by Ian Wilfred
“I’ll go and make us both a coffee. Oh, and do I spot some pastries?”
“You might do. It depends how good the coffee is as to whether you get a pastry or not.”
For the next two hours they moved the sofas, chairs and coffee tables around in various positions until they were both happy with them. Dario also got a few sun loungers out and put them around the pool and everything looked fabulous, despite not being able to fill the planters. All they had to do now was to sweep up any debris, mop the area and wait for the furniture to be delivered.
“Do you think it would be a nice idea to have a bottle of something ready to open when Pablo gets here?”
“I think he’d like that, yes. I’ll nip out and get a bottle or two.”
“Okay, and while you’re out I’ll just get a wet cloth and wipe around the bedrooms. I’m so excited about this, Dario, but I wish this lorry would hurry up and arrive.”
“Patience is a virtue! It will be at least another hour yet.”
Gemma was proud of her handiwork in the bedrooms. The designs and colour schemes were simple, yet modern and sleek, only requiring a lick of white paint every few seasons for maintenance.
“I’m back! And I’ve bought a couple of extra bottles and a few snacks seeing that Rupert and Dulcie will be down as well. I’m sure there was something else I was planning to tell you, but it’s slipped my mind… Oh, I know, the lorry’s here. It’s just reversing down the drive.”
Joking aside, Dario was just as excited as Gemma, who couldn’t wait to see the colours in real life. A photo was one thing, but she just hoped everything matched and looked good together. That said, it was too late if they didn’t. This was going to be the new look for the holiday let complex for many years to come.
“Here goes, Gemma! Shall we get the delivery men to leave the chairs outside? I can carry them in. The sofas will be heavy, so are you absolutely definite about where they’re supposed to go? I don’t fancy moving them around all afternoon.”
“Yes, no problem, but I just want to see the colour before anything else.”
They lifted the first chair from the lorry and Dario ripped off the plastic packaging. Gemma breathed a sigh of relief. It was bright, very bright in fact, but the chair was perfect.
“While the men are taking everything off the lorry, can we just put two chairs in one of the bedrooms and ask them for one of the little coffee tables as well, please, Dario?”
Gemma was now in her element, thrilled to bits that the colour of the chairs lifted the bedrooms. The mirrors reflected brightness across the room and the colour scheme contrasted with the white walls. She stood there, admiring it all, when she heard Dario shouting about the sofas, and where did she want them.
The first one in position, and it looked quite a lot larger than Gemma had visualised. There again, it did have to seat four people comfortably, and no doubt it would, but would the room be able to take a second one? Yes, it worked well; the guests would be drawn to them rather than the kitchen behind. With the final one in place, making a horseshoe shape with a coffee table in the middle, Gemma was delighted with the effect and pleased that the unique squareness added to the look.
“Can we breathe yet, Gemma? Are you happy with it all?”
“I’m more than happy, but it’s not my opinions that matter. Do you like it, and more importantly, what about Pablo? Do you think he’ll be happy?”
“I think he’ll be thrilled to bits with it all. Look, we’ve got a couple of hours to kill before he gets here, what do you fancy doing? How about going out for something to eat?”
“You must be joking, Dario. It’s photo time!”
“Sorry, what photo?”
“I’d love to take lots of photos of the finished apartments.”
“You don’t stop, do you, Gemma? If it’s not one thing, it’s another, but please don’t suggest I have to get back to the headboards just yet.”
They laughed together. There would be no more work on the feature headboards until tomorrow at least, and to be honest, they both thought that Pablo would want to get stuck into the final four himself, thus relieving Dario of the task. So, with two hours to go till he arrived, there was plenty of time to take photos from different angles, zooms and long shots, and build up quite a detailed portfolio.
“What am I supposed to do while you’re doing all that, Gemma?”
“Take some shots too. You’ll probably be far better at it than me, but just make sure you don’t disturb anything in the bathroom or bedroom. Try and get some arty shots and when you’ve finished, could you either email them or send them on WhatsApp to me, please?”
“It’s been over an hour now and I’ve photographed every inch of the place. Can I have a rest before my grandfather gets here? I’m sure there were some pastries left or can I open a bottle of the champagne?”
“No, you can’t! But I’ve finished now, so we can stop and wait for Pablo.”
There really was nothing else left to do now, apart from finding jobs to fill the time. More than anything Gemma was sad to see the project completed. As from tomorrow, she’d have no more need to browse items, colourways and interior design themes from the Internet and no more lists to make. She would not only miss her little hobby, but also Dario, as she would only really see him when he came to pick them all up in his taxi.
“Gemma, you’re miles away! What’s on your mind? I wonder if they’re the same kind of thoughts which have been running through my mind today. I know all this has been hard work, but I’m really going to miss you, Gemma. It’s been fun working together rescuing the business and we’ve got on so well together. You and I are meant to be, you know. And, even with Mateo in the picture, it doesn’t change the feelings I have for you.”
Suddenly the main gate opened and in walked Pablo. Gemma took a step backwards towards the wall, thinking she was in the way. This should be a family moment, a private moment between the two of them.
