Lori and I neared the far corner of the first floor, Sandy Fries at his desk, papers scattered. Seeing us coming, he impressed me as intelligent, but unfocused.

Lori said, “Sandy, you know Jack Olesker.” He nodded. “Jack’s going to be the assistant story editor for Care Bears. Give him an idea of where you’re at and where he can help you.”

Sandy said, “Sure.”

Lori pointed to a desk butted up to Sandy’s desk and told me, “That’s your desk.”

I was caught off guard but didn’t show it. For a few nanoseconds I thought about how Andy hadn’t actually offered me the position. He decreed I would be an assistant story editor, just like Lori was telling me it was time for me to start working. No warning, no working up to it. Just “That’s your desk.”

Of course Jean and Andy had discussed everything with Lori. In a way I thought they were paying me a compliment, it being obvious I’d accept the assistant story editor position and that if I had any reluctance it would dissolve when I heard the starting salary.

So seeing no benefit in wasting valuable time, Andy had just told me I was going to be an associate story editor and Lori had just pointed to my desk. As Lori walked away, I sat at my new desk, opposite Sandy’s, ready to work.

The problem was I still didn’t know what I was supposed to be doing. And just as importantly, in my mind, I didn’t know if writing Care Bears scripts was going to be a part of the job…and whether on to I’d get paid for doing it now that I was on staff.