Trading in Strange Places Pt. 08

A New Regime

Sitting in the passenger seat, Ellen spent the final hour of our return to Steamboat Springs on her cell phone. It was marvelous to hear. She summoned Kathleen and Toni back to Steamboat. She called Claire and asked if she and Lyn could arrange a place for everyone to eat, sleep and talk. Mely's houses were tied up with remodeling and networking for the next several weeks, and the B&B wasn't in much better shape, being filled with its own set of remodelers.

She called C-M, complimenting her hard work while the Boss was being his less than adequate self at Grand Lake. Thanked C-M and Mely for confronting me with the obvious. Announcing that if the conversion continued to go well, we would have an all day, all staff retreat to get everyone on the same page, and to deal with some Lucas related issues.

She clicked off and I glanced at her, "Lucas related?"

She delivered a CEO stare. "Isn't that what you and I have been working on for the last day?"

I realized, belatedly, that a message was being delivered. My brain trust was taking over. Delegations were in progress! In days, not weeks, I was going to be a trader again. I shuddered and thought to myself that the more successful we were, the scarier it got.

Ellen noticed and asked, "What's wrong? You look unhappy."

"No, just scared." I smiled at her and reached for a hand.

She grabbed mine instead and nibbled on my knuckles as we entered Steamboat. "I can see I must take my clothes off, sit on your chest, and beat sense into you!"

We discovered Richard in the rented house with the temporary server installation. Mely's house next door looked very forlorn, perched up on timbers several feet off the ground. A nice deep hole had been carved for the new foundation, and footings had already been poured.

He said, "I'm keeping one eye on the construction, and the other on these servers. So far, they are zinging along just fine." He got a clinch and a hot kiss from Ellen, who said, "This is fabulous. What has happened to the women?"

"After you scared them with all those orders, they hot footed it out of here to make them happen!" He pulled her back to his front in a big bearhug. "Lucas, your team of crazy beautiful women is taking over. That means we can relax and tend to our skiing?"

He got a backwards elbow from Ellen, who said, "We are having Divisional competition and bonuses. Right now, the Marines are lagging!"

The Marines tortured the CEO until she howled, "Let me go! There is work to be done, grunts!"

"Yes," I replied, "I'm bunking here with Richard while your meeting takes place. Call us when you need us, if ever."

She stared, eyes blazing and arms raised. We stared back and she flinched, then stomped out to the car and drove away.

"Boss, I think she is pissed."

I studied the many blinking lights in the server room while he got us a couple of strong microbrews.

"She is a very determined woman, and wants to lead. Just hasn't figured out how to deal with the guy she is sleeping with. Give me the rundown on this new server lashup."

"There is the basic Mely trading configuration from next door, plus the client facing read only configuration, plus redundant backup for Nampa. In addition, we keep several machines in hot backup to handle emergencies. So far, haven't had to use them. In six weeks, we will dismantle all this and move to the new basement computer room in Mely's house."

"Pretty damn fancy, considering where we're coming from."

"That's what you get for hiring talent. Now tell me what's going on with Ellen and the women."

"With luck, they are going to work out an organization for the company without bosses."

"Oh man, you are making my head hurt, Lucas. You spent those years in the chain of command, and your women are going without?"

"Richard, remember for me some of our field days in Iraq. How many bosses were there?"

"My god, my head is worse. You are going to turn them into a mini Marine field platoon?"

"Tell me, lunkhead, since I found a date for you with Claire, how many orders have you given?"

"Shit, this is too much. Maybe we can reup."

He and I danced around in the small space, laughing and feinting. "Speaking of reupping, I think you should be the new VP-Facilities of WIL."

"I like working for you, Lucas, and I would like that job, but there are conditions."

"Go ahead."

"First, no job title, I'm allergic. Second, if any of them try to give me an order without saying please, they go over my knee. Third, I report to Ellen, not to you."

I smiled and fisted him. "You drive a hard bargain. Let's have another beer."

