Chapter 12: A Way Forward

August 17, 1982, Chicago, Illinois

On Tuesday, we interviewed the two applicants for the mailroom, Carl Baldwin and Sandeep Mani Singh. Given this was an entry-level position, there wasn’t really any question of skills or experience, though both of them had worked part time in High School — Carl at McDonald’s and Sandeep as a porter at a car dealership. Both were eighteen, and Carl was hoping to work his way up, while Sandeep was taking a year off before starting at IIT.

Under normal circumstances, that would have given Carl a leg up, as he could be counted on to stay the two years or so it would take before he could move up, but I’d seen what had happened with Harry Foulks, and given Enderle was second only to Matheson in terms of earnings, that meant he could move his guy up anytime he wanted, once a foot was in the door.

“What do you think?” Mr. Nelson asked after Sandeep left.

“I think, perhaps counterintuitively, that Sandeep is the best choice. We’re certain to have him for a year, whereas Enderle could move his guy to runner after a couple of months, similar to what happened with Harry. That said, if Baldwin is Enderle’s guy, and he wants him, I don’t see how we avoid hiring him.”

“Welcome to my world!” Mr. Nelson declared. “Office politics are as bad as the real kind, if not worse. I felt Enderle out about his plans and he was noncommittal. Baldwin is the son of one of his friends, and he’s doing this as a favor to the friend, not because he thinks Baldwin is the cat’s pyjamas. What would you do in my position?”

“I’d go with Singh,” I replied. “If Enderle isn’t high on his guy, then I’d rather have the full year, and I honestly think Singh is likely to rival Matheson. I mean, who starts with an office on 35, just two doors down from the Big Boss? To me, that says something important. Even Monroe didn’t get an office on the top floor despite already being a trader when Matheson brought him on board.”

“And the turban?”

“He wore one that matched the trading jacket purple, which tells me he’s on top of things. And if anyone complains, they’ll have to take it up with the other Singh and Mr. Spurgeon, because he brought Mr. Singh over from London.”

“You know the naming bit, right?”

“Yes. Both of them use their original family name as their middle names and added ‘Lion’ when they were initiated.”

“If I leave it to you, who do you hire?”

“Singh, for the reasons I gave. But you might have other considerations.”

“You’d hire someone who is the preferred candidate of your mentor’s rival?”

“If it were between two equally qualified candidates, and one of them was Matheson’s, then I’d hire Matheson’s guy. But neither of these is Matheson’s guy, and I wouldn’t hire a lesser candidate just because Matheson recommended him.”

“Ballsy,” Mr. Nelson said. “But as Mr. Spurgeon has said, he’d hire an enemy if he thought the enemy could make him more money.”

“That is the sole criterion here,” I replied. “Well, so long as you don’t break any regulations. But I think competency has to trump favoritism. Sure, with equal candidates, you do the political thing; with unequal ones, you have to base it on merit.”

“You’re going to run into resistance with that attitude.”

“Maybe,” I replied. “But it’s no different from ‘who can make me the most money’ in that a better-qualified candidate with the right work ethic can make more money. Granted, we don’t directly make profits, but if we don’t do our jobs efficiently and effectively, the entire enterprise comes crashing down around us.”

“You hold that thought, because nobody upstairs actually believes that. They think we’re just fungible cogs in a wheel.”

“In one sense, they’re right, in another, they’re dead wrong. Dierks and O’Malley compared to Jack and Bob.”

“You see it; I see it. They do not see it.”

“That’s shortsighted,” I said.

“Well, when YOU run your own investment firm, then you can run things your way. Until then, it’s Mr. Spurgeon’s way.”

“Obviously, but that doesn’t mean he’s right, just that he’s in charge. And I won’t forget that he’s in charge. What are you going to do?”

“I’ll send Singh’s name upstairs and see what Mr. Spurgeon says.”

“I think he’ll go for it because Enderle won’t make a stink.”

“You’re probably right, Kane. Get back to work and I’ll let you know.”

“Yes, Boss!”

I left his office and returned to the mailroom.

“Which guy?” Bob asked.

“Probably Singh, but it’s up to Mr. Spurgeon because Enderle is number two in the earnings standings.”

“Rumor has it the new guy is a hot-shot from London.”

I nodded, “That’s true. It’ll be interesting to see how the Big Boss decides between them.”

The phone rang, interrupting our conversation.

“Mailroom; Kane,” I said.

“Hi, this is Sharon. The fax machine near my desk has a paper jam. I could clear it, but the sign says I have to call it in.”

“I’m sure you could, but some people think they can when they can’t, so you know how that goes. I’ll send Jack up right away.”

“Thanks!”

I hung up then said, “Jack, Sharon Williams says the fax machine near her desk has a paper jam.”

“I’ll take care of it,” he said, getting up and heading up to 32.

“When does our new guy start?” Bob asked.

“Because of Labor Day, not until September 13th. There’s simply no way they’ll allow support staff to join except on a Monday when they do orientation. The Suits can have a special one-on-one session if they start any day other than Monday.”

