“Hey” Sam smiled at Aaron as she slipped in the chair across from him at the café across from her building.

“Hi. How is Elaine?” Aaron asked as he removed his tie and folded it across his hand.

“She is okay I guess. I mean she agreed to the trip but I don’t know how to explain it. It is like she has forgotten her life. Yes she lost her memory from the past week but what about the years before that?” Sam’s voice broke. She couldn’t look at Elaine in such condition. She was barely eating and whenever Sam tried talking to her she would just tune her out.

Aaron simply nodded; a knot forming in his chest.

“Last night I started talking about Will” Sam let out a sob. “She didn’t react at all and it was tearing me apart Aaron”

“Sam…” Aaron placed his hand on top of hers. “It will be fine. She will get better, just give it time” but even to his ears those words sounded hollow.

He was losing sleep at night wondering if Elaine would ever want him back.

Sam grabbed a tissue and wiped her tears. Aaron noticed the engagement ring along with a wedding band on her finger.

“You were married to Will?”

“No we were engaged. Tell me about the plans for today” Sam said changing the topic.

“We are going to Greece. I have a private island off the main shore so it will be secluded and a perfect place for Elaine to be. You guys will take the private jet today evening. Once you land on the airport, my people will take you the villa.”

“What about you?”

“I will be flying out tomorrow morning. I have some business that needs to be handled. Call me immediately if any problem comes up.”

“Where will you be staying? I mean---“

“I will be in the guest house off the grounds of the villa”

“I hope this works”

“It will. I just want things to go back to normal.” Aaron said as he asked for the bill. He placed a few bills and got up, buttoning his suit jacket. “I have to go now. Call me when you are about to board.”

“Sure will”

Aaron walked out of the café and got into the waiting car.

Upon reaching his office he called out to Cecelia.

“Yes Sir?” Cecelia said as she fell in stride with her boss.

“I want Jeremy Bennett in my office within the next hour.” Aaron said.

Jeremy was a college friend, who was now an excellent PI. Aaron needed every single detail of that asshole Franco’s life. He also wanted Olivia investigated. He knew she was not done with him so he was going to stay prepared. He had never violated her privacy when they were together but now he was no longer bounded by that.

“Anything else? Your 2 o' clock will be here shortly. Should I set them up in conference room three?”

“Who is at 2 o’ clock?”

“The French hotel chain, who had proposed a merger last month.”

“Okay.” Aaron nodded and pushed open his office door.

He had just proof read a contract and marked out various clauses he wanted edited when there was knock on his door.

“Come in”

Cecelia poked her head in.

“Mr. Bennett is here”

“Send him in”

“Hey man. Good to see you alive and kicking!” Jeremy grinned as he strode across the room and shook hands with Aaron.

“Does your boss actually smile? I mean except for the occasional smirks and glowering?” Jeremy asked Cecelia who tried controlling her smile. If she wasn’t already smitten by her husband then she would have surely fallen heads over heel in love with Aaron Clark. She was one of the few people who saw his warm and affectionate side.

“Sit down Bennett. Thank you Cecelia that would be all.” Aaron said as he sat back down.

“So what’s new?” Jeremy asked.

“I have two people whom I need every detail on. Every single skeleton from their damn blasted cupboard.”

“Sure enough. Tell me the names and I will make sure its Halloween.”

“First one is Dr. Franco Costello and the other one is Olivia Miller”

Jeremy noted the names down and looked at Aaron.

“Isn’t Olivia your girl?”

“You live under a rock?”

“Nah I am not into Page 3. What happened?”

“We broke up but none of that concerns you for now. I am going out of the country tomorrow morning and I want both the files ready once I am back”

“And that would be when?”

“Two weeks.”

“Consider it done.”

“Good. Now get out. I have a meeting” Aaron said glancing at the clock. It was two o’ clock. Elaine and Sam had their flight in two hours.

“Bye beautiful” Jeremy said as he passed by Cecelia desk and winked at her.

“Not my secretary Bennett” Aaron growled as he motioned Cecelia to follow him to the conference room.

“Monsieur Clark. A pleasure to meet you. I am Josephine Laurent.” Josephine walked up to Aaron and held out a perfectly manicured hand.

Josephine was shocked to see Aaron. God, he was a handsome man. When her father had told her to go attend the meeting and “impress” the American businessman, she had thought he would be some fat, yellow teethed middle aged man yapping away gibberish. She wasn’t interested in her father’s business but he was fed up of her partying ways. However this time she didn’t regret her father’s forced decision.

She looked at his perfectly sculpted cheekbones and sharp jaw line. His muscular body was showcased magnificently in his navy blue suit. She gulped as she took in his broad shoulders and her eyes finally rested on his steel grey eyes.

