Promise Me: Some friendships are made to be broken (Beggar's Choice #1)

by Lily Morton

  “Babe, it’s not the Oscars. It’s a music do so there’ll likely be vomit and swearing. Anyway, this is why we’re going shopping. You’re going to look the business tonight baby and I don’t want to hear any arguments.”

  I look at Sid who stares back in the same uncompromising manner as his brother and nods firmly, so sighing heavily to get my displeasure across, I stomp out and set off up the garden.

  “Mabe, what‘s your song?” comes Charlie’s shout, and without turning back I stick two fingers up at him. I can hear them laughing from where I stand. “Mabe, I know mine,” he hollers. “It’s ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ by Oasis.” The two of them laugh even harder at this.

  “‘Fuck You’ by Lily Allen,” I shout, and looking back I can see Charlie bent double making a noise like a hyena, so giving up I shuffle back to the house to get changed. I decide on my skinny jeans, a white slub t-shirt and a navy and white thin striped jacket which I team with some navy ballet flats.

  An hour later the three of us alight out of a taxi in Knightsbridge. “Here?” I whisper. “Charlie, the shops are so expensive. I can’t spend your money here.”

  “So,” he says. “It’s not my money Mabe, it’s yours.” He straightens up as four paparazzi photographers close in on us at once. Putting his arm protectively around my shoulders he starts to steer me towards a pretty little boutique store whose windows are showing a beautiful display of dresses in ice cream colours. Sid hangs back slightly and I realize he’s subtly letting them take his picture, and then I realize it must be to spread the message of business as usual. The press so far haven’t got wind of his stint in rehab although there were a lot of rumours flying around about him before. I suppose it’ll be good for his fans to see him looking so tanned and healthy.

  Charlie normally just opts for ignoring them, and as he moves quick and because of his reputation, they tend to be a bit wary. However, today he too hangs back slightly, and then to my utter astonishment he pauses deliberately and moves his hand from my shoulder to my backside which he caresses lovingly while moving me along.

  Before I know it we’re in the shop and the door shuts on the photographers’ shouts. “New girlfriend Charlie? Where’s Noa then mate?”

  “What are you doing?” I hiss.

  He smiles calmly. “What do you mean?”

  “You groped my bum!”

  “It was an accident.”

  “It was not. You haven’t done anything accidental with that hand since you were twelve.”

  “Fifteen, Mabes. You make me sound like some kind of infant sex prodigy.”

  “But aren’t you bothered about Noa seeing that.”

  “Mabes, I’m not bothered about any woman or man seeing that,” he says darkly, emphasizing the ‘man’ bit. I gape at him and then look to Sid for enlightenment but he just shrugs and smiles.

  “Shall we start shopping?” he says.

  A young girl comes rushing over. “Sir, Madam. Can I help you with anything today?”

  “Yes,” says Charlie commandingly. “Mabel has an industry event to attend tonight so we need to see a selection of your evening dresses please,” and then he smiles blindingly at her.

  For a second she looks almost shell shocked and I send her a look of commiseration. I’ve been on the receiving end of that smile before and it has the power to make you do anything.

  Ten minutes later I’m in a large carpeted cubicle with an actual settee in it, plus a table full of croissants, coffee and orange juice. This is definitely not Marks and Spencer’s. The assistant Lana has just wheeled in a huge clothes rail stuffed with dresses in all the colours of the rainbow, and Charlie and Sid are outside on comfortable looking leather chairs eating their way through their own croissants and playing with their phones. Lana shuts the changing room door. “Mr Hudson says he wants you modelling every dress,” she says with a blush and an envious look.

  I laugh. “He’s going to regret that command,” I say darkly, and when she looks at me in confusion I smile at her. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”

  Half an hour later I’m sitting with my feet up drinking coffee and munching on an almond croissant, while waiting for the next clothes rail and feeling slightly triumphant. We’ve been through every dress, short and long, and all colours and I’ve managed to act unsure about all of them. At first both men tried to offer constructive words but now they just have very glazed looks and I giggle to myself. This serves both of them right.

