Notice Me (4 page)

“He may have dumped me by then,” Megan smiled, aware that no one would ever dump her. She had it all. “And anyway even if he has asked me to marry him by then I would
never
be too busy to not miss you Shan.”

I smiled. “You are thinking marriage already? Megan you have only been dating him for six months. You don’t think it’s a little early?”

“I was only meaning hypothetically. Of course I’m not, silly.” Megan slapped me gently on the arm. I could see in her eyes that she really liked the idea of marriage with Charlie, but I wouldn’t push it.

I had finally got over my little infatuation with him. It helped that he was unbelievably gorgeous because I knew he was totally out of my league. Once I realised this it was easy to be his friend. He was down to earth like me, which surprised me. Charlie wasn’t all about money and success. His mother, Rachel, worked as a senior PA at Downing International. It was the dream job I would give anything for. I was just glad I was going to New York to work for one of the smaller companies they owned. How I got the placement I will never know, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste it.

Charlie was already friends with Megan’s older brother William, who Megan adored partly because he had introduced Charlie to her. The four of us spent a lot of time together. Megan had spent the last two years attempting to set me up with her older brother. She loved the idea of us being actual sisters. I often teased her about how she would cope sharing me with him if we ever did get together.

“Are you sure you are not coming tonight?” asked Megan as she came out to show me the black dress.

“That looks beautiful Megan, the shoes go really well.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“No, not tonight, I have three papers to finish and my washing to do.” I had done all my papers really, but I just wanted a night to myself.

“It’s only because Will might be there.”

“You invited him didn’t you?” I asked, raising one of my eyebrows.

“Yes but…”

“Megan you must know by now it will never happen,” I interrupted, a little cross.

“I know, it’s just it would be so wonderful. He has had such bad luck with women. You and him it would be perfect.”

“If he were even remotely attracted to me then maybe it would work, but he isn’t,” I smiled back. Someone like William Field wouldn’t be interested in a plain woman like me.

“He does like you, he is just shy.”

“Megan, how many times? I know what I want. When it happens I will know. I am only twenty years old. Just because I haven’t had a long term relationship yet it doesn’t mean I am going to be left on the shelf,” I snapped.

“Holy crap Shan, where did that come from? I’m impressed,” Megan laughed. “I know what you mean though, I just wish you could be as happy as me. When you find it Shan, it’s like flying and you keep getting higher and higher, but then you become scared because you realise how much it will hurt if you fall down, but just so happy that you are up there.”

“That was pretty impressive too Megan.” I had to admit I was a little jealous. I liked the idea of flying that way. “What time is he picking you up again?”

“In about thirty minutes. It gives me a chance to do my hair.” Megan rushed back into her bedroom. “Shan can you help me?” I rolled my eyes as I got up to help curl her hair.

Charlie was early, but luckily for Megan I had finished her hair. She looked stunning. As Charlie caught Megan she took his breath away.

“Megan you look beautiful,” he whispered, kissing her softly on the lips with a sigh.

“You look pretty gorgeous yourself,” she replied, breathless, running her hand down his perfect chest. She was right, only he could look perfect in a white shirt, designer black trousers and a black fitted coat.

“Oh, bookworm. This was in your mailbox for you.” Charlie had given me that nickname because I always had my head in a book,
apparently
. I looked at the handwritten envelope. I didn’t recognise the writing.

“Thanks Mr Model. Is this the new job you were talking about – delivering the post?” I snickered. His nickname was obvious, but Will was the one who thought of it first. I just caught onto it because I thought it was funny.

“Oh, who wouldn’t love a male model delivering their post?” he smiled back.

“I sure wouldn’t mind,” replied Megan sliding her arms tight around his waist and kissing him on the neck, slowly moving up to his lips. He wrapped his arms tightly round her and lifted her up as he carried her into the bedroom.

I decided to go back outside, taking my envelope with me. On the way I picked up my IPod from the kitchen work top to help drown out the sound of the love birds. It was my usual response.

I opened the letter and my mouth dropped open as soon as I read the first line. Was this a joke?

Shannon,

I have tried to get you out of my head, but you are in every thought I have. I can no longer deny my feelings for you. I have to tell you how deeply and passionately in love I am with you.

I cannot tell you to your face, it is too hard for me. You have no idea what you have done to me. I am bewitched body, mind and soul.

How I wish I could look into your beautiful, big green eyes and tell you, I want you. I love you.

Notice me.

XXXXXXX

I sat outside, the cool night breeze drifting around my head as I stared at the note. I laughed to myself, this had to be a joke. Megan must have put someone up to this. Then my heart started to flutter like a humming bird out on its first flight. What if this was the romantic Cinderella story I had always wanted?

Some sense was knocked into me in that second, of course this was a joke. I laughed out loud in disbelief and placed the letter in the bin. Did Megan really think I was that gullible?

