Lloyd was sitting in Paul Chadwick's office being briefed on the events of the last three weeks. Paul had a pad full of notes and comments for Lloyd.
"Well, that about covers everything," Paul said. "You should have come to me for help, Lloyd. I never realized how much of the load you were carrying. I've decided to loan you two of my top production managers until you hire a couple of men to replace them.
Incidentally, you might mention to any new hires that they can count on keeping their jobs after the Telecom project is over. We have several theatrical projects on the drawing board that should be ready for production next year."
"Congratulations on getting Telecom to extend the contract for another year," Paul said. "We are pleased at the great job you are doing. Now don't go pushing yourself so hard again; and hire some more people to help you out. We can't afford to lose our top man."
"Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate your stepping in; I know you have a lot on your plate already."
"No problem," Paul said. "Glad I could help you out, keep up the good work."
Lloyd had called Randy at home before the meeting with Paul and asked him to drop by his office and fill out an employment application. He was calling a production meeting and he wanted him to sit in.
After his meeting with Paul he stopped at his office, picked up his notes and led Randy to the theater. His entire staff was too large to fit in the conference room so they had elected to hold the conference in the theater. In attendance were the twenty department heads, their assistants, his Production Supervisor, and senior Production managers. Lloyd sat in the center of the large table that had been set up on the stage. Seated next to Lloyd were Jim White, and his four production managers. He had Randy seated to his right.
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen," Lloyd said. "Before we begin, I want to introduce Randy Cavanaugh, my executive assistant. Randy is new to this game but a wiz at administration and budgeting. I want you to cooperate with him and help him as much as possible."
"I've just left the boss's office and he has given me a pad full of notes. I'm also putting out a call for production managers. If any one of you feels you are ready to move into that slot, come and speak to me after the meeting. I'm asking all of you to let it be known that we have openings for five more assistant production managers. The list of positions will be posted on the bulletin board this afternoon."
"Now, I want a damage control report starting with the worst disasters then working down to the serious problems."
"I've read the production reports and I know why you're ready to draw blood," Lloyd said. "Look my friends, we are all in this together and we've got to work together for the good of the project. I'm determined to get everything back on an even keel. This project is a damn mess right now, so let's fix it."
"I'll level with you; I'm really not ready to return to work. My doctor thinks I need another two weeks to recover. I came back sooner because Paul said this project has gone to hell in a hand basket. Now I don't intend to let our client down, and we have a lot of people depending on us. We are all professionals here and I want you to put the last three weeks behind us and start over again."
"With that in mind let's begin to get this project back on track."
After each department head made their report Lloyd had the overall picture of what he was up against. He switched the remote crews around to cover the productions that were bogged down. He authorized the hiring of several local production companies to handle several of his productions. One-by-one the production groups problems were solved. By the time he finished with the last manager, the room was empty.
Lloyd returned to his office and dictated his list of job descriptions and had them distributed throughout the organization. He had the Personnel Manager publish the openings in the three newspapers.
He called in Jim White, his senior Production Supervisor on the Telecom project. Jim walked into his office a few minutes later.
"Jim, close the door. You've met Randy already," Lloyd said. "Nothing we say in this room is to be repeated. Correct me if I'm wrong, Jim, but let me lay it out for you from my perspective. Paul couldn't help tinker with the schedules and had to change things around to save money right? I saw a lot of angry faces in that meeting this morning. There's not a damn thing I can say that will change, or mitigate the damage that has been done. All I can do is to ask them for their cooperation and to put everything back together again. For the rest of the day I'm going try and smooth a lot of ruffled feathers. What I said in the meeting was true; the doctor said I really needed at least two more weeks of R&R. I came back because I couldn't let you guys down. If these teams can hold together, I'm sure Telecom will put in a good word for them to the next company."
