All the chapters of Mr CEO are being removed and will be replaced by the re-written version. You have until Monday 3rd August.
Chapter 1 - London, Here I Come.
I sat alone and depressed on a spare seat on one of the airport benches while waiting for my flight to board, which by looking at my watch was at least another forty minutes. I picked up a magazine I had bought earlier at one of the airport stores and started to flick through it, looking at some of the recent celebrity gossip.
"Is this seat taken?" I looked up from the magazine and saw a young, red-headed girl, whose skin was really pale and by the bags underneath her eyes, she was tired as well. I smiled at her sincerely and moved my hand bag off the chair and placed it carefully on the floor right next to my foot where I knew it was safe.
"Of course not."
The girl did the same; placing her handbag down on the floor next to her foot, but not before pulling out a small bar of chocolate, quickly unwrapping it and shoving it into her mouth like no tomorrow.
Guess someone has a big appetite.
I continued to stare at her and I guess she noticed because she glanced at me and quickly swallowed.
"Sorry about that. I haven't eaten anything since this morning and you know what it's like having to quickly change your plans because of work? Always having dead set plans and then having your boss tell you, you have to go to London to speak with one of the major contracts. It's full time, but I enjoy it." I smiled at her and then went back to flicking through my magazine. After I had finished reading all the gossip stories in there I closed it and looked at my watch; again.
"So, where are you off to?"
I didn't know if I should answer, but deciding that I didn't want to come across as rude I answered her, "London. I have a friend who lives there and I haven't seen her in a few years so I've decided to visit her. And it's her birthday coming up so it gives me an even bigger reason to go and visit."
"Lovely. I couldn't imagine never seeing my girlfriends; they're the ones who save me when I'm stressed out from work. You must find it hard?"
This woman had no idea how much I missed Casey. Having no real friends it was always hard to talk to them about everything I was going to. Normally I would just text Casey and she would come over to my apartment with a bottle of wine and pizza in hand. Then we'd watch some lame chick flick and laugh about how bad the acting was. Before she'd leave we'd make plans to go out for lunch the next day or day after that and then she'd text me when she got home. And since she left I couldn't do that. We Skyped, but it was never the same!
"Definitely. I never thought it'd be as hard as it is, but I managed to get through it and every time we meet up its special because we no longer take each other for granted."
There was an awkward pause between us before she spoke again, "I'd never manage it and I'm glad I never have to. My friends all work in the same business as me, so we're always going to lunch and things like that."
I nodded in response.
We were once again, silent and before long the words I've been dying to hear came through the speakers. "All passengers to gate 2A for flight 613 to London we will be boarding shortly."
I grabbed my hand bag and got out my passport and then moved the bag onto my shoulder. Moving rather quickly so I could be sat down straight away and fastened my walk and went to the gate, showing them my passport, which they let me straight through. I walked down the corridor and then got outside to board the plane.
Wow.
I never thought a plane could be so big. I knew they were big, but I expected them to be a lot smaller than what the plane was in front of my eyes. It was huge and all white with the company logo on the side. I climbed the stairs and showed the assistant my boarding ticket. She showed me to my seat and I walked over to it, sitting down and making myself comfortable.
After everyone had boarded, the assistant stood in centre front of the plane and spoke about the exits and how long we would be on board for and if we needed anything just to raise our hands. Once she had gone back to doing her job I pressed the little TV screen on and searched what movies or TV series they had available. Once I had, had a quick browse I decided I would watch The American Horror Story: Asylum, which was the series I hadn't watched because I had the channels cancelled because I hadn't paid the bill on time. And by the time I had gotten it back on the series was ending.
As soon as the opening theme had come on I wished I hadn't played it because I was beginning to get scared. The scenes were getting creepy with shots of blood and people going crazy and the music only made it even worse. It sounded like someone being sliced to death with a saw. Blood spitting everywhere and the victims screaming, but once it was over I felt like I could relax again.
"Would you like any food off the trolley?"
"I'll have a small bowl of fruit please." I smiled at the woman and collected the bowl from her.
