Chapter 77: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Part I

May 11, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

Monday was turning out to be a LONG day. After my run and talk with Gina, and my talk with Elyse, I had a full day at the office scheduled. First was our leadership meeting in the morning, and then I had status meetings with each team. At lunch I’d gone to see Siobhán and explained that I was going to break off the sexual relationship, but that I wanted to remain friends. She was disappointed, but admitted that Thursday would have been the last time, since she wasn’t comfortable being friends with her lover’s wife. Or wives, in my case.

After lunch, I’d finalized all the details for the connection to CICNet via the University, and placed a call to Ameritech to get the leased line ordered. After that call, I’d met with InfoNet to coordinate the installation of the WAN in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh. By the end of July, our offices would be connected and we’d have a full-time Internet connection, rather than my dialup from the IBM RT Unix box.

Late in the day, I went to the small conference room for my check-in call with Doctor Mercer. I wasn’t quite sure how she was going to take the news, but I hoped it would be seen as a positive step.

“There have been some changes since the last time I talked to you mid-April,” I said. “First off, Abbie has a boyfriend, so I’m no longer involved with her. Second, I ended all of my relationships outside the house except one, and agreed with my wives to stick to just that outside girl.”

“That’s not exactly what I had in mind, but it is an improvement. What led to this?”

“A combination of things. Talking with you. Talking with my new, close female friend. Talking with my wives. And the outside girl’s request.”

Doctor Mercer laughed, “Sorry I laughed, but a young woman you’re having an affair with asked you to stop having OTHER affairs? And you agreed?”

“Yes. But it makes sense in light of what you’ve said, what my friend Michelle has said, and what Jessica and Kara thought would be wise. They’d much rather I had a single long-term outside girl than a series of what amounted to one-night stands.”

“IN CONTEXT, this is a good thing. Now, if we could just get you to end ALL of your outside relationships, I think you would be in better shape.”

“Do you seriously think trying to go ‘cold turkey’ would be better? Along with all the attendant risks? I’d think it was better to wean myself from that behavior slowly, as I did with tobacco.”

“But you still smoke your pipe and an occasional cigar.”

I chuckled, “And I still have an outside girl.”

Doctor Mercer laughed softly, “You’re working on it. How are things otherwise?”

“I think they’re going well. Bethany is getting settled, and is busy with the center. She’s also counseling some clients privately. At home, she seems calm and happy, and Nicholas is very much enjoying being Jesse’s roommate. But you should know all this. Don’t you talk to her at least once a week?”

“Yes, but as well as you know her, your perspective is valuable. I am very glad you’re keeping your promise.”

“Much to her frustration,” I said.

“I was afraid of that. She doesn’t talk to me about those feelings and when I probe, she deflects the questions with the promise you made.”

“She doesn’t need that complication in her life,” I said.

“Why do I hear a very loud implied ‘now’ at the end of that statement?”

“All I can do is take things one day at a time. I believe one of the things an alcoholic says is that they will stay ‘sober for today’ and that’s the goal.”

“Using addiction language about your relationship with Bethany, and hers with you, is more apt than you might realize.”

“Trust me, Doc, I know.”

“The first drink is always attractive and you always tell yourself you can stop at one. You can’t.”

“I hear you,” I said. “I’m staying sober for today.”

“Tell me about your relationships with your two female friends,” Doctor Mercer requested.

I recounted for her what had occurred since I’d last spoken to her. She was generally pleased but had an expected caution.

“I agree with you about the hand-holding. Just be VERY careful she’s not falling in love with you or infatuated with you.”

“I don’t think her worldview allows for such a thing. Call it a PROPER relationship with a big brother. In fact, it’s a model for how my relationship with my sister SHOULD have gone. Close. Intimate. Non-sexual. And she did ask me for advice for her very first date. I suggested coffee at the student union or close to campus, between classes.”

“Just be careful. She sounds very impressionable.”

“I think you’d change your mind if you talked to her. Think Bethany, minus the over-the-top sex drive!”

Doctor Mercer laughed hard, “You would know!”

“Yes, I would!” I chuckled.

“I meant from HAVING ONE, Steve!” she said, laughing harder.

“And having her, too!” I retorted.

“I think we’re done for today. If nothing comes up, I’ll talk to you in about four weeks.”

“How’s my sister doing?” I asked. “I only see her, briefly, at Sunday family dinners.”

