Another Chance

by Rebecca. L. Winstone

  ANOTHER CHANCE

  Rebecca.L.Winstone

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Shakti

  Copyright © 2012

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction

  ____________________________________________

  ANOTHER CHANCE

  Chapter 1

  Felicity Shaun had been eagerly waiting for this event for a long time. As the driver pulls up outside her Hampstead house in London, she takes one last look in the mirror, her eyes gliding over her white linen suit and the amber coral necklace. Her deep red long curly hair is pulled up into a bun, and her translucent green eyes are hidden behind large dark glasses. Her slim 5’7 build is toned and healthy. She picks up her bags and takes them to the door.

  Her chauffeur meets her outside and places her bags in the boot before opening the back car door. She slides inside onto the grey leather seats and removes her sunglasses as she settles in.

  “Hello madam. The journey time should be 2-3 hours,” says the driver.

  Felicity smiles and nods without saying a word.

  They were driving to a large new hotel that had opened on the outskirts of London. The hugely successful lifestyle magazine ‘Privilege’ that Felicity was deputy editor for were launching a new offshoot magazine ‘Inspire’ and had asked Felicity to be the managing director and open the launch party with a speech. This was something she had waited for for years - to direct her own magazine.

  ‘Privilege’ had in the last decade had become ‘the lifestyle magazine’ of the UK. It prided itself of articles of intellectual merit, and focused on current affairs as well as fashion. Its readership was both the successful man and the successful woman. Felicity had begun to find the work tedious and she had wanted to create a magazine with more colour, more creativity, that didn’t focus on fashion or current affairs, but that focused on life – family, health, relationships, the earth, travel. “Inspire” She had a vision, and now after ten years of working for ‘Privilege’ and having made it one of the most successful lifestyle magazines in Europe, they had finally given her the chance to do what she wanted, to make her own rules for the magazine, beginning with the name which she had chosen. Inspire Magazine. Felicity took a deep breath.

  “So we have one stop off to pick up the fellow passenger and then we drive straight there.” Said the driver.

  Felicity smiled. She had asked her friend Tamara Stevens to accompany her to the hotel. It had a spa, and it would give them both a chance to relax and catch up, and be outside the hustle and bustle of London. Felicity had been so engrossed in her work of late she had not seen her friends, plus she didn’t want to be alone. She wanted her old friend Tamara around.

  As the car pulled into the willowy road where Tamara lived Felicity took out her cell-phone and pressed the speed dial for Tamara’s number.

  “Hey sweetie, we are just pulling up outside” Felicity said in her husky voice.

  “Yeah!” sung Tamara’s voice on the end of the line. “I’m sooooooo excited!” Felicity smiled as she closed the handset of the phone. After a few moments Tamara’s front door opened and Tamara, carrying two bags, in an oversized cardigan, tight skinny black jeans, and ugg boots, dark shades and loose flowing hair came dancing out. The driver rushed over to help her with her bags and after locking her front door Tamara jumped into the back seat, still singing and dancing.

  “This is so fantastic!” Said Tamara enthusiastically. “Ah! I haven’t been out of London for weeeeeeks! We can spa, chill, chat. Finally! Catch up time! How have you been??!!!! It’s been ages!” She leant over and hugged and kissed Felicity who hugged her back.

  “I know. It will be great.” Said Felicity.

  The drive to the hotel was smooth. They listened to the Stones album ‘Black and Blue’ singing along to the songs, laughing and catching up. By the time they had arrived at the hotel Felicity had almost forgotten about the impending launch, and the speech she had been reciting over and over in her head over the past month. The car pulled up along the circular gravel drive, to the large white marble columned entrance with a huge fountain with a statute of Venus with flowers. The driver opened the doors and the two women made their way to the hotel reception. As Felicity checked the room bookings a tall, very suave tanned man made his way over to them and tapped Tamara on the shoulder. She swung round to face him. Her face lit up.

