It was time for them to go down to the casino and watch the proceedings. After all, this was opening night, people would expect them to be there – including the journalists and photographers who wanted to be the first to spread the gossip.

They couldn’t hear much activity below and that bothered them. Had no one turned up? They looked at each other, before pushing the door to the casino open. They were hit by a burst of noise. Of course, Tony thought, the room is soundproofed! No wonder we couldn’t hear anything! To their surprise and delight, people were swarming in. Customers were at the tables and the staff were all busy. Waitresses walked the floor with large silver trays of drinks, tending to all the gamblers desperate to win a fortune.

Jake pushed Tony forward. ‘Time to wander around and play host, Tony. Work your magic.’

Tony felt proud and nodded. After all their hard work and planning, it had finally come together. He felt a lump in his throat and stuck out his chest with pride as he surveyed the room. He walked forwards and made his way around the room, wishing the customers good luck and shaking hands with some of the people he knew and recognised from the club.

Newspaper photographers took photo after photo of Tony and the casino, and journalists interviewed him and Jake about how they felt on their grand opening. They were both very nonchalant about it, and played it very matter of fact. They were businessmen, and this was just another project.

‘Lambrianu Casino a roaring success’, read the reviews in the newspapers the next morning. Each and every one of them told the story of the night’s proceedings and there, in the middle of them all, were photos of Tony smiling and posing for their cameras. Everything had gone brilliantly and, under Graham’s watchful eye, very smoothly.

13

GENTLEMEN ONLY

The opening of the men’s club was a much more low-key affair. The waitresses were dressed in black satin bustier corsets, which looked like tight-fitting bathing costumes, sleek and figure-hugging and, of course, they had on the trademark pink bow ties.

Members of the club wandered in and out at their own pace, spoke to Mathers, and acknowledged Tony as the owner, but not as an equal. In fact, Tony felt snubbed by some of them. He knew that most of them were high-class gentlemen with breeding, born into money. That alone made him feel inadequate. He hadn’t felt like this since he was a child: wanting acceptance and not knowing how to get it.

Even though he now had plenty of money and lots of businesses that were flourishing, these ‘gentlemen’ still saw him as a protection racket boss with an eye for the ladies, and a bad reputation.

‘You and they are wrong, Tony. You were born into money, for God’s sake. You’re a Lambrianu. You own half of Italy. Remember?’ Jake was doing his best to make Tony feel better, though he could see his efforts were wasted. He knew Tony wanted some form of respect from these men. Approval, if you like.