Behind the Veil

Within a week, Sal had fixed up his office into a room for Lola. They got along quite well, their connection somehow carrying over from before. The one problem was that Sal worked a lot and left Lola to wander the streets alone to figure out how things worked. Granted Sal would freshen her mind with little tid bits of information and even taught her how to use a computer again. She was growing adjusted to the lifestyle and felt at ease with some things but days alone made her restless. While she enjoyed not having any worries a part of her felt like she wasn’t carrying her weight, like she had to contribute somehow to the household besides the normal cleaning and cooking. As she walked the inclined streets of San Francisco Lola stopped to purchase a water from a corner shop. When she exited the shop with water in hand, she headed towards the grocery store since Sal had informed her that his friend would be joining them for dinner that night. It had Lola slightly excited to meet someone new or at the very least come over for dinner. She had spent most of her time watching the food network or history channel mostly because she was in the learning stages and wanted to be up to date with everything that had happened.

Sal wanted what was best for his little sister, he knew she gave up a lot of things in her life to be the responsible one. What he also knew was that there was one person in Lola’s life that she was missing, someone that knew her better. That someone who made her happy and for the longest time he hated because it wasn’t someone he wanted to be with his sister. However Sal had thought long and hard about the situation, how the happiest he had ever seen Lola was when she was with his old friend Daniel Parker. Out of all the people he could think of, Daniel was the one person that Lola opened up to wholly so with that in mind Sal thought that Daniel would help Lola remember. As he walked his old buddy towards the apartment building he turned to the slightly anxious Daniel who held tightly onto a case of beer while looking up towards the building.

“Just don‘t freak out, I know its all crazy with her being alive but she doesn‘t remember anything.”

“But she remembers you doesn‘t she?” Daniel counters looking at his old friend.

“No, not really, she trusts me, senses our relation in a weird way. I think she gets moments where people feel familiar to her but not really the memories that go with it,” Sal states. Daniel nodded slightly to signify he understood the terms and they headed into the building. It would be a lie if Daniel said he wasn’t anxious to see Lola again, it had been a very long time and when he had first caught wind of her death he was devastated.

Upon entering the modest apartment the smell of food and the sound of inappropriate moans hit the two men’s senses. Sal looked somewhat embarrassed when he saw Lola sitting on the couch with her head cocked to the side, watching pornography on the television. Lola turned to Sal and his guest with a welcoming smile.

“Did you know we got this channel? I wasn‘t aware one could get paid to be filmed having sexual intercourse. How much do you think these people get paid?” Lola questions giving her brother a questioning look. Sal let out a growl of disapproval and shook his head at her. “Does this conversation make uncomfortable?”

“That mixed with the four dude, man train going on, on my flat screen.”

“Don‘t be ridiculous, besides didn‘t you bring your “friend” here tonight to gain your sister’s approval?” she counters doing air quotes when she said friend. “You have lovely taste Salvatore I‘ll give you that.”

“What no, this is Daniel, you two were the ones shacking up a while back,” Sal responds quickly.

“Really?”

“I thought you were going to ease into this Sal,” Daniel mutters slightly embarrassed. Lola smiled at the slightly bashful Daniel.

“It‘s alright, I‘m just a little surprised but nothing to be embarrassed about. Dinner is ready,” Lola states changing the channel to something less distracting. She stood up and took the beer from Daniel’s grasp to put it on the counter. His eyes met hers for a moment and he felt his heart stutter. Lola moved into the kitchen and placed the oven mitts on her hands before she opened the oven door. Taking out the homemade pizza, she set it on the stove top. Sal busied himself with finding the lime to put with the beer. However when he found the old dried out lime in the back of the refrigerator he held it out while looking at it with contempt. The lime soon grew bright with color and back to the ripe piece of fruit it was when it was first purchased. This change startled Sal momentarily and he turned to scowl at his sister who only let out a soft chuckle.

“You did that on purpose,” Sal says.

“I wasn‘t going to listen to you complain about how much better your beer would have been,” she argues with a smile. Sal narrowed his eyes at her for a moment then shook his head.

“For someone who can’t remember much you know me too well.”

“Perhaps you are just a simplistic being.”

“Moments like this remind me how much of a ball buster you truly are,” he replies with a smile.

Dinner was served and the trio made conversation. Much of the conversation just talking about whatever was around them. Daniel was incredibly grateful to be seeing Lola in good spirits. It lifted his own spirits to see her in such a way. He even went as far as to make plans with her that week to go to a movie since she had yet to be in a movie theatre since what they were jokingly calling ‘the second coming.’ Soon Daniel left and Lola helped Sal clean up.

By the time she was done she retreated to her room where she could look through some old things of hers in silence. Lola wondered if there would be any sign that she had a serious relationship with Daniel. There was a knock on the door and Sal was forced to answer it. He looked at Tony Stark with narrowed eyes. It was very obvious to Sal that

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I come in peace,” Tony states holding up bottle of Crown Royal. Sal looked at Tony for a long time before taking the alcohol and letting him into the apartment.