“How are we going to divide the labor? There isn’t enough work for 30 to need a full person.”

“I think whoever has 30 will take over all the supply cabinet management. That will free you and Jack to have more time to handle things like the fax machine without impacting deliveries and pickups.”

“That makes sense,” Bob agreed. “That’s probably the biggest pain.”

“The one downside is we probably won’t get temps for vacations.”

“But that’s no worse than now when we’re fully staffed, so it’s not too bad.”

“That’s my view as well. If you have any other input, let me know. It’ll be easier if we have everything figured out before the new guy starts.”

Jack was back about five minutes later having cleared the paper jam, and then both guys began their afternoon rounds while I reviewed invoices from the copier company, a tedious, but necessary, job as there were regular billing errors that had to be resolved, which was both time-consuming and annoying, as it ought to have been a simple process.

August 18, 1982, Chicago, Illinois

“Mr. Spurgeon signed off on Singh,” Mr. Nelson said on Wednesday afternoon. “I called Singh, and he accepted. I also managed to get approval for Singh to start on the 30th, even though technically the requisition is for September 1st.”

“Excellent news! Anything from Enderle?

“No. but he’d go to Mr. Spurgeon first, so I might not hear anything until tomorrow or Monday. But the beef, if Enderle has one, is with Mr. Spurgeon, not us, because I said either guy was acceptable, but we preferred Singh.”

“My plan is to assign him to 30, and also have him take over all the supply cabinets and the supply room. Do you have any concerns?”

Mr. Nelson shook his head, “If the work gets done, I’m happy. You’ve been here long enough to know what’s what, and if you think that will work best, I’m good. I have enough headaches with the computers and phones that anything you do to make things better is a big help.”

“I’ll keep things running smoothly,” I said firmly.

“I’m counting on it!”

The rest of the day did go smoothly, and when I left the office, rather than heading home, I headed to Greek Town to meet Lily for dinner at Mr. Greek Gyros. We both ordered the gyros platter, then I paid for our meals. We got our drinks from the new fountain machine, then sat down to wait for our food to be prepared. As usual, Nick, the owner’s son, brought our food to our table.

“It’s too bad we can’t have a Wednesday night date the way we used to!” Lily said.

“There’s no reason you can’t come to the house in Rogers Park,” I replied. “Not an adult in sight!”

Lily laughed, “We’re both adults, and so are your housemates!”

“No parents, then,” I replied, correcting myself. “We could cook dinner together.”

“And...” she asked, licking her lips.

“That, too, obviously, if you want.”

“Your Chinese girl is coming back this weekend, right?”

“Yes, on Saturday, but I do not plan to ask her to go steady or to be a couple.”

“Because of Bev?”

“Because of me. I’m not ready for that at this point, really.”

“And us? I mean, being a couple? Was that a mistake?”

I shook my head, “No. I learned some valuable lessons, and, at least from my perspective, things turned out OK because we’re friends.”

“Just friends?” Lily asked.

“I would say we’re dating, but I’m not sure what to call you besides a female friend. If I say ‘girlfriend’ that implies some kind of exclusive relationship, if I say ‘a girlfriend’ I’m kind of advertising that I’m a player. ‘Friend’ just seems the most reasonable word to use.”

“I see your point,” Lily replied. “I think we both jumped in headfirst and neither of us had any experience dating. For me, it was making sure I wasn’t giving it up to a guy who just wanted that and nothing else. I was pretty sure that was true, but when you asked me to be your girlfriend, I was positive. I don’t regret it at all!

“As for us, as I said, I want to keep seeing you, and who knows where things will lead when I’m closer to graduation and you’ve had your big promotion out of the mailroom. I know you’re trying to figure out the thing with Bev, and that you’re seeing Huifen. I’ll probably get asked out on dates, and I’ll accept if the guy is nice enough.

“Like you, I’m not ready to decide the rest of my life. That was foolish of me before. A lot of girls at my High School had the idea that their boyfriends would be permanent, but then they went away to college or whatever, and it didn’t last. I know some High School sweethearts end up marrying, but that’s not the norm.”

“You’re still as low maintenance as you were,” I observed with a smile.

“I just wish I hadn’t been so dumb about Costas. Mom actually invited him to Sunday dinner, and he accepted, though Mom isn’t ready to have Trevor come with him.”

“One step at a time,” I said. “I’m happy Costas decided to meet her halfway, so to speak, rather than try to force the issue.”

“You can thank me for both,” Lily said with a big smile. “I convinced Mom to invite him, and him to come without Trevor, at least this time. Hopefully, this will open the door. Mom was never as fanatical about it as Dad was.”

“Changing topics, how’s the new renter?”

“I don’t see too much of him. He has a steady girlfriend and hangs out with friends a lot. Well, there’s a girl who’s stayed over a few nights and who I’ve seen around other times, so I’m just assuming. I remember Teresa was around a lot and you guys were never a couple.”

“If you’re interested in coming to my place on Labor Day, you’re welcome. Your brother will be there, along with my other friends, as well as some friends of Bianca and Shelly.”

