Memories In The Dark

by Dawn Tamayo

  Helen unlocked the bathroom door and slowly stepped out, “What are you doing here?”. She pushed her wet hair away from her face, glad she didn’t have to stand in front of the gorgeous police sergeant in dirty clothes again. She was so grateful to Cathy for everything she had loaned her, even though the tiny vest top barely covered her stomach and only just made it to the waistband of her jeans as it hugged her tightly around her curvy breasts which strained against the smaller bra cups, but she didn’t care about that for now, at least she didn’t feel such a mess, and a bit more like herself – whoever that may be!

  “This is where they put you?” He said indicating around, it was nothing like he had imagined.

  Helen saw he’d opened the curtains and stayed back away from the window. “Well I suppose right now I don’t have any other options. Hopefully it won’t be for too long, maybe I’ll get my memory back soon and then I can go home.”

  Romero dropped his hands to his side, not wanting to seem intimidating, “Cathy called me. She said you won’t go out to buy some shopping with her. Why’s that?”

  Helen looked at Sergeant Sanchez, he looked different today. Then she realised he wasn’t in his uniform - he was wearing a light blue casual shirt open at the neck and a pair of blue jeans. His black hair looked softer and she could see the hint of waviness in it again. Helen looked down at his feet, to his casual loafers and she thought he looked nice and relaxed, not like a police sergeant at all.

  “You are not working today?” She asked changing the subject.

  “No, I’m off for a couple of days, but don’t worry I will be checking in to see if there is any news on you.” Romero noticed she looked at the open curtains behind him again, “You haven’t answered my question Helen.”

  “Sergeant Sanchez I really appreciate your help, and thank you for sending Cathy with some clothes for me, but I will be alright from here.” She said with more conviction than she felt. In fact she didn’t feel alright at all - a strange wave of nausea swept over her, and the bright light from the window was hurting her eyes. Helen felt tired, incredibly tired, and quickly she sat down on the bed realising she hadn’t taken her medication the doctor had given her yesterday.

  Romero watched as Helen sat down on the bed and saw the dark circles under her eyes. He was beginning to think Cathy was right. “Did you get much sleep last night?”

  Helen shook her head too tired to lie - she had tried to sleep but every noise made her jump; she still didn’t know what had happened, and she thought that until she did then she couldn’t rule out the possibility of someone having hurt her intentionally.

  “Look, I’m sorry Sergeant Sanchez but whatever you want will need to wait for another time. I am tired and I need to rest.” She lay down on the bed, the brief reprieve the cup of tea and sandwich had brought her was now wearing off - her head was beginning to hurt and the nausea was getting worse. Helen moaned as she turned her head into the pillows, remembering the doctor said that she may feel sick and dizzy if she didn’t take her medication for a the next few days. He had said it was normal after such a knock to the head, but she didn’t have any water left to take her tablets with this morning, and the woman from the consulate had warned her not to drink the tap water unless she wanted to be sick, and she could do without that right now!

  Romero watched as Helen lay on the tatty bed. Her hair fell across her face and he wanted to move it back so he could see her smooth features again. He stood looking over her not quite sure what to do, this was unchartered territory for him - he didn’t normally have to deal with damsels in distress, even if they acted like they didn’t need his help.

  “Helen, is there something I can do to help?”

  “My tablets. They are on the dressing table, I haven’t taken them yet. I think I need them.” She moaned as her head spun a little bit more as if to prove her point.

  Romero reached across and took the little plastic bottle and read the label. He opened up the lid and emptied two tablets out onto his hand and reached for the flask of tea.

  “Why didn’t you take your medication? It says you should have had them by now.” He was annoyed she wasn’t taking better care of herself.

  “Because I didn’t have any water, that’s why.” Helen nearly spat at him. What did he think she was – a complete idiot or something?

  “So? There’s a grocery shop practically next door. Why didn’t you go and get some?” Romero sat down on the bed and waited for Helen to sit up before handing her the tablets and cold tea.

