Sean had always fancied a Blue maserati granturismo convertible and he promised himself one as soon he could afford the car of his dreams. Sean was a Workaholic, but not once did he falter for he was so determined to go higher places. He worked from 6am to 7pm as an errand boy for the Washington Post. Then in the evening right up to 12:30am serving behind the bar. Even though Sean could talk to anyone and made friends easy, he hardly ever went out with any of his mates to socialise, he was so engrossed in his work. He was tired, but he knew that eventually his dreams would come true and he'd have his Maserati one day.
"Please quieten it down chaps," Sean yawned, quite fed up with all the noise and chattering. "Some of us are trying to work here you know."
"Aww, c'mon Sean," nagged Paul, coming over to him. "Come and have a drink with us. You will feel better for it and you never know, you might meet the girl of your dreams."
"Sorry fellas," he sighed, feeling exhausted. "Got too much work to do."
"Blah blah blah," Peter grumbled, under his breath. "He's turning into a right old wet blanket."
"Yeah!" Interrupted John. "You have to let your hair down sometime bud. You can't stay in here working forever."
"Huh!" complained David, talking at the same time as John. "He never wants to come out with us anymore,"
David, Peter and John all stared at Sean. Suddenly, you could here a pin drop, "ok you win!" as he threw his hands up in despair and took a deep breath. "Give us fifteen minutes to clear up."
"You know it will do you good," Paul rejoiced, clapping him on the shoulder. "See ya down the Dragon in fifteen." Then turning to the others, "Ok, you lot!" he shouted as he sprinted out of the door. "Last one down the pub pays."
Meanwhile as the guys were racing to the pub, Mandy arrived at nos.7 and knocks the door. Angel's dad answers. Seeing it's Mandy, let's her in. "Hello Mandy, she's upstairs. Go straight on up."
"Thanks Mr Franti," going upstairs. "Are you ready yet Ange?" Mandy asked, peering through the bedroom door. "The guys will be waiting."
"I don't feel too good, think an early nigh__"
"You're always making excuses," Mandy rolled her eyes dramatically, interrupting her. "No! You are coming. Anyway, I want to show you my fella, Paul. Remember the bloke I met last week?"
"Ok!" Angel sighed, as she started pinning her hair back. "I suppose, only for a short time tho."
"I will wait downstairs," Mandy said, closing the door behind her. "Don't be long."
Half hour later, as they both walked into the Dragon and noticing the boys, went straight over to where they were sitting. "Oh, there you are. Thought you weren't coming," Paul whispered, giving Mandy a peck on the cheek. "Is this Angel? Nice to meet you at long last," he said smiling, holding out his hand.
"Hi. Yes, I'm Ange. It's nice to meet you Paul," as she shook his hand, giving him a weak smile and then turning to Mandy. "Look, honestly I don't feel to__"
"Ange, you are as white as a ghost," Mandy urgently said, as Paul quickly grabbed a chair for her. "Just sit there and I will call your father to come and collect you."
"Please can you get me a glass of water, then I will walk back." Angel quietly said, sitting down," don't worry my papa, the fresh air will do me some good."
"Where's Sean?" John asked, coming over with a glass of water and handing it to Angel.
"I will ring him," grabbing his cell phone out of his pocket, Paul dials Sean's number.
After a few minutes, Sean answers, "Yeah!"
"Hey you, you are missing all the fun."
"Sorry, I must of fallen to sleep," He said exhausted. "Look, I am just going to go straight home."
"See you tomorrow," Angel said to Mandy, waving to Paul.
"Night Ange," Paul gestured holding the phone away from his ear. "Hope you feel better soon." Then talking back into the cell, "The boys aren't gonna be happy Sean, but ok. See ya tomorrow."
"Night Paul," Sean said quietly, feeling really and truly fed up. He did want to have a drink with his pals, but was just too worn out. Maybe an early night will do me some good, he thought to himself.
Shuffling the chair back, he started to get up, when the cell phone sounded again. Picking it up, and before he could say anything, "get your backside down here now!" they bellowed.
"I'm exhausted," he said with a morose expression, taking a long, deep breath. "Gonna have an early night. I'll come out with you chaps tomorrow. But for now, all I want is to go home and sleep. So I will say g'nite to you."
"You dunno what you're missing," they hollered, as Sean held the the cell away from his ear, the phone was then slammed down. Turning off the lights, he left the office..
As he began trundling through the wet sands home from the Washington Post, he saw an angel. Sean couldn't take his eyes of her, she took his breath away, and without realising what he was doing, followed her all the way home.
Angel could hear footsteps behind her, so she started walking faster and faster. She heard a noise and glancing swiftly around, saw someone being attacked. Angel screamed, and then realising it was only her pa, ran over to stop him.
"Take that!" her pa snarled, as he whacked him over the head. "Leave my lass alone, you son of a bi__" Sean tried to turn, but then he was kicked quite brutally in the stomach, before passing out.
