Rollie was on the phone to New York instantly when they got back to the Villa Lune de Azul to talk to Mira. Angie was busy trying to call different places in the States for replacement pieces for rebuilding the IXB. The Xenon gas was going to be a problem for shipment from the States so she found a distributor in France who provided the gas canisters for a medical laser product. She called Zeiss in Germany for the microscopic lenses and mirrors that would be required. Although the cost was adding up, Dani had assured them that the production money was coming in. She marveled at the fact that this IXB would be even better than the one they had built back at the loft. With these new fittings, the holographic capabilities and quality of projection would be even clearer and remain free from recycled blips on the end of each arc.

 

They each worked independently of each other in the room and yet were able to smoothly overlap when needed. They were a team again and it felt great to both of them. There was no Loubar thoughts or relationship quagmires, only the quest to get to the truth and finish the movie.

 

Rollie finally reached Mira after talking with several people in order to locate her. He had not received her email as anticipated when he checked his laptop. Angie, finally through with the arrangements for parts, sat on the veranda sipping on bottled spring water as she heard him talking with Mira from just inside. Mira was doing most of the talking and Rollie was using words like "but", "wait a moment", and "Now, hold on" more than once. Angie smiled, knowing that Mira was taking Rollie to task for a variety of things. Since the rape, Mira had become closer to her and she no longer felt threatened by her police trained aggressiveness. Mira had softened around her and they had shared some intimate thoughts about life and men in general in the past week.

 

The air was sweet as Angie took a deep breath and stretched in her chair. She was relaxed for the first real moment since arriving in Spain. She closed her eyes, feeling the afternoon sun as it began to fall over the horizon. It was so quiet there and she let her mind wander.

 

"Hey, penny for your thoughts," Rollie said, coming up behind her and touching the back of her neck.

 

"Rol? Did you know that the aqueducts still work here. Imagine that- after centuries since the Romans built them- that’s quality for ya," she responded, her eyes still shut.

 

He smiled and came around to face her. He squatted in front of her chair, "I have news…"

 

"Aha, so I could hear from your responses to Mira. So what’s up, boss?" Angie asked, coming out of her meditation and back to reality.

 

Rollie looked straight into her eyes without missing a beat, "Mira told me that Loubar was traced into Madrid. From there, they lost him. That was 2 days ago. She was a little upset that we didn’t contact her yesterday after your attack in the stunt trailer. I told her you were alright and that Dani had come to your rescue."

 

Angie chuckled, "and what did she say to that?"

 

"She couldn’t believe it," Rollie responded, "what is about Dani that you two had so much animosity toward?"

 

"Never mind, Rol- go on," Angie told him, amused that he just didn’t understand.

 

"She was shocked about your mother. She said she had no idea about her condition but that Michael was not able to get very accurate information before pulling both your Uncle and her out of Cuba. And, she is doing some checking for me on some other things."

 

"It’s those other things I want to know about," Angie said, sitting up in her chair, "you said you had an idea as to who was behind the fire at the trailer and the attack in Madrid."

 

"Well, hunches, and yeah- Mira is going to check her connections. She has Michael checking off shore stuff for me too."

 

"WELL?"

 

"Okay- you know how Syd’s been acting since Madrid," Rollie began, sitting on the ground, his eyes animated. Angie loved it when he got in this mode of thought, "he was all upset about closing down the production and then we get back to the set and when the money was given to him on a silver platter- bang! He gets even more mad?"

 

"Aha," Angie feed into his lead, "so you thought, he set this whole disaster up. He torched our trailer, ruined the IXB so that what? He could collect on the insurance?"

 

"Well, yeah- he would get something for closing down due to this arson thing and with the agreement for backing and pulling out of the deal, he could get payoff from Production. You remember that he got Dani for the lead. I didn’t call him and recommend her to him as the lead. I think he felt he could make a stinker of a movie with her as the lead and collect on having loss earnings this year."

 

"I think you are giving him WAY too much credit," Angie said, looking down at his face which looked back at her with a puzzled expression.

 

"Look, it fits- the way he was acting with Dani’s father suddenly putting up the money after he was counting on the failure…"

 

"You think that your good friend, Syd Waterstreet, whom you have known for what? Ten years? Would do something like this and involve you?" Angie shook her head, "I think you have been doing too much of this crime-solving stuff with Mira, "I think this is all strictly Loubar."

 

"Syd has had money problems for a long, long time, Angie. He has come to the point where there is no way out but up. He really has reached the bottom. I felt it the first night when we arrived in Madrid and I went out with him."

 

"Okay, so, what now?" Angie asked him, starting to stand up.

 

Rollie rose as well and put his hands on his hips, "Now, we build our baby again and we wait. Mira told me Interpol is thick into this Loubar thing and that she will contact them about the hotel incident. I told her how your uncle had come to the rescue."

