Chapter 3
Gus walked back to his office and sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was to research another charity. He dialed his secretary and, when she came into his office, handed her the brochure. “Can you look up this organization and get me some information on it? If you think it is worthwhile, let me know.” And with that, the charity was dropped from his mind and he issued a series of instructions on finding more office space for the Los Angeles personnel, as well as the several other problems brought up in the meeting he’d just left.
Being in charge of property management for all the ATI locations around the world, as well as security, had its challenges. But Gus thrived on the legal and commercial problems that came up on a daily basis. He was in charge of over seventy office buildings and their security, worldwide. There were international, national and local laws that had to be adhered to in all situations.
“Can you also call these real estate firms and find out if they have at least ten thousand square feet of space available in Los Angeles?” he asked, handing her a piece of paper with a list of names on it.
Dora, his secretary, took the list and scanned it. “I’ll have something for you later today,” she said and left the office.
Gus spent the rest of the afternoon going through correspondence and cleaning up various issues that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was after five o’clock when Dora came back, handing him a stapled sheaf of papers with information on it. She automatically sat down, waiting for the next set of instructions.
Gus reviewed the list and sighed. Dora had compiled a list of all the spaces available in the Los Angeles area, the price per square foot and the proximity to their current offices. “This doesn’t look very promising,” he said, turning the pages.
“The best one is on the last page. They have twenty thousand square feet so there is room to grow and the price is more reasonable. It is also two blocks away from the current location.”
Gus flipped to the last page and scanned the information, nodding his head. “You’re right. This is ideal. What’s the second best?” he asked.
“The second to last. But it is three miles from the current location and almost double the price per square foot,” she explained.
Gus nodded, calculating the numbers in his head and nodding. “Okay, then it is the Mason building in Los Angeles,” he said, referring to the last one since it was the better deal. “If we can’t get that site we’ll work out something else.”
Dora nodded. “What’s better is that Mason Properties is headquartered out of Washington, D.C. so you won’t need to fly back and forth to L.A. to negotiate the lease.”
Gus looked up sharply. “Really?” he asked hopefully.
Dora smiled, a rarity. “Really,” she said. “So you won’t need to miss the birth of your nephew,” she said. Then reverting back to her serious expression, she stood up. “I’ll get you an appointment with Ed Mason as soon as possible.”
“Thanks Dora.”
“Oh, and here’s the information you asked me about on the orphanage. It’s legit,” she said. “And they’ve done some great work. Here are some statistics on the kids who have gone on to college before and after the foundation’s work.”
Gus scanned the list and whistled. “How did you get this information so quickly?” he asked, impressed by the statistics.
“I called them up and they faxed them over,” she said and walked out of the office.
Gus laughed, knowing it had probably been more difficult than just making a phone call. Dora would have checked the statistics from various sources before she gave them to Gus. She always made sure the information she provided was verified and backed up. That’s why, although her title was his secretary, he paid her more than some of the other vice presidents in ATI. She was invaluable.
Three days later, he was walking into his office after a meeting and Dora followed him in. “What’s my next appointment?” Gus asked, rubbing the back of his neck. He was tired and frustrated with the slow movement of some projects.
“You’re meeting with Ellie Baker of the Washington, D.C. Girls Orphanage in thirty minutes,” she said and handed him directions and his keys.
Gus looked up with a blank look. “The orphanage?” he asked.
Dora glanced down at his desk covered with papers and pulled out the brochure. “Yes. The orphanage.”
“Ah!,’ he said, remembering that Sal had wanted him to check it out. “Can you reschedule for next week?” he asked. “I need to try and get Ed Mason again.”
“Nope,” she said. “You need to see this place,” she said. “Ed Mason can wait, I guarantee it.”
Gus looked at his secretary’s unemotional face and knew he was going to the orphanage. “Okay. Any reason this is so important?” he asked.
“Because she’s a blond,” Dora said and turned on her heal and left the office.
Gus stared at his elderly secretary’s retreating back. What in the world was that supposed to mean, he wondered.
He looked back down at the information. He really needed a break. He should just take a half hour and go check this out. If he hurried, he could be back in time to try and get in touch with Ed Mason and try and start the negotiations for the west coast site.
Thirty minutes later he strolled through the shabby entrance of the girls’ orphanage and was astonished to hear the laughter coming down the hallway. For some reason, he’d always pictured orphanages as sad and somewhat militant. He suspected that he had Hollywood movies to thank for that image.
A round woman with a smiling face greeted him as soon as he entered the administration office. “You must be Gus Attracelli,” the woman said, extending her hand. “I’m Ellie Baker. We’re delighted that you’ve taken the time to stop by and see our operation,” she said.
Gus nodded, not willing to commit to anything at this point. Ellie showed him around the building, talking about the various activities for the kids, noting the computer room where several students were working on what seemed to be their homework. There was also a ballet class and a huge playground filled with boys and girls running and laughing.
At the end of the tour, Ellie took him through a series of classrooms where adults were paired up with teenagers or elementary kids, helping with homework or just talking and laughing. It was an interesting tour and Ellie explained all the programs the foundation had developed over the past few years.