Moving Up, Part Three
With our trip to San Francisco right around the corner, I figured I'd post the next installment of Moving Up a bit early. Also, let me note that due to overwhelming fan response, Target will soon be carrying a line of clothes designed by Isaac Mizrahi and inspired by Avery Key.
Previously, in Part Two, Avery and his friends came face-to-face with the realization that their boss has been arrested for corruption, and that this means big changes. Avery went home to talk things over with his wife, Kate, and she encouraged him to apply for his boss' job.
*****
Chapter Two
The ride to work the next Monday was difficult for Avery. Usually, he liked to take home books from the library and read them on the bus - mostly histories and classic novels (the last book he read was All Quiet on the Western Front). But in all of the hubbub at the library recently, he had been unable to grab a book to read. His mind was reeling anyway, and he probably wouldn't have been able to concentrate on a book. Avery had a habit of running through conversations in his mind, and today was the day that he was scheduled to interview for the supervisory position in the Restocking Department.
The Mayor's press conference had called for changes at the library to bring an end to the corruption. The first order of business was naming a branch manager for the main library, and the Library Commissioner had announced that they were bringing Avery's old boss George McGee out of retirement to fill the position. Avery guessed that George was over 70 years old, but he certainly didn't show it, or, at least not mentally. George limped terribly from a wound suffered during Korean War that had only gotten worse over time, and his voice was raspy from years of heavy smoking, and then subsequent surgery when he developed throat cancer. But the man was not to be messed with when it came to discussing library science. A lot of people think of librarians as reserved and boring, but McGee approached libraries with the discipline and vigor of a Marine. Which, of course, he was.
In the last week, the staff in the department had been trimmed from 19 to 11, and there were rumors of more cuts. Because of the backlog in restocking and the reduction in staff, all of the bookmobile runs had been canceled. Avery was thankful for the change of scenery, especially since he was being kept extra busy. The work helped keep his mind off of the nerves that accompanied his decision to put his hat in the ring for the supervisor's job.
Avery arrived at the library through the main doors, as usual, and headed downstairs, running into Tony, who was already running an errand.
"Morning, Ave."
"Morning. How're you?"
"Fine, fine. Your big day, hey?"
"Heh, yeah," Avery said, laughing a little from nervousness. "I still don't know why you didn't apply, Tony."
"Eh, I got my reasons," he looked around a bit, then lowered his voice. "Look, let's just say I don't really intend to make the library my career, right? Not my thing."
"Yeah, I guess I see."
"Besides, do you really want to be going up for the same job as me? You know you wouldn't stand a chance."
Avery laughed.
"But seriously, man, good luck."
"Thanks, buddy" Avery said as he skipped down the stairs into the restocking department. His nerves were killing him and he wanted to get a cigarette in before his shift started.
As he stepped outside, he saw Harriet on the dock, just standing in the cold, staring out into the distance at the courthouse. Avery had forgotten that today was her first day back at work after the fallout from the scandal.
"Harriet, it's good to see you!" Avery exclaimed, trying hard to sound upbeat.
"Good to see you, Avery. Thank you so much for what you did for me."
"Hey, I was just trying to look out for a friend. It was my wife who did the hard part, really."
"That young man that you recommended was a really fine lawyer. He almost seemed more excited about my case than I did," she said, smiling. "I think Maxine must have dropped my name trying to get herself off the hook, but they didn't have anything else on me."
Avery pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
"Honey, do you mind?" Harriet asked, motioning towards the cigarette.
"Oh, sorry. I'll smoke over there."
"No, no. I meant, can I have one?"
"Harriet, I wouldn't have taken you for a smoker."
"Well," she said, slyly, "I like have one every once in a while. I've earned it."
Avery smiled, handing her a cigarette and a lighter. Harriet took a deep drag, and exhaled a steady stream of smoke.
"It's been quite a week." She turned towards Avery. "I hear that you've applied for Maxine's old job.
"Boy, can no one keep a secret around her?"
"Your friend Tony told me when I got in this morning. Don't you know, Avery? All the best gossip is to be had before nine in the morning." She smiled.
