Forget Me Not (Escape Contemporary Romance)

by Nina Blake

  ’You’ve spent the last five years working on that case,’ Brian said. ‘Surely it rings a bell?’

  ‘Can’t say it does.’

  ‘Then what’s the first thing you can remember? When did you…come to?’

  ‘On a bench not far from the train station in Newtown. I sat there for a while looking around, trying to work out what to do next.’

  ‘And what did you do?’ Brian asked.

  ‘I asked for directions to the nearest police station.’

  Brian’s eyebrows shot up. ‘You went to the police?’

  ‘They weren’t sure what to do either but they called around, and I ended up being taken to hospital. After a few days, no one had reported me missing, and the hospital staff couldn’t work out what to do with me so they went back to the police.’ Stefan shrugged. ‘They’d already checked with the US Consulate. Because of my accent, they thought I might have been a tourist, but they were wrong. I didn’t match anyone on the police station Missing Persons database either, so they contacted the media. That was when Claire saw my picture in the local newspaper.’

  ‘You really can’t remember anything? What about the legislation, the statutes, everything you learnt at university?’

  Brian was a lawyer, so Stefan figured the man couldn’t have been stupid, but he didn’t seem to understand.

  ‘I’ve got amnesia,’ Stefan said. ‘That’s the whole point. I can’t remember a thing.’

  ‘Then how can you come back to work? We were under the impression you were healthy, that the doctors had released you because you were back to normal.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Do you have any idea how long it might take for your memory to return?’

  ‘If you want to know when I can come back to work,’ Stefan said, ‘I have no idea.’

  ‘What are we going to do without you?’

  Stefan smiled wanly. ‘I’m sure you’ll survive.’

  Veronica smoothed back her hair with one hand and looked up at him through her mascara-clad lashes. ‘Surely coming back here and seeing us must be sparking something. It’s not just the office. We were very…close.’ She enunciated, almost whispering the word.

  No, she must be having him on. It wasn’t possible he’d ever been ‘close’ to this woman. And how dare she suggest that in front of Claire, as if this Veronica would trigger his memories when seeing his own wife hadn’t.

  He looked the woman in the eye. ‘I can assure you, seeing you means nothing to me.’

  ‘At least next time we see you, you’ll know who we are,’ Brian said with a smile. ‘And we will see you again. We’re having celebratory drinks after work on Thursday. It’s not for everyone, just the senior staff, so it won’t be too crowded. You’re both invited, of course.’

  ‘We’d love to come,’ Claire said.

  Stefan wasn’t thrilled at the prospect but didn’t argue.

  ‘Take care of yourself.’ Shifting his gaze to Claire, Brian added, ‘She’ll look after you. The two of you had your differences, but you can rely on Claire.’

  And that was that—Brian was giving him the brush-off. Taking Claire’s hand, Stefan took a step back to stand by her side, ready to leave.

  Veronica stood and stepped forward. ‘You were a brilliant lawyer. You drew in all the prestigious clients, got the biggest accounts, brought in lots of business.’

  ‘No need to talk about me in the past tense,’ Stefan said. ‘I’m not dead, you know.’

  She looked mortified, then quickly composed herself. ‘I didn’t mean that. I just thought you should know you were highly-valued here and when you’re well again, we’d love to see you back.’

  Brian nodded in agreement. ‘Absolutely, mate. No doubt about it.’

  They valued his professional expertise, and he’d brought good money into the firm. Of course they’d want him back.

  When he recovered.

  He and Claire bade them goodbye, walking silently through the double-glass doors and into the foyer. Glancing around, Stefan took in the immaculate marble-clad walls and the steel elevator doors, and saw past the façade—this place was designed to impress rather than welcome, but he felt neither. Claire reached across to press the elevator button but found that Stefan had covered her hand with his. He felt reassured having her there. She felt soft and warm and human. There was an honesty between them— she was simply there to help.

  She pulled her hand away. ‘I thought you wanted to go.’