A few minutes later, we were leaning on the kitchen counter sipping our brew when there was a loud crash at the front door and a parade of bodies with their arms full descended on us.

Mely said, with a fierce look, "You are to sit right there and be quiet. Dinner has come to you, along with your deserving womenfolk."

By the grunge standards of WIL, they were dressed up. Blouses and sweaters, some skirts, some capris. I suspected there was even underwear. Richard and I glanced at each other and kept our mouths shut.

C-M grabbed Richard's and my hands and led us to the server space. "What do you think, Lucas?"

"You are a miracle worker. Did you pick this up in Bellevue?" Richard and I edged forward on each side of the glamorous woman.

"Mostly no. Richard and I bootstrapped ourselves, with help from you." She allowed herself to be sandwiched between us. "Behave. Ellen says we have to be professional."

Richard used his husky voice, "We are paralyzed with admiration. You deserve a special reward. What about surf and sand in Cancun?"

"Ellen says we have ninety days to prove we can make a real company out of WIL. All the rest of these projects are useless if we can't get organized, keep the clients happy, and make money."

Marie had always been the power behind my meagre throne, and spoke a new reality with conviction.

She kissed us lightly and asked, "Ok?"

Richard spoke for two impressed Marines. "Damn."

She linked arms and walked back to the kitchen. "They are going to be ok with the new arrangements."

Lyn snuggled under my arm, offering a big glass with chartreuse coloring. "This is from Toni, she says it is a special recipe from her friend the frat guy who bartends in Boulder."

I took a big swallow, and kissed her. She kissed back and it was a while before I could say, "Lethal, definitely lethal. Where are we going afterwards?"

Each kiss was more incendiary than the last. She whispered, "What about Bali? We could ditch this crowd and..."

I heaved her up on the counter. "What about dancing with me to 'Light my Fire?' "

This provoked retaliation. Mely hissed, "Just because she is our beloved architect doesn't mean the two of you get to have something going on the side!" I nudged between Lyn's toned legs and nuzzled in her cleavage, my tongue adding fuel to the fire that was already lit.

She raised her voice, "I'm sorry. This is my fault. I was trying to offer a nice welcome back and got carried away!"

Ellen jerked me to her with an oath. "Lucas, under the new arrangement, you do not get to turn an innocent kiss into a seduction. You've already done that to all of us. How can we get anything done if every contact with you ends up in bed? Or worse, bent over a counter?"

There were giggles as I knelt and grasped her around the knees. "I am sorry, Mistress. I will reform. But you do have to admit that this roomful of talent would drive most men out of their minds."

I had my head under her dress, licking up the fabulous thighs, when a terrific whack landed on my back, collapsing me flat on the floor. Soon, there were bodies sitting everywhere on me, and excited chatter about how I was to be strung up and flogged.

Across the room, I spied Richard, with Claire on his lap. He gave me one of his famous grins and shook his head. Claire leaned against him and wagged her finger at me.

I squeaked, "I was bad. You are trying to be serious, and I am acting like Toni's frat guy."

There was unanimity about that. I was dragged to a corner, with Mely on one side and Catherine-Marie on the other. "Lucas, you've got to give Ellen a chance, for heaven's sake."

I leaned my head on my knees and cursed myself. Having assembled a team I didn't deserve, was I going to wreck it out of some deeply buried jealousy?

Their voices were soft. "Lucas, you are still taking too much on yourself. Let go. We can feel the tension in your body. Take your own medicine for once, and let others share the lead."

Their fingers worked all over my head and shoulders. Mely laughed and whispered, "There is still going to be available pussy!"

A shock wave ran through me, and I let it grow, pulling them close. "That must be it! A Freudian fear of losing my lovely bed partners!"

They huddled over me, "Did you ever think we would be giving him therapy not of the pussy variety?"

I found a way to get a hand between each set of legs and ventured, "Who said I didn't need pussy therapy?!"

