I was struggling with a growing sense of desperation and, try as I might, I remained unreasonably focused on this missing woman. Maybe if I finally saw her everything would click into place? Maybe I would regain this lost week? Maybe … maybe …

“You know as well as I that she had to give her statement to the law enforcement people who’ve taken over the case. And to do that she had to stay back, embedded in the scene, where things happened …” Jules added calmly.

“No, Jules! What she fucking had to do was get on a fucking plane or car and get here and …” I cut in, sounding like I was coming unhinged, I know.

Jules grasped my shoulders firmly and I cried out in pain. She may have done so to try to calm me down but had forgotten that I’d hurt my shoulders and arms during the crash.

She was in the midst of apologizing when we both heard this thoroughly musical voice call out, “Aerin! Aerin! Baby …”

We both looked in the direction where we’d heard the voice come from and saw a red-copper haired woman, in tears, running towards us across the garden. She was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen, a goddess, really, and she ran until she got to where I sat, knelt in front of me, gently cradled my face between her hands and kissed me tenderly.

Her lips were soft and gentle and they covered mine with a sense of possession.

My body reacted to her of its own accord, and I could feel a palpable excitement somewhere in my core.

She smelt of aquamarine and bergamot and citrus, and I longed to fill my senses with even more of her.

Her lips moved against mine like they knew me intimately.

Her tongue was pushing in, and mine was coming out to meet it, and I thought to myself, Who is this goddess?

Wait …. wait a sec … is this her? Is she the one I’m supposed to have fallen in love with?

I reluctantly pushed her away.

I looked deeply into her hazel eyes, and struggled mightily to recall anything about her that I could remember. Remember, Aerin! Remember!