Chapter 10: He’s Yours

July 31, 1982, Chicago, Illinois

“Am I sleeping with you?” I asked when Bev and I went up to my room around 9:00pm to put Heather in her crib.

“Why wouldn’t you?” she asked.

“No reason I can think of,” I replied. “But I don’t want to presume anything.”

“If you’re concerned about sex...”

“That’s not it,” I replied. “I simply didn’t assume we would share a bed.”

“I want to sleep with you, Jonny. As for sex, my gynecologist said it’s OK, though she suggested taking it slow and easy. Of course, she said ‘like the first time’, but you know how that was!”

I smiled, “Anything but ‘slow and easy’!”

“I explained you were big, and she strongly suggested we use lubricant; she gave me a tube of K-Y Jelly.”

“What time do you expect Heather to wake up?”

“Probably around midnight, then around 3:00am, and again around 6:00am. It’ll be a few months before she sleeps most of the night. Will that cause you trouble with getting up for work?”

“I took Monday, Tuesday, and Friday off, so that won’t be a problem. That still leaves me with five vacation days. I’ll use four between Christmas and New Year’s, which leaves me one, which I might have to use for my licensing exam, unless Mr. Spurgeon approves an exception to the normal policy for staff who aren’t part of trading teams. Bianca and Shelly will be happy to hang out with you on Wednesday and Thursday while I’m at work.”

“Are they...”

“Lesbian? No. They’re bisexual.”

“Interesting. So, do you...”

“We have, and we will in the future.”

“Threesomes?”

“Yes, at times.”

“Is that something you like?”

“Are you kidding?” I asked with a silly grin.

Bev laughed, “What was I thinking? You may be Jonny, but you’re still a guy!

“Obviously! But I hope it’s also obvious, at least to you, that I plan to have a traditional marriage, and you know that once I give my word, that’s it.”

“So you’ll go from wild and crazy to calm and boring overnight?”

“Beverly Newton!” I said sternly. “Sex with you could NEVER be boring!”

“Well, at least you didn’t use all three names and sound like my mom!”

“I’m not kidding, Bev,” I said firmly. “Just because I’m ‘sowing my wild oats’, as the saying goes, doesn’t mean I intend to live my life that way in the future. I’ve told you about the Suits at work, and trust me, I do NOT intend to follow that pattern. It’s why I refuse to get involved with any girls at work. The one time I tried that, it ended badly, and could have created a huge problem for me.”

“That was the girl you said was too religious, right?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s get into bed,” Bev suggested. “We can cuddle and talk more if you want.”

“Whatever you want,” I replied.

We undressed and got into bed, where Bev snuggled close and I put my arm around her.

“Do you know how right this feels?” she asked.

“I don’t think there was ever any question,” I replied. “We love each other and our challenges are all practical.”

“Mom wondered if there is a company like the one you work for in Cincinnati.”

“I doubt it,” I replied. “The major exchanges are in Chicago, New York, and London. There used to be a Cincinnati Stock Exchange, but they closed their trading floor in 1976 and only do electronic trading. Firms like Spurgeon need to be near the CBOE, CBOT, CME, or one of the New York trading floors.”

“What are those places you mentioned?”

“The Chicago Board Options Exchange, which was the first firm to offer listed exchange-traded stock options; Chicago Board of Trade, which is a firm that deals in futures and options; Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which deals in numerous futures and options products, and also facilitates currency and commodities trading. There’s also the Chicago Stock Exchange, which is like the New York and London Stock Exchanges. The key for Chicago is they invented something new — fully automated order execution. That means you can put a trade into a computer and it does all the necessary work to execute the trade, rather than having people do it.”

“You know all that off the top of your head?”

“I have to,” I replied. “I know a lot more about those exchanges, but I’d just bore you to tears explaining!”

“And you want to trade currencies?”

“That’s what my mentor does, so it’s the most likely area for me to succeed. But I already trade stocks in my own account for myself and for one other person. I’m going to study for and then apply for a Series 3 license, which will let me trade anything on behalf of anyone.”

“It’s heavily regulated, right?”

