Chapter 84: Arrangements

June 8, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

“Ready to sign?” Alec asked when Elyse and I walked into the conference room in his Sears Tower Offices on Monday afternoon.

“Jamie said everything was in order,” I said. “He should be here in a few minutes.”

As if on cue, Jamie was shown into the conference room.

“I think that’s everyone,” Alec said. “Lisa, do you have the documents ready?”

“All laid out on the table. We just need our signatures, along with Mr. Adams’ and Ms. Clarke’s.”

She handed her father a pen and he signed both copies, then handed her the pen to sign. Once she’d signed, the pen was passed to me, and then finally to Elyse.

“Thank you very much!” Alec said. “This calls for a toast! Lisa, would you call Ryan in with the champagne?”

A moment later a well-dressed young man carried in six fluted champagne glasses and handed one to each of the four principals and the two lawyers.

“To a long and healthy relationship!”

We raised our glasses and drank the champagne.

“Steve, Lisa will coordinate everything from our side. Will Ms. Clarke be coordinating for you?”

“Officially, yes, but mostly Lisa will work with Kimmy Bradford, our office manager. She reports to Elyse. Thank you for allowing us 180 days to transition instead of 120.”

“It was just a minor tweak to the contract and doesn’t really change much. So long as we complete everything by the last day of the year, we’re fine. That’s why we had to rush the contracts to get things going before July 4th.”

“I have two sets of plans from my architects,” I said. “My team is looking over them and we’ll make a decision soon. When can we start working on the building?”

“Right away. If you go with Lisa, she’ll give you keys and everything else you need.”

I followed Lisa to her office and immediately regretted it when she shut the door and leaned against it.

“We HAVE to celebrate this deal!” she said.

“That is not happening,” I said. “No.”

“Oh come off it! You’ve been with Jeri and Sammy!”

That was the first time I’d heard Samantha called anything but ‘Samantha’. Something I’d have to ask her about.

“Admitting absolutely nothing of the sort, neither of them were engaged or married at the time of this alleged activity.”

“They both TOLD me you were awesome in bed!”

“What they say, and what I’ll talk about, are two very different things. You’re engaged. No.”

“I could scotch this deal,” she threatened.

“Go on. Go tell Daddy a married man won’t have sex with an engaged woman and because of that you want to cancel the contract that solves a major problem with your REIT. I dare you. In fact, I double-dare you.”

“Give me a break! You cheat and you know it!”

“I cheat on nobody,” I said. “I made that serious mistake when I was much younger and I won’t do it again.”

“But Sammy and Jeri!”

“But what? I admit nothing, and if something HAD happened, it wouldn’t have been cheating. Look, drop it. Let’s get the keys and whatever else I need. I’m not going to ‘celebrate’ that way with you. I have half-a-mind to tell John about this.”

“No!” she gasped.

“Yes,” I said firmly. “Play all the games you want with whomever else you want, but not with me. I won’t be drawn into these kinds of situations. It’s bad business.”

“You’ll learn that’s not true,” she said, walking over to her desk.

“Well, it’s true for me. And if THAT is the price of admission, then I don’t want in. I can resign my seat on the board and walk away and I’d probably be happier in the long run.”

“Do you have any idea what REAL money is?”

“Do you have any idea how little I care about that?”

“Everyone cares about money!”

I chuckled, “To a point. But only people with too much for their own good care about it the way you do!”

“What are you, some kind of socialist?”

I laughed hard, “I’m as libertarian as they come. You heard me talk to your dad. I just think the money has gone to your head and all you think about is money, power, and sex. There’s WAY more to life than that. That’s really hit home since I got involved in this stupid society charade. My eyes have been opened. Now, let’s get the keys and go back to the conference room.”

Lisa pursed her lips like she was about to say something, then reconsidered. She got an envelope from a locked desk drawer and handed it to me. I opened it and found keys, plus the code to the alarm system, utility information, and importantly, a card for the company that had installed and also monitored the alarm. I’d get in touch with Patrick and spec out a new system to completely replace what was there. Something told me not to trust Lisa AT ALL.

We went back to the conference room, and after a brief chat, Elyse and I left the office and rode the elevators down to street level. We walked across the bridge over the Chicago River to the parking garage near Union Station, and after retrieving my car, headed back to the office.

“What took so long?” Elyse asked when we were safely in the car.

