by JT Kalnay
"No,” Jay responded. Sometimes he had to be hit over the head in the corporate game to know when it was being played. He listened as Bill laid it out in terms that even Jay the mountain climbing hayseed from the sticks of deepest, darkest Ohio could understand. Jay decided to listen to Bill's advice.
Jay and Bill made small talk for a few minutes until Hal appeared. Hal looked even more tense than the last time Jay had seen him.
He looks like he's ready to burst into flames at any minute, Jay thought.
"Hi Bill, Jay,” Hal started.
"Hal.”
"Hal.”
Hands were shaken all round. Polite chit chat ensued. After a minute or two of pleasantries Hal cleared his throat.
"Well I know you fellows are extremely busy over here so let me get straight to the point. Jay I've been impressed with the work you've done here at MacLaz. You've fixed some old shit and built some new good shit. You've done things on time and under budget.”
"Hal. Whoa. You're giving me too much credit,” Jay interrupted. "Bill here handled all the budgets and personnel and facilitating and everything. I was just part of the team.”
Hal wasn't used to anyone spreading the credit around. The New York corporate culture tended to encourage self-promotion, not team-building.
"Okay, yeah right,” Hal said. "Anyway. I'd like you to consider coming over to CTSG and heading up a development team for a new project. We're going to be updating an international currency trading system. I figure it'll take 6-8 months for the first pass and then we'll have other projects to work on so you won't be out of a job.”
"Hal, why would I want to move? I don't mean to be rude but I've got a great gig here and a good team and everything. Thanks but I think I'll pass.”
Hal looked confused. He looked back and forth from Jay to Bill. "Did you tell him about the money?" Hal asked Bill.
"No.”
"Oh. Then I understand,” Hal said to Bill. Hal smiled a smarmy knowing smile. Bill kept his eyes on Jay, waiting for a reaction. "Jay here's why you might consider moving. We'll double your salary, give you an extra week of vacation and give you a $50,000 signing bonus. Also, you can bring any members of your team you want with you. We'll give them a 20% raise and 10% bonus as enticement.”
Jay's eyes got huge. He'd heard about green mail here on Wall St. but this was absurd. He'd be making almost two hundred thousand a year. In his first year. And a 50k bonus. To do an internal transfer!
With the bonus I could buy some land back home, or help out Dad's business or something, Jay thought. His mind was racing. He tried to concentrate on his Carnegie Negotiating Techniques. Never say yes to the first offer, he reminded himself. Hal was waiting. Bill was enjoying Jay's reaction.
"That's a pretty nice offer,” Jay started. "Why don't you let me think about it okay?"
"Think about it?" Hal asked incredulously. "What's to think about?"
"I just want to review my goals and check my options alright?” Jay answered. "I really have to consider whether our styles will mesh,” Jay said. “I’m not that easy to get along with as you may have noticed…” Jay said.
Hal sensed the technique and backed off.
"Yeah sure. Think about it. But I've got to know by Friday alright?” Hal asked.
"Alright,” Jay answered. Hal left. Bill and Jay sat back down when he was gone.
"That's a hell of an offer,” Bill said.
"Hal's an asshole,” Jay countered.
"A rich, powerful asshole,” Bill said. “A rich, powerful asshole who has Angus’ ear and who could retire or get retired any day and leave you in charge,” Bill said.
Jay paused, thought. "What do you know about CTSG?" Jay asked.
"Not much,” Bill lied. "Whatever they want they get. They have a big budget, the latest equipment, the hottest people and unbelievable pressure. They pay so much because people burn out fast. You get in, you make your dough and you get out. Some guys over there retire when they're thirty-five. These guys buy and sell countries before lunch,” Bill explained. There was a sound of awe in his voice.
"What about you?" Jay asked. His sense of loyalty was tugging at his conscience.
"What about me?" Bill asked.
"How do you feel about all this?"
"How do I feel? How do you feel?" Bill responded. It was obvious he wanted Jay to make up his own mind. Make his own commitment. Bill could see the confusion in Jay's face.
