Allure (ENG)

Chapter 15 - Harry

"Hazz." Eduardo approaches me on the beach. "Will you please please please come back to the bar?"

"Can't handle it alone?"

"Three families just entered, all of them obviously hungry. And there's two bachelor parties getting completely wasted! And..."

"The nurse said I shouldn't do too much." I wink at him. Eduardo puts a finger in his mouth and pretends to puke.

"Yeah, and your Mum said I shouldn't get a burnout." Eduardo and I both start laughing. If needed I will always come back to work and he knows it. I still make him sweat a bit each time. Eduardo's day off is usually Monday, so I can count the stock in peace.

"Are you working tomorrow then?" The internal struggle is visible on his face. He is unsure, cause I know how much he hates counting the stock. But he also hates working rush hour without me.

"I will work for you tomorrow."

When the terras is back in sight, I realise how calm Emily makes me feel. She doesn't know what she is doing to me. No matter how cliche that sounds. She makes me a different Harry. A better one. It wouldn't surprise me if I frolick into the bar.

"¡Buenas tardes!" I call out enthusiastically when I open the door. I walk past the tables of youth and families drinking together. When I get to the bar I see my Mum sitting there. Her eyes are red as if she has cried. Eduardo gives me a stern look. His eyes say it all. They move to my Mum and then back to me. As if he is telling me I should talk to her. I take a deep breath, my body fills with doubt, but I can't find it in my heart to let her sit there like that.

You can do this Harry. You're calm. I can do this. I take a seat next to her.

"It's kind of funny, you don't have any Spanish blood but you have the temper of one," she says softly.

"Yeah, you would almost think you cheated," I blurt out without thinking. My Mum's eyes go wide. "Sorry, just kidding," I say softly.

"You seem calm," she says. She seems surprised about it.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that about Dad." The corners of my Mum's mouth curl up a little bit.

"You know," she takes a sip from a glass of juice. "If you don't tell me what happened, I can't help you." She can't help with this anyway.

"It might change the view you have of your son."

"I would never judge you." Should I tell her? It remains silent between us.

"You won't judge?"

"Promise."

"Do you remember Olivia?"

"She was Kristy's best friend," she says hesitantly. I nod and swallow away my nerves. I had never thought I would actually ever tell my Mum.

"I cheated with Olivia," I say softly. Her eyes grow wide. I see how fire ignites within them, but then I see how it extinguishes itself again too.

"Oh Harry," she sighs.

"That's not something that can be fixed, don't you get that?" I rest my head on my hands and feel tears threaten behind my eyes. My Mum strokes my back.

"It will be alright."

"How can you say that? You and Dad never got back together either," I say jokingly.

"That was a rough time." As if this is easy, Mum. The irritation starts to crawl back into me, but I try to keep it in. Her whole body tells me she doesn't want to talk about it. "Glad you could come back to assist." I nod. She changes the subject as I had expected. I am twenty-six now and I can't remember ever having a talk with either of my parents about the divorce. "I gotta go, don't hurt yourself today." I smile back at her and follow her with my eyes when she walks out of the bar.

In the corner of my eye I can see Eduardo walk up to me again. "Did you just tell her?" Eduardo whispers.

"You don't have to whisper, she went home." I walk to the storage to get a few bottles of pop. Maybe it's time to actually work for my money. I walk back to the fridge to stock it up. My thoughts drift off to my parents' divorce and Emily. I can feel the heat rise within me at the thought of her. I'm glad that I have met her.

"Harry, I asked for a coke without lemon." Amy puts the glass with lemon slices on the bar. Well she doesn't necessarily put it down. She slammed it down causing the coke to spill over the bar. "I don't know what your problem is, but this is the third one this afternoon. Get your shit together!" Amy turns around and walks back to the terras.

"Is she on her period or something?" Eduardo says indignantly. I put the last bottle in the fridge and turn to him.

"No, she's right."

"Yeah, I know she is." I pour a new glass of coke, without lemon this time. Meanwhile, Eduardo rinses out some glasses. "Is it because of Kristy?" I don't dare look at Eduardo, but with a small nod I let him know he's right.

"And Emily," I add quickly.

"And Emily!? Damn."

"My Mum wants me to talk to Kristy." Eduardo scans the bar. "What?"

"I don't see Kristy." I let out a chuckle and put the glass on a tray.

"Where is Amy when you need her?" Eduardo shrugs his shoulders.

"With Kristy?" We both laugh. It's always a guaranteed good time when I work with Eduardo behind the bar.

"Guess we'll just have to take care of this ourselves."

When I step outside I can feel the sun burn on my arms. I don't hate it, but I am glad I work behind the bar inside. The sun is nice to work in for a bit, but having to be out here on the terras all day in the burning sun... I walk over to the table that had ordered the coke.

"Who ordered the coke without lemon?" A young girl with long brown hair raises her hand. I put the glass in front of her. "Apologies on behalf of the bar." I nod and walk back towards the bar.

"You are more than welcome to make up for it in a different way," she yells at me in Dutch. I roll my eyes and shake my head. Best to not respond to it.

"And? Scored some phone numbers?"

"Ed," I tell him off. "I have plenty of women's problems as it is."

"That's why I don't want to date a woman." I lean against the bar. Maybe Eduardo enjoys his bachelorhood a bit too much. "What are you going to do now? Call Kristy?"

"And propose right away, take over the bar and live happily ever after in Mallorca." Eduardo looks at me with uncertainty behind his eyes. He is not sure if I'm joking or not. "Kidding."

"Ah, yeah." Eduardo shoots me a smile, but I can tell it's fake.

"Ed, what am I going to do?!" Desperation is clear in my voice. I miss Kristy, I do. But if I go back to her, I know my whole life is already sketched out for me. And Emily...

"Look who you're asking!" Eduardo exclaims. The girl from the lemonless coke approaches the bar and without me realising what I am doing I walk into the storage. As if I am protecting myself from making a mistake. I don't want any more mistakes. Not the same ones. I don't want to repeat the mistakes I made with Kirsty. Not with Emily.

"Can I help you?" I hear Eduardo ask her.

"Could you please give this to the guy with the long brown hair?" I roll my eyes at her question.

"Sorry, he's taken."