  The door opens and Lana rushes in so I set my coffee cup down. “I think I’ve got it,” she squeaks. “It’s a new shipment that came in yesterday, and Mabel you’ve got to see this one. It’s absolutely perfect.”

  She pulls it over my head before I can get a clear glance at it and then zips me up and I go still as I get my first look.

  “Oh, Mabel it’s absolutely beautiful,” Lana sighs, and I have to agree with her. It clings to my body being made of a deep sherry coloured lace over a nude sheath. The top skims straight across my collar bones leading to tight short sleeves, and it’s fitted at the waist with a thin sky blue belt that makes the colour pop. It then drops to just below my knees skimming my body closely. “Turn around,” says Lana and I turn and gasp because the back is completely open to my waist, making a stark contradiction to the front and emphasizing my shoulder blades.

  “Turn around again,” she says, and when I obey she holds my hair back for me. “I’d wear your hair back like this, and you‘ll need some nude coloured stilettos as well. I‘ve got some here for you to try on.” I slip my feet into the shoes which are higher than normal for me but they do wonders for the dress, and she claps. “Oh Mabel, it’s so lovely and the colour really suits you.”

  “What colour is it?”

  “It says topaz yellow and I have to say it’s made for someone with your colour hair and figure.”

  I stare at myself. She’s right because it looks like it was made for me. The fit flatters my figure playing up my slenderness and emphasizing my chest, and the colour makes my hair and eyes seem to glow mysteriously.

  “Okay,” I say. “Let’s show it to the men. I think at this stage they’d like a potato sack if it got them out of here.”

  Lana giggles and throws open the door with a flourish.

  Both men are on their phones and obviously still suffering from shopping overload, although to my mind they ought to try Top Shop on a Saturday morning where there’s no chance of croissants or fresh coffee. Charlie looks up halfheartedly and then he abruptly gets to his feet, his eyes almost eating me up.

  “Oh my god,” he says. “Mabel you look …….,” and his voice trails off.

  “Turn around,” Lana urges and I do a little shimmy and I’m rewarded with his sharp intake of breath and then I feel a trail of fire as he runs his finger slowly down my back.

  I turn back and falter slightly at the look in his eyes. They’re literally on fire. “What do you think?” I say, aware of Lana gaping at us.

  “I think that’s the one,” he says gruffly. “You look unbelievably beautiful honey. You’ll knock them dead.”

  “Well at least you won’t be embarrassed by me,” I say, twisting my shoulders to try and find the price tag.

  Forestalling me, he finds it and rips it off before I can look at it, handing it to Lana. Then he turns to me. “Mabe, you could come in a Sainsbury’s carrier bag love and I would be just as proud.” I stare at him because he can be so unbearably sweet sometimes. Catching my look he smirks and reverts back to normal. “Still Mabe, a carrier bag wouldn’t lift and shape your tits like that.”

  “Aaand he’s back,” Sid laughs and claps him on the shoulder before wandering off as his phone starts ringing.

  Charlie turns to Lana. “We’ll take it and she’ll need some underwear, shoes and a bag as well.” Lana races off to do his bidding and he claps his hands together. “Right, that’s done,” he says. “I just need to pop into the jewellers.”

  “Why?” I ask.

 
“Oh, no reason,” he says looking slightly evasive. I narrow my eyes as a sudden suspicion hits me and makes my stomach turn over. Why would he be going to a jeweller? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in one before. Could he be going to propose to Noa? Is this all to make me feel good because he’s got a sense now that I want him and I’m going to be hurt by this. That would be so like Charlie.

  I feel my colour ebb and I sway slightly, and alarmed he grabs my arm. “You alright sweetheart?” he says urgently. “You’ve gone pale.”

  “Oh, I just felt a bit dizzy,” I lie valiantly.

  “Have you eaten today?” he says, towing me back to the food tray and putting jam on a croissant that he presses into my hand. “Eat that now,” he commands. “I don’t want you fainting on me.”

  I make a stab at eating it but it tastes like ash in my mouth. Managing to swallow I look at him. “So, Noa?” I ask, needing to know but really not wanting to hear it. “What’s happening with her?”

  He looks at me closely and then he smiles. “Mabe, it’s not what you’re thinking. There‘s a lot going on that you don‘t know about,” he starts, but then turns as Lana comes up to him.

