Here Come the Boys by Milly Johnson Read Free Book Online Page B

have it, the first one that Selina tried, fitted as true as Cinderella’s slipper. But then Selina always was a jammy git, thought Angie. She expected nothing less.
    ‘Very busy,’ said the receptionist, holding up one key on the world’s biggest fob bearing the number twenty-one. ‘Holiday. Just one room.’ He wiggled his finger between the women.
    ‘I think we’re sharing,’ said Selina.
    ‘I don’t think we are,’ replied Angie. ‘Two rooms. Dos chambres ? Oh God, what’s Spanish for room?’
    ‘Dormitorino?’ suggested Selina.
    ‘That’s a made-up word surely?’
    ‘ Lo siento. ’ The reception guy lifted his shoulders with regret. He ran his hands over the key hooks at the back of him. ‘No nos quedan habitaciones libres.’
    ‘They don’t have any free rooms, I guess that means,’ said Selina. ‘We’re stuck with each other.’
    As if today couldn’t get any worse , thought Angie.
    Room twenty-one was three floors up. It was simply decorated and beautifully cool. It had a TV, an en suite – and one double bed.
    Great , thought Angie. She wanted a shower, but she had no clean clothes to change into. There were three days before they caught up with the ship. She needed new pants more than she needed food – and she really needed some food.
    ‘I’m starving and I need some clean knickers,’ said Selina, as if picking up Angie’s thoughts. Spookily she always had. Sometimes they used to finish off each other’s sentences at school – they had been that close.
    ‘Me too,’ replied Angie.
    ‘We might as well go out together and search for shops.’
    ‘Especially if you’ve got no visa card,’ huffed Angie.
    ‘I have cash,’ replied Selina with a sniff. ‘I’m sure I’ve got enough for a couple of pairs of drawers.’
    ‘Look, you just do your thing and I’ll do mine,’ snapped Angie.
    Selina shrugged her shoulders. ‘Fine. I’ll see you later then. Please leave the key on reception.’ And she grabbed her shoulder bag and trounced out of the door.
    Angie gave it a few minutes before she locked up the room. She didn’t want to spend any more time with Selina than was necessary. There was no sign of her outside, thank goodness. Angie crossed the road to what looked like a shopping mall. It was actually a train station which was full of shops but all of them were either closed or in the process of closing.
    Angie walked on and found a few stalls on the pavement selling T-shirts. The only one in her size had a huge Whitesnake emblem on the front and cost thirty euros. She was about to buy one when she turned it around and saw that on the back were the words ‘Make Some Fuckin’ Noise.’ That would have gone down well at the consulate.
    Empty-handed, she was returning to the hotel when she spotted Selina, carrying a large canvas bag. Selina waved over and then started drawing what appeared to be a pair of pants in the air with her finger. Angie really was desperate for knickers, so she crossed the road to find out what she was trying to tell her.
    ‘I’ve just found this place,’ said Selina, thumbing behind her. ‘They sell everything. And I mean everything . You can buy anything from a toothbrush to an inflatable giant penis.’
    The shop looked tiny from the outside, inside it extended like a TARDIS. There were racks of clothes, toiletries, toys, shoes, stacked floor to ceiling. Behind the counter was the smallest Chinese woman Angie had ever seen in her life grinning and nodding a welcome.
    ‘Oh my God, pants.’ Angie dived into the underwear area where knickers were hanging up on coat hangers. She chose four pairs which appeared to be the right size, before she looked for anything else. Her trousers were damp with perspiration and clinging to her legs so she hunted through the racks of clothes and found a one-size floaty dress that would have stretched to fit Augustus Gloop’s mother. Then she bought some flip-flops and a toothbrush.
    ‘I’ve bought toothpaste.