by Dawn Tamayo
“So what did you do when you were there?”
Helen paused, she didn’t want to lie to Oliver, but she didn’t see the need to tell him about Romero - if she was supposed to be carrying on her life with her fiancé she couldn’t see the point in telling him that she had been staying in Romero’s house, or anything else for that matter! She decided to be economical with the truth. “I was staying in a pueblo not far from Benidorm.”
“What did you do for money, I checked your bank account and it hasn’t been touched.”
“Well obviously!” Helen laughed, if she knew she had a bank account she wouldn’t have been lost. That made her think - she wondered how much money she had in her bank account. She had a feeling Oliver was the rich one out of the two of them, but she couldn’t have a wardrobe like hers without a nice healthy bank account to go with it. “I was quite sick for the first week and the Consulate in Benidorm gave me some money from the emergency fund. It wasn’t much but it lasted for a few days and then I found myself a job working at a bar.”
“You worked at a bar?” Oliver almost laughed, wrinkling up his nose.
“There’s nothing wrong with working in a bar Oliver. And it was a really nice bar at that.” She said offended. What was wrong with working at a bar? It was a job, it paid money, and people did it all the time! And besides Juan and Cathy were great people, she would forever be indebted to them.
“Nothing, nothing.” Oliver quickly tried to redeem himself, “It’s just that it’s a far cry from what you normally do. I can’t imagine you working behind a bar.”
“It was good fun actually. Hard work but good fun. And I made a couple of good friends while I was there.” Helen thought for a moment. “So what took you so long to report me missing?” She asked him seriously. Romero had already told her what he had heard in the Benidorm police station, but she wanted to hear it from Oliver herself, in more detail.
He turned away and looked out across to the sea view, sighing heavily, “I thought you had left me. We had an argument and I went out. When I came home the next day you were gone. I don’t know what you did; maybe you did leave me, maybe not. But I gave you a while to cool off, then I went to look for you at your apartment, but you weren’t home. When I still hadn’t heard from you I started to get worried and reported you missing to the police.”
“Why the police in Benidorm and not here in Estepona?”
Oliver turned back to look at her, “I had some business to attend to near there and I wanted to contact the police as soon as possible.”
“Didn’t anyone else realised I was gone? What about my friends?” Helen asked, sad at the thought that no one seemed to have missed her, or cared that she was missing.
“You are a very ambitious and independent woman Helen, most of your friends are your work colleagues and when you didn’t turn up for work I told them about our argument. I suppose they thought you had taken a bit of time out and gone off by yourself for a bit.”
“What about my boss? Surely he wasn’t happy when I didn’t turn up for work?”
“I am your boss.” Oliver said smiling, finding it a little bit amusing.
“Oh.” Helen said sheepishly. “What do I do?”
“You work for my yacht leasing company. You make sure that every yacht is in five star condition after each rental, and arrange for any improvements or repair as well as choosing the interiors for my new yachts or the renovations of existing ones. That and lots of other things. You also organise all the press shoots, publicity and marketing events.”
“Wow, sounds like fun.” Helen said hardly believing she was capable of all that. “How long did you say we have been engaged?” She wanted to know everything now. The Doctor had said she should take it easy and let the memories come back naturally if possible, but she was impatient. She wanted to know it all, and now.
“About a month. We were going out for a year before that, and you have been working for me for just over eighteen months. You joined my company not long after you arrived here.”
“The policeman said my parents died and I moved here from England just after that. Do you know where I lived when I first came here?” She still couldn’t put all the pieces together.
“I’m not sure, somewhere around Marbella or Puerto Banus area I think.”
Helen sat in silence for a moment and watched as Oliver reached for her hand and held it in his, their fingers were entwined together. She tried not to think of Romero, how his hands were so much darker than hers with his suntanned Spanish skin. Oliver’s looked white in comparison. She took a deep breath and tried to push Romero out of her mind.
“Oliver, where were we when we argued?”
“Here at home.” He said looking at her seriously.
“Then how did I end up on a beach in Benidorm with a head injury?”
“I wish I could tell you Helen but I don’t know. I have been asking myself that question for the last few hours and I was hoping you could tell me.” Oliver moved his chair a little closer to Helen’s and then reached for her other hand. He took it and stroked it gently with his. “There is something I need to tell you. I didn’t tell the police because it’s personal, just between you and me. It’s about the argument we had, it was bad.”
“What was it about?” Helen interrupted wondering what could be so bad, and if she should still be sitting there with him if that was the case.
“That doesn’t matter, it was just a stupid argument!” He looked at her face and realised he wasn’t going to get away with anything less than what she wanted to hear, “Okay, but you have to understand you have a bad temper on you sometimes Helen. We had a little argument which got out of hand, and then you started shouting at me – really yelling, telling me what I could and couldn’t do, so I lost my temper and I told you our engagement was off, and we were over. You threw your engagement ring at me and told me to get out. Of course neither of us meant it, it was just a stupid argument, but when I left you, you were very upset.” Oliver paused, holding her hands tightly, rubbing them with his thumb, “I am so sorry Helen. I should never have left you when you were in such a state. You were very upset and I was angry. I thought I was just leaving you to calm down for a while, I had no idea you would do what you did.”
