Real Love Ch. 27

"Not even close, Larry. Most of us here thought that very thing when we first heard of her promotion. But, Kelly was given this job because she has the necessary skills for it and she excels at it. She has proven to all of us she can handle it, and more. She has also proven she's a true Brad type of professional in every sense of the word. She's really knowledgeable and good at what she does for this team. Her knowledge of the Packard Empire business is incredibly detailed. We want her to continue doing her job with or without her personal relationship with Brad. But, we prefer she keep him," she says as everyone agrees with her.

"Thank you Stacy and I see everyone agreeing with you," Larry says.

"Guys, do you mind if I give my own response please?" she says smiling.

The Packard team gets up and gang hugs her in a heart beat, leaving her feeling pretty damn special. Then they return to their seats happy as clams.

Rick asks, "Larry, do you enjoy your job as CEO of Packard Records?"

"You're the first person to ask me that question Rick... At first I didn't because I was the new kid on the block and didn't know anybody. The VP was overbearing and the employees hated him. I walked into a lion's den of abuse of the employees by the VP, which I hated very much. I was getting close to firing him, but he finally made the mistake that cost him his job and even I was happy about that, but I didn't tell anyone. I spent the two weeks after his dismissal hiring a VP and putting out fires Chuckie caused before he left. Now that he's gone, I'm getting more comfortable and I'm enjoying the job more. The employees are feeling much better as well."

"Also, let me say the training this team is providing is worth its weight in gold. I can't begin to tell you how much I actually know, but didn't realize. It was just sitting in the back of my brain in a dormant state. This training has woke it up."

"The ability of this team to be honest and frank about the relationship you share with one another is absolutely incredible. I find it unique, honest and refreshing."

"Another thing that amazes me is the personal commitment all of you have for each other. I've been in upper management for over ten years and this is the only group of employees I've ever visited that actually respects their leaders, instead of showing respect, to the level all of you do. That alone is worth the price of admission, Kelly," he says as he looks in her direction.

"Thank you Larry. Accolades are greatly appreciated, but we don't give out brownie points. It gives the owners big heads, but not the staff, of course," Kelly says and laughs.

Everyone laughs with Kelly as Brad gives her a hi-five.

"Peggy, what vision do you have for this company?" Sandi asks.

"Wow. Good question Sandi... When I first joined this company, I literally had no vision for the future. But today, things are different. In the long run, I see success, despite our age. Brad explained how the VP thought we were to stupid to run a company this size because we are kids, but we will prove him wrong. I look at it as a challenge. This is only the beginning of the new Packard Empire and you ain't seen nuttin' yet. So buckle your seat belt and hold on to your hat because the new Packard Empire will be moving into the future at a location near you very soon."

"Very well put, Peggy," Sandi says.

"Brad, would you, Peggy, Stacy and Kelly be willing to step out so we can speak to the rest of your team, please?" Sandi asks.

"Sure," Brad says.

As he starts to get up, Kelly, Peggy and Stacy make the same move. Brad suddenly thought they will be in position the next day to ask individual team members questions without a leader present. He's about ready to cancel their departure from the room when Rick looks at Brad.

"If I may interrupt, I will ask the four of you to return to your seats for a moment please. I would like to address all of you before you leave," Rick explains.

They do as he turns and faces Sandi, saying, "With all due respect, Sandi, that will not be necessary. We won't do or say anything different in their absence. We have no secrets between us and there's nothing we have to hide from each other, or from you. I don't want them to leave because I want them to hear about the things we normally don't discuss. I'm not afraid to tell them either, but sometimes I'm reserved, like I am now because I'm talking to people I don't really know and your skepticism is seriously overwhelming."

"The relationship we have with our leaders is solid. Their relationship with us is solid. We know exactly where they stand and they know exactly where we stand in our relationship. If they want to know something, they ask and none of them are shy about asking questions either. And the reverse is also true."

"This is by far the best professional and personal relationship I, and any other assistant you see here, has had with any leadership prior to now. I could be wrong, but this is the first time any of us has ever worked for genuine leaders and it will be a very hard sell to convince any of us to give it up. So, in my mind, to ask them to leave is the same as asking all of us to leave. We are the greatest team with the greatest leaders, after all, and we will stay that way, no matter what you do, say or think."

