Climbing the Ladder 5 - Reaching New Heights
Copyright© 2026 by Michael Loucks
Chapter 26: I'm Sure They'll Agree
Fiction Sex Story: Chapter 26: I'm Sure They'll Agree - Jonathan's business life is booming, but he's also suffering from yet another loss. While he's done his best to pick up the pieces of that sundered relationship, he can't help but feel responsible. However, where two close relationships have withered, another blooms. Violet has transitioned from a badly damaged girl to a vibrant woman. Will he continue to climb this ladder, or will there be another ladder to climb in his future? No matter what, the only direction he plans to go is up.
Caution: This Fiction Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Workplace
July 25, 1984, Chicago, Illinois
When I arrived home after my English final exam, Natasha was waiting for me, sitting with Bianca and Nicole. I let Natasha know I needed to spend an hour studying for sociology, and when I went upstairs, Misty padded along beside me, almost, but not quite, underfoot.
"This is where I wish I were Doctor Dolittle," I said. "That way I could ask you what was going on!"
Misty rubbed against my legs, and I nearly tripped on the last step. I made a mental note not to talk to her on the stairs and walked to my room. I changed into shorts and a T-shirt, then pulled out my sociology notes and reviewed them for just shy of an hour before returning downstairs.
"What time did you get home last night, Deanna?" I asked, seeing her with Bianca, Nicole, and Natasha.
"About 2:30am," she said. "I was going to come climb into bed with you, but you had company!"
"Allyson," I replied. "We had our dinner at Jeri's on Tuesday rather than Thursday this month. Allyson would have spoken to you before she stayed had you been home. What were you working on?"
"A couple of abstract pieces. I have an offer to show eight pieces at a gallery in San Francisco at the end of next month. Are you able to go?"
"Which days?"
"It's Labor Day weekend, so we'd fly out on Friday morning, and fly back Monday evening, if that's possible."
"Probably; what time does the showing begin on Friday?"
"8:00pm with a champagne reception."
"That would work because we can leave after the analyst report is issued. Do me a favor — call Barney at Windy City tomorrow and figure out the flight times. We can leave O'Hare any time after 10:00am. We'll want a car to take us, so I don't have to park the Saab at the airport."
"Cool. I'll call first thing tomorrow. Do you have a hotel preference?"
"Ask him if there's an InterContinental Hotel; I'm in their club and receive upgrades."
"OK. Will do," Deanna agreed.
"Bianca," I said, "is our little bundle of joy sleeping?"
"Yes."
"OK. Then I'm going to go up. Natasha?"
She stood, and the two of us went up to my room, where Misty was spread out on the bed, taking up far more room than a cat her size ought to be able to.
"What the..." I chuckled.
"Not the pussy you want in your bed?" Natasha asked with a smirk.
"No!" I chuckled. "And it looks like she's twice her normal size!"
"You haven't seen cats do that? They have this unique ability to stretch their bodies, including their tails, and basically take over any space! She probably does that in the sun during the days when you're at work."
"Well, she's going to have to move," I said. "I am NOT giving up my bed to a cat!"
Natasha and I used the bathroom, I brushed my teeth, and we undressed. I carefully moved Misty from the bed, and Natasha and I got in.
"Fuck my brains out, please."
"Your wish is my command!"
July 26, 1984, Chicago, Illinois
"Erin will be here next Wednesday," Natasha said as we dressed following our shower on Thursday morning. "I leave for New York tomorrow, and I'll be back the last week in August, but on Friday, when you're leaving for San Fran. So I'll see you the following Wednesday."
"OK. Erin lives at home, right?"
"Yes, but her parents are cool. Once she turned eighteen, they allowed her to live her own life, though given her personality, it wasn't as if she was going to go crazy."
"Let her know that I don't have classes until the last week in August, so she's welcome to show up any time after 5:30pm, but she should let me know if she's joining us for dinner."
"I'll fill her in, then you can 'fill her in'!"
I laughed, and we went downstairs. I walked Natasha to the elevator as was the norm, then returned to the condo to make breakfast for myself, as everyone else was still asleep. Chelsea came in a few minutes later, and after greeting me, went upstairs to check on Sofía. Chelsea came downstairs a few minutes later with Sofía in her arms. She didn't say anything to me, so I just continued making my breakfast.
When I finished breakfast, I held Sofía for a few minutes, then went to the office. I met with Bill Wyatt as planned and signed the contract. He promised to send copies of everything to both Will Waterston at Goldman and Nick Boyd at Lincoln-Hart. I thanked him, we shook hands, and I went back to work. After a typically busy morning, I headed to the deli near the tailor shop to have lunch with Beth.
She greeted me with a tight hug and a quick peck on the lips, and once we had our food, we sat down in a booth.
"I received my invitation and returned it," I said. "Violet will be my date."
"Mom told me she received your response. I asked her to let me know the key ones, though it was a sure thing for you."
"Always," I smirked.
Beth laughed, "You were an excellent dance partner!"
"As were you! How are things with the new apprentices?"
