things.’
‘Was there a difference?’ Stefan asked. ‘After Claire and I broke up, did I act the same at work?’
Veronica made sure he had his facts straight. ‘After you left her, you mean?’
‘Yes.’
She tried to appear thoughtful. ‘You were every bit as ambitious and hard-working as ever you were. Nothing there seemed to have changed. Not that I could tell.’
Frowning, Veronica remembered the first day he’d walked in with that long goatee on his chin, his cheeks clean-shaven. That had marked the beginning of a quiet patch. Stefan had kept to himself after that, refusing to give anything away.
‘Something happened,’ Stefan said. ‘I can see from the look on your face.’
Veronica collected her thoughts. ‘A couple of months ago you became…sullen. You grew that goatee and your hair was already looking longer. At first, I thought you might have been letting yourself go. Then I wondered if it might be some sort of early mid-life crisis. This was months after you’d broken up with Claire and had nothing to do with her, I’m sure.’
Stefan raised his eyebrows. ‘I’ll add that to the list of things I don’t remember.’
‘It was no big deal, and I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you. This is your big chance to do what you never did before—take it easy and enjoy life.’
He held her gaze but there was nothing in it, no emotion. ‘It’s been very interesting talking to you.’
Veronica nodded, a plastic smile plastered across her face as Stefan turned and made his way across the room to Claire.
She’d blown it.
Veronica knew failure, but wasn’t used to losing, and she certainly wasn’t one to give up. She hadn’t scored this time but the game was far from over.
He’d had enough. More than enough.
Stefan had to trust his gut. He had no past experiences and judgments to rely on, but he was quick enough to work a few things out for himself.
One—he didn’t belong here.
Two—Claire was the only person he could trust.
Three, which followed naturally—he should get the hell out of here and take Claire with him.
‘We should say goodbye to Brian first,’ Claire said.
Stefan shrugged. ‘Why?’
‘Because he’s the one who invited us and he’s always been good to you.’
‘That’s funny, because when I first met him, I got the distinct feeling he wasn’t going to be interested in me until I got my memory back and could come back to the firm.’
‘That wasn’t the first time you’ve met Brian. You’ll have to believe me when I say that you used to work closely together.’
Grabbing her hand, Stefan brushed past, heading towards the door. Claire was soft and warm and smelt reassuringly familiar, but she slipped away from him, her fingers sliding from his grasp, her expression hardening.
‘I’ll meet you outside then if you like,’ she said under her breath.
Hell, he didn’t want Claire to be angry at him. She was all he had.
Stefan sidled up behind her in time to catch her bidding Brian goodbye. ‘Surely you can’t be going home already,’ the lawyer said.
‘I don’t like drinking on an empty stomach,’ Claire explained.
‘You can get a bite to eat at the Burgundy Bar. That’s where we’re heading afterwards.’
‘Not for me thanks.’
Brian looked to Stefan. ‘What about you?’
‘I’m tired.’ He glanced around the room. ‘This is hard work for me.’
Brian flashed a good-natured smile. ‘No, this is the relaxing bit. Hard work is what you used to do when you led a team of fifty lawyers, stood up in court and stayed back at the office.’
Stefan didn’t believe that could be harder than what he was going currently through right. When he’d been a lawyer, he’d had a degree, and years of experience and staff to back him up. He’d known what he was doing then. Now he was clutching at straws.
‘Why do you do it if it’s such hard work?’ he asked.
‘It pays the bills. Pays the private school fees.’ With a knowing nod,
‘Was there a difference?’ Stefan asked. ‘After Claire and I broke up, did I act the same at work?’
Veronica made sure he had his facts straight. ‘After you left her, you mean?’
‘Yes.’
She tried to appear thoughtful. ‘You were every bit as ambitious and hard-working as ever you were. Nothing there seemed to have changed. Not that I could tell.’
Frowning, Veronica remembered the first day he’d walked in with that long goatee on his chin, his cheeks clean-shaven. That had marked the beginning of a quiet patch. Stefan had kept to himself after that, refusing to give anything away.
‘Something happened,’ Stefan said. ‘I can see from the look on your face.’
Veronica collected her thoughts. ‘A couple of months ago you became…sullen. You grew that goatee and your hair was already looking longer. At first, I thought you might have been letting yourself go. Then I wondered if it might be some sort of early mid-life crisis. This was months after you’d broken up with Claire and had nothing to do with her, I’m sure.’
Stefan raised his eyebrows. ‘I’ll add that to the list of things I don’t remember.’
‘It was no big deal, and I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you. This is your big chance to do what you never did before—take it easy and enjoy life.’
He held her gaze but there was nothing in it, no emotion. ‘It’s been very interesting talking to you.’
Veronica nodded, a plastic smile plastered across her face as Stefan turned and made his way across the room to Claire.
She’d blown it.
Veronica knew failure, but wasn’t used to losing, and she certainly wasn’t one to give up. She hadn’t scored this time but the game was far from over.
He’d had enough. More than enough.
Stefan had to trust his gut. He had no past experiences and judgments to rely on, but he was quick enough to work a few things out for himself.
One—he didn’t belong here.
Two—Claire was the only person he could trust.
Three, which followed naturally—he should get the hell out of here and take Claire with him.
‘We should say goodbye to Brian first,’ Claire said.
Stefan shrugged. ‘Why?’
‘Because he’s the one who invited us and he’s always been good to you.’
‘That’s funny, because when I first met him, I got the distinct feeling he wasn’t going to be interested in me until I got my memory back and could come back to the firm.’
‘That wasn’t the first time you’ve met Brian. You’ll have to believe me when I say that you used to work closely together.’
Grabbing her hand, Stefan brushed past, heading towards the door. Claire was soft and warm and smelt reassuringly familiar, but she slipped away from him, her fingers sliding from his grasp, her expression hardening.
‘I’ll meet you outside then if you like,’ she said under her breath.
Hell, he didn’t want Claire to be angry at him. She was all he had.
Stefan sidled up behind her in time to catch her bidding Brian goodbye. ‘Surely you can’t be going home already,’ the lawyer said.
‘I don’t like drinking on an empty stomach,’ Claire explained.
‘You can get a bite to eat at the Burgundy Bar. That’s where we’re heading afterwards.’
‘Not for me thanks.’
Brian looked to Stefan. ‘What about you?’
‘I’m tired.’ He glanced around the room. ‘This is hard work for me.’
Brian flashed a good-natured smile. ‘No, this is the relaxing bit. Hard work is what you used to do when you led a team of fifty lawyers, stood up in court and stayed back at the office.’
Stefan didn’t believe that could be harder than what he was going currently through right. When he’d been a lawyer, he’d had a degree, and years of experience and staff to back him up. He’d known what he was doing then. Now he was clutching at straws.
‘Why do you do it if it’s such hard work?’ he asked.
‘It pays the bills. Pays the private school fees.’ With a knowing nod,
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