The first thing that hit me stepping out of the airport was the heat. I was used to heat, but the hotness in Texas was much different. The humidity greeted you with a surprise punch to the face. Every breath was a chore at first but slowly I got used to it.
"It'll just be a second," the man at the counter said smilingly, "Your rental should be pulling up soon."
I thanked him and turned around. I don't know how I've done it but I've gotten a job with Magnolia as a project manager. I've even met Chip and Joanna - through Zoom - but I've nailed that interview. Since the start of their new TV network, they were busy with producing, maintaining, their new and upcoming shows. They needed a hand with their flagship operation which was their construction business. Chip kept all control for the demo and construction since he was very hands off on the TV side. Joanna was swamped with the TV side of things and needed help in managing the nitty gritty side, procurement, planning, hr, etc. I was going to be put in charge of that and report directly under her.
I was ecstatic! Not only was I a fan but I reported under Joanna! Well since she was super busy I didn't think I would see much of her but I could hope. I always thought she was cute and funny. Chip also struck me as a laid back and funny guy. In the interview he said as long as the job gets done on time he wouldn't micromanage. Joanna however was very hands on but needed to learn when to stay out or as she put it in the interview, "when i need to put out." Before laughing at her Freudian slip.
I told her, "Don't worry I'll tell you when you need to put out." The joke landed and they both laughed.
Chip immediately exclaimed, "You're hired!"
That's how I found myself sweating my brown ass off waiting for a mid-size sedan that sure took its time in Waco.
"Maybe 'soon' means something else here," I thought.
As quickly as I thought that the car pulled in. I went with the driver to check out the car. She had to just be out of high school. She was short and skinny. She had short blond hair pulled up in a bun that peeked through her cap. Her ass did fill out her company shorts.
"What brings you to Waco?" she asked as she showed me the miles on the vehicle.
"Oh, I got a new job offer" I told her nonchalantly, "at Magnolia."
"Oh yeah, my parents say that it was the Gaines that built this town. Waco was pretty small before their show blew up in popularity. It's good and bad. Don't get the wrong idea. I love the Gaines but sometimes the people here get fed up with them." she said, "All done, just sign here."
I drove to my hotel to shower, put my luggage away, and rest a bit before heading down to the Magnolia offices to introduce myself. Part of the hiring agreement is that they would provide a house that they would be renovating plus a car. The house was an amazing perk, since housing was very limited in their area. The catch was that I had to be there at least 5 years which I gladly took. I didn't see myself getting another career.
The car, well they would also provide me a car free of charge which was very nice of them to do. I did have a budget but the catch was they would need to go with me to get the best price. Ahh celebrity perks. I checked into the hotel and my room was pretty nice. I foresaw long days ahead trying to wrangle what they described as "an avalanche of unforeseen problems" so all I cared about was that the bed was comfortable, which to say it was. After showering and cleaning up a bit I saw that I had a voicemail from Chip. He wanted to know if I arrived safely and to give him a call back which I did.
"Hi John!" he greeted me, "hopefully I didn't disturb you. It sounds like you got in ok. I hope the hotel is nice. Let me tell you the house will be nicer."
"Thanks again for the house. I appreciate it." I said
"Don't thank me yet. You still haven't seen the amount of work you have to do." He chuckled, "Listen, don't bother coming into the office. We don't want to rush you. Besides Jojo and I aren't in. We wanted to ask you to come by for super. It'll be a while before you eat a home cooked meal and best of all Jojo is cooking!"
"I don't want to intrude," I said