Chapter 28: You’re Buying!

November 17, 1982, Chicago, Illinois

“Thanks for giving me a ride home,” Marcia said when I backed out of the driveway at Jeri’s house.

“You’re welcome,” I replied. “You seemed a bit tense and uptight tonight.”

“I know it probably seems foolish,” she replied, “but I’m still concerned about how you might react to what happened.”

“I was totally honest with you when I said I wasn’t upset or unhappy. Don’t dwell on it.”

“But you aren’t really interested in doing it again, at least from what you said.”

“First of all, I set my expectations based on what you’ve said and what you’ve implied. To me, it was fairly clear that you would be the one asking, and that I shouldn’t ask. You also basically set the limit at one night, so that was part of my expectation as well. In one sense, the answer to your question is that it doesn’t matter.

“In another sense, I did imply, strongly, that we were not sexually compatible. I mean, obviously the parts are in the right place, fit together the right way, and function properly, but sexual compatibility is far more than that. The thing is, neither of us is right or wrong in an absolute sense, because my sexuality is right for me and yours is right for you.”

“You wouldn’t directly answer when I asked that night,” Marcia said, “but I’m still curious what would you have done differently.”

“And the answer remains the same — I basically follow the lead of the girl, because that has worked very well for me since I was seventeen! Keeping the young woman happy is key to ensuring I get to be with her again! And that is always my priority!”

“Even me?”

“That wasn’t a consideration given what you’d said and implied, and what I could infer. I will make a deal with you. You tell me about your encounters in High School and college, with no names, and then I’ll answer your question.”

“Why?” Marcia asked.

“I’m just curious what you meant when you called yourself a ‘party girl’.”

“Again, why?”

“I reached two possible conclusions, and I’m not sure which is correct, or possibly neither is correct. But I’d prefer to hear the answer rather than speculate.”

“Seriously, why?”

“The only way I can give you advice, or actually, even discuss this rationally with you, is to know how you define ‘party girl’. It does make a difference. If you don’t want to discuss it, that’s fine, but then let’s leave the past in the past, and not worry about it. I’m your friend and colleague, and our goals of financial and political power dovetail nicely.”

“Honestly, you should have gone to college.”

“Noted. There’s no reason to repeat the conversation.”

“Just drop it,” Marcia said.

“Of course. I only brought it up because I was concerned that you seemed tense and uptight. I won’t bring it up again, but you need to relax around me.”

“Sorry,” Marcia replied.

“There’s no need to apologize, but if you’re uncomfortable around me, we need to find a way to fix that. I’ll do what I’m able, but it really is up to you.”

“I know,” Marcia replied.

There really was nothing more I could say or do unless Marcia wanted to talk about it, or suggest some course of action. When I dropped her at her townhouse, she simply said ‘good night’ and got out of the car. I waited until she went inside, then headed home. Bianca and Shelly were watching the 10:00pm news, which had just started, so I sat down with them.

“I heard something today I think you need to know,” Bianca said.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Someone, and I shouldn’t say who, told me that they saw Huifen at Planned Parenthood’s clinic on Broadway.”

“She’s taking birth control pills, so that would explain it.”

“She was there too long for that kind of appointment,” Bianca said.

“What are you saying?” I asked. “That she had an abortion?”

“Yes. You obviously didn’t know.”

“No, but I’m not sure how I would know if she didn’t tell me, which she didn’t. I also won’t jump to any conclusions.”

“You don’t know if she missed her period?”

“I have no idea,” I replied. “I mean, I only know when one of you has yours because you leave your box of pads on the back of the toilet, and you each use a different style, which, before we started living together, I had no clue even existed!”

Bianca and Shelly both laughed.

“Most guys don’t, and you wouldn’t have a reason to be in the feminine protection aisle at Osco. You and Bev never talked about it?”

“She told me when she first got her period, but after that, she never mentioned it, and she managed things so that it didn’t get in the way, if you catch my drift.”

