Deadly Embrace by Jackie Collins (ebook reader for manga TXT) 📕

the dressing-room mirror and adding more blush to her already over-rouged cheeks. ‘He’s a man, honey, they’re all horny. What’s the big deal about that?’

‘I told you,’ Dani answered patiently. ‘He grabbed me, then yelled all sorts of rude insults when I pushed him off

‘The guy’s feelings were probably hurt,’ Angela said. ‘Y’see,’ she added knowledgeably, ‘you gotta baby ’em. Deep down they’re all little boys.’

‘I don’t have to baby anyone.’

‘You sure babied that Sam guy,’ Angela remarked. ‘By the way, he called this morning.’

‘He did?’ Dani said. ‘You never mentioned it.’

She hadn’t heard from Sam in over two weeks. She’d been wondering where he was and why he hadn’t called. She really wanted to see him: he was her safe zone–always there to protect her.

‘Sorry,’ Angela said, pushing up her cleavage.

‘Show time,’ yelled the stage manager. ‘Get your asses on stage, ladies.’

No time to call Sam back now, he’d have to wait.

‘Don’t forget to take a peek at the cute guy,’ Angela reminded her, as they lined up at the side of the stage. ‘And remember, you blew it, so now he’s all mine.’

In the next number some of the girls were topless. Dani had elected not to go that route, although she was certainly tall enough and the director had urged her to do it, claiming she would make more money that way.

‘I prefer to stay dressed,’ she’d insisted.

‘Hey, babe, your call,’ he’d replied. ‘Although what difference it makes beats me–you can see everything you got as it is.’

This was not exactly true. Minuscule as her costume was, it still covered certain body parts that she didn’t care to put on view.

Angela was contemplating going topless. ‘I gotta get a tit job first,’ she’d said. ‘My boobs ain’t what they used to be.’

‘You’d actually do that?’ Dani had asked, shocked at the thought of parading half naked in front of hundreds of strangers every week.

‘Yeah, maybe. I got me a surgeon friend who promised he’d do it for nothing, only I gotta do him a small favour in exchange.’ She’d winked. ‘Know what I mean?’

Unfortunately, Dani was beginning to realize exactly what she meant.

The girls hit the stage to the sound of Sinatra singing ‘Come Fly With Me’–a perennial favourite.

Dani managed scrupulously to ignore Manny, who appeared to be leering up at her. However, she couldn’t help taking a quick peek at the guy with him. Angela was right: he was exceptionally good-looking, young, dark, and extremely handsome.

He caught her looking and averted his eyes. No sign of interest there, which was fine with her. Angela could have him, she couldn’t care less.

By the time they finished their third number she was tired and her feet hurt. Two shows a night was tough and she couldn’t wait to get home.

As soon as they hit the dressing room, Angela was on the move. ‘I gotta get going,’ she said, grabbing her street clothes and dressing hurriedly. ‘I’m saying hello to Manny and then he’ll have to introduce me to the stud. Who knows what’ll happen then?’

Dani knew exactly what would happen then.

Idly she wondered if Angela would get paid for it, although Manny’s friend hardly looked the type who’d have to pay. He was too movie-star handsome–girls were probably tripping over themselves to get near him.

‘See you at home, sweetie,’ Angela called, racing from the dressing room.

‘She’s such a whore,’ remarked Ellen, one of the dancers, a flat-faced, thirtyish redhead.

‘What?’ Dani said.

‘I repeat, she’s such a whore,’ Ellen said, carefully peeling off her black fishnet stockings. ‘I can’t imagine why you hang round with her.’

‘I don’t,’ Dani said flatly. ‘I share her apartment. And you shouldn’t call people names.’

‘Doesn’t do much for your reputation, dear,’ Ellen remarked, wriggling her toes. ‘You seem like a nice girl.’

I am a nice girl, she wanted to yell. I’m a nice girl caught in a difficult situation.

But she didn’t say a word.

After she’d changed out of her costume, she called Sam from a pay phone. He wasn’t home.

She couldn’t help wondering if he’d found himself a girlfriend. Part of her hoped that he had, because he deserved to be happy. On the other hand, she wished that he hadn’t, because even though she no longer lived in his apartment, it was comforting to know that she was the most important person in his life. Like her, he had no other family.

Once she got home it was nice and quiet. When Angela was around, everything always seemed chaotic. She enjoyed having the apartment to herself: it was cool and tidy.

After fixing herself a can of Campbell’s vegetable soup, she curled up on the couch and watched half an hour of TV before taking a shower and climbing into bed.

An hour later she was awoken by loud music, ‘Baby Love’ by the Supremes, followed by Dean Martin crooning ‘Everybody Loves Somebody’, and then the Beatles ‘A Hard Day’s Night’. Willing herself not to listen, she finally fell back to sleep, ignoring the noises now coming from Angela’s bedroom.

In the morning she woke early, jumped out of bed, and wandered into the kitchen, where she opened the fridge, poured herself a glass of apple juice and was just popping a piece of bread into the toaster when a male voice said, ‘Uh, ’scuse me.’

She spun round, cheeks flushing, well aware that the baby-doll nightie she had on was totally transparent.

The guy who’d been sitting with Manny Spiven stood there, the handsome one from the previous night.

‘Who are you?’ she blurted, crossing her arms across her chest, soon realizing that it didn’t do much to cover her lower half.

‘Uh…name’s Michael. I’m a friend of Angela’s.’

Sure. I heard you moaning and groaning last night. Did you have to pay?

‘You startled me,’ she said accusingly, backing towards the door.

His dark eyes were all over her. ‘Bein’ startled suits you,’ he said.

Michael. Nice name. He does look like a movie star.

She hesitated for a moment before taking flight, running past him to the sanctuary of her bedroom, where she grabbed