Читать книгу With Child - Andy Martin - Страница 23

Husband and wife. Sixty-plus. Well preserved. Good hair. Cosmetic surgery? The wife goes around the table to stand right next to Lee. The husband takes the shot. ‘We’ve come all the way from …’ She is going to email Lee her address.

Hawaiian shirt. Big guy. Shorts. It’s a look.

Balding man in yellow shirt.

Her t-shirt says ‘Levi’s’ on the front.

Yoga girl.

Two women. Older, CEO type. Younger, tight pants. ‘My co-worker’. Older woman, glasses and blue top. Three copies of Make Me. ‘We’re going to see the movie.’ (Lee: ‘They make it more violent than the book!’)

Short denim shorts, frayed. Red blouse. Twenty-something. ‘I love the young Reacher stories.’ (Lee: ‘So do I.’)

Woman, black hair, jeans, fitting. Asian? Native American? Jewellery. Black shirt. Tight.

Twenties. Blonde. Purple top, shorts, trainers. Nice legs.

White button-down, Levis, glasses. Scholarly sort of guy. Artist/web entrepreneur.

Guy. Check shirt, helmet of prematurely grey hair. Thirty-something.

Woman, red hair, long black coat. The red and the black.

Baseball cap. The right way round. Latino-Californian. Aims camera right in Lee’s face. ‘Ten seconds on Make Me. Starting now …’ (And Lee gave him precisely ten seconds.)

Black guy, blue shirt, tan shoes, gold glasses.

Young Vikram Seth.

Woman with page-boy cut. And telescoped umbrella. Goes for the over-the-shoulder pose.

Black woman with big suitcase on wheels. Goes around to Lee’s side. Moves well. Dancer?

Balding. ‘Who Wants Pie?’ on the t-shirt. Cut-offs, green backpack. Goes around. Looks like the answer to his question is, ‘I do.’

Retired Columbia professor. Good hair. Blue shirt. Leonard Bernstein-lookalike.

Woman with glossy dark blue hair. (Lee: ‘I love the hair – awesome!’) Goes around.

Very tall woman with red hair. ‘Good to see you again.’ A regular.

Twenty-something. Screenwriter. Woman. ‘This is for my Mom. She told me to read Reacher.’ (Lee: ‘Always listen to your Mom’.)

Young (male) writer. White t-shirt. Tall, slim with broad shoulders. (Lee: ‘My advice is ignore all my advice. Do what you want to do and see what happens.’)

(‘Hello, ladies.’) Blue and pink. They go both sides. Lee sandwich. (‘Did you get me?’)

Big guy. Zip-up black leather jacket. Black jeans. Salomon trainers. Goes the other side.

Woman all in black. Short skirt. Muscular. Lisbeth Salander type.

Tom Selleck moustache. ‘Midtown North’ t-shirt. On the back: ‘New York City. THE WORLD COMES TO US.’

Woman who loves The Affair (Reacher 16). Thirties. Art nouveau motif on dress. Voluptuous. Boyfriend Adrian. (Lee: ‘Has he got life insurance?’)

Cop. Yes, doughnuts, but in fair shape. Hair grey, but it’s there. ‘I try to be like Reacher.’ (Lee: ‘Thanks for keeping us safe.’) Five copies of Make Me! Goes around.

Man and wife. Dotty blouse, striped shirt. ‘We both love Reacher.’

Blue tattoos. Blue t-shirt, legend: ‘SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A NUT. Almond Joy.’

Girl, ginger hair. Nose ring. Sleeveless top.

Woman in elegant black dress. New York Times journalist now working for Serial. Leaves with guy. White hair and crumpled khaki jacket. They go and have dinner at Peace Food Café on 11th.

I was that guy, so I have to stop there.

There is no ‘type’ of reader. Everyone is different. Then again …

I almost forgot to mention the deranged, obsessive fan (other than me).