Chapter 82: Back-to-Back Stanley Cup Champions

May 27, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

“Here’s a key to the house,” I said. “And your personal alarm code. Dinner is usually at 6:15pm.”

“Thank you,” Michelle said.

“You’re welcome. You’re OK with me going to the office now? Abbie and the kids are here.”

“Yes. I’m going to class tomorrow.”

“You’re sure? I still think you should call home.”

“No,” she said firmly.

“OK. That’s the last time I’ll ask you to do that. Is there anything else you need?”

“Just my stuff. But I’ll have my old roommate bring it over. I’ll call her this afternoon.”

I hugged Michelle and headed to the office. There was a pile of papers in my ‘In’ box and a bunch of messages to return. I worked thorough as much as I could before it was time to walk with Kara to the hospital.

“How is she?” Kara asked.

“I believe Bethany would call it shock; emotional trauma more than physical. She says she’s going back to class tomorrow.”

“We need to keep a close eye on her.”

“Thank you Doctor Obvious,” I chuckled.

“Sorry! What happened with the guy?”

“He’ll be released from the hospital by the end of the week. He’s in the secure ward until then. Last I heard was that he’ll be taken into custody immediately upon release.”

“Did you hear anything more about his claims?”

“Jessica talked to one of the regular patrol officers, so take this with about a pound of salt, but supposedly they closed that side of the investigation. The theory is he’ll use that as his defense at trial.”

We arrived at the hospital, met Jessica, then walked home. After dinner, karate, and showers, we spent a quiet evening together, though I checked on Michelle regularly.

May 28, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

“So what do you think, Bruce?” I asked.

“Once you unwind all the complexities that are meant to avoid all taxes on the deal, it’s a fairly straightforward transaction.”

“And the bottom line?”

“Your risk is the initial capital you have to spend to make the place ready to use, as well as a bet on the increase in property value. Those risks are ones you would take no matter what kind of deal you make. You’re also giving up a fairly valuable piece of property in Hyde Park. It comes down to whether or not you think the West Loop property will increase in value enough to offset what you give up in the short term, taking into account the value you gain from having the larger space.”

“So riddle me this,” I said. “We have a note on the building. He has no debt on the West Loop property. Where does the cash to pay off our note come from?”

“A note on the new building that Alec will hold. That gives him double income streams - the lease on a building that is free and clear, and interest on the note he’s giving you.”

“But he has to lay out capital.”

“Yes. But this is all about converting capital into an income stream.”

“I’m missing something here, obviously. Why generate taxable income when he could just use his capital?”

“He holds this property in an REIT - a Real Estate Investment Trust. It’s supposed to generate income, and from that income, pay out dividends. He has investors the same as any regular corporation. This is separate from his personal holdings because of the REIT 5/50 investor rules. Trust me, this is about as complicated as you can get. But the bottom line is that he needs additional income because an REIT has to derive at least 75% of its gross income from rents or mortgage interest. He’s below that.”

“Is this a good deal for me?” I asked.

“You are, in effect, paying above market value for the new building, but given the size of your current note, you won’t be upside down. Your monthly debt to service the note will be about the same. Your taxes will be lower because of some tax incentives from the city for redevelopment in the area. You’ll have a much larger space, and, in theory, the value of the property should increase as other development occurs, though obviously that’s not guaranteed.”

“Bruce; yes or no?”

“A qualified yes,” Bruce answered. “Qualified because of the risk that either the property doesn’t increase in value as expected or the tax incentives are withdrawn. You can’t control either of those. There’s also the capital outlay to renovate the space, but unless you go into expensive space, you’ll have to do that anyway.”

“You sound like Jamie,” I chuckled. “Would you write up what you just told me and send it over so I can present it to the Board?”

“I will. I’ll fax it over by the end of the day. Did Jamie give you his OK?”

“He said the contract details are fine, but he couldn’t do the financial analysis you did. Thanks.”

I hung up and went to tell Elyse that the contract terms looked good, and that the executive team needed to go see the space. She agreed to set it up with Lisa Glass, and I went back to my office.

“We’re moving?” Penny asked.

“Maybe. It’s pretty close to where you and Terry are living in Bridgeport.”

“We need to buy a house once the baby is born. Probably early next year. It’s not going to be convenient to bring the kids to your place, though.”

“It’s not an ideal situation for me, either. I like being able to walk to the office. But we can’t afford a building that size in Hyde Park. It’s either the West Loop, or the ‘burbs. And I’m not doing the ‘burbs.”

“I heard about Jennifer’s commute. Forget that!”

“Exactly. And unless we move up by O’Hare or to Indiana, property values are such that we can’t afford to buy a building. That’s what makes the deal attractive.”

“I guess your connections are paying off.”

“So far. But I’m antsy about this whole milieu I’m immersing myself in. Jeri kind of dragged me into it, and I’m just uncomfortable.”