  “Because I couldn’t. I can’t.” She said quietly, then took the tablets and swallowed them.

  “What do you mean you can’t?” He asked confused, she had seemed perfectly fine when he walked in a few minutes ago.

  Helen tried to stay sitting upright but she couldn’t, the room spun too much and she flopped back down on the bed again. “Sergeant Sanchez, thank you for your help and your concern. Please thank your wife for the clothes, and like I told her I will return them to her very soon. But please, can you both go away now and leave me alone.” She moaned as she rolled onto her stomach and tried to ignore the motion sickness.

  “My wife?” Romero asked even more confused, then he remembered Cathy still standing outside in the hallway. He laughed gently, “Cathy’s not my wife.”

  “Well your girlfriend then, whatever!” Helen said just wanting to shut him up so she could sleep, the tablets were beginning to take effect now and the lack of sleep from last night was getting the better of her.

  “She’s not my girlfriend either. She’s the wife of my best friend.” He said smiling to himself thinking how funny Juan would find this conversation!

  “Whatever! Will you just go now please? I need to sleep.” Helen pleaded half asleep already.

  Romero watched her closely. He knew the doctor had been satisfied there was nothing serious wrong after all the tests and scans he had done, but he was sure that someone should be keeping an eye on her with that cut on her head - it was obvious now she was not alright. “Not until you answer my question Helen. Why can’t you go out of this apartment?” .

  “Because I am scared. Okay? Because my hands won’t stop shaking and I can’t get past the front door.” She muttered feeling defeated.

  “No, that is not okay.” Romero said gruffly as he bent down and pulled Helen up into his arms.

  Romero didn’t know what had gotten into him, he just knew he was acting out of instinct and this felt right somehow. In fact, for the first time since seeing Helen stumble along the road where she collapsed into his arms he felt that something was finally right, and he was going to go with it.

  “What… what are you doing?” Helen asked confused as she felt herself being pulled up off the bed, but she was too weak to put up any kind of fight or argument.

  “I’ve had enough of this, you’re coming with me.” He said as he lifted her off the bed and held her tightly against his chest.

  “But I’ve done nothing wrong.” She moaned as she tried to keep her eyes open, failing miserably.

  “I know you haven’t. Don’t worry.” Romero said gently.

  “Then where are we going Sergeant?” Helen asked as she rested her head against Romero’s hard shoulder, and finally let her eyes close as she drank in his delicious smell – an aroma of fresh soap mixed with the musky smell of pure man.

  Romero re-adjusted Helen in his arms, making sure he had her securely. “Romero. My name is Romero. And you can’t stay here alone, so we are going home. I am taking you home with me.” He called out to Cathy to come in and help him, but when Cathy walked back in through the apartment door her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw Helen in Romero’s arms. Romero didn’t wait for the obvious question about to come out of Cathy’s astonished mouth, “Can you get the things you brought for her and bring them to my car please. Lock the door behind you?” He said as he carried Helen passed her, out of the apartment and into the hallway.

  “Money…. In the dressi
ng table.” Helen mumbled exhausted, her eyes still closed as she draped her arms around Romero’s neck and allowed herself to be carried away by him.

  Romero looked across to Cathy who was picking up her bags from the room and she nodded heading back to the dressing table.

  “Go ahead, I’ll be right behind you.” Cathy said as she watched in amazement as Romero walked off with the beautiful caramel haired woman curled up in his arms as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  As Romero drove along the coastal road back to Villajoyosa he was wondering what he was doing and what on earth had gotten into him! How had he suddenly managed to have Helen sleeping in the passenger seat of his car as they headed up the highway to his home? He hardly invited anyone to his home, only his closest friends and family, and he liked to keep it that way - it was his place of rest and solitude. In fact he had never even taken a woman back there to sleep overnight, preferring to sleep at his previous girlfriends’ homes instead – he liked his privacy. And now he had somehow managed to invite a virtual stranger there, albeit a beautiful one, and to stay! He knew it was totally unprofessional for him to be doing this, and wholly out of character, but it seemed like the only logical thing to do at the time, and now he was wondering why?