“Better. But she has a long way to go. Keep those interactions to a minimum. We’re making progress and we don’t want any setbacks.”

“I’m with you on that one,” I said. “I’ll talk to you in June.”

When we’d hung up, I went back to my office to find Charlie waiting with Robert Woodford. I’d gone well over the time I’d allotted for talking to Doctor Mercer and had forgotten about the interview. I apologized profusely, saying I had an important call that had run longer than expected. I spent fifteen minutes talking to Robert and then returned him to Charlie to finish his afternoon of interviews.

“Where’d you find him?” Penny whispered.

“Why?”

“He’s hot!” Penny said breathlessly.

“Penelope, you’re a married woman! And six months pregnant!”

“Oh, and you don’t notice every hot chick that comes along?”

I chuckled, “I do. But I don’t talk about girls at work like that, do I?”

“No,” Penny said. “But you’re the boss. I’m staff and he’s gorgeous!” Penny said with a huge grin.

“Remind me not to send you to Los Angeles any time soon!”

“Pregnant? Where would the fun be in that?”

“What’s gotten into you, Penelope?” I asked, knowing her answer.

“Not you!”

“No, not me. And you know why.”

“Yes,” she sighed. “I know why. What’s with Mikela?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, suddenly worried.

“She’s been acting strangely since she kissed you at your birthday party.”

“You put two and two together. And no, it didn’t, and won’t, happen. Period.”

“Shit!” Penny swore. “She wants you! How did I miss THAT?”

“The same way we all missed it until the party. Elyse is dealing with it. Let it go, please.”

“She doesn’t know about all of us, does she?”

“You and I are no secret,” I said. “Everyone knows we dated. And Elyse is no secret either. Charlie isn’t secret, but it was a long time ago and most people here don’t know about it. Let it drop. If her performance suffers, Dave and Tasha will deal with it as a performance issue. Changing the subject, how much maternity leave do you plan to take?”

“Terry thinks I should take the entire twelve weeks, but I’m worried about Dante’s project. The baby is going to come right around the time we’re supposed to deliver the final beta.”

“Yes, and Sam will handle any changes or fixes necessary. K will pitch in to help if necessary. You take care of you and your baby! Amber will be happy to have you home, I’m sure.”

“Home? Forget it! I’m hanging out at Cirque du Steve the entire time! That way Amber can play with your kids, and I have Abbie there to help me and I can help her, too.”

“Take the twelve weeks. You deserve it.”

“Terry said you would say that.”

“Terry is a very, very smart man!”

The long day didn’t end with work. I walked Jessica home; we ate dinner, and then went to karate. When we arrived home, I showered and then went to see Jennifer. It was as I had assumed. Josie’s period had started. That meant they’d have to make another attempt, assuming Larry was willing, which she wasn’t sure about. I didn’t ask about her request, and she didn’t say anything, so I let it go and went back to the house to watch the Penguins win 3-2 to take a 3-2 series lead.

May 14, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

The maître d’ at the 95th Restaurant in the Hancock Building looked up from his podium as we exited the elevator.

“Doctor and Mr. Adams,” I said. “We’re meeting Mr. Alec Glass.”

“Good evening, Mr. Adams. Doctor Adams. Mr. Glass and his party are waiting for you in our private dining area. Please follow me.”

Jessica and I followed him through the main dining area, then around a divider filled with plants, to find Alec, Wendy, and Lisa Glass, plus John, Lisa’s fiancé, waiting for us. I sat gingerly, as my butt STILL hurt from Elyse’s discipline on Tuesday night. After checking with Jessica that she would drive home, I ordered bourbon and she ordered sparkling water with a lime. I’d talked to Alec earlier in the week and explained that Kara had had exam papers to grade and because of that, she wouldn’t be able to join us for dinner, so nothing was said of her absence.

“I hear you’re in the market for a new building,” Alec said as soon as the waiter left.

I laughed softly, “I’m not even going to ask how you know that, but yes. Our current space is too small and we’re bursting at the seams. Sometime next year, or at the latest, the year after, we want to move to new space that is at least twice as large and will last us for the next five to ten years.”

“And you want something in the Hyde Park/Kenwood area?”

“My agent and my architect friend suggested the West Loop as an option.”

“That’s an up-and-coming area. It’s already at a point where investors are snatching up property. In ten years, you won’t be able to afford to buy there. Even now, you’ll often get outbid by someone betting on future profits.”