"In a way, I feel..." Rick stops and bows his head, then looks at Sandi again. "I better stop there. My mouth may get me in trouble from here."

"I would like you to finish your statement Rick," Sandi says immediately.

Rick pauses, then asks, "Brad and Kelly, is it okay with you if I continue?"

Brad says, "Absolutely Rick. They want to know how you feel. It's okay with us if you say whatever it may be and we'll support you."

Kelly and Brad's sisters nods.

"Besides, we can always throw you in the pool later."

Everyone breaks out laughing. Once again, Larry is shaking his head. When they get a handle on their laughter, it's back to Rick, now feeling more at ease with what he wants to tell them.

Instead, surprising everyone, Nikki speaks up saying, "Maybe you would like hear what he was going to say from someone else on the team?"

Brad breaks in, saying, "Thank you for the offer Nikki, but Rick started the answer and I would like him to finish what he started please," he says with a smile, giving Nikki a hi-five.

"Okay," Nikki says.

"Thanks Nikki."

Rick begins, saying, "Ok Brad... Sandi, with all due respect, I personally feel insulted that you would ask our leaders to leave this meeting. I understand your skepticism, but we aren't hiding anything from you and we are not trying to cover anything up, because there's nothing to cover up. What you see and hear is the way it is, believe it or not, like it or not."

"This business is important to all of us. It's our future. It's our life. We have nothing to gain by deceiving you. Faking anything isn't fruitful for you or us. Trying to drive a wedge between us won't happen no matter how hard you try because we will not break. We trust our leaders so deep you will never reach the limits this team has for each other. Our leaders are integrated into us and we're integrated into them. We are a team. We are family, plain and simple. I can't walk away from that so there's nothing more to tell you. Therefore, asking them to leave is fruitless. If you insist they leave, the rest of us will leave with them."

"You really trust them that much?" Sandi asks in disbelief.

"It's got more to do with leadership and relationships, Sandi, and because of that, we really do trust them that much. You should ask the others."

"Nikki, is that what you were going to say?"

"He took the words right out of my mouth Sandi," Nikki replies.

Debi volunteers, "I will also leave if our leaders leave."

Stacy, Peggy, Brad and Kelly are fighting back the tears. They are genuinely touched by the team.

"Oh my god! That's so amazing of you to say that! I am literally stunned you feel that way. What an impressive team... and family," Sandi declares, shaking her head.

Sandi is having difficulty believing what she just heard from Rick and Nikki.

"Do all of you feel that way?"

"Yes Sandi, we all feel that way," Debi says as the entire team nods. "The relationship we have with the owners is as solid as it gets and it goes both ways."

Debi, noticing tears in the leaders eyes, gets up and hugs each one from behind and gives each one a peck on the cheek, which Sandi notices immediately. Nikki and Rick do the same, then return to their seats.

"Debi, you kiss your leaders as well?" Sandi asks.

"Of course," Debi replies. "When we became a family, we rapidly became an affectionate group, taking after Brad and Kelly. That forced us to make some rules in our relationship. We are allowed to give each other little pecks, as we call them, as long as we stay on the top of the head, on the cheeks or forehead, but no contact with the lips. Kissing on the lips, we all agreed, is too personal for our team relationship. It's one of the boundaries we established and we all agreed to it."

Sandi isn't believing her ears, or her eyes. She's thinking this isn't a normal professional atmosphere. This is more like... like a family atmosphere, yet in a successful and professional environment. It suddenly hits her that what Brad and his team have been saying is the truth. It all comes together for her.

"Brad, you win! My attitude about relationships has officially changed and you're right. I want a team just like yours," Sandi says, convincingly.

"I knew you would, Sandi. Congratulations!" Brad says, giving her a hi-five."

Sandi looks at Debi saying, "You win the bet, Debi, and I can sure use a hug."

They meet, smiling, and give each other a serious hug.

"Tell me how you feel, Sandi?" Debi asks.

"I feel great Debi," she replies, "and yes, you did tell me so. Everything you predicted, I'm now feeling."

Debi smiles and returns to her seat. She's proud of her performance and her confidence. Brad and Kelly give Debi several hi-fives and Brad gets up and gives her a hug, which makes her feel higher than a kite. Then Sandi turns to Brad and Kelly.

