At the western end of the Finchbottom Vale lay the small market town of Childean and on the outskirts was the Dancingdean Spa Hotel.
The manager was Ian Ferguson and he was 28 years old and his father was owned a substantial share in the Hotel which influenced the decision to appoint him.
However it may have been nepotism that got him the job but it was his hard work and diligence that kept him in place and his choice of old school friend Declan Hughes as his assistant certainly didn’t hurt.
Declan also made one or two inspired appointments Mark Humphreys and Rachel Hunt as Hospitality manager and assistant respectively and they worked as a very effective team although at times it wasn’t entirely clear who managed who.
The Sarah Busby birthday surprise fiasco was a good case in point.
Sarah was a big Afro Caribbean woman who worked in the hotel kitchen and had worked there for more than 20 years.
She was also celebrating her 50th birthday which was why a large bouquet of flowers was to be delivered to the hotel and presented to her for her birthday.
However to all involved the hospitality manager, Mark Humphreys had given her the day off.
“Well you’ll have to take them round to her house” Rachel said crossly
“Can’t we just give them to her tomorrow” he said
“Oh give me strength” she retorted
“Is that a no then?” he asked
“Men” she snapped and slammed his office door
“I’d better take them round then” he said to himself
As it was a nice summer afternoon he decided to walk into Childean and deliver the flowers.
He walked up the path to Sarah’s house and knocked on the door but when it opened, instead of the round and jovial Sarah he was greeted by someone altogether different, younger, skinnier and prettier.
“Hello” he said with surprise
“Can I help?” she asked
“I was looking for Sarah” he asked, and indicating the flowers.
“I’m afraid aunty has gone out for the day” she said
“Your Aunty?” he asked
“Yes” she replied “I’m staying with her for a while”
“I’m Mark Humphreys from the Hotel” he said
“I’m Michele” she said and smiled because her aunty had told her all about him and how nice he was.
“Why don’t you come in?”
“Ok” he said recognizing the look on her face
She led him into the sitting room while she went into the kitchen to put the flowers in water.
Michele Singer was a few years younger than he, tall and slim with thick back hair, she was a skinny girl but not in a boney way she just had a skinny frame.
Her eyes were big and almost black and she had a huge toothy smile, which lit up the whole of Childean.
“Would you like tea or coffee?” She called from the kitchen
The next two hours passed by really quickly as they sat in the lounge chatting and he would have stayed longer had he not received a phone call from his assistant Rachel asking where the hell he was.
“I have to get back to the Hotel I’m afraid”
“Oh that’s a shame” she said “I was rather enjoying our chat”
“Yes me too”
“Are you free this evening?” Michelle asked hopefully “I could feed you”
“That would be lovely” he said as he stepped outside “7.30?”
Michele cooked him a lovely meal which they ate leisurely accompanied by a liberal amount of wine and after he had helped her clear away they returned to the lounge where she steered him to one of the armchairs and pushed him down and as he sat down he pulled her down with him so she was sitting on his lap.
Because she was so tall, her head was above his, and smiled at his upturned face and then she kissed him.
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