“It’s a poor soldier who runs from a bloody battlefield!” Shelly smirked.

“That’s not Jonathan,” Bianca said. “I bet he’d earn his ‘red wings’!”

“What are ‘red wings’?” I asked.

“Blood on your cheeks from a girl’s thighs because you went down on her during her period.”

“You would lose that bet,” I said firmly.

“I don’t think so,” Bianca replied. “I think if the right girl asked you at the right time, you’d go down on her during her period and fuck her, too. You’ve done literally anything we’ve asked so far.”

“That last bit is true, but ... blood from your period is, well, different.”

“Ever cut yourself and licked the cut?” Bianca asked.

“Sure. Who hasn’t?”

“There you go. Same thing.”

“Not even remotely!” I chuckled. “First, it’s my own; second, it’s a tiny bit; third, it’s like on my finger or arm!”

“Blood is blood,” Bianca replied.

“I have to ask, have YOU done that?”

“No. I will if you will!”

“Interesting.”

“Told you!” Bianca declared triumphantly, looking to Shelly.

“Huh?” I asked, confused.

“You said ‘interesting’ not ‘gross’ or ‘no’!”

“Shelly?” I asked.

“I lean your direction, but you know Bianca is just crazy enough to do it!”

“Liberated, not crazy!” Bianca declared. “And not hung up on social convention or what anyone else thinks is right or wrong with regard to sex. And like Jonathan, willing and eager to please my partner.”

“Maybe,” I replied.

“Which is not ‘no’,” Bianca said with a smirk. “Anyway, back to Huifen. What are you going to do?”

“Nothing. What can I do? I’ve tried to call her twice, and she hasn’t returned my calls. I’m positive she’s getting the messages, so the ball is in her court. As for an abortion, if that’s true, I’ve always said a decision like that had to be up to the girl. To be honest, I’m not ready to have a kid, and that includes my friend Bev’s daughter.”

“What would you have done?” Shelly asked.

“Again, assuming what’s being said is accurate, talked to her, offered my support, and let her make the decision. Not being ready does not mean I wouldn’t take responsibility for what happened and help however I could.”

“Would you marry her?”

“That’s also not something I’m ready to do. It seems silly to me to marry simply because birth control failed. I mean, if you were otherwise on that trajectory, then sure, moving the ceremony a few months to comply with social convention would be OK, but marrying simply because you accidentally made a baby together makes zero sense. I’m curious what you would do.”

“I think it would depend on the situation,” Bianca replied. “I mean, if the guy were someone I’d want to marry, I’d consider it. I’d also consider giving the baby up for adoption, but I can’t see myself as a single mother.”

“Same here,” Shelly said. “I couldn’t see that before, and after hearing about the struggles your mom had, I’m convinced. I also want to finish college. A baby would make that really difficult, with or without a husband.”

“Will you both do me a favor, please? Just let it go and allow Huifen to decide what to say, if anything? It’s a private decision and we should respect her privacy.”

“Sorry,” Bianca said. “I thought you would want to know.”

“That’s just it,” I replied. “I don’t know any more than I did before you said anything. Unless Huifen says something to me, or said something to someone I trust to report it accurately, it’s just speculation and hearsay. If I went to Mr. Matheson with speculation and hearsay, he’d ask me to back it up before acting on it. I think that’s applicable in every aspect of my life.”

That was part of the reason for how I’d approached Marcia’s situation earlier in the evening while I was driving her home. I didn’t have enough information to give her advice. I realized there were going to be ‘gut calls’ at various points in my life and career, but I didn’t have enough experience as yet to make decisions for other people’s money based on my ‘gut’. The same was true for giving advice to friends.

What I truly wondered was why Huifen hadn’t said anything. As I thought about it, I realized that the timing was very likely such that she found out she was pregnant, if she actually had been, just about the time we discussed not being a couple. I could see how that might have affected her decision, and might have led her to conclude it was better to simply handle it herself.

