My Soul - Mi Alma (Ongoing)

35 Getting things right

As I entered my office at the Met Tuesday morning, Kelly came rushing in. "Alma! What happened to Mick and Stuart? Steve was really furious when he came home last night."

I just looked at her. "When he came home last night, tell me, Kelly, did you already move in with him – after having known him for four days?" I sent her a mock shocked look. Kelly blushed and confirmed she had stayed with Steve since my party a few days before. "When you're over 30 and meet the love of your life, why wait?" she wiggled her eyebrows and sent me a happy smile.

"What did Steve say when he got back home?" I looked Kelly straight in the eyes. "He was in shock – he wasn't at the board meeting - but Steve was quite upset by Sam Goldberg's behavior, and he said as were most of the junior partners at the firm." Kelly looked worried.

"Yeah, so was Mick, Stuart, and my dad." I didn't get any further before Francis entered my office. "Kelly, I need to work with Francis now – can we talk more later today?" She nodded and went out.

"What was that all about?" Francis never let a chance to get some juicy gossip pass him by. "Just some family drama – Mick and Stewart came out Sunday evening – and Mick's parents didn't take it well."

"I know the feeling," Francis said. "Been there done that. Some homophobics never forgive, but usually, it calms down."

We started preparing for the interview with the NY Times. I had both of the presentations we made in Madrid and an update on the media coverage of the event in Madrid. I felt that both Francis and I knew enough about the upcoming exhibition – and the timeline leading up to it. We also had a new list of sponsors for the event. Everything was prepared and looked fine. Kelly showed the NY Times journalist into the meeting room – Francis and I were already there.

"Alma – is that really you?" before I could answer, I was thrown into a bearhug. "Rick Johnson, I never dreamt that you would be a culture reporter in the Times – you seemed to be more into sports and chasing girls in high school, how are you?" I returned the hug.

"A man can change" He sent me a suggestive glance.

The interview went extremely well – we talked our way through the museum, showed him the exhibition hall where the exhibit would be, he got some great pictures – and I was looking forward to reading his story.

"Hey Alma, can we meet up for a drink one day – just for old times sake?" Rick sent me a hopeful glance.

"Sure, Rick, that would be nice, just give me a call" I gave him my business card.

"That guy ate out of your hand – my god Alma, when you turn on your charm, you're absolutely irresistible" Francis was laughing.

I went looking for Kelly to wrap up the conversation from the morning, but she had gone home, or rather to Steves's place, I guess.

"Hello! I'm home!" The dogs came running towards me like they hadn't seen me in weeks, and I heard voices from the study. I peeked in and found my dad, Mick, and Stuart in a deep conversation.

"What's going on?" I asked. The three men stopped talking, looked at me, and asked me to sit down.

"Sam is hell-bent on kicking Mick and Stuart out of the company, I had a long meeting with him this morning, but he didn't dodge. I even told him that the board meeting he had called was illegal, and any decision made there would be overruled, reminding him that Mick and I hold 56% of the stocks in the company – he suggested again that he would buy me out, and that he had the entire staff on his side. I am very unsure of what would be the smartest move." Dad had a worried frown on his face.

I told them about my conversation with Kelly in the morning and that Steve had been upset and worried when he came home last night.

"How close are you with Steve – I mean, can we trust him?" dad sent Mick and Stuart a quizzical glance.

"Close enough to trust him; he has known about us for a couple of years and never said anything to anyone at work. We have some social contact – I guess it will be more now that he has started dating Almas colleague Kelly" Mick sent dad a confident glance.

"Call him, and ask him to come over" Dad looked directly at Mick.

If this chaos at Sachs&Goldberg has led to anything positive, it has restored my trust and respect for my dad. I genuinely regret having avoided him for the last few years. He is a good and caring man – a real dad.

Steve and Kelly arrived at the door. I had mixed emotions about Kelly tagging along. She and Steve have been together for less than a week, and I was unsure if we could trust her. I always regarded her as a golddigger, but here she was – and I couldn't kick her out. If Steve trusts her, I guess we should as well – but can you trust the judgment of a man in love?

Steve presents the situation from his perspective. It's quite interesting. Several of the junior partners were in shock by Sam Goldbergs highly unprofessional behavior. They support Mick and Stuart all the way, "But unfortunately none of us own any stocks in the company, so we don't have a real saying in a board meeting," Steve said.

"It wouldn't look pretty if New York Times got hold of this, I see the headline "Major law firm kicks lawyer and his PA because of sexual orientation. Isn't that against the law?" Kelly said.

"It is," dad nodded. "I know Sam well enough to know he would avoid negative press at any cost. So his reaction to Mick and Stuart doesn't make any sense. That he would be disappointed in his son – I can understand, but not the emergency board meeting with only the minority owners".

"Î think it is mam behind this," Mick said after a long break. "She is greedy and has always been jealous of Susannah. But jeopardizing the company just a month and a half before I would leave anyway? I don't get it."

"I'll call a real board meeting next Monday. Steve, please talk to the junior partners, and preferably write a statement of support for Mick and Stuart. We need to get an end to this. I will not allow my law partner through 35 years to mess up this company. Mick and Stuart, please come back to work tomorrow. We want no more rumors, just straight facts. Hopefully, we will get most of the partners along with our plan. Mick and Stuart, you will only report to me. If Sam tries anything – that goes for you too, Steve, please inform me immediately," Dad had his hands on the steering wheel of the company again. He is the boss, and he would tolerate no-nonsense.