Chapter 13: I Want You to Take Me Home

September 24, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“I’m sorry I was asleep when you came to bed last night,” Keiko said when we woke up on Saturday morning.

“There’s no need to apologize! We didn’t arrive home until after midnight.”

“How did it go?”

“She sold some of her paintings,” I replied. “So it was very good for her. One of them sold for full price, and the other three at or above the reserve price. Those are set by the gallery owner who ran the show, by the way.”

“Did you have fun?”

“I enjoyed playing the hot, rich guy who implied he was having the best sex of his life with the disinterested artist!”

Keiko laughed softly, “In Deanna’s dream!”

“It was all an act, of course! I mean, sure, we know her desired situation, but she choreographed the entire thing. She had a nice interview with a reporter from the Trib whom I spoke to as well. I hope he writes a positive review of the show and specifically of Deanna’s work. The reporter wants to develop a relationship with me, too.”

“For?”

“Background on the financial markets. I wouldn’t be quoted, but I’d answer questions about how things work and explain what’s going on in the markets. Obviously, I can’t give him Spurgeon proprietary information, but I can give him more general information.”

“How does that help you?”

“The goal is to have contacts in every possible field because you never know what kind of information you might need. Being able to pick up the phone and call a reporter is as valuable as being able to pick up the phone and call, say, a computer engineer in California. And it’s through those contacts that I build my contact list as well. Mr. Matheson has a Rolodex with something like a thousand numbers from around the world.”

“And he won’t share?”

“Never. That’s something every trader, broker, or money manager guards zealously. You don’t want someone else annoying your contacts. I have access to them by asking Mr. Matheson to speak to them. I did that with regard to the Australian dollar. He knows what he can and can’t ask and how often he can call. I don’t, and I could mess things up.”

“That does make sense,” Keiko observed. “Do you have any plans today other than your usual Saturday errands?”

“No. I had just planned to hang out at home. Shall we get out of bed?”

“I suppose. I really enjoy cuddling naked in bed with you, and we won’t be able to do that for two weeks starting Monday. Will coming to the hospital in the afternoon interfere with your new role?”

“No,” I replied. “First, the staff changes don’t happen until Friday of next week, so things just operate as they have until 1:00pm on Friday. And by then, all the European markets are closed, and there are only a few hours left of trading in the Americas.”

“I suppose we should get some breakfast,” Keiko said reluctantly.

We got out of bed, dressed, and went down to the kitchen to make breakfast. About two hours later, after Keiko and I had eaten, Bianca and I left the house to head to Dominick’s, as we felt they had far better fruit and produce than Jewel.

“How are things going down on Friday?” Bianca asked once we were in the car.

“Just after lunch, we’ll call the seven into the Personnel office. I’ll inform each person individually, then Trish and Leslie will go over their severance packages with them. Once that’s done, Jack will distribute a memo with the new seating arrangements, and they’ll move on Monday afternoon. None of them have enough stuff to warrant overtime for the guys, and Friday will be too hectic.”

“And the new space?”

“The permits will take three to four weeks and construction two to three. We’ll move into the space mid-November. That will probably be done on a weekend, given we’ll be moving eleven, as opposed to four, and I can’t really afford to have my computers down for a few hours during the week.”

“So, like a normal Suit!” Bianca smirked.

I laughed, “OK, sure, but I won’t call Jack Nelson names and complain to Mr. Spurgeon if something breaks. I’ll work with Phil to get it repaired or replaced.”

“Would they be willing to set up an extra workstation just in case? You know, configure for nine analysts instead of eight? That way, if someone’s system breaks, there’s a spare they can use.”

“That’s not a bad idea. I have to talk to Phil on Monday about equipment for the new data analyst, so I’ll ask for the setup for the empty slot, which is approved. That way, if I do hire someone, we already have the gear, and I can ask for equipment for them and make that the new spare. The real challenge is additional Bloomberg terminals, which Mr. Spurgeon will have to pull strings to make happen. And this would be the time for you to request anything you need.”

“I could run my simulations far faster on a Sun-1 system.”

“From that company that was basically spun off from Stanford, right?”

“Yes. It runs a version of the Unix operating system and can run rings around the 4381 for what I need to do, especially as I wouldn’t be competing for processor cycles with trading and reporting. I can work out how to transfer the data, similar to what we do for the PCs.”

“How much?”

“I’d estimate around $9,000, but once you take into account IBM licensing and other factors, it’s not crazy.”

“How much faster?”

“Roughly triple, based on what I know, perhaps even faster. And I’ll have access to the C programming language and the Unix tools and will be able to do things that the mainframe can’t easily do.”

“Get the specs. How do we go about buying one if I’m able to convince Mr. Spurgeon?”

“We’d have to talk to a sales rep from Sun Microsystems. It’s similar to IBM mainframes in that way. We can’t go to the computer store and buy one.”

“Would we need two?”

“No. One will easily support both analysts, especially given I can have a hundred percent of the machine cycles overnight, which I cannot do on the mainframe because of nightly batch processing.”

