by Anita Notaro
‘And what about you, are you content?’
‘Oh yes,’ I told him.
‘And you’re OK with everything you found out?’
‘I’m fine. It’s taken me a while, but yes I am.’
‘She was a good person,’ he said. ‘I knew it the minute I laid eyes on her.’
‘She was,’ I agreed. ‘And I loved her so much. Still do, no matter what.’
‘That’s the way it should be. And are you happy with me?’ he asked softly.
‘I can’t imagine not being happy with you.’ It seemed easy to say it now, but in a way that was how it had been with him, right from the start.
‘So you’ve decided you trust me then?’ He grinned.
‘I trust you completely.’
‘Good.’
‘And how about you? Are you OK with everything?’ I asked him, still feeling just a teeny bit anxious. ‘We’re not exactly the Waltons, that’s for sure.’
‘How d’ya mean?’
‘You know, all the things about . . . me and Alison . . . and Charlie. Hardly your average family, eh?’ I grinned. ‘And for all that Alison told you about her life, you didn’t really know me at all, did you? And when we met, I wasn’t what you thought I’d be, was I?’
‘Oh, I think I knew you long before I ever met you,’ he said simply. ‘And no, you’re not what I imagined, you’re even better.’ He put his arm around me. ‘You have all the lovely bits of Alison and much more besides. And you’re a great mother. I adore watching you with Charlie when you think I’m not looking.’
‘Thank you.’
He took a sip of his wine. ‘I didn’t sleep with her,’ he said quietly. ‘Just in case it still matters.’
‘It doesn’t. I thought it might, but not any more.’ I kissed him and it felt like the first time and I knew I’d never get enough of this man, no matter how long he stayed.
‘Mammy,’ Charlie called.
‘Over here, love,’ I shouted and he toddled over, fire engine in tow. I lifted him up on my lap and within minutes he was asleep.
‘He needs me so much.’ I pushed back his hair and Daniel went and fetched a rug and put it over him. ‘And I’m glad he has a father too, just in case . . .’ It was my one worry.
‘And who knows, some day soon he might even have a stepfather,’ Daniel whispered, and that was when I knew I was happy, really happy, for the first time in my life.
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It was the dedication in my last book – The WWW Club – that jinxed me, I’m convinced of it. Something about a new husband and a long and healthy life. We were both crocks within months. But at least his stint in surgery was planned, whereas I – having never been in hospital a day in my life – ended up in St Vincent’s twice while writing this book! Both stays were unexpected, and the first was made a lot easier because of the kindness and support of Enda McDermott, Ann O’Doherty and Claire Glennane.
Not long after I’d finally escaped their clutches, I went walking in Wicklow (to celebrate!) and met Ian and Sean. Nothing wrong with that, they were lovely. I just wasn’t very fond of their brand new ambulance. They were paramedics, you see, and together with several hunky firemen they had the unenviable job of stretchering all seventy-something kilos of me – including my broken leg – off the edge of the cliffs. Major thanks due there.
Needless to say my amazing family rallied round and kept me going, as usual. And my friends Dearbhla (best mate and general dogsbody), Caroline (organic veggie and Indian food provider), Ursula and Dee have stuck with me through thick and thin – and plaster. So too have Dave Fanning and Frank Hession, although the jury’s still out on Diarmuid Gavin, because he went off on a TV job around the world without me when I broke my leg. The texts from Tahiti did nothing to improve my mood.
Patricia Scanlan kept me positive and reminded me that these things happen for a reason – not what I wanted to hear. Claudia Carroll brought me to the hairdressers anytime I threatened to become violent, and Mary Canning never once avoided my calls when I begged her to bring me for coffee so that I could moan for Ireland. Oh, and Anna Nolan called round with pink champagne (to match the Barbie pink cast on my leg) and then I really couldn’t walk – even with crutches.
My editor, Francesca Liversidge, would have been forgiven for drinking a lot herself as she waited for me to finally deliver this book! You were brilliantly supportive as always. Thanks to everyone in Transworld – from Larry Finlay down, you’ve been terrific. As have Gil and Simon Hess as well as Declan Heeney and Helen Gleed O’Connor, who gave me buckets of TLC when I needed it.
Marianne Gunn O’Connor was a friend as well as an agent, despite losing her lovely mum, Mary, during all this. And Pat Lynch is still the best listener I know. Thanks also to Vicki Satlow who does tremendous work for me in Europe.
I first got the idea for this book when I was involved in a report on prostitution for Prime Time on RTE Television and I’m grateful to the women who spoke to me then and shared their varied and complex stories. Thanks also to Kieran Henry, who told me all he knew about air-sea rescue.
And Gerry McGuinness, your love makes me very happy – most of the time. I’m still not sure about the day you reminded me that my career as a writer didn’t depend on having the use of both legs – and suggested I ditch the chocolate and start keeping my fingers in shape by using the keyboard on the computer! Ouch!
Finally, to everyone who reads my books, a million thanks for your support and feedback, especially Anna and Marie Hughes, who always send me such lovely messages.
About the Author
Anita Notaro is a TV producer, journalist and director and worked for RTE, Ireland’s national broadcasting organization, for eighteen years. She has directed the Eurovision Song Contest and the Irish General Election, as well as programmes for the BBC and Channel 4.
Her book TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW was declared the winner of the Galaxy Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year in 2008.
Also by Anita Notaro
Back after the Break
Behind the Scenes
The WWW Club
and published by Bantam Books
TRANSWORLD IRELAND
An imprint of The Random House Group Limited
20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA
www.transworldbooks.co.uk
TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW
A TRANSWORLD IRELAND BOOK: 9781848270114
Version 1.0 Epub ISBN: 9781448126507
First publication in Great Britain and Ireland
Bantam edition published 2007
Copyright © Anita Notaro 2007
Anita Notaro has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
A CIP catalogue record for this book
is available from the British Library.
Addresses for Random House Group Ltd companies outside the UK can be found at:
www.randomhouse.co.uk
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