"Brad and Kelly, you have challenged the core of my professional being, something I never thought would ever happen to me. It has changed me and it's all your fault. The penalty for doing that is... you have to give me a hug too, please."

Brad and Kelly were worried until the end of her statement, but smile and give her a hug as she sheds a few tears of happiness.

As Sandi returns to her seat, she's given a hi-five by Helen and Larry and she says, "Larry, correct me if I'm wrong, but we don't have any employees that feel as strong as this team does, do we?"

"To the best of my knowledge, no. Nowhere near the level this team does, Sandi. Helen, would you agree?"

"Yes, Larry, I totally agree. Our work is cut out for us, and we know it won't be easy, so let's just go do it and be happy with our accomplishments."

They pass out hi-fives between them.

"Roger that Helen... Peggy, do you also agree with Craig's assessment of the Debi contract signing?" Larry asks.

"I need Debi's permission to speak of this as well."

"It's okay Peggy. Thank you for asking, but I didn't realize this would be such an issue."

"I do agree with it, Larry. It was planned to perfection and acted perfectly. I was impressed that Debi handled the pressure that Brad laid on her, and it was serious pressure. Even though it affected Kelly and Brad, they only showed it once, but Debi didn't see it. The role they played was perfect."

Then Peggy faces Debi, saying, "Debi, this is the part of that interview you have not been told. After you ripped up the first contract, you sat there crying and devastated with your head on the table. Brad bowed his head with remorse written all over his face. I could see and feel the hurt he was feeling for putting you through it. He reached for Kelly's hand for support and she had a similar expression, but they knew what the outcome was going to be. It affected them as well as you and the gallery too. Then he asked you to stand up so he could hug you, support you and give you the explanation he wanted you to hear so bad."

"Later on, as you were reading the second contract, Brad stood and moved his chair out from behind him because he knew your next move was to hug him. He knew you were going to hit him hard in the process so he got prepared. And you did! Just like you did in Ohio after he proposed to Kelly. It was heart felt, as Craig put it. That was the beginning of your return to a happy Debi. That's how detailed their plan was to help you. They planned and executed it so well it didn't appear to be planned and staged at all."

Debi lays her head on the table with tears in her eyes.

"Your contract signing affected everyone in the room. It touched all of us in so many special ways. I was happy for you, as well as for Brad and Kelly," Peggy says.

"That was the moment I started to look at Brad as the leader of this company. Not only is he good at it, he excels at it. He's the definition of a natural born leader. With Kelly planning the event, it was executed perfectly, resulting in full support any leader will ever need -- his team, and I'm so proud to be a member of that team. Brad and Kelly make a great team by themselves so naturally, I want to keep them here. I feel this was necessary to explain because all of us need to know how considerate and generous they are."

Brad and Kelly's eyes are wet. They didn't realize Peggy made such a detailed observation.

Debi gets up and goes to Brad, who stands with tears in his eyes, and gives him a hug. A big hug. A tight hug. A long hug. She didn't ask to disrupt the meeting this time, she just did it. Then she does the same to Kelly after she stands, with tears in her eyes. She says thank you to both of them. Nikki joins in, followed by Rick, who also hugs Brad. They also include Debi in the hugs. She's feeling it too. Then Craig, Stacy and Peggy follow suit. It was a special team bonding moment.

"That's amazing," Sandi says, not believing her eyes. "Larry, do you believe what you're seeing?"

"I believe it Sandi. I saw it in my office, without the tears," Larry says. "Helen and I both had the same reaction you have. This is an incredible family. I think I'll join them."

With that said, Larry gets up and joins the hug, then Sandi and Helen do the same.

The team lets them into the hug and they all return to their seats a short time later, relishing the bonding moment with their leaders and guests.

"Excellent observation, Peggy. It has touched everyone, even me. Thank you," Sandi says.

They fall silent for a while as they all regain their composure.

"Alright you guys. You have brought us to tears today and I won't tolerate it any more, so stop it!" Brad says as he puts a smile on his face.

They laugh and spend time getting control of themselves.

Larry asks, "Kelly, what would you have done if Debi refused to rip up the first contract?"

