Breaking the Ice by Mandy Baggot Read Free Book Online

repeat “rehab” over and over again like a poor Amy Winehouse? What’s the matter with you? Almost everyone in Star Life magazine has been to rehab at some time during their career, most of them have been twice,’ Cleo spoke.
    ‘ But he didn’t look like someone who would do that. He had herbal tea and he liked it,’ Samantha informed her, still mulling over in her mind the information Cleo had given her.
    ‘ Herbal tea! God, perhaps the deep breathing and exploration of his inner self worked this time. So what else did he say?’ Cleo asked her.
    ‘ Oh, you know, nothing much,’ Samantha responded with a shrug.
    Suddenly she didn’t feel like talking anymore.
    ‘ Are you OK? You look a bit pale. Are you coming down with something?’ Cleo asked, staring into Samantha’s eyes and scrutinising her pallor.
    ‘ I think I’m going to go to bed now. Sorry I interrupted humping the brogue wearer. Which one is it? The hot one? Jeremy wasn’t it?’ Samantha said hurriedly and she turned away from Cleo and headed towards her bedroom.
    ‘ Hey, wait a minute, Sam! You didn’t say what he was wearing! Sam! Was it something cool from GAP?’ Cleo called as Samantha retreated.
    Samantha went into her room and shut the door behind her. She leaned heavily against it, her head throbbing. Jimmy Lloyd had been to rehab and she felt disappointed. Someone who skated so beautifully and had such perfect white teeth took drugs. That just wasn’t right.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Four
     
    They were white and a size five. Some of the laces were fraying and the blades had seen better days. Samantha picked up the ice skates that were lying on the front desk and was just about to study them in more detail when Dave arrived through the front door, half a Cornish pasty in his hand and the remainder close to spilling out of his mouth.
    ‘ Ah, good, you’re here Duck. Like the footwear?’ Dave enquired, leaning on the desk and breathing out meat and potato fumes in Samantha’s direction.
    ‘ Are these for lost property? Or do they belong to one of the skaters from the show?’ Samantha enquired, holding the skates up by their laces and letting them dangle dangerously close to Dave’s face.
    ‘ Non, ma cherie , those are yours - well, for the duration of the ice show anyway,’ Dave responded, poking the remaining pasty into his mouth and grinning widely.
    ‘ I don’t understand,’ Samantha answered, looking again at the boots as if she expected them to contain a hidden message she had overlooked.
    ‘ Well, I thought as sales for Skating on Broadway have proved so popular, the least we could do for our audience is provide them with the full, unadulterated skating experience - from the grass roots up so to speak,’ Dave replied.
    ‘ What are the boots for Dave?’ Samantha asked him bluntly.
    ‘ They’re for you, size five. And there’s a pair for Felicity, Jane and Karen too, you are going to be my Ice Maidens. Just picture the scene - the interval arrives and there you are, an armful of programmes, gliding round the edge of the ice to some well chosen intermission music, exchanging pleasantries and selling brochures,’ Dave spoke, his eyes glazing over as he imagined.
    ‘ Oh my goodness, you’re not serious!’ Samantha exclaimed, immediately filled with horror at Dave’s suggestion.
    ‘ Tres bon , of course I’m serious. What could be better than coming to watch an ice dancing show and having the programme and refreshment sellers coordinating with the theme of the evening? Is Jane really a size ten shoe? I found it quite hard to get ladies skates that big,’ Dave spoke, putting his greasy hands onto some paperwork on the desk and picking it up to read.
    ‘ Dave, it’s a great idea and I’m sure it would enhance the ambiance of the evening, but I haven’t skated for ages and I can’t skate well enough to be able to hold programmes and ice creams and not break my neck. And what about Felicity’s