Dressed in models from the Designer Room, they disposed themselves in one of the windows that fronted onto the High Street, one in a hammock m House & Garden, another in an armchair from Beautiful Interiors, holding best-sellers from the book department and pretending to read them. Small crowds gathered and stared at them, as if they were caged exotic animals.The boys had seats inside, between Men’s Leisurewear and Perfumery, facing the escalators. Anyone coming down the escalators was obliged to look straight at them. They sat surrounded by the materials of their craft, ten pairs of brushes each, thirty kinds of polishes and creams and sprays, innumerable soft cloths, all of different colors, all used just once, then discarded. Customers had comfortable leather chairs to sit in and padded leather footrests for their feet. A big notice said: LET OUR PROFESSIONALS CLEAN YOUR SHOES TO AN UNRIVALED HIGH STANDARD, £2.50.It was a lot harder work than what the girls did. Nigel resented the girls, lounging about doing bugger all, getting to wear the sort of kit they’d never afford in their wildest dreams.