  “Oh my God! Paul!”

  “Hey what are you doing here?” Paul smiled.

  “My friend Felicity is launching her own magazine!” said Tamara, pointing at Felicity.

  “Congratulations” Paul smiled. Felicity nodded.

  Paul turned back to Tamara.

  “How about you? What a coincidence! Seeing you twice in one week!” said Tamara.

  “Yeah. It must mean something.” Said Paul. He continued. “My friend is giving a speech for the new Golf courts they are opening on the hotel. So I came down to accompany him.”

  “Ha! Well same goes!” Said Tamara.

  “I am here to give Felicity some moral support. Not that she needs it.”

  The receptionist handed over the room keys to Felicity, who turned to face Tamara, still engrossed in conversation with Paul.

  “I am going to head up to the room. It is 207.” Felicity smiled at Tamara.

  “I will meet you up there.”

  Felicity crossed the marble hallway, with a crystal chandelier hanging in the centre. Large vases filled with vast arrays of different flowers hung magnificently from the walls. Gentle classical music infused the air and Felicity at last began to feel more excited than nervous.

  Just moments after she had entered her hotel room, there was a knock at the door.

  “Your bags mam.” Said the hotel porter as Felicity popped her head around.

  “Just call reception if you need anything.”

  “Thanks.” Said Felicity.

  She lay down on the bed, tired from the journey and her apprehension. Without intending it, she drifted into a light sleep, only to wake to Tamara excitedly poking her and bouncing on the bed.

  “You will NEVER guess who is here.” Said Tamara.

  “Who?” asked Felicity as she opened her eyes, somewhat dazed and wondering where she was.

  “Mick. Mick Green. YOUR ex BOYFRIEND!”

  Felicity didn’t say anything. She thought for a moment that she felt something, but she wasn’t sure what.

  “Well!?” said Tamara.

  “Well what?” Felicity replied.

  “Well, you haven’t seen him for years and he was the love of your life!” exclaimed Tamara.

  Felicity stayed silent.

  “I just have too much to think about right now.” She said quietly. “I don’t want any distractions.”

  Tamara took a long look at her and raised her eyebrow but did not say anything.

  Chapter 2

  The midday sun shone brightly over the gardens as Felicity and Tamara sat on the room’s balcony drinking tea.

  “ So anyway.” Said Felicity. “Who is this Paul? You seemed very happy to see each other.”

  “I know!” Squealed Tamara excitedly. “I can’t believe he is here! I was even going to tell you about him, but I haven’t seen you – I mean, it’s nothing, yet, you know. We met at a wedding in France last week and spent lots of time talking, but I didn’t even think I would ever see him again! Oh my God! Isn’t he goooooorrrrrrgeous!”? Tamara excitedly pulled out her bikini as Felicity laughed.

  “Yeah, he is cute.” She said.

  “Shall we go down and ch
eck out the spa?” said Felicity.

  “I want to have a steam and a swim.”

  Tamara ran over to the suitcases on the floor, throwing out clothes and make-up and magazines.

  “Aha!” She found her bikini and held it up triumphantly.

  The girls put on their robes and headed down to the spa.

  “Oh my God! He is in the Jacuzzi!” Said Tamara as she spotted Paul in the Jacuzzi. She squeezed Felicity’s hand excitedly.

  “I’m going to swim a few laps before I Jacuzzi.” Said Felicity. “See you in a bit.”

  Tamara sidled over to the Jacuzzi where Paul looked up and smiled as she stepped in. Felicity began swimming laps in the pool. As she swam Felicity tried to get the thought of Mick out of her mind. What was he doing here? Had she come to see her? Why after so long? As the questions swirled in her mind the sound of the water drowned out any sound from the outside world and the questions seemed to get louder and louder.

