Lost in Love

The First Meet

CHAPTER THREE

The next morning she woke up feeling much better . Over the night she had regained most of her memory back, although not all of it. After the man bought her roses, he introduced himself as her husband, Anthony Mallon. Why could she not remember marrying that hunk of a man? Or even meeting him? He had not stayed for long. He had received a phone call and left. She had remained in her bed unsure of what to do next. Now she was awake and remembered some things. She needed to know the date or something.

“Hey darling,” Alex looked up to see her friend Nancy standing at the door. She remembered Nancy because they had been  best friends since middle school. Seeing her now made her feel so relieved she began to cry.

“Oh honey don't cry, I'm here,” Nancy said hugging her friend.

“Nancy. It is so good to see you. I am so overwhelmed and this hot guy says we are married and l don't remember anything,” Alex felt Nancy tense a little when she mentioned the marriage, but she didn't want to dig into that right now. 

“What is the last thing you remember?” Nancy asked calmly.

“I remember you and I going on that trip to vegas, and coming back but nothing after that.”

“That was ten months ago, so you lost nine months in memories,” Nancy said in a low calming voice. 

“Can you catch me up?”

“Sorry honey, I can't right now. Things are crazy at work and I have to go. I just wanted to see how you were doing,”

“How is Jeff and the kids?” Nancy was married to a handsome banker and had two adorable kids, Lia and Marc.

“They are fine , the kids miss you. Maybe i will bring them tomorrow?”

“Yes please,'' Alex said smiling, finally some form of normalcy. Nancy kissed her on the cheek and left.

***

A few hours later, Tony walked in with that look on his face, the one that commands you to look back at him. He smiled and walked to her and kissed her cheek. His lips were so soft and he smelled good. Today he was wearing a designer black suit with a crisp white shirt and tie. He had brown shoes on and an expensive looking watch. His hair was perfect and his beard, oh his beard made her swoon. She just wanted to run her fingers into it and she knew it was soft. 

“Like what you see?” he said in that deep voice that rambled and made her take in a breath. She realised she had been caught staring and she just smiled and blushed so hard she was embarrassed.

“It is alright,” she managed to say and surprisingly her voice sounded very normal. He walked over to the chair and brought it closer so he could sit next to her. This close she could distinctly smell his scent, which was manly and woody and also his cologne which was fresh and generally amazing. She felt a shiver run down her whole body , what was wrong with her, she needed to keep it together.

“Cold?”” he asked with a smug smile on his face.

“No, I'm alright,” Alex said blushing again. She hated that he had that effect on her.

“How are you feeling?” 

“I am alright. I remember some things,”

“Oh is that so?” he asked, genuinely interested.

“Yes but i cannot remember the nine months before the accident,” 

“Oh,” he said and she could see his face fall. She knew  he knew she could not remember him and he was clearly disappointed. 

“Tony, since i don't remember and you are my husband and probably know a lot about me, would you fill in the blanks?” his eyes shot up to look at her, she could see him hesitating but she would not back down. She needed to know before it drove her mad. She kept looking at him, she would not back down. She needed to know.

When Alex asked him to tell her about the last nine months ,Tony panicked. How could he tell her what he had done? She wouldn't want him if she knew. At the same time the way she was looking at him right now told him she really wanted to know. He could not hide the truth from him for long. She would not give up, he knew that. 

“Where should i begin?”

“Where our story begins.”

“Well i will tell it the way you told it to me,”

“Aright,” she said smiling and getting comfortable. Her smile broke his heart. She did not know what awaited her. Tony got comfortable too, it was going to be a long day.

***

Something was buzzing, Alex could hear it but she desperately wanted to ignore it. She needed to sleep, last night had been rough. She was a defense lawyer and her job was hard. She spent more time in the office and the courtroom than at home. The buzzing was not stopping. She moaned loudly before reaching for her phone. She looked at the bright screen with half opened eyes, it was an unknown number.

“What?” she was really on edge.

“Alex, it's James.” It was one of her clients on retainer.

“What is it James? It's three in the morning.”

“I have been arrested,” again? 

“Where are you?” Alex asked, still hoping this was a dream. 

“Nine-nine,” James seemed like he didn't understand how annoyed Alex was at this point.

“Sit tight I will be there in an hour and don't say anything,” she hung up before James could say anything else. She swore under her breathe. She dragged her worn out body out of bed and headed for the shower. As the hot jets of water hit her cold body, Alex knew it was going to be a long day.

