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like
you interested in him .’
    ‘ I suppose so.
I guess being an academic was my feeble attempt at rebellion Mel. I
switched to Media Studies after you left and ended up with a first.
That was all down to Tim and his mates helping me.’
    ‘ And you’re
still madly in love now.’
    ‘ I wouldn’t
say madly. You know what relationships are like.’
    ‘ Not really
given my longest one was six months!’
    ‘ What are you
like?’ Alex giggled. ‘Anyway, tell me about this bar in
Ibiza.’
    ‘ Well, there’s
a new complex being built in San Antonio. It used to be a bit of
waste ground where there was a market on a Monday and a Thursday
but a developer has bought it and is turning it into a leisure
complex. There’s gonna be a couple of bars in there and I want one
of them.’
    Alarm bells rang in
Alex’s mind. Maybe, just maybe running into her old friend was
going to be even more beneficial than she thought.
    ‘ So what else
is going to be in this complex?’ she asked.
    ‘ Dunno,’ Mel
shrugged, distracted because she saw her food heading towards her.
She pounced on the burger the moment it was laid on her plate,
whereas Alex could only pick at her salad – too excited to
eat.
    ‘ I’m only
asking because my dad has set me a challenge to buy three hotels in
one year. If I make a success of it, I get to take over Sheridans
when he retires in four years time.’
    ‘ You’re
kidding!’ Mel gasped. ‘I thought it was always going to your
brother?’
    ‘ Daddy’s
starting to see Michael for the waster he is and he’s decided to
include me in the race. Michael’s got to start up a package holiday
company but as usual he’s just getting other people to do his work
for him. I want to prove to daddy that I’m competent. But I don’t
know how to go about looking for a hotel, I’m a PR girl not a
business woman.’
    ‘ Where have
these hotels got to be?’
    ‘ Anywhere.’
    ‘ Maybe I can
help in more ways than one.’
    ‘ Go
on.’
    ‘ Well there’s
the Felicidades Complex in Ibiza and there’s also my cousin Jack.
He fancies himself as a bit of a property developer. Perhaps you
could talk to him.’
    ‘ What sort of
property?’
    ‘ Dunno. Jack’s
a bit like me, done a bit of everything. He was in the Army up
until he was thirty, then he left and took up boxing again. Now
he’s given that up and has started to buy property. It must be in
the blood.’
    ‘ Is this up in
Liverpool?’
    ‘ Yeah. Does it
matter?’
    ‘ No of course
not. Daddy said it didn’t matter where the hotels were.’
    ‘ Okay I’ll see
what I can do.’
    Alex had to think fast.
Mel was loud, pushy, obnoxious and knew loads of people. Maybe she
could prove to be an asset. She had planned on recruiting people
using the traditional methods but in business it was quite often
about who you knew.
    ‘ Mel would you
be interested in working for me?’ she asked.
    ‘ Eh?’
    ‘ Daddy has
given me a shit load of money to recruit people on a year’s
contract. I was wondering if you’d like to be a
consultant.’
    Mel’s big blue eyes
opened even wider, her generous mouth gasping in
surprise.
    ‘ Are you
winding me up?’
    ‘ No. You’re
better at putting yourself about far more than I am. I’ve spent the
past eight years surrounded by intellectuals, I’ve withdrawn into
myself. I need someone to get out there for me.’
    ‘ Sounds
great.’
    ‘ I can pay you
thirty thousand a year and daddy will probably let you have a
company car.’
    ‘ I can’t
believe this,’ Mel smiled with a shake of the head. ‘That’ll give
me more than enough money to save up for me bar.’
    ‘ Good, glad to
be of help.’
    ‘ But one thing
girl. If you’re going into business, you’re going to have to let
yer fairy Godmother Mel give you a makeover.’
    ‘ What sort of
makeover?’
    ‘ Look at you
Al. You’re not even thirty, but that plank Tim has got you dressing
like some fifty year old lecturer. I am going to sex