Chapter 43: Deposition

January 6, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

{psc}When I arrived home from my date with Marcia, it was early enough that I didn't go right to bed. I wondered how Bev's interview with Family Services had gone, but because it was an hour later in Ohio, it was too late to call her to ask. With about an hour before I needed to be in bed, I grabbed the latest edition of Crains's and skimmed for any interesting articles that might provide insights into potential investments. Just after 10:00pm, the phone rang, so I got up to answer it.

"Kane," I said.

"Jonathan? It's Deanna!"

"Hi, Deanna."

"First, was that a new girlfriend?"

"No. Marcia's just a friend."

"Great! Want to come see some of my paintings and fuck?"

"Now?"

"No time like the present!"

"Not that I'm not interested, but I have to be at work by 7:30am. You, on the other hand, can probably sleep in."

"Fifteen minutes to get here, twenty minutes for paintings, an hour for sex, and fifteen minutes home! You're in your bed just after midnight."

"An enticing offer," I replied.

"I have a bottle of Jack for you, too!"

I almost laughed at the 'tradition' Sophie had started, and quickly ran through my options. In the end, trading an hour or so of sleep for sex was basically always worth it, and I'd enjoyed being with Deanna, though if I was honest, I'd enjoyed sex with every single girl I'd been with, with the possible exception of Marcia. I still hadn't figured her out, and she wasn't forthcoming, so my analysis of simply being incompatible held. My thoughts, having wandered, returned to the girl on the phone.

"I'll get in my car," I said.

"Great! See you soon!"

January 7, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Losing an hour of sleep didn't really affect me, and seeing Deanna's paintings had been interesting. She was right that they were bold and colorful, but being abstract, I wasn't sure what to make of them. The sex had been fun, and Deanna had finished me with her mouth both times, which was how things with her had gone every time we'd had sex. I certainly didn't mind, and we'd both been sated when I'd left to go home, as Deanna appeared to be following Sophie's 'no sleep over' rule.

I showered, dressed, had breakfast, then headed into the office for the last day of the work week. When I arrived at the office, I hung my Winter coat in my locker, put on my purple Spurgeon jacket, and went to the mailroom to begin my workday. Everything went smoothly until 9:43am, when the phone rang.

"Mailroom, Kane," I said.

"Hi, this is Art Messier, from Bloomberg."

"Hi, Art. Is everything set for Monday?"

"Actually, no, it's not. There's been a delay in manufacturing, and the units I was supposed to have by today won't arrive until next Friday. We need to push the install date to the 24th."

"There are going to be some really pissed off people," I said. "Is there anything at all that can be done?"

"I literally do not have the terminals to install."

"Somebody is going to ask, but when did you know you wouldn't have them?"

"I just found out this morning. I can't say when anyone else knew."

"There's going to be hell to pay," I said. "Let me go talk to the powers that be here and call you back. What's your number?"

"Calling me won't change anything; I'll give you my number but also my manager's number."

"OK."

He recited a pair of phone numbers, along with his manager's name, and once I confirmed them, I ended the call and went to see Mr. Nelson.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" he growled after I told him. "There is no way they didn't know earlier in the week, and probably before Christmas! Fuck!"

"It didn't sound as if there was anything we could do," I replied. "But I have his manager's phone number."

"Let me call him and see what he says. Mr. Spurgeon is likely to blow a gasket."

"Is it that bad, though?" I asked. "I mean, we don't have the terminals now."

"In that sense, no, but the installation would be completely disruptive, and I'm sure you can imagine how Matheson will deal with that."

"Not well," I observed. "Then again, how well would he deal with waiting a week to move?"

"It's a shitty situation," Mr. Nelson said. "Let me make this call, then speak to Mr. Spurgeon."

"Sorry to ruin your morning, Boss."

"Not your fault, Kane. And that's why I'll make the call upstairs. Let Mr. Spurgeon yell at me if he feels the need."

