Climbing the Ladder 5 - Reaching New Heights
Copyright© 2026 by Michael Loucks
Chapter 67: Making Plans
Fiction Sex Story: Chapter 67: Making Plans - 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
November 12, 1984, Chicago, Illinois
When I returned to my office from Compliance, I immediately called Brandon Littleton.
"Brandon, it's Jonathan."
"Hi, Jonathan."
"I just finished speaking with Compliance, and because this is a completely new type of transaction, and there is no history of any kind, and because of the risks involved, they refused permission. The bottom line is what we discussed before — despite the opportunity for significant gains, there is simply no way to evaluate the risk, and no way to hedge against a loss. And that makes it impossible for Compliance to approve."
"I take it their 'no' is final?"
"It is, given it wasn't a judgment call, but a clear 'no'. I do wish I could help you, but my hands are tied."
"I understand. Thanks, Jonathan. Let's have lunch soon."
"Just have your assistant call Violet and set it up."
"Will do."
We ended the call, and I made an entry into my compliance notebook about the proposed transaction and the conversation. The rest of the day was routine, though neither Bianca nor I had class due to Veterans' Day, though the markets had all been open. That meant Violet and I had dinner at the condo, rather than her house, and didn't go out for pie and ice cream.
November 13, 1984, Chicago, Illinois
"I need you to sell 100 March GBP, covered with February call options," I said to Jack on Tuesday morning.
"£10,000,000? That's a big move, given GBP is strengthening against the dollar."
"Rising unemployment, especially among the youth, is going to put pressure on GBP," I replied. "US interest rate actions and US trade policy will cause the dollar to weaken next year. This is similar to our bet on JPY, only a shorter term. We'll buy at the end of February to cover, either at market or using the call option, depending on the price. If it drops below $1.05, cover immediately."
"OK. I'll put that into my calendar and set a price alert. I'll get the orders in. I also have a good lead — a Texas oilman and rancher named Perry Bass. I sent him a prospectus."
"Cold call?"
"No, I called Daisy Baxter and asked for names!"
I chuckled, "Perfect! The only downside is you can't ask her out!"
"Oh, I could, but then I'd end up six feet under!"
"And here I thought Kristy had a sense of humor!"
"Oh, she does, but not about that! Anyway, I'll let you know about Bass."
"Thanks."
I met Marlena for lunch, and she lamented that we hadn't been able to get together as often as she would have liked. At the end of our lunch, we agreed we'd get together on Saturday for dinner, and after a quick hug, I headed back to the office. The rest of the day was routine, and at 5:00pm, I left the office and headed to the parking garage to retrieve my car so I could pick up Erin for our date.
"How have you been?" I asked as I pulled away from her house.
"School is good, and my publishing and graphic design work keeps me busy, but you know that from the financial report I sent you at the beginning of the month. How about you?"
"Things are going well; I'm really looking forward to finishing my class, as that will give me back two evenings, as well as all the time I have to spend reading and writing. Once I start the independent study, I'll be able to submit work product for credit, which will seriously cut down on the time I need to spend on school work."
"Cool. Where are we headed?"
"Golden Bull in Chinatown. Were you spending the night?"
"Given we're fuck buddies, obviously!"
We had a great meal and an even better night.
November 14, 1984, Chicago, Illinois
The news on Wednesday morning was mostly mundane, except for the assassination in the Philippines of Cesar Climaco, a prominent critic of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. So far, no suspects had been identified. Climaco had been the mayor of Zamboanga City, and as such, the murder wouldn't have much effect outside national politics in the Philippines. It did, though, per my guidelines, cause an uptick in the national and regional risk factors.
Late that morning, I received the first batch of résumés from Personnel for the new analyst position. I quickly scanned them and selected the three paralegals for more detailed review. Two were male, and one was female, and fortunately, none of them worked for any of my clients. Only one of them had a four-year degree — a BA in history, which met our basic criteria. The other two had only Associate's Degrees, so I set them aside.
I set those aside and looked through the other submissions, selecting three others — two with degrees in history and one with a degree in political science with a minor in economics. I called Mandy Peterson and asked her to arrange for interviews for the four candidates, and to coördinate with Violet to set them up with Tony and me. She promised to do so immediately, and I thanked her.
The rest of the day was routine — lunch with Jack, Violet, and Bianca, a visit to the gym, and then dinner with Violet before class. After class, I headed home, where I watched CNN for twenty minutes before Chelsea and I went up to my room with Misty padding along after us.
Chelsea hadn't taken any steps to get out to meet people, which concerned me, but, in the end, that was up to her. I had been exceedingly clear with her about the extent of our relationship, so she had to make her own decisions about her future, as it absolutely wouldn't involve anything long-term with me, except friendship.
November 15, 1984, Chicago, Illinois
At 5:00pm on Thursday, I left the office and went up to the condo to change clothes for my date with Isabella. Just under thirty minutes later, she was in my car, and we were on the way to Star of Siam for dinner.
"Spurgeon now has an official internship program starting in June," I said.
"Wow!" Isabella exclaimed. "How do I apply?"
