Who Are You?

II

Several days later, Lindsey was back at the same place he bumped into Stevie, in hope to see her again. On one hand, he knew it might have been a one time think and she would never return, but on the other, he had no better choice. He wore sunglasses, pretending to be wandering around, when he saw her entering the small bakery. He was fighting a massive urge to go in and ambush her again, but he knew better than that. Lindsey waited about ten minutes until she left, just like before, with a girl by her side, although, now it was Mabel, not that he knew the difference. She was still so beautiful and she seemed happy, but there had to be something very wrong, Lindsey wondered, how could she not now me? Does she hate me that much, she's pretending not to remember me?

When Stevie and Mabel had walked far enough, Lindsey went inside the bakery, glad to see no customers inside. He took off his shades and began forming a sentence in his head, but he wasn't entirely sure, how to go on about this.

"Hello, um... do you speak English?"

"Oui." 

"So, does that mean..."

"I do, yes." Gérard nodded. 

"Good. I need some help." Lindsey had one hand in his jeans' pocket, with the other he was scratching the back of his head. "The woman who just left... Stev... Stephanie."

"She's your friend?"

"She is, yes. But I wasn't quick enough to catch her, when she was leaving. I was wondering if you knew anything about her?"

The Frenchman frowned, crossing his arms. "Depends on what you want to know. And what makes you think I'll tell you anything about her anyway?"

"Listen..." Lindsey sighed. "I can give you money, whatever you want, but... I've been looking for Stephanie for close to ten years now, I didn't know I would find her here and I desperately need a way to contact her; a phone number, the place where she's staying... anything."

"How are you a friend of Ms Stephanie's if you don't know she lives here?"

"What, you mean, she lives in Paris?"

"She's been a loyal customer of mine for the past five years, since I opened this shop."

"Oh, wow, okay... um... Please, I really have to talk to her, it's so important that I do. I swear my intentions are not to harm her, I... if anything, I love her very much. I just need to see her."

Lindsey did appear to be desperate, so after weighing pros and cons, the owner gave in and searched for a piece of paper and a pen. "I'll give you the address of where Ms Stephanie lives with her husband."

"Her husband?" Lindsey gulped, she's married with children?

"Yes. Now go, I've already said too much."

Lindsey took the note and put it in the back pocket of his jeans.

~

Stevie got slightly startled, feeling David's arms circle her waist from behind, as she was making dinner, completely lost in her thoughts.

"Why are you being like this?"

"Like what?" He asked back, placing his chin on her shoulder.

"I don't know - weird?"

"How is this me being weird?"

"You just... you don't usually do this, you're not this affectionate with me anymore."

"Maybe I'm trying to change that." David pressed small kisses to her neck, but Stevie wiggled herself out of his embrace. "I want us to reconnect." He held onto her hand as she tried to reach the washcloth. 

"You're honestly creeping me out." He tugged at her hand and pulled her closer, before he could lift her up onto the kitchen counter. "What on earth do you think you're doing?" She put her hands on his shoulders, his were gripping her sides gently. 

"Having a bit of fun." 

Stevie took his face in her hands and pecked his lips. "This is not you, Dave. You don't decide to have sex in the kitchen out of the blue like that. You're... you know, you're a bedroom kind of guy, lights out, missionary and all..."

"Is this how you see me?"

"Well, it's how you are..."

"I know you want more than that. You've always been the exciting one in the bedroom."

"Honey, it doesn't matter. It's fine, it's all good." She smiled, running her fingers through his thick hair. 

"Do you love me, Stephanie?"

She frowned, jumping down to the floor. "Dave, what's going on? First you're overly physical with me, now you're asking whether I love you? You're scaring me. Are you alright?"

"Do you love me?"

"Yes, of course I do. I'm married to you." She put her arms around him, as David buried his face in the curve of her neck, gripping her tightly. "David, you're acting like a completely different man since I asked you to open up about the things you know about me."

"I don't want to lose you, Steph, I don't." 

"You're not going to lose me!" She drew back, holding onto his shoulders, close to physically shaking him out of this state. "I don't get what you're talking about. I'm happy to be your wife, to be the mother of your children. Whatever happened that I don't remember, it doesn't matter, Dave. It's about now, about our life in the present. Yes, we argue, yes, you have jealousy issues, but put that aside, our marriage is perfectly fine."

He stared at her for a moment, before giving her a lingering, emotion filled kiss, that left her breathless. "You're my life, Stephanie. I can't go on if you leave me."

Stevie just pulled him back into her arms, rubbing his back, trying to calm him down, unsure of why he was so nervous, distraught even. Then they heard the doorbell and little feet tapping against the hardwood floor.

"Aria, don't you dare open the door!" Stevie warned, knowing how technically the younger of her twins, was always so nosy. She pressed a chaste kiss on David's lips. "I'll go check who it is."

Stevie, without much thought, pulled the door open, raising an eyebrow. "Are you stalking me now?"

"Stevie, we need to talk!"

"I'm not Stevie, my name is Stephanie, not that I should be telling you that. Please, just leave me alone."

"You are her." David's voice came from behind and Stevie frowned at her husband, who obviously lied about it just the other day. 

"I don't know why you are like this, why you don't remember me, but please, let me in." Lindsey begged, still standing out in the hallway. "Steph, your parents are crazy worried about you, they don't know what to think, they keep calling me, asking whether maybe I saw you somewhere. They'll be thrilled to know you are doing well."

"What did you just call me?" That seemed to be the only thing she picked up om.

"Steph, but forgive me, I... I wasn't thinking. That's how I used to call you."

She couldn't look away from Lindsey's eyes, those beautiful blue grey eyes... She opened the door wider and stepped aside. "Come in."