The love birds were finally out of Megan’s bedroom. Her hair was a mess, why had I bothered?

“Shan, can you sort my hair out please?” Megan giggled. Charlie put his arm around her waist, and kissed her on the neck.

“Charlie, seriously we will be late.” It didn’t sound like she minded.

“Oh I think your hair looks gorgeous. You always look gorgeous,” he whispered in between kissing her. “And who cares if we are late. The table will wait.”

“I have just spent three hours getting ready Charlie, you are taking me out,” she teased.

“Only three hours, that’s very good for you.” He squeezed her gently and smirked.

“Hey, go and pour Shan and me a glass of wine while she does my hair again.” Megan pushed him softly towards the kitchen. “So Shan, what was the letter?” I wasn’t going to fall for her trick even if she was a really good actress.

“Oh, nothing really just a letter from an old friend,” I lied, wondering if she could tell.

“Shan, you don’t have any old friends,” Megan laughed. Her face was sincere, her acting classes must be finally working, unless she really knew nothing about the letter.

“It was just a reminder about some study notes that’s all,” I replied, getting up to fetch her hair curlers. I tried not to notice the mess in her room as I searched for the curlers. They were still perched on her large dressing table. I tripped over the silver bed spread flung across the floor, not really wanting to think about why it was there in the first place.

Megan was sitting at the table smiling at Charlie lovingly and sipping her glass of red wine.

“Cheers Charlie.” He handed me a glass of red wine and smiled at me as I entered the lounge again with the pink curlers.

“You not coming tonight Shan?” he asked, watching me closely as I re-curled Megan’s hair.

“No, I have papers due in the morning.” Charlie just nodded and sipped his wine.

Megan’s hair didn’t take that long, it was only the back really that needed to be re-done.

“There you go, beautiful,” I said re-adjusting the last curl into place.

“You are a diamond Shan, I owe you,” Megan beamed.

“Don’t be silly. I would say in the grand scale of things I still owe you.”

“Now who is being silly?”

“Just go and have a nice night,” I laughed.

I could barely make them out from the balcony as they reached the ground level. I only knew it was them because of the camera flashes. Charlie would love that. He still hated having his picture in the papers. Charlie preferred to be behind the camera.

Charlie worked as an assistant to the great photographer Sir Michael Straton and had an amazing eye for detail. Pieces of his work that I had seen were amazing. Megan had become his new subject. Charlie transformed her into a goddess through his lens with every perfect angle memorised in his head. It was no surprise that Megan decided to try her hand at modelling and was succeeding with Charlie’s help. He was perhaps a little more over- protective than he needed to be, but every photographer wanted her as their muse.

He doted on her every move and it was amazingly satisfying knowing Megan was loved the way she should be.

When Megan Field and I became close friends I believed I was more lost than her, a trapped soul, unloved, forced to walk the world alone. I never really thought anything was missing in my life because I was used to being alone. When you have no family and spend all your life being passed from one foster family to the next you have to rely on yourself alone. If I did become particularly close to one family it was too painful when I would eventually have to leave, so I never got attached to anyone again until Megan.

I never dreamed Megan’s situation could be worse than my own. After all she had everything. It only took me a few days of our friendship to realise I was wrong. Having money and a family came with its own problems.

Megan was the middle child of Philip and Veronica Field. From the outside they seemed the perfect family, inside however it was completely different.

Megan spent most of her time fighting for her parents’ affection, whether she was competing with her sister or her parents’ latest obsession. Megan usually came last with her family.

All she wanted was someone to care just about her, to have something of her own. Maybe she saw that in me? I was so in awe of her from the first time I met her, perhaps she realised with me she had a friendship that was all hers, not shared with any of her family.

William was the oldest of the Field children. He was only three years older than Megan. A lot like his father, tall, light brown hair, very business minded. By the time he was fourteen Will was working weekends with his father as he was so keen to learn family business.

Will’s role now was to conduct all the overseas mergers within Field Organisation. His father was so proud of him, which grated on Megan. She could never gain that admiration from her father, she was only female after all.

Maisy was the baby of the family and totally spoiled by Veronica because Maisy reminded her so much of herself. I honestly thought Megan was more like her mother, they both had that breathtaking beauty. A total flawlessness whichever angle you viewed them from. I never understood how Megan’s mother couldn’t see it. I suspected Veronica actually could see it, which flared the jealousy. Megan was young and had her whole life ahead of her. Veronica was now just the wife of Sir Philip Field, no one noticed her as an individual anymore.

I felt for Megan while I was on work experience at the Field Organisation. I saw her struggle with my own eyes, fighting for acceptance from her parents. The only bond she appeared to have was with her brother. She didn’t have to compete with Will. Unfortunately he was away on some business trip whenever Megan really needed him. Will never saw how lost she was until I came along.