Pablo needed time to take everything in. Dario explained about the pots and planters and how it would all look so much better with an array of flowers and palm trees. Gemma watched as he led his grandfather into the first bedroom. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but having carried out a quick check of the house, she had to admit it did look good with the sofas in place. There wasn’t one detail she wasn’t happy with.
Gemma knew that Pablo would find it difficult going into the house. It had been his family home for a long while and so much had changed since his wife had passed away, that she wondered whether he’d be able to cope with it. She took a seat on one of the sun loungers and left Dario and Pablo together. It wasn’t her business to intrude on them. It was a family moment to treasure. After a short while, she spotted Dario walking towards her, alone.
“Are you alright?”
Gemma wasn’t surprised to see tears in Dario’s eyes. He sat next to her in silence, making her feel rather awkward. She had taken things into her own hands over the last month, ordering goods and completing the refurbishment without taking into account the fact that it was Pablo and Dario’s family home and there was bound to be some personal fond memories attached to it. How stupid had she been? It hadn’t even entered her head how it might affect them both.
Eventually Pablo emerged from the house and headed back up to the bedrooms. Gemma was pleased, it meant that he wanted to see more of it all. Gemma decided to go and open a bottle of champagne. As she got up to walk towards the house, Dario broke the silence and looked at her.
“Gemma, you know I want you in my life and I just hope and pray it happens. However, if it’s not to be, I’ll always be grateful for everything you’ve done for us, and you’ll always have a special place in my heart.”
Chapter 34
“Are you alright, Gemma, dear? You’ve hardly touched your lunch and Rupert said you didn’t have any breakfast either.”
“No, I’m okay, thanks, Dulcie. Just feeling a little flat after yesterday, probably coming down from th
e adrenalin of the last month or so.”
As Pablo had kept repeating over and over again, Gemma had saved his business. It had been a lovely evening with far too much champagne and wine being drunk, and Pablo had been speechless with joy, hardly able to stop talking about all that had been achieved in such a short space of time. He had become overcome with emotion, saying how he wished his late wife would have been able to see the transformation and that Gemma should be so proud of herself.
“Dulcie, none of this could have happened if we hadn’t come here, so it’s all down to you and Rupert really. I’ll be okay soon, I promise, as I need to get things organised for Jamie’s visit tomorrow. We have to do a shopping list and plan which evenings you’ll be eating in or going out.”
“That reminds me. I forgot to mention that Jamie will be staying for five days now, but we’ll be going away for one night up to Almeria. Now, please let me make you a sandwich or something. What do you fancy? I know, I’ll surprise you.”
What was that all about? Dulcie hardly stopped to draw breath, and why would they be going to Almeria when everything would be closed at this time of year. Gemma had a lot on her mind and, as she sat there trying to figure it all out, in came a text from Dario. A close up photo of some plants, and asking her whether she wanted to come down and see them. This was followed up by another text – We don’t know where to put these plants, do you know anyone who can help us? That made Gemma smile, she returned his text replying that she would be there in an hour or so.
Sandwich eaten, shopping list written, meat for the evening meal defrosting, Gemma was now off to Dario’s to organise the new plants. The shopping for Jamie’s visit could easily wait until tomorrow.
“Gosh, they’re such huge palms. I hope they’ll fit in the planters, but they do create the height we were looking for, and it softens the whole area up.”
“Well, we might have bought some lovely plants, but we don’t have a clue what to do with them, you know.”
Gemma got Dario and Pablo to try them in different positions before planting them in the pots. She was happy with the tallest ones being placed nearer to the wall. One of them was even higher than the wall, which was great for hiding the telegraph pole on the other side. They actually had far more plants than they actually needed, but she did wonder whether a group of five together would look nice as a sort of a feature area. Dario got on with the job of planting the pots and planters up, Pablo went off to make some coffee and Gemma walked around the external area trying to determine the ideal spot for her feature area. She also wanted to sit in various areas to see whether it all balanced up well.
“Is there no end to your talent, Gemma? A garden designer as well as an interior design expert.”
“Very funny! It’s more about proportions and symmetry than gardening. It’s just like putting an ornament somewhere and then deciding whether that’s the best place for it, but I think I’ve worked it all out. Could you help carry the very last palm over, please? I can manage the smaller ones myself.”
“Coffee’s up, you two.”
Gemma moved the last two shrub plants into place when Pablo’s phone rang. He seemed to be talking to someone for quite a long while, and by the look on Dario’s face, something was wrong.
“Oh dear, that’s a bit of a blow. The people from the holiday letting website won’t let me change the details because they’re saying it’s not rooms, but a villa. They say I need to go onto their villa letting site, but they can’t do that until next season. That means unless people contact me directly through word of mouth or our own form of advertising, we’re not likely to have any guests at all until next year.”
“But, Grandad, you’ve spent so much on this. You need to earn some money back soon in return.”
“Well, you never know. Lots of my friends know about it, and word of mouth is an incredibly powerful tool.”