“You’ve sold me. Get the specs and arrange for a call with a salesperson. I’ll need to loop Phil into this, of course. We can’t do it without Information Systems’ agreement.”

“I bet none of his people have a clue about Unix; they’re mainframe guys. They had to learn about microcomputers when you asked for the first Apple II.”

“Out of curiosity, how did you learn Unix?”

“At Loyola. They have a PDP-11 running Unix.”

“How many people can use the system you’re requesting?”

“Three — one has the graphical terminal, and the other two use serial terminals. Unix has a command line similar to DOS, though much, much more powerful. And that’s what I would use, anyway, even on the graphical terminal. But I’ll be able to display high-resolution graphs on that display, which the mainframe can’t do on the standard terminals we use or even with the board in your IBM PC.”

“Do you want to change the hiring spec to include Unix experience?” I asked.

“You know, we probably should. We really don’t want someone who is just a mainframe programmer. In fact, that’s going to be less and less important as time goes on. Computers from Digital, Prime, and others are replacing mainframes, and IBM PCs will get faster and come down in price, to the point where traditional mainframes will become less important.”

“That matches the research I’ve read,” I agreed, “but that’s not my sector, so I don’t spend a lot of time on it. I think I might have to change that. In fact, I think I’m going to assign Tony the task of producing a monthly research report on computers and related topics, though focused on technology, not financials. I assume I can send him to you to get some pointers as to where to start?”

“Of course! OK to change subjects?”

“Given you started that one, it’s up to you!”

“How did things go last night?”

“Deanna sold some paintings and was interviewed by a reporter. Supposedly, there will be an article in tomorrow’s Chicago Tribune. Did you see any of the paintings she showed?”

“No. You know she’s very touchy about anyone going into her studio except you, and you’re careful.”

“One, called «La petite mort», was amazing. It sold for $600, and I was jealous of the person who bought it.”

“Orgasm?” Bianca asked.

“Yeah, it was an abstract expression of the threesome Deanna, CeCi, and I had. I only saw it once it was hung at the art show. I had no clue when I first looked at it, but once she explained it, the emotions were blindingly obvious.”

“It was that good?” Bianca asked. “I mean, you’ve been with as many as eight girls during baseball games!”

“Let’s just say it was over the top and leave it at that!”

Bianca laughed, “Compared to the baseball games? Really?”

“Other than having sex in front of others, they were pretty conventional.”

“If you call losing my virginity in public ‘conventional’!”

“I don’t call inside a dorm room ‘public’,” I chuckled. “It’s not like being in the outfield at Wrigley or on the fifty-yard line at Soldier Field!”

“OK, with an audience, Mr. Pedantic!”

“I make my living by being very precise in my analysis! And I have to write clear reports that communicate what I’m thinking!”

“Is this what life is going to be like?”

“For the next fifty or sixty years!” I chuckled.

“And when your son or daughter speaks to you that way?”

“I’ll laugh, but not as hard as you will!”

“You’re right!” Bianca declared.

“Speaking of that, how are you feeling?”

“Just fine. Remember, we have our next pre-natal checkup on October 1st.”

“I remember. How often are they?”

“About two months apart until the eighth month, then it all depends on how my blood pressure is. If it’s normal, then not until my due date to check on my amniotic fluid level.”

“‘Check the oil’?” I teased.

“Only if I can use your dipstick!”

September 26, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Monday morning, after a quiet weekend at home, I kissed Keiko goodbye, promising to see her at the hospital at about 3:45pm. I really would have preferred to be with Keiko, but I had limited days off, and we’d agreed that I needed to save them for when she had her transplant at Mayo. I hoped we’d find a match soon, but so far, neither the testing in Chicago or California nor in Japan had borne fruit.

The first thing I did was write my usual analyst report, then went to Personnel to let Mrs. Peterson know that I wanted to modify the position specification to emphasize Unix experience, at Bianca’s suggestion. She made the update and then asked how I was feeling about Friday.

“Neutral,” I replied. “I don’t like the idea of people losing their jobs, nor having to convey that information, but it’s part of running an efficient business and adapting your business model to the current conditions, whatever they might be. Someone has to convey the information, and that’s me.”

“And the fact that you decided whom?”

“It was a purely objective analysis of skills, past performance, and fit with the new model.”

“And how, pray tell, is ‘fit’ an objective analysis?”

“I reviewed past encounters and analyzed their philosophy during our discussions. I’ve had interactions with all of them as well, and I believe my analysis will stand up under scrutiny.”

“That sounds subjective to me. What objective, identifiable standard could you point to?”

“Not being a dick,” I said with a grin.

Mrs. Peterson laughed, “I’m not sure that’s quantifiable, but it fits more into what Justice Stewart said about obscenity — ’I know it when I see it’.”

I nodded, “I get your point, and I’ll admit that it is somewhat subjective. That said, it was the last criterion, and ultimately, I’d keep someone who was a dick who was far better than the next best candidate.”

“Reasonable. And ‘fit’ with corporate culture is a valid criterion; it just isn’t purely objective.”

“Point taken.”