***

Across town in a penthouse that seemed worlds apart from Alex's loft Tony’s day was also about to get hectic. Tony as usual was awake at three am doing some important work on his computer. Since he became CEO of his father's company he had hardly slept. Who knew that the candy business could be so demanding? His father had started the Katherine Ann Confessions for his mother when he was just twenty-two. He had used his trust fund money and turned the candy business into one of the best in the world. Now it was a multibillion dollar company and the pressure was on Tony to keep it running. Right now he was setting up for a meeting with his team, he wanted to open a new branch in Africa and it was time sensitive. His phone suddenly rang and Tony hated being distured. 

“Hello?”

“Anthony, baby happy birthday,” his mother said in her classy and calm British accent.

“Thank you mother, what are you doing up so late or early?” he said looking at the time. He had not realised that it was already morning.

“I could ask you the same thing darling,” she said, still calm. Nothing could ever phase Kathrine Mallon.

“Mother, I am a little busy, can l call later?” he just was not in the mood for this right now.

“Sure baby,” she cut the call almost immediately, sappy emotions were not her thing.

Tony sighed and went back to work. Before he could even finish a sentence he was reading, his phone rang again, he swore and picked it up not even looking at the caller ID.

“What?” 

“Tony, my man, happy birthday, any plans?” it was Chris, his best friend.

“Chris, you know me, i hate this damn day but my assistant will probably arrange something. Call Nancy and find out,``Tony said, still impatient, he had work to do, damn. He was turning thirty, why was everyone fussing. He ended the call when Chris started rambling about drinking and girls. Chris was the party animal, a typical trust fund baby with no responsibilities except spending his money. Tony smiled as he thought about some wild things he and Chris had done back in the day. He decided to take a shower  and head to the office, clearly working from home was not working.

***

When Alex got home that night after her long day she was exhausted. She had spent the day in court getting James out on bail for fraud. He was a reckless person but a wealthy client so she was not complaining. At this rate she could even buy a bigger place. She sat on her couch and closed her eyes. It was just after six p.m and she just wanted to order pizza and then sleep. Her phone suddenly rang, not this again. She half opened her eyes and  looked at the caller ID, it was her best friend Nancy. She relaxed back into her couch before she answered.

“Nancy, how are you girl,” she answered, her eyes still closed.

“I hope you are getting ready , i will be there to pick you up in an hour,” wait what? Pick her up why? Then she remembered , Nancy had invited her to go with her to her boss' birthday party. They had been in Vegas two weeks ago and Nancy had been going on and on about how her boss was hot and all that and that he had a party coming up that she was planning. Alex has agreed to go with her so she would quit setting her up. 

“Yes I am getting ready,” Alex said jumping off the couch.

“You forgot didn't you?”

“Yes, but i will be ready when you get here,” Alex ended the call and headed to the shower. She quickly showered, got dressed in her evening gown that she had worn at a fancy dinner with a rich client six months ago and went to wait for Nancy. 

Nancy arrived almost immediately. She looked beautiful in her long black dress that showed off her slim figure. Sometimes Alex wished she was slim and not a way too curvy. She was twenty five and still suffered from the scars of being teased by the other kids because of her body. All the men she had dated in the past had asked her to lose weight or stop eating so much. She had stopped dating three years ago, she just could not deal with that right now. It still hurt though, feeling unattractive and unwanted. 

“You look beautiful Nancy,” she said, giving her friend a hug.

“You look gorgeous too my love,” Nancy said, hugging her friend back.

“Are you ready to go?” Alex nodded. They walked to the elevators and when Alex stepped out of the building she noticed the limo.

“Limo?” she said, throwing a questioning look to her friend.

“We are riding in style tonight. Don't worry my boss is paying.” Nancy said, already getting into the car. Alex laughed and got in after her friend. She would not let the ghosts of her past ruin this night for her, not today

They arrived at the party just before eight and it seemed they were late. They walked into the ballroom Nancy had rented for the night and it took Alex's breath away. Nancy had outdone herself. It was elegantly decorated and with white and yellow roses. There were golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling  and there was a gleaming dance floor. There was a buffet at the corner, with a lot of food, most of which Alex did not even recognise. Close to it was the largest cake Alex had ever seen. It was shaped like a castle with all the decorations to make it look as real as possible. At the center of the room was an ice sculpture of two dolphins intertwined together. Alex smiled when she saw it, a little overboard. The man of the night must be a true snob, rich people, Alex scoffed and rolled her eyes. 

