Inglewood

Chapter 2 - Two Worlds

My eyes burst open, my breath catching in my throat, I looked around, trying to work out where I was, this wasn't my kitchen, it didn't smell right either. I could smell fresh cut grass, and the sound of horses running nearby.

"Nat?" a voice emerged from behind me, "are you OK beautiful? What were you saying about the barn?"

I blinked a few times, trying to remember where I was and what the voice was talking about, "here, sit down, you're shaking". As I took a seat I focused on his eyes, deep grey, like stormy clouds, it was Mr Suit.

"I'm fine, really, thank you, are you OK?"
His concern melted as he smiled and I could of sworn his eyes got lighter, "I'm fine beautiful, it was you that zoned out on me, I'm worried about you, I think we should call the doctor"

I put my hand out to grab his arm, "no, no, I'm fine, really, sorry, I just lost my train of thought for a moment, honest." I forced a smile so as not to worry him.

He smiled back and told me he was keeping a close eye on me, the thought of that comforted me, it made me feel safe again.
"Let's go get you some water, or maybe something stronger" he teased.

As he moved out of the room, he looked over his shoulder to see if I was following, when he realised I wasn't, he turned to face me, "move that butt this way, or do I need to carry you?"
My mouth fell open as I gawped at his words.
I knew what I would prefer, but I stepped towards his outstretched hand and took it in mine.

We made our way down the stairs to the kitchen, he watched as I tenderly moved down each step, making sure I didn't twist an ankle. As we stepped through the door, I saw a beautiful old style cottage kitchen, with a huge oak table in the middle and herbs hanging over the fireplace that was big enough to warm pans on. Mr Suit walked towards a butler sink under the window, he rinsed a glass and filled it for me. As he did, I had a strange feeling wash over me, I felt at home, like, this was my home. But there was something not quite right about it, something didn't sit right, I just wasn't sure what that something was, yet.

"Drink, all of it," he smirked as he added "and don't dribble."

"NAT! NAT!"

A sudden sharp pain pierced my brain, my eyes flickered open, I was on my kitchen floor, I tried to sit up, "Don't you dare move" the face that came into view was Craig's, "I'm calling an ambulance, stay still! What the hell happened Nat?" his face showed concern, genuine concern, I don't think I had seen that from him before. I relaxed back onto the tiles and let my eyes close as the initial pain was replaced with a deep throbbing from the neck upwards.

"Good girl, are you feeling better?" Mr Suit was waiting to take the glass from me, I handed it to him and he placed it in the sink.

"I don't understand," I waited to see if he elaborated on what I was doing there but he wasn't very forthcoming, his head tilted to one side, a look of confusion on his face as if I had spoken another language, "I don't remember getting here, did I drive here?"

"Sit" he looked and sounded angry.

He pulled out his phone and dialled, a few seconds later he left the kitchen and I could hear a mumbled conversation taking place, a few words stood out, and I guessed he had called the doctor after all.

"Amnesia. Confused. Now!"

I knew now, I knew what was wrong, it was him, he didn't belong here. The house didn't fit the man that stood before me, he was dressed smartly, the suit tailored to his body, his hair perfect, even the way he spoke, this house wasn't his, it was too shabby for the likes of him.

Mr Suit walked back in as he was putting his phone back in his pocket, "Look, I think I sound worse than I am, sorry if I gave you a fright, it's just, it was bad enough that I already ran at you in a bookshop this week and now I've banged my head and its made me abit ditzy..."
He cut me off with that head tilt and look again," When did you bang your head?" in an instant he was moving my hair out of the way to look for injuries, his fingers moved through my hair as he felt for lumps. "I can't see or feel anything" he said matter of factly.

I raised my hand to touch my temple, and winced as i felt a twinge of pain, as I lowered it again, I could see the fresh blood on my fingertips, "see, right here" I held out my hand to him. Craig wiped my fingers with a tissue, "stop touching it, let the paramedic clean you up and just relax. Your safe now, they need to take you in for a CT scan, OK?"

I was so confused, I didn't know what was going on, one moment I was in my apartment, Craig playing the doting colleague, the next time I blinked, I was with Mr Suit in a house.

The ambulance raced along, heading to the local hospital so they could check I hadn't done any serious damage, I was propped up on the stretcher, Craig was watching me closely from the passenger seat. He kept opening his mouth to say something, but no words ever formed, I started to giggle and it turned into a full blown fit of laughing, Craig stared at me as if I was insane. "I'm sorry Craig, you look like a fish out of water, if you have something to say, please say it, but for both our sakes, stop gulping for air"

He cocked his head to one side and pouted, "oh, so now you have a sense of humour? You know what Nat, I thought you were dead back there! I walked in, and there you were sprawled on the kitchen floor with blood coming out of your head!"
"OK, OK, stop shouting, my head hurts" "Good!"
We caught each others gaze and laughed.
"Actually, while we are on the subject, how the hell did you get in to my apartment and why?"
"I have my key still, I always mean to return it and it never seems to happen, I would never just let myself in normally, you know that right?" I nodded and gave a look of apology to him, I didn't want him to think I wasn't thankful, "anyway, I tried calling you all evening and a few times this morning and when you still didn't answer tonight, I panicked, you never go off grid, so I drove over and i could hear your mobile ringing inside and when you didn't answer the door either, I kinda let myself in, sorry."

"Don't apologise, you did the right thing. But catch me up here, did you say I was on the floor for a whole day?"

"Yes"

I couldn't fathom that a whole day had passed, that would certainly account for way I ached so much, I doubt ceramic tiles had done much for my back, or my head for that matter. I tried to push the intrusive thoughts of Mr Suit away, I decided I would revisit them once I knew I hadn't done any serious damage to myself.

Just then, we pulled up at the hospital, and I was wheeled in to get checked. Craig stayed with me the whole time and was brilliant at keeping me calm, it reminded me why I had let him stay with me all those months ago when he had nowhere else to go.
What started as us being coworkers had emerged into a love hate friendship, he loved to iratate me and I hated to let him see it work.
Craigs girlfriend at the time had decided she needed some space, which was actually her way of saying she had found someone better and wanted him gone, so during an emotional conversation with him about it all, I had flippantly offered him my sofa for a few nights and he had jumped at the chance. Within a week he turned up with bags and took up residence in my front room, I didn't mind all that much really, he was tidy and it was actually quite nice to come home to someone who seemed genuinely interested in my day. It never went any further though, and I was fine with that, I'm not sure I have a type as such, but Craig certainly wasn't it.
I wasn't even sure Mr Suit was my type either, I'd never really had someone special in my life, I had been more concerned with getting my career on track. If I was going to meet someone to share my life with, I wanted to at least have my life together first, to know what it was I wanted from this world, because, God knows, I had struggled with it upto that point.

The doors of the ambulance opened and the paramedic wheeled me through the hospital doors.