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perhaps that is why he did
it.

 
    He opened to no fanfare at all on a wet Monday night and a few of
the regulars came in drinking slowly and talking to Gary.   Surge sat in his alcove reading and drinking
a couple of glasses of a really nice red wine.   At the end of the evening the till showed takings of £40 which when he
calculated Gary’s salary, the cost of his wine, heating, electricity and rates he
realized he had made a loss, but as he still had a sizeable private bank
account this didn’t bother him at all. The pub looked great, he felt fit and
well and he settled down to a quiet simple life.

 
    By the end of the week word had gotten round what a great place the
pub had become and it became busier and busier.   Surge found himself spending half the evening behind the bar helping
Gary serve drinks, something he hated as he struggled with the small talk
expected of him from the customers.   Gary,
now having to work for a living, did not stop moaning.   Friday, Saturday and Sunday became manic with
the trade only dropping off during the week.   Surge’s hobby now became a full time job.

 
    Three weeks after the opening, early one evening before it became
busy, Surge was in his alcove studying the books, amazed that the pub was now
starting to become successful, when he looked up and saw a young lad standing
there.   He guessed he was in his late
teens or maybe twenty years old.   He was
slim, five foot, ten inches tall with wavy hair and glasses.   He reminded Surge of a young Buddy Holly.   He said his name was Steve and asked Surge
for a few minutes of his time.   Surge
motioned for him to sit.
    “I would like to offer you a business proposition,” began Steve.
    “I have a business,” Surge replied, “Why would I want another?”
    “I can make your pub really successful and fill it with paying
customers every night of the week,” continued Steve.
    “No thanks,” said Surge.   “We
are busy enough.”
    Steve was taken aback.   This
was not how this was supposed to go.   He
had rehearsed this with his friend Jonny and at this stage the landlord was
supposed to be gagging to know more.
    Surge felt a bit sorry for the boy who had obviously run out of patter.   “Okay,” he said, “What’s the deal?”
    “I have a degree in hotel and restaurant management and am looking
to set up my own business.   I have a
flare for cooking and I know I could give customers really great food at a good
price and make a tidy profit.”

 
    He handed Surge a couple of menus.   To his credit Surge thought they looked professional.   The food was traditional but had a healthy
side which Steve went onto explain was what so many people were looking for, a
decent meal with lots of flavour but not too many calories,   so many people were now on diets it was
difficult to eat out, so healthy full flavoured food was going to be the new
thing.
    “So you want a job?” said Surge.
    “No,” said Steve.   “What I
want is a partnership, a business within a business.   I set up a restaurant with you as my partner and
use your kitchen and premises and we split the profits 50/50.”
    “Why don’t I just hire a chef and keep all the profits?”
    “Well, how much do you know about the restaurant business?”
    “Nothing,” said Surge and gave one of his rare smiles.   He felt he was warming to the boy.   “Come and look at the main kitchen.”  
    They walked behind the bar to a large, spotlessly clean room which housed a white porcelain industrialized sink for
washing glasses underneath a big window with views of the car park and that was
it.
    “Where is your cooker, fridge and work surfaces ?”
exclaimed Steve.
    “All gone,” said Surge.
    “Oh,” said Steve “That kind of scuppers the plan.”
    “What have you got?” said Surge.
    “Well, some knives and an apron.”
    “What about finance?   Surely
you have some money to set up your kitchen.   How about crockery, cutlery, pots and