“Yes, ever since 1934, after the major crash in 1929. The exchanges also have their own rules, which in some cases, are stricter than the government’s rules. Those are designed to protect the exchange, their members, and their customers from fraud and what’s called ‘counter-party risk’. That means the risk that a person can’t pay for what they’ve purchased or can’t deliver what they’ve sold. There are potential fines, criminal charges, and sanctions by the exchanges to enforce the regulations and rules.”

“And you have to know all of them?”

“Well enough to pass the test,” I replied. “I’ve done some studying, and I have a class coming up in September. Once I take that, I’ll sit for the exam. I have a meeting on Wednesday with Noel Spurgeon.”

“He owns the company, right?”

“Yes.”

“How can you move up so quickly?”

“By being aggressive, ambitious, and learning as much as I can. It’s a normal route to move from mailroom to a runner — someone who works on the exchange floor, but doesn’t do the actual trading — to assistant, then to trader. I’m trying to skip the runner stage by becoming an analyst. I have a good chance of that happening, but it’s going to be two years, most likely, before I can be promoted.”

“Why so long?”

“Time to study, pass my licensing exam, study more, continue to trade my accounts, and show that I know how to analyze trades. So far, I’ve been successful in trading in my own account.”

“What about the car?”

“Chrysler stock closed above the price my mentor set, so I’m sure I’ll have it in the next month or so, depending on how long it takes from the time the car is ordered until it can be delivered.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. It’s about building loyalty and making sure I don’t leave Spurgeon. And if you compare that to the bonuses that the traders earn, it’s literally pocket change.”

“An $8,000 car? Pocket change?”

“Yes. Top traders like my mentor make over a million dollars a year.”

“That’s crazy!”

“Perhaps, but he earns more than twenty times that for his clients, and that million or more is after Mr. Spurgeon gets his cut.”

“And you’ll make that kind of money?”

“Eventually, if I’m successful.”

“Based on what you’ve said, you’ll be settled into a better job in three or four years, right?”

“Yes. You’ll graduate in four years, right?”

“It’s five, if you include student teaching, but that could be done anywhere, not just in the Cincinnati area.”

“So, what are you thinking?” I asked.

“That I want you to make love to me,” Bev sighed. “Just be gentle and take it slow.”

“Where’s the lubricant?”

“In my bag,” Bev replied. “Let me get it.”

She got out of bed and came back with the tube.

“Let me get you hard,” Bev offered.

I nodded, and she began gently stroking my flaccid dick while we French kissed. It took a bit longer than if she used her mouth, but when she got me hard, she squirted lube into her palm and stroked me a few times to ensure my glans and shaft were covered. Bev lay on her back, I moved between her legs, and entered her as gently as I possibly could. When I was fully inside her, Bev let out a long, slow breath.

“Just stay there,” she said. “It’s not really comfortable.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, concerned.

“Yes,” she replied. “My gynecologist said that would probably be uncomfortable at first. Just kiss me, OK?”

I nodded, and we began a soft French kiss. That’s all we did for about ten minutes, then I felt Bev flex her hips a bit. I responded by pressing my pubic bone against her mons and Bev moaned into my mouth, then broke the kiss.

“Keep doing that,” she whispered.

We did, and although it took some time, eventually Bev groaned and had a small orgasm.

“Try moving,” Bev suggested. “But just a little.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I replied, then kissed her nose.

“You won’t.”

I slowly pulled back about two inches, then gently pushed forward.

“Just grind again,” she whispered.

I did, and after a time, Bev had another small orgasm. Once more, she asked me to move, and this time she didn’t stop me and began moving her hips to meet my short, slow strokes.

“Still OK?” I asked a couple of minutes later.

“Yes,” Bev replied. “Move a bit more, but no harder.”

I did as she asked, and Bev rested her calves on mine and matched my thrusts by raising her hips. I didn’t think it was a good idea to prolong her first time after Heather, so I made no effort to control my release, and a few minutes later I groaned and pulsed, gaining release with a mild orgasm. When the pulses subsided, I kissed Bev and very gently withdrew. I moved to my back, and Bev turned to cuddle me. I wrapped my arm around her and she snuggled close.

“You OK?” I asked.

“Yes,” she replied. “It’ll get better.”

“Do you want to sleep?”

“Yes, please. Heather is going to wake up before you know it!”

