"Right. He said they were hiring, looking for a few people to fill vacancies that had just come up. I asked why, you know, 'cause they tell you to make sure you find out why the position's available, right?" He sighed and took another slug of rioja.<br/><br/>"Oh, he says, contracts are expiring and some of the employees are going back to their home countries. Fair enough, I think, this is the EU after all. Free movement for workers, you know, roaming Polish plumbers and all. He happened to overhear me talking about work with Eleanor - she's the owner of the business where I was picking up the appliances, real nice lady - and he tells me they could use somebody with some mechanical skills.<br/><br/>"Well, that's music to my ears. We talk a little more about the grounds, the buildings and so on. Then he floats a number, and I just about pass out. And that ..." Cooper paused and lifted his palms to heaven as if shrugging off whatever powdering of dignity was still dusting his shoulders. "That was where I stopped paying real good attention. It should have been obvious, in retrospect. I mean, 'must provide a notarized clean STD test result'? But in my defense, I thought it might just be some crazy EU work visa regulation. And honestly, I was down to my last few hundred bucks and damn if all those euros didn't sound good ... So I left my car with Shaky Joe, found somebody to sublet my room, packed my bag and away I went."<br/><br/>He speared a patata brava with his fork to punctuate the tale of foolishness.<br/><br/>"And here I am."