  ‘I do.’ He waited a beat. ‘Why did you say we’d come back there for drinks?’

  ‘Because they’re your friends, your colleagues.’

  ‘They’re not my friends.’

  He didn’t want to be difficult when Claire had been so helpful—there was warmth in her brown eyes, gentleness in her expression and a patience he couldn’t pinpoint. Veronica and Claire might both be blondes but that was the only thing they had in common.

  ‘You have to get out and see people,’ Claire said. ‘You can’t just stay home.’

  Stefan thought about the glimpse he’d just had into his working life, his career, and his colleagues, and wondered how he could put it nicely. ‘You didn’t tell me I worked with a bunch of assholes.’

  Her mouth fell open. ‘You’ve never talked about them like that before.’

  ‘Was I like them?’

  ‘No, you were in a different league from those people. You may have been arrogant but you had good reason to be.’

  He shook his head. ‘Claire, I’m not going to work with people like that again.’

  ‘You will.’

  Baffled, Stefan stared at her. ‘How can you say that?’

  ‘Because you’ll get your memory back and when you’re ready to return to work, you’ll be a brilliant lawyer again. I think probably even be more determined than ever to make up for the time you’ve lost, to prove you’re better than you once were.’

  ‘There’s a bit of a flaw in your argument, Claire,’ he said. ‘It’s based on the premise that I will get my memory back.’

  She jabbed the elevator button. ‘You will. I know you will.’

  ‘That’s not what the doctors said.’

  ‘They don’t know you like I do. Stefan, you’ve never failed at anything in your life, and you’re not about to start now. You’re relentless. You’ll keep going, learning more about yourself, putting together the pieces until one day you find whatever it is that will bring you back to yourself.’

  Her certainty was unflinching. Yet he sensed she had a point. He felt it inside, a passion to learn everything he could and grow. It was more than a desire—It was part of him.

  As the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside, Stefan realised Claire was wrong about one thing.

  There was at least one thing in his life at which he’d failed.

  His marriage.

  How had he let that happen?

  Claire pulled open the door to her apartment. ‘Mum! What a lovely surprise.’

  June Simons stepped into the entry hall. ‘I had to go into the city, and was practically passing right by here. So I thought I’d drop in.’

  Claire’s mother lived nearly thirty kilometres west of the city, out past Parramatta, so Claire knew full well she’d just been ‘passing by’.

  Her mother looked the same as always, had barely aged in the last ten years. Wearing camel-collared pants and a fitted steel -blue top, she was dressed somewhere between smart and sensible, and still had the figure to wear whatever she wanted.

  Though flecked with gray, her once-dark hair still looked youthful—thanks to a short confident cut —and her complexion was smooth. Claire only hoped she looked that good when she was sixty.

  ‘What’s this?’ Claire nodded towards a large, rectangular Tupperware container in her mother’s hand.

  ‘I made a lemon cake for you.’

  Claire put her hands on her hips. ‘You just happened to be in the area with a freshly baked lemon cake?’

  ‘That’s what I just said.’r />
  Her mother was transparent, yet so kind that Claire couldn’t help but smile. ‘I’ll take it.’ She paused. ‘I know this is strange for you. It’s difficult all round, but I’ll introduce you. Come through.’

  By the time they’d walked through the double doors and into the living area, Stefan was standing. He must have heard who was at the door, but didn’t seem worried by the interruption. His posture was relaxed, giving the impression that this was just another day at home, nothing unusual about it or him, for that matter.

  ‘Stefan,’ Claire said. ‘This is my mother, June.’

  He stretched his arm out for a handshake. June took his hand, then dropped it, saying, ‘This is ridiculous. I think I can give you a hug after all this time.’

  His lips curled into an amused smile as she flung her arms around his shoulders. She squeezed him in a quick embrace which he returned, placing his arms gently across her back. He looked rather like a teenager who’d been forced to give his mother a hug, and then discovered that it wasn’t so bad after all.

