Oblivion

“Maybe just some water.” I looked around the massive, brightly-lit kitchen in awe. The afternoon sun was coming through the French doors that led out to the terrace, causing a warm, comforting glow to illuminate the room. I walked over to the terrace and beamed as my eyes landed on the beautiful flower garden in the backyard.

“Who maintains the garden?”

“You do.” Co

“That sounds right.” I smiled at him and then looked back toward the garden. I didn’t know how I knew, but I knew that I enjoyed gardening.

“Oh yeah. I also had Debra set up one of the guest rooms for me to sleep in for now. You can take our bedroom. I know you are still adjusting and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable in any way. I…”

I looked over at him and felt grateful for how sweet and patient he was with me. “Co

He laughed. “Don’t worry. I think I can manage in the king-size bed in the guest room.”

Even though he was all smiles, I could sense something less happy behind his laughter.

“Are you sure?”

He nodded. “I know this can’t be easy for you.”

I decided not to push it. “Thank you for understanding.”

“I’m just so glad you’re back home, Liv.”

He reached for my hands and pulled me into his embrace. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to sink into his arms. I inhaled deeply the faint scent of his aftershave, hoping it would help trigger a memory.

Just then I heard a bark and the sound of paws ru

“Ow!” I cried out and took a step back.

“Scooter! Don’t be a bad boy.” Co

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I gri

“Sorry about that. He’s a bit territorial. Give him some time and he’ll become familiar with you again.”

I nodded in understanding. “Sure. I guess he might be upset that I was gone for two weeks. When did we get him?”

He smiled. “Actually I’ve had Scooter for almost eight years now. I got him when he was just a puppy.”

“Oh.” I now understood what Co

Before I could ask Co

“Mr. Brady? Ms. Peters is here to see Ms. Stuart.”

“Thanks, Jim. Please let her in.” Co

“I’d like to get to know her by myself, if that’s okay.”

“Of course. I have a lot of work to catch up on. So I’ll be on my laptop in the dining room. If you need anything, just let me know.” Co

“Sure. Thank you.” I smiled at him.

Seconds later, a redhead in a bright yellow sundress walked into the kitchen.

“Oh my gosh, Liv! It’s so good to see you awake! How are you feeling, sweetie?” The bubbly redhead ran toward me with her arms outstretched to hug me.

“Hi.” I gave her an uncomfortable smile.

She didn’t seem to notice my unease as she flung her arms around me and hugged me tightly. “Babe, I was so worried.”

When she finally pulled away I saw tears developing in her eyes. “I…” I wasn’t sure what to say to this girl that I didn’t recognize.

“Oh my God, sorry! How could I be such an airhead?” She made a face and lowered her voice. “Co

I smiled at her, knowing that there was something about her carefree and happy personality that made me instantly feel at ease with her. I shook her hand, immediately realizing how awkward this might be for her to be shaking hands with her best friend in such a formal way.

“So how are you feeling?” She wrapped her arms around my arm as she walked us toward the living room.

“It’s been okay. I’m still trying to adjust.”

She shook her head and looked at me like I was a wounded puppy. “How’s Co

“Hey, this isn’t fair. You’ve been here for how many minutes and it’s already turning into a Co

A

He laughed. “Okay. Touché. Well, I’ll let you girls catch up. I need to head into the office to grab some documents.” He closed his laptop and packed it into his briefcase. He walked over to us and leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. “You okay here with A

I smiled up at him and nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Brady. I’ll take care of your wonderful fiancée. I promise not to feed her too many negative stories about you.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Have a fun time, ladies.” Our eyes met and his expression softened. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

I nodded.

After we heard the front door close behind Co

She laughed. “Girl, I was joking around. Co

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course!” She then frowned. “Why? Has he not been treating you well?”

“No, no, no. He has. That’s not what I meant. I think I just took your joking earlier seriously.” I let out a sigh. “Sorry, I’m still trying to figure things out.”

“I totally understand, Liv. I just can’t imagine what you’re going through.”

“I…” I paused. It seemed weird to be talking to this girl who knew me so well but I had no memory of. “Can I ask you something, A

“Of course, sweetie. Fire away.”

“Can you tell me about my relationship with Co

“Sure.” She scrunched her face together as she seemed to think about where to start. “What would you like to know?” she finally asked.

“Well…” There had been something that’d been nagging at me since the car ride home. “Co

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Did I…What kind of person was I? How did I…did I do anything inappropriate—I mean, how did it all happen? How did I start dating my boss?” I stumbled over my words as I felt my face grow hot with shame. I may not remember anything about my life, but I knew that sleeping with your boss was not the most appropriate and ethical thing to do.

As if a light flickered on in her head, A

I looked at her hopefully. “How do you know?”

“Because I work there too. That’s how we met. I’m one of the investment bankers at the company.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t worry, Liv. No one at work thinks you started dating Co