"You're right about Paul screwing things up," Jim said. "By last Thursday night I had a mutiny on my hands. All five group leaders called in sick on Friday. Telecom called Paul on Friday and wanted to know what the hell was going on. That's when Paul tried to reach you. He was pissed when he got nowhere with your houseman. Paul came to me and pleaded with me to try and reach you and explain how bad the situation was. Believe me, it wasn't for Paul's sake that I called you, it's because he was trashing your project."
"Thanks for your help, Jim. I've scheduled another meeting for tomorrow afternoon. My plan is to make the rounds today and have a chat with each manager. Now, I would like you to work with Randy today and teach him the ropes. I can't think of a better teacher."
"Flattery will get you everywhere," Jim said. "You heard the boss, Randy, let's go."
"I would like for you to try to be back here by six o'clock, Randy." Lloyd said.
Later that afternoon Jim took Randy over to one of the sound stages to check on the sets for the next day's shoot.
"There's a lot to learn about this job," Randy said. "I never realized how complex everything is."
"We need to check up on all these little details," Jim said. "The actual shoot tomorrow will cost twenty thousand dollars. If the set is not perfect by early tomorrow morning the costs could continue to grow."
"How do you rate Lloyd as a boss?"
"He's the best in the business. There's not a person on this project who doesn't respect him. He's tough, yet absolutely fair with his people. He treats everyone with respect and I've never heard him raise his voice to anyone. One thing for sure, he'll go to bat for his people and they know that. He works harder and longer than any other person in this company and always has time to listen to your problems. Nine times out of ten he can usually help you find the solution."
"He knows this business better than anyone here and can step into any job and handle it. I've been in this business a long time and worked for them all. Lloyd is the best boss I've ever worked for. He could walk into any production company tomorrow and name his price. This company is screwing him. You know what Lloyd's trouble is? He's too darn loyal to the Chadwicks. He thinks he owes them because they gave him a job and helped him out when he first started with the company. Now he feels that he owes Paul for letting him run this project."
"Hell, any other guy would have walked after the first six months, me included. Lloyd is the only administrator in this organization that's capable of handling this project. The Chadwicks are making a huge profit on this contract. You saw what happened the first time old Paul got his hands on the project? No only did Telecom get angry, they were about to slap him with a non-performance penalty. That was enough to get Paul's attention. He had no choice but to get Lloyd back here. Good ol' Lloyd will save Paul's hide once again. If it were me, I'd let that stupid bastard Paul fall on his face. I like Lloyd and I'm really concerned about his health. He doesn't look well. I've tried talking some sense to him, but he always comes back with his dedication to the project and his contract with the Chadwicks. That's the kind of man you're working for. Stick with him and you'll learn something, if he doesn't drop dead from overwork."
"Don't mind me; I'm only blowing off steam. We all get caught up in a job sometimes. It can become frustrating when you change horses in the middle of the stream. That's what happened here. Paul Chadwick is not a bad sort really; he is too hung up on cutting corners to be a good manager. Lloyd on the other hand is a creative administrator, therein lays the tale."
"Thanks for the insight," Randy said. "Tell me, what do you think of Eric Von Hoven, your creative director?"
"Good man, he knows his business, very creative. Eric can come up with some damn good concepts, but he's a loose cannon and like most creative types, very difficult to control. You've got to keep a tight reign on his spending. If the budget calls for a Ford he'll go for the Cadillac every time. Why do you ask?"
"I overheard him raising a ruckus with a couple of the group leaders. He wanted to know why his ideas were changed on the media mix on the Auto convention, something about not following his concept."
"That's typical of Eric," Jim said. "He'll fight for his ideas. Sometimes he even wins. He hates Paul Chadwick with a passion and the feeling is mutual. If Lloyd leaves, Eric will be out on his ear. You're going to see a lot of people leaving when this project is over. I had to laugh about the comment Paul made about there being a job for everyone after this project is over. There will be an exodus from this place when Lloyd steps down. I've told Lloyd he's got to move on when this project is over. Most people here only work for Paul Chadwick when they're desperate. Paul is an autocrat and you can't make a move without his approval. He can't hold on to the creative people."