Helen looked at Oliver waiting to hear what he said next, she could see something more was to come by the sadness in his eyes. “And what did I do?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I think you went to my boatyard and took a boat out to sea.” He trailed off and sat quietly letting his fingers trace lines on Helen’s hands.
Helen sat confused and looked at the sandy coloured hair on top of Oliver’s head as it bent down over her hands and he kissed them. She knew she should feel something as she felt his lips against her skin, but she didn’t, not a thing. She told herself to give it time - she just needed time and she was sure her feelings for Oliver would return. In the meantime she was trying to understand what Oliver was saying. “I don’t understand.”
“Helen I didn’t know you were going to do that. You have always liked taking one of the smaller boats out along the coast when you want some alone time, but it was late at night and it’s too dangerous to go off in a boat at that time of night. I would never have gone if I had any idea that was what you would do. But you have always been a bit of a law unto yourself, you do what you want when you want, and no one can stop you.”
Helen thought for a moment, she wasn’t sure she liked the person he was describing and found it hard to swallow that she would ever behave like that. “What do you mean I took a boat out to sea?”
“That doesn’t matter now, nothing matters apart from the fact that you are home safe.” Oliver said honestly. “I will keep you safe Helen. Stay with me and I will keep you safe.”
She felt the roughness of his cheek rub against her hands. She could feel the sincerity of his words but she still didn’t understand, and then it hit her!
“What, no! I wouldn’t do that, don’t be ridi
culous!” She said pulling her hands away from him and pushing her chair back - she needed some room to breathe and she felt like he was crowding her.
“Helen, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter now.” Oliver reassured her.
“Yes it does matter. It matters to me! I did not try to kill myself Oliver.” She didn’t like the sound of the person she used to be - she couldn’t imagine herself losing her temper and yelling at someone, telling them what they could or couldn’t do for no good reason. And she certainly couldn’t imagine herself being reckless or trying to take…… No!
Oliver tried to soothe her, “I am not saying you intentionally tried to do something like that, just that you might have taken a boat out and maybe you got into trouble or something…..” he trailed off unconvincingly.
“I think we both know that’s not what you’re saying Oliver. But I can tell you now, I may not know who I was and what I did or didn’t do, but I know that I did not try to kill myself.”
“Okay Helen, okay.” Oliver said, hands raised in mock surrender.
They both turned as Oliver’s housekeeper Mrs Becks called from the dining room that dinner was ready.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore okay. Let’s just go and eat dinner.”
Helen nodded and stood up as Oliver waited for her to walk ahead of him and into the dining room.
Oliver had been right about something, Helen did love Mrs Beck’s Paella Valenciana. She ate heartily at her plate of food and was relieved to find that Oliver was easy to sit and chat to. He had an easy manner about him and she could tell he was making every effort to keep the conversation light. She had asked him to tell her about his yachting business and how he had built it up, and by the end of the evening Helen had a lot of respect for him - he had really worked hard, so no wonder he enjoyed the money and rewards that it gave him now.
After dinner Helen excused herself and left Oliver to read his newspaper and look over some paperwork in the living room whilst she went upstairs to the bedroom for a bit of peace and quiet. “It has been a long and tiring day.” she said as she left the room and went up the white marble staircase to their bedroom, wishing that she was back in her little apartment where Romero had taken her to this morning. Oliver was a nice man, and of course her fiancé, but she didn’t know him yet and it seemed strange to be going to bed in his house, not the least in his bedroom, even if it was supposed to be hers too.
As Helen walked around the bedroom with its immaculate furniture and curtains she opened a drawer and found it full of Oliver’s boxer shorts, she closed it quickly. Moving to a different chest of drawers she opened it and took out a little nightdress. She pulled her clothes off, throwing them into the washing basket, and slipped the little nightdress on over her head. Looking at herself in the mirror she could have sworn she looked similar to the night before she had been washed up on the beach in Benidorm. She pulled down the hem of her nightdress wishing it was longer because it didn’t leave much to the imagination, but it was too hot to put a dressing gown on over the top. She walked to her handbag which she had hung on the back of a chair and pulled out the mobile phone Romero had given to her some days before. She looked at her contact list: just three numbers on there. A pain seared through her as she looked at the first name on the list, and then she moved past it quickly onto the second name and pushed the new message button. She wanted to talk to Cathy but she guessed she would be back working in the bar again, so sending her a message was the next best thing. Helen felt sad she hadn’t said a proper goodbye to Cathy, but she was sure she would see her again, she had to, she was her friend and right now it felt like her only friend. Helen started tapping away:
“Hi Cathy. Sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye and I hope I get to see you again soon. I will let you know if I am in the area sometime, or if you are downthis way then please come and see me – I will message you my address.”
Helen put down the phone and sat at the dressing table. She started to wipe away her make-up with the little bottles of make-up remover when she heard her mobile phone ring and jumped with surprise, only three people had her number. She looked across and smiled when she saw Cathy’s name. “Hi Cathy. It’s great to hear from you.” She said happily.