“Let me check with Mom. We might be going to visit my grandparents that weekend.”

“OK. Just let me know. If you need a ride home, I’m going to drive Violet home at some point in the evening. She doesn’t like to take the L alone after dark.”

“I sure wouldn’t! You, on the other hand, nobody would mess with.”

“How is your food?” Nick asked, coming to the table.

“Excellent as always,” I said. “I’m very happy I took you up on your offer of a free burger if I didn’t like the gyros when you suggested I try them.”

“Greeks are excellent cooks!” Nick replied with a smile.

“Lily is half-Greek,” I said. “Her dad was Greek, but her mom is...”

“German,” Lily replied.

“I don’t think I ever saw you at the Cathedral for Pascha,” Nick said to Lily.

“Dad was raised Orthodox, but Mom was Catholic, and when they married, he became Catholic.”

“It happens all too often,” Nick said. “Anyway, have a good evening, and thanks for coming here.”

“You’re welcome,” I said.

He left and returned to the counter to wait on other customers.

“I didn’t realize your dad was a convert.”

“Twenty years ago,” Lily said. “It’s an easy process because the churches are very much alike, though obviously there are some differences. But let’s not discuss church.”

“No objections!” I declared.

“After we eat, we could get some ice cream and then see The World According to Garp.”

“What’s that about?”

“It’s based on a novel by the same name, and is basically a comedy about a writer and his atypical views on life. I read the book as a Sophomore for an introductory psychology class and it was pretty good.”

“It sounds OK,” I said. “Let’s do that.”

“And next Wednesday I’ll come to your place, if that’s OK. We can cook and fuck! But I’ll need to go home. Mom won’t understand me staying overnight if we aren’t a couple, and I don’t want to mislead her.”

“But she’d understand if we were a couple?”

“She’d tolerate it, because I’m eighteen and so long as I was on the Pill. She wouldn’t approve or wouldn’t like it, but she wouldn’t throw a fit or kick me out or anything.”

“Good. What classes are you taking when school starts?”

“Three core courses — Calculus, English Composition, and Chemistry. My elective is Economics. That gives me lots of flexibility, as I’m taking both science and humanities courses. The only required course of those four is English Composition, which everyone has to take, or test out, but if they do, then they have to take another writing course.”

“Did you try to test out?”

“Yes, but missed by a couple of points. Composition isn’t my strong suit. I’m good at math and social studies.”

“I actually never checked on the degree requirements. I should probably do that.”

“You’re thinking of a degree now?”

“It’ll take forever taking classes at night, but finance or economics would suit what I want to do perfectly. But just taking the classes gives me a leg up. And getting my license is the most important thing right now. That’s going to occupy my Saturdays from September 11th through October 2nd. Eight hours of class each Saturday, then I sit for the exam on October 20th.”

“And then you get promoted?”

“We’ll see. It would be pretty radical for Mr. Spurgeon to approve, but Mr. Matheson is the top earner and if he wants it, he’ll probably get it. Without the license, it would be two years, with it, it could happen sooner, but I’m not counting on it. What I can do at that point is manage money for other people and give investment advice. I can only do it for friends or family due to Spurgeon’s rules, but it’s a start.”

“I wish I had some money to invest! I bet you could make me a fortune!”

“That’s the plan,” I replied. “But you could do it with small amounts because I’d run it similar to a mutual fund, at least at first. Pool all the money together, mine plus others. I’d take a minimal management fee and a tiny percentage of the total gain, but at a much lower rate than Spurgeon charges. That’s why it’s limited to friends and family.”

“Do you have to pay them?”

“They take a tiny management fee to cover the cost of the trades, but none of the profits. But, I can’t have more than ten friends or family in my investment pool. You know, I never asked, but where do you get your spending money?”

“An allowance plus birthday gifts. I’m looking for a part-time job. I’ve applied at McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken so far.”

“Start saving money from every paycheck, even if it’s only $5 or $10. That’s how I started, and that gave me what amounted to my seed money to move to Chicago. Mom insisted I do that even though we could have used that money for other things. It was a valuable lesson. I don’t mind if you start with just a few dollars, and I can waive the fees for you.”

“Let me get a job first, and then I’ll let you know.”

We finished our meal, then headed to Water Tower Place to get ice cream and see the movie.

August 20, 1982, Chicago, Illinois

“Hi!” Allyson exclaimed as Jack and I walked into Bennigan’s after work.

We exchanged a quick hug, and she kissed my cheek, what Jeri called a ‘society’ kiss.

“Kristy should be here in a sec,” Allyson said. “She’s parking.”

Kristy walked in less than a minute later and greeted Jack with a hug and kiss, and me with a light hug. The hostess sat us immediately and recited the daily specials and tried to sell us appetizers, which we declined.

“How have things been?” Allyson asked.

“Good,” I replied. “I’m taking a securities licensing course starting in about a month and I could be licensed as soon as October. That’s about eighteen months ahead of my plan.”