"Maybe you ought to not make up your mind on the spot,” Bill counseled. "Do some paperwork, talk to your folks or somebody. Wasn’t there some lawyer back home you liked to bounce ideas off?” Bill said.
“Yeah there is,” Jay answered.
“I can set up another meet with Hal on Friday if you'd like,” Bill offered.
"Okay. That sounds good,” Jay said. His mind was still turning cartwheels over the money. He couldn't believe the magnitude of the offer he'd been given. But then, when he took out a yellow pad, and started adding up the daily profits from fixing the data sink and adding up the daily profits from the additional trades on the PT109, he decided that the money wasn’t really that good after all. That he could easily make ten times what they were offering as a ‘percentage consultant’. He already had two big successes on his resume. Maybe he’d take this offer, get a third success on his resume and use the 50k signing bonus to fund his own consulting firm. He could call it “code doctor”. Isn’t that what the guy called me?
Back in his office Jay kept working through all the options. Who would I take? Who'd want to go? What will happen to Bill? All these questions floated back and forth. Jay started to get lost in the complexity of it all. His fingers worked their way to his temples and his eyes drifted shut in tired confusion.
The ringing phone snapped him back.
"Hello?" Jay mumbled.
"Hello Jay,” Tonia Taggert replied.
"Tonia?" Jay asked. He was surprised. She'd never called him at work.
"Yes of course silly. Does some other sexy woman call you at work?" she asked.
"No,” Jay answered. He was suddenly at a loss for words.
"How was your vacation?" Tonia asked. Jay didn't respond immediately. He was trying to remember exactly what he'd told Tonia of his vacation plans. It wasn't much.
"It was good,” he finally said. "I missed you. Let's get together and talk.”
"I'd love to,” Tonia said. The tone in her voice was warm and loving, first wrapping Jay's confused mind in an embrace of comfort and joy, but then quickly making it more confused.
"How about tonight? My place?" Jay ventured. Tonia had never come over to his place during the week. He didn't expect her to agree.
"Sure,” she answered without a moment's hesitation. "I'll be there at seven. Have dinner ready. You know what I like.”
Chapter
"Hi,” Tonia said. She pecked Jay on the cheek as she brushed by him. She moved quickly into his apartment. "Where's dinner?" she asked.
Jay thought that was hardly a warm enough greeting for how long he'd been away but then he remembered the scene in the car outside her house.
"It ought to be here any minute,” Jay answered. He'd ordered pizza, their favorite. Jay followed her into the living room and sat down. Tonia was eyeing the computer equipment.
"So what can you do with all this stuff?" she asked. Jay's eyes lit up. He'd never had a chance to show Tonia his technical ability. He forgot all about the cold peck at the door.
"I can do pretty much anything from here,” Jay started. "I can access any computer on the Internet. I can send and receive email. I could do my job from here if I wanted. I don't even need to go into the office. I just go in so that they can see me working, and to give me a reason to get out of the house on a weekday.” Tonia nodded, following along.
"I keep in touch with a lot of people from here,” Jay said.
"Like who? All your girlfriends?" Tonia asked suspiciously.
"Well, mostly old students of mine, one fe
llow, C. Daniel Kinchon sends me email about once a week, other students of mine send a note once in a while. Usually when they need a letter of recommendation for graduate school or for a job they're interviewing for or something like that."
"Can you make trades from here?" she asked.
"If I wanted to get arrested,” Jay replied. He punched a few keys and a menu system offering information on each of the major exchanges around the world came up on the screen.
"I could program in trades on any exchange I wanted to,” Jay said. "I'd probably never get caught but it is probably against the law. I'm not a licensed trader or anything, but the law really hasn’t caught up with the realities of today’s computing environment,” Jay finished.
"Some of the guys at work have more elaborate setups than this. One guy has his whole apartment wired together, TV, stereo, computer, phone system everything. It's really cool.”