“Can I ask a question? Is it just a matter of you needing people to contact you and then you tell them which lets are available?”
“Yes, that’s right. I didn’t advertise this place for years, but because it wasn’t new it was easy to fill. Now that it’s all modern and refurbished, I thought I’d put it on a website and get it out there.”
“Okay, let me think about this.”
“So you’re an interior designer, a garden expert and now thinking of becoming a letting agency as well as our guardian angel. If you’re thinking about a website, that will take weeks to sort out.”
“I suggest you dig a hole and get the last of the plants in. One more quick question though. When would the first guest be able to arrive?”
“Today, Gemma! Isn’t that right, Dario? Everything’s spick and span and ready to let out.”
“A couple of extra things. Do you have an email address for the complex? And you need to discuss how much you would consider charging per week to rent it out.”
Dario wrote down the email address they used for the complex and explained that he would be using it rather than Pablo. It was getting towards six o’clock and Gemma really wanted to sort everything out before leaving. She phoned Dulcie to ask whether they minded cooking for themselves as she had an emergency to deal with, and of course Dulcie agreed. So, with three or four hours to spare, Gemma set to work at the dining table with her iPad and notebook.
“Everything’s planted, Gemma. That hole took ages to dig. Do you want to come and have a look while Grandad’s out buying some wine?”
Gemma followed Dario outside and was amazed at his handiwork. It looked so authentic: the five large stones set in a circle around the five plants looked as if they’d grown there and fully softened the concrete area too. Dario was also pleased with his work. A few solar lights strategically placed around the garden and perhaps inside the plants, would create a lovely night-time shadow effect.
“And apart from the four headboards, it’s all finished. Grandad will soon sort that out. He’s got far more patience than I have. Now we just need guests to come and enjoy it.”
“I’m working on that one, Dario, but it’ll probably need a few more hours. Do you know what would really help me to work faster? Pizza. I’m sure I could work twice a fast if I had one of those delicious pizzas from town.”
“Yesterday you sounded like a boss, Gemma, and today you’re more like a wife.”
“If I was a wife, I’d be the boss as well. Now, hurry along with the pizza as I’m starving and I’ve got so much work I need to get done.”
Gemma went back to work with her iPad and checking things on her phone. By the time Dario arrived with the food, she’d already started on the wine. Pizza in one hand, iPad in the other, he was curious to find out exactly what she was up to.
“One thing, Dario. If any emails come through on your phone, ignore them for now. I’ll explain later, but first of all I just want to give it a final check over.”
“It looks like there’s at least three, but I won’t open them. I’m intrigued now, can’t wait to find out what you’ve been up to.”
“Don’t rush her, Dario. Be patient. Another glass of wine, Gemma?”
“That would be lovely, thank you, Pablo. Right, all ready. Dario, you’ll understand a lot of this, but you may have to explain it to Pablo later, so bear with me. I’ll talk you through it before I show you. Now, have you heard of Twitter, a social media channel?”
“I’ve heard of it, yes, but I’m not sure how it works. I know my friends use it for their cafés, restaurants and shops to be honest. They’ve been telling me to get on board with it, but I think I’m too old in the tooth to learn all this modern technology.”
Gemma explained that she had set up an English Twitter account for the villa rather than the complex and named it ‘Villa Pablo’. For the last few hours she had been Tweeting using a hashtag, using words like Graingcia, last minute deals, late holiday, villa near the beach, but most importantly, posting lots of photos and following holiday companies and businesses in Almeria. At the top of the profile page
for the villa Gemma had added a photo, a description of the villa and the email address. She explained that although this may not be a long term method of advertising, it would likely generate some income for the next few weeks.
Pablo understood what she had done and was more than happy to go along with everything as long as he didn’t have to use the Twitter account himself.
“Now this is the exciting bit, Dario, and where you come in, to check the emails. By the way, I’ve not quoted any prices as I think people will be curious and therefore the site will create interest.”
“There’re eight emails. The first one is asking for a quote for two weeks next June, and another one asking if we can put extra beds in for children. Look, here’s one asking for five rooms for Christmas.”
“And all this has happened as a result of this Twitter account in such a short space of time.”
“Yes, Grandad. This one looks promising too: five couples looking for somewhere when the schools go back in a few weeks, and this one is enquiring about three rooms for next week. That’s better than nothing, isn’t it? We could easily charge five hundred Euros per couple.”
“Right, it’s getting quite late now, and I need to be getting back to Dulcie and Rupert. You’ve got a lot to discuss in the meantime, but I’ll do some more work on the Twitter account tomorrow and go through the log in details with you, so you can add your own Tweets as well. Thanks for dinner and wine, Dario. It’s going to be such an exciting time, and I’m so happy for both of you. I really am.”
“All this is down to you, Gemma. None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for your ideas and creativity. I know I shouldn’t say this, but if you married my grandson, you’d always be a part of all this. Sorry, I know I’ve spoken out of turn, but look at you both, you get on so well, so what’s to stop you getting together? Now, in my day…”
“Grandad. In your day, everything was far simpler…”
Chapter 35