A night to remember

2 years

"Do they look like they would hire you?" Jen asked on the phone.

"No, Jen, I don't think they will." Amelia heard her sigh on the phone and then she went quiet. She had been looking for a job for the past two years with no luck. She had tried going to interview every week, but the only reply she got was, "Sorry to inform you, but..." She just got tired of that email. This was the last interview she had this week; she really hoped they would hire her considering her situation. The money she got from her dad's basement didn't last long. It was as if she never had it. At least Chris would be done with college this year; maybe he would be able to help with Layla's tuition.

"Why are you quiet?" Amelia asked Jen after a minute of silence.

Jen remained silent.

"Hey, Jen? Are you still there?"

"Yeah... sorry. Just been thinking..."

"About?"

"You know that girl who works as a stripper... why don't you talk to her? Maybe you might find a job. It won't be much, but you have to give it a try," Jen suggested.

Amelia paused for a second. She was getting nervous about this idea, but she needed money. It wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

"Alright, I'll try talking to her," Amelia replied.

"Good. You know, just because you're struggling doesn't mean nobody else is. Just remember that you're not alone anymore. Your best friend is always here for you if you ever need anything," Jen said sweetly. Amelia smiled at her and thanked her before hanging up the phone. She walked over to her car parked on the other side of the road. She placed her bag inside the passenger seat and turned the engine on.

She looked up at the sky above her; the sun had begun setting in the distance. It felt good to see the world once again. The weather today was perfect. She began backing out into the street and heading home. The radio on the dashboard played softly through the car speakers. The air was crisp and cool. The fresh smell of the night filled the car.

The song changed abruptly to something more upbeat and loud. "Oh s**t, I have to turn it down!" she yelped. She pressed the button and listened to the music again. She was so distracted she missed the red light on her left. As she pulled onto the busy street, she felt herself jerk forward and hit the brakes slightly too late. She quickly grabbed the handle of the steering wheel to make sure she didn't drive the car off. She glanced over to her side mirror and gasped as she saw the car speeding towards her. She frantically swerved the car away from danger. But the car was coming fast. She couldn't avoid it this time. Her car came to a screeching halt, and then everything went black. The car crashed.

***

Amelia woke up in bed with her head bandaged, and her mouth tasted like vomit. She sat up in panic. She looked around and realized she was in a hospital ward.

"You're awake," came a voice followed by footsteps coming inside. "I was worried you wouldn't wake up. How are you feeling?" The nurse was one of the women Amelia often saw in her neighborhood cycling on Sundays.

"I am fine, thank you. Where am I? What happened?"

"You were involved in a car accident. You were lucky that your car stopped before hitting the oncoming traffic. I'm surprised that you're alive, considering what happened."

Amelia stared blankly at her, trying to understand what was happening. She rubbed her sore neck, which ached like hell. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked.

The nurse pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "About 4 hours." Amelia sighed heavily, grateful that she didn't die. She wondered who was in that speeding car; she may have saved their lives.

"Who were those people in the other car? May I know if they are alright?" Amelia asked curiously.

The nurse seemed shocked by her question but recovered herself. "They are alright, and you don't need to worry. You're going to need to get checked out now; your body is bruised all over. Do you need water?" Amelia nodded reluctantly, her throat felt dry and scratchy. She needed water. Standing up, the nurse got a cup of water and placed it next to Amelia. She took a few deep breaths, and drank as much as she could. Then something smelled strongly and more familiar, like a fragrance. Wait! She heard this smell! It was cologne.

"Are you wearing any cologne?" Amelia asked, raising an eyebrow.

The nurse blushed slightly, "No." She seemed surprised. Then who was wearing this cologne? It couldn't be Amelia! The smell was really strong. It was familiar, she had smelled it before. She thought she smelled it on that man, what was his name again, Steve the stranger. She must be hallucinating, right? She chuckled nervously. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She wasn't used to getting flashbacks to old memories.

She really didn't want to remember, she hated remembering stuff she'd already lost, but she needed to know who was in this ward. Maybe there's a chance she could meet him again.

"Did anyone come in here before you?" she asked the nurse. The nurse frowned, "Yes, a doctor."

"What does he look like? Does he wear cologne?" Amelia asked urgently. The nurse raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes. He's tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Why do you ask?" she asked suspiciously, leaning in closer to Amelia. Amelia gulped and avoided eye contact with her. The nurse seemed to notice that Amelia was hiding something and decided to pry further.

"Why are you asking for Mr. Young? Do you know him?" she asked suddenly.

"I do... can I meet him?" Amelia lied. She wasn't going to tell the nurse that she thought one of the hospital's doctors was her one-night stand stranger. She didn't want to ruin her Mr. Perfect's reputation, even though she couldn't recall his face. But the minute the nurse said blonde hair and tall, she knew exactly that was the kind of man she found attractive. It was no doubt it might be her one-night stand guy. So if it was really him, what was he doing in a neighborhood like that and strangely, in a club? She was brought back to reality by the nurse calling her name.

"Oh yeah, sorry, what were you saying?" Amelia said, trying to sound normal.

"I don't think that's possible. Mr. Young is very busy and you're not his only patient. I don't think he'll have time to..." Amelia stopped her midway by raising her hand. She really couldn't let this chance pass her by. It's been two years since that night, and she couldn't seem to forget him and his smell. This was the only chance to meet him again and she couldn't afford to mess it up. She looked at the nurse pleadingly, hoping she understood how desperate she was to see him again.

"Can you please ask him?" Amelia asked politely. The nurse shook her head.

"I'm afraid he might be busy right now. Maybe you can see him tomorrow or sometime in the afternoon," she responded apologetically.

Amelia looked at her angrily. "Well, I want to see him right now. It's urgent. Can you pass that message?"

The nurse sighed, "Okay, I'll tell him you want to see him." As soon as she left, Amelia grabbed the small plastic cup and threw it against the wall in frustration. "What the f**k was that!" she muttered under her breath. Why did she even get angry? She looked around her. She needed something to distract her from her thoughts.

She rummaged through her things and found her cell phone, which now had a cracked screen but was still working. She decided to call Jen.

It rang four times until it went silent. "What is she doing?" Amelia said, frustrated. She tried ringing again, but it still went to voicemail. Damn it, she better answer. She decided to leave a voicemail.

"Hey Jen... listen... I'm in the hospital... please call me... please." As soon as she put her phone down, the door creaked open and a man in a white coat stepped inside. He closed the door behind him, and turned his face to look at her. She went into shock the moment she locked eyes with him. "What the fuck..." she thought.