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something here. She’s your number one fan, thinks you can fly from rooftop to rooftop, arms outstretched under your cape and yet
you
envy
her
. This must be a solicitor thing because in the bank it’s much more simple. Basically everyone envies the next person up the ladder. In fact that’s exactly what a career in the bank is, a game of snakes and ladders. Every time you do well you go up the ladder until one day you balls up, sorry Rattani, I think I’ve had too much wine, until one day you make one mistake too many and then whoosh, you slide right the way down a big snake and land in the snake pit.”
    Melanie swung her arm around in an exaggerated demonstration just as a woman in brown tweeds was passing. She stopped her arm in mid swing but inertia ensured that the entire contents of the glass continued their flight, landing roughly amidships of the generous bust belonging to tweed lady. With white wine disappearing down her cleavage she stood motionless, in total shock. Her face slowly turned red with anger until it resembled scorched sandpaper.
    Ratty and Melanie stared at her, silence had gripped the little group as each waited for another to say something, but no one wanted to speak first. After several seconds the lady, who Melanie later discovered was Miss Highnam, a partner in Nina’s firm, exclaimed angrily, “Women who cannot hold their drink should not be permitted in decent company.” She then turned and marched off, presumably to the bathroom. Melanie recoiled at her own stupidity. She obviously worked in Ratty’s firm so he would be embarrassed by her carelessness. Before she could make an escape from this self-made mess Ratty took her by the arm and gently guided her to an alcove, which was slightly set back and a lot less prominent.
    “If you will insist on throwing drinks over my esteemed colleagues,” he said, “can we at least move somewhere less conspicuous.” He looked straight into her eyes and smiled.
    Melanie was in a trance, her muscles ceased to obey her commands. She was staring into the kindest eyes she had ever seen. From this distance they excited her like none before, of that she was certain. The warmth generated by Ratty’s perpetual smile was the equal of a nuclear power station. It was evident he wasn’t cross with her. They reflected on the unfortunate downfall of Miss Highnam, and, as if ignited by the same spark they were overcome by spontaneous laughter. With tears streaming down her face Melanie put her hands across her stomach to ease the pain. Ratty spoke first, “I recall you describing her bosom as a snake pit before dumping the contents of your glass into it. Brilliant,” he exclaimed, ‘absolutely brilliant. How am I ever going to take that woman seriously again?’
    “I’m so sorry Ratty; I just got a bit carried away telling you about the bank. I was going to tell you what they did to my friend Jenny. I didn’t look and... well you know what happened next, sorry.”
    “Don’t be sorry Mel, I haven’t enjoyed myself so much in years. I’m never going to miss a party you’re at. I’ll put a clause in Nina’s contract that forbids her having a party unless we’re both invited. In fact ... I’d like to invite you to a function of my own next week, if you wouldn’t think me too forward. Please let me explain before you say no.”
    Mel wasn’t about to say no, but something told her she should.
    “Next Wednesday I have to address around a hundred business leaders at the Hilton Hotel in town. Our firm will have to do more of these seminars if they want to hold on to the big corporate accounts like Stellar Haufman. I’ve been asked to talk for an hour on contract law. Now here’s the problem, I could talk to them for an hour on the origin of contract and equity. I could bleat on about tortuous liability and the classic test for establishing a duty of care, the famous formulae of Lord Atkin in Donoghue v Stevenson in the Appeal Court in 1932 but I’d