by Nan Dale
Part I
Chapter 1
The steam rose over the shower stall and the water churned loudly, masking the pent-up man inside. John Beard wanted to knock his fists against the wall. He was at the gym at six in the morning, on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Forty-second, after an hour-long spin class. When he joined Silicon Alley three years ago, the cofounders had practically guaranteed him a partnership at the boutique investment firm in Midtown. Something that should have been guaranteed was now in danger of being obstructed. His face grew warm as he played back the evening.
John met the two cofounders, Larry Davis and Stanley Banks, at an upscale and very trendy steak restaurant in Midtown, about six blocks from the office. It was a great place to entertain clients, given its relaxed and open feel. Larry, John, and Stanley shared a table for three in a premium location by the window. When the wine menu arrived, Larry directed it to John. Though a wine connoisseur, John was always intimidated by this particular restaurant’s wine menu, a chapter book in itself with over a thousand wines separated by type and region. Since it was a steak house, John flipped to the reds and chose an Argentine Malbec. Choosing wines was always quite a daunting task: the wine shouldn’t be too heavy or too light, and you ran the risk of it being considered either too expensive or too cheap.
As the waitress went through the specials, John felt restless, his palms sweaty and heart racing with anticipation. He was going to make partner. The waitress was saying, “And finally, amongst our specials, we recommend the blue crab cake, with green tomato jam, yellow chili oil, and avocado crema.”
John decided to stick with what he knew, ordering the filet mignon with penne marinara and a side of steamed asparagus with butter and Romano cheese.
A few minutes after their main courses had arrived, Stanley began: “John, last week Larry and I were saying how excited we are to ask you to join our ranks of partner at this firm. When we founded the firm eleven years ago, we were committed to building a boutique investment firm that would serve the needs of institutional and high-net-worth investors and the overall communities in which we operated. You know the spiel, but since we started, we have handpicked amongst the best people on the Street. We have fifty top research analysts and over ten billion dollars in assets under management. Our best asset is easily our people.”
John was beaming and breathing heavily. He could hardly contain his excitement. He was finally going to become a partner. When John thought about the last fifteen years since he graduated business school, all he had done besides getting married and having two kids was work. He had devoted his whole life to this partnership. Canceled vacations, and missed baseball games, interrupted birthday parties, and so many late nights and weekends. He had barely been present for his two children.
Larry continued. “Along the lines of integrity, before we confirm any new partners, we would like all incoming partners to pass additional drug tests and an extensive background check as part of a new policy.”
John raised his eyebrows at this point. A new policy, my arse! They were the ones that put the policies in place, so the timing of this one was most peculiar. Couldn’t they have waited until he had joined the leadership ranks? He’d thought this dinner was merely a formality and had expected it to run a completely different course.
He wanted to interject, but one of the things that he had learned through his career was that overreacting in an unprepared-for and high-stakes situation was unwise. He would need some time to recollect his thoughts at this curve ball and to think carefully about his response.
Larry continued, “Of course, you already took a drug test when you joined the firm, so this should not be a problem. In addition, you appear to have a pretty clean family background. We just wanted to give you the opportunity to share anything with us before we went ahead.”
John hid his feelings skillfully. “Sure, that should be absolutely no problem. I will schedule the drug test as soon as I get back into the office. Please feel free to proceed with the family background. I am an open book. Other than the time my lacrosse team and I jumped into a neighbor’s pool while on vacation, I don’t have any dead skeletons.” He laughed nervously.
Larry and Stanley followed his laugh and the conversation returned to the markets.
As John sat in the corporate limo on his way back home to Montclair, New Jersey, from Manhattan, he began seething.
This is outrageous. I am the ideal partner, they should be groveling. As a former institutionally ranked research analyst, John had made the firm hundreds of millions of dollars buying and selling distressed companies. I am easily seven years younger than the youngest partner. I have my finger on the pulse of the market. I have a great inside with the newer clients, many of whom are younger millennials.
This partnership needed to happen now. Larry and Stanley were in their early seventies and would become silent partners in the next couple of years with little say in the running of the firm or the picking of new partners. They were the ones that had brought him in and, as cofounders, carried a lot of weight on how his career would progress. He envisioned them selling the firm in about five years. He wanted to be the heir, the next president of Silicon Alley. He had visualized this every morning; he could practically taste that success. Larry and Stanley were his lifeline to the firm.
Everything was lined up at Silicon Alley. If he didn’t make partner here, then he would have to start all over again somewhere else. That meant putting in time again, maybe another five years. And If he failed his drug test or background investigation, then he would be the talk of the town and it would make it challenging for him to find a similar role at another institution in the tristate area. Few investment firms with this opportunity existed in New York City. He would then have to consider moving his family to another state away from his parents and his hometown. Somewhere like Austin or Denver.
Chapter 2
After his workout, John decided to find out exactly who was behind all this craziness. He knew that he was unpopular with some of the existing partners.
