Free Another Chance by Rebecca.L. Winstone

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.