Chapter 6

“I’m sorry…what?”

It took a good five minutes before anyone could speak. I couldn’t even fathom what Jason was telling me. It was Stacy who recovered the earliest. Derek had already gotten up to refill his glass.

“He’s been married. Zachary Emmett Anderson, married on May 5th in Las Vegas, Nevada to a Evelyn Harris. Married by an Elvis, but it’s an actual wedding certificate.”

Jason turned the computer around to show the photocopy of the marriage certificate. Sure enough, my name was printed out in my own handwriting; as well as my signature. The woman’s name, written and signed in her own handwriting. I stared at the screen for a minute.

“I wasn’t drunk when I signed this.”

“What are you talking about? Of course, you were drunk! Why the hell would you say that? You were in Vegas for god’s sake.” Stacy grabbed the computer to turn it around. Her glass hovered at her lips before she cursed. “You’re right. That’s your sober signature. What the hell, Zach? What happened in Vegas after Jason left?”

I stood up and ran my hands through my hair. I was fucking married? I got married? I had been cheating on a wife I didn’t know I had? Was she the one who saved me? Was she the woman who was in my memories? I walked over to the window overlooking the city and leaned my back against it. Crossing my arms over my chest, I closed my eyes, trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was married right now.

“Zach, what the hell…?”

“I don’t know! I don’t remember anything! I can’t fucking remember anything! Don’t ask me like I can answer you! Because I can’t!” I snapped at Stacy. Taking a deep breath, I ran my hands through my hair.

Derek was shaking his head. “It doesn’t make any sense, though. She could have come forward at any time to make a fool out of you. I mean, she could have made so much money. The great Zachary Anderson has a fiancé and a wife? I mean, your parents kept your memory loss hush and no one really knows, but something this big? She could have made millions.”

This shut everyone up. Jason was typing away on the computer, but I leaned my head back against the cool glass. “It doesn’t make sense. Why would she not come forward at all, even to me? I mean, she married me, right? Wouldn’t she want to be with me?”

“That’s being a little arrogant.” Stacy snickered and I glared at her.

“If anything, I have money. That entices just about anyone, Stacy.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, apparently, she isn’t one for money because she hasn’t exposed your ass.”

“Or she is dead.” I thought back to the last memory I had. If that was her, was her blood, and her body I held, it was quite possible she had died in my arms.

“No. She is still alive.” Jason spun his computer around. Stacy and Derek leaned in. “She owns a cafe slash bakery slash bookstore in Los Angeles called the Book Nook. It’s cute.”

Stacy started to click through the webpage as I started to walk over to the computer. Leaning in, I looked at the laptop.

“Wait, wait…go back. That last photo.” I pointed to the computer screen.

“This one?” She clicked back and it showed a photo of what looked like the opening of the cafe. A woman stood with a group of three people. All of them were covered in paint but the one in the middle was glowing with happiness.

“Zoom in.”

Stacy did and I stared at the woman in the photo. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail. A streak of blue paint donned her cheek, but her eyes were bright as she smiled for the photo. Seeing her face, the memories that had surfaced suddenly snapped into clarity. Her face looking at with me a beautiful smile as we laid in a bed, the sun shining behind her making her glow. The determination when she told me to fight for my life. The scarily peaceful look on her face as I held her in my arms covered in blood.

I didn’t realize tears starting to fall down my cheeks until Stacy reached up and brushed my cheek.

“Zach?”

“That’s her. The one in the middle. She was the one who saved me.”

I leaned back and turned around, swiping my cheeks with my shirt cuffs. Walking back over to the window, I looked out over the city trying to collect myself.

“That’s the same one you met the first night we went out in Vegas. She was gorgeous. I honestly couldn’t forget her. It wasn’t even how she looked, it was how she carried herself too.” Jason had taken the computer back, both he and Stacy were scrolling through the photos.

“What now?”

All three of us looked at Derek. He was leaning forward, his hands clasped together as he rested his chin on them. “We need to start damage control immediately.”

“We can’t let anyone know about this. This cannot leave this room.” I stated plainly.

“No shit, Sherlock, but he is right. I mean you’re about to get married in three months, Zach. You need to divorce her. Get this all swept under.” Jason looked up from the computer screen.

Stacy chuckled and leaned back in the chair. “Damn, she’s gorgeous. Just looking at the photos I can’t keep my eyes off of her. I can see what you guys mean.” She grabbed her glass that was sitting on the table and took a drink. “You could also use this as an opportunity.”

“What?” Both Jason and I asked at the same time.

“I mean, you never wanted to marry Jennifer. You wanted an excuse to not marry her. Already being married has ‘scape goat’ written all over it.”

Derek choked on his drink. “You wouldn’t use that poor woman just to get out of another marriage. I can’t imagine what she has been through these past few years if she is not actually out for your money.”