As he marched along Sixth Avenue, he felt the calming breeze against his face juxtaposed with the slight smell of coffee from the food trucks. The streets were relatively empty on a Friday morning, showcasing the beauty of the city, which was often hidden by the steady stream of shoppers, the intangible frenziedness in the air, and the bleeping of the yellow cabs, constantly in a rush to get as many passengers before the end of their shift. When John reached the lobby of the building on Forty-sixth Street and Fifth Avenue, he took the elevator straight to human resources on the eleventh floor. A young girl wearing a black suit and white blouse greeted him from the reception area. “May I have a word with Jamie Bubier?”
“Do you have an appointment, sir?” she asked, clearly a temp and not familiar with who he was.
“Please let her know that John Beard is here to see her.”
The temp picked up the phone and dialed Jamie. Within a couple of minutes, he was ushered inside.
“John,” she said warmly, extending her hand as soon as he walked into her office. Jamie had always had a small crush on him, so he tended to avoid her—but today he was going to use it to his advantage.
“Jamie, you are looking well today,” he responded.
Jamie stood up to shake his hand. He had to peel his hand free. “I have a personal trainer three times a week—my thighs and buns are as tight as anything. I am so pleased you noticed.” She winked.
“Yes. I am sure your husband has too,” he joked. “Jamie, let me get straight to the point. Do you mind if I pull in one of these chairs? Good. As you know, when I was hired, there was an oral agreement to promote me to partnership in three years. It’s been three years.” He paused, and Jamie nodded as if to say go on. Clearly
, she had been prompted by the other partners and had anticipated his visit. “Anyway, I understand that I have to take another drug test and an extensive background investigation. Was this required for the incoming partners?”
Jamie was visibly embarrassed. “Well, we have added three new partners since I have been here. We didn’t require them to take additional tests. However, given everything in the news with Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and the fallout, we recently added this as a precursor to becoming a partner. After all, new partners do get a lot of press, and we want to make sure it is good press.” She paused. “It is also firm policy to request new partners to undergo additional tests if there is reasonable suspicion.” Jamie colored as she said this.
“Do you have reasonable suspicion?” he challenged. He then took a step back to even out the conversation and added, “As you know, I am a pretty straight-up person, so I am feeling quite insulted.” He lowered his voice. “It would really make me feel better if I knew where this request came from.”
“I am not meant to say, but it did come from one particular individual at the firm, who reported erratic conduct of late, and apparently, he is a reliable source,” Jamie gave in.
“I see,” John responded with a clenched jaw. “I understand why the firm would want to protect its image and so I am guessing that these new rules will apply retroactively to existing partners too, right? After all, we wouldn’t want any surprises.” He paused for a moment and then stood up. “This has been very helpful, Jamie. I really appreciate it. Otherwise, all good? Kids, hubby, dog?”
“Yes, we are all good,” Jamie answered, relieved to be taken out of that awkward conversation. “How about you?”
“All good, thank you, Jamie. Well, I do have a nine thirty, so I am going to jump. But thank you so much for your feedback.”
John left Jamie’s office struggling to keep even headed. He would take the test on Monday. He wondered who the “reliable source” was and what “erratic behavior” he was referring to.
Jamie had provided John with some additional literature on the hiring practices of the firm, which he started to skim through in between conference calls, to compare with his initial employment contract.
He highlighted the following clauses: Our firm is obligated to investigate the good character, business reputation, qualifications, and experience of applicants. Silicon Alley will consider private background checks, credit reports, and reference letters.
John was not worried about the background check, just disappointed at the insinuation. My background is so squeaky clean, it will make the other partners look like the Mafia.
Chapter 3
Eight months before
The coffee cup slipped out of her hands easily and hit the floor with a loud crash. “Shit!” Ruth Beard mumbled under her breath, as she bent down to grab the dustpan and broom beneath the sink. Ruth and John had been married for almost ten years and had two sons. They’d met twelve years ago when they were part of the same training class at an investment bank right out of business school.
From the very first day of the training program, John was smitten with Ruth. She was stylish, reserved, well-spoken, and quite unlike any other girl he had ever met. Slightly intimidated by her, he longed for the opportunity to ask her out but couldn’t find the guts. He grew tongue-tied in her presence and uncharacteristically awkward and nerdy. Although he was naturally outgoing and smooth around the girls, she put him on his toes. The stakes were so high. Never before had it felt so important to impress a girl. The opportunity presented itself one evening when the ten members of the new sales, trading, and research associate class decided to go out for a group dinner. John took great care that morning, selecting a striped pink-and-white shirt, dark blue slacks, and a khaki sports jacket for the evening. He arrived at the restaurant in New York City’s Meatpacking District thirty minutes early, sat at the bar, and immediately ordered a gin and tonic. To his amazement, five minutes later, he watched Ruth arrive, take off her coat, and order the same thing. Their eyes locked.
“Getting a warm-up before dinner,” he joked. Ruth nodded in comprehension. John picked up his drink and moved to the other side so that he was next to her.
