The Movie Read Online Free Page A

other lights in the hall were shut down and dimmed until the stage was plunged into darkness. A haunting line of Mozart spun into the still air.
    And then the curtains drew back, a web of brilliant lights lit up the platform-but instead of thirty models exploding onstage a single figure appeared from the darkness, stepping demurely into the spotlight. A simple shift of cream silk clung to her perfect body like a second skin, a bouquet of pure ivory lilies was clasped in her delicate hands and a single white rose threaded through her long, dark hair as she processed slowly, gracefully, down the front of the stage onto the catwalk.
    For a second there was complete silence, as the crowd was struck dumb by her sheer beauty, by the fragile, nervous, virginal quality of her walk, the way she seemed to glance shyly out at them from under those doelike chocolate eyes, as though completely overwhelmed by the attention. Then, as the fashion world realized what they were witnessing, the hall erupted in an orgasmic frenzy of cheering and applause. The fashion editors were shooting to their feet in a standing ovation, the photographers snapping and strapping, flashbulbs exploding around her for the one picture that would make the front page of about every tabloid in the Western world the next day the magnificent, minimalist finale of Alessandro Eco, now without the shadow of a doubt Designer of the Year, and the best PP. coup for any mannequin this decade - to oust eighteen other supermodels, to appear for just these few moments, to dose the show herself, as though it was she, and only she, that they had all been waiting for…
    As she walked gracefully out towards the frenzy in front of her, P.oxana Felix pemaitted herselfa tiny smile.
     
    r9
     
    ‘lLoxana!’
    ‘tLox! ILox!’
    ‘R.oxana, please[ Just for one second!’
    They were everywhere, damouring for her attention, begging for the tiniest hint ofa sn’file or a glance-reporters from the favoured shows and magazines, trade photographers, the normal fashion camp-followers. Backstage was a battleground as people scrambled for a word from Christy, a comment from Naomi, a precious shot of any supermodel in glorious dshabillde. But by far the largest duster of drones hovered around 1Loxana Felix, undisputed Queen Bee. Disgusted, numbers of the other girls were leaving, with a curt ‘no comment’ and frantic agents trailing in their wake.
    ‘ ‘Never again will she work for me,’ hissed a distraught Alessandro to Michad Winter as another beauty swept past him, tiny button nose in the air. ‘Michdle, that bitch spill blood over all my collection - never another cover girl wed wear my clothes. All I hear, all I see is controversy!’
    ‘Yeah? All/hear is cash tills,’ replied Winter, a wide grin plaStered across his tanned face. ‘Controversy and coverage are synonymous in Webster’s, amigo. Didn’t you know that?’
    ‘tLoxana, did you know in advance that Alessandro would cancel the other girls for the finale?’ somebody asked.
    Pushing a lock of glossy raven hair out of her sparkling eyes, the young woman hughed softly. ‘He did what? Damian, you’ve got it wrong. It must have been planned that way;’
    ‘No, everybody was pulled in your favour,’ another hack told her eagerly.
    tLoxana’s sculptured cheekbones and smooth pale skin registered nothing but confusion for a few moments, while the pack bayed its assurances that she had been honoured above the rest. Then a delightful girlish blush spread across
     
    20
     
    handles business,’ and every man in the room was in love again.
    ‘lobet Alton, was it your idea to insist on the change in choreography?
    ‘Absolutely,’ Alton said easily. He was almost enjoying himself. In her eagerness to pass the buck, his vicious little cash-cow was turning him into a powerful Svengali of the beau monde. Surely other stars would flock to him now, he thought, and then recalled with a pang that loxana didn’t allow him to