "I want you to have it now, Rollie. Keep it near your heart and whenever you touch it, I want you to think of me and know how much I love you and that I will always be with you."
Rollie cleared his throat as he tried to talk. "Angela...." He looked at her with big, brown, puppy dog eyes and tears caught in his throat. He didn't know what to say.
"I love you Rollie." Angie felt the tears come again as she reached out and tenderly caressed his cheek. "Be safe. Come back to me."
"I will."
"Promise me. I know if you promise then you will do it," Angie whispered.
"I promise," Rollie promised as he leaned his forehead against hers. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment but a lifetime of memories as well as promises for the future passed between them in that moment. Rollie felt strengthened in that moment.
"You better go," Angie instructed as she tried to move away, trying to be strong now for Rollie.
"Not yet," he said as he gently pushed her back down to the couch. "Wait here." Rollie went to his workstation and after opening a drawer and retrieving something he came back.
"I believe this belongs to you," Rollie said as he held up Angie's engagement ring.
Angie eyes lit up at the sight of her engagement ring. "Put it on me?"
Rollie smiled and reached for her hand.
"Wait!" Angie stopped him as she pulled her hand away. "Ask me?"
"What?"
"Ask me again? On your knees?" Angie smiled again, coyly.
Rollie shook his head. He couldn't believe this. But then again, he could. Rollie got onto one knee as he knelt before Angie. He took her small hand into his and stared up into her luminous eyes.
"Angela Ramirez, would you do me the honour—"
Angie giggled.
"What?"
"Say it again."
"Say what?"
"Honour. I love the way your Aussie accent comes out when you say that. Please?"
"Ahem!" Rollie cocked one eyebrow at her, trying very hard to be serious. "Angela Ramirez, would you do me the honour...the honour of becoming my wife?" Rollie asked as he emphasized the particular word for Angela.
"Yes!" Angie flew into his arms almost knocking him over. "Yes...yes...yes...yes...yes!" she said as she rained kisses all over his face.
Once again, the two were interrupted when they heard the annoying sounds of Elena Serrano knocking and cursing at the door.
"She never gives up does she?" Angie asked, very annoyed. She stopped kissing Rollie and pulled away slowly. "You better go," Angie caressed his face, her finger tracing Rollie's lips as her eyes remained fixated on them. "And Rollie? I know that you don't want to hear this but I need you to know that I don't trust Elena. She wants you. I know you don't think —"
"It doesn't matter what she wants." Rollie caressed Angie's hair. "'Cause I only have eyes for you, my love, my heart," he said as he touched the ring that hung near his heart on the inside of his shirt. "Do me a favor? Stay here. Sleep in our bed. I want to dream of you in our bed." Rollie smiled at her.
Angie blushed and smiled her acceptance.
"Oh— and I need to show you something." Rollie walked upstairs with her, stopping in front of the wall outside their bedroom. "See this?" He pointed to a knob on the wall similar to a dimmer switch. "This is a new security feature that I installed. It's a panic button. If you're here and something happens, you hit this button, hard, and it patches in a call to 911, It also sets off some very loud alarms and lights flashing all over the loft. It's very annoying — hence, no demonstration." Rollie smiled sheepishly. "I pissed off the neighbors a lot when I was testing the system. There's another button downstairs under my desk and under yours. There's one in the lounge too. I didn't have time to put one near the front entrance."
"You've been busy."
"Yes, I have been." Rollie thought of something else. "Uh...listen, Ange, I won't be able to contact you. Elena thinks that it would be too dangerous. So, I can't call or email. It's probably better this way," he said, slightly unconvinced of that fact himself. "I've left a letter outlining the business arrangements I've made since I didn't know...what was happening with us. After your email...I didn't know what to think"
"Yeah, about that...." Angie looked at him sheepishly.
"It doesn't matter." Rollie placed a finger on her full lips, shushing her protestations.