"I'd say that's a lock, wouldn't you?"

"Sadly."

I left his office and went back to the mailroom.

"I bet that conversation was fun," Jack said.

"Not as 'fun' as when the Boss has to tell the Big Boss."

"I think I'm coming down with something," he said, faking a coughing fit.

"Don't want to go to 33?"

"Would you?"

"No, but if Mr. Nelson had told me to tell Mr. Spurgeon, I would have. Sure, I might have to listen to him rant, but in the end, it's Bloomberg who delayed things."

"I'm not sure it was wise to try to be early adopters," Sandeep observed.

"Wise or not, it's where we are," I said. "And I hope none of you have plans for the weekend of the 22nd, because I'd say there's a good chance the move will be postponed."

"Oh, that's going to make people happy," Bob observed sarcastically.

"Don't I know it," I replied. "But ours is not to reason why!"

"Just so long as I'm not the one who dies!" Bob declared.

"Let's get back to work and wait for the gears to grind and the rubble to settle."

No resolution had been reached by lunchtime, and as had become typical, Haley and I ate lunch together. After lunch, Mr. Nelson finally called me into his office.

"Mr. Spurgeon decided to delay the move a week."

"Uh, Boss, that presents a problem..."

He waved his hand, "Already covered. Your salary will change on the 17th, but you won't assume your new role until the 24th. Mr. Spurgeon feels you're the best person qualified to ensure the move goes smoothly."

"What about Matheson?"

"Pissed, as you'd expect, but on board."

"What about the new staff?"

"Their start dates were delayed. That was Matheson's choice."

"All because of five Bloomberg terminals."

"It's always something, Kane. I knew things had gone too smoothly. That's no knock on you, because it's always some vendor or contractor who fucks up. Spurgeon ripped the sales rep at Bloomberg two new assholes for not bothering to tell us BEFORE CHRISTMAS that they knew about the production problems."

"That is not a way to win friends or influence people."

"No shit. If Bloomberg weren't the only game in town for the service, Mr. Spurgeon would have canceled the deal and sued the hell out of them. As it is, the sales rep agreed to provide the first three months' service for free, and that isn't chicken feed."

"I saw the proposal," I replied. "I just hope those terminals are worth their cost."

"Time will tell, right? Anyway, let the guys know it's the 22nd now."

"Will do. One other minor problem — I need to be in Ohio next week, on Wednesday. I had arranged with Mr. Matheson to take the day off to fly down to be at a custody and visitation hearing for my friend."

"The same one who had the baby last year?"

"Yes. The ex-boyfriend and his parents filed for visitation and joint custody. I have to give a deposition on Saturday, and then I'm going to the hearing."

"No problem from my perspective. Everything is good except the Bloomberg terminals, and they swore up and down they'd have them by a week from today."

"Do you believe that?"

"What do you think?"

"Me either. All we can do is wait to see what happens. Did Mr. Spurgeon say what would happen in that case?"

"The move will happen and he'll force Bloomberg to do the installations on the weekend. I'll keep you posted."

"Thanks, Boss."

I left his office and filled in Jack, Bob, and Sandeep, then went back to my desk to complete the day. When I left the office, I headed to University Village to have dinner at Lily's house. Lily was feeling better, but decided to placate her mom by having our date at her house, rather than going out. The only downside to that, as Lily had complained, was that we couldn't spend time together alone.

"How's your neck?" I asked after she hugged me and gave me a quick kiss.

"Better. No pain and no stiffness. I saw the doctor yesterday afternoon, and he said I'm completely healed, though he said to avoid anything that might shock my neck for another six weeks."

"Like what?"

"Skydiving!" Lily said, laughing. "I told him there was zero chance I would do that! But also martial arts, again, not something I do. Basically, anything that risks a blow to the head or stress on my neck."

"Is driving OK?"

"Yes, though he did recommend avoiding being in an accident."

"I'd recommend that, too!"

