My Magazine Ch. 05

Returning home from the gym at 7:15, Jenni Giles found a note from her PA Rhonda that she was out on a long run to sweat off some of the previous evening's gluttony and would be back about 8:00.

Jenni had showered at the gym changed clothing. Sipping coffee she began adding responsibilities to each person on her staff list. Twenty minutes later she took a call, and wished her South African-born writer Maleep de Vos all the best. Maleep had just opened her mail and found that she had been accepted for a job she had sought three months earlier but only had been interviewed for it two weeks ago.

As she amended the staff list, Jenni was aware that her selected team would be expensive to maintain and she'd have to generate other income from them, perhaps a trio of very exclusive niche-market publications, the concepts of which would have to appeal greatly to advertising agencies. Therefore she would not replace Maleep immediately, thus keeping her team 'mean and lean' until she'd generated an income stream when staff increases could be justified,

It's tempting to start thinking of investing now in starting up sister publications but at present it would be insane. Her full concentration had to go to the launching of My Magazine, which she hoped would be the flagship of her future string of publications.

Initial Editorial Team

Editor/Publisher: Jenni Giles

Deputy editor/chief writer: Vivian (Viv) Stanton

Staff Writer: Ella Schaefer

Chief Subeditor: Tina Roach

Subeditor: Timothy Graham

Subeditor: Brenda Simpson

Designer: Mae Cheung

Part-time artist/cartoonist: Felix Allum

She sighed, thinking that team appeared dangerously lean. But on with it!

The normally immaculate Rhonda came in, red-faced, wind-blown and very much in need of a shower.

Jenni later took Rhonda to see the temporary premises, to help plan where people would be situated and what furniture and fittings they would need to hire.

On the way to the area of Brenton Hill Jenni took a call from her solicitor Sue, who attempted to make light of client's indiscretion notified by email of committing to a lease before having pre-checks done.

"It's not how I would have recommended you do it, but you're a big girl Jenni. You've taken a risk and my feeling is that it will be fine, though that's not a legal opinion – just a feeling. I've got friends in high places so should be able to get back to you before the end of the business day."

"Now, please email me the address and the name of the owner or owners plus the square footage of the upstairs area. Then advise how many people will you have in that space and the nature of the egress and emergency lighting if any? And what about an alternative emergency exit? The council probably has a full record of the premises – I'm just getting details for confirmation if their records are incomplete, and thus to save unnecessary delay. "

"That's Sue. I'm out of the office but will email you with that information within the hour. I like the style of your hair today."

"What?"

Jenni cut the call and smiled about hitting Sue with that stupid tease. The idea was to establish close rapport with her solicitor although being known as a teaser was rather lightweight.

"Please send flower to Sue Rhonda."

"On to that right now," Rhoda said. "And shall the attached message said from The Tease."

"Oh great thinking, and please add thanks for your prompt responses."

"That raises the message to a more professional level in the relationship between you and your solicitor," Rhonda grinned.

"Good morning Jenni, my favourite tenant," greeted Nico, and brushing his moustache leered, "And who is this stunning beauty?"

"Nico, I'd like you to meet my personal assistant Rhonda – Rhonda this is Nico who has a beautiful wife who adores him and they have eleven children."

"Come on Jenni, you could have said I am a millionaire playboy or something more attractive than a married man – and by the way you guessed wrong. I have four children that I know of."

"Hello, Nico. I'm pleased to meet you. Jenni indicated to me that you are a bit of a character. Perhaps I am married?"

"Oh no," said Nico, patting his moustache again. "You are like a very ripe peach, just about reaching perfection. You would not look like that if you were married."

"Thank you for popping over to show us through again," Jenni said with her sunniest smile. "Please lead the way?"

"No you go first Jenni. You know the way."

"We're not falling for that one Nico. You know it's not polite for a man to follow ladies upstairs."

"Oh Jenni. You are too serious – one must have a little fun in life," Nico sighed, heading off.

Jenni was pleasantly surprised. Windows were opened and the entire area had been cleaned, including both sides of the windows. She expressed her appreciation.