Jay was describing his friend Ted Spencer's apartment. Or, more correctly, Ted Spencer’s uptown ‘snake pit’. The ‘snake pit’ that Ted had offered Jay the night he met Maria. For a moment Jay felt guilty, but it quickly passed. He hadn’t been together with Tonia when he’d had his weekend with Maria. And he’d never seen her since. No harm no foul, he thought.
Jay was ready to keep talking about his computer equipment as long as Tonia would listen. And then the door buzzer rang. It was the pizza delivery man. Soon the hungry couple was chowing down on their favorite, Ray's Famous Pizza. Jay inhaled three or four pieces and then issued a huge belch that rumbled all around the dining room. Jay and Tonia looked at each other for a tense moment.
Jay snickered, Tonia chuckled and then they burst into riotous laughter. They roared, holding their sides, trying not to spit up their food. The tension of the last month was washed away in their laughter. Jay felt the closeness of their early days return. He forgot the pain of the discovery that Tonia was married to Angus MacKenzie. He forgot his promise to Rick. He forgot everything except the beautiful woman right there in front of him.
They came together in hugs and kisses, each running their hands over the other’s face as if to try to regain the feelings they'd known. After the rush, they sat and chatted quietly for several minutes.
"Tonia?"
"Yes?"
"I had an interesting offer at work today. I was wondering if you'd mind hearing about it? Help me figure it out, you know, bounce a few ideas off of each other?"
"Sure,” Tonia answered. She finished up her last bite of pizza, put down her napkin and guided them over to the couch. She sat Jay down at one end and then lay down with her head on a cushion on his lap. "Okay shoot,” she said.
Jay was picking up mixed signals from Tonia. First the cold peck at the door. Now this warmth and closeness, familiarity. She seemed like she was caught between two points of view. He started talking about the new job offer and his confusion over her melted as he became absorbed in his current dilemma and the refuge that her comforting eyes provided. Time after time, just as his suspicion became aroused, it quickly diminished as he fell further and further into her.
Tonia listened intently, looking up at him through her long curly lashes.
"So what do you think?" Jay asked.
"I think I missed you more this past month than I ever thought I would miss anyone,” Tonia answered. Jay looked down at her, exasperated and amazed. He was caught entirely off guard. His eyes widened and he searched for words.
"And, it sounds like a great chance for you,” Tonia added, getting back on topic. "I've heard Angus talk about that group. They make a considerable amount of money for MacKenzie Lazarus and as result I think they are very highly compensated. I think they have special security clauses and everything for their people. It's all very hush hush as to exactly what they do and how they do it, but Angus always mentions them.”
Jay recoiled at the mention of Angus' name. Tonia saw him flinch back.
"Extra security?" Jay asked. Tonia's ears picked up his question.
"Yeah. If I know Angus and if they've been thinking about putting you in that group then they've probably checked out your whole family and all your friends to see if you're some kind of security risk or anything.”
"Do you think they'd go as far as following me?" Jay asked.
Tonia sat up quickly.
"Do you think you're being followed?" she asked. The alarm was clear in her voice.
"I don't know,” Jay lied. On one hand he wanted to tell her everything, tell her about Rick, tell her about the CIA, everything. On the other hand he was scared and confused. Jay wondered how much she knew. His confusion was deepened by the possibility that maybe MacKenzie Lazarus had been watching him because of the new job possibility. He just couldn't figure it all out. He remembered Rick's warning. She'll love you to death man.
"Do you think they've seen us together?" Tonia asked. Something other than pure concern was registering in her voice. Jay couldn't identify it. But it didn't sound genuine to him. It felt forced. Like there was something just beneath the surface, like a momentarily unconvincing actor in an otherwise excellent production.
"I doubt it,” Jay answered.
"I've got to go,” Tonia announced. She got up quickly, brushed a kiss onto his cheek and hurried out of the apartment. Jay sat down and ate the last piece of pizza alone.
"Damn,” he muttered. It seemed kinda like a performance to me. And then he cursed himself, and Rick, and Stan Krantz, and New York, and everything and everyone that had him twisting so cruelly.
