Read Prima Donna for Free Online

‘I was waitressing at the time in this little cafe near the College and one of the professors happened to see me
sketching one day in my break. He was just being kind.’
    ‘I doubt it was that,’ Adam argued. ‘He would have seen straightaway that you had talent. You should have followed it through. You never know, he might have been able to bend
the rules for you.’
    Sophie’s cheeks pinked. ‘It wasn’t that easy,’ she said tightly. ‘I had other things going on as well . . .’
    Adam narrowed his eyes. ‘By which you mean man trouble.’
    ‘No,’ she replied.
    ‘Yeah, yeah,’ he muttered, his eyes twinkling. ‘So how about now? Are you seeing anyone?’
    ‘No. No . . . Not enough time really,’ she added lamely. As if that was the real reason.
    ‘Yeah,’ he concurred. ‘I’ve got that problem too.’
    Sophie busied herself with a detail on his hair. She didn’t want to hear about his supposed women problems. He’d slept with at least half the girls in the corps and the other half
were just watching and waiting for their turn. The ballet world’s gruelling hours, long tours and punishing performances – alien to office workers and commuters – meant they
bonded into a tight-knit family and affairs were commonplace. Adam had a reputation for casual flings but he was so committed to his work (and his unrequited love for Pia) and so courteous and
disingenuous afterwards that the girls could never hate him; the only perceived slight was in not being seduced in the first place. If he had women problems, it wasn’t due to lack of
opportunity.
    He let an easy silence grow between them as Sophie leant in towards the easel, working on the shadowing across his face.
    ‘So where is Pia at the moment anyway?’
    Sophie felt herself deflate at the wholly expected turn of conversation. As ever, all roads led to Pia.
    ‘In Aspen, with Andy.’
    ‘They’re still together?’ He looked up, surprised.
    Sophie nodded.
    ‘It’s been a while now. By Pia’s standards, at least.’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘When’s she back?’
    ‘She’ll be back in time for the show tomorrow night,’ she replied factually, like the good PA she was.
    Adam dropped his head again.
    ‘How do you think she manages these hot-blooded, full-blown affairs, and we don’t?’ he asked.
    ‘We?’ She stopped drawing and looked back at him, one hand on her hip. ‘You’re bracketing me in with you? Last time I looked, you were perfectly able to afford to jet
round the world to hook up with a lover too. Me, on the other hand? I’d have to take the bus.’
    Adam grinned at her sarcasm. He liked it. The girl had fire. He held her gaze for a moment. ‘Or just not leave the room.’
    ‘Huh?’ she frowned, baffled but feeling the tension between them suddenly build.
    ‘You don’t need to take the bus. You just need to take your clothes off.’
    Sophie swallowed hard as he got up and walked towards her.
    ‘Why should she have all the fun?’ he asked, looking straight into her eyes. Usually she towered over most men and felt anything but girlish in their arms, but Adam, although he was
only fractionally taller than her, was twice her size, and as he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her into him she felt just like one of the sylphs he so ardently chased around the stage
each night.
    ‘I mean, if Pia’s away till tomorrow night, and I’m not on stage till tomorrow night –’ he began sliding a hand up under her jumper – ‘that means
we’ve both got twenty-four hours to play with,’ he said, kissing her lightly on the lips. ‘And you know what? I really want to spend them playing with you.’

Chapter Four
    Pia had packed her bags and checked out of the Little Nell – not bothering to pick up the tab like she usually did – before Andy was over the finish line. She took
his call on the way back to the airport, but she wasn’t interested in his excuse, if you could even call it that.
    ‘It’s not what you