Can Am Story

by Oliver Rill

  “The second one is a bit more expensive than the first at Holland Tunnel. And at Holland Tunnel, you’d be the only tenants in the building, so the landlord could be more flexible. I’d advise the first, but, of course, it’s your decision.”

  “I like the address of the second one. Holland Tunnel, isn’t that a bit of a shabby area?”

  “Right, well I’ll lay the cards on the table. I’ll tell you upfront, I have to share the commission on the second building. It belongs to a real estate company, one of the largest and they normally find their own clients, or clients come to them. I’m talking about the Life Met building. Do you know it?”

  I was flabbergasted.

  “Do I know it? We’re moving in there! That’s just … awesome! I don’t know what to say. It’s the ideal place.”

  “Well because it was the Pan Am building I had thought you might like it. Right ok, just half the commission then and I’ll say congratulations to you!”

  We were in the Pan Am building! It suited us down to the ground. It was built for Pan Am originally and was taken over in a bad deal by an insurance company. Actually it suited us far more than them. It needed an airline to take it over again. Now we had our foot in the door with two floors, soon another eight would be ours.

  “Aristo, now we have to grow to fill up the other 50 floors and then we can hang a name plate over the door.”

  “Yeah, right. 50 floors. Dream on!”

  Nothing changed much in our lives. Now and then we made the grand trip out to Florida. I was often in Santa Barbara at least at the weekend. In the week I was usually in Hollywood, but wherever I was, Aaron was with me. I found it hard to keep my hands off him, but I was gradually resenting him being ‘just’ the chauffeur, just as he had predicted. I thought about how to change it, so that he would be near me, but work more independently. Matt, even though he was no longer my assistant, did a lot for me and that was good. We only dealt with each other on a professional level. However, if I had released Matt from those tasks and put Aaron in there, the difference between chauffeur and assistant wasn’t that great and I was sure that Matt would have something to say about it. Apart from anything else, Aaron didn’t have Matt’s qualifications.

  He was in no way stupid though. He had just never worked in a steady job and I had no idea where I could place him at Can Am. He did ask me that time about security, but that wasn’t our field.

  In the office we had to think about which sections of the business would move to New York. Rebecca was of the opinion that the New York climate would probably be more conducive to the more creative minds and thought that the editorial team should move up there. Rebecca herself would stay with a small team here and do the legwork on campaigns. The engineers should also move up there along with the sales department, but the key accounts should stay here, small accounts could be serviced in the Big Apple. The bookkeeping department would be better placed in Manhattan, but the strategic part of the finance would be kept here in Venice. Matt and his operations team would stay here, of course, while Sharon’s Customer Service would be moved to the East Coast. Personnel would be one of the split departments along with the wages, even though Personnel would remain. I simply didn’t want to lose Aristo.

  The result was chaos in the Venice offices, with everybody flying here and there, until gradual calm reigned again and I named our Venice offices as the strategic headquarters of Can Am and the Park Avenue our operative headquarters.

  All this time I had been trying to work out what it was that jarred in our relationship. Eventually, I could stand it no longer and one evening at the poolside in Hollywood, I burst out with it.

  “I just don’t feel that happy with how things are going between us, Aaron.”

  “Oh, I thought we were having fun.”

  “Yes, we are, I don’t mean it like that. I mean, do you remember on Sifnos, when you told me that you don’t want to play hide and seek? The whole time I’ve been thinking about whether it wouldn’t be better for us if you had a different job.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “A job where, where you aren’t just the driver.”

  “I don’t have a problem with it, Oli.”

  “I know, and I love it that you bring me to work in the mornings and I look forward to you taking me home in the evenings again. And I think it’s great that you are with me all the time, wherever I go.”

  “But it would be embarrassing when it comes out that your driver is also your partner, wouldn’t it?”

  “Aaron, I just don’t want people to see you like that.”

  “What do you suggest?”

  “I’m not sure what you want to do. That’s my problem. And then, whatever job you take, say for arguments sake, financial strategy, or whatever, you’d be in the office and I’d be running around elsewhere. It’d change our relationship and maybe not in ways we’d want.”

  “You can’t have it all your own way. You want me to be a university professor teaching rocket science, or something, but that’s not me. I can’t do that stuff. And as you said yourself, it won’t work like that.”

  “So what do we do?”

  “We can like it or lump it, you fire me and I retire as your toy boy.”

  “I also wondered about getting you a fitness studio of your own.”

  “That’s more like it!”

  “I thought so too at first.”

  “And then?”

  “Then I thought that that would still take you away from me as the boss.”

  “I could get a manager who stepped in for me when we go to Greece for mad, hot sex!” Aaron winked conspiringly.

  “Mmmn. Or your manager could be your ersatz in Greece, with me.” I countered with a raised eyebrow. “We’ll have to check whether he’s up to it.”

