Keeping Bad Company (36 page)
I bought two Alice bands, one in black velvet and one in pink satin, put them in a Jiffy bag, addressed it to Samantha and took it over to the refuge. I approached the place with some caution in view of my ignominious exit on the last occasion I was there. But this time it was all smiles because news of my part in Lauren’s rescue had given me something akin to celebrity status. This couldn’t last, but I might as well enjoy it while it did. Miriam even made me a cup of coffee and showed me the newspaper clipping recounting my exploits.
‘It’s nice to have some good news for a change,’ she said. ‘Generally we hear nothing but bad news here.’
She told me Samantha and her mum weren’t there at the moment, but they would keep my gift safe until they returned. ‘Because they’re bound to be back,’ Miriam added with depressed certainty.
Angus paid me the ten pounds two weeks later. I’d been sure he would and so made a point of telling Ganesh and reminding him of my confidence. Ganesh retorted that Angus was the type who would happily give you his last fiver, if he wasn’t trying to borrow your last tenner.
‘Spend it before he asks for it back!’ he advised.
Thanks to all the excitement and being involved in a front-page rescue story, the photos taken of me at the community hall art show not only got into the local press, but into the
Standard
and two of the national tabloids.
But it hasn’t led to any more offers of modelling work for me. Nor, as far as I know, has anyone expressed any interest in any other work by Angus. He’s still swabbing out Reekie Jimmie’s spud bar of a morning.
The world just isn’t ready for either of us.
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