  “I need to focus on what I am doing here.” She said to herself. “I can’t think about him anymore. Memories of his deep blue piercing eyes and how she would caress his jet-black hair came flooding in. Exasperated she stepped out of the pool and headed over to the shower. She tried to wash away the memories. She looked over to the Jacuzzi area and saw Tamara and Paul excitedly enraptured in conversation, laughing animatedly. She headed over to the steam room.

  The steam room was so steamy she could make out the silhouette of someone but nothing more. She placed her towel on the blue marble seat and sat down and closed her eyes, breathing slowly.

  “So it is you.” She heard a voice say. It couldn’t be.

  Quickly she opened her eyes and glanced through the steam trying to focus on the silhouette opposite. Had she imagined it?

  “I saw the sign.” The voice continued. “I saw Felicity Shaun launches Inspire magazine. I thought it must be you.”

  “M-m-Mick.” Stuttered Felicity. “Hi.”

  “Hi.” Mick said gently.

  “Whew! It’s really hot in here.” She stammered and headed for the door. Before Mick could say anything she had left, her heart pounding.

  She left the pool area, not even glancing toward the Jacuzzi to see if Tamara was still there and headed straight up to her room. She crawled into bed as if hiding from the world, trying to stop her heart from pounding. A few hours later Tamara came back and asked if she wanted to go to dinner with Paul and a few of his friends.

  “Anything to escape my own mind.” Felicity thought to herself. After showering and dressing she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror as she glided her nude shade lipstick over her lips and then tousled her hair. Tamara joined her in the bathroom and applied some finishing touches to her make-up.

  “I really like him!” she said, still talking about Paul. “I feel selfish. This is your trip Felicity. Is there anything else you want to do? I don’t want to make it about me and this random guy.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Said Felicity. “I’m fine. And anyway, he is not just a random guy if you like him.”

  Tamara smiled.

  “I’m so lucky to have you as a friend.” She said. “Now let’s go have some fun.”

  They met Paul in the hotel lobby who had a driver waiting outside who was to escort them to where they were having dinner. As they were heading outside the door the lady at the reception desk called out to Felicity.

  “Ms Shaun. There is a message for you.”

  Felicity headed over and waited for the receptionist to pass her a note. It read

  “Felicity, I am so glad I saw you. I have been wanting to for so long now. Let’s meet later for a drink. I will be at the hotel. Mick.”

  Felicity folded the note and placed it in her purse and went over to join Tamara and Paul who were waiting by the door.

  “Who was it from?” Asked Tamara.

  ‘No-one. Just some work thing for tomorrow.” Felicity replied.

  They climbed into the taxi.

  Chapter 3

  As they waited at the restaurant bar to be met by Paul’s friends, Tamara asked her again whom the note was from.

  “It was nothing.” Said Felicity.

  “It’s just you seem to be acting really distant. I know you have a lot on your mind, but anyway, you know you can tell me anything.”

  “Of course.”

  Just then a group of three came over to join them.

  “Ah! Let me introduce you to my friend Tamara, and to Felicity, who is launching her magazine at the hotel tomorrow. Tamara, Felicity, this is Susan, Adam, and Geoffrey.”

  They exchanged greetings.

  “So, shall we have another drink at the bar or shall we sit at the table?” Paul questioned.

  “Oooh, I’m starving.” Said Susan. “Can we sit to eat?” The group nodded in agreement.

  Victorian art graced the walls of the large establishment. They were led to a big round table in the corner, flanked with a white tablecloth and laden with crystal glasses.

  Susan sat beside Felicity who had Tamara to the other side.

  “So, what magazine are you launching?” asked Susan. She was a pretty woman, in her early thirties, with a slim athletic build and short blonde hair.

  “Inspire.” Replied Felicity. “It is an off-shoot of the magazine I work for now, ‘Privilege’.”

  “Oh wow, so you are in the top game. Privilege must be world famous by now!”

  “Yes, it has been doing well.” Said Felicity.