"Lloyd on the other hand delegates authority wherever he can. He's hand picked his people for this project and they are good. They wouldn't stay under Paul. All that crap about Paul giving to us two seasoned production supervisors is a joke. Those two guys he's giving us never had an original thought in their head. They're Paul's kind of yes men. It's really sad when you think about it. Don't let me disillusion you about Chadwick. It's still a good company and a good training ground. Work hard and learn as much as you can, then make your move when you're ready."
"Well, it's six o'clock, you'd better check in with the boss. I'll see you in the morning to take you around and introduce you to the other departments, unless Lloyd needs you for something else."
When he returned to Lloyd's office, there were two group leaders with him. Lloyd waved him in and pointed to a chair. The meeting finally broke up at seven.
"Robert is expecting us home for dinner by eight. I thought we could walk home tonight," Lloyd said, as they walked out of the building.
"I'm having lunch with Dad on Wednesday," Randy said. "He sends his warmest regards sealed with a kiss which I'll save for later. I don't think Fifth Avenue is the right place for that. How do you feel?"
"A little tired, but that's normal for a Monday. It's been a rough day. Thank God, no one quit today. I think I've talked everyone into staying. How did you like your first day at Chadwick's?"
"Very interesting, I've learned a lot about you," Randy said. "You're quite a guy and your people respect you. I was impressed when you addressed the troops at the morning meeting. What a change from the cuddly guy I hold in my arms every night. I was very proud of you today, baby. This is a fascinating business. It's easy to see how you can become caught up in the glamour of the industry. Tell me, how are your two seasoned production managers working out?"
"Just fine, I sent them back to Paul with my blessings. I've talked to three freelance production managers from the West Coast. If they are as good as they sound, I'm going to hire them on the spot."
"Your talk last week opened my eyes to a lot of things. Sometimes my blindness to the Chadwick's has caused me a lot of grief. From now on I'm going to listen to your good advice. I'm glad we spent the last three weeks away from everyone. It gave me the opportunity to put everything in perspective. I was so wrapped up in work; I lost sight of my priorities. I meant what I told you last week, you are my number one concern, and everything else takes second place."
"Today I forced myself to look at this entire project objectively; from my morning meeting with Paul, to my last conference this evening. I've concluded that all the energy and hard work I've spent building an efficient organization has meant absolutely nothing to my employer. In three short weeks, Paul almost succeeded in derailing the entire project. I finally succeeded in convincing my two best managers to stick with me. You walked into the tail end of that meeting tonight."
"If you had not forced me to stop, I would still be pushing myself to the limit. Do you know that was my first vacation in over two years? If nothing else, I've learned an important lesson about people, they rarely change. Paul ran true to form and will never change. I've had it with the Chadwicks. Although I'll still honor my obligation and see the Telecom contract to the finish, after I've hired my new staff I plan to cut back on my hours. I'm not working eighty hours a week any longer. If the Chadwicks interfere with the project again, I'll resign and let them run it."
"Thank God you've come to your senses," Randy said. "I thought I was going to have to kidnap you every weekend."
"Randy, you've been a prince. Don't think I don't feel guilty neglecting you the way I have been lately. That will never happen again. I've been stupid to allow that to happen. I love you, Randy, and I will do anything for you, all you have to do is ask, always remember that," Lloyd said. "You mean more to me than anything in this world."
Randy Senior and Lloyd were having lunch at the Four Seasons Restaurant. "You look much healthier today, a great improvement over the last time I saw you," Randy Senior said. "I must confess I was worried about you."
"Thank you; I really appreciate your concern about me. I'm only sorry I missed so many of our lunch dates," Lloyd said. "This is really the first opportunity I've had to thank you for your generous offer to finance Randy and me in a new business. You'll never know how much this means to us. He is lucky to have a father like you. Randy is a dynamo of energy. He's working his tail off to pull this all together. He loves every minute of it and has really taken hold of this new venture. He is a take charge kind of guy."