“You make your arguments similar to the ones my son Bruce makes. He just started his second year of law school.”

“You’re the second person to mention that,” I replied.

“Trial lawyers have to be very analytical, have to be expert communicators, have to think fast on their feet, and have to be able to counter just about any argument. You haven’t taken any philosophy or logic classes, have you?”

“No. I’ve focused on math and finance.”

“Given the direction you’re heading, I’d suggest some management classes, as well as other humanities. It will help you with your communication and analysis, though it seems to come naturally for you.”

“Baseball players, including the best hitters, all take batting practice before games,” I said.

“Then you understand.”

“May I ask what kind of lawyer your son wants to be?”

“Criminal defense. My daughter Leah just started her last year as an undergrad and is hoping to go to medical school.”

“A lawyer and a doctor,” I said. “That’s pretty good.”

“We think so! Anything else?”

“I sense some tension with Jerry Stein, which really doesn’t surprise me, given I think all the analysts have inferred layoffs are in the offing. I don’t know how others are responding because I don’t interact with them on a daily basis.”

“There isn’t anything you can do at this point. Don’t reveal anything to anyone beyond what you already have. From what you said, that’s Tony and Scott, right?”

“Yes, I let both of them know the roles they would have but said nothing about anyone else and swore them to secrecy. I had permission for both of those. And Bianca obviously knows given I asked her for a job specification for a second analyst.”

“I wasn’t trying to imply you did anything wrong, just acknowledging they knew. Say nothing to anyone else until Friday. Even telling one other person they’re in could cause others to react badly before Friday.”

“I have no intention of saying anything. I just wanted to let you know the tension was there. I suspect some of them are already looking for jobs.”

“I’d say once the organizational change was announced, many of them did. Given the short timeframe, you should be able to head off losing anyone key. If, by some chance, someone gives notice before Friday afternoon, I’ll let you know, and you can discuss with Noel Spurgeon how to respond.”

“OK.”

“Anything else?”

“No.”

I left her office and returned to my desk to continue my usual work. As usual for a Monday, I had lunch with Bianca, and we worked out in the gym, though her workouts were low-impact due to her pregnancy. After lunch, the two of us went to talk to Phil in Information Systems.

“We’ll need PCs on every desk with IBM 3278 capabilities, along with at least one additional Bloomberg terminal, which I’ll ask Mr. Spurgeon for later. Bianca wants a Sun-1 workstation to share between her and a new data analyst who is being hired.”

“I’m going to have to do some research,” Phil said. “I don’t know anything about those.”

“I called this morning for specification sheets and spoke to a pre-sales analyst,” Bianca said. “The pre-sales analyst is bringing them by on Wednesday, and I’ll make sure I have complete information for you.”

“OK. What price range are we talking?” Phil asked.

“Under $10K complete,” Bianca said. “Jonathan will speak to Mr. Spurgeon, but we wanted to make sure you weren’t blindsided.”

“First time for everything!” Phil said with a wry smile. “Usually, I find out when someone calls to say they’re coming to install something new.”

“I promise I won’t pull that kind of shit,” I said. “I make no guarantees about anyone else. I should be able to keep Mr. Matheson onside as well. Should.”

Phil nodded, “He’s been much better since you went to work for him.”

“One big advantage,” Bianca said, “is that I won’t need any cycles on the mainframe overnight beyond the one program that runs to build my data file. No more analysis routines. Daytime runs will be the same, at least at first, but in the end, we’ll figure out a way to get the real-time data to the Sun-1, and that will get you all those cycles back.”

“Which will save far more than $10 grand in IBM licensing fees if we need more capacity,” he said. “Jonathan, I need to ask you a private question.”

“I’ll go back to 29,” Bianca said, getting up.

She left the office, closing the door behind her.

“Jack Nelson mentioned some moves next Monday, and I can infer things from that. I need to ask what your headcount will be in the new space to know about equipment. I can’t plan if I don’t know.”

I considered whether I should tell him now or wait, and decided I could tell him the headcount, so long as I didn’t reveal any details, and swore him to secrecy.

“This cannot be revealed to anyone,” I said. “Twelve total spots, ten of which will be occupied immediately, with the eleventh as soon as we hire the second data analyst.”

“OK. There are enough IBM PCs, but I’ll need to buy some cards to connect them to the mainframe. I assume you don’t want any 3278 terminals?”

“On the twelfth desk, I’d like to have an IBM PC and a 3278 terminal. That way, I have both a spare PC and a straight-up terminal in case there’s a problem with the PC connections to the mainframe.”

“OK. That lets me recover at least twelve 3278 terminals, which I expect we’re going to need based on past history. When we’ve been this successful, there’s always expansion.”

“Our AUM has gone up significantly, so that wouldn’t surprise me. Anything else you need?”

“Not at the moment. I’ll work with Bianca to get comfortable with her request, so I’d appreciate it if you wait to ask Noel Spurgeon about that until after I can answer his questions.”

“Of course.”

We shook hands, and I headed back to 29. The rest of the afternoon went quickly, and at 3:30pm, I left to head to the hospital to see Keiko.