“Are you OK?” Shelly asked about five minutes later.

“Fine,” I replied. “I was just thinking about the possible sequence of events and I’m fairly certain that the timing was such that I said I wasn’t interested in being a couple at this point right around the time she would have discovered she was pregnant. Well, assuming that was the case. And, no, her being pregnant wouldn’t have changed that, because of what I said before about not being ready. I think I’m going to head up to bed.”

“Want some company?” Shelly asked.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll just get some sleep.”

I got up, said ‘good night’, then headed upstairs.

November 18, 1982, Chicago, Illinois

On Thursday morning, I’d made an appointment with Mr. Matheson via Anna, and went to see him after lunch.

“What’s up, Kane?” he asked.

“Once the announcement is made tomorrow, I want to take on a few clients.”

“Jesus, Kane! The ink on your license is barely dry!”

“I know, but there are a number of friends who want to start investing, and I’d like to use the ‘friends and family’ type fund to help them. It’ll be small potatoes, though I’ll run it as a personal fund with my money making up the bulk of the assets, just as Mr. Spurgeon does with the ‘Spurgeon Select’ fund for employees. That way, my skin is in the game.”

“You pay attention, that’s for sure. Anna can give you the necessary forms, which you’ll need to have approved by both me and Mr. Spurgeon, and endorsed by Compliance. You know the rules there, right?”

“Every trade is reported to them and cleared before it’s made. If they deny it, only Mr. Spurgeon can override, and he generally does not do that.”

“OK. Get the paperwork done and bring it to me.”

“There’s one other client I want to bring on, but they won’t be part of that fund.”

“You know the asset minimums, right? Those aren’t waived.”

“No problem. It’s $3.8 million.”

“What the fuck?!” Mr. Matheson exclaimed.

“A friend of mine has a trust fund she wants me, and only me, to manage.”

“Jesus, Kane! It took me eight months of hard work to find a client with a million bucks to invest when I stared out! Who is this client?”

“Jeri Lundgren.”

“Margaret Lundgren’s daughter? Of the Lundgren Foundation?”

“Yes.”

“Does her mom know?”

“I have no idea, but according to Jeri, she has complete control over any decision about who manages the money now that she’s sixteen. Those were, according to her, the terms of the trust her grandparents established. She gets a stipend now, and she’ll have complete control of the money at age twenty-five, though she can use some portion to pay for college or buy a house before then.”

“Legal and Compliance will need to review the trust documents,” Mr. Matheson said. “And Mr. Spurgeon has to approve all new clients. I don’t think it’ll be a problem, but he and Margaret Lundgren are social friends.”

“Does she have money here?” I asked.

Mr. Matheson laughed, “No. Mr. Spurgeon has been trying to bag the Lundgren Foundation for almost as long as our firm has existed. He’s never been able to bring her in. You bagging the daughter might help, or it might hurt. I’m not sure which.”

“Well,” I said, “if she’s refused for a decade, I’m not sure how bringing Jeri’s four mil into Spurgeon is going to hurt.”

“I actually have a meeting with him in ten minutes; hang out and come along. He’s going to have some questions. You know it’s ‘one and ten’ for your personal fund and ‘two and twenty’ for Lundgren, right? Four mil isn’t enough to get those waived or reduced.”

“I understand.”

“You’ll clear close to forty g’s if you bring her in. Your commission is half the initial fee and a quarter of the ongoing fee. And you haven’t even started your analyst job. Aggressive as hell, Kane, and I like it, but I’ve seen aggressive guys go down in flames. Don’t let your balls override your brain.”

“I’ll do my best, but testosterone seems to be the key fuel here, followed closely by caffeine.”

And cocaine, but that was not something Matheson did, at least as far as I was aware.

Mr. Matheson laughed, “You got that right!”

I waited with him until Julie, the younger and prettier of Mr. Spurgeon’s two secretaries, called Mr. Matheson to let him know that Mr. Spurgeon was ready for the meeting.