"It does matter," Angie insisted. "I want you to know that I was still so angry and hurt. The thought of coming back here even if it was just to work...I couldn't deal with it. That's why I avoided your calls but it wasn't fair to keep you hanging forever. That's why I suggested you hire a replacement."
"No one can replace you." Rollie smiled, then his expression grew pensive. "When I read your email though...it was like the air was sucked out of me. I couldn't believe that you would never come back to Tyler FX even if...well, even if things between us didn't work out. Ange, that' s important to me...that you know there is always a place here for you."
"I know," Angie said in exasperation. "But you don't understand. It's not like before. If I'm not with you, if we're not together...I don't know if I could stay here," She explained near tears.
"Well. It doesn't matter now." Rollie smiled. "Not now that you're here."
"Yes but," Angie smiled softly, "I need you to know that I understand why you feel you have to do what you're doing"
"I do."
"That's not all," Angie insisted. "I understand but I don't agree with it and I certainly don't like it." She put her arms around Rollie's neck and stared up into his eyes. "But I love you and I don't want to lose you. So, I will support you in your madness." She said resolutely.
"That's more than I deserve." Rollie smiled and leaned down for a kiss. He looked at his watch. "I better get a move on. Before I leave, I wanted to tell you the shut off code for the alarm is in the letter as well. It's just an extra precaution." Rollie smiled suddenly and pulled Angie close, grateful that she had quit being so bloody stubborn. He felt as if he could do anything now. Rollie cradled Angie's face in his hands as he kissed her again, slow and sweet. Finally he pulled away and sighed against the top of her head. "You don't have to worry so much, you know. Leo is going with me."
Angie looked up and smiled weakly. "I'm glad Leo will be with you and you can tell him that but that doesn't mean I won't worry." Though she wondered how much of the decision regarding communication was based on Elena's hormones, she wouldn't let that spoil their last moments together. "I love you Rollie. Hurry back." Angie hugged Rollie tightly one last time and then she pulled away. She walked away slowly so she wouldn't see him leave. She couldn't bear to see Rollie leave the loft knowing what he was going into. Angie held her arms around herself as if she was cold and despite her resolve to be strong, she felt the tears come again.
Rollie watched her walk away. It took everything within him not to go over to her and pull her into his arms. With a sigh, and a less heavy heart, Rollie picked up his package and walked out the door.
"Finally! What the hell were you doing in there, Rollie? We have a plane to catch," Elena demanded as she closed her cell phone and hung up on whomever she was talking to. She also noted with interest that one of Rollie's shirttails was sticking out of his pants.
"To tell you the truth, I was having second thoughts," Rollie grumbled in answer to her question as he walked past her. He wove around the street as if he was drunk and his arms went out to punctuate his words in dramatic gestures. "You know, you could have saved time and picked Leo up first," he pointed out to Elena as he weaved his way over to his father who was standing over his Cadillac, looking at the engine.
"Dad? Can I speak to you for I sec?" Rollie asked as he drummed his hands on the car's roof. He was filled with renewed energy and zeal for life.
"Are we ready to leave?" Dingo asked as he used a rag to rub the grease off his hands. He couldn't help but notice Rollie's enthusiasm. He wondered what had changed because there was a definite shift in his son's mood.
"Not yet. Not quite. I have a favor to ask of you," Rollie informed him as Dingo looked at him puzzled. "Angie's inside." Rollie leaned in and whispered. "She's a mess and I really don't like leaving her like that. Look, I know you wanted to come with me to the airport but I would really appreciate it if you could stay here with her and look out for her, not just now but while I'm gone—"
"Say no more, Son." Dingo squeezed Rollie's shoulder as things became clear to him. In fact, he was honoured that Rollie entrusted his fiancée to his care. "I'm not much for airport goodbyes anyway. You can count on me. So, are you two...uh?"
"Yeah." Rollie smiled broadly. "We're back together." He pulled his father into a tight hug. "Thanks, Dad."