She busied around and began to close up for the day. She had an apartment upstairs over the store and had lived there for several years now. The building had been left to her by her parents and she had started up a small sportswear shop. Her parents were avid tennis players and she had managed to build on that knowledege and start up her store. She even developed quite an exclusive clientele over the years.
Winter was fast approaching and the time was nearing to close the shop for a two month *hiatus* during the off season. She had just hoped to get in a few more good sales before calling it a year. Aly sighed and decided that she may as well tally up the books for the month and prepare for her End of Season closing sale. She would go ahead and have it this weekend, before the holidays.
She turned the sign on the door to the CLOSED side and was walking back to the rear of the shop when she heard a loud screeching sound coming from outside in the road. Running back to the front of the store she gasped in horror at the sight that met her eyes. There in the road a large sport utility type vehicle had swerved and was overturned and skidding into the parking area in front of her shop.
Inside the vehicle she could see the driver hanging upside down in the seat being held in by the seat belt. There didn't look to be any other passengers... or if so.. she could not see them. Gathering her wits back about her she grabbed her trenchcoat and surged out through the door. The vehicle slid to a stop barely 15 feet from the front of her store.
She ran to the vehicle through the pouring rain and tried to open the drivers door. The door was jammed with the force of the impact so she tried the door on the passenger side. The rain was starting to soak into her skin. Her hair was plastered down and she felt the first ripple of a chill go through her. She shoved the feelings away and concentrated on aiding the driver of the vehicle.
Grabbing hold of the door handle on the passenger side she squared her shoulders and gave a mighty heave. The door sprang open and she crouched down to peer into the vehicle. Hanging in the seat was a man who looked to be unconscience. Aly looked up and around the vehicle and tested the stability of the unit before stepping into the cab. Feeling the vehicle rock with this new weight on the already unbalanced roof, she froze where she was. She tried calling to him.
"Hey.... Hey!!?? Can you hear me?? Sir.....???"
The stranger started to move slowly. His arms were hanging down from his head in his awkward upside down position. He pulled them back to his body and started reaching for the seatbelt buckle.
"Sir..? Sir?? Are you alright?? Maybe you should wait for the paramedics.... The stranger finally turned to look in her direction... and she was frozen bybthe intensity of the green eyes that pinned her on the spot.
"No....I am fine. Just a bit dizzy from hanging here. Can you give me a hand with this buckle?"
Aly reached out for a handhold and moved slowly and carefully into the cab of the vehicle and reached up to the seatbelt buckle. She was not strong enough to free the clasp due to his weight pressing against it. She looked into his eyes, hanging so near to her, and she could see his understanding. He just nodded and she felt his warm hand cover hers on the clasp and with a mighty yank he freed himself from the seat belt and fell into a heap at her feet.
Reaching down Aly helped the stranger to right himself and he laughed..... he LAUGHED!!! She looked at him as if he were crazy...*must be in shock* she thought.
"Maybe you had just take it easy and I'll call the paramedics."
He continued to laugh so she turned to make her way back out of the overturned vehicle. He reached up and caught ahold of her arm and she looked back at him in mild alarm.... and curiosity.
"No...please. I'm fine. We can call the authorities in amoment. Really... I am okay. Let's get out of this truck...and the rain.. okay?"
Hesitating for only a moment, Aly nodded her compliance and led the way out of the truck through the passenger door. The two of them sprinted to her shop and ran through the door. Aly took off her trenchcoat and shook it out. Pushing her soaked bangs back out of her eyes she noticed that the stranger seemed to be staring at her.
"What? Do I have broccoli in my teeth or something? she says laughingly.
He just continued to smile and stare and walked over to her. "No.... you don't. I just realized... I have not introduced myself. My name is Roy. Roy Dupuis. And you.... you are my angel."
All of the sudden Aly did not feel quite so wet and cold any more. The way he was looking at her with those changeable green eyes was making her feel warm all over. Shaking off the feeling...(he was a STRANGER for pete's sake!!)... she just smiled and introduced herself.
"No...no angel. Just Aly. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise. And in case I forget.... thank you."
Aly laughed at that and led the way into the rear of her shop and stopped just short of showing him upstairs into her apartment. Why did she feel so at ease with this guy she wondered. She turned and found his standing right behind her.
So surprised was she that she stumbled into him. He caught her with is strong arms and steadied her against his chest. Aly could feel his heart pounding beneath her hands as she placed them against his chest to keep herself from falling. Slowly... ever so slowly.... she raised her eyes to look at him.
What she saw made her heart skip a beat before pounding away again in her chest. His eyes had changed to the color of a forest... newly drenched with a hearty rain..... deep... dark.... green. His lashes were so incredibly long and they framed his eyes with their sooty beauty. His brows were the perfect highlight to the intensity of those eyes. His nose was finely sculpted and as she followed the bridge of it down to his lips she felt her tongue dart out to wet her own suddely dry lips.
The corner of his mouth lifted as he saw this and he reached up to brush a lock of her damp hair back off her forehead.
"You have taken quite a risk tonight. Saving me... getting soaked... ... you must surely be my guardian angel." With that, he tilted her face up to his and lowered his mouth to hers in a butterfly kiss. He trailed soft kisses across her cheekbone and along the curve of her ear. Aly melted against him. As his lips began to trace a path back to her mouth, she turned into the kiss and let the sparks fall where they may.
Unbeknownst to the couple.... the rain had finally ceased... and a rainbow could be seen on the horizon.
This story Copyright 1998, Aly
Used by permission