Rollie Tyler, special effects artist extraordinare, stopped at a red light, humming along to the radio which was playing Tony Bennett singing 'I'll Be Home For Christmas'.
It was snowing lightly and he smiled at the thought of the gift in his pocket.
The cell phone rang pulling him from his reverie just as the light turned green.
"Hello?" He answered using the speaker phone so he could keep both hands on the wheel.
"Hello, you hunky Australian." A sultry voice replied.
"Who is this?"
"Someone who wants to ravish that studly body of yours the moment she lays eye's on you."
"Hmm... Well, you should know that I'm quite happily married.... Of course, what she doesn't know -----"
"Roland Tyler if you even consider cheating on me for a nano-second I will hunt you down and kill you!!!"
"I liked the sultry voice better." He laughed.
"How far are you?"
"About five miles." He replied hearing the concern in her voice.
"Please be careful, the roads are really icing up out this way."
"I will Ange.... I love you sweetie."
"I love you too.... and I am going to ravish you when you get home."
"Something to look forward to... and drive even more carefully for."
"I'll see you soon husband."
"Soon wife." He responded then disconnected the call.
He smiled at the thought of a night of passion with his beautiful wife. He pictured her wearing a negligee and blew out a breath.
"Take it easy mate or you'll be aroused before you ever get there!"
Angie applied the perfume to her pulse points then a dab between her breasts and readjusted her negligee and sheer cover-up as she looked at herself in the mirror with a smile.
She closed her eyes and imagined Rollie's touch on her skin then took a deep breath and opened her eyes.
"Relax girl, let him take you there!"
She set about lighting the candles around the lower level of the loft then laid the blankets on the floor next to the lit tree.
"Shut off all lights but the tree Bluey." She requested and the loft was left only in the soft light produced by the candles and the tree. "Good boy, now go to sleep mode."
The robotic pet barked once then walked over to the workstation where it went under the table and shut itself down.
Angie smiled and reached for the small wrapped gift on the table when her hand froze and her eyes went wide.
"ROLLIE!" She screamed.
Rollie fought the panic rising inside him as the Acura refused to respond to his attempts to pull out of the slide which carried him toward the embankment..... and the icy river.
"Please God.... please don't let Angie suffer this." He whispered as a tear slid down his cheek.
They say that when you face death your life flashes before your eyes, but for Rollie Tyler it wasn't his, but Angie's life he saw.
Their first meeting, when she was a pre-teen, her years of rebellion, college.... when she grew into the beautiful woman he had been best friends with for so long... and now loved with every part of himself.
"Angie." He said softly and closed his eyes.
Angie ran, her breath coming in visible puffs in the cold night air. She wore no coat and was shod only in slippers but felt nothing, even as sleet pelted her.
No conscious thoughts filled her mind to lead her to her husband, purely instinct.
She fell on the slick road and scrambled back to her feet.
Her need to see him, hold him, tell him she loved him outweighed any other feeling.
She saw flashing lights in the distance and ran even faster.
By the time she reached the emergency vehicles her breathing was coming in gasps.
She walked slowly toward where the uniformed people were gathered around the red car.
"Rol...." She cried softly.
A blanket was put around her shoulders..... along with two strong arms.
"I'm okay Angel." Rollie said and kissed the back of her head.
She slumped against him in relief and he picked her up and carried her to the ambulance where they sat, fingers entwined.
"I felt like I was losing you." She whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek.
"I just got a little knock on the head." He replied, hugging her to him.
"I love you so much." She breathed.
Rollie pulled back a little and kissed her tenderly.
"Never seen anything like it... I saw him headin' for that river and thought he was a goner for sure... Then the car just stopped. Didn't slow down a lick, just stopped dead, like God himself put his hand out." The witness shook his head awed.
"Maybe He did." The detective shrugged and headed toward the ambulance where he stopped and cracked a smile upon seeing the couple kissing. He withdrew quietly.
"Let's see if somebody can take us home." Rollie said huskily as he eyed her negligee.
"Not until I know you're okay."
"It's just a bump, Ange, the medic said I was fine."
She eyed him dubiously, knowing how he hated hospitals and would do just about anything to avoid going there.
"I swear it, sweetie."
"I suppose I've seen you get enough concussions to know the symptoms.... If you have any of them, you tell me!" She eyed him sternly.
"I will,I promise."
"The car has some front end damage so it'll have to be towed -----" An officer started as he came over.
"Better it than my husband." Angie replied, holding Rollie's hand tighter.
"Can someone give us a lift home?"
"Yeah." The cop answered and went to find another officer.
Rollie looked back at the scene and shook his head as they drove away.
He decided not to tell Angie what he thought he'd seen when he opened his eyes as the car stopped on the embankment or she would have insisted he go to the hospital to have his head examined.... In more ways than one.
He could have swore..... as he looked up.... that.... Leo McCarthy was grinning at him from ear-to-ear.
Happy Christmas Leo, Rollie thought with a smile as Angie laid her head on his shoulder.
The detective who'd spoken to the witness watched the squad car drive away and smiled as he pulled out a cigar.
Merry Christmas to you too, pal....
Leo McCarthy smiled and faded away.