Page 47 of The Gin Lover's Guide to Dating

‘I’m not sure I’d call it that. Maybe if I could apply it to my own car crash of a life. It’s much harder to read situations for what they really are when emotions are thrown into the mix.’ I stifle a yawn. ‘Right, I’m going to have to call it a night or I’ll never get through my shift tomorrow. Are you staying with your friends?’

‘No. I come with you.’

We reach our table, grab our coats and head for the door. Once we’ve climbed the steps back up into the dark and windy night, and are about to go our separate ways, I turn to Reyes.

‘Thanks for tonight. I think I really needed that.’

‘This I do know.’ Reyes gives me a big squeezy hug. ‘You are having your talents, and I am having mine. Goodnight, Chica. Go and have dreaming of nice life.’

The next afternoon, I’m back behind the bar with Reyes, preparing for the Friday evening rush.

‘Are you still having the headache?’ she asks me.

‘Not as bad.’ I look up briefly from slicing the lemon and lime wedges. ‘Thanks for the painkillers.’

‘It was worth it though, yes? To have the headache?’

‘It certainly was.’ I smile at her. ‘Can’t remember the last time I had a night out like that. I’m guessing they party differently in Spain.’

‘This, I do know.’ Reyes nods firmly. ‘I am so happy that the fun chica has finally come out. I like this better.’

‘Me too.’ I laugh. ‘I definitely lost my sense of perspective – and humour – for a while there.’

‘In English,“a while”means ten years?’

‘Cheeky.’ I throw her a sideways glance, and my lips curl impishly. ‘It’s only been eight and a half.’

‘For a chica who does not want to have a man, you seem to know a lot about romance and dating.’ Reyes stops polishing the glass in her hand and looks at me curiously. ‘You have interesting view with the couple and the man in the bar last evening.’

‘I’m just fascinated by human behaviour.’ I shrug. ‘Studied it as part of my degree at university.’

‘Ah, OK. This is making sense. But you have a man in your life before?’

‘Yes, but not for a while. As I said to you before, it’s career first.’

‘And now?’ Reyes gives me a hopeful look. ‘Maybe now you have this perspective, you can have romancing with Josh?’

‘Not if I want to keep my apartment.’ I raise my eyebrows at her. ‘I’ve had three more job rejections in the last two weeks. It’s like they can smell my desperation. I need to stay focused. I got carried away the other night, OK, but my ambition hasn’t gone away. I still need the career, the fulfilment… the sense of achievement.’

‘I am seeing that I still have work to do with you, Chica.’ Reyes puts a hand on her hip. ‘You can have all this. And you can also have romancing. I will show you.’

I’m about to challenge Reyes’s thinking, when Amir bursts through the door to the bar from the main hotel, looking jubilant.

‘I have insane news!’ he announces.

‘What is it?’ I ask.

‘The beast has finally been slayed!’

‘The beast?’ Reyes’s face is one of confusion. ‘What do you mean, Amir? She is dead? We did not like her, yes, but we did not want this.’

‘She’s not dead. She’s gone!’ Amir whoops. ‘I’m not joking. Heard it straight from the beast’s mouth…’

He looks at us expectantly. Reyes, having missed the pun, just looks confused.

‘Very good.’ I groan obligingly, then immediately perk up. ‘So, tell us more. Has she resigned? That would be a shock. She loves throwing her weight around here.’

‘The way she tells it, it’s a transfer to another hotel, and a better job. She’s moving down south straight away. Was clearing out her locker when I saw her about half an hour ago.’

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