Aaron looked at the woman in front of him who was so shamelessly checking him out.

“Ms. Laurent?” Aaron said as he pointedly looked at their hands which Josephine was still shaking.

She let go of his hand.

“My father sends his regards. He was not able to travel due to his poor health.”

“Let us get to business” Aaron said as he took out the file for the deal and went through the contracts.

Looking at him, concentrated on reading a paper, Josephine realized that she wanted him to be hers and she was not going to stop at any cost.

She scooted closer to him and leaned in.

“My father is looking forward to this business deal very much”

“Here is the contract. I have read it again just to make sure. The terms in italics are not negotiable.” Aaron said as he pushed the paper towards her and leaned back. This woman was all up in his personal space and he did not like it. She had too much perfume on and it was suffocating.

He glanced at Cecelia who held up a folder to hide her laughter but he could see her shoulders shaking.

Josephine had no clue what this deal was about. Her father had given her the case file but she had not bothered reading it.

“I..uhh.. this is fine I guess”

“Excuse me?” Aaron said, raising his eyebrows.

“Listen Mr. Clark...can I call you Aaron?” She asked but didn’t wait for him to reply.

“Aaron why don’t we go to your office and discuss this deal in a more private manner? My father has told me some details that he wanted to be discussed.”

“Everything can be discussed here” Aaron was now getting irritated. He wanted this meeting to be done with so he could double check all the details of Elaine’s flight and make sure the staff is ready to receive them at Greece.

“I insist” She leaned forward and batted her eyelashes.

Aaron stood up abruptly making both the women jump.

“Listen Ms. Laurent. This meeting is finished. When you are ready to discuss the deal, call my secretary and request a meeting. If I am free, I will entertain this deal one last time. I have nothing major to gain from this deal but it is a lifeline for your father’s sinking company. So the next time you show up here better be prepared or don’t show up at all.” Aaron glared at her and strode out of the meeting room.

Josephine smiled as she watched him walk out.

“Well love, you have just made things a lot more interesting”

Aaron walked into his office and removed his suit jacket and tie. He sat down on his chair and ran his hands through his hair.

“God this world is filled with morons” Aaron muttered. He looked at the framed picture on his desk and sighed.

He leaned forward and picked it up. It was a picture of Elaine. He had clicked it on the night they had drinks at his place. She was sitting on the barstool and spinning. Her head was thrown back and she was laughing.

“I miss you love. Please remember me. I can’t live on like this” Aaron thought. He needed her back.

His office door opened and Dante walked in. Aaron kept the frame back and looked at him.

“The security is in place?” Aaron asked.

“Yes. I have the basic layout around the villa.”

“Yes. Just the usual. I was going to tell to you to keep it down. I don’t want her to see unnecessary people around her.”

“Don’t worry I have it all under control. It will all work out man. Have faith.”

“How is Rose?”

“Ask me that question again when your wife will be eight months pregnant.”

“That bad?”

“She yelled at me for half an hour for ordering pizza when she wanted chinese but I swear she asked for pizza.”

“Good luck”

They talked for a little while longer then Aaron decided to head back home. He reached home and packed his suitcase for the trip. He had gotten Sam’s message when they had boarded.

It was half past midnight when Aaron slipped into his bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

Elaine looked out the plane's window into the dark sky.

“This is going to be so much fun.” Sam said as she tried for the umpteenth time to get Elaine’s attention but to no avail.

Soon Elaine dozed off and Sam gave up trying.

He kissed her gently as he laid her down on the bed. He held his body on top of hers and continued kissing her. Elaine loved how her soft curves fitted against his hard planes. He pulled back and looked at her with so much love. She felt like she was drowning in those grey eyes.

“Elaine…you saved me.” He whispered. She leaned back and saw the scars on his chest. She leaned in and feathered kisses along the big scar. She opened her eyes but it was no longer him. She couldn’t see his face but it was not the man that made her feel safe. This man made her feel cold.

“NO!” Elaine screamed.

“Wake up Elaine!” Sam shook her.

Elaine woke up, her eyes darting around the plane.

“It is alright. You are safe.” Sam said.

“Was I in a relation with Aaron?” Elaine whispered.

“Yes you are…were…but we had a fight and you didn’t tell me about him. I wasn’t aware of your relation.” Sam was taken aback by her question. “But he really cares about you” Sam said.

“How do you know?”

“He was there at the hospital the entire time you were there”

“But I have lost my memory for only a week. How could I have known him and I..” Elaine stopped, not wanting to talk about it. It was making her feel lost.

“What?” Sam asked

“Nothing” Elaine said and went back to looking out of the window.

Was that man in her dreams Aaron? She wondered as she looked at the dark sky.