Avery's interview was at 11 o'clock in McGee's new office on the third floor. Albert Richardson's office had been a much larger room at the other end of the floor, but it was closed off as a crime scene. Detectives had combed through the room a half-dozen times already, checking for hidden records or any other clues. McGee had never liked that office anyway, especially the way Richardson had decorated it - it gave off the faux-learned feeling of a man who owned thousands of books but had never read a single one. McGee's office, by contrast, was already over-stuffed with books and papers in a why that made it look like he had occupied it for four decades, not four days - everything in its place, to be sure, but certainly a bit much for the uninitiated. But then, McGee wasn't really trying to impress anyone.
Avery arrived at the office a few minutes to eleven. He wanted to be prompt, but not too early, since he hated the idea of sitting outside in the hall for 15-20 minutes, listening to the muffled voices of the previous candidate. Despite this, McGee didn't call him into the office until a quarter past the hour.
"Sit down, young man," McGee ordered after shaking hands. "Now, now, now ... what's your name?" McGee was flipping through Avery's resume in that way that interviewers do that is guaranteed to make interviewees nervous.
"Avery Emmett Key," Avery answered. He had no idea why he had included his middle name - it sounded so pretentious.
"Okay, Mr. Avery Emmett Key, why do you want this job?" McGee asked, getting right to the point.
"Well, I ... I've worked now in the restocking department, specifically with the bookmobile, for three years, and I ..."
"I didn't ask for your qualifications, son. I've got those right in front of me." He waved the resume. "I asked why you want the job."
Avery froze for a moment, and his eyes met McGee's, but he didn't flinch. After a few seconds, he stated flatly, "Because I'm the right man to do it." The words hung in the air, and Avery expected a response from McGee, but the older man just sat, staring calmly at Avery, so he elaborated. "I care about what happens in this library, and especially in my department. I am not an outsider who doesn't know about this place and what makes it important. I am not going to make unnecessary changes. What I am going to do is to ensure that things run as they are supposed to, and I will demand excellence from everyone in my department at all times."
McGee leaned forward across the desk. "My, my, my. That's a pretty tall order from the kid who drives the bookmobile." Avery froze, not knowing how to respond. After a moment, McGee let out a wheezing laugh. "Did you think I didn't know who you were?"
Avery looked perplexed. "Well, I didn't want to assume ..."
"I hired you the first time, son. And there was a reason, then, too. If I just wanted some bozo to drive the bookmobile, I could have hired any punk with a driver's license. But no, I hired you because I like people with some brains. And people with some guts, which you got, too, apparently."
"Are you saying that I've got the job?"
McGee laughed his wheezy laugh. "Right to the point, hey? The kid from the bookmobile has an attitude."
"Well, Mr. McGee, I'm starting to think that this whole interview is just a pretense before you tell me that the job is mine. Frankly, I was wondering why you even decided to interview me, but I think it's clear that you wanted someone who you knew, and who you knew was honest and hardworking. And that someone is me."
"And suppose that now that you've given your cocky little speech, I don't hire you?"
"Well, then I'll just go back to being the punk with a driver's license who drives the bookmobile." Avery paused for effect. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Avery could hardly believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. But Kate had been giving him pep talks all week. She seemed so confident that Avery was sure that she had some sort of crystal ball or inside information. But he realized now that she was just trying to get him psyched for the interview - and it was paying off. McGee certainly seemed to prefer Avery's straight-talk to the sucking-up that a lot of bosses want.
McGee paused, and leaned across the desk again. Even at his age, McGee was a physically impressive and intimidating man. "Do you know what I never liked about you, Key?"
Avery wasn't sure whether to answer or not - was this a rhetorical question or not?
But before Avery could say anything, McGee started up again. "I never liked that you were content with driving around that rusting heap stuffed with books. Hey, I ain't saying that the bookmobile is worthless - hell, I'm sure we could sell it for scrap." Avery chuckled, though he wasn't quite sure that it was joke. McGee squinted a bit and continued. "You're an underachiever, Key. You don't apply yourself. You're just one of those guys who coasts by, not living up to the potential. But that potential ... well, I ain't gonna make any predictions. But you got stuff inside of you that you need to call on."
