Page 153 of Hard Luck (Blackstone House)

“It is, and it’s necessary. The Galaxy’s theatre is a great asset, but so far this year, you’ve hosted performances from a country-and-western singer, a children’s entertainer, a stand-up comedian, a hypnotist, and a self-styled business guru. There’s no consistency. Switch the variety for showgirls and burlesque, and make the shows an extension of the hotel. Invite special guests, but make sure they trulyare special. Singers who can fill the hotel based on their name alone.”

“What about returning guests? Families who’ve stayed with us before? They won’t like it if they arrive and find the kids’ club has been turned into a speakeasy.”

“A speakeasy? That’s an excellent idea. And I’m talking a whole rebrand here. A fresh name, a fresh start.”

“So it wouldn’t be called the Galaxy anymore?”

“No, it wouldn’t.”

Cole bit his lip. He wasn’t fond of change, and yet he’d coped remarkably well considering his whole life had been thrown into a blender in the past year.

“What about the staff?” he asked.

“You said they were loyal, and that’s a trait I admire. We’ll keep as many of them as possible on, but not necessarily in the same roles. Take your general manager, for example. Perry? When Indi and I were at the hotel earlier, he was flapping in the restaurant while a parent complained that the ice cream was ‘too melty.’ Firstly, other staff should be able to handle that situation, and secondly, Perry has no backbone. He’s a follower, not a leader.”

“I know that—he was catapulted into the position when Uncle Mike died, and I’m just grateful he hasn’t quit.”

“So you think he’d be happier in a different position?”

Cole nodded.

“Good. You need someone in the role who has an eye for quality and excellent knowledge of the leisure industry.”

“Can you recommend anybody like that?”

“Actually, I can. The manager of my club in San Francisco is looking for a new challenge.”

“One of your private members’ clubs?”

“Exactly that. A private members’ club,” Brax told him at the same time as I coughed and said, “Sex club.”

Indi giggled. Apparently, she knew all about Brax’s dark side.

Cole didn’t laugh. “Is a sex club even legal?”

“We’re not selling sex. We’re providing a place for like-minded people to socialise, along with the choice of amenities you’d expect from a five-star establishment. The San Francisco location has eighty-seven rooms, so it is in essence a small hotel, and our members are what Las Vegas would class as high-rollers.”

“So you’d want to run the Galaxy as one of these ‘socialisation spaces’?”

“No, I want to diversify my portfolio. Still adult-oriented, but minus the spanking benches. The new Galaxy would also be run to the same standards as my other businesses—with attention to detail, a high staff-to-guest ratio, and an emphasis on quality rather than cost.”

I could see Cole was wavering, and I knew that was a mistake.

“I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t trust Brax,” I told him. “He has both the capital and the connections to turn the Galaxy around. You honestly won’t get a better offer.”

“And I trust Jerry,” Brax said. “That’s the only reason I’m here. I won’t lie—the land the Galaxy stands on is worth more than the business as a going concern, thanks to the debt involved. If this was a regular deal, that’s what I’d be pushing for: the land. Sending the company into bankruptcy and selling off the assets. But I owe Jerry a favour.”

And there was the other side of Brax. He was a good man to have as a friend, but absolutely ruthless when it came to business. In the past, he’d focused on work at a cost to his personal life. That led to him marrying a total bitch because he didn’t see her for what she was, but I washopeful that he’d turned a corner now with Indi. She wasn’t a parasite the way Carissa had been. Indi had her own career in medicine, and money didn’t seem to be her primary driver. Helping people was her goal in life. In a way, we had the same aim—our executions were just very different.

“Must be a pretty big favour,” Cole said.

“It is. Maybe she’ll tell you the details someday, but I’ll leave that up to her.”

“I see.” Cole took a sip of wine. “How would things work if we rebrand? The logistics, I mean. What about the guests? The staff?”

“Planning is key, and we’d carry out the work with minimum business interruption. Any bookings during the transition period would be shuffled to other hotels, and guests with later reservations would be given the option to keep their room at the same rate or receive a full refund. In the interim, we’d retrain any staff who want to stay, and then we’d open with a bang.”

I snorted at that, and Brax gave me a sideways glance.

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