Notice Me Read online

  Rebecca Turley

  Notice Me

  About the Author

  Rebecca Turley lives in the captivating town of Malvern in Worcestershire with her husband Jon and cat Millie. With a view of the Malvern Hills from her writing desk, all she needs for inspiration is to look out of her window.

  A hopeless romantic like most women, she enjoys becoming lost in a love story almost as much as writing one.

  ‘Notice Me’ is her debut novel.

  Dedication

  For my husband Jon and my parents. Without their love and encouragement this book would never have been written.

  I love you as one loves certain obscure things,

  secretly, between the shadow and the soul.

  By Pablo Neruda. Sonnet XVII

  Copyright © Rebecca Turley

  The right of Rebecca Turley to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

  Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

  www.austinmacauley.com

  First Published (2012)

  Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.

  25 Canada Square

  CanaryWharf

  London

  E14 5LB

  Chapter 1

  I sat in my seat fidgeting, this dress was ridiculous. The pale champagne colour I could just about bear against my dull skin, but the tight bodice was almost stopping me from breathing.

  How had I got myself into this nightmare, but worst of all how would I get out of this car in my four inch silver stilettos without falling flat on my face?

  “Oh, Shannon smile. You are going to love it.” Megan was beaming. Of course she was excited to be going to the new night club near Oxford Street, it was ‘her sort of thing’. I smiled back, but she could see straight through me. “Really Shannon I wouldn’t worry. No one will even notice you.”

  I just laughed to myself staring out of the window. It didn’t bother me that no one knew who I was. I liked it that way.

  Night was falling. I could see a pink haze spreading across the night sky. In the distance the sun began to set behind the tumbling clouds.

  The city was lively, street lights flashed by in seconds as we glided through London town in the black Mercedes. People hustled around the streets laughing and joking as the car slowed. I pressed my hand against the cold glass window wishing I could have been one of them, anyone rather than me tonight.

  “Shannon, are you really that scared?” Megan looked at me in disbelief, but what did she expect? I told her not to bring me.

  “I’m just not used to the red carpet treatment that’s all.” It was a true statement, although there was a lot more to it than that.

  “Oh, it’s hardly the red carpet. There will only be a few hundred people there, and I doubt the press will even show up.” Megan took her silver compact mirror and began to touch up her lipstick. Of course the press would be there, she was ‘Megan Field’. Megan knew it too.

  I watched her look at herself in the mirror. Megan was heart stoppingly beautiful. Her long light blonde hair fell down her shoulders in soft ringlets, her big blue eyes sparkled like rare diamonds, her faultless cheekbones complimented her small perfect nose, and her pink lips brightened her whole face with even the slightest smile.

  I could tell we were getting nearer as Megan began to clap with excitement. My stomach turned nervously.

  As we pulled up, flashing lights came from every direction. Megan squeezed my arm in encouragement as she stepped out of the car effortlessly.

  I was frozen to the seat. I knew I had to move, but I just couldn’t. Unexpectedly I felt Megan’s hand touch mine to help me out of the car.

  She was a truly wonderful friend. In moments like these I realised how lucky I was. Megan linked her arm in mine as she sashayed her way down the red carpet. She looked amazing in her baby pink wrap silk dress. It clung to her body in all the right places. I couldn’t even imagine what I must have looked like next to her.

  She stopped for photo opportunities and made small talk with the press. Everyone was in awe of her, including me.

  “You see Shannon, I told you it would be fine.” We had reached the end of the red carpet before I had even realised.

  “Is that it? Well I guess that was okay.” I breathed in relief.

  “We still have to go into the night club remember.” I nodded, thankful the worst was over.

  As we entered the night club it was incredible. The ceilings were covered in mirrors reflecting the lasers from the DJ box positioned high up in the air. You could almost mistake it for a UFO with all the multi-coloured lights streaming from it. Large purple streamers hung off the walls, the main bar was lit up like Las Vegas. Huge comfortable purple sofas and tall glass tables were scattered around the room. I noticed the squared black and white dance floor was packed with London’s finest. I felt so out of place.

  “Well my dear friend lets go and have some fun,” Megan whispered in my ear as she took my hand, dragging me to the dance floor. On the way she picked up some glasses of champagne. I had downed mine and grabbed another one before we even began making our way through the crowd. I was a light drinker, which was a good thing. I was already giggling when we reached the dance floor.

  “Shannon, slow down. I don’t want to leave early. You know Charlie will be here tonight.” Megan took the glass off me. I didn’t mind as I had almost finished it.

  Megan scanned the crowd as we danced. I had never seen her like this before. With her beauty Megan could have any man she wanted. I couldn’t understand why she was so anxious.

