I could tell Andy was pleased after the CBS meeting. Things had changed. I was valuable to him and Jean.

When we got back to the studio Andy said, “Go see Lori,”

Lori Crawford was sitting behind her perpetually cluttered desk in her sunlit office with a big smile on her face. Knowingly, she said what she already knew. “Judy liked your scripts.”

I nodded, adding, “And I think she actually read them.” Lori nodded.

Now that we’d gotten the small talk out of the way, I asked, “What’s up?”

Asking a question she knew the answer to, Lori said, “You want to write more Littles scripts?”

I took a seat in a chair across from her desk. “You bet.”

“Write up springboards for half a dozen episodes and get them to me. Jean will pick out two for you to write treatments for. After he approves the treatments you’ll go to script.”

I had moved into second gear now, getting assignments for two scripts at a time. It meant three thousand dollars. Nice, but not enough. Not nearly enough.

I saw Lori looking straight at me and I said, “Something’s going on.”

She leaned forward, her voice lowering. “You’re a smart guy, Jack. I think you’re gonna do okay. But leave the business to Jean and Andy. Stick to writing scripts.”

I nodded. I got it. When the elephants are working, mice stay out of their way.