Sounds Like Radio Episode 21
Rachel had given warning the day before, during a long preparatory phone call, that the contributor would be bringing some equipment with him. “Not audio kit,” Rachel had said. “We leave that to you guys.
“Mr Fraser is head buyer for an upper-class chocolate and cocoa import firm in Piccadilly.
“He insisted that he needs a slab of marble, some tools and various containers.
“Oh, and he’ll apparently be heating up some stuff.”
Gerry’s ears pricked up.
“We can bring our portable hob into the studio, but I’ll need to have an assistant in there for safety reasons.”
“Theo asks if he can bring his own tempering kit.”
“His what?”
“It’s essentially a heater, I think.”
“That’s fine as long as I fit an isolator to it, for electrical safety, and the assistant still has to be present.”
“That’s all cool,” Rachel said. “I’m hoping he’s not a fusspot; I want this thing wrapped up in two hours.”
Gerry knew Rachel from other bookings, a professional woman with a helpful, no-nonsense approach.
Gerry could only imagine what Theo Fraser was like, a man from an “upper-class chocolate and cocoa import firm in Piccadilly”.
She envisaged an older gentleman who was solemn about his craft, quietly boastful about his expertise, particular about technique.
It was busy at Sounds Like Radio that day, which allowed Cesca to stop panicking about bookings, money and the future.
At least for a bit.
Gerry was in the talks studio with the chocolate feature crew and hadn’t nipped out to ask a single question.
Cesca and Kevin were booked into the main drama studio and Kevin was in there already, cleaning connectors with lighter fluid and otherwise obsessing.
“I wonder if we should schedule in some kind of an appraisal for Gerry,” she said, standing over Kevin as he knelt in the dust laying rubber insulation mats on top of each other with infinite precision.
“Pardon?” He stood up.
“I said, I wonder if we should schedule in some kind of an appraisal for Gerry.”
“She’s only just got here.”
“But new employees need encouragement. Can’t you remember being new?”
“Nope,” Kevin said, and Cesca laughed
“No, I don’t suppose you can. Let’s see if we can find half an hour.”
“You do it.”
“You don’t want to encourage Gerry?”
“She’s an apprentice.”
“So?” Cesca looked at him for a moment. “I think you may feel threatened,” she added.
“That’s utterly ridiculous.”
“I don’t know why it is – defensiveness, I suppose. But if you’re a skilled engineer and good at your job, you should be able to hand out praise to others.”
“I can if I want to.”
“Hm.” Cesca reached up to move a tall boom microphone that was hovering near her head.
“Don’t touch!” Kevin said.
“For goodness’ sake. Are you stressed?”
“No. Why would you think I was stressed?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Kevin, because you’re like a coiled spring, too distracted to hear half the things I say –”
“That’s utterly ridiculous.”
Cesca carefully swung the boom back until it was in its exact previous position.
“The cast will assemble in a minute. I think I’ll get behind my sub-mixer desk and duck the flack flying from you, Kev,”
He grunted.
“If you mean let’s do some work, then I’m right with you.”