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Chapter 2

"Email...which one? Oh yeah here it is. I found it Liz...just give me a minute" I say to Elizabeth as I finally open the email in question.

"You are invited to ...." I skim through the text " anti-bullying campaign...convention" I scan it with my eyes until I reach the required details "...taking place in L.A USA on the 20th of June 2015 ...please reply asap"

"OK Liz pack your bags... looks like we are going to L.A this time girl...yeah we need to get together this week and discuss the details...we still have time...it's a month away sugar...hey don't get so excited...Yeah I know it's the bloody Four Seasons...stop screaming in my ear...Bye Liz" I hang up unable to erase the smile from my face at her excitement. Elizabeth is a member of the group financed by the government on the anti-bullying project. I met her three years ago and we just clicked. We are very different but that is what you can say makes us complete. She is very expressive, gesticulative, loud sometimes and says exactly what she thinks, no filter in that one sometimes getting us in trouble when in the middle of a speech in front of the European Council let's say. I find her refreshing and Anzette simply calls her fun.

After Jason passed away Liz has been a breath of fresh air in our house, she has made me see life from a different angle. She is more of a Carpe Diem, sort of person...we only live once kind of thing. Her witty comments always make my day and although she usually loves to read and write she relishes doing anything extreme or exciting. Whenever we travel to hot places she enjoys doing water sports, bungee jumping and to be honest she has converted me too. There is not a dull moment with her.

This trip will certainly be important for us as we are expanding the project from the European Union to the States but it is also an opportunity for me and Liz to enjoy the perks of vacationing for free in the hot and beautiful L.A. Anzee will be staying with my mother of course and I will fly her over if we need to stay longer. I guess you could say I am excited about this too, we will have fun that is for sure.

******

"Hey Monet...are you OK darling?" I say as I enter the office holding two cappuccinos handing one to her before I switch on the computer.

"Yes...Same old same old" she answers dryly and I am instantly worried.

"Meaning?" I turn to her giving her my full attention.

"Dan and I had a fight..." she whispers.

"Again?" I sigh and her eyes fall. I hate making her feel bad but I know that her relationship with him is toxic to say the least.

"Please don't start all that psychological mumbo jumbo stuff on me Ash.." she wines and I stop.

"I know that what you and Jason had was wonderful but not everybody is that lucky" she continues and I find myself smiling at the thought of Jason. Instinctively I look at the right of my desk at a photo of the three of us camping in a forest in Greece and I feel the pain again. It is not the same but it is there.

"I'm sorry..."I mumble and drop it.

"Me too" she replies and we move to other topics.

"So you are leaving tomorrow afternoon at 17:15, someone will collect you both at the airport once you arrive, he will be holding a sign as usual blah blah blah" she waves her hand "...let me see oh yeah and you will be meeting Mr.Davy head of the project in California who will introduce you to the celebrities involved with this" she explains.

"Who is it this time?" I exhale as my experience with eccentric celebrities have not always been the pleasant ones.

"Who do you want it to be?" she winks at me.