  “I’ve got your purchases ready,” she says. “If you would just like to come and pay Mr Hudson. Mabel, I’ve put you a nude strapless bra in there and some knickers that won’t leave a line. You’re tanned anyway so you won’t need tights, and the shoes you tried on with the dress are in there too. Like I said you should wear your hair back for this dress. Have you got anyone to do your hair and make-up?”

  “No,” I say but Charlie says yes at the same time and I turn in query to him.

  “Noa’s got a make-up artist and hairstylist coming to the house. They can do you at the same time.”

  “But she’ll need them.”

  “So? So do you, and besides which I’m paying for them so they can see to you first.”

  Then he moves away waving his card at Lana who follows him, blatantly eyeing up his tight backside at the same time.

  “What do you mean?” I call suddenly? “What isn’t what I think?” He doesn’t answer me and then another thought occurs to me. “Hang on, aren’t I supposed to be paying for this.”

  ***

  Later on, I stand in front of my mirror and gape at myself. Not being big headed I think this might be the best I’ll ever look in my life. Janice and Liz, the make-up lady and hair stylist, left a while back after helping me into my dress with much aahing, and I can’t believe my eyes. Janice gave me nude, glossy lips and emphasized my eyes, making them smoky and almost too big for my face, while the blusher makes my cheekbones sharper. Liz set my hair in big rollers to make it wavy and give it weight so that she could pull it back off my face in what she called a loose chignon, and Lana was right. It sets off the dress perfectly, making my neck look long and slim. The dress glows with its sherry colour in the late afternoon sun and the blue belt make my waist look impossibly slim. I push my feet into the nude heels and sigh because even I know that scarlet bottoms on shoes meant a hefty whack of Charlie’s money, but they do make my legs look endless. Gathering up the nude clutch bag he also bought me I pop in the lipstick and powder that Janice gave me, along with some money and my phone, and gathering my courage I walk downstairs.

  I can hear Charlie on his phone as I descend but I keep my eyes on my feet as the shoes are higher than I’m used to but I still hear him gasp slightly and then speak tersely into the phone. “Fifteen minutes mate and then we’re ready. Okay?” I look up as I reach the bottom step and come to a stop as Charlie meets me there.

  “Wow,” he whistles, looking me slowly up and down so that I feel like he’s stripping me, rather than looking at the dress. Then he looks into my face and strokes my face gently, catching a loose strand of hair round his finger and twisting it. He seems far away and I catch my breath. When I do this he jolts back and then a glorious smile spreads across his face that I have never, never, seen before. It feels like this smile is newly minted and made just for me at this moment in time. “Still the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen,” he whispers, still stroking my hair.

  “Charlie,” I whisper protesting, and he grins. “You are,” he mouths and then his stance changes. “But you’re missing something Mabes.”

  “What?” I say in concern looking down at myself, and then still as a long velvet case waves under my nose.

  “What have you done Charlie?”

  “Can’t have my girl bare,” he whispers. “Well not until later anyway.” I gasp and he avoids my stare neatly, bending his head and opening the box. Inside is the most beautiful necklace and earrings set. The necklace is made of gold with a large topaz pendent shaped like a star and I shiver as it slips onto my collar bone when he moves behind me to fasten it. I can feel his breath strike the back of my neck and then I’m sure he takes a breath in my hair as if he’s smelling me. His hands then appear over my shoulders, each one holding an earring that matches the necklace. I fasten them shakily into my ears so the topaz stars hang long and strike my neck. He pushes me slowly forward to look in the mirror and I see the jewels catch the light.

  He stands still behind me and his eyes meet mine and seem to devour my face as he looks at me. “Thank you Charlie, they’re perfect,“ I say softly, reaching back and grabbing his hand tight. He lets out a long sigh and leans forward and I feel the heat of his mouth like a brand as he kisses my neck.

  “Not them, you,” he says. “You’re perfect.”

  We stay like that for a second and it feels so precious, mainly because I know it’s going to end soon as I can hear Noa’s strident tones upstairs and the sounds of movement.

