The restaurant was crowded and Mark could barely move to get to his table. When he eventually got there Amy gave him a dirty look and complained "You're late."
"I know. I'm sorry, the traffic was awful. It took me forty minutes just to get two blocks."
"Well I've already ordered, I'm having the salad."
Mark sighed and pushed his brown hair back from his forehead. The day wasn't going well for him, he'd already messed up an assignment at work and now he was screwing up his personal life too. He picked up the menu and started to read.
"Hmm I'm really not sure what to have. It all looks so good. Here hon, have a look and see what you'd recommend."
"Oh, just pick the steak, you always do."
"Ahh, no. Please look." said Mark getting flustered.
Amy scowled and irritably took the menu from Mark. Her expression froze and started to lighten as suprise overwhelmed her.
"Mark? Is this?"
"It sure is."
"B-but."
"I know, we'd decided to delay it but I have a couple of days vacation coming up, so I thought what the hey."
Inside the menu were two tickets to Bali leaving in three days. Amy sat there gazing at them for a while then looked up at Mark.
"I do love you, you know that."
"I know."
"And you should have the salad too, I don't want you wandering around on those beaches with a huge stomach, plus it might get in the way of other 'activities'."
Mark grinned at her and called the waitress over.
They spent the next half an hour laughing and joking making plans for their up coming trip. Amy wanted them to embark on exciting pursuits. Water skiing, paragliding, scuba diving and others. Mark wanted just to relax in the sun and read a few books. Just get the stress of work out of his system. She called him chicken, he called her crazy but they never stopped smiling.
They got up to leave and walked to the pavement outside.
"Well back to the grindstone I guess."
"Yeah me too." said Amy
"See you at home then, around 6ish"
"Yeah."
They kissed and started off in opposite directions.
Mark stepped up to the edge of the pavement outside the restaurant and looked down the street. the traffic was still pretty heavy but it seemed to have loosened up. He could see his car ont he other side of the road and waited impatiently for a gap to appear int he traffic.
A little further down the road Amy stopped suddenly remembering they'd forgotten to pick up the tickets Mark had placed in the menu. She turned around and hurried back.
A gap appeared int he traffic and Mark started to cross. A taxi came out of nowhere and knocked Mark over. A screech of brakes made Amy turn to the street to see Mark collapsing.
"MARK!" she shouted running over to him.
Across the road a tall man in a raincoat doubled over. Clutching at his head. "Not again" he muttered.
AMy crouched next to Mark's still body. There was blood coming from his left ear and his right arm looked broken. He was breathing but unconcious. A crowd had alreayd formed around them.
"Somebody call 911." screamed Amy.
"I didn't see him, he just stepped out." protested the driver "Oh God, oh God."
"No Mark, please no, don't leave me Mark." sobbed Amy.
A shadow fell acros Mark and Amy looked up to see the tall man. His face was contorted as he gritted his teeth.
"Excuse me miss."
Amy moved dumbfoundedly out of the way.
The man laid his hand either side of Mark's temples. He started to groan quietly, his nostrils flared and lips closed in a tight thin line. He stayed crouched by Mark like this for a few seconds.
Then he stopped.
He straightened up, a grimace no longer adorned his face. Instead his expression was one of sadness, and almost wistful regret. Without another word he walked off away from the crowd.
Amy stood up and looked in the direction the stranger had gone when she heard a small groan from Mark.
"Mark?"
"Wow. What hit me?"
"Mark? Are you alright?"
"Yeah sure. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You've just been hit by a car."
"I've what?" he stood up to get a better look around him.
"You were crossing the road and a taxi hit you."
"That can't be I feel fine." he swung his arms and jogged ont he spot. "See? Fit as a fiddle."
Amy looked perplexed. There was no blood comign from his ear and only a small amount left on the road. Once again Amy turned and looked down the road in the direction the stranger had gone.