Spanish Nights
Page 2
“Come on,” her mother said, wheeling her suitcase towards the bar. “Your father’s inside.”
Emma took note of the pub’s exterior as she followed her mother inside. It looked much the same, like a typical pub at home, except that there were tables outside to soak up the sunshine.
“There’s my girl,” her father said, opening his arms to pull her into a hug.
Emma hugged him back, slightly struck by how much he seemed to have aged in the last two years.
“How are you, Dad?”
“I’m okay. I just had my full check up with the doctor last month. The ticker’s still doing just fine and everything else is much the same. You know… The usual… Cut back on the alcohol, exercise more,” he said with a smile.
“You look good,” she said honestly but she could see where the stress of running this place was beginning to creep in. His face looked thinner and the light that was always in his bright blue eyes was just a little bit dimmer.
She sat down across from him at one of the wooden tables in the middle of the room. They were only just opening up for the day. One of the bartenders was wiping down the tables at the far side of the room.
Nothing had changed since the last time she was here. Signed Irish rugby and football jerseys dotted the walls in black frames. Mixed in were vintage Guinness signs as well as photos of Galway Bay and scenic landscapes in Connemara, where her Dad was from.
“How was your flight?” her Dad asked.
“Good. Both airports were relatively quiet so it was a pretty smooth trip.”
“How’s Damien?”
“He’s doing well. Holding the fort down while I’m gone,” Emma said, trying to decide whether or not her father knew why she was here.
“That’s good.”
“I’m going to go unpack. I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”
“Sure. Take your time,” her father said as he stood up to go back to cleaning the bar.
Emma went back outside to the door next to the pub’s entrance that led up to her parents’ apartment, wheeling her case behind her. She hit the buzzer and waited for her mother to unlock the door.
She heard the click of the door opening and carried her suitcase up the flight of stairs. Her mother was there to greet her and showed her to the guest bedroom where she always stayed.
“So… I take it Dad still doesn’t know what I’m doing here,” Emma said when they walked back into the open planned kitchen and living room area.
“No. You know how he is. I just told him that you needed a break from work.”
Emma just nodded. He would have to confront it soon enough. “Can I see the books?”
“Sure. It’s all on the laptop,” she said, pointing to the coffee table where the computer was turned on.
Emma sat down in front of it and followed her mother’s directions to find the right files.
“Jesus Christ Mum! You’ve been losing money every month for almost a year. Why didn’t you tell me?” Emma asked as she turned to face her. She’d just gone through all of the spreadsheets and things did not look good. “I could’ve come over sooner or done something from home.”
“Well, I wanted you to come over. I asked you to come out and visit for your father’s birthday in October… You were busy at Christmas.”
Emma sighed. “This is serious. How long can this go on for?”
“Another six months. Then we’ll be out of funds.”
“And then you’ll have to sell?”
“Yes, but it’ll have to go quick. We need something to retire on,” her mother said matter-of-factly.
“You don’t have any savings?” Emma asked, her heart rate increasing.
“No.”
“Right,” Emma said, trying to stay calm.
She was the single one. Damien was going to have kids. Her mind was already five years into the future and her parents were living with her in her two-bedroom apartment in Dublin.
She loved them but she couldn’t stay sane with that kind of living situation…
“Okay,” Emma continued. “I’m going to figure something out. I’ll need a few days to come up with a plan. Then we’ll talk about it.”
“Thanks Emma,” her mother said, her eyes tearing up.
“We need Dad to be on board with this.”
“He’ll have to be. We’ll do whatever you think is best for the business.”
Chapter 4
Emma had to get out of the apartment and she couldn’t sit downstairs in the pub that was empty even though they’d been open for two hours.
She walked along the promenade from Benalmadena to Torremolinos, something she always liked to do when she was here.
It was about an hour’s walk from her parent’s bar to Torremolinos. There was an area of the beach that had a few gay bars called El Gato Beach that she usually went to. That was the direction she was heading in now.
How did I not know this was going on? What sort of a daughter am I?
The guilt was increasing by the minute. At least Damien visited more and checked in with them often. Still, they hadn’t confided in him.
She remembered helping them get set up a little over ten years ago with a website and ads for the local newspapers. Damien was living in New York at the time so she offered to do the work.
