Twenty minutes later when Brodie walked into El Puerto, there was no sign of Malik but the staff were busy putting final preparations in place for another busy lunchtime, so Brodie started to change one of the kegs of beer at the back of the building. He heard a noise behind him and turned to see the door of the ladies toilet open revealing Anita Malik.
“Girl can’t serve behind a bar with smudged eye makeup,” she smiled.
“Hi!” Brodie couldn’t help but sound surprised.
“You thought I had gone?”
“It had crossed my mind.”
“Oh no, you don’t get rid of me that easily.”
“Who said I want to be rid of you?”
Brodie turned away, finished connecting the beer keg and started toward the bar.
“Do you really have a budgerigar?”
He stopped and looked at Malik over his shoulder.
“No.”
“That’s go