“Hi chic, how are you.” Cathy’s chirpy voice came through above the noise in the background.
“Are you in the bar?” Helen asked guiltily, thinking she should have been working there tonight and wishing she was there right now.
“Yes but not for long, Juan’s hiring someone to cover a few of my shifts for a while, you did me a favour working here. Anyway, more importantly, how are you?” Cathy asked seriously, “Romero said you decided to stay there.”
Helen grimaced, “I’m not sure I would really put it that way. I didn’t get much chance to think about it. One minute I was looking at my apartment, and the next Romero said my fiancé was on his way to collect me, apparently he found out I was back in Estepona and was on his way back.”
“Oh.” Cathy said quietly.
“I had to stay Cathy, there wasn’t really much choice - I have a life here and I can’t just walk out on it. Now I know where I am supposed to be, I have to stay here.”
“Are you sure you are supposed to be there?” She asked cautiously. She didn’t want to push her friend, but Cathy felt that Helen belonged wherever she wanted to be, not somewhere just because she used to be there. She belonged with Romero, and with them.
“I think only time will tell. I don’t feel like I really have a choice at the moment, it’s something I have to do. Maybe when I remember who I am I can make a better decision then. But I have more hope of getting my memory back if I am in familiar surroundings apparently.”
“And what if you never get your memory back? What then?” Cathy asked.
“Good question. I don’t know. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”
“Romero told us about your fiancé, what’s he like?”
“He’s tall and good looking. He’s actually a really nice guy, and he seems to love me, a lot.” Helen remembered how Oliver rubbed his cheek against her hands and promised to keep her safe. She was sure he meant every word of it.
“And what about you? Do you love him?”
“I can’t answer that Cathy.” Helen sighed, “I can’t love someone that I don’t know, and I have no idea who he is. I need to get to know Oliver again. But I think when my memory finally comes back, in time, it will be alright.” She said trying to convince herself more than Cathy.
“I hope so, for your sake. If not, remember you will always have us, and you can turn up on our doorstep with a bag any time you want.”
“Thanks Cathy. You’re a good friend.” Helen said laughed gently.
“And you are too.”
There was a pause, Helen wanted to ask how Romero was, but she knew she couldn’t do that - she had no right to know about Romero’s life now and it would be disrespectful to Oliver to do that.
“I had better go.” Helen said reluctantly. “I’ll call you soon.”
“You do that, and text me your address. Take care chic.” Cathy said as she put down the phone.
Helen looked at the phone and then put it back in her handbag - she would text Cathy tomorrow, she was tired and needed to lie down. Helen decided to try and get to sleep, tomorrow was a new day and the first day of the rest of her life with Oliver. For a moment she wondered how many ‘first days of the rest of her life’ any one person got, because she felt like she was having more than her fair share of them. She wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing, but right now she needed to sleep so she headed for the big bed.
Oliver Chapman dismissed Mrs Becks for the night and put his newspaper down. He heard Helen’s heels fade into the distance as she went up the stairs, but he waited just a moment longer before reaching for his mobile phone. He selected a name on his call list and pressed the green call button.
“Frank, did you get rid of The Princess’s log book?” Oliver spok
e quietly into the phone.
“Of course, it mysteriously vanished along with a few valuable items from the boat – we had a break-in this morning and the thieves took whatever they could get their hands on.” The rough English voice came through the phone.
“How very convenient.” Oliver said sarcastically. “I need you to do something else. Get a small boat from my boatyard and take it out along the coast. I don’t care what you do with it, but just make sure it is missing from the boatyard.”
“I’ll do it now.” Frank’s voice paused for a moment, “So it was her? She’s back then?”
“Yes.” Oliver said, then hung up.
Oliver put down his mobile phone and picked up his paper again. He would give Helen time to get herself sorted out before he went upstairs to bed. He knew he could sleep in any of the other six bedrooms, but he didn’t want to. It was a good thing that Helen had lost her memory, there were no two ways about that! He had missed her a lot, and now she was home he wanted her back in his arms as quickly as possible. He knew he would have to tread gently; she needed time to readjust, but he needed her to love him again, and he was sure she would soon.
Helen felt Oliver slide into the bed behind her. She lay still pretending to be asleep as she felt his arm rest across her waist and he planted a kiss on the back of her head. She heard Oliver whisper, “Stay with me Helen, then everything will be alright.” just before the sound of his breathing deepened into a snore.
Helen lay still not wanting to move and wake Oliver up, but it was no good she couldn’t get back to sleep. She knew she must have slept in Oliver’s arms a hundred times before, but she couldn’t tonight. Not now, not for this moment at least. She carefully slid out from below his arm and took her pillow across the room to the chaise long and laid down pulling the fluffy throw over her. Helen lay there for a moment letting the feelings of loneliness and guilt fold around her before tiredness enveloped her once again. She decided to sleep there for a few hours and then climb back into bed before Oliver woke - that way he would never know she couldn’t sleep in the same bed as him and he wouldn’t be offended. She welcomed the tiredness, but she just wished she could free herself from Romero’s face every time she closed her eyes as fatigue weakened her mind. But in the end she gave up and fell asleep imagining Romero by her side.