  “Seriously Megan, what is wrong with you? He is just a man.”

  Her eyes looked at me in shock. Had I said something wrong? I couldn’t see how, he was a man I knew that, but then she hadn’t shut up about him since last week. Thinking about it, this was the first time she had ever needed me on a red carpet night out.

  “Just a man Shannon, have you been listening? He is amazing. You wait until you see him.” Megan was shaking me now, almost frantic. She appeared to be going crazy, all I could do was laugh. “Oh, thanks for your support Shan. Glad to see I amuse you. Some help you are,” Megan rolled her eyes at me.

  “It’s not that Megan, it’s just have you seen yourself tonight? You look breathtakingly beautiful. I really don’t know why you are scared or needed me here for that matter.”

  Megan smiled and hugged me tight. Now I really couldn’t breathe as the bodice pulled against my ribs. “Thank you Shan. I would be lost without you sometimes.”

  She was scanning the crowd again, just as her hand caught my arm I saw him. I knew it had to be Charles Collins as Megan had described him in so much detail over the last week.

  Slowly he made his way through the crowds of people, his dark blue suit moulded around his perfect body, his deep brown hair was slightly long and uneven, but it suited his perfectly shaped face. I couldn’t tell the colour of his eyes because he was still too far away, but I could see the draw, he was the male version of Megan – utterly gorgeous.

  I took another glass of champagne. It was going to be a long night with these two and with me a gooseberry in the middle.

  “Oh my God, there he is. How do I look?” She really had lost it now, trying to fix her already perfect hair. I just looked at her. Ha
d she forgotten what I had just said to her? “Oh yeah, I look beautiful… Oh… I really can’t breathe. Help me… Shan.” Megan was a mess. I had never seen her like this before – ever. I took her hand to help calm her breathing, and it was a good thing the dance floor was so crowded or he would have reached us sooner.

  “Just breathe Megan, remember he is just a man, you are a woman.” Megan just looked at me and tilted her head in his direction as he made his way through the crowd “Ok, he is a very good looking man, but he is just a man not a God.”

  Megan began laughing, which was a good reaction when he finally reached us.

  “Did I miss the joke?” His voice was soft, and tingles went down my spine as his eyes caught mine, blue with a hint of green. I became instantly mesmerised. Then I snapped out of it before I started going into a panic like Megan.

  “Oh, it was just girlie stuff. You must be Charles?” I smiled at him, still trying to hold Megan up. I wasn’t even sure if she had snapped out of her attack yet.

  “Yes I am, but people call me Charlie, and you are?”

  I was shocked he was still talking to me, especially with Megan standing next to me, perhaps he was just as nervous as Megan. Most men were afraid of her beauty and wealth. I was the average girl next to the beauty queen, so it would be easier to start a conversation with me in order to gain the courage to talk to Megan.

  I couldn’t really understand how he could be so nervous either. To me Megan and Charlie appeared equals.

  “I’m Shannon, Megan’s ...”

  “My best friend.” Megan had obviously snapped out of it as I was almost pushed out of the way as she beamed her beautiful smile at him.

  “Oh, lovely to meet you Shannon.” He smiled a devilish grin towards me.

  The three of us made our way to a free sofa. I managed to grab another two glasses of champagne. I really was quite merry. Megan shot me a disappointed look, but I didn’t care, I needed something to help me through the night.

  We sat on the sofa, the two love birds and I, the gooseberry, perched on the end. I tried not to listen to their conversation. I could tell Megan had already got him in the palm of her hand. I had seen this so many times before.

  I found it hard not to stare at Charlie when I had no one to talk to. His face was so perfect, like the sort you only see in a magazine or on the television after all the air brushing.

  Maisy, Megan’s younger sister, bounced from the dance floor with her deep blue eyes full of excitement, grabbing me and demanding I dance. Luckily for her the champagne was working so I needed no persuasion to dance. I enjoyed it to be honest.

  Maisy was almost as beautiful as Megan, with her long golden hair, and thin agile body. The Field sisters were so confident, it was wonderful to watch them interact with people. I had learnt a lot in the few years I had known them.

  “Who is that dreamy man Megan is talking to?” Maisy shouted near the large speakers, she thought I hadn’t heard her so pulled me closer towards her to ask again. “Who is he? The gorgeous man Megan is with.”

  “Oh that’s Charlie. She met him last week. I think she really likes him.” I smiled at Maisy who was watching them.

  “I can see why she really likes him,” Maisy bit her lip looking him up and down, “he is hot.”

  “Maisy, Megan saw him first, play fair.” I knew how Maisy and Megan could be. There weren’t many years between them and it was always a competition to Maisy, but I knew there was something different about Charlie that Megan was drawn to, apart from the obvious good looks.

