Carrie and John Pt. 03

At this point he should have started blaming Carrie and her irrational demands for all this disaster which had befallen him. John didn't, however. He blamed himself. He was ever clearer about the opportunity he had trashed by giving up on the mission she had set him. Pictures of her beautiful, toned body and stunning face floated through his exhausted and distraught mind.

He was really cold now, actually shivering and he aimed for the centre of town to try and mingle with the tourists and try to get some warmth into his body. The rain continued to pour, harder now, as John began to stumble down through the restaurant district of town.

Looking up from the puddles which covered the pavements, he spotted a beautiful red Ferrari. He looked again and realised that it belonged to Carrie, the very car he had seen in her garage when they went cycling. It was parked outside a very expensive restaurant with huge, plate glass windows which proudly displayed the wealthy diners and the exotic dishes they were eating.

Like a child who was lost, John turned and looked through the rain smeared windows and, as his eyes became accustomed to looking through the reflections of the street lamps outside, he caught sight of Carrie.

She was sitting opposite an older man who exuded wealth and confidence. He was also, John thought miserably, very handsome. Carrie looked amazing in a short, off the shoulder black dress which sparkled with what may well have been real diamonds. She wore high heeled shoes and her legs, tanned and toned, gleamed in the soft light of the restaurant. Both she and the mystery man were deep in conversation.

It was some while before she glanced towards the window and an almost imperceptible expression of sorrow passed over her face as she saw John. It was like someone seeing the ghost of a loved one who has only recently died.

Shaking almost uncontrollably with cold, wet and emotion, John fell to his knees. He lifted his hands to his heart in a soundless expression of pleading. Carrie held his gaze for a moment and then went on with her meal, almost as if nothing had happened. The man she was with noticed nothing.

A few moments later a pair of burly waiters came out of the restaurant and hauled John to his feet. They pushed him roughly into the street and he staggered, blinded by rain, tears and an unbearable sense of loss. A bright light seemed to rush towards him and he heard a shout of anguish from one of the waiters. The next thing he knew he was sent flying by the bumper of a car which had swerved to narrowly miss running him down completely.

He was thrown onto the pavement and was briefly aware of a sharp pain in his right leg and a dull ache all over the rest of his body, before he fell unconscious.