“I assume you have something in mind,” I said with a smile.

He laughed, “Samantha said you were very smart. I do. First, I need to confirm some assumptions. Your company is private, so there aren’t really any public financials available. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I checked on your home and business properties, and I assume you have no need to cash out equity in either of them anytime soon.”

I was a bit taken aback by that, but property records and liens were public information, and as a real estate investor, that was the kind of thing he would deal with every single day. I fought back my urge to complain about the invasion of privacy, remembering what we’d done with regard to Ally Grayson.

“That’s correct. One of our options was to hold onto the current property and lease it out.”

“What if I could offer you a suitable property in the West Loop? A former manufacturing building with all the space you’ll need? Would you be interested?”

“Own or lease?” I asked.

“Own. I’ll swap properties with you. It’ll be a complex transaction, but in the end, you’ll have a note similar to the one you have now, on property that is worth a bit less, but in the long run will be worth quite a bit more.”

“And you get?”

“A highly desirable property, at a discount, which will generate significant lease income. That property in the West Loop won’t earn me income anywhere near what I could earn from your current building.”

“So why would I do this? Couldn’t I just lease it out?”

“Yes. But you won’t find a property in the area you’re looking for less than about 50% more than the value of your current building. I’m offering an even exchange.”

“There’s more to this,” I said.

He nodded, “Sure. You’ll need to remodel the empty factory building into your workspace. I’m trading you long-term value for short-term income, and a property I can flip quickly if I need the capital returned.”

“I’d need to see the details in writing, but if I understand what you’re saying, you want the current income and a fully-renovated property and you’re offering property where I’d have to make investments, but in the long-run would show significant growth in value.”

“Yes. There are also some tax advantages to both of us, and if you really want those ugly details, John can fill you in.”

“I suppose I’d like to see something in writing that I can review with my CFO, CPA, and corporate attorney. And present to my Board of Directors.”

“You’re the majority shareholder, aren’t you?”

“Yes. But I have the board in place to advise me. I’ve found it invaluable, given that we started NIKA when I was twenty-two.”

He nodded, “I had a mentor when I got out of college, so I know how that works. I’ll have my people draw something up. If you call the office tomorrow, Lisa can arrange for you to see the building.”

“I think that’s enough business, don’t you?” Wendy said with a smile.

“You know how it is,” Alec laughed, leaning over to kiss her.

“After twenty-five years?” she laughed. “I do indeed!”

“You’ve been married 25 years?” Jessica said. “You’re both so young!”

“I’ve known him 25 years. Lisa was born when we were both 19, but we didn’t get married until he graduated from college. We dated off and on during our Senior year in High School, then Lisa happened, and suddenly things got serious.”

“Babies do have a way of doing that to you!”

“We’ve come a long way since then,” Alec said. “Not bad for two kids from Bridgeport.”

“I’m from Milford, Ohio, a small town east of Cincinnati, and Jessica is from Plano, Texas. Two middle-class kids who are doing our best.”

“I hear it’s a bit more complicated than that,” Wendy said very sweetly.

I chuckled, “Yes, you having sent a wedding invitation to Mr., Doctor, and Mrs. Adams, I suppose you could say that!”

“I clearly went horribly wrong at some point!” John laughed.

Alec laughed just as hard, “I don’t believe my daughter would tolerate that for one second!”

“He had his fun before we started dating,” Lisa said with a smirk. “Don’t let him kid you! He had plenty of girls to choose from. But he chose me!”

“Did I now?” he laughed. “I believe you chose me!”

“Join the club, John,” I laughed. “My wife the doctor chose me as well. Heck, SHE proposed!”

“We never got to the proposal stage,” Wendy said with a sly smile. “Dating. Sex. Baby. At that point, it was just a mutual agreement to get married when he graduated.”

“You didn’t go to college?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “I helped put him through school. I do believe that turned out to be a very wise investment. Now I serve on charity boards, do volunteer work, and play the role of beautiful wife!” she chuckled, showily flipping the back of her hair and batting her eyes.

We all laughed.

“I think Jeri told you about how important appearances are,” Lisa said. “Mom and Dad love each other, but they also have to play the roles assigned to them.”

“You know how dumb that sounds, right?” I asked.

“Yes, and Jeri agrees with you. So do I. But to achieve our goals, we have to play their game by their rules, at least until we get control of the rulebook!”