Breaking the Ice by Mandy Baggot Read Free Book Online Page A

ankle? She was off work for three weeks last year. Ice skating won’t be conducive to a joint injury,’ Samantha said, looking at the skates and then pleadingly at Dave.
    ‘ Ah, now that’s where I’ve done my homework. Felicity’s been given the all clear by the doc, Jane used to do roller-skating, Karen’s brother used to work at an ice rink and as for you Duck, you put ice skating as one of your hobbies on your CV,’ Dave spoke triumphantly.
    ‘ Dave I did that CV when I was fifteen and it was a vague hobby then at best,’ Samantha exclaimed.
    ‘ I’m sure it’s like riding a bike - once learnt, never forgotten. Anyway, you and the girls have some ice time around eleven to get accustomed to it,’ Dave announced, looking at his watch.
    ‘ Dave, this isn’t going to work. Perhaps if we’d had more time then…’ Samantha started, as the telephone began to ring.
    ‘ Don’t be defeatist Samantha, remember Dave’s motto? “Negativity will always cost ya…’ Dave began, a smug grin appearing on his face.
    Samantha just looked at him, cringing as she recalled the slogan. She knew he wouldn’t need any encouragement from her to finish his own sentence.
    ‘“ Persevere and you will prosper!”’ he announced and then let out a loud belly laugh which reverberated around the foyer.
    She had learnt there was no point trying to have a discussion with Dave when he was in this sort of mood. Once his mind was made up there was nothing you could say to change it. It wasn’t that he was stubborn, just blinkered, with complete tunnel vision. Once he was set on an idea, any other suggestion or challenge to it just flew over his head.
    Samantha looked at the skates again. The blades were very blunt, they were probably one of the actual pairs she had hired at the ice discos. She wasn’t relishing putting them on and getting on the rink. She hadn’t skated since she was a teenager and she had serious concerns about her colleagues’ abilities to skate and sell merchandise at the same time. It was all shaping up to be an unmitigated disaster. But Dave was the manager, and it was his call. Although Samantha noted he hadn’t mentioned any skating intentions for himself.
    Her attention was drawn away from the boots by the arrival of dozens of people through the main doors.
    ‘ Oh here they are, our skating stars. I’ll show them to their dressing rooms. Don’t forget to distribute the skates Duck and all on the ice at eleven. You have a twenty minute slot while I man the desk - hello one and all! Dave Gordon, manager, let me lead the way. Allez! ’ Dave boomed, bounding across to the group as they entered the foyer area.
    As she watched Dave sharing his greasy hand with as many of the skaters as he could, Samantha dropped the skates to the floor, hurriedly put on her headset and answered the ringing telephone.
    ‘ Good morning, Woolston Civic Hall, Samantha speaking.’
    It was another person wanting tickets for the performance that evening. She’d had one after another the previous day even though there were now ‘sold out’ stickers across the date on all the posters in town and she knew it had been announced on local radio.
    As she attempted to sell the caller tickets for an alternative night, she saw Jimmy and a woman with long red hair appear in the foyer. Jimmy was carrying two boot bags and something in a plastic cover over his shoulder. She recognised the woman immediately as being Dana Williams, the principal female skater in the show. In the flyers for Skating on Broadway she was dressed in a black cat suit that showed off her amazing figure to perfection. Samantha was sure some of the city’s male population had bought tickets for the show on that visual recommendation alone. It was like using Cheryl Cole in a leotard as advertisement. Now she was wearing tight jeans, an emerald green, sleeveless crop top and very high shoes. There was no denying her beauty. In fact she looked like she had just