 

"Our baby- gee, Rol" Angie chimed in thinking about the new IXB, "well I am hungry enough now that I am expecting."

 

He smiled at her pun but his eyes lowered for a moment as he stroked the ridge of collarbone that her gold cross had gotten lodged on and pulled it down to center of the notch in her neck. She looked up at him, wanting to kiss him because she could feel that he wanted to as well but it was there again. Since the attack in the trailer by Loubar, she had felt unsure and uneasy with her mind bringing back the attack and the earlier seduction.

 

"Come on, I am practically famished!" she said, blurting it out as Rollie looked back at her, surprised. She moved away from him and back into the room.

 

"We should have Tio Guillarmo join us, huh? You can go over your conspiracy theory with him about Syd?" Angie asked, finding her jacket for the sun had gone down now and the air was cooler.

 

"Sure," Rollie said, sounding dejected, "that would be great."

 

Dinner was a little restaurante in Avila, a four-forker as Angie told Rollie confidently and that they wouldn’t be poisoned with this many forks as a rating by the restaurant door.

 

"As long as there is no el caballo," Rollie told her as they entered the little grotto entrance.

 

"No, they don’t serve horsemeat here," Angie told him as she skimmed the menu carefully and Rollie laughed. Strangely, Guillarmo had begged off from the dinner saying he needed to make further arrangements in anticipation of Marta Ramirez’s arrival. Angie felt that he just didn’t want to be a third wheel.

 

The restaurant was built out of a real grotto with an underground spring that had been incorporated into the decorative look. It was dark and candle-lit. They were seated at a table near the mouth of the spring, with a small candle flickering in the center of a stone table.

 

"I feel like I’m in a Flintstones’ movie," Rollie said, shuddering, "and I am the grand Pooh-Bah at the water buffalo meeting."

 

Angie laughed seeing him relaxed and touched his hand softly, innocently, "Rollie, I’m glad we got to go out and have a nice dinner."

 

He smiled back, remembering the little eleven year old girl who had made no secret of her crush on him back then and now, seeing the woman, matured and looking extremely desirable in a low cut, strapless little white dress. She had taken off her jacket and the candlelight reflected off the sheen of her skin on her bare shoulders. The swell of her breasts made it even harder for him to concentrate as he sat watching her order dinner for both of them.

 

"Okay, so what did you get me?" he asked her as the waiter poured a sangria into their wine glasses.

 

"Okay, I got you the piella with crayfish steamed on top and some wondrous sounding crusty local bread called pandollo."

 

"Mmm," he replied, "and you?"

 

"The same," she answered, as she smiled at him. He was still the Rollie Tyler that she knew and had loved all these years but there was that feeling in her stomach now when she looked at him. She didn’t even feel hungry now. His face was a wondrous combination of handsome ruggedness combined with sharp, chiseled features. The scar on his left cheek from the explosion that had killed Leo was fading into a whitish line, still jagged but softened. He had let his hair grow out again, wavy and dark but she was starting to see the gray showing just on the edge of his temples.

 

"You know, gosh- I can’t concentrate, Damn it!" Rollie said, starting to stutter, "my god, Angie- you are beautiful!"

 

She had been sipping on her wine and nearing choked when she heard him. She started to retort, give him some corny, goofy line back when he said things that made her feel uncomfortable but she didn’t- she waited and spoke very genuinely; "Thank you, Rollie."

 

He blinked. She didn’t come back with something silly- she didn’t poke fun at him. She answered him very openly. Angie was changing so quickly that he didn’t know what to say next. He was happy that the food arrived.

 

Dinner was a long affair in Avila and they talked about things they hadn’t talked about in years. There was no movie talk and no Loubar talk. Angie talked about college years and Rollie talked about growing up in the outback. They were oblivious to their surroundings.

 

They took a walk around the city inside the walls after dinner. Once in a while, they saw people from the movie set but they strolled leisurely on, nodding and into themselves. A background of live acoustical music mixed in with singing and flamenco from different parts of the city resounded as they quietly stepped through the main entrance gates of Avila, back to the car.

 

Rollie paused as he opened the car door for Angie. It had been a perfect night and he wanted to tell her that; "Ange, it’s been a great night!" He lowered his face toward hers and she met his embrace with her own. He kissed her long and passionately and there was no wall, no invisible field between them. His lips caressed her shoulders that he had admired so in the candlelight as he melded into her against the side of the car. Her hands ran up his chest and around his back as he consumed her mouth with his. She grew breathless and impatient with the ache of him against her as his lips traced the top of her breasts and she grasped his lowered head in her arms, pulling him back up to meet her restless lips again.

 

"Let’s get out of here," Angie said close to his ear in a husky whisper.