Avery wasn't sure what to say. Part of him wanted to protest, but another part of him knew that McGee was right. Hell, Kate had pretty much told him the same thing last week, except with "I love you" appended to the end. "Mr. McGee, sir, you can believe that I'm going to work hard. I want this job. I want to make this place better."
"Good, good. Cause there's no turning back - either you're a good supervisor, or you're out of here. The only way is forward."
Avery smiled nervously.
"But, hey, you're gonna do fine." McGee laughed, and Avery wasn't exactly sure what was so funny. "So I want you back here tomorrow morning. There's a lot to talk about."
Avery stood up to leave, reaching out his hand to shake McGee's. "Thank you, Mr. McGee."
"Now send in the next guy."
"But ... but you just gave me the job."
McGee shrugged. "Hey, you never know. Maybe I'll change my mind." He laughed again. Avery hated that laugh.
"So how'd the interview go?" Kate asked.
"Uh, I don't really know."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I think McGee gave me the job."
"That's great!" She leapt up from the couch and hugged him. "I knew you could do it."
"Well ... well, let's not get carried away," Avery said, pushing his wife away a bit.
"Why not, Ave?"
"Cause, I don't know. I'm not really sure what's going on. McGee, he's ... I don't know. He's crazy."
"Why, cause he hired you?"
"No, not cause of ... well, yeah, maybe. I don't know," Avery said, starting to pace. "Why the hell would he hire me like that, out of the blue? He didn't even really ask any questions!"
"Well, he must have asked something?"
"Yeah, but none of those stupid interview questions, like 'What's you biggest weakness?' or 'Where do you see yourself in five years?' Y'know? The ones that are intended to trip you up and make you say something stupid, like 'In five years, I'll be running this place and you'll be out on the street!' or something stupid like that." Avery had slipped into a series of funny voices to narrate his point. Kate was laughing. "What?"
"You're terrible at doing impressions. It's adorable."
"What? I thought that was pretty good."
"No, no it wasn't." She was giggling harder. "Come here."
Avery walked up closer to her, and took her around the waist. She looked up and kissed him.
Chapter Two
The ride to work the next Monday was difficult for Avery. Usually, he liked to take home books from the library and read them on the bus - mostly histories and classic novels (the last book he read was All Quiet on the Western Front). But in all of the hubbub at the library recently, he had been unable to grab a book to read. His mind was reeling anyway, and he probably wouldn't have been able to concentrate on a book. Avery had a habit of running through conversations in his mind, and today was the day that he was scheduled to interview for the supervisory position in the Restocking Department.
The Mayor's press conference had called for changes at the library to bring an end to the corruption. The first order of business was naming a branch manager for the main library, and the Library Commissioner had announced that they were bringing Avery's old boss George McGee out of retirement to fill the position. Avery guessed that George was over 70 years old, but he certainly didn't show it, or, at least not mentally. George limped terribly from a wound suffered during Korean War that had only gotten worse over time, and his voice was raspy from years of heavy smoking, and then subsequent surgery when he developed throat cancer. But the man was not to be messed with when it came to discussing library science. A lot of people think of librarians as reserved and boring, but McGee approached libraries with the discipline and vigor of a Marine. Which, of course, he was.
In the last week, the staff in the department had been trimmed from 19 to 11, and there were rumors of more cuts. Because of the backlog in restocking and the reduction in staff, all of the bookmobile runs had been canceled. Avery was thankful for the change of scenery, especially since he was being kept extra busy. The work helped keep his mind off of the nerves that accompanied his decision to put his hat in the ring for the supervisor's job.
Avery arrived at the library through the main doors, as usual, and headed downstairs, running into Tony, who was already running an errand.
"Morning, Ave."
"Morning. How're you?"
"Fine, fine. Your big day, hey?"
"Heh, yeah," Avery said, laughing a little from nervousness. "I still don't know why you didn't apply, Tony."