"What did you do that for!?!" Angel chided, as she dialled 911, glowering at him suspiciously.
"Umm!!" he snorted. "He was following you Ange," his searching gaze ran over her face.
"Hello, what's your emergency?"
"We need an ambulance immediately. Someone has passed out," talking urgently into the cell phone. "No! I don't know who he is, never met him before."
After she gave them the address, the operator said, "Please stay calm, a crew is on their way."
"Thanks," putting the phone back into her bag, whilst glancing sternly at her father. "You don't need to look so smug Pa."
Five minutes later, the ambulance arrived and the paramedics came rushing out. Seeing the state of Sean, gently lifted him straight onto the stretcher and turning round to Angel. "You will have to follow us to St. John's Hospital. They might need to ask you some questions."
"The cars over here Ange," her Pa quietly mumbled, seizing her hand.
When they arrived at the Hospital, she quickly got out of the car and then sprinted straight into the reception. "The ambulance has just brought a guy in that was unconscious." She quickly said, breathlessly, "could you please tell me where they've taken him?"
"Are you the next of kin?" enquired the receptionist.
Leaning on the desk, "no! I just was with him when he collapsed," Angel quietly mentioned.
Glancing at the computer screen, the receptionist said, "A man was brought in about 10 minutes ago." Looking back up at her, he then added, "if you would care to take a seat, I will find someone that may be able to help you."
"Thanks," and then no sooner did she sit down, her father appeared. He was just about to sit down, when Angel looked up at him, "you might as well go home Pa," she whispered. "I want to stay until he wakes up."
Her father nodded. "Ok! If you are sure, ring me straight away if you need anything."
"Just go pa, I will be alright." Angel sighed, sitting back in the chair, closed her eyes, when she suddenly heard Mandy's voice.
"Oh my god Ange! Are you all alright? Your Pa's told me what happened."
Angel looked up at Mandy, and noticing she was with Paul and John, when the doctor came into the waiting room. "Are any of you related to the patient?" he enquired.
Speaking both at the same time, Paul and John said, "We are his brothers,"
"He was beaten up quite bad, so will be in here for a few days." Then turning to Angel, asked "did you see who done this?"
"Not really, it was dark," she said hesitantly.
"Well, the two brothers can go in if they would like?" looking at Paul and John. "It might be sometime before he recovers consciousness."
"Thanks doc," Paul said as they both went into Sean's room, whilst Mandy sat down and put her arm around Angel.
"Oh Mandy," Angel sobbed into her shoulder. "It was so scary. I didn't know what had happened at first, but then I saw Pa and he told me it was because he was following me. But I had no way of stopping him, and I didn't know who the man was either."
Opening her eyes wider, Mandy demanded, "So are you saying, it was Pa?"
Her eyes stung with tears, so she just nodded and buried her face deeper into Mandy's shoulder. "Oh! My poor poor love," kissing her on her head, holding her tighter.
Few hours later, she heard Paul chatting on his cell, so Mandy quietly said, "I will be straight back. I have to let Paul know what's happened."
Going over to Paul, she whispered into his ear telling him everything that Angel mentioned. "Don't worry Ange," Paul gently assured her, coming over and sitting down beside her. She looked up at him, her face sodden with tears.
When Sean finally awoke, realised he was in hospital and then noticed John.
"About time you woke up Sean, you had us all worried there for a moment," coming over to his brother and handing him a glass of water.
Sitting up, Sean mentioned that his head was hurting, when he glanced at the window and noticed the angel again. "Who is that girl, sitting with Paul?"
"That's Ange, she was the one who called 911."
Hypnotised by her, Sean asked John to send her in.
"Sure! Anything for my baby brother," he motioned.
Angel was still crying into Mandy's shoulder, when John came over, "He's just woken up."
Then looking at Angel said, "he wants to have a word Ange." Realising that she was nervous, adding as he winked at her, "its ok, he won't bite!"
Her whole body was trembling, as Sean watched her walk slowly into the room. So speaking very softly, he said "hello!"
She looked up and, smiling shyly said in a broken whisper, "sorry! Papa is just over protective of me."
"Hey! Don't worry too much about that," whilst gazing at her intently. "It's over and done with Angel and I'm ok now."
They both talked for a number of hours and, after visiting time was over, she promised that she would call in to visit him again soon. Angel kept to her promise, but she actually called in every day that he was in hospital and, because Sean never pressed any charges against her Pa, they saw each other even after he came home.
Audrey and Sue, both 42, took a trip to England completely paid for by Audrey's cheating millionaire boyfriend. “Cougar” describes older women on the prowl for much younger men, and although they didn't begin the trip on the prowl, somehow they bec
An empathic young nurse driven to help and heal others since childhood after watching her mother languish for months before finally succumbing to cancer, Aziza Lopez abhors cruelty and suffering in any form. When she is assigned comatose patient Davi