  “Do you want to know what my song is right now?” he says almost challengingly, and I swallow before nodding slowly. “It’s ‘Breathe’ by IYES.”

  I stare at him for a moment racking my brain. “I don’t know that one,” I admit, but he doesn’t elaborate, just smirks and taps one of my earrings making it swing and sending tiny prisms of colour dancing over the walls in the hallway.

  I hear doors open upstairs and I change the subject. “Let me look at you,“ I say, pushing away and turning round. He mumbles a protest but lets me go and strikes a model pose with his cheeks sucked in jokingly.

  “Charlie, you look amazing,“ I say, and he really does. His hair is pulled back in a stubby ponytail which makes his cheekbones look sharp and his eyes look impossibly blue. He’s dressed in a navy blue pinstriped suit that flatters his long, lean physique like it’s been made for him, which thinking about it, it probably was. When I look closely I see that the stripes in the suit are brown and he’s wearing a white shirt with the top two buttons undone and a sky blue tie knotted very loosely round his neck. However, typically for Charlie, who dresses exactly as he wants, he’s also wearing battered navy Converse which somehow look perfectly right because he wears everything with such conviction. “Oh, Charlie,” I laugh. “Look, we match,” and it’s true. His tie matches my belt and the stripes are almost the same colour as my dress.

  “Imagine that,” he says innocently, and I narrow my eyes but then Noa makes her entrance and he looks away from me. She looks unbelievably stunning tonight, wearing a starkly simple, black, floor length dress with hardly any front and her breasts look like little tanned peaches. Her hair is swept into a complicated up do but she’d look even more amazing if she smiled. However, she looks in an absolute temper over something and she sneers at my dress as she moves past.

  “Very ingénue Mabel,” she says. “You look very sweet.”

  Normally, that would make me feel about six which is obviously the intention, but even her cattiness can’t make me feel bad tonight, and when Charlie looks at me reassuringly I shake my head for him not to worry.

  Sid appears from the lounge pulling his cuffs down and wearing a fitted black suit with narrow trousers and a red tie. He’s accessorized his suit with a pair of tired looking biker boots and his hair is loose and shaggy.

  He wolf whistles a
s he sees me. “Sexy thing,” he says, holding my hand and twirling me round. “You look amazing honey.” Noa makes a noise like a spitting cat and he turns to her. For a long moment he doesn’t say anything although she’s obviously waiting for his compliment. Instead he just stares at her like she’s something he found under a stone. I’m tense now because there’s something going on here and I remember Charlie’s comment in the shop about me not knowing things. I turn to him but he’s looking at her too and his look is even worse because he looks like he’d like to strangle her. I gasp and although it’s low it seems to bring the two brothers to their senses, and Sid smiles a thin smile at Noa. “You look very nice too Noa. Very funereal. The colour’s so fitting for tonight don’t you think?“

  She ignores him and turns round impatiently to grab her wrap from her assistant who’s hovering nervously behind her looking like she wishes she wasn’t here. Sid turns back to me and he‘s so normal it‘s like I imagined that strange interlude. “You’ll make me look good when you’re on my arm tonight,” he says. Charlie who has never taken his eyes off me during this conversation apart from the hate stare at Noa, stirs.

  “She’s only borrowed mate,” he mutters in a low voice. “Make sure you remember that.”

  Sid smiles at him and to my astonishment makes no attempt to wind him up. “I know Charlie,” he says gently. “She’s my first priority, just like always.” The brothers share a complicated glance and then the headlights of the car turn onto the drive and we’re off in a flurry of movement.

  Eight

  Two hours later I’m absolutely stuffed with delicious food. It’s a definite bonus to share a table with models and actresses - there’s more food to go round. The evening has actually been good fun despite Noa’s mood. The men all look really handsome in their suits, the alcohol has flowed heavily and I’ve even attracted a bit of male attention thanks to my dress, and much to Charlie’s displeasure.

  I’ve enjoyed myself immensely, star spotting to the accompaniment of Charlie giving me a scurrilous commentary about their antics. He knows everyone and seems to be immensely well liked. A steady parade of celebs have flocked to the table to talk to the band, and Charlie has kept a possessive arm on my chair and introduced me to all of them.