"Eh, I got my reasons," he looked around a bit, then lowered his voice. "Look, let's just say I don't really intend to make the library my career, right? Not my thing."
"Yeah, I guess I see."
"Besides, do you really want to be going up for the same job as me? You know you wouldn't stand a chance."
Avery laughed.
"But seriously, man, good luck."
"Thanks, buddy" Avery said as he skipped down the stairs into the restocking department. His nerves were killing him and he wanted to get a cigarette in before his shift started.
As he stepped outside, he saw Harriet on the dock, just standing in the cold, staring out into the distance at the courthouse. Avery had forgotten that today was her first day back at work after the fallout from the scandal.
"Harriet, it's good to see you!" Avery exclaimed, trying hard to sound upbeat.
"Good to see you, Avery. Thank you so much for what you did for me."
"Hey, I was just trying to look out for a friend. It was my wife who did the hard part, really."
"That young man that you recommended was a really fine lawyer. He almost seemed more excited about my case than I did," she said, smiling. "I think Maxine must have dropped my name trying to get herself off the hook, but they didn't have anything else on me."
Avery pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
"Honey, do you mind?" Harriet asked, motioning towards the cigarette.
"Oh, sorry. I'll smoke over there."
"No, no. I meant, can I have one?"
"Harriet, I wouldn't have taken you for a smoker."
"Well," she said, slyly, "I like have one every once in a while. I've earned it."
Avery smiled, handing her a cigarette and a lighter. Harriet took a deep drag, and exhaled a steady stream of smoke.
"It's been quite a week." She turned towards Avery. "I hear that you've applied for Maxine's old job.
"Boy, can no one keep a secret around her?"
"Your friend Tony told me when I got in this morning. Don't you know, Avery? All the best gossip is to be had before nine in the morning." She smiled.
Avery's interview was at 11 o'clock in McGee's new office on the third floor. Albert Richardson's office had been a much larger room at the other end of the floor, but it was closed off as a crime scene. Detectives had combed through the room a half-dozen times already, checking for hidden records or any other clues. McGee had never liked that office anyway, especially the way Richardson had decorated it - it gave off the faux-learned feeling of a man who owned thousands of books but had never read a single one. McGee's office, by contrast, was already over-stuffed with books and papers in a why that made it look like he had occupied it for four decades, not four days - everything in its place, to be sure, but certainly a bit much for the uninitiated. But then, McGee wasn't really trying to impress anyone.
Avery arrived at the office a few minutes to eleven. He wanted to be prompt, but not too early, since he hated the idea of sitting outside in the hall for 15-20 minutes, listening to the muffled voices of the previous candidate. Despite this, McGee didn't call him into the office until a quarter past the hour.
"Sit down, young man," McGee ordered after shaking hands. "Now, now, now ... what's your name?" McGee was flipping through Avery's resume in that way that interviewers do that is guaranteed to make interviewees nervous.
"Avery Emmett Key," Avery answered. He had no idea why he had included his middle name - it sounded so pretentious.
"Okay, Mr. Avery Emmett Key, why do you want this job?" McGee asked, getting right to the point.
"Well, I ... I've worked now in the restocking department, specifically with the bookmobile, for three years, and I ..."
"I didn't ask for your qualifications, son. I've got those right in front of me." He waved the resume. "I asked why you want the job."
Avery froze for a moment, and his eyes met McGee's, but he didn't flinch. After a few seconds, he stated flatly, "Because I'm the right man to do it." The words hung in the air, and Avery expected a response from McGee, but the older man just sat, staring calmly at Avery, so he elaborated. "I care about what happens in this library, and especially in my department. I am not an outsider who doesn't know about this place and what makes it important. I am not going to make unnecessary changes. What I am going to do is to ensure that things run as they are supposed to, and I will demand excellence from everyone in my department at all times."
McGee leaned forward across the desk. "My, my, my. That's a pretty tall order from the kid who drives the bookmobile." Avery froze, not knowing how to respond. After a moment, McGee let out a wheezing laugh. "Did you think I didn't know who you were?"