"The one who's already here is learning fast, and my grandfather is pleased; a contact in DC greased the skids for the second one, and he'll be here in October, just after the wedding. We're going to need to find more space."
"Just a thought — is it possible to have an internal staircase installed and turn the apartment into storage and offices, then reconfigure the current space into a larger sales space?"
"That's actually an excellent idea. I'd have to speak to my grandfather, obviously, but do you know a construction company that could tell us if it's possible and give us a quotation?"
"Brown Construction out of Hyde Park," I replied. "They've done all the work on my houses and condo. I'm going to hire them to remodel a building I just purchased."
"Another one? Where?"
"Lincoln Park. A distressed property came on the market because the owners were about to file for bankruptcy and were seeking a way to avoid it. I got it for well under market, even taking into account the money I'll have to put into remodeling."
"Maybe I should reconsider my insistence on a Jewish husband!" Beth teased.
"All teasing aside, you know as well as I do that in the long run, that would create tension that could cause the whole thing to come crashing down."
"Obviously. It's why you couldn't move forward with that Catholic girl you told me about."
I nodded, "What she said was exactly the problem — 'you can take the girl out of the church, but not the Church out of the girl'. That's you and your Jewishness. And that meant you and I were never going to be more than close friends; VERY close for a time!"
"I hope we stay close friends," Beth said. "Well, minus the 'VERY'!"
"Me, too. You and Josh should join us at the condo for Bears games. In fact, I need to meet this man who stole you away from me!"
"That good?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.
"You know it! Hot, fun, and uncomplicated."
"I agree! How are things going otherwise?" Beth asked.
"Very good. I had my English composition final last night, and I'm positive I have an A for the semester; my sociology exam is on Saturday. I start my final classroom class the last week in August, then have an independent study starting in January to finish my degree. The pool table for the condo was delivered yesterday, so all that's left is more art. The only other big thing is Deanna got a cat who seems to have adopted me."
"Just as I've said — you attract pussy!"
I chuckled, "You're about a week late on that joke! Where are you taking your honeymoon?"
"Jamaica."
"Cool."
When we finished our lunches, I walked Beth back to the tailor shop, where we exchanged a quick hug. She went into the shop, and I hailed a taxi to take me back to the Hancock Center. When I walked into the office, Violet let me know that New Accounts had received the first tranche of money from the Hollywood investors. I thanked her, then went into my office.
I placed a call to Morris Stoller from the William Morris Agency, whose money had been transferred. He wasn't available, but his assistant promised he would call back, which he did just after 3:00pm.
"I wanted to confirm that your investment is complete as of noon," I said. "You'll begin receiving monthly statements during the first week of each month, and you can add funds to your account at any point."
"Thank you very much! Don't hesitate to call if there is anything I can do for you."
"Might I ask a question?"
"Of course!"
"A close friend of mine who is attending the School of the Art Institute is interested in filmmaking. What steps should she take now to have a leg up in the future?"
"Contact with me and C. Robert Manby is a good start, as is contact with Ford, Jackson, and Finch. In terms of something she could do now, an unpaid internship would be her best bet, though those are hard to come by and require the intern to have the means to support themselves."
"Support is not a problem; I'll take care of that. How do we go about finding an internship?"
"Let me make a few calls and see if I can find something for you."
"I would be in your debt."
"I'll call you in a few days to let you know what I've found."
"Thank you very much."
We ended the call, and I made a note in my calendar about the call, then asked Violet to come in.
"I need you to do something for me," I said.
"Anything!" Violet said invitingly.
I chuckled, "Not that; at least not right at this second! Speak to Julie and find out what the best bottle of bourbon is, as well as the best box of cigars. Once you find out, procure them and send them to Morris Stoller at the William Morris Agency."
"What did he do for you?"
"Keep this to yourself until I know, but he's going to try to find CeCi an internship."
"Whoa! That would really help her, wouldn't it?"
"It would."
"But you want me to send the gifts now?"
"Yes. I want to show my gratitude for trying. Success will earn him something more. I'm paying for this personally, so you can use my Amex card to buy the bourbon and cigars."
"I'll speak to Julie right away."
"Thanks."
She was back about thirty minutes later.
"The liquor store doesn't take Amex and gives a discount for cash," she said. "The cigar store will take Amex, but if you give me cash, I'll just handle it that way. They're both in the Loop, and I can stop on the way home to pick them up."
"How much do you need?"
"About $170, including tax."
I pulled out my wallet, extracted three $50 bills and a $20 bill, and handed them to her.
"How do I send them?"
"Federal Express, but have the mailroom charge it to me."
"Do you want to include a card?"
"Yes. Just write 'Thanks, Jonathan' on it."
"Wouldn't it be more personal if you wrote that?"
"Good point. We can't send it until tomorrow anyway, so bring a card, and I'll sign it."
"I'll take care of it!"
I thanked her, and about ninety minutes later, I put all my papers in my desk and locked it. I left the office, but rather than going home, I met Naomi Kasparov in the lobby of the Hancock Center. We walked outside and hailed a cab to take us to Shinnick's Pub in Bridgeport.
