Allure (ENG)

Chapter 5 - Harry

I rinse off some glasses as I look around the bar. My eyes land on the girl who was just here. I find myself continuously looking at her.

"Shouldn't you be having dinner?" I feel a push against my shoulder.

"Hmm?" The question draws me out of my thoughts. Eduardo smiles as he leans against the counter. "Do you think those two from 'pareja' are together?"

"What did they order?"

"A beer and Daiquiri de fresa."

"Oh yeah, definitely a couple. On holiday together for the first time."

A heavy sigh leaves my body. Eduardo has a good radar for these kinds of things. Or maybe that's because he has been working here for years.

"Hello? Hazz." Eduardo waves his hand in front of my eyes. "What's going on inside your head man?"

"Stuff with my mum earlier."

"Tell me something new. What now?"

"The picture of Kristy that..." I'm interrupted by the door that closes with a loud bang behind me.

"You were supposed to be on break already." My mum's face is bright red when I look up at her behind Eduardo. His eyes grow wider in shock.

"I'll go in a minute."

"Now."

I roll my eyes. Eduardo's eyes bore into mine telling me to behave. He puts on his best fake smile and turns to my mum. "Sofia..." Eduardo puts an arm around her. "Dearest Sofia, I'll go make some paella for your son. Then he can have a nice dinner break. You know what? I'll make some for you too."

"Solo haz tu trabajo y sal del camino."

Eduardo pulls back his arm. "Si señora." My mum disappears through the front entrance.

"What did she say?"

"That she's very happy with you as a son."

"Trabajo means work." Eduardo has been abusing the fact I don't speak a lot of Spanish for years now. Maybe I should actually try to learn more. Instead of only remembering the cuss words.

I put the polished glasses back on the shelf next to Eduardo. Through the mirror behind the bar, I can see the girl again. The pareja girl. There's something that keeps pulling me in, something that keeps drawing my eyes to her.

When I turn around again, I see Eduardo is gone. A group of girls walks up to the bar. They order four glasses of sangria. I turn around and bend over to grab the can out of the fridge. As soon as I turn around again, the girls start giggling. From the counter, I take four glasses and fill them up one by one.

"That would be twenty euros please." The whole group scrambles in their purses until one of the girls takes out a twenty. She says something in French, which gets a chuckle out of the other girls. My language skills end after English, Dutch and a tiny bit of Spanish. She hands me the note with a wink. In sync the four girls pick up their glasses and walk toward the terras. As soon as they are out of sight, my eye falls on the coaster on the bar.

Appelez-moi it reads together with a phone number.

"Is that from the French girl?" Eduardo watches over my shoulder with a plate of paella in his hands.

"Dude, I thought you were in the kitchen?" I roll my eyes. Even when he's not there, Eduardo is still present in the room.

"Was it the brunette?" I raise an eyebrow.

"I don't know," I say curtly.

"Right! You like blondes!" Eduardo scans the bar with his eyes. "You know you're winning now right. I need to get myself some numbers. Don't worry, I'll leave pareja girl for you." I shake my head.