“Can we keep them?”
“Yes, you can.” She looked over the group and smiled. “Any other questions?”
“Can we join the party after we finish our shift?” Florence asked.
Stella laughed. “No, you cannot. It’s for ticket holders only, I’m afraid. Does anyone have a problem working at this event? For religious reasons or whatever other reasons? If you do and you’re uncomfortable speaking up, come talk to me in private.”
Heads shook and small talk picked up, the staff keen to use their last ten minutes to catch up on gossip. She hadn’t expected anyone to have a problem with it; her team was young and open-minded, most of the women quite possibly bi-curious after a couple of drinks.
“Okay, thanks, everyone,” Stella finally said. “It’s going to be overcast today, so it shouldn’t be as busy as usual. If you feel like you’re twiddling your thumbs and you can make it work, feel free to ask for a longer lunch break.” She opened the pool gate to let in the handful of guests who were keen to top up their tans and was surprised to see Lisa walking up to the bar.
“Hey, babe. Mind if I have a coffee here?” she asked, flicking a blonde lock over her shoulder.
“Not at all.” Stella resisted the urge to kiss her but came up as close as she could get away with. Aware of her staff staring at them, she felt herself blush. “What a nice surprise.”
“I had an early meeting and my next one isn’t until ten. I thought I’d come and sit here so I can admire your legs while you’re working.” Lisa looked up and blushed when she heard someone chuckle. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be flirting with you while you’re working.”
“I don’t mind,” Stella said playfully. “And I have ten more minutes, so I’ll join you for that coffee.”
Before she’d had the chance to order, Dave put two cappuccinos in front of them. After moving out of the hotel, Lisa had been here a handful of times while she waited for Stella to finish her shift, and he knew exactly what she liked. “On the house.”
“Not again.” Lisa sighed and handed him a five Euro note, which he refused. “If you keep giving me coffee for free, I’ll stop coming here. I know you’re not allowed to do that, and I don’t want to get you in trouble.” She patted his arm and put the note in his chest pocket instead. “Keep the change, darling.”
“All right. Thank you.” Dave leaned over the bar and narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re looking very polished today. Special occasion?”
“Yes, actually. We have a pre-opening dinner across the road tonight. For the new buyers of Sunset, now renamed El Escondite.”
Dave’s eyes widened. “Is it finished already?”
“Almost. Our deadline is today. There are still some outstanding finishing touches and plumbing work which will take a couple of days, but we’re a week away from officially opening so we’ll just have to get all hands on deck.”
“That’s impressive.” Dave glanced at Stella, who was beaming.
“Yep, that’s my girl,” she said, pulling Lisa in for a peck on her cheek.
72
“Thanks for coming to Sitges with me.”
“Hey, I had the day off, so why not? I’ve actually never been here, even though it’s supposedly the gayest town in Spain.” Stella put the puppies on a tighter leash as they navigated through the busy streets of the picturesque coastal town, headed for the hostel Lisa was viewing. They’d passed packed beaches, mainly filled with men and now they were passing countless gay bars, also mainly filled with men. “So, you’ve suddenly become a hotel expert now, huh?”
Lisa laughed. “I hardly know what I’m doing but Diego doesn’t know that and so far, it’s worked out.”
“Well, let’s hope this one works out too. It’s nice here, don’t you think?”
“Yes, it’s way more sophisticated than I thought it would be.” Lisa checked the route on her phone and pointed to a narrow street that led up a hill. “It seems like a great town for a more upmarket hotel.”
“The pink pound is powerful,” Stella agreed. “Those women who have booked for the women’s weekend are paying double what we normally charge for the rooms and that doesn’t even include the event tickets. It felt like a rip-off, but Mr Avery assured me that it’s perfectly normal to charge more if there’s a special event on. What do you think?”
“He’s right. Holding the rooms for three days is a risk—you’re lucky it’s sold out— and you’ll have to be fully staffed, so it makes sense.” Lisa glanced at the antique shops, delis and gay novelty shops and made some notes on her phone. “Culture, tick. Proximity to Barcelona, tick. Pride presence, tick. Great cuisine, tick. Good beaches, tick.” They reached the top of the hill and caught their breath as they glanced over the beach and the town below. “View, tick.” She looked pleased with herself as she pointed to the cream coloured boarded up three-storey building. “It’s old and slightly worn out, but it has character and lots of potential. I love all the climbing plants on the facade.”
“It’s certainly charming but it looks like it’s been closed for a while.” Stella followed her around to the side of the building, where the entrance was.
“Two years,” Lisa said, looking up at the sign that said,‘Welcome to Sitges Hostel.’“It would look lovely painted in pale pink and price-wise it’s a steal, considering the central location and the view. The front borders on the edge of the hill so it’s nice and private and apparently there’s a small pool too.”
“Miss Walker?” A man approached them, dangling a set of keys in his hand.
“That’s me. Please call me Lisa. And you’re Rad?”