“Let’s go, Kane!” Mr. Matheson said.

I followed him down the hall to Mr. Spurgeon’s expansive office, which had an amazing view of Lake Michigan.

“Murray?” he said. “I thought we had a meeting.”

“We do, but Kane has something to tell you.”

“What is it, Kane?” Mr. Spurgeon asked.

“I want to bring on a client who has a $3.8 million trust fund.”

“That’s awfully fast, given the memo is only going out this morning and you don’t start your analyst job until March! Who?”

“Jeri Lundgren,” I replied. “She wants me, and only me, to manage her trust fund.”

“What is this world coming to?” Mr. Spurgeon asked rhetorically. “I’ve been trying for ten years to bring the Lundgren Foundation on board and a guy from the mailroom bags the daughter’s trust fund?”

“I say we let him do it, Noel,” Mr. Matheson said. “It might give you an in with Margaret Lundgren.”

“Or it might piss her off,” he countered. “Does Jeri have the right to make this decision?”

“Kane says she does,” Mr. Matheson said. “I told him we need to see the documents that govern the trust.”

“How do you know her, Kane?”

“She’s friends with my cousin Lisa,” I replied. “I met her at my uncle’s house and we hit it off. I have dinner with her and a group of other young professionals once a month.”

“Mind if I ask who?”

“Gary Burch, a Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Byrne, Nelson Boyd, an attorney at Hart-Lincoln, and Marcia Blake, who works in the Chicago office of Congressman Harold Washington.”

“Jeri’s already planning world domination? I can’t get the girl to say two words to me! It absolutely is the quiet, mousey ones you have to watch out for!”

That was absolutely the case, though he had no idea how right he was! What he didn’t understand was that from Jeri’s perspective, sex was a currency like money, and could be exchanged for goods and services. Jeri wasn’t mercenary, like Lisa, as Jeri was looking for an exchange of value while Lisa was looking for power and control. Those things might ultimately be part of any transaction with Jeri, but she was interested in mutual profit, unlike Lisa, who was, without question, a self-centered bitch.

“Mr. Matheson made the point that having contacts is important,” I replied, “and I figured now is the time to start.”

“He’s not wrong, Noel.”

“No, he’s not. I’ll approve it, assuming Legal and Compliance sign off. Two and twenty.”

“I told him,” Mr. Matheson replied. “He also asked to set up his personal fund for friends and family. I think that’s a good idea.”

“Approved. Kane, how did you come up with Commodore?”

I wasn’t surprised he knew about that, given Mr. Matheson, Mr. Jackson, and Mr. Steinem had all bought shares.

“My roommate told me about the new computer being introduced in January. She’s a college student, and I don’t know where she got the information. I checked it out with my limited resources and decided it was a good buy after a three-for-one split. As I told Mr. Matheson, I expect it to triple in price in the next year or year-and-a-half. I locked in my Chrysler profits and bought Commodore.”

“How much did you make on Chrysler?”

“I sold it for $4,600 from an initial investment of $1500.”

“$1500 to roughly $15K in two years, if you’re as right about Commodore as you were about Chrysler. That’s a strong start. Keep it up and you’ll move up quickly.”

Unsaid was that if I screwed up, I’d be out on my butt. I simply nodded.

“Fill out the necessary paperwork and get the trust documents. Turn it all into Murray.”

“I will,” I agreed.

“Good job bringing in some Lundgren money. Get back to work.”

“Yes, Sir!”

I left, knowing I was dismissed, and went to Anna’s desk to get the forms I needed. She got them for me, and I headed back to the mailroom.

November 19, 1982, Chicago, Illinois

“We’re on schedule, and there are no problems or even concerns at this point,” Mr. Brown said when we met early on Friday morning on the 29th floor.

“That’s what Marcus said when I spoke to him yesterday,” I replied. “He’s keeping me up to date on progress.”