"What are your goals?" I asked Naomi as the cab began navigating the traffic heading south on North Michigan Avenue.
"Long term? Or for tonight?"
I chuckled, "I meant long-term, but now I'm curious as to the answer with regard to tonight."
"Long-term? I don't know yet. I'm happy with my job, and it pays far better than almost anything else I could get with just a High School diploma. The clerk job was a serious upgrade from Wendy's."
"You graduated in '82, right?"
"Yes. I worked at Wendy's starting Junior year, and was still working there when I heard about the mailroom job."
"Are you twenty-one?" I asked.
"Not until next February," Naomi replied. "I have my sister's ID, and we look enough alike that nobody has ever even looked twice. You're twenty-one, right?"
"Yes. I turn twenty-two in November. So, the goal?"
Naomi laughed, "I actually said that to be silly. My only agenda was to buy you a beer for going to bat with the Big Boss. Of course, now I'm curious what you thought I might have in mind!"
I chuckled, "Being a red-blooded American male, I'd say it was a safe bet if you thought my mind went right to sex!"
"Shocking," Naomi said flatly, but with a slight smile.
"That said, I didn't think that was why you offered to buy me a beer, and it was only your jesting just now that made me think about it. Anyway, Kasparov is Russian, right?"
"Yes. My dad's grandparents came to the US in 1905 during the First Russian Revolution. My grandfather married a Russian immigrant, so my dad is fully Russian, but my mom's family is English, going back to Colonial Virginia. What's Kane?"
"English, probably, but it could be Dutch. My mom doesn't know the family history; my dad died before I was born, and his name was Marcus Brand, though he also went by Mark Knopf. I'm pretty sure he was of German descent, but I don't know."
"Were they married?"
"No. Dad was a traveling salesman, and Mom got pregnant with me at sixteen."
"That almost sounds like one of those stories about traveling salesmen and farmers' daughters!"
I chuckled, "I know, but it's true, at least according to the small amount of research I did. The really interesting part is he was on a plane that was blown up by a guy trying to have his wife collect on his life insurance policy."
"What year was that?"
"It was May 1962; the 22nd to be exact. He was on Continental Airlines Flight 11, which crashed en route from Chicago to Kansas City, Missouri. All thirty-seven passengers and eight crew members died in the crash. My mom told me he had worked for Hallmark, and I did verify he was employed there, and his employment ended the same day as the crash."
"Do you know anything about the bomber?"
"Yes. His name was Thomas G. Doty, and he set off a bomb in the lavatory. He was in some kind of financial and legal trouble, bought life insurance, brought several sticks of dynamite on board the plane, and blew it up in the hopes his wife would collect the insurance."
"Wow! That's like totally crazy."
"It is. Mom raised me on her own, and as soon as I graduated High School, I moved to Chicago to take the mailroom clerk job my uncle had arranged. The rest, you probably know."
The taxi arrived at the pub, and once I had paid the fare, we got out.
"From mailroom clerk to a Suit running over $200 million in his fund in three years."
"You wound me, Miss!" I exclaimed. "I am NOT a 'Suit'!"
Naomi smirked, "Jack said that would get under your skin!"
I chuckled, "I hope you realize I am not like the rest of the Suits."
"Obviously, or there was no way I was going to offer to buy you a beer! That would be tantamount to waving a red cape in front of a bull!"
We went into the pub and ordered beers, and the barmaid didn't blink at Naomi, so she didn't need to use her sister's ID.
"How old is your sister?"
"Twenty-two. She just graduated from IIT with a degree in chemical engineering."
"College wasn't in your plans?"
"No. I was sick of school by Sophomore year. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, so I got the job at Wendy's, and once I graduated, I started looking for something interesting. I assume you worked in High School?"
"Yes, at a lumberyard, at a feed store, and for a landscaping company. To answer the next question, my life savings when I came to Chicago was about $800."
"You have to be worth a couple of mil at this point, if I read the monthly league tables showing fund performance correctly."
"I expect something along those lines by year's end, but keep in mind that the carried interest will be subject to taxes upon withdrawal, meaning one third will go towards my most detested relative, Uncle Sam, as well as Governor Thompson."
"Uncle Sam is a dick!" Naomi declared. "Or at least the IRS is."
"They just collect the taxes; blame Congress because the House has to initiate all bills raising revenue, though they often game the system by using 'shell' bills."
"I'm positive I'm going to regret asking this question, but what's a 'shell' bill?"
"A bill from the House — and the topic doesn't matter — where the entire text is replaced by the Senate. Because the bill initially started in the House, the Senate can use that tactic to propose raising revenue via taxes, thereby evading the Constitutional restriction."
"Scum," Naomi said. "Ultimate scum."
"That's about as good a description of most politicians as I can imagine."
The waitress brought our beers and left us menus.
"Can I ask you about recommending me?"
"Ask any questions you like; if I can't answer or don't want to answer, I'll say so."
"That answer totally fits your reputation as being a straight shooter who doesn't tolerate BS. Why go to bat for me?"
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.