Star Attraction Read Online Free PDF Page A

sure she had set the alarm.
    Zaira dashed into the bathroom for
a quick shower, and after putting up her hair and wriggling into her suit, she
was out the door without even having stopped for coffee.  
    She headed towards the main
building, but this morning there was no sign of Brad Clarke.   At least he wouldn’t be making her late
again, she reflected with irritation.   She had slept badly last night, and was convinced that it was all his
fault.   There was something very
disturbing about his presence, and she still didn’t trust his motives
concerning her novel, for all he had protested he wanted to create a thing of
beauty,   not a mindless piece of
fluff.
    When Zaira finished lecturing at
ten, she trotted across the street to the coffee shop to get several cups of
cappuccino and one of their fabulous muffins before going to the theatre.   She was dreading having to act, since
she had originally only agreed to do the direction, and did not really enjoy
being in the spotlight.
    As usual, Zaira was the first one
to arrive at the theatre, so she turned on all the lights, and noticed that the
costumes had arrived.   She was
delighted, and thought it might be a special treat to try them on and rehearse
in them.
    There was a long and reasonably
natural black wig and long embroidered gown for Ophelia, which had been ordered
at the same time as all the others even though the theatre company still had no
one for the part.   Zaira thought it
would be fun to put them on, so she went backstage to the ladies’ dressing
room, and stripped off her suit.   Soon she was practicing up and down on the stage, and some of the others
came in and admired her.  
    “Well, Zoe, I must say that you
look stunning in that wig,” Peter Duffy complimented her.
    She tried to tamp down her
irritation.   It was basically his
fault she was now having to stand in because the part was still uncast. She was
convinced that his objections to every Ophelia they had auditioned were mainly
based on his own lack of talent. He had been so pushy, there had been   no way to not give him the part and
still go ahead with the production.
    Judging from the way he was
smirking at her, Peter was probably thinking right now that she wouldn’t be up
to much. So she whipped out her text and studied her lines one last time until
she was word-perfect so he couldn’t show her up.
    The others arrived soon after, and
disappeared in order to try on their costumes, most of which were pronounced
to   be a great success.
    “Love the codpiece, Peter!”
someone sniggered as soon as he came out to show off his fine new clothes.
    Zaira had the feeling it was going
to be a rather long rehearsal.
    No sooner had they started, than
it became apparent that Peter had barely practiced, even though the theatre
festival was in two weeks. An even worse issue soon came too the fore.   They all thought each one of them ought
to be director.  
    Zaira had got the post by default,
because the last person had backed out and no one else had been willing to take
the responsibility for all the decision-making.   But now that a large share of the hard work was finished,
they all wanted to take credit for any success they might attain at the
festival.
    Zaira sighed and ordered them all
to take their places. They did a run through of the first act.   Well, it was more of a plod, really, than
a run.    It could only have
been charitably described as appalling, with the most unconvincing ghost
imaginable, and an even worse Hamlet.  
    Zaira desperately tried to get
Peter to follow instructions, but he refused to take any criticism.   The ghost began to improve after a few
runs through, but the Prince of Denmark got more and more reckless as he went
on.
    “Who ever told that idiot he could
act must have been crazy,” she suddenly heard a deep voice say in her ear.
    Looking up, she saw Brad looking
down at her, and her breath was snatched away by the beauty of his smile.   He was