Free Breaking the Ice by Mandy Baggot Page A

know.
    ‘ I think she was just being protective you know, the big sister act,’ Connor responded.
    ‘ Well perhaps it should have occurred to Cleo that her taste in men might not be mine and that if I wanted a date I would just go out and get one,’ Samantha snapped at him, surprised by her own fury.
    The tone and volume of her voice was enough to make some of the audience leaving the show look at her and Connor. Samantha felt her cheeks going red and she just shut her eyes, indicating that their conversation was over. She didn’t know what else to say to him. She closed her eyes tighter and almost wished him away. Be gone, be gone. When she had the courage to open them again he had left.
    Cleo really did think she was a charity case. Now, in a desperate attempt to see Samantha with a man, Cleo was even telling the potential mates that she had dating issues. She didn’t have dating issues, she’d been on dates, granted not recently, but she had done it. Although, thinking about it she hadn’t really enjoyed any of the dates she’d been on. Well, the date with Joe was OK, until they’d got back to the house, gone into the bedroom and the piercing was revealed. Perhaps Cleo was right, perhaps she was kidding herself. Maybe she did have dating issues. The more she thought about it the more it became clear. Goodness, she did have dating issues. She never went on dates any more. In fact lately, after Joe and the body jewellery , she would do anything to avoid the opposite sex. She wouldn’t walk down any street with scaffolding erected on it incase there were workmen waiting to whistle or comment on her or enter into flirtatious banter. She had been caught out once by a wolf-whistle, fallen into the road and put a hole in her Civic Hall trousers. She also always chose a checkout at the supermarket with a female cashier. She told herself it was because the women were generally quicker at checking out, but really it was because she didn’t want a man giving her her pasta twists and accidentally touching her hand. She even blushed every time the teenaged boy in the newsagents made conversation with her about Cleo’s Star Life magazine. In fact the only man she interacted with was Dave. That couldn’t be healthy.
    She was still thinking about her failed dates while she finished picking up litter. She’d sent Felicity and Aaron home half an hour ago and all that was left to do was lock up when Milo had finished with the bar. Although, as it took him longer and longer each night, she was coming to the conclusion that he spent more time helping himself to drinks than he did tidying up.
    She tied the last black bag of rubbish and set it down with the others she’d congregated at the front of the hall. The lights of the arena were low and the ice rink looked eerily empty. It was a stark contrast to its appearance earlier, when it had become a plateau for bright lights, glittery costumes and fantastic skating. The skaters had been wonderful, so skillful and in perfect unison with each other. They really put her capabilities to shame. She picked up her skates from underneath the seat and looked at them. She turned around and looked about the arena. There was no one there, the crowds had gone almost two hours ago. All the performers had headed back to the hotel and only Milo was left in the building and he was probably busy knocking back vodka and Red Bull . As quickly as she could Samantha pulled off her shoes, put on the skates and made her way onto the ice.
    The air was cold but it felt refreshing as it hit her. She skated round, trying to emulate some of the moves she had seen performed earlier. The women had spun and twisted and turned without putting a foot out of place and when they’d been lifted high in the air they had held themselves with such poise. They’d been dainty and coordinated, things Samantha didn’t know the first thing about.
    She skated on, gaining speed and relishing the feeling. She lifted one foot