  “Helen, wake up.” He said touching her arm gently trying to rouse her from her sleep. They had pulled up outside Romero’s modest villa and he had unlocked the front gate and driven the car inside. He then spent the next five minutes sitting in the car wondering quite what to do next. He knew there wasn’t much he could do now, there was no going back. He had a house guest whether he liked it or not, and he mentally kicked himself for not really thinking this through beforehand. Romero looked at the beautiful woman sleeping soundly next to him and he felt a stirring deep inside. He closed his eyes swearing silently as he tried to pull his mind away from where it was going, then he opened them again and this time tried to wake Helen up a little louder.

  Helen rubbed her cheek against the soft leather of the car seat and slowly opened her eyes. It took her a moment to realise where she was and that she wasn’t still back in her little studio.

  “Oh. Oh!” She said blushing as she remembered Romero’s strong arms holding her tightly as he carried her down the stairs and out to his car.

  Now she was awake Romero stepped out of the car and walked around to open the car door for her. Helen watched as he passed around the front of the car and she couldn’t help admiring him, then she silently told herself to stop it, considering how inappropriate it was! Helen blushed as she stepped out of the car feeling like she was seeing Romero, the man, for the first time - each time she had seen him before today he had been dressed in his sergeant’s uniform and on police business. However today was different, there was no police uniform and he was just a man called Romero, and a very attractive one at that!

  Helen looked around the garden and driveway leading up to the villa - it was quaint, a one story white building with cool blue tiles and red roof slates, with a front garden which was slightly overgrown giving it a rustic yet homely feel. “What am I doing here?” she asked, vaguely remembered Romero saying he was taking her to his home. In her deep sleep she had missed the short drive along the Playa Blanca coast to the sleepy little town of Villajoyosa, where he turned into a little road hardly more than a dirt track at the edge of the town. Helen stood admiring the pretty coloured flowers which were scattered around.

  “Like I said, you are staying here for a while. You’re not well enough to be on your own at the moment.”

  “But why?” She looked at him astounded, why was he doing this? Did he make a habit of taking in strays and was she about to walk into a house full of stray cats and dogs only to be his latest acquisition?

  Romero didn’t answer her, he simply picked up the bags Cathy had put into the back of his car and closed the car door behind her. He pressed the lock button on his key and walked ahead of her into the house assuming she would catch him up.

  It was cool inside and Helen instantly felt a rush of relief away from the hot sun. She looked around the hallway and sighed; it was lovely. Romero led her into the kitchen and put her bags on the dark wooden rectangular table, pulling out a chair for her to sit down on. Helen declined, feeling much better after her short nap, and leaned up against the black granite work surface. Romero walked past her and reached into the fridge taking out a jug of cold water. “Drink this.” He poured a glass and passing it to her.

  Helen took it gratefully and drank the cold water down in one go. She had forgotten how thirsty she was.

  “When you are ready I’ll show you around.” He said refilling her glass.

  Helen nodded and put the glass on the side, she was ready now.

  Romero walked back into the hallway pointing to rooms leading off it as he went. “This is the living room, my bedroom, the bathroom, and my spare room; you can sleep in here.” He said as he walked into the spare bedroom and placed Cathy’s bag on a heavy wooden carved chair standing against the wall. “I wasn’t expecting anyone so the bed’s not been made up, but there are pillows and bed linen in the cupboard over there.” He pointed to the identically carved wooden wardrobe.

  “Thank you, I’ll sort it out.” She felt awkward, she didn’t know what to do or say standing in Romero’s spare bedroom.

  “Well, I will let you get sorted.” He said as he turned to walk out the room.

  “Romero?”

