 |
An offer he can refuse? All in the FamilyBy Rick Horowitz Billy Grins, he gets tired of waiting, he picks up the phone he says to Big Al, "You got anything for me?" Big Al, he says to Billy Grins, "I'll get back to you." And he hangs up on him like he's talking to some dirtball. Billy Grins, he don't appreciate this. He don't appreciate anyone hangs up on him without he gets a chance to say what's on his mind. Plus, he especially don't appreciate it coming from Big Al, who everyone knows he made what he is today. "I made him what he is today," Billy Grins says to his guys. His guys, they don't disagree with him. Plus, this ain't the first time Big Al hangs up on him. For weeks it's been the same thing. Billy Grins calls, he says to Big Al, "You got anything for me?" or "Something I can do for you?" or even just "How's it goin'?" Big Al, he don't want to hear it. Not from Billy Grins. Not now. Big Al, he's looking to take over The Company. He's looking to be The Man, which is what Billy Grins is right this minute. Billy Grins, you want to know the truth, he don't want anyone else to be The Man. He don't want to hand over The Company to anyone, but his time is running out, he knows this. If he's gotta hand it over, if it's time for someone else to be The Man, he wants it to be Big Al. Anyway, he certainly don't want it to be that lowlife Georgie Mumbles. Georgie Mumbles, he's also looking to take over The Company. And he's giving Big Al all he can handle, which is driving Billy Grins crazy. "It's driving me crazy," Billy Grins says to his guys. "This Georgie Mumbles, he's a total zero, I can take him in my sleep!" Which is the God's honest truth: When it comes to microphones and podiums and that whole thing, nobody holds a candle to Billy Grins. Nobody. Big Al, he don't want to hear it. Big Al, he wants to take over The Company so bad his bones hurt. But he don't want to ask for help, and especially he don't want to ask for help from Billy Grins. Billy Grins, for months he's been reaching out to Big Al, his guys telling Big Al's guys he's available, he'll go places, he'll do things, just turn him loose. Big Al, he sends word back to Billy Grins: "I'll do it my way." "He think he's Sinatra or something?" Billy Grins can't believe what he's hearing. "This guy was a nobody until I make him my Number Two, without which, I swear on my mother's life, he's got no chance of ever being The Man." "Your mother's dead," his guys remind him. "That's not the point," Billy Grins says. "The point is, don't he know who his friends are?" Big Al, he knows who his friends are. It's his undecideds he's not so sure about. He wants to stick it to Georgie Mumbles, he needs his undecideds. He turns Billy Grins loose, maybe he's home free -- The Company's been running good with Billy Grins, people appreciate that. Or maybe he goes right down the toilet -- Billy Grins, he just rubs some people the wrong way. They see him out there, they don't like him, they take it out on Big Al. Big Al, he can't afford to screw this one up. Right in his gut he feels it, like a rock -- he can't stand it no more. Billy Grins, he can't stand it no more either. He picks up the phone again he says to Big Al, "You want me to stay out of this? That what you want? You want me to just zip my lip?" Big Al, he considers one way and then the other way he says to Billy Grins, "I'll get back to you." Big Al, meanwhile, what he wants to say to Billy Grins is, "If you'd kept the rest of you zipped, I wouldn't be in this mess!" Posted 10/25/00.
Here's an offer you can't refuse -- fresh stuff right here at "Rick's"
twice every week!
|
  |
Rick Horowitz