Avery looked perplexed. "Well, I didn't want to assume ..."
"I hired you the first time, son. And there was a reason, then, too. If I just wanted some bozo to drive the bookmobile, I could have hired any punk with a driver's license. But no, I hired you because I like people with some brains. And people with some guts, which you got, too, apparently."
"Are you saying that I've got the job?"
McGee laughed his wheezy laugh. "Right to the point, hey? The kid from the bookmobile has an attitude."
"Well, Mr. McGee, I'm starting to think that this whole interview is just a pretense before you tell me that the job is mine. Frankly, I was wondering why you even decided to interview me, but I think it's clear that you wanted someone who you knew, and who you knew was honest and hardworking. And that someone is me."
"And suppose that now that you've given your cocky little speech, I don't hire you?"
"Well, then I'll just go back to being the punk with a driver's license who drives the bookmobile." Avery paused for effect. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Avery could hardly believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. But Kate had been giving him pep talks all week. She seemed so confident that Avery was sure that she had some sort of crystal ball or inside information. But he realized now that she was just trying to get him psyched for the interview - and it was paying off. McGee certainly seemed to prefer Avery's straight-talk to the sucking-up that a lot of bosses want.
McGee paused, and leaned across the desk again. Even at his age, McGee was a physically impressive and intimidating man. "Do you know what I never liked about you, Key?"
Avery wasn't sure whether to answer or not - was this a rhetorical question or not?
But before Avery could say anything, McGee started up again. "I never liked that you were content with driving around that rusting heap stuffed with books. Hey, I ain't saying that the bookmobile is worthless - hell, I'm sure we could sell it for scrap." Avery chuckled, though he wasn't quite sure that it was joke. McGee squinted a bit and continued. "You're an underachiever, Key. You don't apply yourself. You're just one of those guys who coasts by, not living up to the potential. But that potential ... well, I ain't gonna make any predictions. But you got stuff inside of you that you need to call on."
Avery wasn't sure what to say. Part of him wanted to protest, but another part of him knew that McGee was right. Hell, Kate had pretty much told him the same thing last week, except with "I love you" appended to the end. "Mr. McGee, sir, you can believe that I'm going to work hard. I want this job. I want to make this place better."
"Good, good. Cause there's no turning back - either you're a good supervisor, or you're out of here. The only way is forward."
Avery smiled nervously.
"But, hey, you're gonna do fine." McGee laughed, and Avery wasn't exactly sure what was so funny. "So I want you back here tomorrow morning. There's a lot to talk about."
Avery stood up to leave, reaching out his hand to shake McGee's. "Thank you, Mr. McGee."
"Now send in the next guy."
"But ... but you just gave me the job."
McGee shrugged. "Hey, you never know. Maybe I'll change my mind." He laughed again. Avery hated that laugh.
"So how'd the interview go?" Kate asked.
"Uh, I don't really know."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I think McGee gave me the job."
"That's great!" She leapt up from the couch and hugged him. "I knew you could do it."
"Well ... well, let's not get carried away," Avery said, pushing his wife away a bit.
"Why not, Ave?"
"Cause, I don't know. I'm not really sure what's going on. McGee, he's ... I don't know. He's crazy."
"Why, cause he hired you?"
"No, not cause of ... well, yeah, maybe. I don't know," Avery said, starting to pace. "Why the hell would he hire me like that, out of the blue? He didn't even really ask any questions!"
"Well, he must have asked something?"
"Yeah, but none of those stupid interview questions, like 'What's you biggest weakness?' or 'Where do you see yourself in five years?' Y'know? The ones that are intended to trip you up and make you say something stupid, like 'In five years, I'll be running this place and you'll be out on the street!' or something stupid like that." Avery had slipped into a series of funny voices to narrate his point. Kate was laughing. "What?"
"You're terrible at doing impressions. It's adorable."
"What? I thought that was pretty good."
"No, no it wasn't." She was giggling harder. "Come here."
Avery walked up closer to her, and took her around the waist. She looked up and kissed him.
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