She found it hard to believe that more than ten years had gone by since. It really didn’t seem like that long ago. They were just starting the marketing firm and her parents were some of the first official business that they’d done.
Emma took a deep breath and continued to walk along the promenade, looking out at the ocean as she went. She’d figure it out. This was what she was good at. She just had to get it done fast.
It was only one-thirty in the afternoon and she was already feeling the heat. She probably should have worn a hat.
Emma noticed an Irish bar up ahead and decided to stop for a drink and to do a little research. There were plenty of people there, some sitting inside eating, others having a drink outside.
What are they doing that we’re not?
The Tipsy Leprechaun. What a name for a pub.
Emma took off her shades and rested them on top of her black hair. She was dying for a pint of ice cold beer. There was nothing like it to quench your thirst on a hot day like today.
She wanted to sit outside but she had a quick look around inside the bar to see what some of the competition was up to.
The Tipsy Leprechaun was the exact opposite of what her parent’s bar was like. It was everything that her Dad had purposely avoided: neon signs, televisions everywhere, loud club music.
It was essentially an Irish themed sports bar by day and a night club when the sports were over at night.
Emma went back outside so that she could sit and look out across the ocean. The sea was relatively calm, the waves lazily lapping against the golden shoreline. She found a seat in the shade and waited for someone to come take her order.
“Hey there,” a waitress with chestnut coloured hair greeted her. “What can I get you?”
“I pint of San Miguel, please.”
“Sure. I’ll be back in a minute with that.”
Emma couldn’t help notice her American accent but she couldn’t place where she was from exactly.
The waitress was back a few moments later with her drink. She didn’t seem too busy since the place was well staffed so Emma thought she could ask her a few questions.
“Thanks,” Emma said with a smile. “You seem pretty busy for this time of year.”
“Yeah. Lots of stag and hen parties lately. Students too.”
Emma nodded. She wanted to continue to quiz her but the waitress was the one who asked the next question.
“So where are you from?” the brunette asked.
“Ireland.”
“I figured that,” she said, flashing a warm smile. “What part?”
“Galway but I live in Dublin now,” Emma answered.
“Are you here long?”
“I’m not sure. A few weeks maybe. I just got in today.”
“We have a pool tournament here every Thursday night. Karaoke on Friday nights too. You should stop by if you’re looking for something to do,” the waitress offered.
“Thanks. Pool sounds good.”
“Great. Let me know if you need anything else,” she said before walking away to serve another table.
Emma brought the ice-cold beer to her lips and closed her eyes as she savoured the refreshing taste of her favorite Spanish beer.
She picked up the food menu beside her and took a mental note of the specials they were offering.
Burger and a free pint of beer every day before 6pm. Buckets of beer for €10.
We need some offers like that.
Emma was almost certain that they didn’t have any deals like that currently running. They used to in the summer but she didn’t remember seeing any signs for them when she was in the pub earlier today.
Emma reached into her bag to find her phone. She brought up the website for Murray’s and waited for it to load.
It’s not even mobile friendly. Jesus…
She couldn’t remember the last time that anyone had updated the website. She flicked through the photos and pages.
This needs a complete redesign.
She searched for Damien’s name in her contact list and gave him a call. She needed someone to start working on the website straight away.
Chapter 5
March 11th
On Wednesday, Emma brought her laptop out with her as she did the same walk that she did yesterday along the promenade towards Torremolinos.
It was quiet in comparison to summer but there were still plenty of people strolling passed her and a few people playing football on the beach. A light breeze kept her midnight black hair away from her face.
She stopped for a drink sooner than she had yesterday. There was another Irish bar that she wanted to check out.
She’d gotten a lot of info from The Tipsy Leprechaun and she wanted to see what this other bar was like.
She knew her Dad wouldn’t want to turn his pub into a gimmicky Irish bar but she had to change something and these bars with their neon signs and loud music seemed to be doing something right.
He had this dream of bringing an authentic Irish bar to the Costa del Sol and she needed to figure out a way to make that work.
Emma sat down outside again but this place had a canopy so she decided to set up here with her laptop and get some work done before she continued walking.
There was no one around and Emma wondered if she was too early for lunch. She checked her phone. It was just noon. They should be open.
