Summoned Again?

I let Nat sit there and stare at me and could see her mind working.

“You're a fucking liar!” Nat suddenly said and jumped to her feet as she let the blanket go. She was only wearing a tiny slip of a top that stopped at her belly button and the tiniest pair of silky shorts that weren't much bigger than a pair of panties. “If you're not out of my sight in two seconds, I'm going to scream as loudly as I can!”

She glared at me and took in a deep breath, which meant that she really was going to do it.

I couldn't let that happen, so I stood. “You look super-sexy right now.”

Nat gasped, probably at me using her adjective, then she looked down at herself and saw exactly how much of her body that she was showing me. “You bastard.” She whispered and grabbed the blanket to cover herself. “Get out.”

“Please, calm down and listen to me.” I said. “I'm not here to do anything except talk. That's all.”

“Call me on the phone.” Nat said with a sneer.

“It's disconnected.” I said. “I didn't try it, since I know that when you don't pay bills for six months, things get cut off. I was lucky and prepaid my cell phone, and my apartment is leased into the ownership of the building. No matter how many times its sold or transferred, even if the government seizes it, it will always be my apartment.” I took off my suit coat and sat down again. “Everything else was a pain in the ass to get back and the no payment fines and disconnect and reconnect charges were ridiculous.”

Nat stayed standing and adjusted the blanket to make sure that she was completely covered.

“But, you... you just said...”

“I just wanted to get your attention.” I said. “I know it pisses you off when guys notice you like that.”

“You...” Nat's face lost the glare and she took a breath and let it out. “How do you know that?”

“We talked a lot.” I said. “After we met up, of course.”

“What... what do you mean?” Nat asked, concern in her voice.

I chuckled. “I don't mean that we had sex, although I did joke with you about it a few times, just to make you laugh.”

Nat walked over and sat down next to me and not in her preferred spot. “Why would we joke about that?”

“As soon as I met you, the first thing I told you was that we were going to be good friends and that I had no problems sleeping with good friends, because I wouldn't I let it interfere with the friendship.”

“That's... pretty arrogant of you.” Nat said with a slight smile.

I chuckled again. “I also told you that you're damn cute, have a great body, and I've got a thing for short brunettes.”

Nat shook her head. “You hit on me, even knowing I was gay?”

“Everything I said was true.” I responded. “Gay or not, you're a great person with a similar sense of humor. We hit it off like old friends right away and I would enjoy being with you for any of those reasons.”

Nat was quiet for several seconds. “Are you a sex addict or something?”

I opened my mouth to say no, then sighed. “While I was there, I did have something happen to me that... well... I act like I'm on a sex enhancement drug whenever I meet a sexually compatible woman.”

Nat looked down at my crotch and saw the bulge there. “You do not mean me!” She exclaimed and looked back at my face.

I laughed. “No, this was a result of that sexy little outfit you have on.” I said and she looked surprised. “If I was reacting like...” I paused and thought of a good way to describe it. “Let's just say that I would probably be begging you to let me make love to you, on my knees, and probably half naked. Oh, and I'd shower you with money if necessary.”

Nat took in a quick breath and then she laughed. “You're joking!”

“I wish I was.” I said. “I've already met two women that... ah... responded to my charms. I avoided one and it nearly drove me crazy. I found another a short while later and...” I smiled as I remembered Whitney, the secretary at the treasury, and how easily she had gotten through my defenses. “She loves gold and would do anything for it.” I gave Nat a pointed look. “Anything.”

“Dammit, I wish I could afford to have a woman like that!” Nat said and then she caught her breath. “I did not just say that to a stranger.”

I laughed for a second and gave her a pleading look. “Nat, I... I want to try something.” I said and she leaned back slightly and had a worried look on her face. “No, nothing like what I just mentioned.” I reassured her and she sat up straight. “Can I give you a hug?”

Nat opened her mouth to speak and suddenly more tears rolled down her cheeks. “Why am I like this?”

My pleading look changed to a sad one and I leaned forward as I put my arms around her. I felt that little twinge inside that I had felt back in the other world when we hugged for the first time, which meant that we still had that connection between us. I felt a small warmth grow inside of me from it.

Nat must have felt it, too. “Wh-what... what is...”

“I'm greeting my new old friend again.” I said and then whispered. “I know why you can't stop crying.”

Nat pushed on me to make me let her go. The look on her face made it seem like I had slapped her.

“It's both good and bad.” I said to her.

“I... I don't understand.” Nat said.

“You see... while there, you... you fell in love.” I said and she looked shocked. “I know that's hard to believe...”

“N-no, I... I think...” Nat put a hand on her heart. “This... it's close.”

“Here's where the bad part comes in.” I warned her and saw her brace for it. “You both knew you couldn't stay, so you had a great time being in love for as long as you were together, then you broke up amicably.”

“No, that can't be true! It doesn't feel like that!” Nat said loudly.

“It wasn't the breakup that's making you grieve.” I took her free hand and held it steady. “The reason you're crying is because you were made to forget that you had the best loving relationship you've ever had in your life.”

