Page 75 of A Summer of New Beginnings
Once he was out of earshot she hissed at Lachy, ‘I don’t thinkyouhave any room to talk, Lachlan Grant. I know all about Saskia. And for your information Josh has made amends. He was the one to send my manuscript to the OriginalFiction competition in the first place. Without him I wouldn’t even be here tonight. Now I’m going back to my seat and I would thank you to stay away from me. I’m here to celebrate with the people I love, and I don’t need any histrionics, thank you very much. So, please, just go back to your friends.’
A strikingly beautiful black-haired woman who bore a strong resemblance to Loretta appearedat his side and slipped her hand up his chest. ‘Lachy, darling, are you coming back to the table?’Saskia.
He turned to stare at the woman and removed her hand from his body. ‘Do youeverlisten, Saskia?’ He turned his attention back to Zara and, with a pain-filled, sad shake of his head, he told her, ‘Don’t believe everything you’re told. I thought you of all people, as a journalist, would alreadyknow that.’ Then he turned and walked away.
Her lip began to tremble and her hands shook. What did he mean? Why did he look at her as if she had just broken his heart? She slowly walked back to her table as the lights went down. She took her seat and each member of her group wished her luck. Josh reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. She forced a smile and feigned excitement. Whatever Lachlanhad meant, it would have to wait for now. And maybe she’d never find out.
*
The atmosphere at the ceremony was incredible. So many talented writers were acknowledged for their contributions to contemporary literature and Zara couldn’t quite believeshewas in the same room as them. Ruby presented one of the awards and her speech about the winner was so heart-warming. Zara could only dream ofbeing so eloquent.
‘Next, ladies and gentlemen, we have the award for the Best Unpublished Newcomer,’ the compere, a Scottish newsreader, announced. Applause rang round the room and each member of her group reached over and whispered good luck or squeezed her hand. Zara’s heart was en route to her mouth now instead of trying to escape through her ribs. And she wasn’t sure whether she wanted tocry or barf. Thankfully she managed to refrain from either.
‘To present this award we have a man whose career has been a roller coaster, to say the least. He has battled anxiety and some very tough decisions about his career. These days he’s settled and made a life for himself in the Scottish Highlands. I would like to welcome to the stage, author of the tell-all autobiographyThe Worst of Me, ladies and gentlemen, Sonic Idols’ Nick Dacre.’ Zara’s ears began to ring and she wasn’t sure if it was the fans’ screams in the auditorium or her own blood whooshing through her veins, but she stared at the stage as her favourite rock star walked up in a tuxedo, looking like sex on legs. She turned to her side and burst out laughing as Shelley sat there in stunned silence – a first for her – asshe looked on.
The applause eventually died down and Nick began to speak. ‘Thank you, thank you, everyone. It’s great to be here tonight to present this award. Anyone, be it a musician, actor or an author, who puts themselves out there open for public scrutiny does so with such braveness. I know this from personal experience. And I know how it can backfire too. Yet people still choose to do it.Not because they’re desperate for fame or fortune but simply because it’s part of who they are. So much so, that without that element of themselves they wouldn’tbethemselves. I know this to be true. And so I’m full of admiration for this talented group of writers who are embarking upon this journey right now. I had the pleasure of reading these books after the votes had been cast and all I cansay is I’m so glad I’m only presenting the award and not choosing who wins it. So, without further ado, the nominations for Best Unpublished Newcomer are… J. D. Bolton withA Secret Kept… Clara Higgson withA Girl’s Best Friend… Zara Bailey forNew Beginnings… Jack Danson forHe Came Back Alive… D. S. Binns withSomewhere Only We Knowand Hallie McPherson withSunset Over Paradise…’
He openedthe envelope and leaned into the mic to say, ‘Good luck, everyone, you’re all awesome.’ He pulled a gold card from the envelope and announced, ‘And the winner is…’ The pause seemed to last hours even though it was merely seconds, and an air of suspense filled the room as everyone held their breath. Zara almost lost feeling in her fingers from where they were being squeezed and it was hard to holdher excitement in. She was shortlisted in a major UK literary awards for thefirst thingshe had ever written. If she won, it would be a dream come true, but the fact she was sitting there in that room as a contender was barely believable as it was.