  ‘Claire has told me a lot about you,’ he said. ‘It’s obvious she thinks very highly of you.’

  ‘I hope so. I’m her mother.’ She stepped back taking along look at him. ‘You’re all in one piece, and you look good. Exactly the same as before, in fact. I’m not sure about the facial hair, though.’ June frowned, then added, ‘No, I like that too. It adds character.’

  Stefan grinned. ‘I’m glad to hear it.’

  ‘Six months is a long time. I certainly don’t want to hold any grudges.’

  ‘Is there any reason to?’ he asked reluctantly. ‘Have I done something horrible?’

  ’No, but most families don’t handle divorce very well, and I guess we were no different. You and Claire hadn’t seen each other for a long time and my loyalty always lay with her. It still foes.’

  Her mother was as straightforward as always, speaking her mind, getting things out in the open. That wasn’t a surprise to Claire, but Stefan’s response certain did surprised her. He seemed immediately comfortable with June, much more so than he’d been with Claire at the hospital or when they’d first come back home. Perhaps he was getting used to his condition and, as he’d said, he’d already heard a lot about her mother.

  June had even managed a hug out of him. Claire felt a pang of jealousy because it was much more than she’d had from Stefan, but also felt relieved. This was progress. They were getting somewhere.

  ‘Claire’s doing a wonderful job looking after me.’ Stefan described his relief at being released from the hospital, how Claire had shown him around the city and helped him get oriented, and then added, ‘I appreciate everything she’s done. I don’t want you to think I’ll take advantage of her.’

  June held his gaze. ‘You were always a good person with a strong sense of right and wrong. A man of integrity, I used to say. I can only presume you’re the same person inside.’

  ‘So you trust me?’

  ‘I didn’t say that.’ Her expression softened. ‘But I’ve always liked you and I don’t want to give you a hard time, not under the circumstances.’

  A look of relief washed over Stefan’s face. ‘I guess I’ve escaped the third degree, then.’

  ‘Nonsense, you’ve got off lightly,’ June said with mock indignation. ‘There’s no point me questioning you if you can’t remember the answers.’

  Stefan opened his mouth to speak, but Claire interrupted. ‘I’ll put the kettle on then.’

  This whole scenario was too weird for words and Claire had too much on her mind. She wanted to find some middle-ground.

  Claire heard her mother’s footsteps behind her as she walked into the kitchen, the door swinging closed behind them. After setting the kettle to boil, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to find her mother wrapping her arms around her, and though she wasn’t a little girl any more, it felt reassuring. You were never too old for a cuddle.

  ‘You seem to be in hug-mode today.’ Claire leaned back against the kitchen cupboards, smiling.

  ‘I guess I am,’ her mother said. ‘It seems to be that sort of occasion.’

  ‘You don’t have to give your commiserations. It’s not as if someone died.’

  ‘No, but I can see that it’s difficult all round. I can’t imagine what it’s like for Stefan, waking up, not knowing where he is, not even remembering his own name. He’s not my problem, though. As I said to him earlier, you’re the one I care about. This is equally hard for you, maybe harder. No one else can truly understand what you’re going through.’

  ‘You’re right but it’s not that bad. We’re doing okay. I’m doing okay. That’s why you came, isn’t it? To check up on me.’

  June placed a hand on Claire’s shoulder. ‘Speaking on the telephone just isn’t the same. I had to see you.’

  ‘I can understand that, but you don’t need to worry.’

  Crossing her arms, her mother leaned back against the kitchen bench. ‘Yes, I do. I’m your mother—that’s my job.’

  Claire smiled. ‘And you’ve always been good at it.’

  ’No, I haven’t.’

  ‘That’s not true,’ Claire shot back.

  Her mother had made mistakes, but she was human and they’d got through the tough times. The three of them—her mother, Sophie and her—were stronger for it.

  June held her gaze. ‘I stayed with your father longer than I should and I think that might be what you’re doing now—hanging on.’

  ‘No, Mum, that’s not it.’