"My wife and I and my two youngest kids were down here last night making this place respectable for my new important tenant," he said. "They did a good job eh?"

"They?"

"Ah we; I supervised."

"Nico I think you are a bit of a rogue," Rhonda laughed, pulling a measuring tape and two sticks of chalk from her handbag. "You could prove you're a gentlemen rogue by getting two coffees – one white, one black, no sugar."

"Good I shall do that immediately." He walked across to a remaining wall phone and barked instructions.

"Janus my son downstairs will send up one of his girls with coffee for all of us."

Rhonda looked around with concern.

"It's awfully exposed in here to sunlight both in the morning and especially late afternoon."

In turn Jenni looked concerned. "Nico where are the curtains? There were curtains over these windows when I was here previously."

"Of course there were. My Katarina took them home last night to wash them. They will be back in place later today or tomorrow morning."

"That's lovely of her Nico."

Nico shrugged. "It's why I married her."

Rhonda asked Jenni to state where she wanted people to be located, and then set about measuring out spaces and drawing chalk marks.

"Are you playing some kind of game?" Nico asked, sipping his coffee and positioned to get a maximum view of Rhonda as she bent over.

"No Nico, nothing that exciting," Rhonda replied. "We will hire temporary screens to subdivide areas – Jenni will have one space, I'll have another, the subeditors will have the largest space because there are more of them and they need more room for storage."

"Another area will be for the writers, a space for the person involved in art direction and design and our photographer will also need a space but all photography will be digital of course.

"I see," Nico said. "No space needed for film processing eh? I have a friend who hires out office equipment including those screen things."

"Good and I'll give you a copy of our requirements and let him quote – we will be looking for the best quality products and office supplies at the best price."

"Doesn't everybody Rhonda?"

"I can see that my presence here is really not required," Jenni smiled.

"Oh yes it is boss. Just let me finish mapping out these cubicles and I'll give you some tough decisions to consider."

This by-play appeared to perplex Nico who knew Jenni was the boss and yet this younger woman Rhonda appeared to be running the show. She appeared to have all the ideas.

"Nico – is the wiring up here and back to the board able to take quite a heavy loading? We'll need to substantially upgrade the lighting, run heaps of computers and provide for heaters when the weather turns cold."

"I think so," he said. "We had the whole place re-wired a couple of years back and had to upgrade to meet building alteration requirements. I'll call my electrician now to hurry down here so you can consult him – he'll give you a good price; he's my nephew."

"Good do that but he'll have to ..."

"I know, give a competitive price if he wants to do the work."

Jenni cut in. "Look Nico, get your nephew down here now and tell him we want him to start at noon tomorrow – he must price the job competitively but I will give him £500 in the hand if the work is completed by this Sunday evening."

"You trust me enough to throw more money into this project without having a signed tenancy agreement?"

"Not quite Nico. I expect we'll sign that agreement in the morning – so please remain available around mid-morning. We are on a very tight schedule."

"Sure anything you say Jenni. I'm taking a personal interest in this venture. If you run short of money just sing out and I'll consider becoming a shareholder."

"Thanks Nico and that's a very kind thing to say. Now please call your nephew."

The big decision according to Rhonda was for Jenni to decide whether to release or purchase computers which would go with them to the permanent location."

Jenni said her budgeting was based on leased equipment.

Then leasing them it is. This building looks a little less than secure," Rhonda said. Is it alarmed?

Nico came back from the wall phone and announced that Roland would drop everything and come at once.

"Yes this building is alarmed and monitored as we have all of expensive chandlery downstairs to protect. Security guards also call at least twice a night at random times and Janus and my daughter-in-law live in that former warehouse right next to our building. Janus has two guard dogs that are outside on long leads all night."

"We've only had one attempted break-in during all the years we have been here and news about that bloke getting a hunk torn out of his arse by one of our dogs appears to have circulated through the underworld I'm happy to say."

"That's good," Rhonda said. "Then we are ready to go and lease computers and other equipment as soon as this Roland confirms the power system will cope with everything we want to load on it."

Nico scratched his moustache. "If you don't mind my asking, do computers for your sort of business involve a big outlay?"