I reached over and turned off the lamp on the nightstand, leaving just the night light, which I’d moved to Bev’s side of the room so she could see to care for Heather. Bev sighed deeply, and both of us fell asleep.

August 1, 1982, Chicago, Illinois

“How are you feeling?” I asked Bev when we woke up on Sunday morning.

“A bit uncomfortable, but not bad. How did you sleep with Heather waking up during the night?”

“OK. The first time I watched you. The other two times I went back to sleep.”

“You watched me?”

“Yes. Breastfeeding is ... awe-inspiring. It’s amazing that she grew inside you, and now you can feed her. The whole thing, from start to finish, just blows me away.”

“It is pretty amazing, though I could do without poopy diapers!”

“Count me out!” I declared.

“It’s different when it’s your own baby,” Bev said. “But I will be VERY happy when she’s potty trained.”

“How long?”

“Years. We should probably get up.”

“Do you want to shower first?” I asked.

“Not together?”

“We could; I was just thinking about Heather.”

“She’ll be fine so long as we don’t take too long.”

We got out of bed and went into the bathroom. I turned on the shower, adjusted the temperature, and we got in.

“Who all is going to be here today?”

“Jack, Kristy, Violet, Costas, Trevor, Dustin, and Archie.”

“Are those the firemen?”

“No. That’s Tom and Stuart. They’re working, but we’ll see them on Friday evening. They’re coming here and we’ll order pizza. I figured that was easier than trying to take Heather to a restaurant.”

“Babies and restaurants do not mix well!” Bev declared.

We showered together, but each washed ourselves, then dried ourselves and dressed. Heather was stirring, so Bev picked her up, changed her diaper, then nursed her. Once Heather had finished eating, the three of us went downstairs so Bev and I could have breakfast.

“Morning!” Bianca said when we walked into the kitchen. “Sausage, scrambled eggs, and toast, OK?”

“Yes,” I replied. “Bev?”

“Perfect!” she agreed. “Thank you.”

“Bev, when the cookout today ends, I’ll need to drive Violet home or ride the L with her. She’s OK traveling during the day, but not at night. She lives near my old apartment in Little Italy, or as they’re calling it now, University Village.”

“You can use the car if you want.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that.”

We finished our breakfast, then Bianca and I went to Jewel to get ice and to pick up a package of disposable diapers for Heather so that Bev and I didn’t have to worry about it later in the week. When we arrived home. I put the ice in the coolers, then Bianca and Shelly filled them with pop and with beer that was left over from the Fourth of July. While they did that, I loaded charcoal into the grill so that I could start it as soon as people began arriving around noon.

I went to sit with Bev while she nursed Heather, and the phone rang a few minutes later. Bianca answered and let me know the call was for me.

“Kane,” I said, answering as I always did at work.

“Jonathan, it’s Ivy. Sophie and I were wondering if you were free tonight?”

“I have a friend visiting from Ohio for the week,” I said. “So, no, I’m not.”

“Bummer. When is your friend leaving?”

“Saturday.”

“How about next Sunday? We could come over during the afternoon and have some fun!”

“Let me call you on Saturday to confirm,” I said.

She gave me her number, we said ‘goodbye’, and I went back to sit with Bev.

“Someone running late?” Bev asked.

“No. Just some friends I hang out with occasionally wondering if I was doing anything. I’ll talk to them next weekend.”

“Girls?” Bev asked.

“Yes.”

“More members of your harem?”

“I do NOT have a harem!” I protested. “I’m just not seeing anyone steady at the moment. Also, please, please, do not make any jokes like that around Violet.”

“What’s her story?”

“I can’t really say,” I replied. “She’s just a close friend, but that’s it. It’s a potentially sensitive topic for her, and I really can’t go into the whys or wherefores.”

“How many girls are you seeing?”

“Regularly? A couple. Huifen will be back in three weeks, and I’ll spend a lot of time with her.”

“And?”

“And she’s the one who said you and I need to figure things out before I can even consider a serious relationship with anyone else.”

“You know the practical problems, especially if I want to get my degree, which I think I have to.”

“I agree, you need to do that.”