"Brad and I had pre-arranged that we would fake a harsh fight between the two of us over which one of us would look over her contract first. We planned to get real mad at each other to sell it, with some serious yelling and insults included. From there, the plan was to rip the contract in half by accident as we pulled it back and forth between us. Then we were going to apologize to Debi profusely for making such a stupid mistake and place the new one in front of her to read and approve. It was clever, but I'm not sure Debi would buy into it. She's no dummy by any means."

"That was a good plan Kelly. It's also good you never had to use it. This is an awesome team... Rick, what affection do you get from Brad?" Larry asks.

"The same everyone else gets. I don't get as many hugs from Brad or Kelly as Debi does, for example, because I don't work directly for Brad, or Kelly for that matter. However, it was a bit uncomfortable the first time Brad gave me a hug, but I've grown into it. Now it's the norm and I'm okay with it."

"It's a good thing to get recognition from the owners of a large company such as this. I get lots of hi-fives and hugs from Peggy and Stacy as well. So, my bottom line is, I'm as good as Debi. Nikki helps out in that department as well," Rick says looking at Nikki and smiling.

"I wasn't expecting that answer, but I believe you," Larry says.

"Now you know one reason why Stacy and Peggy are here," Brad says with a smile on his face.

Again, the group breaks out laughing, including Stacy and Peggy, as their faces turn red with embarrassment. Brad gives them both a hi-five.

"Debi, is there anything you want to do with the owners that you haven't already done?" Sandi asks.

"That's a loaded question Sandi. Can you be more specific?"

"I would rather not. I would rather you tell me," she replies.

"Then I must decline to answer. I'm sorry Sandi. There are too many things that question can insinuate and I won't go down that road. Sorry."

"That's okay Debi, I'm glad you chose not to answer it. It tells me a lot about you," Sandi says. "It was actually the answer I was hoping for from you, but wasn't expecting."

"Helen, are you proud to work for Larry and Packard Records?" Nikki asks.

"I am, but I'm not at the same level your team is Nikki, but things are progressing in the right direction, so it may be a bit early for me to respond to that. I do like Larry as a boss, because he's very good at what he does, and he's very efficient at it. He reminds me of me."

"Helen, you just reminded me of me!" he says as he laughs, which gets the others laughing.

Getting control of her laughter, Helen continues, "As a result of this training, I'm expecting things to change and look forward to it. I will support Larry any way I can, if he wants me to help. This training is excellent. As I get into it, I would like to be a trainer and moderator of the training of others, as Kelly is."

"Believe me, Helen, I want you to participate and help anywhere you like. We will be talking about it soon," Larry says.

"Thanks Larry. As far as Packard Records goes, I always felt good about it until Chuckie got his dream ripped out from under him. Then he changed overnight and was mad at everybody all the time. It wasn't a good time to be working at Packard Records. But now, he's gone. Company employees feel relieved and they blame Brad for that... That's a good thing Brad," she says, looking at him. "You can tell that from the company meeting. They were really glad you fired him," Helen reveals.

Brad nods, smiles and says, "Larry was about to fire him anyway so his time there was already limited."

"Stacy, would you or could you do what Brad has done with this team?" Larry asks.

"Tough question Larry... Now that I've seen it done, I feel like I could do it. But, to plan it from scratch as Brad did, I don't know the answer to that question. I've never been in a position where I had to do something so personal."

"Peggy, same question."

"I have to agree with Stacy on that. I would give the same answer, Larry."

"Kelly, what advice would you give me, as the secretary for the CEO of Packard Records?" Helen asks.

"Good question, Helen. You've learned some good information here today. My advice would be to start practicing what you have learned. The sooner you do that, the faster things change."

Brad says, "I've been wondering this since we started the training. What was it we did or said that made you so skeptical or think we had something to hide?" Brad asks.

"For me, it was the second hug you gave your team in my office, Brad. It looked to me like there was more to it than what I saw because it was so tight. I thought it was more personal than anything else."

"Every hug is personal, Larry. The tighter the hug, the more personal it is. I don't believe you can avoid being personal while giving hugs... Even still, so what if we have fireworks on the Island every weekend. So what if we have speedboat races every other day. So what if there's hanky panky going on. So what if we have orgies here every day at 2:15. So what if we do whatever we want to do in our relationship. Why is that any of your business?"