"It's not too bad," Jenni said. "All up, with networked computers for everyone including the principal photographer and including larger and more powerful computers for design and graphical including photography work, plus the server and will cost up about £4500 a week plus initial set-up costs."

"A week or a month?"

"A week," Rhonda said and that's only small part of our standing costs that include basic productions costs to produce the magazine and add-ons when increasing the number of pages and so forth."

Nico whistled. "Tell you what, Jenni, I've got an old photocopier you could use – I won't charge you for it."

Jenni patted him on the arm.

"That's very kind of you Nico. But we need to lease two models to suit our purposes and the same with printers."

"You'll need photocopier paper and paper for the printers ... my second eldest daughter works for someone who deals in office supplies."

"Okay, get her to contact Rhonda. Now Nico, I need a big sign "JJ Publications Ltd, publisher of My Magazine to go on the building and a revolving sign lit at nights just saying My Magazine – could you please get your friend the sign maker to contact us next week?"

"How did you know Reggie is a friend of mine?" asked Nico in surprise.

"I didn't have to know Nico. People like you who know somebody who knows somebody would naturally have a signwriter/signmaker as a friend."

"My god Jenni, you are good," Nico said, with obvious admiration on his face.

Jenni and Rhonda giggled.

"You've very entertaining Nico," Rhonda said. "It will be nice having you around."

"How many of you will be around, Rhonda?"

"Initially nine of us as the cartoonist works from his own home."

"Some of them will be women, huh?"

"Yes Nico eight of them, but you'd better watch out. They are not the type of women who like their bottom's pinched and to be told they would make a good wife for one of your sons."

"How did you know that was in the back of my mind Rhonda? I'm having a struggle keeping up with you women."

"It's just that you're so transparent Nico, so gorgeously transparent."

"Is that good Rhonda?"

"Oh Nico," she said, stepping up to him and kissing him on the cheek. "You are so much like my father... so challenging and often such a deliverer of sly remarks."

"Why are you kissing my Nico eh?" voice a sharp challenge from the doorway.

A short and square-jawed but nonetheless pleasant-faced woman was standing there, hands on hips.

"She is trying to become my mistress and so we better watch out Katarina."

"You silly old man – she is too young for you, too much life in her. Pick on an older woman but not this lovely woman here – you must be the Lovely Jenni that my Nico has been raving about. I am one of the women who work for him – his wife. I'm pleased to meet you Lovely Jenni. I am Katarina."

"How lovely to meet you Katarina – and this is my chief assistant Rhonda whom I'm afraid has taken quite a likening to your Nico, but I am sure she has no lust for him – she'd just a very friendly young woman and Nico is offering us valuable assistance."

"My you are a beauty – not like my daughters," sighed Katarina, who looked startled as Rhonda bounced up to her and hugged her.

"I knew a character like Nico would have to have chosen as his wife somebody who could stand up to him. I am very pleased to meet you and we thank you so much for cleaning up these premises for us."

"Yes," Jenni said. "How very kind of you Katarina. Nico seems to be so proud of you."

"Ah," said Katarina, looking amused. "My Nico said you were a very clever lady and I must now agree with him. I guess I have done some things in our time to make him proud, like giving him children so he can boast to our relatives and his friends."

"Nico fetch the curtains from my car and then bring up the lunch I have prepared for all of us."

Nico went to the phone and called Janus, asking him to get his storeman to bring up the curtains and luncheon things.

Katarina disputed Jenni's claim that she shouldn't have gone to so much trouble.

"You are settling in here, with no facilities working just yet. You have to eat so why go out and buy food when it's just as easy for me to bring you food I have prepared?"

Terminating his call just in time to hear Katarina's last comments, Nico asked if she had packed wine. She said of course and he smiled.

"That's why I married, Katarina."

Roland arrived and after Rhonda briefed him on what was required he thought it was fairly straightforward work that could be done in twenty hours, probably less. The electrical system would take the loading with ease.

"We could start on it late next week with a bit of luck."

"Jenni wants it finished by this Sunday Roland," said Nico, sternly.