  ‘I’m the last person to tell you what to do and I don’t want to interfere–’

  ‘But?’

  ‘There’s no ‘but’. It’s your life, your decision, and only you can know the right thing to do. I just wanted to say that I’m here if you need me, if you want to talk, or if you ever need to get away from the apartment.’

  Claire sighed. ‘It’s not like that.’

  ‘People do strange things for love.’

  ‘This isn’t about love, it’s about duty and compassion. This is about looking after someone I once cared for. I can’t abandon Stefan they way he is now. It’d be like kicking a friend when they’re down.’

  Her mother tilted her head. ‘I can see he needs you. I just don’t want you to get hurt.’

  Claire gave her mother’s hand a quick squeeze. ‘I know.’

  Her mother grew quiet, and Claire suspected she was thinking about the past and the mistakes she’d made. June was well aware of her own errors and wasn’t one to believe she was the font of all knowledge. She also wasn’t quick to judge. ‘This isn’t for forever, or until he gets better, or even for a year,’ she said. ‘It’s for two weeks.’

  Her mother frowned, then nodded. ‘Okay.’

  ‘After that, I’ve done my bit, and Stefan knows he’ll have to cope on his own.’

  Stefan would find a way to cope with his condition, and two weeks would pass all too quickly. Eventually, all Claire would have were memories.

  She just had to remember to treasure every minute they had together until then, to enjoy the present and lock those moments into her mind.

  It would have to be enough.

  There wasn’t anything more she could do.

  Chapter Eight

  ‘This is Stefan,’ he said into the phone. ‘And if you’re James, you must be my father.’

  ‘My God, Stefan, it really is you.’ After a pause, he added, ‘Damn right I’m your father.’ A short silence followed and Stefan figured the man must be still be in shock, must still be collecting his thoughts.

  ‘You’ve been hard to get hold of,’ Stefan said. ‘I’ve tried a few times.’

  ‘I’m so glad you managed to get through. It’s been a busy time for us, and we just got back from Long Island. I was going to call you as soon as you’d settled back in at your apartment.’

  Claire had shown Stefan an atlas, pointed out where his parents lived in New York and explained the distances between to him. He’d had th
e feeling she was making excuses, but there was no point worrying about that now. ‘She told us what happened,’ James said. ‘I understand that you needed someone to look after you for a while because the hospital would only release you into the care of someone who knew you. That’s what she told us, anyway.’

  ‘Claire, you mean?’

  ‘Yes, Claire.’

  Stefan didn’t know how he was supposed to feel about all this. Talking to his father on the phone felt strange. He’d seen photos, knew what the man looked like, but that was it. If he was being honest, he didn’t feel much of anything.

  ‘How are you, Son?’

  ‘It’s hard to explain.’ Stefan paused. ‘I’m fine. Physically, there’s nothing wrong with me. The doctors said there was no real reason to keep me in hospital.’

  ‘So we were told. That’s why we didn’t immediately jump on a plane and get over there. Claire said the doctors had done as much as they could.’

  ‘But I have lost my memory.’

  ‘As long as you’re okay, that’s the main thing.’

  I’m okay, am I? Was that what the man thought?

  Stefan didn’t have a life-threatening illness and he wasn’t going to drop dead from disease or from some other slow-moving ailment, but he’d suffered a radical transformation. Or so he’d been told, but that was second-hand information and other people’s experiences.

  He wasn’t the same man he’d been before. Claire had been a stranger too, at first, but as soon as he’d seen her, he’d felt something, some small spark. Perhaps he would feel the same way with his parents, too.

  In the meantime, if this man on the other end of the phone didn’t understand what was going on, Stefan would have to lay it out for him.

  ‘I can’t remember any part of my life that happened before ten days ago,’ he said down the phone. ‘I don’t know who I am. I can’t go to work. I have enough trouble just going to the store to buy a few things for myself. And if I bumped into you on the street, I wouldn’t know you from the next person. I am far from a fully-functional human being, Dad.’