Sharon nearly fell off her chair; she hadn’t expected this. What did she know about strip clubs? She interrupted the accountant, saying, ‘I’m really not the right person to do that, I don’t know anything about it.’ She blushed at the thought.

‘Then do your research, Sharon. Go and see some of the pubs and clubs and then put a different slant on it. A woman running things would make it harder for the strippers to influence with their feminine ways. They couldn’t flatter you or tempt you in the way they could tempt a man, if you know what I mean.’ The accountant moved his glasses to the end of his nose and looked over them at Sharon.

She looked around the room. The three of them were looking at her and waiting for some kind of reaction.

‘Can I think about it?’ she said. She was beginning to feel pressured. They all nodded in agreement.

During the course of the day, Jake kept talking about the idea, and for each argument Tony put up, Jake had an answer. Tony even complained about the expense of having chrome poles put on the stage that were safe enough for the dancers to use.

‘You’re complaining about money?’ That made Jake laugh out loud. They were raking it in and life had never been so good. They were taking thousands from the protection racket, and the security firm that Tony had suddenly plucked out of the air and put in Jake’s name had taken off considerably. It operated as an agency, and people were ringing for security guards to go to festivals, and even warehouses. It was crazy, but they were employing more people to do the job and earning a lot of money in the process. The money-lending, or loan sharking, as Tony’s side business was known, was also making a lot of money in interest payments. No, money definitely wasn’t the problem. Tony’s attitude was. They were chauffeur-driven now, which made it easier for them to talk business in the back of the car. ‘Come on, Tony, let’s try it. Let Sharon do the interviews and take control of that side of things. Let’s show the world “Lambrianu’s” is not only a great nightclub, but also the place to see beautiful women.’ Jake raised an eyebrow and smiled at Tony.

‘Okay, mate, it’s Sharon’s decision now; I want nothing to do with it. I’ll pay for the alterations to the club, but that’s it. I’m not the bossman, using the club for my own recreation.’

Jake knew he could get Sharon onside. He had already seen that she liked the idea and was drawn to the position of power it would give her, rather than just being the bar manager. Since she had given up her job to work with them both, he knew she felt that she had lost some of her independence and status. This was her opportunity to be someone in her own right.