Chapter Six
Monday 6th May,
'Now the stage is bare and I'm standing there, with emptiness all around.'
The school year was winding down, the students were sitting exams. Harry had tried to find out if the other Vice-Chairs in the department had been scheduled meetings with Candy, or whether he was just the unlucky recipient. He was sure it was more to do with his annual appraisal than his stage appearance. For once Ruby his PA had not been able to help.
"Come in Harry," Candy had called in answer to his knock.
"Take a seat," she indicated a small sofa at the side of her office and she pulled her desk chair out from behind the desk.
"Thank you," Harry said politely and sat down.
"Are you ambitious?" she asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean are you ambitious? What are you planning on doing next?"
"I only just started this job!"
"You've been here nearly a year, what comes next? Do you want to become part of the governing board? What is your next goal?"
Harry sat silently thinking. He did have goals, things that he wanted but sat in the Dean's office at NYU he began to realise that not many of them had to do with a career progression at the University.
"Is this so I can write something down on my annual appraisal?" Harry asked eventually.
"No, Scott Volosin does your appraisal."
"Oh," Harry said. If this meeting wasn't about his appraisal then there was only one other subject it was likely to be about.
"I take it you are aware of NYU policy and procedures as regards advertising."
"Pardon?" Harry this conversation was becoming more confusing by the minute. He looked up to see Candy cross her legs, the rather too short skirt of her suit riding up higher as she reached behind her for a folder on the desk.
"You are aware that NYU to maintain its status takes part at certain events, certain fundraisers, publicity events and scholarship recruitments throughout the year."
Harry looked up blankly, she had impossibly long nails, painted a deep purple, she couldn't possibly do her own typing. "Fundraisers?" Harry repeated.
"You see Professor Cunningham, it seems that you have a certain stage presence and we need someone to work some evenings and weekends at a variety of events across the city that all promote NYU. There are information drives about the scholarship programme for some of the public schools. A NYU families fun day and there's a benefit at the end of term, which many of the alumni attend. It is one of the biggest fundraising events of the school year. You do get what I'm saying?" She asked pointedly.
"Yes," he replied nervously. "But what has this to do with me?"
"These events," Candy continued. "The faculty have to make appearances but it's never popular, I don't want to have to tell people what they can and cannot do on their weekends. Do you understand me?"
Harry looked into her inscrutable eyes. "Are you blackmailing me?"
"That's a very emotive term, isn't it?"
Harry's heart sunk, was blackmail another of those words you weren't allowed to use? Was there an alternate word that didn't use the word black? He couldn't think of it. "Are you telling me, that this year I have to do all the public appearances at these fundraisers and that if I don't I might find that information about my recreational choices may make my stay here at NYU less than pleasant?"
"You didn't hear me say that, did you?" she asked pointedly.
"Email me over the dates," Harry said mournfully.
"I'm so glad you volunteered, I shall enjoy working with you more closely Harry."
Now it was back to Harry, he noted.
"The first is this Thursday, we'll go and give a talk to Trinity School on the Upper West Side. It's an exclusive private school, it will be a good introduction to you."
"But surely they don't need a scholarship program?"
"No, we just want the ones that don't make Ivy League Schools but whose parents are loaded."
"Oh,"
Just wait 'til we head uptown in a month or so those kids are not gonna know what's hit 'em, when you tell 'em where it's at," Candy finished using her native NY accent.
"Going back to the 'hood?" Harry asked.
"You betcha!"
Harry slunk from the room. So much for keeping out of trouble and just his eyes above water. That's what hippos did. Just their eyes. But then singing on a stage just outside Times Square wasn't really keeping your head below water. What were the chances of his boss being there?
But maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Hadn't he wanted this job in part to be an inspirational teacher? Wasn't that a good aspiration? Wasn't that a goal? Maybe this was the sort of change he needed, maybe inspiring some students about science would be the change he was looking for. Nikki had described herself as adrift yesterday, maybe he was too. Maybe this was just what he needed to give himself a focus and a goal to work for.
Are You Lonesome Tonight: Handman and Turk, Elvis
Thanks so much for the reviews: HesitantHedgehog, Green Elf47, GreyLostWho, Freya 82 and Tigpop so glad you're all back and looking forward to more. Lots more to come : )
