The Four Seasons- Paris
Jennifer was in shock, or maybe she was losing her mind, either way she had to lay down on the floor.
How could Jonathan be alive? And why didn't he recognize her?
She had a million questions running through her mind and there was no way to answer any of them.
But Jennifer had to see him, if anything just to make sure she wasn't losing her mind again.
She took a deep breath and went to the bathroom to wash her face and straighten her hair, 13-hour flight from Los Angeles to Paris had left her exhausted.
But then again, she hadn't slept a lot in the past year.
Not since Zara Edwards Hart had been born on a rainy night in California, she'd almost been born at home but a last-minute decision by Max to call an ambulance had saved both Zara and Jennifer's life.
Max had been her savior the past year, anytime she felt like she'd couldn't handle both Zara and the Office, he'd remind her of how important both were and that if she needed to, she could always bring Zara to the Office Daycare she'd had set up because she knew that her legacy was now for Zara.
But she couldn't think too much about her Baby at home with Max, she had to see that man again, because it couldn't have been Jonathan, could it?
She quickly ran a brush through her hair and left the hotel room, rushing down to the elevator.
Jennifer hadn't been this excited in a long time and she had to admit, she was nervous.
She rode the elevator and went to the restaurant bar, looking around she didn't see him. Sitting at the bar, she wondered if maybe exhaustion hadn't clouded her judgement and she was imaging that the man was Jonathan
"Drink, Miss?" the Bartender asked
"Martini, dry two olives," She said quietly
"I'll have the same," a voice said sitting beside her.
Her heart skipped and she turned to look at those familiar eyes.
"I'm sorry I didn't formally introduce myself when we met before but I just can't shake the feeling like I've met you before, my name is Charlie" He extended his hand, "Have you been in Paris long?'
The Bartender put her glass down in front of her, "No, not for a while," She took a long sip then shook Charlie's hand.
"Me either, I've only been here a year or so," He drank from his own glass, "I'm supposed to meet my fiancée here but I guess she had to work overtime,"
"Oh," Her heart plummeted to the floor, "I'm here for business,"
"Well, Miss. Hart, was it? would you like to have dinner with me" He felt nervous, like he was cheating on his fiancée but something about this woman made him feel familiar.
The truth was since he'd been released from the Clinic after regaining most of his sight back, Charlie still felt a bit lost, Sure, Jenny had told him bits and pieces of his life, how he'd come from America and been in an accident but that was all she could tell him.
His life before obviously had not meant much and with no one coming forward to provide information, he hadn't seen the point of returning to the States. But deep in his heart, sitting next to this stranger and when he touched her hand, he felt a spark.
Something he was missing often with Jenny, as much as he felt he loved her, he felt that she was often holding back and that was she afraid of something but as much as he prodded and asked questions but she never wanted to answer and he was so tired of competing with her job, he knew that Jenny's job was important but he didn't want to feel like he was second or even third.
Normally he would never be this forward with anyone but for this stranger, there was something about this mysterious stranger he was curious about.
Jennifer drank her martini quickly, "Yes! And You can call me Jennifer"
He laughed, that sound she'd missed so much, "Well, Jennifer. We'd better get some food into you, now"
He climbed off the barstool, stood beside her and waited for her.
Jennifer still didn't understand why he didn't recognize her, how could you not recognize a person you've made love to a thousand times? But something in her was afraid to push it, that maybe he'd been hurt and couldn't remember her.
But still, she got off the bar stool wobbling a bit and started to fall forward but he managed to catch her.
"Thanks" the buzz from the martini started to affect her, normally it would take two or three to make her tipsy but she guessed since the Baby, her alcohol intake level was lower than normal.
Charlie shook his head and closed his eyes, something in his head started to hurt
"Charlie?" Jennifer asked, "Are you okay?"
"No, something doesn't feel right…" Charlie said gripping her arm
"Let's go to my room, I have some aspirin," She guided him to the elevators
"You don't have to do this, really I'll be okay" He said, shaking his head, often he would have these terrible headaches and nothing could stop them, the Doctors believed it was because his vision had been impaired for so long, that his brain needed time to heal as well.