Athony felt suffocated. It was his party but he really was not into this kind of thing. He looked around and most of these people were either from work or some business venture, except Chris and a few other people who knew him personally. He needed a drink. He walked over to the bar and ordered a scotch on the rocks. He took a sip and turned to look at the crowd again, wondering why he allowed his assistant to keep doing this every year. 

Speaking of which, his eyes landed on his assistant who had just arrived. She was standing by the entrance with some woman. The woman was wearing an elegant long evening gown. It was red and had long sleeves and a low neckline . It was simple and beautiful but also commanded attention. The light from the chandeliers was making the embroidered beads on it glitter. It was not tight but one of those princess dresses. She looked around and suddenly smiled. He is mesmerized by her smile. She was not your usual model beauty, but with her hair put up in a nice loose bun and with little to no makeup, she looked young, innocent and beautiful. He had to talk to her. He made his way through the crowd to the woman who had just made his night a whole lot better. She seemed surprised when he stopped right in front of her.

“I don't think we have met,” Tony said and her eyes flew wide open. He smiled, he had that effect on people. 

“Mr. Mallon, this is my friend Alexandrea Sanchez,” Nancy spoke breaking the tension that was clearly building. Alex did not say anything. She the wings of the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. Why did this man make her so nervous? She just stood there looking at him. The man was physically perfect. He was tall, dark and handsome. His dark hair was combed back to perfection. He had piercing emerald green eyes that were hard but also gentle. His jawline was cheaseld and his beard made it impossible to concentrate on anything else. His lips were a darker shade of brown and thick. Things he could obviously do with that mouth. His smile showed off his even white teeth and it was the type that melted you from the inside out. His body was well built, he was obviously no stranger to the gym. He had muscles and abs to die for. He was wearing a black tuxedo that fit him perfectly, it was obviously expensive from the looks of it. His shoes were also black and the watch he wore brought the whole look together. Nancy had warned her that this man was handsome but Alex had not expected this. He looked like he had just come out of the pages of some magazine.

“Hello, I am Anthony Mallon,” he said, extending his hand to Alex, who finally took it.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, finally finding her voice. What was wrong with her? She was never this timid around people, she was a lawyer for heaven’s sake. She spoke to people for a living, but there was nothing normal about this man. He simply took her breath away. So when he asked her to step outside with him she did not resist. He gave her his arm and then walked out.

“You see those stars over there?” Tony said, pointing to a cluster of stars in the evening sky.

“Yes ,” she said, looking up to where he was pointing.

“It's called the milky way galaxy,” he said smiling.

“Does that work for you on other girls? And that is not a galaxy,” she said laughing.

“Is it not working for you?” he asked, faking surprise.

“Try again,” she said, looking at him.

“Alright then, that over there is called the Pleiads or the Seven Sisters. You know the story,” he said in such a low voice it rumbled through her whole being.

“No, tell me about it,” she said, feeling her heart pick up pace all of a sudden

“Well the Greeks believe that the Pleiads were the seven daughters of Atlas, a Titan who held up the sky, and the oceanid Pleione, protectress of sailing. The sisters were Maia, Electra, Alcyone, Taygete, Asterope, Celaeno and Merope. The Pleiades were sometimes said to be nymphs in the train of Artemis...are you even listening?” he laughed when he noticed the look on her face. She had zoned out, completely taken by the sound of his voice. 

“Not any more,” she laughed.

“You don't like stars?” he was laughing with her, a rich, deep sound.

“I do but you seem to know so much about them,”

“Yes in case i need to dazzle some girl with my extensive knowledge,”

“Does it work?”

“It is now,” he said, looking at her with those eyes and she felt those butterflies again. She wanted to lean in and kiss those lips. She wanted to know if they were as soft as they looked. But she could not do that. This man was a total stranger, she had to get it together. So she cleared her throat and looked away.

They had talked for what had seemed like hours after that. They talked about nothing and everything. They had laughed a lot.  He had told her about his fear of clowns and his interests in business. 

“I think we should go back,” she said, not because she did not want this to last forever but she did not trust herself around him.

“Getting rid of me?” He looked hurt a little bit.

“No, you are the man of the party and you can't spend it out here with me,” she was trying to make it seem light.

