We got in to the car and drove away. It was still quite early and it didn’t take that long. The view was great. After 1 ½ hour we were in Sligo. The famous home town, of 3 of the guys in Westlife.
"So" I said. "Were is the shop?"
We both started laughing. We had no idea were the shop was. We cooled down a little and drove around for a while and there it was. I had just seen it in a picture but I knew it was the one.
"There it is!" I said and stopped the car on the other side of the street.
"Shall we go and see if it’s opened?" Paula asked.
"If it’s not I’ll stay out here till it does!" I said joking.
"I can imagine that" Paula said teasing me. We both got in to the store and looked around. It was a quite expensive store. But I could afford something anyway. I just didn’t know what yet.
"I like this one" I heard Paula across the store.
"Witch one?" I said and walked up to her.
"This one!" She held a small black skirt in front of her.
"It’s nice." I said. "Try it on!"
"I’ll just look for something else aswell." She said looking through some other clothes.
"Do that!" I said and started to look at some tops. Then I saw a dark reddish top that was v-neck and a little low cut. I took it and held it
in front of me in the mirror.
"Wow, you’d look good in that!" I heard a dark Irish voice say behind me and I meet his eyes in the mirror.
"Aw, thank you" I said and blushed a little but smiled. I though that it was something I had seen before in his eyes but I couldn’t place it.
"I’ve found it!" Paula screamed to me cross the store. You have to get over here Ebba!
"Excuse me." I said to they guy and walked to her. Why did she have to find something now?
"Look at this!" She held a gorgeous blue top in front of her. "What do you think?"
"It’s great!" I said. "But there was a really cute guy over there!" I said.
"Oh, I’m sorry!" Paula said. "Is that what you’re trying on?" she nodded to the top in my hand.
"Yeah, I was planning to" I said.
"It’s amazing!" She said. "Try it on!"
"Okey, okey!"
I jumped in the dressing room starting to pull my top off.
"Lynn, Were did those two girls that were in here before? Did they go?"
it was they guy I’d talked to before. And Lynn seemed to be the girl in the register.
"There’re in there changing" she said.
I peeped over the door and saw the guy looking in the direction towards me.
"Oh" he said low. And I couldn’t help but smile. I took the top on and looked in the mirror.
"Are you decent?" A voice said outside the door. And I jumped. It was Paula
"Yeah!" I said and se opened the door. She was wearing the blue top and the black skirt. "You look good!" I told her.
"So do you!" She whistled. "I just say one thing, if you don’t buy that you’re stupid!"
"Okey, okey!" I said and looked around in the store but I couldn’t see they guy any were.
"What are you looking for?" Paula asked me.
"Nothing I said." And smiled a little.
"You’re a bad liar." She said.
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Are you girls looking for something else?" A girl said behind us. I think that she was "Lynn".
"No. We are soon done here I think." I said and smiled at her. "I’m gonna buy this top." I pointed at me.
"A good choice!" she said smiling. "You look really good in that!"
"Oh, thank you." I said smiling.
"If you didn’t buy that you’d stupid!" I spun around and faced they guy. He had a big smile on his face.
"Why would I be stupid If I don’t?" I asked.
"Well for one you look stunning!" I blushed.
"Thank you." I said.
"And I think that, that would look great on you if you wanted to come and have a drink with me tonight." He smiled flirty.
"I’d love to." I said and smiled back at him. I mean he was gorgeous and I’d love to meet him for a drink.
"Can I pick you up outside the store here about eight?" He asked.
"That would be great!" I said but I remembered that Paula had no one to be with. "I’ve got a friend who’s here with me." I said. He must have
understood what I was thinking ‘cous he said: "Well I’ve got a friend that can come with us." He smiled again and I melted.
"That would be great!" I said.
"Okey." he said. "I have to go now and I’ll see you here later okey?"
"Yeah! Okey!" I said smiled.
He leaned forward and gave e a kiss on the cheek and walked away. But when he got to the door and turned around and waved at me. I waved back and went back in the dressing room and I felt really happy. Instead of finding a probably up swelled, mean, out for a one night thing pop star as Shane. I had found a really great Irish lad; witch was good because I hated to admit it. But I wouldn’t like to go out with Shane from Westlife anyway! He seemed like he could get anyone and he knew it! I changed back into my own clothes and got out from the dressing room were Paula were waiting.
"Do you know who you’re going out with?" she asked me and I shook my head. I had forgotten to ask for his name!
"You don’t?" she said in misbelieve.
"No I don’t!" I said. "I forgot to ask for his name, how stupid is that?"
"It’s Shane, you dummy!" Paula whispered.
"What?" I said. "No it wasn’t!" I tried to remember who he had looked like and compare him to the guy I was meeting later on. And they did have some similarities. When I though about it, the looked were a like.
"You see?" she said.
"Oh, no!" I said. I hoped that it wouldn’t be Shane. He was famous and
I just though t would be a fun thing seeing him or something. But he’d see me tonight and then just through me away like trash! He after all broke up his engagement with Gillian 6 months ago and I just didn’t want it to be him!
"What?" Paula asked me. "It’s not like he’s ugly or something!"
"No of curse not!" I said. "It’s just that he’s famous and I don’t know him.
I’ll like see him tonight and then he’ll throw away me like trash." I tried to explain for her.
"I don’t get you!" she said.
"Neither do I." I said and looked at the floor. I moved to the register and paid with my card. I had to sign my name and were I was lived for the
moment ‘cous I was a tourist or something. I didn’t really listen to what she said.
I took my bag and left the shop.
"I’ll drive!" Paula said and we got in the car.