“Lisa,” I said. “She propositioned me. Again. She has some ulterior motive and I’m not going to play her game for several reasons.”

“What do you think she’s up to?”

“First off, she thinks I’d be cheating, so maybe that’s it. Something to hold over me. Second, she might be using it to wheedle some favor out of me now or in the future. Or third, she’s just used to using sex as a basic business tool. None of those have ANY appeal to me. And, frankly, while she’s nice looking, Samantha is smoking hot and a LOT of fun in bed! Why would I mess that up?”

Elyse laughed, “All true. Maybe you need to pull back a bit from this new circle of, well, I hesitate to use the word ‘friends’ in this context.”

“I was thinking the same thing. I even said that to Lisa. I’m going to have a talk with Jeri once I sort things out in my mind and discuss it with you, Jessica, and Kara. This just doesn’t sit well with me.”

“What about Samantha?”

“I think I can separate her from the rest of the mess, just as I think I can with Jeri. It’s the Foundation stuff that will be the most difficult. I really don’t like those fundraisers and galas. Don’t get me wrong, I love parties, and I like dressing up in my tux, but the people are mostly not ones I want to associate with. Alec seems like a solid guy, but his daughter is a problem.”

“It’s full of messed-up relationships,” Elyse observed.

“I think that’s what bugs me. We’ve all done our best to try to FIX the kinds of dysfunction I’m seeing. I know we have our problems, and I’m the poster boy for a dysfunctional childhood and dysfunctional relationship with my parents and siblings. But you know what? That’s what drives me to do my best to get it right with my wives, you, my kids, and my friends. And now I’ve been thrust into something that is one giant dysfunction!”

“You have to admit,” Elyse smirked. “‘Old Steve’ would have been in his element, and WOULD have fucked that fourteen-year-old on center ice at the stadium after the lights were turned down!”

“You’re absolutely right!”

June 10, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

The management team was gathered in the conference room with the two proposed floor plans laid out on the conference table. We’d made sure everyone in the office had a chance to look at them and provide feedback to their managers. Now we had to decide which one to implement. It wasn’t an easy decision. Both plans had things to like and neither had any serious flaws.

“I think the plan with the executive office upstairs is the best,” Elyse said.

“Why?” I asked.

“In the end, it provides the most flexible plan, and has a more efficient use of space. The door from the parking lot, plus the emergency exit makes using all the perimeter space impossible on the first floor. If we only need four offices downstairs, we can easily work around them. Otherwise, we’d really need to consider some interior offices and we all agreed we want the large open space that we can reconfigure as needed.”

“I think that probably makes the most sense,” Julia agreed. “Those four would be Dave, Charlie, Sam, and me. And the segregated reception area. Everything else would be open, minus the computer room.”

“But that would put me and Chris upstairs,” Kimmy said. “Far away from reception.”

“How important is that, really?” Elyse asked. “With the open first floor, there’s a nice wide stairway that leads from upstairs to just behind reception.”

“I suppose. I was just thinking about bathroom coverage, but I guess an extra fifteen seconds to get to the front isn’t a big deal.”

“Everyone is OK with the interior conference rooms on the second floor?” I asked.

“It’s not like there’s a view out the windows,” Cindi laughed. “And the skylights with diffusers will give it nice natural lighting.”

“What about the kitchen?” Julia asked.

“On the plan with the programmers downstairs there are two options, though they’re one above the other,” I said. “Either way it’s that space right next to the elevators, which is going to be a noisy spot anyway. If we put it upstairs, then there’s a conference room right across the hall that could be used as a lunch and break room. To me, that makes the most sense.”

“And all the supplies and stuff would be in this area upstairs?” Kimmy asked.

“Yes. We don’t want to build out anything on the first floor except the reception area, computer room, and a couple of offices. Well, and enlarge the bathrooms to make three unisex rooms. Does anyone object to that? It’s easier than trying to make two sex-segregated rooms. There’d be two more upstairs, plus the private one attached to my office.”

Dave laughed, “And the sauna? And bedroom?”

“Do you SEE those on the plans?” I chuckled. “That was LAST time when we were goofing around. And the last thing I need is a bed in my office, given the issues we’ve had here.”

“True,” Elyse said. “And joking about it is probably a bad idea as well.”

“What about daycare?” Julia asked. “Didn’t several of the staff ask about that?”