She walked off, but before she did she said, "Enjoy."
I had finished the bowl of fruit in no time and I went back to watching the show. With one episode over I started the second episode and continued to keep my eyes glued to the screen until I slowly fell asleep.
I woke up three hours later and there was only another few hours until I would land in London. The place of the queen, tea and scones and them awfully posh accents, which I was told they don't actually have, which was disappointing because they sounded hilarious on films.
Two hours later and we had landed in London. Well, Heathrow Airport. After I had checked out I phoned for a taxi and sat down waiting for it to pull up and come out with a placard with my name on it. However, that had not happened. A taxi pulled up and a fat, bald man rolled down the windows and shouted my name.
"Miss Mavers."
I waved my hand towards him and got up. The man had come out of the taxi and opened the back side doors and went back into the vehicle. I entered carefully and closed the door slowly behind me.
"You'll have to slam the door, love." He said in his somewhat unusual accent.
I opened the door, again and slammed it shut.
"That's the way. Our doors are heavy so you have to slam them shut."
Still trying to decide where he was from, I swallowed my pride and asked him where he was from. "So, where are you from? You don't sound like you're from London."
"Everyone catches on. I'm from Cardiff, South Wales. So I have a Welsh accent. Anyway, love, where are you going too?"
"Wait there, I'll tell you now," I opened my bag and pulled out my mobile to open the recent text Casey had sent me.
"I need to go to Liverpool Street Station. That's where my friend is meeting me." I replied.
"Okay."
The man drove off and while we were passing specific buildings or monuments he would tell me what they were and how long they've been there. He was basically my personal chauffer.
Time had gone quickly and before we knew it I was looking straight ahead to a station that was packed full of people. They were either ignoring each other or they'd be bumping into each other because it was so crowded. Luckily for me I spotted Casey straight away and she started to wave her hands frantically in the air.
"Ava, you sexy girl. Get your ass over here!" I paid the man and got out running over to her. Casey grabbed me into a big, old man hug and wouldn't let go.
"Case, you're hurting me." I managed to breathe out before she killed me.
Casey unwrapped her arms from around my waist and took a step back to look at me. "You my friend are looking terrible. Your hair is looking dry, your face looks tired and you've lost about two stone since I last saw you three months ago."
"Please don't start. I'll try and make myself look better."
"So, how have you really been?" She asked empathising the 'really'.
"Okay, I guess. I'm trying not to think about it all to be honest. I want to start fresh and this is the place I need to do it. So where do you live?"
Instead of answering my question, she grabbed my hand and dragged me along to a car park. I spotted her car and we both walked along, side by side until we reached it. I opened the passenger side and jumped right in and waited for Casey to belt up and drive off.
Once we did I kind of regretted letting her drive. She may be a police officer, but she liked to go fast if she could. And with her being a police officer all she had to do was put the light on top of the roof and that was it. People would think it was an emergency and so no one could really do anything about it!
"I've set up the spare bedroom for you. New bedding and I even bought some clothes for you," I looked at her with an annoyed expression on my face.
"What? I guessed that you'd need some, so I bought you a few dresses, some jeans, t-shirts, and some nightwear."
I pulled my purse out of my bag again and looked at her, "How much did it come up to?"
"I'm not going to let you pay me back. I haven't seen you in a while, so consider it as a welcome back gift." She wickedly smiled at me, knowing that this was her plan.
I huffed and put my money back into my purse.
Ten minutes later we were parked outside Casey's apartment building. It was tall and nice for an apartment building. In Michigan, apartments were small and covered in graffiti, but here they just seemed decent.
We both walked in and headed straight for her apartment which was on the third floor. Once we entered the elevator I pressed the button and waited for the doors to close. Once they did the music played, but luckily for us both it ended as soon as it started because we stopped on the floor we had to get off and the doors opened.
"Let's get you into my apartment. Or should I say our apartment." She took my hand bag off me and ran off to her door. I chased after her and grabbed it off her as she inserted the key into the lock.
"Welcome to London."