No excuses of apologies for this one, it's a love story plain and simple.
As always constructive comments and criticisms about the writing are appreciated but please don't write and tell me the characters suck, they aren't real, they're just a figment of my imagination.
Please remember it is just a story.
Enjoy
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Things Aren't Always What They Seem
Sliding in behind the steering wheel of her car Niamh Staunton inserted the key into the ignition and took a breath.
"Please just for me..... please."
She looked upwards and murmured quietly to herself before trying to start the engine.
'Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr'
"Noooooooooooo."
Sitting back in her seat she groaned out loud, her heart sinking as the engine turned over but, just as she had expected, failed to actually start.
"Please, this time. Just for me, please." Looking up to the sky she implored quietly and taking another deep breath, she tried the key a second time.
'Brrrrmmmmmmmmm... Brrrmmmmmmmmm!'
Much to her relief, her car started.
'Thank fuck, it must be my lucky day.'
She couldn't help but, not for the first time, thank whoever the guardian saint of cars was as she pulled away from the kerbside. Listening to the engine of her Vauxhall Corsa protesting noisily while she drove towards the town centre she wondered what she would do when the vehicle finally died for good.
More than ten years old the fourth or fifth hand little car wasn't exactly in pristine condition but it was all she could afford. Somehow though, it struggled on and managed to get her to and from work as well as the occasional social event, which was its main purpose in life.
However, over the last few weeks it had started to become increasingly more unreliable; most days it was reluctant to start and there always seemed to be some new disturbing noises to worry her. It meant that lately she was continually concerned that it was going to give up and completely die on her. Every rattle or groan made her just a touch more apprehensive about whether she was actually going to get to her destination or not.
So, it was with a palpable sense of relief that, twenty minutes later, she finally pulled in to the side of the road, just a few doors away from the small coffee shop where she was due to meet her friend.
Turning off the engine she sat there for a moment and contemplated what she could do about her ailing vehicle. The only real options for her were to have it fixed or to get a new one and both were way out of her budget. As a nurse her salary barely paid her enough to live on let alone leave her with a surplus to pay a garage to mend or replace her car.
Sighing resignedly, she put the problem to the back of her mind and got out. Locking her vehicle, before heading off to her appointment.
Reaching the entrance to the café she paused and composed herself. It had been a while, almost a year in fact, since she had last met up with Julie and she knew she was in for an interrogation as to what she had been up to.
As prepared as she could be she swallowed apprehensively and pushed open the door.
"Nia!"
Already in the coffee shop waiting for her Julie Carter jumped to her feet with a shriek and embraced Niamh as soon as she entered, before insisting on buying their drinks.
"It's been absolutely ages, how have you been hon?" Julie sat down opposite her putting the two coffees on the table.
Before she could respond her friend immediately launched into the intense cross-examination she had been expecting.
"So, what are you up to these days? Are you seeing anyone? It's been more than a year since you and.... and well you know..."
She didn't finish her sentence, letting it hang in the air, both of them well aware of what had happened.
A rather frazzled Niamh shrugged, "I've been alright I guess. Work has been really hectic but at least I'm completely over that cheating piece of dog shit now."
Letting her mind wander back she thought about the disaster her brief relationship with the loathsome Jason Harris had been and how badly it had ended.
She had rejected Jason's first attempts to ask her out but he had persisted and, laying on the charm, she had eventually relented and agreed to go on a date with him. Initially it had been great and they had had a good time but once he had got her into his bed he had changed.
Becoming controlling and manipulative he had started to treat her badly, lying to her on numerous occasions, until she finally caught him out one evening; unexpectedly turning up at his flat and letting herself in while he was having sex with another girl.
The ensuing arguments and break-up had been acrimonious in the extreme and it had taken her a long time to get over it.
"Well, you certainly sound like you are."
Julie laughed at the expected venomous response she got to her question.
"Now I'm currently renting a flat with a friend and enjoying the ward I'm on." Niamh grinned, brushing a stray strand of blonde hair back from her face.
"And men? What about a man? Is there anyone special in your life at the moment?" Julie looked at her enquiringly.
The slim blonde nurse shook her head, "Nope, definitely no men. After that arsehole I'm totally off of them."
"Oh, come on Nia, you've been single and celibate for well over a year now. There must be some young doctor or whatever on the horizon."