“Why?”

“Because I like it too much!”

May 29, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

“So, what do all of you think?” I asked.

Elyse, Julia, Dave, Cindi, Kimmy, and I were with Lisa Glass at the West Loop property. Jackie and Jeremiah were there as well.

“What kind of floor plan were you thinking of?” Dave asked.

“An open one, mostly,” I said. “I know you want your team together in an open space, so what I was thinking was that we make the second floor the development area. All the executive offices and the main conference room would be downstairs, along with the sales, support, and administrative staff. We’d build some small offices around the perimeter upstairs so that people who needed a quiet place to work or have small meetings would have a place. Depending on the space and layout, the consulting team desks would be upstairs as well, but they’re not in the office much so they wouldn’t bother you.”

“If you don’t mind, then, I’d prefer my office upstairs,” Julia said. “Because that’s where my team would be.”

“I think that’s fine. In fact, we’ll probably build a couple of large offices up there, just so we have options. Sam might want an office, but we’ll need to ask her.”

“You don’t want a second-floor office?” Elyse asked.

“It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. I guess the only concern would be Penny.”

“She’s going to be an issue no matter what configuration we come up with,” Dave said.

“True. Jackie, what do you think?”

“If Lisa provides the as-built blueprints, we can do a couple of alternate floor plans. Besides Dave’s team, and the whole Steve/Penny thing, are there any specific requests?”

“Efficient use of space,” Elyse said. “And I’d like to have my people close to me.”

“Kimmy provided an organizational chart,” Jackie said. “I think we have it.”

“Are you bringing anything from the old place?” Jeremiah asked.

“Yes, the fixtures will come with us,” Elyse said. “The furniture is all modular, so even if you do a different configuration, we can reuse most, if not all of the pieces.”

“OK. That means using the same manufacturer for the furniture,” he said. “No problem.”

“How long?” I asked.

Jackie laughed, “I guarantee you Jeremiah already has the design in his head. Twenty minutes for a basic floor plan?”

“Assuming Lisa has the blueprints with her, by the end of next week,” Jeremiah said with a smile. “Jackie never agrees with my first drawing!”

“I have the blueprints,” Lisa said. “Steve, do we have a deal?”

“I need to get approval from my Board, but I intend to seek that as soon as Kimmy can get them together.”

“I’ll do that when I get back to the office,” Kimmy said. “Is your calendar up to date?”

I laughed, “You would know better than I would!”

Everyone else laughed.

“Congrats on the Penguins win last night,” Jackie said as we walked out.

“That’s two games to none! I’ll be at the game tomorrow night, courtesy of Lisa’s dad!”

“Lucky!”

“Absolutely!” I agreed.

My staff headed back to the office, but I headed to Glencoe to see Samantha.

May 30, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

“Once more?” Samantha giggled as we went to the shower.

“You didn’t let me sleep at all!” I protested.

“I told you we were going to do it all night!” she said, giggling more. “Are you really complaining?”

“No!” I grinned, picking up the shampoo bottle. “You aren’t sore?”

“From what?” Samantha giggled. “Fucking four times? Sucking you twice? And your tongue and hands and fingers all over me the rest of the time?”

“You’re insatiable!” I declared as I lathered her hair.

“You mean I can’t get enough?”

“Yes!” I grinned.

“Are you complaining?”

“You asked that already! We didn’t have much chance to talk last night.”

“You wanted to talk?”

“It’s necessary for a relationship, though I suppose we needed to get this out of our system!”

“Out of our system?” she asked.

“Yes. We fucked ourselves silly last night. Next time, we’ll talk and make love and sleep in each other’s arms.”

She turned and looked at me, “You won’t do this with me again?”

“I didn’t say that! You want a long-term relationship with me, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she said, looking directly into my eyes.

“Then you can’t get lost in the physical part of it. We’ll do that plenty. But I want to be your friend, not just a sex toy.”

“But you’re a fun sex toy!” she giggled.

“Turn around and let me finish washing your hair, you little vixen!”

She pouted but complied. I washed her gently and she did the same for me, though I had to discourage her from trying to get frisky again.

“If you try to make this only about sex, we’ll go back to the ‘no sex’ rule,” I said.

“Fine,” she sighed.

We got out of the shower, dried off and dressed. We went down to breakfast, which was just the two of us, then went for a walk in the garden.

“Want to go horseback riding next Friday?” she asked.

“Sure.”

“I’ll come pick you up after school lets out. It’s our last day.”

“What plans do you have for the summer?”

“Daddy wants to go to Monaco, but I’m not sure I want to go.”

“When?”

“The last two weeks of June.”

“Go,” I said. “I’m going to be in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a week then with my wives and kids.”

“You could come to Monaco with me!” Samantha offered.

“Remember what I said about family.”

“Yes. Maybe next year!”

“Next year I’m going to Japan for a month to study with a karate master.”