  “You need to have your backside slapped! No seriously, the idea isn’t bad. We could have a little chain, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, New York and Fort Myers. Four studios. I’d love that!”

  “What does something like that cost? I haven’t a clue.”

  “If you buy everything new, it’d be in the region of a half million. But that would be extreme. I think you can get away with around 300 or so and have a halfway decent studio.”

  “Ok then I suggest you think about how you want to do it and make a plan. I’ll be your sleeping partner, excuse the pun, and will own five percent, but I’ll finance it.”

  “Four.”

  “It’s a deal! But then I’ll have to get a new driver. Shit!”

  Aaron and I didn’t get back to Sifnos until late summer. Aristo was disappointed that he couldn’t accompany us, but there were just too many demands on him with the opening of the new offices going on. Actually it was very busy for me, too, but Daniel, Aaron and I had just flown up to New York and had a concentrated round of meetings with all and sundry and now I really needed some relaxation.

  By October, Aaron had all the paperwork ready. He had met someone he trusted in the gym. John was completely different to Aaron, but he was cool. The two of them got along well together and so we opened a business, or rather, they opened a business, I was a silent partner. Then they began to look for appropriate premises and roped Debbie in to furnish it under protest.

  I paid three million into the firm which gave the guys a comfortable cushion and allowed them to develop slowly.

  I don’t know how many drivers I tried out with the company Lincoln, but I couldn’t find anyone who fitted my ideal. I did my own driving, which would have been fine if I was the only one who had a say in it, but I had to endure Melvin’s dark looks and sharp comments each time I came to the office. If I went to any convention or occasion, I would have to collar someone in the office.

  Now Matt and I concentrated on consolidating what we had. By the end of the year we really did have 340 planes in the fleet. Of course, the massive expansion impacted the profits, but we saw the future of Can Am very optimistically. My decision to expand to New York proved itself to be the right o
ne. We tapped into plentiful new resources for our every hungry Personnel department.

  “Matt, shall we play a game?” Matt grinned in surprise. “Not that game! Each of us writes the number of planes we think should order for next year. Remember though, we’d have to come up with the personnel to deal with them too. And then we compare.”

  I wrote down 180 and turned it face down on the table. Matt scribbled something on a post it note, too.

  “Ready?” I asked. Matt nodded, his eyes bright.

  There were 180 on his bright yellow note, too.

  “Have you any idea how much equity that is?”

  “You must be richer than God at the moment, aren’t you?”

  “I am thinking about my next meeting with Melvin. He’s going to tell me how much we have earned and I, well I’ll be… If I sold the company, … Anyway, you don’t have to worry about me, I’m doing ok. More than ok.”

  “Well somebody has to do it! So by the end of 2020, we’ll have a fleet of 520 planes? Shall I start making that happen?”

  “Please do! And then let’s tighten up security, I think the big guys on the tarmac are beginning to hate us!”

  I went to the meeting with Melvin and sat, eyes down, staring at the floor, waiting for him to speak.

  “You don’t have to be so melodramatic. You know what I’m going to say about the financial state of Can Am.”

  I looked up and nodded. “I really don’t know what I’m going to do with it all.”

  “Good. There is about a billion and 318 million, or around that mark.”

  I got up and left.

  I still had 27 million in my account, in spite of the houses and cars and another 132 would be added shortly. It was madness! I called Berlin and asked them if they wanted to come over for Christmas and New Year. I must have caught them all on the hop as they all agreed spontaneously.

  Aaron thought it was a great idea too and I called Jason to tell him to get the house ready for the 20th December. Gavin went down two days early and they worked together to get the shopping in.

  Aaron and I wanted to fly originally, but as a new boss, he couldn’t afford to put off an important client, so he accompanied me to the airport.

  “Don’t get caught with any Go-go boys this time!” He warned affectionately.

  “I only go to the club with you. Tonight I’m staying at home and seeing what’s what there.”

  “Glad to hear it!”

  “Tell me, don’t you want to invite your family, too? They could come to dinner? It’d be nice if our families got to know each other.”

  “I don’t know, my mother and my sister …”

  “You’ve seen what my family is like, haven’t you, they are really approachable and easy going.”

  “We’ll see. I’ll think about it. So there we are. Have a good flight.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Big! See you tomorrow.”

  Jason fetched me from the airport in Fort Myers.

  “What’s new? You’re looking good, as ever.”

  “Thanks. Ah, get your mate to tell you what’s been going on. We’ve been so busy, we haven’t had time to sit down. We set up a new headquarters. Lots of work, but it’s been enormous fun and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a profitable decision.”

  “I saw. I got a rise and a Christmas bonus from you. Thanks! I can put that to good use.”

  “How is everything in the house? Any issues?”

  “No, everything is ship-shape. The cleaners have been and gone, the garden is looking great and the engineers came to check the boat over and added some oil. Everything is ready for you and the troops.”

  “Great, then nothing stands in the way of a BBQ this evening.”