"Mom didn't find it amusing."

"She's just concerned about you, which I hope you understand."

"I do, but she can be...

"A worrywart?" Mrs. Andros said, coming to the foyer where Lily and I were standing. "Jonathan, take off your coat and come in, please."

I did as she asked and followed her and Lily to the kitchen.

"My daughter seems to think being in a car accident is no big deal."

"I'm fine, Mom!" Lily protested. "And let's not have the 'you could have been killed' argument again, please."

"How is Julie?" I asked.

"She's fine," Lily replied. "Same as me. The car was fixed and the State's Attorney brought charges of DUI, reckless endangerment, driving without a license, not having insurance, possession of marijuana, and having an open container in the car. He could get ten years, and not be eligible to get a license for five years, at least."

"Throwing the book at him?"

"Yes, but according to Julie's dad's attorney, he'll plead guilty to one or two of the charges, they'll dismiss the rest, and he might not do any jail time at all, or if he does, maybe six months. And he'll lose any chance of getting a driver's license for several years."

"Are you OK with that?" I asked.

"It doesn't really matter to me. My medical bills were covered by Julie's insurance and they'll go after the guy, which is fine. Julie's dad is thinking of suing, but Mom and I don't think it's worth the trouble."

"How is work going, Jonathan?" Mrs. Andros asked.

"A vendor threw us a curveball today, which messed up some plans, but otherwise, everything is going well and I start my new role in two weeks."

"Any stock tips?" Mrs. Andros asked.

"Your best bet is a no-load mutual fund that tracks the S&P. It's basically 'fire and forget'. You deposit money into it just as you would a savings account, and it tracks the stock market fairly closely, plus some of the stocks pay dividends, which are reinvested. Right now, I can't think of a better option. In twenty years or so, you'll want to be in fixed income, so that you have a guaranteed monthly check while having very little risk of losing the principal."

"How do I set that up?" she asked.

"You should call T. Rowe Price, a company that deals with consumer accounts. Open an account and tell them you want a 'no load S&P fund'. They'll know what that means and set you up. I can answer any questions you have, and even take care of setting it up for you, because I'm licensed to do so."

"I'd appreciate that."

"Then sometime after the 24th, call me at the office and I'll help you through the process."

"Great!"

We had a very nice dinner, and after dessert, Lily and I decided to take a walk despite the temperature hovering just below freezing. We put on our coats, hats, and gloves, then left the house, walking hand-in-hand on the sidewalk.

"Sorry we can't be alone together," Lily said.

"It's OK. Are you coming to the house on Sunday for the NFL wildcard games?"

"Yes. Mom will let me drive, so I can stay late, if that's OK with you."

"Of course it is."

"You start class next week, right?"

"Math," I replied. "What are you taking this semester?"

"An accounting class, a computer science class, a management class, and music history, which meets my 'Fine Arts' requirement. I keep going back and forth on my major, but I don't have to finally declare until May. Costas encouraged me to get a degree in computer science, which is why I'm taking another computer class."

"Of all the fields, that one seems to be the most wide open and have the most opportunity for growth."

"How come your company can't take Mom's investments?"

"Because we don't do what's called 'retail' brokerage. Even if I accepted her money into a small fund I manage for myself and a few friends, I'd have to charge her a 'load', that is a fee to buy in, as well as a large percentage of the profits. The company I recommended has far lower management fees. What we do can be very risky, too, and there are also limits to when you can pull your money out.

"What I suggested to your mom is, in effect, a savings account, but instead of paying interest, it grows with the stock market and earns dividends. That said, it's riskier than a savings account because you could lose money, but in the long term, the stock market goes up. The key is not being in a position where you have to withdraw money when the market is down. Given it's long-term for her, for retirement, that's not a problem."

"How risky is it?"

"On any given day, the market can be down, and can even be down for extended periods of time, but it always comes back. If we got to a point like 1929, where many companies went bankrupt, there would be larger concerns than the value of your retirement funds. She shouldn't put everything she has into this, and should keep some emergency savings."