“A whole month?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll miss you!”

“And I’ll miss you, too,” I said.

“I bet!” she giggled. “Am I the best?”

“A question you should never ask and one I’ll never answer,” I said firmly.

“I thought you liked it!”

“I do, but it’s not polite to compare. I have no complaints!”

“Me either!” she smirked, stepping around to kiss me.

“I need to get to a karate competition where I’m judging, then take a nap. I’m going to the hockey game tonight.”

“With Alec and Lisa?”

“Alec invited me, yes. Are you coming to dinner on Sunday?”

“I wouldn’t miss it!”

“We have a short-term house guest,” I said. “You remember my friend Michelle? I didn’t tell you, but she was attacked by someone who tried to rape her. She’s staying with us until she finishes her exams in two weeks. She’ll be at dinner.”

“That’s horrible! They caught the guy?”

“Yes. We need to go back inside. It’s time for me to go.”

We walked back into the house, and after several long, deep kisses, I headed out to my car and drove to the dojo where the competition was being held. I was TIRED and it took a supreme effort and every bit of reserve energy I had to get through judging the karate competition. Sensei Ichirou thanked me, and I managed to get home without falling asleep. I skipped lunch, and went up to bed. I crashed, hard, and was asleep seconds after my head hit the pillow.

“She wore you out?” Kara giggled when they woke me up for dinner.

“Do you remember the ‘new toy’ stage?” I grinned.

“She’s never left it!” Jessica laughed.

“True! But that’s the stage Samantha is in right now. I talked to her about it this morning and made it clear I want a relationship with her, not just sex.”

“Only you could complain about a night of wild sex with a seventeen-year-old girl, Tiger!”

“It’s not a complaint; it’s an observation. You know what I was looking for. I’m just not sure I’ve found it. And if Samantha wants this to be longer term, it needs to be more like Abbie and less like, well, nobody I can think of right now. Anyway, let’s eat so I can get to the Stadium!”

“Penguins take priority over sex!” Kara teased. “Noted!”

I laughed and we went downstairs. After dinner we celebrated Birgit’s fourth birthday with cake and ice cream. After she opened her presents, I had a quick chat with Michelle to make sure she was OK, then headed to the ‘Madhouse on Madison’ for game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals. I went to the VIP entrance, handed over my ticket and ID, and was admitted. After an elevator ride, I was escorted to Alec’s box, and was greeted by Lisa.

“Glad you could make it!” she said. “Dad was very happy that you’re satisfied with the deal.”

“It took some time for my CPA to unpack it and explain it to me. Once he did, everything was cool.”

“Help yourself to food and drinks. Everything is on us, including the liquor.”

“I won’t drink because I have to drive home,” I said. “But I’ll certainly eat something!”

“Me?” she asked quietly.

“No chance. You’re engaged! And you can stop with Samantha’s little tests now.”

“Oh quit being a stick in the mud! I was teasing!”

I wasn’t so sure about that. It felt like a test. Actually, that wasn’t quite right. It felt like a real offer. One I had no interest in for a multitude of reasons.

“Sorry, I’m just a bit on guard.”

“Have a good time here!”

By the time Wayne Messmer sang the National Anthem, the box was full. It was mostly men in their 30s and 40s with their spouses or girlfriends, though there were a few teenagers and a few much older men as well. Lisa or Alec introduced most everyone, but I was sure I wouldn’t remember a single name by the end of the night. Not because I was drinking, but because my mind was on the game.

The Penguins and Blackhawks took the ice, and the puck was dropped to the cheers of the fans. I’d considered wearing my Penguins jersey, but decided that it was probably a bad idea. I’d thought that if the Pens did win and had a chance to close out the series on Monday, I’d bring my jersey and put it on once the Pens won. But I decided I’d ask Alec’s opinion before I did that. I didn’t want to offend my host!

“I haven’t seen you here before,” a dark-haired teenage guy said.

“I just met Alec a few months ago,” I said. “I’m doing a real estate deal with him.”

He laughed, “I’m Nelson. You and everyone else in this box, or whoever brought them!”

“Steve,” I said, and we shook hands.

“This is my sister, Gracie,” he said, nodding to a pixie-like girl who could have been anywhere from ten to seventeen.

“Hi,” I said, quickly looking back to the ice.

“Hi!” she replied.

“You guys in High School?” I asked.

“Senior,” Nelson said. “I graduate next week. My sister will be a Freshman in the fall.”

Which made her fourteen or so. It was really hard to tell from looking at her because she was so tiny.

“Cool.”

“How long have you been a Hawks fan?” he asked.

I chuckled, “I’ve been a Penguins fan since 1980. I was at a finals game in Pittsburgh last year.”

“You know, a fall from here would be fatal!” Gracie laughed.

I laughed with her. She’d have a tough time picking up a bowling ball, let alone throwing me over the balcony!