PART ONE OF THE DELETED SCENES FROM BOOK ONE, Innocence Lost.
“Listen honey, you’re getting cold feet now
because it really is happening, everyone around you knows it’s the best thing
for you to do.” Imogen was talking to one of her oldest and best friend,
Siobhan, from her apartment in Las Vegas
As she walked around the penthouse, no less,
she looked out of the wall of windows, fifty stories up in the air. It was a truly
breath taking view. She could look down to the strip at night, at all the
bright lights of the hotels lighting up the side walk, which were thronged with
tourist’s and gamblers. By day she enjoyed sitting in her spa pool on the
outside decked terrace, looking out into the distance to the rolling hills of
the Mojave Dessert. From her vantage point she could watch the traffic drive
slowly up the strip, out into the dessert and up into the hills. Imogen loved
it here, she felt at peace here.
“You’ve worked to bloody
hard not to go now! So get your ass moving and call a cab and get going!” She
bullied her friend from miles away. “Remember to call me when you get there,
otherwise you know I’ll worry about you.” “Ok, ok, thanks for listening to me
go on, you know I'm just going over what’s happened to me the last couple of
years, what with the wedding that didn’t happen and you practically living in
the states! It hasn’t been an easy time for any of us really has it?” Siobhan
asked her
“No__ it hasn’t” there was
the briefest of pauses, were each girl was lost in their own private thoughts.
“But, things have started to look up for each of us! You’re off to a new town,
new job, new start; Seraphina’s swimming academy is doing wonderfully, and just
look at Charlotte’s success. Who would have thought that Charlotte would be
giving inspirational talks and workshops to troubled teenagers? She’s really
amazing to overcome what she did” Imogen stated.
“I know, but I keep
thinking about what if…?” Siobhan faltered not wanting to finish of the
sentence. “You can’t go through life thinking about “what if”, and what “what
if” are we talking about here? Blake or Harry? Because you must know Blake was
just for that one summer…” “He wasn’t just for the summer!” Siobhan softly
interrupted her friend. But Imogen ignored her and carried on, “and Harry ran
out on you the day before your wedding the little shit!” Imogen sounded angry
now.
“ I'm sure they both loved
you, in their own special way. But, they both left you. I don’t mean to sound
harsh honey, but you've been given a new chance to start again, to a new life,
so grab it! The next time I'm over I’ll come to your new house for an old fashion
piss up, with the girls, OK I take it where your moving to there will be shops
that sell alcohol? She laughed as she asked Siobhan. “I know I'm moving to the
country side, but not that far from civilization! Anyway, the what if is Blake”
Siobhan whispered to her friend. “Its always Blake, I always think about him,
it was nearly ten years ago, why can’t I move on and find a man that ticks all
the right boxes like he did.” She asked woefully. “I don’t know sweetie, we
could both do with meeting someone great our own Mr Right, it’ll be our time soon
you’ll see, now get moving and call me soon, big hug! Bye darling.” “Big hugs,
bye, see you soon, take care of yourself!” Siobhan instructed her friend, as
they both severed the line.
Siobhan knew what Imogen
had said made sense, but it didn't make her heart feel any lighter at the
decision to move to a completely new town.
Siobhan took a final look
around her tiny flat, everything had already been put into a lorry by a
delightful father and son who owned the removal firm Siobhan had hired to take
the contents of her flat to her new house. She had actually put a deposit on a
house. That in itself was keeping her awake at night. Her first house! Luckily
for her, as a “get that little shit out of your life” present, her very wealthy
father had bought her the said “tiny flat” and told her that when the time came
she would be able to sell it. It would help her when she wanted to buy her
first house. She had had some fun times here, especially when her friends would
come up. They would go out have a laugh, get drunk. They had got to know all
the local pubs, cafes and restaurants. Most now, knew the group of girls, and
greeted them by name. Sometimes they would meet up with some men. Of course
sooner or later they would always end up talking about that fateful holiday
they all took together after they had finished school.
No I’m not going to think
about that holiday again, I’ll think about it again later. Siobhan thought to
herself as she grabbed her handbag and walked out of what had been her home for
the last few years. It had served its purpose, it had mended her battered heart
after being unceremoniously jilted at the alter, by her then fiancé Harry. What
a prat, and that’s being polite, she thought to herself. She lifted her chin in
defiance. She was, at last at piece with herself over that whole diabolical
episode of her life. After she had locked the door and patted it and smiled at
herself, she took a steadying deep breath, mentally counted to ten, turned
around and walked to the taxi which was waiting to whisk her away to the train
station for the start of her new life to begin.
Once the taxi was driving
along, Siobhan went through the lists of what she had yet to do, she had
written everything down. A firm believer of writing lists, so much so, that her
friends all apart from Charlotte thought it was very funny to laugh at her list
writing. All too soon the taxi had sped its way through the city and had
arrived at her destination, the train station.
Now, Siobhan wasn't a train
lover, even though she always travelled first class everywhere. It always felt
rushed, and she had always thought this is how farm animals must feel like
packed into the lorries on their way to market, dreadful. Hence why she very
rarely travelled by train, if she could help it.
She rang her mother once she
had settled herself in her comfy leather seat, just for a quick chat to invite
her parents down for a meal when she had settled in, she would order in as she wasn't much of a cook, and as of so far, she hadn’t had much time. But she
vowed to herself she would make time to cook, and proper food at that, once she
was all settled in. When she had bid her mother goodbye, she put her head back
and wondered weather for the hundredth time if she was doing the right thing.
But as Imogen had reminded her, she had worked damn hard to get this position
in a brand new veterinary practice.
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