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CHAPTER ONE

KAYLA MARTIN

If dating is a game let’s play it

My dad discovered the secret sauce in the bar business: eers, let them do their jobs, sit back and enjoy success

At the Ugly Duckling, the key ingredient wasn’t the trendy bar vibe and stylish but quirky decor It wasn’t the priton None of that

The secret to success was Gillian, AKA Gill, AKA the idea’s generator with the will to succeed and the personality to draw the customers

Dad worked at another of his bars, a spit and sawdust joint called the Hungry Mallard Andbehind the scenes It was just a paycheck to h his businesses

And I didn’t usually worry about it

Gill came up withnew clients, and keeping them

Her novelty speed-dating event boosted ot the go-ahead for her next off-the-wall gie?

A cheesy sixties aesthetic decorated a far corner, setting the scene for the show The faux walls covered in so, red plastic flower decor, surrounded a tereen armchair at one end and then a row of four bar stools A screen separated the chair fro the woman in the hot chair

The ugly-as-sin backdrop was evocative of old television ga Game And it clashed badly with the typically sophisticated chill ambiance of the Duck

The venue typically appealed to ladies who lunch and a young, trendy, hip crowd in the evenings

Gill tried to explain the thinking behind the novel event: s wanted to have fun after work, to unwind, and get laid Hence, The Dating Game revival tapped into those basic wishes

I had severe doubts about the wisdom of this event, but hey, everyone’s allowed an occasional failure, and this sounded like it would be Gill’s