***********

"So you’re not going to see him?" Paula said. We had got back to the hotel and I was supposed to meet Shane and his friend in 2 hours.
"No!" I said.
"But I was meeting someone to!" she tried.
"Well, why don’t you go?" I asked. "Say that I’m sick or something!"
"I can’t do that!" she said.
"Yes, you can." I said. "Please! Then I don’t have to feel guilty about not going and not telling." I pleaded. I though that if she went and said I
was sick I wouldn’t feel so bad if I didn’t show.
"I don’t know" she said.

***********

At seven thirty Paula came in to me and wondered if I’d change my mind. But I didn’t. She tried everything. And I was staring feeling silly for not going with her. But I had made up my mind. I wasn’t coming! No way! She gave up her tries and sat in the car and drove away. Good. I though. I put on a pair of big baggy trousers and a top. I sat with my feet in the couch and watched some TV.
But I couldn’t help thinking what Shane would say if I didn’t show up. Well Paula would probably tell me all about it the next day. I was so silly
not following. I knew that. But I got scared. I was kicking my self for a little while and watched some more TV. After one hour I was fast asleep.

"Knock, knock!" I woke up by the sound of someone knocking on the door.
I didn’t know for how long I’d slept. I though it was Paula coming back
and that she’d tell me the details of the night. But she hadn’t been out
that long "I’m coming, I’m coming!" I said and walked up to the door, and opened
it. "So how was the night, Paula?" I asked and opened the door wide. But it
wasn’t Paula standing there. It was Shane.
"I don’t know." He said. "You have to ask her when she gets back."
"Hum, okey." I said and didn’t know what to do.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
"Sure." I said and he walked in. I looked down at what I was wearing
and it wasn’t nice.
"How are you?" he asked.
"I’m. okey." I said. "You?"
"I’m a bit sad because I got stood up by a great girl to night." He said looking at me.
"How do you now she was so great?" I asked. "You don’t even know her."
"No I don’t." He said. "But I’d like to get to know her. And I’d like her to get to know me aswell." He smiled.
"Why?" I asked. "Why do you wanna get to know her?" "I just do." He said. "But I think she’s a little afraid to get to know
me and I don’t understand why." He looked me in the eyes. "I think that
she don’t even understands why." I felt really bad and looked down at the
floor. "Maybe she though that you seem to be a great guy." I started but went
quiet.
"Thank you." he said. "But I still don’t know why she stood me up."
"What if she was afraid." I said. "Because she found out who you were?"
"What would that have to do with anything?" he said. "She doesn’t know
me even if she knows who I am."
"No, but what if" I didn’t know what to say.
"She doesn’t know does she?" he said and smiled.
"No I don’t" I said and blushed.
"What do you say about we start over?" he said and smiled.
"What?" I said in disbelief. "You want to forget what I just did?"
"Yeah." He said as if it was the must natural thing in the world.
"Okey." I said.
"Hello I’m Shane!" he said and took my hand.
"I’m Ebba" I said. "Do you want to sit down?" I asked him and pointed at the couch.
"Id love to!" he said and sat down.
"I think I need to go and change." I said and looked down at my clothes.
"No you don’t." Shane said and clapped next to him on the sofa. "Do you wanna watch a movie?"
"Sure." I said and sat down next to him.
"By the way." Shane said. "Did I tell you I’m a singer?" he smiled cheeky and we both started laughing. How stupid I’d been.
"Now you did!" I said and laid my head on his shoulder.

***********

"You’re so funny Mark!" Paula giggled. As she was on the way towards her hotel room. "Where did Shane go anyway?" she said.
"I don’t know" Mark answered.
"Shall we see if Ebba is still alive?" she asked.
"Okey." he said. "After that I’m following you to your door!" he smiled flirty.
"I can’t wait!" Paula smiled.
She went up to Ebba’s door and saw that it was unlocked so she opened it quietly and looked in. there was Ebba and Shane sitting together on the couch sleeping.
"Aw!" Paula said low to Mark. "Don’t they look sweet?"
"Yeah." He said. "Come on, leave them alone and I’ll follow you to your door."
"Okey." Paula said. "I’ll see you in the morning!"
And they kissed.
"I can’t wait." Mark said.

~The End~