A few seconds later, a dark-haired man came out and asked her what she’d like to drink. She ordered her usual pint of San Miguel and told him that she’d like to order food in a while.
He brought her drink down to her and said that he’d be back in a few minutes. He just had to check in the couple that were renting out the apartment upstairs.
This was the first Irish bar she’d seen so far where someone Irish was working there. At least we’re not the only one.
Emma took out her laptop and immediately went to check her emails. There were only three that were urgent and she got right into it.
“Brian?” a woman called out.
Emma looked up from her laptop. She hadn’t noticed anyone passing her but she’d been immersed in what she was doing.
“Brian, you working today?”
Emma took a break from typing and leaned back in her chair. A woman came out of the bar and stood with her hands on her hips looking out at the ocean.
“Hey, did you see a guy with black hair here today? A little taller than me?” she asked.
When the woman turned to face her, Emma recognized her. She was the waitress from the bar she was at yesterday.
“Yeah. He just went upstairs for a few minutes,” Emma said.
“Thanks.” She tucked a stray whisp of chestnut brown hair behind her ear. “You were in my bar yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“You only go to Irish bars?” she asked with an electric smile that made Emma’s heart flutter.
“Not necessarily. I was just looking for somewhere quiet to get some work done.”
“Are you staying in one of the apartments upstairs?” she asked.
“No. I’m staying at my parent’s place. It’s not far from here.”
The woman nodded. “I better get back. I might see you tomorrow night for the pool tournament?”
“Definitely,” Emma said. She had planned on going but it was purely for research. Now she hoped that the waitress would have the night off and be playing in the tournament too.
Emma couldn’t figure out if she was being friendly, just doing her job, or flirting with her. She couldn’t put her finger on it but there was something in her eyes.
I don’t even know her name.
Emma shook her head and watched as she walked away.
Back to work…
Chapter 6
March 12th
On Thursday night, Emma helped her mother cook dinner for the three of them. Her father was still in the bar so she spent the last hour explaining her ideas and telling her all about their competitors.
Her mother was easy to convince. She knew that something needed to change but she wasn’t sure her father would be as open to her ideas.
Emma picked her phone up off the counter and gave her father a quick ring to tell him that dinner was ready.
She was surprised how easily her parents had integrated themselves. Not only did they speak Spanish but they had adopted a lot of the local customs.
Their Spanish was full of Andalusian slang and they ate Spanish meals most of the time according to her mother. Tonight, they were having seafood paella, one of Emma’s favorite dishes.
Her father walked through the door as she was setting the table and her mother was bringing over the large pan of paella to place in the centre of the table.
They sat down and her mother made some small talk. She must have known that Emma was anxious to dive straight into business and she was trying to delay things a bit.
As soon as there was a lull in the conversation, Emma brought up the subject.
“So, Dad… I couldn’t help notice how quiet the pub has been since I got here,” Emma said as she went for seconds, piling her plate high with the rice dish making sure to get a few extra prawns and mussels.
“It’s still the off season. Things will pick up after Easter,” her father said confidently.
“I’ve looked at your books.”
“I see…”
Her mother felt the need to jump in. “Sean… You know how good Emma and Damien are at what they do. It’s time they gave us a hand.”
Emma kept going before he had a chance to object. “Dad, I think if you made some small changes you could turn things around pretty quickly.”
She paused for a second expecting him to interrupt her but he didn’t say anything. He left his fork and knife down, giving her his full attention.
“I’ve been to a few of your competitors and there’s an overall theme. I know you wanted to bring an authentic Irish bar to Spain but I think you’re missing out.”
Emma kept going. “If you can get a few more TVs and put on all the Premiere League games, rugby, GAA matches… You’ll get the English and Irish people who live here or are on their holidays. Sport is a huge draw.”
She watched her father reach for his drink. He didn’t look angry or flustered.
“There’s room for a dart board,” Emma said, “and a pool table down the back. I talked to Damien. He’s getting one of our best designers to update your website and get some flyers done… What do you think?”
Emma anxiously watched her father’s expression. She couldn’t figure out what he was thinking.
He cleared his throat. “I think that you’re the expert… And we need to make these changes as fast
as possible.”
“Okay,” Emma said, unable to hide her smile. “I’ll go over everything in detail with you and we should talk about some food and drink offers too.”