hoped. Sam asked him to work Wednesday nights, Thursday nights and all day Saturday in the Raheny shop. This suited Ronan perfectly as it was only a walk away from home. It meant that his weekly Saturday golf game would have to go by the board but , well, that was a sacrifice he ’ d have to make. He could always try and get a game in on Sundays. The way things were going he wouldn ’ t be able to afford to renew his membership next year anyway.
“ You ’ ll be standing in for Fiona, who ’ s worked here for three years and lives in the flat above the shop. She ’ s unfortunately having problems with her pregnancy and has been ordered bed-rest by her doctor until the baby arrives, ” Sam explained. “ I ’ m not sure when she ’ ll be ready to come back to work. Until she does, I ’ m juggling people around from other shops to fill in for her – but I ’ m having difficulty covering these hours I am offering you. And so, if you can work these times , the job is yours. It ’ s primarily a wine shop but of course we sell beer and liquor too. No business can survive selling wine alone. I have a great manager there, Dermot, who ’ ll show you the ropes. ”
Sam was being very generous and the pay he offered was €13 an hour – well above the basic rate .
“ That ’ s very generous, ” Ronan remarked, delighted .
“ I find it pays me to pay my staff well, ” Sam told him. “ You know what they say – pay peanuts, get monkeys .”
Ronan laughed and Sam laughed along with him.
They shook hands on it and Ronan agreed to start the following Saturday. Sam would be there to introduce him and show him round . He was a lifesaver , although he didn ’ t know it , and Ronan was extremely grateful to him.
Ronan stopped off for a pint at his local on the way ho me. He couldn ’ t face Louise just yet. He wanted to enjoy the moment. The wine job wouldn ’ t clear his debts of course but he reckoned that he ’ d be working eighteen hours a week which would mean another €234 weekly , minus deductions , in his pocket. It was a start and every little helped . If only Louise would stop spending then he could manage it. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The pint tasted better than any he ’ d had in a long time.
14
Ellie was on her lunch hour on Friday and flicking through some copies of Brides magazines that a newly married client had given her. She and David had finally decided on a winter wedding and Ellie was getting very excited about the whole thing. She had not been prepared for the large number of engagement presents that she ’ d received. Truly astonishing! No one had told her it would be like this.
There was so much to arrange and only seven months to do it all. Most important of all was the wedding venue. She wanted a beautiful big wedding with all her friends and family there and she wanted to have it in Clontarf Castle which was only a stone ’ s throw from her home. David had said he was quite happy to let Ellie take care of all the wedding arrangements as he was so busy at work. Earlier that week she had booked the Castle provisionally for the first Saturday in January. She explained to David how lucky they were to get a date at all. The banqueting manager had told her that Saturdays were fully booked out for two years but that they ’ d had a cancellation. Imagine! Two years in advance! She wondered why the couple in question had cancelled.
The reception was only a small part of the whole wedding of course. The hotel would take care of all that and they seemed to be very professional. Ellie had made a list of all the things that needed to be done. She would have to decide on what she wanted for the table settings , the menu , the wines , the champagne , the flowers , the cake , the goodie bags , the music , what to serve to the evening crowd and last but not least who to invite. God , the list was endless !
Then there was the church and the flowers for there , the
“ You ’ ll be standing in for Fiona, who ’ s worked here for three years and lives in the flat above the shop. She ’ s unfortunately having problems with her pregnancy and has been ordered bed-rest by her doctor until the baby arrives, ” Sam explained. “ I ’ m not sure when she ’ ll be ready to come back to work. Until she does, I ’ m juggling people around from other shops to fill in for her – but I ’ m having difficulty covering these hours I am offering you. And so, if you can work these times , the job is yours. It ’ s primarily a wine shop but of course we sell beer and liquor too. No business can survive selling wine alone. I have a great manager there, Dermot, who ’ ll show you the ropes. ”
Sam was being very generous and the pay he offered was €13 an hour – well above the basic rate .
“ That ’ s very generous, ” Ronan remarked, delighted .
“ I find it pays me to pay my staff well, ” Sam told him. “ You know what they say – pay peanuts, get monkeys .”
Ronan laughed and Sam laughed along with him.
They shook hands on it and Ronan agreed to start the following Saturday. Sam would be there to introduce him and show him round . He was a lifesaver , although he didn ’ t know it , and Ronan was extremely grateful to him.
Ronan stopped off for a pint at his local on the way ho me. He couldn ’ t face Louise just yet. He wanted to enjoy the moment. The wine job wouldn ’ t clear his debts of course but he reckoned that he ’ d be working eighteen hours a week which would mean another €234 weekly , minus deductions , in his pocket. It was a start and every little helped . If only Louise would stop spending then he could manage it. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The pint tasted better than any he ’ d had in a long time.
14
Ellie was on her lunch hour on Friday and flicking through some copies of Brides magazines that a newly married client had given her. She and David had finally decided on a winter wedding and Ellie was getting very excited about the whole thing. She had not been prepared for the large number of engagement presents that she ’ d received. Truly astonishing! No one had told her it would be like this.
There was so much to arrange and only seven months to do it all. Most important of all was the wedding venue. She wanted a beautiful big wedding with all her friends and family there and she wanted to have it in Clontarf Castle which was only a stone ’ s throw from her home. David had said he was quite happy to let Ellie take care of all the wedding arrangements as he was so busy at work. Earlier that week she had booked the Castle provisionally for the first Saturday in January. She explained to David how lucky they were to get a date at all. The banqueting manager had told her that Saturdays were fully booked out for two years but that they ’ d had a cancellation. Imagine! Two years in advance! She wondered why the couple in question had cancelled.
The reception was only a small part of the whole wedding of course. The hotel would take care of all that and they seemed to be very professional. Ellie had made a list of all the things that needed to be done. She would have to decide on what she wanted for the table settings , the menu , the wines , the champagne , the flowers , the cake , the goodie bags , the music , what to serve to the evening crowd and last but not least who to invite. God , the list was endless !
Then there was the church and the flowers for there , the
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