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so comical the students burst out laughing. They think it’s part of the drama and he’s acting the clown. Mercifully the tension shatters and now he sees the funny side too. He grins round at them, an instant hit.
    Crisis averted.
    I breathe a deep sigh of relief while they break into excited chatter.
    ‘Wow,
awesome
.’
    ‘Who was
that?
’
    ‘Was he part of the play?’
    ‘
Cool
.’
    Winton, my sulky new Romeo, is a petty thief here for help with anger management. He looks shaken, his best lines far upstaged. ‘
What the fuck
?’
    The girls are still in shock, mouthing
o-mi-god
to each other like so many dazed goldfish as Darnley’s own special brand of stardust sparkles in his wake.
    The diversion is a huge hit but now I’m in shock too.
    Darnley
? With a blonde?
Here?
    And even worse – the cold hostility of his look and his air of suppressed fury. I fight down my own and force myself to grin. Under the surface, questions bubble up and simmer, festering into rage.
He could have warned me.
‘Don’t mind them,’ I say, airily. ‘They’re on loan from
CSI
.’
    My joke causes a new flurry of excitement. As my phone signals I snatch it up.
    It’s from Darnley.
Pigtails?
    Shit.
    Eldon’s holding the class spellbound as he outlines their next shoot so I sneak a chance to text back, alarmed now.
    Freaky Friday. We dress down.
    The answer flashes up instantly.
    The hell you do. Get your lick-able little ass round here straight after.
    My stomach shrivels. Every wicked thought I’d suppressed earlier flares up again, fired by guilt.
    Pigtails? Pedal-pushers? To a man like him they’re straw thrown at fire. Deep inside it burns in me, too. The pleasures we’ve missed all week now clamour for attention. Nameless, wicked desires prickle my belly with little points of flame.
    It also occurs to me the word ‘lick’ has two meanings and I may be in for both.
    With an effort I dismiss the class and hurry over to Eldon to thank him. I reassure him I’ll get his camera back in time for his next visit. It takes a while because the students are still crowding round him, wide-eyed now I’ve mentioned a real-live series. Now they think he’s from
CSI
they want his autograph and news of their favourite stars.
    Eldon plays along happily, pleased with all the fuss. He even answers some of their questions with his superior insider’s knowledge. I look on fondly, glad he’s seen the funny side.
    Meanwhile my thoughts are busy elsewhere, intent on revenge. Darnley may have issues with my outfit but I have issues too –
blonde-related
.
    Tonight I have a date with Mr Darnley high-and-mighty Wolfe. I daresay diamond bracelets will be heavily involved, as will any number of dark, thrilling and so far unspecified, possibly unspeakable, activities.
    But for now unscripted blondes shoot to the top of my agenda.
    The sex can damn well wait.
    I walk out of the Academy into the golden afternoon and pull up short. The car Darnley sends for me on Friday evenings is already here. He meant what he said. No chance to go home to the tiny apartment I share with my friend Billy to shower or change, or even squeeze into mini box-pleats and turn the whole thing into a joke.
    Darnley’s residence is way out of town, over in leafy Lexington. I’ve shared with Billy on and off since we were students. Billy likes to work close to the centre to reach her office, me ditto the Academy, so I visit Darnley at weekends while Eldon, Darnley’s brother and Billy’s surprising new squeeze, conveniently takes my place in her apartment.
    It’s early days but so far it’s working well. Happy families all round.
    As the vast car pulls up in the spacious driveway I get out and breathe in quiet, scent-laden air from the lush gardens, a world away from the busy backstreets of Boston or the neighbourhood where I work. It’s peaceful here, with birdsong and the swish of leaves. It’s a calming prelude to what may turn into a weekend of hot sex,