“She can‘t drink anymore, by the way,” Sal states as he shut the door still holding the bottle. “Dehydrates her too much.”

“Where is she?”

“This way,” he replies leading Tony down the hall towards Lola’s room. Sal knocked lightly on her door. “Lo you have a visitor.”

He opened the door to reveal Lola perched on the brass railing headboard of her bed looking at a medium sized book that was held together with threaded twine as if it were made by hand. Tony saw the plants weaved in and out of the bed frame then the simple organics of the room. Lola looked up and smiled at Tony.

“Hello,” Lola says. Sal shifted awkwardly in his spot then looked down at his watch.

“I‘ll be in the other room.”

“Alright Sal.”

Tony busied himself with looking at the plants and touched the leaves to see if they were real. Sal closed the door behind him and headed to the living room whilst Lola moved from her perch on the bed. She shuffled some of the things around scattered on the bed so that Tony could sit. Turning to face Lola, Tony sat down next to her on the bed.

“So how’s it going Shorty?”

“Good, just trying to adjust and remember. How are things with you?”

“Things are good. Took a little time to figure out where you went. Didn‘t exactly get your number,” Tony states.

“I figured you have the resources to find me.”

“How‘s the whole memory thing going?” he inquires. Lola shrugged her shoulders and gestured to the things on her bed.

“They‘re just frozen moments, not the actual memory, so its hard to grasp the events of my life from pictures or objects,” Lola admits.

“You‘ll get it eventually.”

“I suppose I will. You know I‘m surprised Sal even let you in the place.”

“I brought a bottle of alcohol as a peace offering.”

“That explains it. Do you mind me asking how we met?” she replies.

“A bar where you and your friends were performing,” Tony answers.

“Really? I find that entirely surprising, from what I’ve learned about myself, I would think I was too timid to perform in front of a group of people.”

“Who said you were timid?”

“No one just an observation, I‘ve gone through a lot of pictures, my body language looked rather uncomfortable and restrained,” Lola spoke. “It does make me happy to hear that I at least took some risks in my life.”

“You took plenty.”

“I do wish I could talk to my old friends, they seemed to be lovely. Sal doesn‘t think it is a good idea considering the circumstances; dying and all.”

“Your return is a lot to take in.”

“Of course it is, but it is what it is there really is no way of softening that sort of truth. Except perhaps I surround everyone in Lavender, it lowers anxiety levels.”

Tony couldn’t help but smile at her reasoning and words. Lola flicked her eyes up and looked at Tony with a smile. She heard the dull sound of the television in the other room and at first she ignored it. Lining the edges of the book with her fingertips she waited for Tony to speak. He chose to take the book from her hands to have a look at it. Opening it he saw lists for crafts, designs and sayings to pictures of various things. It was actually really decorative and chaotic at the same time.

“You made this?”

“Yes, at least it seems that way. I think I used to have spurts of creativity. Daniel says I liked to dabble in art,” she says.

“Who‘s Daniel?”

“According to sources, he and I used to date back in the day.”

“Your brother let your ex-boyfriend come here to see you?”

“Technically they were friends before I apparently got with him. I don‘t know I think Sal is just trying to help me remember,” Lola states.

“So is this guy good looking?”

“Actually he is attractive.”

“You‘re supposed to say he was ugly and horrible,” Tony states giving her a somewhat playful look.

“Your ego can stand some bruising.”

“That‘s no way to get me in bed with you.”

“You‘re already in bed with me,” Lola points with a smirk. Tony couldn’t help but smile and she got up from her spot. Lola moved towards the music player and turned it on. Swaying subtly to the sounds she turned to face Tony who watched her every move from the bed.

“Let me take you to Italy,” he says looking at her intently. Lola approached Tony and reached out to touch the side of his face. She gave a soft smile as he looked back up at her with his big brown eyes. Kissing him on the lips for a brief moment before pulling away.

“I think you should reconsider that offer.”

“Why‘s that?”

“Because I‘m already in a foreign place, I don‘t need to go to another,” she responds with a smile.

“Makes sense,” Tony agrees. Lola’s smile fell and her eyes glazed over as she stared at photo that lied on the bed. She reached out and picked up the picture, it was of herself inside a building consulting with what looked to be a doctor. Her insides churned because the picture looked to be taken from a distance. Turning the photo around she saw a message written neatly on the back.

Remember the sixth of December.

Lola furrowed her eyebrows and touched the writing on the back of the picture. It wasn’t familiar to her yet it struck a chord down in her core. Tony saw the disturbed look on her face and he touched her arm gently to bring her out of her daze. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned her gaze to Tony.

“Sorry just having a moment,” she mutters in a dismissive manner. She set the photograph on the nightstand and pushed her hair to the side. Tony stood up and placed his hand on her waist whilst the other grabbed her hand. He decided to lighten her sullen moment by getting her to dance with him along to the music. A small smile formed on her face and she leaned into his body as she placed her hand on his shoulder. She was growing very fond of Tony Stark but in the back of her mind she felt the foreboding that came with remembering her life. Until she remembered, she just wanted enjoy the moments before the storm.