for everything,” she said, sighing happily.
“Sarah you don’t have to keep thanking me.” She leaned back from him and he removed his arm.
“Rick I do, you don’t understand. My life was hell, not worth living. The night before you found me at the river, I almost had sex with a man for money. I now, it’s disgusting but I was so hungry.” She felt tears well up in her eyes. “When he touched me I wanted to throw up, and I knew I could not do it, I knew I would rather die than have sex with that man, so I ran, I just ran and ran.” He pulled her to his chest and held her.
“I am sorry Sarah that I did not find you sooner,” he whispered.
“Rick, how could you have, it was by chance you saw me in town and I am so glad you did, really truly I am,” she said, looking up into his deep dark eyes. I love you Rick, she wanted to tell him, but she was scared he would push her away; she was scared to tell him what she was supposed to do.
“Come on,” he announced, pulling her to her feet. “Today we forget the past and we have some fun, agreed.” She nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
“Agreed,” she said. Lifting a finger to her chin, he added.
“And, you have to let me spoil you, without any mention of paying me back, agreed?” She went to protest, but he held a finger to her lips.
“Sarah please, I can afford it and I want too.” She laughed and nodded.
“Agreed,” she said, leaning into him as he wrapped his arm around her.
“Okay, amusement arcade next,” he announced, walking her towards the flashing lights ahead of them. Approaching the kiosk Rick slapped a hundred quid in front of the teller.
“Change please,” he said. The man lifted an eyebrow as he counted Rick’s cash. Then he smiled.
“There you are Sir,” he said, pushing a ton of change towards him. “Have a good day.”
“We will,” Rick replied, grabbing the cash and shoving it into his pockets. He turned to give some to Sarah.
“I don’t have a pocket or a bag Rick,” she said.
“Serio usly, a woman without a handbag.” He shook his head, and rammed his pockets with the rest of the change until they were bulging. “We will have to do something about that later,” he announced, walking her over to a fruit machine.
An hour or so later, they emerged, Rick was a hundred pounds lighter, and clutched tight to Sarah’s chest, was a teddy bear with a bright red bow. Sarah had never laughed so much in her life. The amount of money he had pumped into that machine insisting on winning her a prize, he might have well have gone to a toy shop and brought her half a dozen. But he did not care, he wanted to win her a prize and finally after much yelling, laughing and cussing at the grabbing machine, he succeed.
“Okay town next,” he said, swinging her hand in his. He had never felt happier in his life; it was as if he had found his soul mate in Sarah. She was funny and she had the most wicked sense of humour, she was smart and well educated, so they had had some serious discussions about art, artists and the property market. They just got along so well, and he wanted to spoil her.
“In here,” he said, leading her into a small boutique.
A woman in her fifties glanced up from the counter, a smiled beamed across her face as she saw him.
“Rick Hemmingway, what a lovely surprise, are you back for long?” she asked, moving towards him.
“For a while Mrs Crocker,” he said, giving her , a respectful kiss to each of her cheeks.
“And who is this beautiful young lady may I ask?” she enquired, smiling at Sarah.
“This is Sarah, a special friend of mine.” He introduced.
“Hello,” Sarah said, giving the woman a smile back.
“Now what can I do for you?” she asked.
“Sarah needs some sandals and a bag,” he said. Sarah went to protest but Rick lifted a finger.
“We agreed,” he said in a whisper. She twitched a smile back at
“Sarah you don’t have to keep thanking me.” She leaned back from him and he removed his arm.
“Rick I do, you don’t understand. My life was hell, not worth living. The night before you found me at the river, I almost had sex with a man for money. I now, it’s disgusting but I was so hungry.” She felt tears well up in her eyes. “When he touched me I wanted to throw up, and I knew I could not do it, I knew I would rather die than have sex with that man, so I ran, I just ran and ran.” He pulled her to his chest and held her.
“I am sorry Sarah that I did not find you sooner,” he whispered.
“Rick, how could you have, it was by chance you saw me in town and I am so glad you did, really truly I am,” she said, looking up into his deep dark eyes. I love you Rick, she wanted to tell him, but she was scared he would push her away; she was scared to tell him what she was supposed to do.
“Come on,” he announced, pulling her to her feet. “Today we forget the past and we have some fun, agreed.” She nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
“Agreed,” she said. Lifting a finger to her chin, he added.
“And, you have to let me spoil you, without any mention of paying me back, agreed?” She went to protest, but he held a finger to her lips.
“Sarah please, I can afford it and I want too.” She laughed and nodded.
“Agreed,” she said, leaning into him as he wrapped his arm around her.
“Okay, amusement arcade next,” he announced, walking her towards the flashing lights ahead of them. Approaching the kiosk Rick slapped a hundred quid in front of the teller.
“Change please,” he said. The man lifted an eyebrow as he counted Rick’s cash. Then he smiled.
“There you are Sir,” he said, pushing a ton of change towards him. “Have a good day.”
“We will,” Rick replied, grabbing the cash and shoving it into his pockets. He turned to give some to Sarah.
“I don’t have a pocket or a bag Rick,” she said.
“Serio usly, a woman without a handbag.” He shook his head, and rammed his pockets with the rest of the change until they were bulging. “We will have to do something about that later,” he announced, walking her over to a fruit machine.
An hour or so later, they emerged, Rick was a hundred pounds lighter, and clutched tight to Sarah’s chest, was a teddy bear with a bright red bow. Sarah had never laughed so much in her life. The amount of money he had pumped into that machine insisting on winning her a prize, he might have well have gone to a toy shop and brought her half a dozen. But he did not care, he wanted to win her a prize and finally after much yelling, laughing and cussing at the grabbing machine, he succeed.
“Okay town next,” he said, swinging her hand in his. He had never felt happier in his life; it was as if he had found his soul mate in Sarah. She was funny and she had the most wicked sense of humour, she was smart and well educated, so they had had some serious discussions about art, artists and the property market. They just got along so well, and he wanted to spoil her.
“In here,” he said, leading her into a small boutique.
A woman in her fifties glanced up from the counter, a smiled beamed across her face as she saw him.
“Rick Hemmingway, what a lovely surprise, are you back for long?” she asked, moving towards him.
“For a while Mrs Crocker,” he said, giving her , a respectful kiss to each of her cheeks.
“And who is this beautiful young lady may I ask?” she enquired, smiling at Sarah.
“This is Sarah, a special friend of mine.” He introduced.
“Hello,” Sarah said, giving the woman a smile back.
“Now what can I do for you?” she asked.
“Sarah needs some sandals and a bag,” he said. Sarah went to protest but Rick lifted a finger.
“We agreed,” he said in a whisper. She twitched a smile back at
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