  He stopped where he was, it was the first time he had heard her say his name and it sounded good. Romero took a deep breath and wondered again for the umpteenth time what he was doing, he must have been crazy! Then he turned back to face her, trying not to look at how the little white vest top stretched across her ample breasts. “Sí.”

  “Thank you for this.” Helen smiled sweetly, and then turned to the wardrobe to sort her bed out.

  Romero stood looking at Helen’s back as she opened the wardrobe doors, and wondered how two such little words “thank you” could reach right inside him and crunch his heart, because these two had! He could see how grateful she was by the look in her eyes. He had never been one to fall for seductive charms - he was good at reading people and always knew when an attractive woman was putting on the charm, and those women were usually after a good-looking face and fit body to match, or the excitement of going out with a policeman in his body armour with an intimidating gun. Romero didn’t take it personally that women rarely saw passed his fit body and his uniform, and that was just fine because he hadn’t found one yet who he wanted to. But here Helen was, uttering nothing more than his name and two words of thanks, and already it seemed he was willing to lay down everything for her if she asked! He would have laughed at the ridiculousness of it if he hadn’t wanted to curse himself so much instead. Romero watched as Helen balanced on her tip toes trying to reach for the pillows high above her head in the cupboard. She carried on trying, hopping from one foot to the other but they were just out of her reach, so he walked up behind her and reached over her head pulling one down. Helen jumped, she hadn’t realised Romero was still there, but she smiled at him again, this time over her shoulder as he stepped back and handed her the pillow. She took it and watched Romero walk out of the room.

  Once Helen had finished putting the fresh linen on her bed it looked cool and inviting with its pretty Moorish white embroidered sheets. She checked the windows, and the usual bars on the outside used to deter gypsies and thieves looked solid enough, it made her feel much safer. Finally Helen felt she would be able to sleep tonight. She looked at her new bedroom one last time and smiled as she left it and walked out the door.

  Helen wondered down the hallway and found Romero in the living room. He had kicked off his shoes and was lazing on a big overstuffed brown leather sofa with a bottle of San Miguel in hand, watching football on the television. He sat upright as he heard her walk in the room.

  “No, don’t get up.” She said as she took a seat on an equal
ly oversized armchair near his.

  “Cerveza?” He asked, offering her a beer.

  “I don’t think I can drink with my tablets. I’ll stick to water, but thanks anyway.” She crossed her bare feet under her on the chair.

  “So we need to go shopping, don’t we? I think you need some things.” Romero said watching her closely. She had refused to go out with Cathy but he wasn’t going to take no for an answer - for as long as she was with him he was going do whatever he could to help her get her memory back, or at the very least help her move on with her life.

  “I want to go, but I don’t know if I can.” She looked away.

  “Helen look at me.” He waited a moment until she turned her deep blue eyes back to him again, “There is nothing to be afraid of, I will be with you all the time.” He watched her as she seemed to be weighing up the pros and cons, “I am a policeman. You can trust me.”

  Helen looked at Romero, and realised with surprise that she did trust him. She wasn’t sure why; she wondered if maybe it was because he had been the one to save her, and he had been there every step of the way so far. Romero was her one constant thing, her only constant thing.

  “Think of me as your personal bodyguard for the day.” He half joked.

  Helen laughed, she didn’t need any more persuading, she was sold. “Okay. I give in. When shall we go?”

  “Now.”

  She laughed again, “Then I will go and get my money. I definitely think I need some new shoes.” she said as she eyed up the sad pair of flip flops she had been wearing from the hospital - they had definitely seen better days.

  The town of Villajoyosa was much smaller and quieter than Benidorm, it was almost the opposite, with brightly coloured quaint villas and apartments lined up along the beach and harbour front, giving the effect of a rainbow. The small boats in the harbour made for a picturesque view, and Helen felt herself drawn to stand watching them for ages. She liked the way they bobbed up and down in the water, all white in colour, but at the same time all being very different - some small with two seats like speed boats, and other simple fisherman twin decked boats.