"It's yours for the asking. You'll just need to fill out some paperwork in April."
"No way!"
"Yes."
"When we get to your condo, I am going to show you exactly how much I appreciate that!" Isabella declared.
"Not necessary, but I certainly won't object! How is school going?"
"Great! We only have two weeks after Thanksgiving, and then I'm off until January. Will I be able to see you during break?"
"Probably not, because I'm going to Saint Martin on vacation, then visiting my mom in Ohio, then going to Hawai´i. I basically won't be in Chicago from December 15th to January 2nd."
"Bummer! Maybe before you go on vacation?"
"How about two weeks from Saturday?"
"That's perfect! Can I ask you a question?"
"Always."
"Would you be interested in having a threesome with my best friend and me?"
"Is that a serious question?" I chuckled.
"Actually, given everything you've said, it is. I mean, in one sense, the answer is obvious, but in another sense it's not. You analyze everything in such detail, and there might be something I don't know about you that might cause you to say 'no' even though you said 'yes' to Allyson's party."
"Very insightful. Beyond my flip response, I'd want to meet her."
"She's pretty laid back, we did pretty much everything together in grade school and High School, and I'm positive you'll like her."
"If you intend that to be for our next date, let's meet for lunch either Tuesday or Thursday of that week."
"OK. I'll check with her."
The rest of the evening went as planned — dinner, then lots of great sex.
November 16, 1984, Chicago, Illinois
"Jonathan, I have Robert Black on the phone for you," Violet announced over the intercom just before 11:00am on Friday.
"Put him through, please."
She put the call through, and I picked up the handset.
"Kane."
"Jonathan, it's Bob Black. I have good news — Terrence Jacoby sent me a letter closing the audit with no action and no additional taxes due."
"That's VERY good news. He'll be back next year, right?"
"I think you can count on that, given how many items we refused to address because they weren't for Tax Year 1983. We'll likely hear from him sometime around June or July of next year, once the IRS processes your return due in April."
"OK."
"It's still the case you don't intend to take any distributions, right?"
"Correct. Next year I'll see a significant increase in income."
"Do you have an estimate?"
"Somewhere between $2.5 million and $3.5 million."
"That's income only, not distributions?" Bob asked.
"Correct. My base, calculated on the management fees, will be $2.5 million. Bonus is theoretically unlimited, but I'd estimate around $500 grand."
"We should sit down and talk about tax minimization strategies."
"I would really rather not do anything to invite additional scrutiny from my least favorite uncle!"
"I see your point, but your tax burden is going to be tremendous."
"And I'll pay it," I said. "I'm taking advantage of the carried interest exemption, and what I earn there is going to far outweigh anything I make in salary or bonus. I will make my maximum 401(k) contribution, and I'll give to charity, but beyond that, let's just play it straight with my mortgage deductions and so on."
"It's your call, obviously, but I'd advise at least looking at your options."
"I'll consider it, but for now, assume I'm not going to change anything."
"OK. I'll send you a revised quarterly tax payment amount for the Feds and Illinois based on what you just told me. The first one would be due April 15th."
"Thanks, Bob. I'll talk to you after the first of the year when we begin working on my 1984 return."
"I'll speak to you then."
I ended the call and made notes about the call in my private notebook, then turned back to my computers to continue my work. At 11:30am, I left the office to meet Beth for lunch at the deli near her grandfather's tailor shop.
"I have news," she said.
"Congratulations!" I exclaimed. "Not wasting any time!"
She laughed, "It shut my mother up! That wasn't why, though. Joshua and I figured it was better to have our two in the next few years, so by the time we're fifty, both are out of college, and we have more freedom."
"And that's when you cut him off?" I asked with a grin.
Beth laughed, "You know how much I like sex, so no chance!"
"How are things at the tailor shop?"
"Very good. Another competitor closed, and we bought up their stock and hired one of their tailors. We have four now, and I want to open a second shop."
"Where?"
"Either Oak Brook or Evanston. I commissioned a business study for both locations with a pair of grad students affiliated with NORC at UofC. I expect to have their findings by the end of the year."
"How much capital will you need?"
"Unknown. A lot will depend on which location, and if we buy or build."
"I'm good for it, either way," I said.
"That good?" she asked.
"You would know!" I chuckled.
"I meant your business, you nut! I take it your AUM has increased?"
"Just over $500 million," I replied.
"Including Josh and my tiny, tiny percentage!"
"Yes, but if you continue to add to it, and I achieve only 15% annual returns, you'll have several million bucks at retirement. You and Joshua can take an around-the-world trip or whatever, and not worry about it!"
"Is there a limit to what we can invest?"
"Only your tolerance for risk," I replied. "You should have some liquid assets and an emergency fund, but beyond that, as much as you'd like to invest."
"I'll discuss it with Joshua, and we'll likely add some cash by the end of the year."
After lunch, I headed back to the office, and Violet handed me a list of interviews scheduled for the following week — one on Monday, two on Tuesday, and one on Wednesday. The one on Monday was the paralegal, who, at least on paper, was my preferred candidate. I asked Violet to let Tony know, then went to my desk.
