“Oh, hi, Megan,” says a tall redhead, her hair gathered up in a high ponytail. She barely lifts her eyes in Megan’s direction, and her lips are pursed together in a tight line.
“Hey, Salena,” says Megan. Her voice is so high, it’s almost a squeak. I’ve never seen her like this before. “This is the friend I was telling you about. You know . . . Penny Porter.”
Salena turns her gaze on me and smiles. The smile transforms her face, making her seem bubbly and warm. “Penny!” she says. She reaches round behind her and grabs the back of a chair, swinging it to a stop next to her. “Do you want a seat?”
“Oh, uh . . .” I look at Megan, who pushes me straight down into the chair. “I guess that’s a yes, then!” I say, with an awkward laugh. Megan darts across the room to the only other free chair and drags it over to the table.
Salena’s gaze stays fixed on me. “This is Lisa and Kayla. They’re in Drama Year One, like me.”
“Like Megan!” I say brightly.
She nods. “So first of all, I have to say, I love your blog.”
I blush, my cheeks heating up. I still can’t get used to the thought of actual people reading my blog, even though the numbers on my page statistics show me it must be true. “Thanks . . . I’ve been doing it a while now.”
“I know! I mean, you’re just so authentic.”
Beside me, Megan is nodding enthusiastically to everything Salena is saying.
“And of course we’re gutted about . . . you know,” says Kayla from across the table. Her eyes are huge and round, and her hair is cropped short.
“Thanks,” I say again, not sure what to add. “Are you guys excited about West Side Story ?” I ask, hoping to change the subject. “Megan is such an amazing singer. Did she tell you about our school’s production of Romeo and Juliet ?”
Salena opens her mouth, but Megan stands up abruptly. “Well, I’d better continue giving Penny the rest of the tour. See you girls later.”
I give them all a small wave. “Nice to meet you. ’Bye.”
“Nice to meet you too, Penny. Feel free to come back here anytime. I would love to pick your brains about my blog.”
“Oh, sure,” I reply. “Ow.” Megan yanks my arm, pulling me up out of the chair so I bump my knee on the table. She drags me into the centre of the room. “Hey, what’s up?” I ask.
“I didn’t want to talk to those girls anymore; they were a bit boring. I told you they would be—always nattering on about Noah and the blog.”
“They weren’t that bad . . .”
“Anyway, there’s loads more people I want you to meet, and more of the school to see too. You have to see our main stage and the dressing rooms and my room.”
We’re just about to leave when a hand taps me on the shoulder, making me jump. I turn round to see a gorgeous guy staring at me. I immediately think he must want Megan, but when I step aside he reaches out and stops me with a touch.
“Excuse me, but . . . are you Penny Porter?”
Chapter Four
I blink at the six-foot vision standing in front of me, his sparkling, seafoam almond eyes, his dirty blond, slightly wavy hair perfectly quiffed to the side. He beams at me with gleaming teeth, waiting for me to respond, but as his smile begins to slip I realize I’ve just been gawking at him. More specifically, at his loose-fitted tank top that shows much more pec than the average garment.
“Kneeshirt,” I blurt out, my brain not registering the question he’s just asked me but coming out with some random mumble that I think was supposed to be nice shirt. My mind is screaming at me at this point. Make words, Penny, HUMAN ADULT WORDS. “I mean, aren’t you cold?”
“No, but you sound like my grandma.” He breaks into a soft laugh and holds out his hand to shake mine. He has this casual Scottish accent that sounds so dreamy I almost need shaking back into reality. “Name’s Callum. Nice to meet you. It is Penny . . . right?”
I take his hand in mine and notice how unbelievably soft it is, his nails perfectly manicured.
Finally, I manage a normal smile. “Yes, Penny is right! Do I know you?” I frown, racking my brain trying to recall meeting him before now. I’m sure I would remember someone who looks like something angels carved out of the Scottish hills.
“We haven’t met before, but I know you. Well . . . I know your photographs. You got my dream internship working with FPN and I had to look up your work to see who beat me to the post. I was impressed.”
I can’t help blushing under his praise. He knows me from my photography? I didn’t think that was possible.
“What brings you here anyway?” he continues. “Are you studying? I don’t think I’ve seen you in any of our seminars.”
Megan is getting irritated at this point and shuffling her feet; clearly a conversation between me and Callum isn’t what she had scheduled in for her tour. “No, Penny isn’t studying here. I am, though. Megan, nice to meet you.” She jumps in between us and holds out her hand to shake Callum’s, tossing her glossy brown hair. He takes it and smiles politely back at her. Before I get a chance to reply to Callum, Megan jumps in again. “I’m actually just giving her a tour of the school. I’m hoping she will be visiting me lots while I study here. When I’m not too busy rehearsing, of course.”
“Of course!” I grin at Megan, but my eyes are drawn back to Callum’s like they’re magnets. “You’re studying photography here then, I take it?” I chip in, before Megan can say anything else.