“They did,” Elyse said. “The problem is insurance and hiring someone full-time to staff it. And what happens if that person calls in sick? Or is on vacation? I’d love the idea, but I’m not sure it’s feasible. We’d have the space, but the devil is in the details.”

“What would happen if we just provided the space, and the parents did some kind of co-op?” Cindi asked. “With no company money involved?”

“I’d have to ask our insurance broker and Jamie, but I could find out,” Elyse said. “Do you mean hiring someone?”

“Couldn’t we do some kind of 1099 employee as a co-op?” Cindi asked.

“Let me check on that, too,” Elyse said.

“Do we have consensus that we go with ‘Plan A’ that puts developers on the first floor?”

Everyone either nodded or said yes.

“And now the war begins,” I chuckled. “Parking spots.”

Everyone laughed.

“I have an idea,” Kimmy said. “First of all, I talked to Steve about subsidizing parking at the lot that’s a block away, and I talked to them and we can make a good deal. Second, I talked to Metra and the CTA about their before-tax payroll deduction plan for fares. Basically, we’ll offer every staff member either parking subsidy or a contribution towards their public transportation fares. There are eight parking spots, and I think we’d all agree that Steve is entitled to one of them.”

There were nods and voices of assent.

“I also think we set aside one spot for visitors. We don’t get too many, but it would be nice if at least one free spot were available. That leaves six, which I think should probably go to the executives, though I think Dave and Julia are willing to share one.”

“We nearly always come in and leave together,” Julia said. “If not, one of us could get a ride with Steve, Elyse, or Cindi; they all live close.”

“That leaves two spots. I think we need to leave one for Charlie, because she often has to go out to customer sites, but when she doesn’t, someone else on her team could use the spot with her approval. The final one, if you all will allow it, would be shared between me and Keri, because we live in Hyde Park.”

“Everyone else would either take public transportation or park in the lot a block away.” Elyse said. “I don’t see a problem with that.”

“Steve, you walk your wife to and from work every day,” Kimmy stated. “How is that going to work?”

“It’s not,” I sighed. “That’s the one thing that gave me real pause about this deal. But I didn’t see any real options and Jess and I talked about it. If her shifts don’t allow for me to walk with her, she’ll drive. It’s not ideal, but unless someone can magically make our current building larger or conjure up affordable space in Hyde Park, there isn’t much I can do.”

“Anything else we need to talk about before we have Kimmy get things rolling with Phelan-Brown?” I asked.

Everyone shook their heads, so I told Kimmy to proceed along the lines we’d discussed. I asked Elyse to join me for lunch, and when we left the building, we walked to Siobhán’s studio, bringing a smaller version of the plans with us.

“Here’s the basic plan for the new space I told you about last week,” I said.

“How many pieces?”

“One for each conference room and office, and some for the reception area. But all themed together somehow.”

“What about this big open space?”

“We’re going to let the programming team hang posters and stuff like that,” I said. “Think Star Wars or Star Trek or stuff like that. And probably M. C. Escher, and other things nerds like!”

Siobhán laughed, “Escher’s stuff is cool, though I could do without the science fiction stuff! Let me come up with a concept. Do you have your business card with your logo and colors?”

I handed her one.

“You’re thinking of using that as the basic theme?” Elyse asked.

“Well, kind of riffing off it, maybe,” Siobhán said. “I’ll have to see. Hey, while you’re here, do you want to see Kara?”

I smirked. Kara had come to pose several afternoons. Elyse did NOT know about it, so I was just waiting to see her reaction.

“Sure,” I chuckled.

Elyse arched an eyebrow, but followed Siobhán to her work area. She moved aside a white cloth hung over a moderately sized landscape canvas.

“Wow!” Elyse gasped. “That is REALLY good! And tasteful!”

Kara was reclined on the settee, with one leg drawn up in modesty, but otherwise showing her beauty in its full glory.

Siobhán laughed, “She really wanted it to be full-frontal, but after talking to Steve, she decided that they couldn’t really display it if it was.”

“WHERE is this going to go?” Elyse laughed.

“Our room,” I grinned. “Kara is trying to talk Jessica into doing one!”

“No way!” Elyse said, continuing to laugh. “She’d NEVER do this!”

Siobhán grinned, “Actually, she’s considering it, but her arm would mostly hide her breasts, and absolutely cover her nipples.”