  “Oh relax, but I can see why she tried to keep me away from this party. I’m seeing a drummer anyway. I was only looking. That’s allowed isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, of course.” I couldn’t help but find myself looking too. “He is perfect.” Maisy started laughing at me.

  “You know what I mean.” I was embarrassed. “Do your parents know you are dating a drummer?” Maisy could tell I was trying to change the conversation.

  “Shannon, it’s okay, you are only looking.” Maisy winked at me as we both laughed.

  The night, I had to admit, was not the nightmare I had first thought. Maisy danced with me most of the night and laughed when I spilt champagne down my dress. I didn’t see the funny side. Megan would kill me as the dress was hers, but Maisy reminded me at least it was the same colour.

  “Oh my God, look Shan, he is kissing her.” Maisy spun me around. I didn’t really want to look, but I was in that direction now thanks to Maisy.

  It was like watching a romantic movie. Charlie had his hand on the side of her cheek gently stroking her face as he kissed her slowly, then more passionately as he pulled her closer to him. Megan looked like she had passed out in his arms, but then I noticed she was kissing him back, running her hands up his back.

  “She is so lucky. God he is so…” Maisy sighed.

  “Remember you have your drummer,” I reminded her and she just smiled back at me.

  “I know but damn. Just look at him.”

  I glanced back at Megan who happened to be looking and she waved over at me all animated. I waved back towards her and as my eyes caught Charlie’s he smiled back at me. I felt my stomach tingle again. This was absurd, he was gorgeous, but I would have to get used to that if he was going to date my best friend.

  By the end of the night it was safe to say that I was drunk. I had lost count of what I had been drinking or how many.

  Maisy was trying her best to keep me upright as we waited for the car to pick us up at the back entrance of the nightclub. Charlie didn’t want his picture all over the papers with Megan, which surprised me. It was usually one of the reasons men tried to date her.

  “Seriously Shannon, if you lean into me any more I am going to fall over.” Maisy was only a small thing, just like Megan. I felt bad putting all my weight on her like that so I tried to stand on my own two feet. It was a bad idea. I could feel myself beginning to fall when a pair of hands were on my waist holding me up. Charlie was looking down at me smiling as I gazed at him.

  “Easy there, had a bit too much have we?” I couldn’t answer him so I just giggled, he really did have the most amazing coloured eyes. The kind you could get lost in.

  Suddenly I felt a bubbling sensation coming up my throat. I had to tell him to move otherwise Megan would never forgive me.

  “I’m going to be sick, move quick!” I managed to shout out before I pushed him out of the way and was sick behind the large grey bins in the alley.

  “Lovely friends you have Megan.” I could tell by the tone of Charlie’s voice that he thought it was funny. I, on the other hand, was ashamed. I hated being sick, let alone in front of a stranger.

  “Shannon, seriously. I can’t take you anywhere!” Megan was angry with me. I held my arms up in the air a little unsteadily and shrugged apologetically.

  “Don’t be harsh on her, she is allowed to have a good time you know. You would be that drunk if you hadn’t spent all night with lover man.” Maisy pointed in Charlie’s direction. He just smiled, leaning against the wall. It looked as if he was enjoying the discussion.

  “Oh Maisy shut up, you shouldn’t even be at this party.”

  “I am eighteen now Megan, you can’t make mother and father keep me at home any more.”

  “I never did…” Megan began screeching.

  “You are such a liar!” Maisy shouted back.

  Even though I felt I may be sick again I knew the Field sisters, if I didn’t break up the fight they would start pulling each other’s hair out. I braced myself, feeling hands on my waist helping me gain balance. Charlie was watching me again with a smirk on his face.

  “Good luck,” he smiled, letting go of my waist once he could see I could stand almost straight.

  “They do this all the time. I’m usually the referee,” I smiled back at him. He was so easy to talk to, which seemed strange considering all I could think was, ‘Oh my god you are so gorgeous!’ Charlie just smiled. I could feel his eyes on me a
s I walked in between Megan and Maisy. Even though I was drunk it was a little intimidating as the girls began pushing each other.

  “Guys come on, the car is here now, I feel sick, I am sorry I drank too much, but…” I was trying to think of the right words but I must have sounded really drunk because Megan and Maisy both burst into laughter putting their arms around me.

  “You poor drunk little thing, we Field sisters really are a bad influence on you Shannon,” Megan laughed.

  “Come on Shan, let’s get you home to bed.” Maisy put her arm around my waist and the sisters helped me into the car.

  I felt even worse in the car. I kept swallowing my saliva trying to stop myself being sick again. I put my head in between my knees and waited until the car finally stopped.