glittered like a blue mirror that had been sprinkled with a million diamonds, and Tom felt his spirits lift. He was here in this sunny paradise, money in his pocket and the sun shining. How much better could it get? The road ran parallel to the coast, uphill from the string of holiday resorts that seemed to merge into each other along the shoreline. For the first time since the call from Kevin, he felt a lightness in his heart, a feeling of being on holiday and the excitement of being in a new and different place.
The highway split in two, one branch going towards the coast and a toll road that bypassed all the towns. He kept on the tolled branch as Walter had told him, and followed the road that cut through the mountains and lost sight of the coast. He paid the toll and kept his eye out for the exit that Walter had told him to take. Avoid the next toll road, keep right and through the tunnel, follow the signs for San Pedro.
There it was, the road split and the tunnel went under the highway, just as he had described. He switched on the lights as he drove into the gloom, blinking in the glare as he emerged again into the bright sunlight. Second exit after the casino, there it is on the right, so far so good. He talked himself through the directions Walter had given him. Fair play to old Walter, knows his way here all right, there’s the office.
The young woman was gorgeous, something about Spanish women with their sallow skin and the natural suntan.
‘Hola, Senor Murphy. I am Carmen, follow me please.’
Tom followed behind the girl with her jangling keys. What a stunner; I wonder are they all like her? I’d follow her anywhere.
Carmen opened the gate and led him through a garden with a blue swimming pool, then selected a key from the bunch to enter a clean marble corridor that led to the lift. He was conscious of her attractiveness, tried to avoid looking directly at her but it was difficult to avoid the view of her slender figure with the mirrored sides of the lift. She caught his eye in the mirror and flashed a winning smile at him.
‘We get a lot of Irish here, they like Puerto Banus. You have stayed here before, no?’
‘No, I have never been here before, first time in this area or in Spain at all actually.’
‘I hope you enjoy very much your stay.’ She opened the door to the small apartment and showed him where everything was. He loved the way she pronounced English words, with a slight lisp that was very appealing. She made ‘enjoy’ sound like ‘enhoy’; he could listen to her all day.
He started to call Walter’s number, then remembered to add the country code and dialled again. Walter answered on the first ring.
‘You got there all right so?’
‘Thanks, found it no problem, great directions.’
‘How do you like the apartment?’
‘Looks good, not expensive either, I expected somewhere a lot more slummy for that money but it’s actually brilliant.’
‘They do good deals this time of year; we stayed there a few times, love the place. It’s handy for the port too, and the shops are close by, just go out the front and turn left, then cross under the main road at the casino, you can’t miss it.’
‘Walter, I really appreciate this; thanks for all your help. I won’t forget it.’
‘That’s what friends are for, anyway I feel a bit guilty; I introduced you to Kevin in the first place.’
‘Not your fault, I reckon it will all work out well, I have a good feeling about it.’
‘Mind yourself, Tom, keep in touch.’
‘I will. Thanks again.’
The evening was warm, just weather for shirt sleeves still. Tom closed the gate and walked down to the main road, turning left as Walter had described. The traffic was heavy, not too safe to cross by the look of it, and he walked back towards the casino. There was no sign of an underpass and he was considering making a dash across the dual carriageway, but the security man at the front of the casino motioned him to the tunnel
The highway split in two, one branch going towards the coast and a toll road that bypassed all the towns. He kept on the tolled branch as Walter had told him, and followed the road that cut through the mountains and lost sight of the coast. He paid the toll and kept his eye out for the exit that Walter had told him to take. Avoid the next toll road, keep right and through the tunnel, follow the signs for San Pedro.
There it was, the road split and the tunnel went under the highway, just as he had described. He switched on the lights as he drove into the gloom, blinking in the glare as he emerged again into the bright sunlight. Second exit after the casino, there it is on the right, so far so good. He talked himself through the directions Walter had given him. Fair play to old Walter, knows his way here all right, there’s the office.
The young woman was gorgeous, something about Spanish women with their sallow skin and the natural suntan.
‘Hola, Senor Murphy. I am Carmen, follow me please.’
Tom followed behind the girl with her jangling keys. What a stunner; I wonder are they all like her? I’d follow her anywhere.
Carmen opened the gate and led him through a garden with a blue swimming pool, then selected a key from the bunch to enter a clean marble corridor that led to the lift. He was conscious of her attractiveness, tried to avoid looking directly at her but it was difficult to avoid the view of her slender figure with the mirrored sides of the lift. She caught his eye in the mirror and flashed a winning smile at him.
‘We get a lot of Irish here, they like Puerto Banus. You have stayed here before, no?’
‘No, I have never been here before, first time in this area or in Spain at all actually.’
‘I hope you enjoy very much your stay.’ She opened the door to the small apartment and showed him where everything was. He loved the way she pronounced English words, with a slight lisp that was very appealing. She made ‘enjoy’ sound like ‘enhoy’; he could listen to her all day.
He started to call Walter’s number, then remembered to add the country code and dialled again. Walter answered on the first ring.
‘You got there all right so?’
‘Thanks, found it no problem, great directions.’
‘How do you like the apartment?’
‘Looks good, not expensive either, I expected somewhere a lot more slummy for that money but it’s actually brilliant.’
‘They do good deals this time of year; we stayed there a few times, love the place. It’s handy for the port too, and the shops are close by, just go out the front and turn left, then cross under the main road at the casino, you can’t miss it.’
‘Walter, I really appreciate this; thanks for all your help. I won’t forget it.’
‘That’s what friends are for, anyway I feel a bit guilty; I introduced you to Kevin in the first place.’
‘Not your fault, I reckon it will all work out well, I have a good feeling about it.’
‘Mind yourself, Tom, keep in touch.’
‘I will. Thanks again.’
The evening was warm, just weather for shirt sleeves still. Tom closed the gate and walked down to the main road, turning left as Walter had described. The traffic was heavy, not too safe to cross by the look of it, and he walked back towards the casino. There was no sign of an underpass and he was considering making a dash across the dual carriageway, but the security man at the front of the casino motioned him to the tunnel
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