By the time Miguel and Brodie had spoken, the evening customers had begun drifting into El Puerto. Food orders were being placed with Carlos and Manolo in the kitchen and drinks were being prepared behind the bar. A few of the regulars stopped to speak to Brodie as they passed. They laughed, joked, and told stories as the friendly, convivial atmosphere of El Puerto, gradually built up in the warm, balmy Andalusian air, enveloping Brodie, and reminding him of what had motivated him to buy the bar in the first place.
The mood created by people enjoying good food and animated conversation, lubricated by their choice of drinks was enhanced by the constant clicking of the cicadas in the nearby trees and the rhythmic sound of the waves breaking on the beach. It was this atmosphere that Brodie h