"No, there's no one really."
Julie raised an eyebrow, "No one really? That tells me that there might be. Come on, tell me everything."
Niamh chuckled, "There is this doctor, Brian Carson. We've chatted over coffee a few times but that's all. Don't go buying yourself a new hat."
"You like him then?" Her friend persisted.
"He's ok but if I'm being honest he doesn't really do anything for me. I'm not interested in finding a boyfriend anyway." She declared resolutely, "I'm quite happy going along as I am."
"Boring!" Julie gave up probing for gossip and changed the subject, "So, go on tell me about work then. How's it all going?"
"I'm on the paediatric ward. It's difficult sometimes but so rewarding, and the ward sister is great to work for."
Filling her friend in on what was happening in her life the two of them fell into an easy conversation. For the next half an hour the pair caught up on everything they had been doing, until Niamh paused and looked at her watch.
"Sod it. I really have to go Jules or I'll be late for my shift." Niamh finished the last of her now cold coffee and stood up.
Julie did likewise and the pair embraced as they went to say goodbye.
"It's been great to see you. We must have a night out sometime. It must be ages since we last had one." Julie told her as she let go of her, "And no putting it off like you have been."
"Between your husband and my shifts, it isn't always easy to find the time."
"I know, I know. Text me when you're off and we'll arrange something."
Saying their farewell's, the two girls parted company and Niamh walked back around the corner. Her good mood starting to evaporate as she was again faced with the problem of what to do about her car.
That was when she noticed the blue BMW Series 2 sports coupe that pulled in at the kerbside, stopping a few cars back from hers.
'
That's exactly what I need.'
She thought, smiling to herself, before going back to her own concerns and murmuring, "Something nice and sporty."
Sliding into the driver's seat she fastened her seat belt and, checking her watch again, turned the ignition.
'Click.'
She groaned in frustration as the engine failed to start and tried again.
'Click.'
'Click.'
"Shit, shit, shit!" Closing her eyes, she swore out loud and rested her forehead on the steering wheel.
"Now I'm going to be fucking late." She cursed again before popping open the bonnet and clambering out.
Standing with her hands on her hips she stared at the non-functioning lump of metal wondering what she was going to do. She knew nothing about mechanics and if she couldn't get her car to start she would end up being late for her shift at the hospital.
"You fucking useless piece of fucking shit!"
Niamh kicked the front tyre of her car in frustration then stood back, glaring at the broken vehicle in front of her, tears starting to well up in the corners of her eyes.
'Could she get a bus?'
'Could she afford a cab?'
She was so preoccupied pondering the alternatives available to her, none of which would get her to work on time, that she failed to notice the young man who had stepped out of the BMW.
However, judging by the way he stopped and stared he clearly saw her.
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Pulling in to the side of the road Alex Wainwright checked his watch and decided he had enough time to grab a take-away coffee before continuing his journey. That was when he noticed the car two spaces in front of his; the bonnet up and the driver, a girl, standing looking at the engine.
Slipping out of his own vehicle he stood watching her for a moment, wondering if he should just ignore her and not get involved. However, as he got a little closer he could see she was exceptionally pretty and, judging by her uniform, a nurse.
Unable to walk away leaving a girl in distress, especially an attractive one, he simply felt he had to stop.
"Having trouble?" He was just a few feet away from her when he spoke, "Want me to...."
The girl whirled around, stopping and staring open-mouthed, barely able to breathe when she found herself staring into a pair of warm hypnotizing brown eyes that looked back into her blue ones. Within a fraction of a second her heart rate had leapt by several dozen beats a minute and she was sure that the guy who was standing there must hear it, the way it thumped against her ribs.
"Oh err.... yeah.... I... it umm.... it err.... doesn't want to go and I'm going to be late for work."
Taken totally by surprise at her reaction she stammered, struggling to collect her thoughts and speak normally.
Looking back at her Alex froze, like her gasping for air as he found himself completely mesmerised. Gazing into her eyes it felt like he was drowning in two deep azure pools and he momentarily lost the power of speech.
One moment everything had seemed perfectly normal to him and then, without warning, it wasn't.
His heart rate jumped, hammering so loudly in his chest he felt it was about to burst out of his body. At the same time, he could feel the flock of butterflies in his stomach and he struggled to think of what else he could say.
