"Энди Макнаб. Удаленный контроль (engl) " - читать интересную книгу автора

very 1980s. Every elevation was concrete, painted the world's weirdest
off-yellow. As we walked up to the reception area, I tried to look inside. I
didn't want them to see us coming from the direction of the parking lot,
because it would be odd to walk all that way without first checking that
they had a room, and then unloading our bags. I hoped Kelly would stay
silent when we were inside; I just wanted to do the business and walk out
again as if we were going to see Mommy back in the car.
Inside the lobby I got hold of Kelly and whispered, "You just sit
there. I'm going to get us a room." I gave her a tourist brochure that was
lying on one of the chairs, but she ignored it.
In one corner, by the coffee machine and cream, was a large TV. A
baseball game was on. I went over to the receptionist, a woman in her
mid-forties who thought she was still twenty-four, who was watching the
screen, probably fantasizing about her chances with one of the pitchers.
All smiles, I said, "I need a family room just for one night, please."
"Certainly, sir," she said, an honors graduate from Best Western's
charm school.
"If you'd like to fill out this card."
As I started to scribble I said, "How much is a room, anyway?" "That's
sixty-four dollars, plus tax."
I raised an eyebrow to make it look as if that was a lot of money to a
family man like myself.
"I know," she smiled.
"I'm sorry about that."
She took my credit card and I filled in the form with crap.
I'd been doing this for donkey's years, lying on hotel forms, looking
relaxed as I wrote but in fact scanning about four questions ahead. I filled
in a car registration, too, and for number of occupants put two adults and a
child.
She handed back my card.
"There you are, Mr. Stamford, it's room two-twenty-four. Where's your
car?"
"Just around the corner." I pointed vaguely to the rear of the hotel.
"OK, if you park by the stairs where you see the Coke and ice machines,
turn left at the top of the stairs, and you'll see room two-twenty-four on
the left-hand side. You have a nice day now!"
I could have described the room even before I ran the key card through
the lock and opened the door. A TV, two double beds, a couple of chairs, and
the typical hotel designer's obsession with dark wood veneers.
I wanted to get Kelly settled quickly so I could use the phone. I
pressed the remote and flicked through the channels, hoping to find
Nickelodeon. Eventually I found some cartoons.
"I remember this one; it's good-shall we watch it?"
She sat on the bed, staring at me. The expression on her face said she
didn't like this outing too much, and I could understand that.
"Kelly," I said, "I'm going to leave you for just a couple of minutes,
because I've got to make a phone call. I'll get a drink while I'm out. What
would you like. Coke? Mountain Dew?
Or do you want some candy?"
There was no reaction, so I just went on.