"Please, let me" Jennifer pleaded, maybe this wasn't the best decision, but it was all she could think of in that moment was that her heart was beating and all she wanted to do was kiss him.
He let Jennifer take him upstairs and into her room, "Why don't you lay down and get some rest," She suggested, after digging through her purse to find the aspirin.
He nodded and took the pills, sitting on the edge of the bed he rubbed his head, "I know this is going to sound crazy but have we met before?"
She wasn't sure what to say. He continued, "Or maybe you are a famous actress that I've seen on Television before,"
She laughed, "I do get a lot of Stefanie Powers. . Maybe in a past life we knew each other," She sat down beside him.
Looking around the room, he notices the photo album that she'd tossed out of her purse when she was looking for the Aspirin, "What's that?" pointing to the table where it looked like a photo album was tossed on top
"Oh, that is just something I carry with me when I feel lonely and I miss home," Jennifer reached for the book and pulled it open, Max had made it for her after her first day back at the Office, he'd taken his phone and taken all sorts of shots of Baby Zara so that she wouldn't feel like she missed anything.
"Who's that?" Charlie pointed to a picture of Max and Zara on the beach, "He looks familiar."
"That's my friend Max" She was slow to answer, "With my daughter, Zara"
"Max, Max." He repeated the name repeatedly as if he was trying to kick start his memory.
Max had put together some other photos of Jonathan and Jennifer as well but Jennifer didn't realize it until she flipped the page and saw the pictures of them, one where they were standing with a famous basketball player, another that Max had taken of them on "Hart One" just as he was about to kiss her.
"Wait, who is that?" Charlie pointed to the picture.
"That was my husband, he passed away last year," She said quietly and quickly closing the book
"Let me see it," Charlie said holding out his hand for the book
"Really, it's nothing" She said putting the book down and stood up, "We should go downstairs for dinner."
"Jennifer, please show me that picture," Charlie was becoming insistent, "Please"
"Okay," She flipped the book open to the picture of Jonathan and her, Charlie took the picture out the album and studied the picture, he was staring back at his own face and he couldn't understand why, Had he been married to this mysterious woman and never knew it?
His head began to ache even more, "I think I'd better skip dinner, I'm not feeling too good" He stood up to leave when Jennifer stood in front of him, blocking his exit
"You don't have to go, you can rest here," Jennifer was afraid if he left, she'd never see him again.
"No I'd better go, but I'd like to see you again, if you'll let me" He kissed her forehead and went to the door
"Please," She whispered, her heart sinking to the floor
Charlie nodded and left the hotel room, suddenly he was furious and he knew just who to blame, He didn't even realize how angry he was until he was back at the place he'd called home for the past year and he felt like putting his fist through the wall.
Jenny must have known, there was no way she didn't know.
He marched up to Jenny's floor, she'd been recently promoted to Head nurse and with that promotion, a significant change in duties that he could see how happy it made her, much happier than Charlie had been making her recently.
"Where's Jenny?" He demanded to know, Lola was sitting behind the desk
"I think she's down in the lounge, Are you okay, Charlie?" Lola had been waiting for this day for months, for the moment when the revelation would come to light and Charlie would learn his identity.
Lola had begged Jenny to tell him but Jenny had insisted he wasn't ready, that he was too fragile to handle such a moment and the more she prolonged telling him, the harder it got.
"No, I'm not" He said before stomping off to the Nurses lounge where Jenny was with her colleagues.
Jenny was in the middle of a conversation with a fellow nurse when the other nurse's eyes widened, and Jenny spun around, she'd never seen Charlie so angry before
"Darling?" She asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I need to speak with you, alone!" He was trying to control his anger so much that he began to shake.
Jenny became afraid, "We can talk here,"
He set his jaw firmly in place, "No, I don't want to make a scene .."
The lounge quickly cleared out.
"Charlie, what's happened?" She'd never see this side of him before.
"When I was a patient here and you did the Hypnosis, You said afterward that I hadn't made sense and it was just rambling, that nothing came of it. Was that the truth?"
"Yes," she said quietly.
"Liar!" He slammed his hands down on the table, "If nothing came of it then did I meet a woman today, who was carrying my picture?"
"I uh don't know," She stuttered.
"Who am I?" He yelled.