  “Inspire’ will be a very different sort of magazine, much more creative, and dare I say it, holistically minded.”

  “Sounds amazing, I know mind body spirit can be frowned upon, but I have nothing against it.” Susan smiled.

  Felicity returned the smile.

  “What do you do?” she asked Susan.

  “I look after horses, and prepare them for races.”

  Susan replied. “I live in country in Kent, and I grew up with horses and have always loved them.”

  “Mmm, I love horses to, though I don’t ride as much as I like.”

  Adam and Geoffrey, who had been listening to the two women, joined in the conversation at this point. Adam told of a riding injury in he had in his teens which had stopped him riding, and Geoffrey admitted that he had never gotten over his fear of horses nor ever dared to ride one.

  Paul and Tamara were whispering quietly to each other.

  As the evening went on, and dinner came to an end, the group decided to go to the nightclub at the end of the road.

  “I had better head back to the hotel.” Said Felicity. “I have an early start in the morning.”

  They said their goodbyes.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” asked Tamara.

  “No, I will have an early night.” Felicity replied.

  That night as she tossed and turned thinking of her speech in the morning she fell into a deep slumber. The thoughts she had been fighting all day crept into her dreams. She dreamt of Mick and her, making love with the intense passion she had only ever known with him. They laughed and played, and then found themselves in thrusting and pounding each other with unquenchable sexual desire.

  “Mick, Mick.” Felicity murmured.

  “I will never leave you.” Mick whispered to her as he kissed and caressed her neck. The dream evolved into one of more lovemaking, this time soft and sensuous.

  Chapter 4

  The next morning Felicity awoke to the radio alarm playing ‘Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Bugles. She stretched across the bed, and leant over to turn the volume down. Memories of last night’s dream lingered in her mind.

  Suddenly she sat bolt upright in bed.

  He is in this hotel!

  My speech!

  The thought came in consecutively and she raced to the shower and let the warm water cascade over her.

  She had two hours before she had to be at the conference room to deliver the speech to the hundreds of industry professionals and magazine well-wishers.

>   She did feel excited, as well as butterflies in her tummy. She tried to place all thoughts of Mick out of her mind as she went over what she was to say. She had prepared well for months and today was finally feeling confident. She knew she could make a success of any magazine, and this was one that she really wanted to do.

  As she stood up on the stage looking over the audience, who seemed to appear up at her with unhidden admiration, she spoke of the values of living with health, and feeling inspired. She spoke of how words of inspiration stayed for years, and how they led to more inspiration and more creativity. She told of the first time she had had the vision for ‘Inspire’ magazine and how excited she was to now at last be able to share it with all it’s readers.

  At the end of the speech a huge rapture of applause broke out from the crowd, who stood and cheered.

  “So tonight we are looking forward to seeing all of you at the launch party, held in the private bar downstairs. Cocktails and Champagne are served from 8pm. Thank you, to ‘Inspire’.

  Felicity bowed and slowly made her way from the stage.

  Wow, it was finally over, the speech she had been working on for months! It had gone well and she was pleased.

  Heading up to her hotel room, she bumped into Paul in the hallway.

  “Hey, great speech, congratulations.” He said.

  “Oh thanks.”

  “Where is Tamara?” Felicity asked.

  “She was inside watching your speech. I guess she is still in there.” Said Paul.

  “Ok, well tell her I have gone to change.”

  “Sure thing.” He replied.

  As Felicity entered her hotel room she saw a huge bouquet of flowers waiting on the table. They were her favourites, orchids, roses and lilies. She opened the card inside the bouquet. A plain white card with only two words, “Love Mick.”

  Chapter 5

  The launch party was a success. Waiters served champagne in crystal glasses and Felicity had chosen her favourite rock band “Low Pressure.” Who were performing. Felicity had her auburn hair tied high above her head and wore a gold and black strapless dress, which showed her slender frame. A diamond necklace adorned her and earrings hung delicately from her ears.