"There's no what that can happen; we're up to our eyeballs in work at the moment."

"I told Jenni you could do it by then – she's desperate. I virtually gave her my word. I'd be willing to let you take that Wave Breaker 21-footer you've got your eye on for a spin on the Thames on Monday."

Roland's eyes rolled upwards, and he rubbed his forehead anxiously.

Everyone in the room – including the storeman who had arrived with the first lot of curtains just in time to hear this conversation – waited for the decision.

"All right, Lizzie won't like it; I'll work nights and on Saturday afternoon instead of going to the football, but she'll love it when we head out in the Wave Breaker – she wants it even more than I do."

"That's magnificent, Roland," Jennie cried. "I really thank you. Now, in appreciation ..."

"Jenni don't forget to get Roland to get a power connection up to the roof where you want that sign to go," cut in Nico. "Roland please stay and have lunch with us."

Looking at his watch Roland said yes, provided if it were going to be served soon. He also thought it would give him time to chat more with Rhonda.

Nico went over to the phone again.

"Janus you better come up here and lunch with your mother. It looks like a party is shaping up. Bring some wine, a couple of beers for Roland – yes, he's here – and fetch some food. What? Well duck out and get some."

Lunch was a roaring success, lasting almost three hours with Janus going out for more food and drink as more people arrived.

The young architect on the job Roland was working on wanted Roland's advice on making some changes to the electrical plan. Roland had advised him to come to where he was lunching. The architect was apologetic for breaking into a luncheon but Katarina invited him to join them and refused to accept his excuse that he had to race off.

Nico sidled up to Jenni.

"No need to give that five hundred quid incentive payment to Roland. You could of course offer it to me. But I couldn't take it – my conscience would not allow that. Just give me one hundred bucks sometime to cover the cost of fuel that Roland will burn up working the twin outboards to maximum speed once he gets out into the channel and for me to get the boat washed and polished again for putting back in the yard."

"That's awfully nice of you Nico."

"I'm an awfully nice man," he grinned.

Nico phoned his friend who dealt in office fittings and other supplies and told me to come over to lunch with his new client. The friend didn't really know what Nico was on about but when told that the lunch had been prepared by Katarina he said he was on his way.

While Katarina kept one eye on Roland and Rhonda, who appeared to be having their own private party, she presided as the perfect hostess, although in the staff room there was only a sad looking table and six wooden chairs left behind as junk by the previous tenant. Once the six chairs were taken other people stood or sat on the floor with their backs to the wall.

Nico got the architect and his friend whom he hoped would be supplying the office partitioning talking, and then dragged Roland away from Rhonda to join them.

"Now loosen up guys," said Nico topping up their glasses, this is lunch so your time is not chargeable. Jenni needs these temporary premises for her looking pretty smart because she's launching a very upmarket magazine. So we don't want wiring encasements on view. Gerry, you're a bright young architect, what would you recommend?"

The result of that conversation was an agreement: that the wiring would be run through flat aluminium sections along the base of the walls, and branches would run out from the main trunk, through the custom-made partitioning that would have inbuilt ducts for wiring.

"Jenni – come over and hear this," called Nico. "This young architect is absolutely brilliant."

Finally people began to drift off and last to go was Roland who by now was almost panting in Rhonda's presence.

"I trust nothing has been arranged between you two?"

Roland shook his head sideways quite vigorously at Katarina and almost looked as if he were praying. But his hope was foiled by talkative Rhonda.

"Oh yes we're going out for a drink on Sunday sometime to celebrate the completion of Roland's work here."

"Did Roland say that Lizzie is his wife and Roland have twin girls who are not yet one-year-old?" Katarina asked lightly.

"Nice try Roland," Rhonda smiled. "No date but I still think you are quite a guy."

Katarina smirked.

"You're a horny toad Roland but you need to put your family first. This is the second time recently that I've had to come between you and your innocent date. If you paid for part-time home help you may well find that Lizzie suddenly gets more interested again."

Overhearing this, Jenni grinned.

No matter what impression Nico gave about being a head of a large family, it was obvious that he would only be second in charge. Katarina would be one jump ahead of him.