Nat took in a sharp breath and her hand over her heart clenched into a fist. “This... this is...”

“The pain of loss.” I whispered. “Not the loss of love, the loss of remembering that love.”

“But... but...”

“It's much worse and a lot more painful, isn't it?” I asked and she nodded. “I am so sorry that I couldn't do anything to stop it.”

It took Nat a few seconds to realize what I meant. “You know! You know what happened!” She said and pulled her hand away from mine.

“Yes. I managed to trick...” I stopped myself from saying her name or even thinking about the goddess. Having a Clarity pendant sure was a great help. “It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I kept my memories... and yours.”

“M-m-mine?” Nat asked, surprised.

“I don't think I can explain it, not without sounding like I'm crazy.” I said.

Nat gave me a very strange look. “I am sitting here on my couch, half-naked in a blanket and talking like we're friends, with a man that hasn't even introduced himself yet.” She said. “I think I'm ready for something that's a little more crazy than that, don't you?”

I opened my mouth to speak, then laughed for several seconds. “I'm sorry, I...” I kept laughing and she smiled. “I was so comfortable around you that I completely forgot that I didn't introduce myself.”

Nat looked amused as I held my hand out for her to shake and she took it.

“Hi there. It's very nice to meet you again for the first time, Natalie Sampson.” I said and shook her hand. “My name is Damon Smith and I came here to save you.”

Nat laughed and let my hand go. “Save me? From what? Being forgotten by my so-called friends?”

“They aren't really your friends, so yes.” I said. “I see you still have the apartment.”

“It's rent controlled and I've lived here my whole life.” Nat said. “I had payments for rent taken from my bank account automatically, so it was going to sit here empty and wait for me until I came back.”

I sighed in relief. “That's good to know.” I looked around. “What about your other bills? Was my guess right about you being cut off from everything?”

“It's all covered in the rent. Phone, power, heat, and cable.” Nat said, a little smugly.

“Well, damn.” I said and looked back at her. “I was going to bribe you a little and offer to pay all of your expenses.”

“Really?” Nat asked. “You're not kidding are you?”

“Not even a little.” I said. “I was going to come in here and sweep the destitute you right off of your feet, then whisk you off on a jet plane to begin a life of high stakes corporate work and international fame.”

“Wh-what?” Nat blinked her eyes at me and looked confused.

“I didn't realize you would have been better prepared than me when you were kidnapped.” I said. “I expected the worst and...”

Nat sat there and stared at me as I explained what had happened to me when I was kidnapped for six months and how it had ruined my life, my sister's life, my ex-friend's life and almost that of her daughter, which I had temporary custody of.

“Jesus Christ.” Nat whispered. “Why would they do all of that to you?”

“Gold. Lots of untraceable gold. Even though it's barely a drop in the bucket of what the world produces, the guy from the treasury said that if it was going to be within the borders of the US, then it has to be strictly controlled.”

“That's ridiculous.” Nat said. “I don't really know anything about stuff like that and even I know that thousands of tons of gold are mined every year. Just the amount used in electronics would be billions of dollars worth.”

“I thought you said you didn't know anything about that stuff?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Quiet, you.” Nat said and smacked my shoulder. “Hey, wait a minute. If you have my memories, why wouldn't you know that, too?”

“I don't know all of your memories, just the memories of the time you were kidnapped.” I said.

“Well, go ahead and tell me. I'm fully prepared for the craziness.” Nat said as she let the blanket go and crossed her arms. The blanket fell away and her arms pushed her breasts up slightly, which they didn't need at all, they were so nice and perky.

“You know, if you keep teasing me like that, I'm going to look.” I said and nodded at her breasts.

“I'm glad you know that it's just teasing and doesn't mean anything.” Nat said, which was similar to what I had said to her after we first met. “That's the second time you've said I was kidnapped and wasn't just missing.” She said. “So, come on. Spill it. Tell me what you mean.”

“I keep saying that, because it's true. You didn't just magically skip six months of your life, you only forgot that it happened.” I said. “We were taken to a place where we had to fight to survive. After we were strong enough, we set out to complete the job they needed us for. We did, they erased our memories, then sent us back home.”

Nat stared at me like I was crazy, so I did something that surprised her. I held my hand out, completely empty, then made a piece of paper appear on it. She gasped when she read it and started to reach for it, then she looked at my face.

“It's real, isn't it?” Nat asked as she took the piece of paper that was in her handwriting. She had written her contact information on it, including her full address, and a little note of warning that I had better keep my promise to bring her a plane ticket to visit. “I actually wrote this.”

“I didn't bring a ticket to hand deliver, though.” I said.

Nat looked angry and she held the note up, I assumed to accuse me of not keeping a promise that she didn't even remember.

“I chartered a private plane instead... then I bought it.”

“You WHAT?!?”

“I bought it.” I said. “Remember my comment about a lot of untraceable gold?”

“You... why would you...”

“You're my friend, Nat.” I said. “I had to come and get you as soon as I was able to.”

Nat looked at the note, as if she was reading it again, then she smiled at me.

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