The Forgotten mate

Now (5)

'You do not need to do this. I am not an invalid. I am completely able of taking care of my shop myself.' Norma grumbled from her chair in the back room. I had wanted her to stay at home, she had wanted to stay behind the counter. This was our compromise.

'I know Gram, but I have nothing else to do here. I may as well help with your shop,' Sarah said soothingly. They both knew her grandmother was far from fit enough to even stand for 10 minutes, let alone run her shop, but this pretence made her feel better.

'You cant just abandon your life to come look after this old frump.'

'You're my family Gram, anyway my life is in the toilet so I have nowhere else to be right now.' she grumbled,

'What about Meg?'

'Meg ? Grams, she broke up with me a year ago.'

'Oh shame' she said gruffly,

'You hated her.'

'I did, but that's what you say when people break up.' Norma said flatly. I couldn't help but smile.

'No Grams, I am still hopelessly single, and I called my job to say i needed time off to come look after you for a few days, and they sacked me, so i couldn't afford to keep my flat, so all my stuff is in your spare room, and you are stuck with me.' Norma sighed, 'so sit back in your chair and I don't know watch this morning or something.' I said passing her the cup of tea and gently pushing her down into the chair in her 'office'. She winced clearly in pain as she sat down and let me leave.

'Don't move anything. I have a system.' she called as I walked out into her shop.

The shop smelled like my childhood or rather my memories of Norma in my childhood. She ran a small occult store. It was a dark, cluttered, crazy place filled with what some would call treasure and others trash. It ranged from candles to pendulums, taro cards and crystals and hundreds of other items whose functions were honestly a mystery to me. I yawned as I strode sedately through the shop, running my fingers gently over Norma's various treasures as I walked to the front of the

Shop and unlocked the door, flipping over the open sign. I strode back to the counter and began examining the ancient till frowning as I tried to puzzle it out, it looked one step up from a f*****g abacus.

'Don't move anything out there.' my Grandma's voice called from the back room.

'Wouldn't dream of it Norma.' I said blandly, 'just rest I've got this.' i picked up the tea and had a swig before the door opening was announced by the little bell chiming. I looked up and promptly fell off my stool, I staggered up in a very ungraceful way and wriggled myself back onto the stool as I blinked rapidly and took in our customer. He was holy f**k just honestly the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He was tall and muscular. His arms and shoulders looked strong. He had large dark eyes that seemed almost black, his hair was cut short but was dark, his face was honestly perfect. It was masculine but not harsh. There was a soft kindness but also a hint of something there. He was honest to god, gorgeous but he definitely knew it. I pushed the hair back behind my ears, nervously feeling a nervous smile creeping onto my face.

'Hi.' I said, feeling like a clumsy, awkward school girl trying to talk to the high school Jock. His eyes swung to me for the first time. His expression changed instantly from looking more than a little uncomfortable to looking completely confused. He looked at me as if my solo word had been in Latin.

'It's you.' he whispered, frowning slightly. I could feel my cheeks start to burn and knew I was blushing.

'I ....I'm Sarah.' I said, feeling more than a little wrong footed it also seemed strangely hot here all of a sudden.

'I know that.' he said slightly, sharply frowning at me as if I had insulted him,

'I'm sorry?' I said, convinced I had missed something,

'Your back.' I opened my mouth but no sound came out, 'I'm shocked. I'll admit that, but I guess I shouldn't be.'

'I'm sorry???'

' I wrote to you.' he said, folding his arms across his chest. This made his biceps bulge looking like they were in danger of splitting his shirt.

'um...'

'For you know months and f**k all from you. I mean I get it we were young but.'

'Look sorry.' I said, flapping my hands, determined to stop him before this got anymore embarrassing. 'i... sorry but I think you have me confused with someone else.' this made his frown even darker.

'What' he said, looking both confused and pissed off.

' we .... I don't think we have ever met before.'

'Are you f*****g joking?' he growled. His eyes looked gold,

'Um...no I ... look I don't know who you think I am, but we haven't met, at least not properly.' to my surprise he smiled and unfortunately it made my panties instantly sodden, f**k I thought he had the moody brooding look down, but f**k that smile.

'You know I've been a regret but never a completely repressed memory before,'

'I'm not repressing anything we've never met before. I'm not bullshitting. I wouldn't lie.' I said, still honestly baffled as I tried to remember any interactions. Could I have met him in a coffee shop or something ? No, clearly not whatever had happened clearly seemed a big thing to him, and I know I had a f*****g abysmal memory but f**k I would remember that, I would remember him. He must be mistaken.

'Baby, I put my tongue in your pussy.' he said simply. I opened my mouth in shock but no sound came out, he just looked at me, raising his eyebrows, clearly waiting for me to contradict him,

'I think I would remember that.' I said weakly.

'And you don't?..... damn I've got to work on my technique,' he ran a hand through his hair roughly. 'Well, I was young. You up for giving me another go?' he smiled flirtatiously with the confidence that made it clear that this kind of line would usually work, and much as I hated to admit it, it was very effective. I shook my head slightly trying to regain my composure,

'I don't think I'm your type of girl.' I said, my voice trembling lightly. His eyes trailed lazily up and down my body in an appraising way,

'I beg to differ.' I felt my cheeks begin to blush furiously and ducked my head, allowing my long hair to fall around my face and hopefully conceal my burning cheeks. 'I think I have made it very apparent how I felt about you, it seems to me that you are the indecisive one.'

'Look, I'm sorry, but you honestly are mistaking....' before I could finish my sentence he just growled loudly and turned around striding swiftly out of the shop, slamming the door shut behind him. I put my hand to my chest and felt my heart drumming crazily beneath my fingertips.