Chương 108: Book 4 - Chapter 4 A

Waking up to find it to be 230pm the same day I left at 10pm is strange. We were only an hour out and the flight captain had just announced the weather in San Diego. It was a wonderful ten degrees warmer than Tokyo and promised to be a clear and sunny day. Arriving at the beach house, Angella Limeria was waiting with a welcoming smile. I gave her a hug, surprising her.

"How have you been?" I asked her.

"I'm fine, John. It's only been a month since you dropped me back here in San Diego. Not much has happened."

"Good. It feels like I've been gone forever and seeing you felt like a welcome home." She gave me a soft smile.

"I know you ate on the plane," she said.

"But whenever you're ready I've got pizzas prepared to go in the oven. You can eat fifteen minutes from whenever you say you're hungry."

"Wonderful. I'm not going to do anything but sit back and watch cartoons. We've got someone new joining us tomorrow and I'll be heading back to GA to work on Monday," I said, intensely curious about the new channel just launched by Heartland Media.

"What about the big TV?" Matt asked.

"I told them to bring it tomorrow. The box it's in is 4-foot square. They'll need a big truck, it's nearly a quarter ton."

"I still don't know how you talked Sony into selling you one," Matt said.

"I threw money at them. Don't tell anybody but I paid $50, 000 for it." Matt seemed to choke on that, then cleared his throat and went to his room to put his luggage away. I examined the 27-inch TV and its flimsy stand in the living room as I settled in to check out the brand new Cartoon Network. The next morning Tim Meadows showed up during breakfast, escorted by security.

"Morning!" I offered, not getting up.

"Have a seat. Breakfast or coffee is available if you want it." He was medium height, fair skinned, with sandy hair slightly lighter than mine. He seemed timid, but sat down. Angella was instantly at his side.

"Hello, Tim," she said, shaking his hand.

"I'm Angella. I run the meals and housekeeping here. Can I get you a coffee or breakfast?" He looked over as I dug into a huge pile of chocolate chip pancakes and I gave him a wink. He turned quickly back to Angella.

"No, Ma'am, just coffee please."

"Regular, decaf or one of those fancy ones? I can do cappuccino, espresso and lattes."

"Just regular and sugar please."

"I think we've met before at OneOk," I told him.

"We have, sir," he said. Matt was barely holding it in, watching as I dealt with the stiff and uncomfortable new guy.

"Well the last person to have your spot is now on the board of TWP Media. He started off as Matt's assistant. He was capable and accomplished everything I asked of him. Promotion naturally followed. What department did you work in for Jennifer?" I asked.

"Under Ms Parz I handled accounting and administration as part of a six-person team. I'm fully up to date on all of your holdings and projects around the world," he said, gaining confidence. Angella quietly slipped his coffee in front of him along with a small bowl of sugar and a spoon. He moved to fix his coffee and I turned to Matt.

"We're trying something new," I told Matt.

"You're to continue as my mobile assistant, but I'm going to have specific people in specific locations who will work under Jennifer and report to me." This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. I nodded at Tim.

"Tim here is Mr San Diego. He'll be keeping track of everything, but the most important stuff will be the reports he generates on what's happening here at GA and all its divisions."

"So he's not my assistant?" Matt asked, looking disappointed.

"Think of him as the local office manager, and you're the Vice President. He still reports to the CEO, which is me, and the President which is Jennifer."

"That's an excellent analogy," Tim offered after taking a sip of his coffee.

"Thank you, Tim. How have you found your office at GA?"

"It's fine. A lady there, I don't know if you know her, Ms Marks? She took me under her wing and got me all settled and working before I even knew what was happening." I smiled widely.

"Linda is a marvel. Keep her happy and you'll never have any trouble at GA. I think even Dr Agnew would think twice before ignoring her opinion on something," I told him.

"So would you like me to brief you on where everything stands?"

"Monday," I told him.

"I'm recovering from jet lag, I only got back from Japan yesterday."

"Understood, sir," he said and took another sip, his eyes turning to the amazing view from the window we had. You could see down the full length of the La Jolla Shores Beach.

"So where are you living?" Matt asked him.

"I'm staying at the Embassy Suites. My apartment won't be ready until February 1st. It has been nice, I've been riding my bike to work. It is only about 20 minutes. Half that if I drive instead."

"Where will you be living when your apartment opens up?" Matt asked him.

"Costa Verde Village. It's in University City. A little further, but not by much." Matt didn't know where that was, but nodded anyway. I just tried not to smile as I worked on my pancakes. Security peeked in and gave a wave, and I put my fork down.

"Is it here?" I asked excitedly.

"It is on its way. It will be here in about twenty minutes," he said and saw my face fall in disappointment.

"It just left the airport. You know how long of a trip that is in morning traffic." I nodded, and dug back into my pancakes. Tim looked to Matt for an explanation.

"The Boss brought home a monster TV from Japan. Something new from Sony," Matt explained.

"It's 43 inches! It's huge," I enthused.

"It and the box it shipped in is a quarter ton. I'm going to have to get a new TV stand built that can take the weight."

"Oh! I've heard about that. The PVM-4300, right?"

"Yes," I enthused.

"I threw money at Sony in Japan until they sold me one." He chuckled at my description.

"I had heard they were going to be expensive. What are you doing for your sound?" he asked.

"Sound!" I exclaimed.

"I completely forgot. It's just a monitor. I need sound!" Tim nodded, and grew slightly more comfortable.

"I'm a bit of an audiophile, myself. It is probably silly to ask, but do you have a budget for a surround sound system?" Matt snorted and I gave him a look.

"No, Tim, there is no budget per se. I've got 10k in cash here at the house and Matt can write a check if needed or use a credit card."

"Let me make a couple calls. If there is no limit, I can build you a premium system. I have to warn you with Dolby, amps, speakers and installation you might be looking at over thirty grand."

"Sold!" I said with a cheer.

"Go make my day, Tim. Matt, give him the credit card. I'll save the cash to tip the installers," I decided. Angella showed him to the phone where Tim got to work to build his dream audio system for me. Matt gave me a look.

"Did you plan this?" he asked. I held a finger up to my lips.

"Nothing like a passion project on the first day to break the ice with a new boss," I told him. Tim returned a moment later.

"Can I get a tape measure so I can start getting a feel for the size of the room and where everything goes?"

"Certainly," Angella responded with a smile, and dug into her kitchen drawers to produce a 25-foot tape measure. He headed back out and I looked at Matt.

"He's going to need some help. Why don't you show him the house and help him figure out where the TV should go. We don't want the sunset glaring on the screen every evening." Matt stuck his last forkful of pancakes into his mouth and stood.

"Thank you, Angella, a wonderful breakfast as always. It's nice to be back under your care," he politely told her. As he walked away I shouted to him.

"Don't forget your credit card!" I finished my pancakes as Angella bustled around the kitchen table, clearing Matt's dishes and Tim's empty coffee cup. I sat back with a sigh of the overstuffed preteen. Happy and full. The ultimate combination. Angella heard my sigh and turned to look at me.

"No worries about doing a big project like this on Friday the 13th?" she asked.

"Superstitious nonsense," I responded.

"I hope so," she said doubtfully, returning to her duties.