“Why not?” 

“Come now, let's go back,” she laughed, dragging him back to the party.

 He was after all the man of the party, at least that is the excuse she kept telling herself for not wanting to be alone in the dark with this man. He held her hand as they walked back into the ballroom. She excused herself as soon as they reentered the room  so she could freshen up. He smiled and let her go. 

“Don't be too long,” he said, looking at her walk away.

Alex looked at herself in the mirror, her face was still red from blushing so hard and for so long. She smiled at her reflection, she really liked Tony. He was funny, smart and surprisingly goofy. This night was turning out to be better than she had imagined, she just had to get these feelings under control . She took out some face powder and began to powder her nose. She was actually enjoying herself and Nancy had been right about this man, she really liked him and felt they had something tangible. She packed her bag and walked out to rejoin him. She stepped into the room and her face suddenly fell.

 She saw him from across the room. He was standing next to a tall blonde who had her hand casually dropped on his shoulder. They clearly knew each other well, the chemistry was undeniable. She was laughing at something he had said. That's when it hit her, what had Alex been thinking? This was Anthony Mallon, the billionaire bachelor or New York. Every Woman wanted him and every man wanted to be him.  Why had she imagined he would be interested in someone like her? He had been bored and took interest in her but thinking that it was long lasting was her fault. She felt her heart crush. She couldn't stay here. She had to leave before she broke down to tears. Alex was surprised at her reaction to this, it’s not like this was new. Guys always left her for the tall beautiful blonde, and this was no different.  She walked out and never looked back.

***

When Alex left Tony and went to the bathroom, Tony had been walking on clouds. He really liked this girl. She was not his usual type, but there was something about her. She was easy to talk to, charming and her laugh tagged at his heart strings. As he stood there thinking of the conversation they had just had, he was content. He decided to get them drinks, but as he walked to the bar, he bumped into someone familiar.

“Anthony darling, happy birthday,” it was Amilia Rothschild. A few things to note about Amilia, she was from one of the wealthiest families in England, she was basically royalty. She had come to America at eighteen to become a model. So obviously, she was beautiful, tall, charming and all other the perks of being a wealthy model. They had met three years ago and hit it off. They had had an on again off again s****l relationship over the past years but it had not gone beyond that, relationships were not his thing. Never again. Now Amilia was starting her own modeling agency since she was now twenty five and retired. Today she was here, at his party during one of their off again times and Tony was not in the mood. 

“Thank you Amilia, when did you come back from Germany?”

“Well I have been back two weeks now,” she said in her deep English accent. Usually this would turn him on but he was not in the mood. He wanted to have deep conversations and Amalia  was as shallow as they come. He just wanted to find Alex.

“You should have stayed, Germany agrees with you,” Tony said in a cool dry voice. He really did not want to be here right now. Amilia laughed and dropped her arm on his shoulder. 

“Everywhere agrees with me Tony,” she said, looking at him in that way that made every man, woman and child fall for her charm, but again, not today.

“Enjoy the party, I have to mingle,” Tony said, already walking away. He scanned the room, looking for Alex but could not find her. He saw Nancy standing with some people he had seen around the office and made his way to her, she would know where Alex was.

“Nancy, have you seen Alex?” he asked in a low voice, trying not to draw attention.

“oh , She texted me and told me she left,” she replied not sure why her friend had left all of a sudden. She made a mental note to ask her later. 

“Thank you,” Tony said, already walking away. Why had she just left? Has something happened? He really thought they had hit it off but maybe he was wrong.

 Tony felt a little crushed, he had thought they really had something. He drained the rest of his drink. He had no reason to be upset, he was Tony Mallon for crying out loud. He could get whomever he wanted and tonight, it looked like he and Amalia were on again. He couldn't be alone tonight, it was his birthday after all.

“Wait what?” Alex said and almost jumped out of her hospital bed.

“What?” Tony asked, looking at her with a surprised clueless expression on his face.

“So i left your party and you just took someone else home?”

“What was i supposed to do? I was lonely,” he said sighing.

“Mr. Mallon, you have to go now, your wife needs rest,” the nurse said coming into the room. Tony stood up and walked over to her and kissed her gently on the lips. He smiled and she could not help but smile back. Those lips were as soft as she had imagined.

“See you tomorrow, amore,” with that he walked out, leaving her with her thoughts yet again.