  “Maybe I’ll get you drunk and have my wicked way with you.” I sighed.

  “Oh Jason, you still not found a steady guy?”

  “I want a sexy European! I had two this summer and I really liked them.”

  Gavin was busy in the kitchen when I came in.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “Hey, Gavin! How are you doing? Do we need to go out again, or have you got everything?”

  “I’ve done the shopping. Jason helped me with the drinks.”

  “Great! What do you think? Will a BBQ work around eight this evening? Bit of salad, couple of steaks? Jason, you’ll stay won’t you?”

  “Love to. Can we break open the drinks already? I’m dying for a beer.”

  “A Miller? Have we got any cold?”

  “I put them on ice early this morning, so we should have, yes.” Gavin confirmed.

  I went through the garden with Jason, him pointing out the planting that had been done and explaining what would be coming in flower soon and those that I had missed while I was away. I knew nothing about the botanical side. Although I did love to see bright colored blooms the plants that produced them were a complete mystery, so a lot of what he said went straight over my head.

  “Someone met their maker in the club the other day. They had taken some stuff and collapsed in the bathrooms. Heart attack! They weren’t even 30! It was terrible.”

  “Really? Do you have security check them before they come in?”

  “Yeah, but if they are stuffing it up their ass, what are we supposed to do? We can only go through their pockets.”

  “I bet you’d like check them out personally, wouldn’t you?”

  “Only certain guests, yeah, sure.”

  “Do you still work in the club and the gym? Do you do both?”

  “And here too! Of course I do. Aaron was asking too. What’s that all about? He said he wanted to talk to me about something.”

  “Aaron? He’s coming in the morning.”

  “What did he want, do you know?”

  “Maybe he wants to tell you something, who knows?” I said with a shrug.

  The three of us started to grill around eight with a drink in hand. Chilling, glazing vacantly at the water and chatting easily over anything that came to mind was always made more special by the fire bowl. Gavin had left already and Jason ran for beers from the Tikki bar. He passed me mine and sat on my lap with intent.

  “Now you have to give me a kiss at least so that I have something to dream about tonight.”

  “Jason, you’re heavy!”

  “I’m not getting up until you kiss me. Cheers, Oli!”

  “Jason, please! My legs are going dead, so is everything else. I’m sure that’s not what you intended, is it?”

  “Kiss first!”

  “Jason, I am with someone. Sorry.”

  “You are allowed one kiss. Come on, I want to know what it’s like.”

  “And when you know, what then?

  “And then I’ll leave you alone. For tonight!”

  “Jason, you shouldn’t …” I couldn’t go further as Jason’s face planted itself on mine. It was nice, but I hadn’t wanted it. I was after all, going out with his best friend.

  “Jason, stop that now! Get your own chair and promise that that is the end of it.”

  “For tonight! We’ll have to see about tomorrow.”

  “I think we might well see what happens tomorrow.”

  “You see, I’m a good kisser.”

  “You are a bully! That’s what it looks like to me!” I said. “Don’t tell anyone. Not even Aaron.”

  “I know, he gave me a lecture about it once before. He can be so stuffy, can’t he? I mean, he’s cool and everything, but he’s so old-fashioned about other things.”

  “I don’t think it’s such a bad thing to know where to draw the line.”

  “Is there a line around a good night kiss?”

  “You’ve got more chance of getting a blow job from the Pope! Tell me, what have you been up to?” I changed the seemingly rutted record.

  We each did get to our own beds eventually without any good night kisses. I was looking forward seeing my band of friends from Berlin again. It seemed such a long time since I had seen them all and now waiting for them made me re
alize how much I had missed them.

  Aaron arrived first and we waited for the travelers together. This time we had hired a mini bus that would hold everyone. I was really excited about seeing my colorful ‘family’ that I had gathered together and hugged each one tightly. Mom brought me my favorite chocolate, which had to be tried out in the bus. Just to make sure it tasted the same as ever, of course.

  “I’ll let everyone know when we’re sitting at the table.” I told Aaron. We were waiting for the others, who were settling into their rooms. They descended one by one to join us on the terrace.

  “This is your first official statement, do you know that?” Aaron grinned happily.

  “And I’m pleased to make it.”

  “This is a big mile stone. When you’ve done it, I’ll invite my sister and my Mom. Then we’ll be equal.”

  “Aaron, are we doing the right thing?” I asked, gripped suddenly with uncertainty.

  “Are you getting second thoughts?”

  “Not about my feelings for you, no.”

  “But? Is it my job that’s bothering you again?”

  “Aaron, you’re perfect. I never thought that we would get this far, but now I can’t imagine it any different. I just wonder from time to time if you’re not too good for me.”

  “I know, I deserve something better, but what can I say, I can’t say no.”

  “You’re an asshole!” I said laughing.

  “And you’re the best guy I have ever had. I hope we grow old together and hope you still like me, like the Beatles say, when I’m sixty four.”