Chapter 56: Goals of Encounter
Miss Galina's job was just like the past rotating babysitters before her but with the added benefit of being able to stay the night if needed.
Unlike the times when Sullivan would be able to come home, the next few months would be a busy period after all.
That was not to say that the old man wouldn't be able to go home for a long time as filming studios are close by. It only pertains to frequent absences that could sometimes be extended due to unforeseen circumstances.
"Mr. Creed, I look forward to starting the job already." Galina happily chatted after they set the ground rules of the job.
"Well, I'm finally at ease that I got this over with." Sullivan echoed her sentiment at the finalization of things.
"By the way Mr. Creed, you said that you would be busy filming. If ever little Alex would visit your set, would it be okay for us to tag along?" Galina knew that she was presumptuously pushing it but she didn't want to waste the opportunity to increase her family's chances at Hollywood.
Of course, Sullivan had previously been in the same situation as her when he got into this country and was motivated enough to help out. "That is no trouble at all."
Exchanges, forming contacts, and establishing connections are among the goals of any encounter. One simple favor you do could help out big in the future after all.
The adult duo then talked about Hollywood matters extensively which was quite a mile away from the original purpose of the meeting.
Alexander listened on with silence as usual while the little girl seems to be vexed at the incomprehensible talks that she has no alternative to divert her attention to.
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Eventually, Miss Galina and Milla left and the Creed household was back to what it always has been.
Alexander finally had some freedom to voice his thoughts that he had set aside while the guests were present.
"Now that I think about it, we could have any of our employees to be the babysitter. We could have also asked for the pretty nannies that were doing the job before." This was bugging him since the impromptu-ness of the entire meeting to him. "Why did we have to hire new people, grandpa?"
Considering the presence of the Jovovich ladies and Miss Galina's overt enthusiasm, he did have the decency to hold these doubts back before.
Now that they left with amicability and sealed the deal, it was the opportune time to ask his grandfather the question.
It would seem that Sullivan expected the boy's doubts, so he had already prepared answers beforehand.
"When I considered hiring your employees, I also took into account the fact that they heavily respect you." Sullivan simply ditched out his facts to reinforce his earlier decisions. "If they were asked to babysit you, then that established respect will be lost. Boss and employee relations need to be kept in a professional balance that wouldn't extend to having them take care of you."
"Huh... I never even knew that those guys respect me." Alexander fell deep into thought with those implications. "I always thought that they want to punch little me because I am way too bossy and meticulous with things."
"Haha, take it that you didn't hear those from your grandpa and act like you normally do." Sullivan laughed at his grandson's cluelessness. Those art employees don't just praise the boy, they are even starting to worship him.
Those art people finally realized the futileness of their aspirations to reach Alexander's comic-booking heights and Sullivan could only pat their backs for not losing hope in themselves.
It was better to keep that detail to him so that it won't let the boy develop some ego trip that most people in that situation would fall into. This would be something between elderly him and the Creed Comics' employees.
Indifferent Alexander is better kept indifferent to such unimportant 'worshiping' matters that would mean nothing to him except waste his precious time.
Sullivan then moved on from that in-company secret. "As for your previous babysitters... well, their previous affiliations could prove problematic, so they were crossed off the possibilities."
Old Creed didn't expound much on that. It was best that Alexander know nothing more about that previous affiliation of his.
Those ladies may hold a grudge for not having given them parts in the Back to the Future trilogy. It was better to stay away and prepare for unwarranted possibilities that would lead to Alexander's harm.
"In the end, grandpa had to resort to someone new and as you know now, Miss Galina would be your go-to guardian while I am away. You'd better behave yourself when she's around, Alex." Sullivan felt that he wrapped things up nicely and even gave himself imaginative applause.
Alexander could understand those points that his grandfather mentioned but something tells him there's more to it than that.
"Why Miss Galina though? She doesn't seem to be part of some professional babysitting agency if there is one." Alexander "And why your obvious doting on that that Milla girl?"
He had wrapped his head around the hunch that there is something hidden at play ever since he realized that the little lady was future Ultraviolet.
Sort of like a moth to a flame scenario, he could blame his chaos butterfly status for being able to draw a somewhat notable actress in the timeline... but that doesn't seem right.
He wasn't some main character that would encounter some important characters to advance a certain plot point after all.
"Are you jealous that someone would take your grandpa away from you, Alex?" Sullivan teased as he interpreted the last question as his grandson's hidden jealousy.
Alexander just gave him an unmoved expression that was enough to convey how unmoved he would always be to his grandfather's grandchildren expansion.
"Well, I have some friends from Russia that want a favor from me and I just needed to extend that courtesy to them." Sullivan had not much to deny and just came clean with the choice. "Besides, don't you think you should be interacting more with other children. You are way too caught up with being the little boss that I worry about your mentality. Perhaps that Milla girl's frequent visits would help with that"
The old man then proceeded to point out how he should learn more about friendly interactions and the extreme downsides of being an apathetic professional
Alexander really had nothing to say for his grandpa's semi-arbitrariness in babysitting choices and wishful thinking that a little girl could revert him into a child.
In the end, his hunch was cleared and he got a clearer gist with the uncanny encounter.
It would seem that aside from the parallel in tragic emigration stories, the value of business connections is what leads one towards the other.
Whatever the case may be, the deed is set and it would only be a trivial change to his usual track of things. Encountering a famous actress of the future wouldn't matter much to the advancement of his goals after all.
After that somewhat 'important' matter was dealt with, the Creed duo then went on with the business expansion plans.