you.’
‘But …’ Cissy tried to edge away from him, but his other hand snaked round her waist, tethering her to his broad chest.
‘Oh, Cissy, Cissy,’ he murmured in her ear. ‘You’re so lovely, so desirable. It would be a terrible shame for it all to go to waste when you could have so much more.’
She froze in his embrace as his lips travelled over her cheek and down her neck. It wasn’t as if his kisses were unpleasant, in fact they did strange and rather wonderful things to her insides – it was just that it didn’t feel right at all to be kissed by someone as old as her dad. ‘Please, Jack,’ she managed. ‘Don’t do that.’
‘But, darling,’ he said, his brown eyes widening. ‘You do want to have star billing, don’t you?’
She nodded reluctantly.
‘Then you must act like a star and not get all prissy and camera-shy,’ he crooned, holding her more tightly. ‘Do you think the big Hollywood stars think twice about showing a bit of flesh? Of course they don’t, and I know how ambitious you are, Cissy. It would be a shame to ruin everything when I can help you achieve all you’ve ever wanted.’
‘I know you think I’m being silly,’ she began, ‘but I don’t feel comfortable about it, and Mum and Dad wouldn’t like it.’
He stepped back from her, his dark eyes stormy. ‘Oh, grow up, darling. This is show business, not the school playground, and if you want to succeed, you’ll do as I say.’
Cissy was in a quandary. In fact, she’d been in a quandary for several days. Jack was sophisticated and worldly, and in a position to further her career. In her naïvety, she’d fallen right into his trap weeks ago, flattered by his attention and enjoying his flirting as she fended off his advances – until she’d heard the other girls talking and discovered she was just the latest in a long line to have been fooled by his charms.
But some of those girls were now working with Gracie Fields, Tommy Trinder, George Formby and a host of other variety stars. They were even travelling abroad to entertain the troops, and some of them were in London at the Windmill. Not that she wanted to show her breasts off at the Windmill, but Jack Witherspoon hadn’t been lying when he said he had contacts – he knew people in high places, and it wouldn’t do to upset him.
Jack strode across the room and poured a tot of whisky from a nearby decanter then drank it down. Perching on the corner of his desk, he took his time lighting his cigar, his gaze never straying from her face. ‘You’ve had two weeks to think about it, Cissy. Now it’s time to come to a decision. The photographer is in the other room. Two hours and it’ll all be over, and then I’ll take you out to dinner at the Grand Hotel after the show.’
‘Will I have to take everything off?’ Her voice was small and hesitant.
He smiled and smoothed his moustache. ‘Always leave them wanting more, Cissy. Just push everything off your shoulders and do the best with your cleavage,’ he said quietly, his gaze watchful. ‘The photographer knows his stuff. You’ll be fine.’
‘I don’t know,’ stammered Cissy. ‘I’ve never posed like that before.’
He slid from the desk and regarded her through the cigar smoke. ‘Then it’s time you learnt,’ he said evenly. ‘You have two choices, Cissy. Go in that room and be the starlet I know you really are, or go back and moulder in the chorus. There’ll be no second chances, and there’s plenty of other girls out there who would give their eye teeth for such an opportunity.’
Cissy dipped her chin, the tears blinding her. ‘All right,’ she whispered.
Chapter Six
POLLY HAD BATHED and changed into a clean dress and cardigan and, with her hair freshly brushed and tied back at the nape, she’d applied powder and lipstick in the hope that Adam wouldn’t think she looked too much of a fright.
She looked in the mirror and realised with a jolt that her weariness no longer showed,
‘But …’ Cissy tried to edge away from him, but his other hand snaked round her waist, tethering her to his broad chest.
‘Oh, Cissy, Cissy,’ he murmured in her ear. ‘You’re so lovely, so desirable. It would be a terrible shame for it all to go to waste when you could have so much more.’
She froze in his embrace as his lips travelled over her cheek and down her neck. It wasn’t as if his kisses were unpleasant, in fact they did strange and rather wonderful things to her insides – it was just that it didn’t feel right at all to be kissed by someone as old as her dad. ‘Please, Jack,’ she managed. ‘Don’t do that.’
‘But, darling,’ he said, his brown eyes widening. ‘You do want to have star billing, don’t you?’
She nodded reluctantly.
‘Then you must act like a star and not get all prissy and camera-shy,’ he crooned, holding her more tightly. ‘Do you think the big Hollywood stars think twice about showing a bit of flesh? Of course they don’t, and I know how ambitious you are, Cissy. It would be a shame to ruin everything when I can help you achieve all you’ve ever wanted.’
‘I know you think I’m being silly,’ she began, ‘but I don’t feel comfortable about it, and Mum and Dad wouldn’t like it.’
He stepped back from her, his dark eyes stormy. ‘Oh, grow up, darling. This is show business, not the school playground, and if you want to succeed, you’ll do as I say.’
Cissy was in a quandary. In fact, she’d been in a quandary for several days. Jack was sophisticated and worldly, and in a position to further her career. In her naïvety, she’d fallen right into his trap weeks ago, flattered by his attention and enjoying his flirting as she fended off his advances – until she’d heard the other girls talking and discovered she was just the latest in a long line to have been fooled by his charms.
But some of those girls were now working with Gracie Fields, Tommy Trinder, George Formby and a host of other variety stars. They were even travelling abroad to entertain the troops, and some of them were in London at the Windmill. Not that she wanted to show her breasts off at the Windmill, but Jack Witherspoon hadn’t been lying when he said he had contacts – he knew people in high places, and it wouldn’t do to upset him.
Jack strode across the room and poured a tot of whisky from a nearby decanter then drank it down. Perching on the corner of his desk, he took his time lighting his cigar, his gaze never straying from her face. ‘You’ve had two weeks to think about it, Cissy. Now it’s time to come to a decision. The photographer is in the other room. Two hours and it’ll all be over, and then I’ll take you out to dinner at the Grand Hotel after the show.’
‘Will I have to take everything off?’ Her voice was small and hesitant.
He smiled and smoothed his moustache. ‘Always leave them wanting more, Cissy. Just push everything off your shoulders and do the best with your cleavage,’ he said quietly, his gaze watchful. ‘The photographer knows his stuff. You’ll be fine.’
‘I don’t know,’ stammered Cissy. ‘I’ve never posed like that before.’
He slid from the desk and regarded her through the cigar smoke. ‘Then it’s time you learnt,’ he said evenly. ‘You have two choices, Cissy. Go in that room and be the starlet I know you really are, or go back and moulder in the chorus. There’ll be no second chances, and there’s plenty of other girls out there who would give their eye teeth for such an opportunity.’
Cissy dipped her chin, the tears blinding her. ‘All right,’ she whispered.
Chapter Six
POLLY HAD BATHED and changed into a clean dress and cardigan and, with her hair freshly brushed and tied back at the nape, she’d applied powder and lipstick in the hope that Adam wouldn’t think she looked too much of a fright.
She looked in the mirror and realised with a jolt that her weariness no longer showed,
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