Michael
Richard waves me to a seat. “All working out with the hotel then, Michael? How's my investment coming along?”
“It's all going pretty well. In fact, I was going to ask if you're free one day next week.”
“For?”
“For coming up to the hotel and meeting the new staff. I've been trialling them down at the City Centre, but I'm happy with them now.”
“All good?”
“Some.” I rock a hand. “I shed a couple who didn't come up to the mark but I'm left with a team I'm very happy with. They're all multifunctional but specialising in different areas.”
“Those areas being?”
“One is a qualified swimming instructor, which means among other things, that we can make visits a full family affair. The parents can bring the kids and there's someone to keep an eye on them in the pool.”
“Sounds good. And the others?”
“One is a chiropractor cum masseur…”
“Which frees up your time...”
“Exactly. She does aromatherapy too. And the third can take charge of the self-defense classes.”
“Which frees up Charlotte.”
“Quite. So, if you would like to, you and Beth can meet them all and maybe you'd like to use the facilities while you're there?”
“I'm sure Elizabeth would want to. Massage and aromatherapy would be just the sort of thing she’d enjoy. And of course afterwards, she can tell her friends about it.”
“I sort of had that in mind myself.”
*****
James
coffee for himself and Charlotte then passes the jug to me. “Charlotte,
toast. “What am I making
the new self-defence trainer. The other new staff too when they arrive this afternoon, but him in particular. You can talk him through what
up on his investment?”
so I made a point of inviting them. Give her the
scrapes butter over more toast. “No problem.
“Charles.”
butter. “And what kind of self-defence does he do? Does he specialise in
downs his coffee in two gulps. “He seems to cover the field. If it’s something a woman can use to defend herself, or a man for that matter, he seems happy to teach it.” He reaches for the coffeepot. “Certainly the clients in the
her toast, her
“Something wrong?”
he look like?
certain he's gay, so
and her gaze
???
if that's
Michael’s smile is sunny. “The more
lobby. Michael
waiting, tall, blond, powerfully built. Michael strides forward, hand offered. “Charles, great to see
“You too,
my friend James and my wife,
James." He offers his hand, smiling
Instantly likeable…
his gaze travels past me to settle on Charlotte and he gapes.
she has been lurking behind me. “Hello, Chad.” She looks down, then at me, then at
his eyes wild,
shoulder. “Yes, husband. Hi, Chad. You might like
and Michael
book of etiquette is silent on
The receptionist is staring…
no-one teach
Time to take charge…
we should go somewhere
*****
for
Michael and Charlotte following, he
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