"Would you mind answering a question that has been bothering me for some time?" Senior asked. "I feel we're close enough that you wouldn't be offended if I asked you a few questions about your life style. If you don't want to answer, I'll understand."
"Ask away. I'll be happy to answer any question that pertains directly to me."
"Fair enough, let me preface my questions by saying that I know very little about homosexuals. This is not a subject I feel comfortable discussing with Randy. Are you attracted to all males, or only certain males?"
Lloyd thought for several seconds before answering. "This must be difficult for you as a parent. It must have come as a shock to you when Randy admitted he was a homosexual. I can't even imagine what must have gone through your mind when he told you he had a spouse. Personally, I think I would have found that difficult to accept. Heck, it was difficult for me to accept. It's not an easy thing to live through. By rights, you should be having lunch with Randy's wife, not his lover."
"In answer to your question, I must admit that I know very little about the gay community at large. My knowledge is limited to reading books on the subject, attending lectures and my association with my small circle of gay friends. All the sexual experiences I have had were with heterosexual and bisexual men. There are a large number of gay men in our society that you never hear about. The public at large only sees the tip of the iceberg. The gay men we see, or hear about, are in the most vocal groups and the most obvious gay men. I'm referring to the effeminate men, or the leather crowd, or the groups you see marching on Gay-Pride day."
"The majority of the gay population is like Randy and me. The gay population figure most often mentioned is 10-percent. That figure seems low to me. My guess is the figure is much higher. One year I would like to see the government circulate a simple questionnaire passed out to every junior in high school, and every senior in college, to learn if they're gay, or if they suspect they may be a gay. I'm convinced you would find that the numbers would be much greater then we think."
"Randy is the only man I have ever loved and we have a monogamous relationship. This is not to say I have not had my fair share of sex over the years. Of course I would be angry if another man made a pass at me. I've lived my whole life up to this point as a heterosexual. To this day, I still think that way. I'm still uncomfortable with the stigma of being labeled as homosexual, even though I have little choice in the matter. That's the way I was born. Randy and I will always face that stigma and there's nothing much we can do about it. All we can hope for is to be allowed to live our lives without any interference from those people that think we can change our orientation."
"Any intelligent man would never choose to be a homosexual. We will never be truly accepted by the majority of society. Even my own religion is against me. Don't think that doesn't hurt, but I'm sure God loves Randy and me just as much as he does any other human being in his flock. I become angry at times when I think of the countless number of people who hate us because we are gay. To me that is so wrong. I have heard people say they hope the AIDS virus kills all the gays of the world. That's the kind of hate that's out there. Our so called Christian leaders should be ashamed of themselves to condemn homosexuals. It is unthinkable to believe a homosexual really wants to be that way, or that he can change."
"I'm sorry that I got off on a tangent, but sometimes it's difficult to remain aloof to these disparages. Before I close the subject, I would like to say that if God gave me the choice this minute to become straight, in return for giving up Randy, I would remain a homosexual in spite of everything I will face tomorrow. Randy and I believe that God has given us each other and we are happy together."
"I appreciate your sharing that with me, Lloyd. You're a fine young man and you have become like another son to me. I will always be grateful to you for what you have done for Randy. He has found himself and I've never seen him happier. I've accepted the fact that he is a homosexual, and I don't feel depressed, or guilty about that. Randy is my son and I love him. I want him to be happy."
"His marriage to Dotty was a disaster and almost killed him. As much as I was opposed to that marriage, I didn't interfere. Again, it was Randy's life and I wanted grandchildren. I suspected something was very wrong with that relationship from the very beginning. After their breakup, I suspected there was something much deeper bothering Randy; it was more than just his divorce."