"It's mostly my dad's life insurance, which has been sitting in a CD at the bank that renews every six months."

"I'll sit down with your mom and figure out a good strategy for her."

"Thanks! What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Giving a deposition to the lawyers who represent Bev's ex-boyfriend. It's part of the custody and visitation hearing I told you about."

"How does that work?"

"I'm actually not sure beyond having to answer any questions they ask. I can't imagine anything I say will have much effect, because I live in Chicago and Bev and I have been friends since we were toddlers. Kristy thinks they're going to try to paint Bev as a slut because she slept with both me and with her ex."

"Oh, please!" Lily protested. "But I know plenty of people who would have said that after you and I slept together, even though I'd only slept with you!"

"I know," I replied. "It's a double standard and I don't like it."

"So, the possibility of me sleeping with other guys doesn't bug you?"

"Why would it? Of the things that are none of my business, that has to be close to the top of the list, unless we agreed otherwise in advance. At this point, you have no obligation to tell me, and I have no right to know. It would have been different when we were a couple, obviously."

"Obviously! I would never, ever be involved with a cheater."

"Me, either. It's also true that what anyone else does is their business, not mine."

"You're talking about the guys you call Suits at work, right?"

"Yes," I replied. "I'm not the morals police and I really don't care what they do if it doesn't directly affect me. The only thing I ask you to do is not to lie. I won't ask about it, but anything you tell me needs to be the truth. And the same goes for what I tell you."

"Basically, be honest and keep your word."

"Those are very good words to live by."

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," Lily said.

"I agree! I give you orgasms in exchange for orgasms!"

"You're terrible!" Lily said, but she was laughing. "That is NOT what Jesus meant when he said that!"

"Sez you!" I chuckled. "He hung around with loose women all the time, or so the story goes, at least the way I've heard it!"

"Well, OK, but he didn't have sex with them!"

"So far as you know, You only have the words of guys who wrote the story later, and they had an agenda. And while I don't know much about it, I have heard there are other stories which didn't make it into the Bible for one reason or another, but I'll bet it's because they don't tell the story the old men who decided which stories to include wanted to tell."

"That's pretty cynical, don't you think?"

"It's human nature! Those same guys are the ones who say you should only have sex if you're married and don't let you use birth control to make sure they have even more followers and to ensure you run the risk of getting pregnant every time, which they think will deter you from having sex. And I've heard they object to oral sex completely."

"It's a bit more complicated than that."

"Yes," I agreed, "you also have to go into a wooden box and tell a celibate guy all the lascivious details! That seems like another way to control you, either via blackmail or being afraid to do something because you have to tell the priest or go to hell. Doesn't that seem just a bit crazy to you?"

"When you put it that way, it does seem a bit silly, but you're oversimplifying things and putting them in their worst light."

"Which is my prerogative! You know my take, and you know that if you want a Church wedding, that basically excludes me from consideration except as someone with whom you enjoy having sex."

"Did you accidentally date a devout Catholic again?" Lily asked.

"Sorry," I replied. "I did go on a date with someone who raised some of those issues and I guess that led me to respond the way I did."

"You won't see her again?"

"No, I will, because she's not personally set on a church wedding, though her parents are."

"That's the same basic situation I'm in, though I keep going back and forth about how important a church wedding is. You know I used to think it was a must, then decided it wasn't important, but now I'm not so sure."

"And that is one thing you would have to be absolutely sure about before anything might happen between us."

"Besides great sex!" Lily smirked.

"And friendship, too, but yes. I know you aren't ready to get married and neither am I, so there's time to figure it out. I'm OK with continuing our relationship as it is, so long as you are."

"I am. Dating you has given me a lot to think about, and I'm totally not sure about things, which is weird, because I was so sure about everything when I first met you."

"Jonathan Kane, wrecker of worldviews, at your service!"