“I did look into going to school here, but the rules for in-state tuition are tough — you have to live in Illinois for a year, without going to school, before the lower tuition kicks in. You can’t even take a single class. And that’s true even if we were to get married.”

“That’s dumb! Even if I’ve lived here for over a year, it doesn’t count?”

“Not for me, no. And even if I could get in-state tuition, there’s the problem with caring for Heather while I’m in class. I can’t actually take her to class. At home, Mom will watch her, because she doesn’t work.”

“Your mom works hard! Just not for salary!”

“Jonathan Kane, feminist! Who would have thought it?!”

“I know how hard it is to keep house and do all the things she does because I did a lot of them for my mom. Trust me, I’d rather work for Spurgeon!”

“I think those two things — college and caring for Heather mean there’s really only one decision in the short term. You obviously can’t move back to Ohio, either.”

“So, what do you want to do?”

“Will you answer a question for me with complete honesty?” Bev asked.

“Of course.”

Just as she was about to speak, the doorbell rang.

“Hold that thought,” I said, and then went to answer it.

“Hi!” Jack and Kristy both said when I opened the door.

“Hi! Come on in!”

I showed them into the living room and introduced both of them to Bev and Heather, though Heather was sleeping in Bev’s arms and didn’t take notice. Bev went to put Heather down in her crib, and while she was doing that, the guys arrived, along with Julianne and Emily, who Shelly and Bianca had invited. After introductions all around, Jack and I went out to the backyard and fired up the grill, and the others came out to have beers or pop.

“That’s not your kid, is it?” Jack asked quietly.

“No. Bev and I broke up when I moved to Chicago. She got pregnant by her new boyfriend a few months later. Of course, Heather could be mine for the price of a ring.”

“At nineteen? That’s nuts!”

“So is having a baby out of wedlock at nineteen. And that’s only surpassed by doing the same thing at sixteen.”

“Your mom, right?”

“Yes. I know how tough it will be on Bev and Heather, though in Bev’s case, her parents are supportive, which was not true for my grandparents.”

“I hear you, but that’s a heck of a thing to do when you’re nineteen and still working in the mailroom.”

“I know. We’re talking about what to do, and the conversation is mostly about practical difficulties.”

“You guys were a couple for a long time, right?”

“We were basically inseparable from the time we were toddlers. I messed up by not asking Bev to come with me, though she still had a year of High School, so it probably wouldn’t have worked. But who knows what might have happened if I’d just asked?”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because I wasn’t thinking of anything except getting out of Goshen in any way I could. And I simply announced I was leaving, I didn’t actually discuss it with Bev. That’s why she started dating, even before I left. And that is part of the real problem — we were a couple, but never acknowledged it until way after the fact.”

“So you weren’t a couple?”

“We were, but, well, as they say, it’s complicated. We were best friends and basically simply did the obvious thing when we were old enough. It was never discussed, it just happened kind of out of the blue. First real kiss to first time was measured in minutes, not weeks or months.”

The grill was hot enough, so I went to the kitchen to get the plates of burgers and brats and loaded the grill with meat. Shelly and Bianca set out the buns and fixings, along with chips and coleslaw, though it was kept inside so as not to spoil in the heat. When the meat was ready, I put everything on clean plates and took it inside so everyone could make their sandwiches.

“You failed to mention your guy friends were gay,” Bev said quietly as we got our food.

“Because it’s not particularly relevant,” I replied, keeping my voice low.

“How did you meet them?”

“Dustin I met through Tom and Stuart, and Costas is my former landlord’s son, though they were estranged, and I met him when my landlord died. Costas and his sister have reconciled, now it’s just him and his mom who are at odds.”

We had to stop talking about that when Violet walked up to the counter to get cheese, lettuce, and tomato for her burger.

“I’ll drive you home later,” I said to Violet. “Bev will lend me her car.”

“Great! Thanks! Did you ask about the Botanical Gardens?”

“I did. Bianca will lend us her car a week from Saturday, if that works for you.”

“It does.”

“Cool!” Violet declared. “Bianca said you bought the Apple II.”

“I did, but it’s all still in boxes upstairs.”

“You’ll return the Atari to Jeri?”

“Yes.”

“So no video games?”

“I could get one of the Atari consoles. They’re way cheaper, and run the same games.”