Remember Me.....

Recognition

Tom looked at his phone for the hundredth time that afternoon. Still nothing. He wanted to believe that it was just she hadn't listened to her voicemail. As he looked at the little screen and willed it to ring, he wanted to believe he still had a chance. He knew that the longer the silence went on, the less that was true. Unless....

With a sense of purpose, he stood up. Right Hiddleston, he told himself, faint heart never won fair maiden. He stuck his phone in his pocket and pulled on his jacket. Looking at himself in the mirror, he realised his face reflected his inner turmoil. Despite the slight tan from the sunshine and the beard he'd grown in the intervening days, he looked pale and worried. He was. Worried that was. Raking his memory for any clues about her, other than she was on holiday and that she was quite simply the most captivating company, he set off.

Closing the door to his flat, he stood on the top step and looked around. For what, he wasn't sure. Inspiration? Courage? Who knew. The square he lived on was quiet and reserved. A green space in the middle surrounded by houses and flats built almost three hundred years before. Solid, dependable, classy. Some might have said not unlike their owners. Today however, Tom felt as dependable as the weather. Swallowing and pulling the collar of his blue wool coat up against the unseasonably chill breeze, he set off.

Start from the beginning he told himself. If all you have is a location, then go there. He ordered an Uber and twenty minutes later, he was at the other end of his journey. Stepping out of the taxi, he looked up at the hotel. It was one of the most iconic in London. It's bar, one of the most chic and a personal favourite.

The uniformed doorman tipped his hat, "welcome Mr Hiddleston, nice to see you again." he smiled and Tom nodded pleasantly. "hello Michael, nice to be back." Pushing the mahogany doors, he walked into the lobby and crossed the black and white marble floor. A set of plush carpeted stairs led up to the cocktail bar he knew so well. It's Deco interior both relaxing and sumptuous. Little corners affording privacy, a piano for classy background music and a range of cocktails and drinks unlike any other. Yes, definitely a favourite. This time, however, drinks were NOT on the menu. He paused at the Host stand.

"Hi Alex" Tom smiled at the familiar face now welcoming him.

"Mr... sorry... Tom... How nice to see you again." Alex had been the head waiter and host for the bar for a long, long time. Tom and he had developed as much of a friendship as their respective positions allowed for. First name terms were now a natural extension of that. "Usual table?" Alex picked up a drinks menu and made to walk off.

"Actually no, not this time Alex." Tom paused. He knew that there was no danger of Alex blabbing to anyone, the hotel prided itself on discretion. Alex in particular could be trusted, the bar being the scene of many a confidential assignation over the years. Not just Tom, but a whole host of famous and important people met and talked and yes, romanced, within these walls. "I have a little mystery and I wondered if you might be able to help me?" He pulled Alex to the side "Do you have a minute?"

"For you? Of course, come this way." Alex spoke to a colleague next to him in a hushed tone. They nodded and Alex walked away with Tom back down the stairs he'd just come up. "Let's go in here."

The two men walked into the reading room, just off the main lobby and Alex closed the doors behind them, assuring Tom privacy. Filled with sofas and easy chairs, the walls lined with books and newspapers, it was quite and relaxing. A far cry from the manic streets only a couple of hundred feet away. They each took a chair beside the fireplace, currently filled with fresh flowers, giving the room a heady and pleasant aroma.

"How can I help you?"

"Well, it's a bit of a long shot, but I'm trying to track someone down, someone I was supposed to meet here. Two weeks ago." Tom paused and smiled "A woman."