“I dread these events. Everyone is always so uptight and trying to impress the senior folks.”
“I agree. And the worst thing is that I don’t even think that senior management cares.”
“And it’s terribly competitive, isn’t it? It always feels like folks are fighting for airtime.”
“It’s a nightmare,” they both said simultaneously. John had always envisioned what their first five minutes alone would be like, rehearsing various conversations in his head. That evening, he forgot all this mental prep—as the conversation flowed for the rest of the night. It turned out that although Ruth had had a very different upbringing from his, they shared many of the same interests, values, and outlook on life in general. For the rest of the evening, John and Ruth yapped easily like old friends.
They were married two years after that beautiful evening in August. Being married and working at the same firm had its benefits and its challenges. Both were blessed to be placed on a very fast management track from the get-go. Ruth was unlike any girl that he had ever dated. She was unconventional and showed a clear aptitude for structuring investment-banking deals. She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming one of the youngest managing directors at the firm in a very male-dominated world. Ruth had two distinct personalities. While she was self-assured at work, able to spot a valuable business opportunity, manage multiple personalities, and lead a large team, she was less confident and meek at home. In many ways, Ruth tried to model her mother, who was a stay-at-home mom that had devoted her life to her children and husband.
Three months ago, Ruth had left her successful Wall Street career to focus on her two young children. While she had envisioned being the model mom, she had some help from John’s parents, who would drive down from their home in New Jersey each week to spend one day with their grandchildren. Ruth looked forward to those days, since the transition to being at home had been one of the most challenging ones of her life. Being used to the structure at work and to controlling a large team, Ruth discovered that life at home was isolating, unpredictable, and intellectually unchallenging. She often felt conflicted as she would long for the freedom to return to work, to have adult conversations, and to be stimulated by the excitement of closing a deal.
Ruth finished sweeping the coffee pieces off the floor. When she looked up, her four-year old son, Derek, was standing by the steps staring at her.
“Mom, whatcha doin’?”
“Oh, I had a little accident, just cleaning up the mess. Nothing for you to worry about. It’s OK now.”
“Did you pee on yourself, Mom? Do you need a hug?”
Ruth melted at her son’s outstretched arms. “Come over here, my little bear.” It was moments like this that made being home worth it. “Its early, how about we grab the Green Eggs and Ham book and go snuggle up upstairs and read in bed?”
Chapter 4
Ruth jogged down Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights as she tried to catch up with her two boys, who were scooting ahead of her at great speed. It was a typical chilly January and the boys were out of school for a public holiday. Slightly behind Ruth, Vanessa—their new au pair from Germany—struggled to keep up. She had arrived over the weekend and would be staying with the family and helping out with the boys while improving her English and immersing herself in an American family. The boys came to a stop outside a café on Henry Street, and held the door open for Ruth and Vanessa.
“Vanessa, do you mind sitting at this table with the boys while I order us some coffee and hot chocolate?” said Ruth, as she took off her down jacket and hung it over the back of a chair.
“Sure, that would be no problem.” Vanessa nodded and smiled while pulling out two chairs for the boys. So far, Ruth was quite pleased with having her over, noting that her English was near perfect. She hea
ded up to the counter and ordered her traditional café au lait and three hot chocolates with whipped cream. Patrick, the part-time manager of the café, took her order and rang her up. The two had gotten quite friendly over the last year.
“Hey you!” Ruth smiled. “How’s that acting class coming along?”
“It’s good,” noted Patrick. “Really good. We are studying Denzel Washington at the moment. It’s interesting how malleable he is, with the ability to play both villain and hero.”
“Yes,” Ruth agreed, “he’s definitely one of my favorite actors. I particularly loved him in the movie Hurricane. That performance was Oscar-worthy.”
“Agreed,” said Patrick, and then he paused for a minute and seemed slightly mesmerized. Ruth followed his gaze and watched his eyes lock with Vanessa’s for an instant. The attraction on both sides was undeniable. “Who’s that lovely girl sitting with your boys?”
“Oh, Vanessa. She’s our new au pair. She just arrived over the weekend from Germany and will be staying with us for a year. Come on over when you have a minute and I will introduce you two. You’ll definitely have that European connection.”
Patrick coughed, looking slightly embarrassed. “I would love that.” He was also new to the US, being originally from the UK. He had been in New York for about six months and was twenty-six years old. He and Ruth got along very well, as she had spent some of her high school years in England.
At six-foot-one, Patrick was rather good-looking with a slim build, an athletic body, and dark brown floppy hair. With that alongside his good manners and British accent, Ruth saw him as a catch among the younger women of New York.
Chapter 5
Over the next few months, Patrick and Vanessa became inseparable, spending lots of time together on the weekends and after work. The connection between the two was irrefutable: they laughed at the same jokes, had similar hobbies, and would often speak at once, completing each other's sentences, while also being able to enjoy each other's company in silence.
