“Good. I’m refreshed, had a good breakfast, and now I’m ready to see you at work.”
“Okay then. Let’s get out of here.”
Whether Harleigh is interested in business or not, she looks keen to see what I do. That makes my heart melt, because not many women are interested in the logistics. It’s usually the pound signs they’re interested in. Well, that’s the women that I used to attract. Maybe I have a guardian angel after all, and they’ve sent Harleigh to pick me up.
***
“It’s a good location,” says Samuel, the real estate agent.
I nod, look around, and watch Harleigh as she explores the building. If my memory serves me right, this was a bar-come-restaurant. A popular one at that. Most of the bars along the beach area are a big attraction for tourists, but to keep them coming back year after year, they need to serve amazing food and drink.
“Why is it for sale?”
“Owner is selling up and going back to England. Family issues. As you know, Gio, not many bars become available on the beach front. This will go quickly.”
“When do you need an answer for?”
“Yesterday. Someone else is viewing it this afternoon. If you don’t snap it up, my friend…” Samuel shrugs.
“Give me a moment.” I walk over to Harleigh, who is out at the back door that looks out to the beach. People are sunbathing, kids are playing, and music is sounding from different locations. “What are you thinking, beautiful?”
Harleigh jumps, clearly carried away with the beauty in front of her. But when she turns to look at me, I can see the fear on her face. It isn’t until she realises it’s me that her features soften, and she relaxes. I could cause physical pain to her ex for ever hurting such a gentle soul.
“It’s beautiful.” She clears her throat. “Extremely busy. A good hotspot. What’s not to like? I’m not business-minded, but it seems like it’s a good opportunity.”
I nod, place my hand on her hip, and look out to the dazzling blue sea. If I wasn’t sold on the property before, just seeing Harleigh’s reaction to the place has convinced me that this could be the best business decision I could ever make.
“I’ll take it. Stop by the hotel tonight with the paperwork and we’ll get the deal taken care of.” I turn back and walk towards Samuel.
“You sure?”
“Absolutely. It’s a little goldmine.”
“Indeed, it is, my friend. Indeed, it is. I’ll give you a call before I come by. Have a great afternoon.”
I hold my hand out for Harleigh and she takes it. “I believe I owe you lunch for helping me make this decision.”
“I did nothing.” She giggles. “I just told you what I thought, which wasn’t a business thought. But you can feed me. I won’t turn down food. What do you suggest?”
“What do you fancy?”
“Something with chips. Don’t ask where that came from.”
“I know just the place. It’s called the Hawaii Restaurant. It’s one of the best places in Sunny Beach. The food is amazing, and it’s just along here.”
“Sounds good. So, what do you plan on doing with your new venture?”
“This might sound silly, so don’t laugh.”
“I’d never laugh at your ideas.” Harleigh holds her hand up in Scouts’ honour.
“Well, I’ve noticed that gin is a big hit back home just now, but over here, bars only really sell Gordon’s Gin, Bombay Sapphire, and the odd pink gin. I want to focus on selling different kinds of gin. Of course, I’ll have other things to sell, but gin would be the big thing. I’d also do food and hopefully appeal to a wide variety of customers.”
“I love gin. Especially the flavours. I think you’ve hit the jackpot. Gin-ology.” Harleigh shrugs off her name suggestion and I stare at her with curiosity. She must feel my eyes on her and turns back to face me. “Have I got something on me?” She looks down at her body.
I shake my head. “No. I love what you just said. I’m going to call the bar Gin-ology.”
“Really? I was just sounding off.”
