Manolos in Manhattan by Katie Oliver Read Free Book Online Page B

let’s go upstairs and go to bed.”
    “And get some sleep?”
    “Yeah. That, too.”
    “Listen to this,” Devon said the next morning as Christa joined him at the kitchen table for coffee and toast. He began to read out loud from the
New York Daily News
in his hand.
    “’Manhattan’s elusive cat burglar struck again last night, robbing an undisclosed Park Place apartment and stealing an estimated $2 million in jewels.’” He lowered the paper. “The thief made off with a small fortune in stolen jewels, and not for the first time, apparently – yet no one saw a thing. ‘There are no suspects and no leads.’” He snorted. “Pathetic.”
    Christa sipped her coffee. “Well, it’s a good thing you’re not on duty, then, Detective Sergeant Matthews,” she pointed out tartly as she stood up. “So why not take your D.S. hat off and just enjoy your holiday?”
    “It’s habit,” Devon said, and shrugged. “A good D.S. is never really off duty.”
    “This one is.” She bent down to brush her lips against his. “Christa’s orders.”
    He grabbed her around the waist and deepened the kiss. “Umm, I like it when you get bossy,” he murmured when he dragged his mouth from hers. “Fancy a quick shag?”
    “Love to, but I can’t.” She laughed and slapped his hands away. “Stop it, Dev. I’ve got to get ready for rehearsals.”
    “Ten minutes, that’s all I need. Five.”
    Christa sighed and pushed him reluctantly away. “I wish, but I really don’t have time. Today promises to be a long day.”
    “And one, and two, and three, and STOP!” the choreographer roared. His voice echoed in the cavernous rehearsal studio on West Fifty-Seventh Street.
    As the dancers around Christa held themselves immobile in their positions, she let out a quiet breath of frustration. She just couldn’t seem to get this particular move down. She steeled herself for the bollocking that was sure to follow.
    “Christa,” Wilhelm barked, “what is the problem,
hein
? You keep going left when everyone else is going right.”
    “Sorry. I can’t seem to concentrate.”
    “Well, my dear, you must try harder. We have a concert to choreograph and we have less than two weeks to do it! Let’s try it again, from the top, shall we?
Jetzt
!”
    This time, through sheer force of will, Christa executed the move perfectly. As the pianist pounded out an accompaniment on the old upright and Wilhelm clapped his hands in time, she and the dancers finished the opening set choreography without a hitch. The rest of the rehearsal passed without incident.
    But the seed of self-doubt, already planted in Christa, grew a little stronger.
    How, she wondered as she showered and dressed in her street clothes, could she possibly
do
this? How could she remember all of those dance steps and memorize the lyrics to twenty songs in under two weeks, without screwing up in front of 18,000 people?
    Christa didn’t know. Not for the first time, she wished she hadn’t rocketed to fame quite so quickly.
    She wasn’t remotely ready for it. Any of it.
    But it was too late now. The venue was booked, the rehearsal hall rented, the set list in place.
    She was performing a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden...whether she was ready or not.

Chapter Ten
    “Oh, Rhys – take me with you, please?”
    Natalie stood behind her husband the next morning and slid her arms around his waist, peering over his shoulder as he stood before the mirror and tightened his tie into a Windsor knot.
    “Not today, Natalie. I’ve got a million things to do and the store launch to deal with. Have you seen my silver cufflinks?” he asked as he turned away and began to look for them. “I’ve a meeting with Alastair and the staff in twenty minutes. You’re not bored already, are you?”
    “Look in the enamel box on your dresser. And no, of
course
I’m not bored.”
    Which wasn’t strictly true, exactly. But after lobbying Rhys to let her come along with him to Manhattan, she