I began my usual afternoon portfolio review and was happy with the rate at which Jack was accumulating shares, and by mid-December, we'd be fully positioned for the coming year. Everything now depended on how quickly the Fed cut benchmark interest rates. If our projections were accurate, the rally would begin in January and was likely to run for the entire year, barring significant political or economic events.
The one thing that bothered me was the most recent analysis of the Japanese stock market, and strong indications it would have a weak year due to a combination of US interest rates, JPY-USD exchange rates, and the overall Japanese economic outlook.
The Nikkei was up around 15% in 1984, and the question was — did I let it ride or did I reduce our holdings and put the cash to better use? I made some notes, ran some numbers, then picked up the phone and called Jack.
"I want you to sell about half our Nikkei holdings," I said. "Start by closing out the options, then sell actual holdings. Do it lightly, and over the next couple of weeks. Put the proceeds into our long-term holdings in relatively equal amounts."
"Trouble?" Jack asked.
"No, it's just likely to be stagnant as capital flows out of Japan into US markets. We'll likely take an even larger position towards the end of next year."
"I'll take care of it. Anything else?"
"That's it for now."
"Union Carbide is drifting lower."
"Yes, and that drift is more than my carrying cost, with low volume, so let it ride. I figure it has another 10% to give before we close out, most likely in late December."
"And Mesa?"
"That's a dog with fleas," I said. "It's going to drop like a stone sometime next year. I'll play the odds and pay the carrying costs. If it doesn't move the way I think it will, it'll about break even. I can take that risk without too much worry."
"OK."
"As I said, the accumulation looks good. You've managed it well without any big market moves."
"Thanks!"
"See you at 5:00pm."
"Kristy mentioned she would really prefer NOT to see the Chuck Norris movie."
I chuckled, "OK. How about we hit the Checkerboard Lounge in Bronzeville for some live music?"
"That sounds good. See you at 5:00pm."
I hung up and let Violet know about going to the club, then returned to my work.
November 17, 1984, Chicago, Illinois
On Saturday, Bianca, Sofía, and I went grocery shopping, which included buying the things we'd need for Thanksgiving. After our shopping trip, I spent a quiet afternoon reading and working on my paper for class. Just before 5:00pm, I left the condo for my date with Marlena. I picked her up at her condo, and we headed to Eli's the Place for Steak to have dinner.
"What's next?" Marlena asked after we'd placed our drink orders.
"Dinner, dessert, and sex, if you're interested."
She laughed, "Yes, of course, but I was thinking longer term than tonight!"
"Investments? Relationships? Life?"
"All of the above?"
"Are you asking out of curiosity, or is there some destination you had in mind?"
"Jamaica?"
"That sounds interesting," I replied. "Did you have a timeframe in mind?"
"If I recall correctly, you're away most of December."
"Basically from December 15th through January 1st."
"Maybe in February, we take a week and spend the entire time on the beach or in bed?"
"We might need to eat sometime during the week," I chuckled.
"Room service!" Marlena exclaimed.
"I'm interested, but ... it's complicated."
"Violet?"
"That's my primary concern. She and I have discussed the future, at least in a general way, and we plan to have another conversation in early January."
"I thought you weren't planning on committing anytime soon."
"I didn't say I was, just that things might change in January."
"There's more to the story, I'm sure," Marlena observed, "but I'm equally sure you won't share those personal details."
"I tend towards openness, but there are some areas where I need to be circumspect or demur. Did you have some non-spatial destination in mind?"
"I swear, you come up with the most off-the-wall ways to express yourself!"
"Jonathanland, as Bianca calls it! Let me be less obtuse — what are you looking for besides sand, surf, and sex?"
"As I'm sure you're aware, I'm a bit gun-shy after my failed marriage."
"One thing you can count on is that you won't catch me in bed with a teenage babysitter!"
"It was more about the betrayal than the teenage girl. She just facilitated increasing my personal net worth!"
"That was an expensive roll in the hay for your ex!" I declared.
"For sure! You made money from ours!"
I chuckled, "You gave me the money before we had sex. The question is still on the table."
We were interrupted by the waiter bringing our drinks and taking our order, which included a bottle of red wine to go with our steaks.
"We get along great, the sex is great, and our daughters enjoy being with each other. That seems like a pretty good base, at least for an exploration."
"Do you have an endgame in mind?" I asked.
"OK, leaving aside your pedanticism, no. I mean, I remember what you've said about marriage, and frankly, I can't even think about marriage given how badly I was burned. In the future? Who knows? I was not asking for a commitment, just, well, to see you more often, and see where things go."
"I have a very complex set of relationships," I said.
Marlena laughed softly, "Code for you getting laid a lot."
"While that's true, it's also true that the relationships are complex. First, there's Bianca and Sofía; second, there's Violet; third, there's Deanna and CeCi; fourth, yeah, the list is pretty extensive."
"Good-looking, successful men tend to have plenty of options. That said, I don't see you playing around if you do commit to someone."
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