"Randy and Curtis had a special bond between them from the beginning. They were wonderful boys and competitive as siblings are, but they were never mean-spirited. It was a healthy relationship, up to a point. That point was when they began sleeping together. I felt they were experimenting with sex and I didn't interfere. I let it run its course. In time they did grow out of that and went their separate ways. At least that's what I thought."
"It was Curtis' death that triggered the beginning of Randy's mental breakdown. He blamed himself for that death. The breakup of his marriage didn't help, but I knew it was not the root cause of Randy's breakdown. It would have killed me if I lost Randy. It took over two years in a sanatorium to bring him back to the living, then six more months of intensive therapy."
"Naturally, my wife and I will never get over Curtis' death. He was a unique man and I miss him to this day. Curtis had a brilliant mind and was a fine lawyer. He was being groomed to take over the firm. His death was like a knife in my heart. It was a terribly wasted life of a fine young man."
"Randy is all we have left and I don't want to lose him. I pray that you will stay with him and keep him on the right path. If you do this, I will see that no harm ever comes to you, or Randy."
Lloyd's voice was heavy when he spoke again, "Please don't say any more because I'll start bawling. I feel deeply touched by your sincerity. Randy is the most important person in my life and I can assure you that I have every intention of making him happy. Randy is not only my spouse, but he is my best friend as well. We need each other, and we have a healthy relationship. We're going to make it, Mr. Cavanaugh, because we both want it to work."
"Don't worry about having grandchildren, because Randy and I will be starting a family within a year. He doesn't know it yet, but that's my plan. Randy will make a wonderful father and he needs an outlet for his boundless energy. Someone has to take care of us in our old age. At least you and mom will have us around to take care of you."
"That's wonderful, Lloyd, but don't you think it will be tough for a gay couple to adopt children?"
"We will not be adopting. These children will be our own. One of my very good friends is a doctor and he has already begun the search for surrogate mothers to bear our children. It may happen sooner, but Dr. Purdy already has six candidates that he feels look promising. He'll know better after his detectives complete their investigation."
"This is a long, tedious process that will take several months before we know for sure. It is also very expensive. Promise me you won't say a word to Randy, until I tell him first. Randy likes to make all the major decisions in our marriage. He takes his duties as head of the family very seriously. He's damn good at it and I want to keep it that way."
Randy Senior chuckled, "You're very clever. Are you sure you wouldn't like to go to law school and take over my firm?"
"What, and leave Randy all alone to run the company and take care of the children, too? Not on your life. Knowing Randy as I do, he'll insist that we spend a lot of quality time with the children. But while they're babies there's no reason why they can't live with us in the duplex. After they learn to walk, I think we'll move to Waterview. I want to spend as much time as we can with the children. As you know, we only have them for eighteen years. After that they're off to college and on their own. I want to make the most of those years. I know Randy will feel the same way."
Lloyd smiled, "I can't believe I said that, you've already raised two children. Forgive me, Dad, we've become so close I forget sometimes you're Randy's father."
"I take that as a compliment, Lloyd. I'm glad you feel that way. I want to be your friend above anything else. Don't feel that I'm some old guy who's lost touch with what's happening in your world."
"Thanks, Dad, I'm not going to say anything to Randy about this until I've found the right mothers. He has enough on his plate right now. But there will be no holding him down once he knows he's going to be a father. I know that Randy and I will make good parents. I'm sure Mister Wonderful will take it all in his stride. He is not happy unless he organizing and planning our future. As I said before, I don't plan to discourage him. At this point all I want to do is to channel his boundless energies in the right direction. He needs children to make his life complete, he has so much love to give."
"This has been the most uplifting afternoon I've had in a long time, Lloyd. You have given me something to look forward to. I never thought I would ever have grandchildren. I hope to be hearing some good news from Randy in the near future. Just out of curiosity, how many children do you plan to have?"
Lloyd chuckled, "If it doesn't put Randy out of shape, I was planning on six children."
Randy Senior laughed heartily.