Flying the Dominant Billionaire

The Unassuming Intern

Leo

About two years back

"5 Pepperonis, 2 Works and 1 Garden Fresh Pizza for the cow!" The young high schooler shouted out the order for his buddies and went “Ouch” when he got kicked on his shin by the only girl in the gang.

Leo chuckled to himself at their casual banter.

Friends! I hope the fellas realize the importance of friends in their lives. The playfulness of the young group took him back to that night at Montauk when he had called Ollie, his best buddy from school. How desperate he had been. How lonely and broken! Ollie could have chosen to have a squabble with him that night. He could have pulled the skeletons out of the closet.

“It’s all water under the bridge, mate,” Ollie had remarked when Leo had apologized about the Boston soiree and that single statement had maybe saved Leo's life. “Historically, alcohol and pheromones have caused a lot more trouble than our little Saturday night square-up.” Ollie had chirped. He couldn’t remain serious for long.

'My chest is hard and brown

Lying on stained, wretched sheets with a bleeding virgin

We could plan a murder.

Or start a religion.'

Ollie would quote Jim Morrison whenever he could. Leonardo’s birthday coincided with the Doors' lead singer and every time Ollie quoted the Great American Poet the mood around them would instantly lighten.

If his best buddy hadn’t called him over that night, Leo would have just gone downhill. The chilled beer that Ollie offered and his soothing words calmed his nerves in that emotional turmoil. Ollie is such an anchor! Leo shook his head musing while taking note of the order.

“Will there be any sides?” he asked the group as he scribbled down their order. “Some chicken wings or garlic breadsticks?” There were a few 'yes’ as Leo wrote the rest of the order, told them about the free coke that came with it and dashed off towards the kitchen after saying, “Should be here in under 20 minutes.”

Leonardo wasn't like the rest of his MIT buddies. At least not like the privileged ones. His Nonno always inspired him to learn the trade first-hand. He spent more time with his grandpa than he did with his dad after he entered his teens, learning the tricks of the trade.

Nonno used to say, “if you don’t know how to make good pizzas, you will never learn how to sell them.”

William Lombardi III aka Bill was Leonardo’s grandpa, his loving Nonno. Bill had worked with his Pa, the founder of the very successful pizza chain Papa Lombardi’s. They had started small, making pizzas and pies and selling them from their little store in Manhattan, the first pizzeria in the United States.

While Bill had made the business of selling pizzas popular across the United States, Leonardo’s dad consolidated the business of selling pizzas, dropped making pies and very successfully took the company to the world.

“Lombardi, eh? So, are you connected to Papa Lombardis in any way?” The store manager at the Papa John’s outlet had asked him somewhat mockingly in his interviews six months back.

With only six months left for him to complete his Sloan MBA, Leo had gone to apply for a part-time job at the old brick & mortar building at 622 Somerville Plaza. It housed the oldest and probably the largest Papa John’s outlet in Boston.

“Oh, how I wish I was!” he had responded cheekily, sarcasm dripping from his voice.”I wish I had inherited Papa Lombardi’s. Wouldn’t have had to work 2 part-time jobs to pay for my MBA then.”

He was a sincere worker and everyone in the store liked him. Leonardo never said no to doing anything at the store.

Raj, the Indian store manager, would often praise him. “My main man,” he would call Leonardo.

Leo couldn't help but notice how well he handled the staff at Papa John’s. Raj had a unique endearment for everyone.

Carlos, the Sicilian chef, was “Our Michelin Star”.

Raj would say to Leo, “If you weren’t doing an MBA, I would have offered you a full-time position here.” He would constantly try to persuade Leo to stay.

Leonardo would often catch up with him after his shift, as he would be doing the paperwork and completing the batch return.

Raj told him the story of how he migrated to the US for undergraduate studies and how his parents had raised the money for his tuition by mortgaging their village lands and their house.

Raj’s story would run over and over inside his head. I am so privileged. People have to struggle so much to create a future. Mine comes on a friggin platter!

Raj worked 2 jobs all through Uni and struggled to win a scholarship! When he got the scholarship money to pay for his education, he immediately sent money back to his parents and salvaged their properties.

“Not everyone has the same fate,” Raj said, “At times, kids live the American dream and leave their parents to their struggles in India.”

Leo could almost see the misery of people who lose everything to send their children to America and make it big.

Leonardo called Raj “Guru”.

He corrected him and asked him to say Guru-ji instead. “You are supposed to add the suffix Ji to show respect.” Raj would teach him the ways of Indian manners.

“Pearls of wisdom, Guru-ji.” Leonardo would plead, with folded hands, bowing his head, just as Raj had taught him.

He would wait for Raj to give him some tips to manage people. “Praise in public and criticize in private!” Raj’s words stuck with him.

He rushed into the kitchen through the swing doors. He was always in a hurry and always eager to do more.

Chef Carlos placed the pizza trays on the stainless steel service counter and Leo picked them up, balancing them on the crook of his arm. He had perfected the technique of carrying 3 large pizza trays on each of his arms.

He put down the six pizzas in front of the young group. They got hold of their pizza slices from the hot trays and stuffed their mouths with the food, mumbling their appreciation.

The kids must have been famished. Thought Leonardo as he noticed that the loud and boisterous group had stopped chatting as soon as he placed the trays on their table.

Another trip to the kitchen to grab the wings from Carlos and he was done for the evening.

He felt good. Today is my last day at Papa John’s, His chest swelled with pride as he thought about how much he had learnt here over the last few months.

“Hey, Carly!” Leo used this as an endearment. The huge Sicilian didn’t even bat an eyelid at the cheeky Leonardo and his quips, “Do you need a hand with the cleaning up? My shift is over but I can stretch a bit.”

On a number of occasions, he stayed back, beyond his shift and actually helped clean the kitchen. It was a messy job, took over an hour and paid no overtime.

Carlos was a man of few words but worked his ass off at Papa John’s for a living. He was a high school dropout, a staunch Catholic who wanted to live a simple life, bringing enough for his family through hard work and simple means.

The bell at the front door chimed as Leonardo was having his small talk with Carlos.

He popped his head out through the kitchen doors to see if it was the high schoolers who were leaving but was surprised to see a man enter the shop and find himself a place to sit by the window.

Didn’t I put out that “We are closed” sign outside the door? he wondered in frustration. Although he could distinctly remember folding up and taking in the chalkboard sign that listed the offers of the day but couldn't recall if he had flipped the sign hanging at the door to “We are closed.”

He strode out of the kitchen towards the back of the seated man.

The man was wearing a cap and a baseball jacket with a telltale blue and white striped collar. The Y and N emblem glowing proudly on his back.

A Yankees fan? What's he doing here in Boston? his thoughts raced as he took in the appearance of the jacket of his favourite baseball team. With a feeling of brotherhood towards a fellow frat, he felt a little sad for the guy. I would need to be extra polite to this guy. Papa John’s is closed for the night.

He started to speak, a bit apologetic and with all politeness. “We are really sorry sir, Papa John’s is closed for the night. We are not taking any more orders". He faced the seated man looking at the top of the baseball cap which hid the guy's face completely.

“Well, how about we go somewhere else then? I am sure something will be open in Boston?” Leonardo was completely taken aback by the gruff voice.

As the head in the baseball cap lifted up to face him, he almost bounced in delight. It was as if he was on cloud nine. The best way to end the day. He exclaimed in excitement, "Nonno! When did you come to town?”

***