In the next room the two men passed a knowing glance between them. They realized their work was almost done.
Jay changed into some old sweat clothes, threw fifty bucks in his pocket and headed out the door with his high tops undone. He was headed for the World Trade Center Golf Club, an indoor golfing club where you hit your ball off Astroturf and into a projection screen. Radars and cameras track the flight and spin of your ball and project a track on the screen that has hundreds of stored pictures of famous golf courses like St. Andrews, Pinehurst, and Pebble Beach.
Jay's favorite was Pebble Beach. Jay sweated over two buckets of balls at the club, releasing his anxieties into each full swing with the driver that he had stored in his locker there. By the time he was done he was sweaty and sore. He headed back to his locker, changed out of his golf clothes and headed into the club's showers and washed away his aches.
"Did you have a good one Mr. C?" the Latino boy at the front desk asked.
"Not bad,” Jay answered. Jay handed over his wet towels and clothes for laundering.
"No starch right?” the boy asked.
"Right,” Jay answered. He handed the boy a five for remembering, genuinely happy that someone remembered him, even if it was for tips. He liked being ‘a regular’. Liked having clothes and clubs and snacks stored in his locker. Liked having somewhere that at least someone knew his name. And he’d started ‘accidentally’ leaving money in his pockets so he could ‘find’ it and have a surprise.
“You wanna go 18 on Golden Tee?” the boy asked.
“Right on brother. Fire it up.”
For half an hour, as Jay and the late night employee took turns playing video game golf, both Jay and the employee were part of something, and were not alone. They were a team, a little electronic community joined by bits and bytes and electrons shuttling back and forth.
When they were done, Jay shuffled back home in the replacement sweats from his locker.
Chapter
"Hi mom,” Jay Calloway said into the phone.
"Hi baby,” Mrs. Calloway answered from Ohio. "What's up?"
"Oh I just wanted to talk,” Jay equivocated. He did want to talk, but not to his mother. Jay was hoping his silent father would have answered. Jay hoped that his dad would sniff out Jay's problems and come up with a great solution that Jay could then do the exact opposite of. It was a problem solving technique that Jay had used successfully before.
"Is dad home?"
"No.”
<
br /> "Where is he?"
"He's at the hunting lodge. You know deer season just opened yesterday. He's hoping to get a twelve point buck this year but you know your father, he'll most likely end up with a twelve pack of bud instead.” Jay's mother laughed hysterically at her own joke, like she'd had a 6 pack herself.
"Mom you're really different when Dad's away, did you know that?" Jay asked.
"Yes of course baby,” she answered in her regular mother voice. "So what's on your mind son? Girls, money, or girls?"
"None of the above,” Jay answered. "It's work. They've offered me a promotion. It's a lot more money, more responsibility and probably more hush-hush.”
"It's not illegal is it son? You know those Wall St. Sharpies. They'd sell their mother to make a buck!"
"No it's not illegal. Just hush-hush,” Jay repeated.
"Well I've never believed in hush-hush son. If you can't do it at noon on the town square then you probably shouldn't be doing it!" she said. Jay had heard this gem of mother's wisdom a thousand times.
"I know. I know,” Jay said. He rolled his eyes and held the phone away from his face. He mouthed the next line in time with his mother.
"If God meant for us to have secrets, She wouldn't have given us eyes, ears, and especially mouths,” his mother finished.
"You're right mom,” Jay said. He waited for another second but his mother was finished. She'd voiced her standard piece.
"Say mom?"
"Yes?"
"Have you noticed anything strange lately?"
"Strange how?" she asked.
"Strange like wouldn't normally happen in our small little town?"
"Well not really,” she said. Jay noted the hesitation.
"What does ‘not really’ mean?" Jay asked.
"Well there was that FBI agent came around a few days ago.”
"FBI?" Jay prodded. "What did he want?” Jay couldn't believe that a visit from an FBI agent warranted a ‘not really’ on the strangeness scale from his mother.