“Fuck.” I turned back and rested my forehead against the glass. “We need to have her sign this quickly and quietly. This can’t reach anyone, no matter what. No matter what she asks for, we need to give it to her. I don’t care what it takes. Make it happen, Derek.”

“I’ll draft something up now. We need to be able to get her in the office to ensure this gets done quickly. Should I…call her now?”

I closed my eyes. “I mean, we need to set up a meeting.”

There was silence and after a minute, I looked up from the window and they were all staring at me.

“We are already here. What are you staring at me for?”

“Do you…?” Stacy started, but I shook my head.

“I’m probably the last person she wants to hear from. Derek, go ahead and call. See if you can get her to fly out. Make sure it’s on our dime.”

Stacy shook her head. “I have a feeling how this is going to go and it’s not going to be good.”

“Shush. It will be fine. We will fly her in…first class. Get the documents signed. Everyone walks away happy. She gets millions and whatever her little heart desires. No one is the wiser and Zach can get married. Right?” Jason looked up at me.

I nodded only because I can’t voice that it was what I want. I honestly don’t know. How could I marry someone in a little over a week after I met them? And sober? What happened during those four weeks? Suddenly, Dr. Jha’s offer to use hypnotherapy wasn’t sounding like such a bad idea. 

“Here is the number for the shop. I can’t find her personal number.” Jason was leaning over the laptop and Derek was nodding taking out his cell.

“Put it on speaker. I want to tell you ‘I told you so’ the moment she answers.” Stacy was still leaning back, shaking her head.

I leaned up against my desk, staring at nothing but space. My mind lost with everything I was trying to process right now. Derek cleared his throat before hitting the call button. Setting it on the desk, he placed it on speaker and leaned forward.

A male voice answered. “Book Nook, how can I help you?”

“Hello, I’m looking for an Evelyn Harris?”

“Yeah, that’s our owner. She’s busy at the moment, anything I can help you with?”

Derek cleared his throat again and took a breath. He snapped into his lawyer mode. “I need to speak with Ms. Harris in regard to…”

“For fucks sake, you call now?”

Stacy nearly spit her drink out and muffled her cough.

The male voice yelled, holding the phone away since his voice sounded more distant, “Hey Ev, you called it! Stan and Jacob owe you three hundred.”

Laughter, pure and full, came across the line and I felt my heart clench. My fingers clutched the desk and I closed my eyes. Maybe I shouldn’t be here for this.

“One second, let me get this flour loaded and I’ll grab the phone from you.”

“Sure sure. You heard that?”

Derek answered. “Yes, I did. Thank you.”

The man snorted on the other end. “Don’t thank me. Steel yourself, mate. You’re about to drive into a hurricane.” He chuckled, but we could hear as he walked away from the phone.

Stacy was snorting, trying not to laugh. She stood up and went to pour herself another drink. I held out my glass for her and she nodded.

“Alright. Of course it had to be in the middle of our lunch rush. Why the hell not after hours or in the early morning?”

The voice made my heart hurt. I felt as if I was gasping for air. Stacy put her hand on my shoulder as she handed me my drink. Quickly, I downed the whole thing and she looked at me worriedly. I shook my head, trying to convince myself I was alright not just her.

“What’s your name, lawyer of the Mr. Great-and-Almighty-Fucktard Anderson?”

Derek cleared his throat. “My name is Derek, Derek Johns.”

“Great, two first names. Off to a great start.”

Stacy wheezed and stuck her tongue out to stop the laugh. “She’s great. I love this woman already.” She whispered.

“Miss Evelyn…”

“I think the fact that you’re calling means you can’t call me ‘Miss’, so get to your fucking point, Derek Johns.”

Stacy chuckled again. “Oh Lordy, this woman. How the hell did you meet, let alone bag, this spitfire?” She hissed through her smile.

“Stacy, shut it.” I hissed back.

“Mrs. Evelyn then, I represent Mr. Anderson as his personal lawyer and attorney. We would like to request your presence to proceed with a divorce as discreetly and quickly as possible.”

There was silence on the other end. I looked from Stacy to Jason to Derek. We were quiet until there was a rip-roaring laughter that resounded on the other end. Jason had to cover his mouth and Stacy buried her nose in the crook of her arm. My eyebrows furrowed.

“What took you people so damn long?” 

The sound made my heart stop. Because beneath the laughter and the sass, I could hear the pain. I couldn’t remember her, but my heart did and the pain that came over the line hit me like a ton of bricks. Turning, I looked back outside the window so the three wouldn’t see the tears that fell down my face. Tears for a woman who I most likely broke in more ways than one. A woman who saved my life and then was abandoned. A woman I couldn’t remember.