It was terribly out of order, three bodies shrieking and rolling about in the kitchen. Finally, I lay back and they relaxed on top, knees in my crotch. I used a firm grip in long tresses to bring their lips to mine. Quick, laughing kisses.

After a minute or two, Kathleen crouched down and asked, "Pussy therapy, Lucas?" Her eyes were unbelieving.

"He was having a crisis. Little voices were saying, 'No bosses means no pussy.' "

"What's the connection?"

"There isn't any. It was a dark Freudian fantasy, but we think he is pulling out of it. He is funning us about needing more pussy therapy."

Kath pulled her dress up and lowered her panty clad crotch onto mine. "Ridiculous. He couldn't keep it up through half of us." Her lips were full and lush, sucking on mine as the rubbing on my stiff shaft continued.

The rest stood around laughing and egging Kath on. "Keep going! He will turn blue!"

Taking their promise about available pussy, I stood with my Irish rose in my arms and disappeared down the hallway. Seconds later, the wail as I entered forcefully was long and loud.

"God, Lucas, you destroy me every time. Keep doing that. Yes, yes, yes."

I turned us over. We were both teary. Faces appeared in the doorway. Kath sat up, bouncing on what was left of my erection, and gestured them closer. She still had the dress on, but the hair was a mess, the cheeks were flaming pink, and she was squeezing and giggling at the same time.

"Kathleen, you are good medicine," said C-M. All the tension of the last few minutes was gone. The audience sighed and went back to work on dinner. We made a pile of dirty clothes on the bathmat and allowed the steaming water to pound on two tightly clenched bodies.

"You owe Lyn an apology."

"I owe all of you an apology. Don't know what got into me."

Done with the shower, she poked me as I toweled her all over pinkness. "Get some clothes on and give each one a kiss and an apology. No favorites. You and I will have more talk about your pysche later. Remember, I fixed it once already!"

Richard still had Claire in his arms but was giving me dour looks that suggested a certain Marine was getting too much attention. Maybe even too much pussy, although a Marine was not likely to acknowledge that possibility.

We ate scattered about the small living room of the rented house. Rya sat next to me on the floor, exerting her Finnish magic. "Lucas, you were very funny before dinner, even though you probably didn't think so."

With my mouth full, I gave her a small growl and a smile.

"Ellen has loaded me up with homework. She says we must have a world class website."

"What about security? Bots and trolls and all that?"

"Yes. Richard and C-M and I are collaborating. Toni is studying like crazy so she and I can share the duty."

"Can a Finnish girl actually work in the flat organization? No bosses?"

She collected our plates to the side and crawled into my arms. Her low, intense voice said, "Lucas, I am very used to working in flat places. All you have to do is check my front!"

I squished her to the floor and applied maximum tickles. Cries of "Stop! stop! stop!" brought instant attention. "What now?!"

We spent a minute in giggling close contact until she flopped on her back in the middle of the carpet.

"She claims to have worked in flat organizations and told me to check her chest."

Flattened to the carpet, I inched forward like a bug, drawing closer to the shuddering body. Forward progress was halted when Ellen sat on me.

"Lucas, it is encouraging to see our leader acting foolish and playing with his girlfriends on the floor like puppies. I want you to remember, on a cold day when we have lost ten million in the market, not to take life too seriously." Smiling up at the others, she quickly unzipped the pretty dress and tossed it to a nearby chair.

"Someone please clear the dishes and bring pillows, blankets and teddys."

What followed was a glorious hour of blowing off steam from a tense day planning the future of WIL. Ellen set the standard by being chief Puppy, nosing everywhere. I especially tortured Toni, Lyn and Rya, the newest and youngest puppies, who screeched loudly. Since puppies don't know about sex, I kept my hands away from boobs and crotches. This was a night for play, not sex.

As the energy level dropped, the new chef from Le Bontemps appeared with brandy infused hot chocolate, steaming and tongue burning. I leaned back against the sofa, Mely at my side. "Lucas," she said softly, "how could we do better team building than this?"

C-M was on the other side. I kissed her cheek and said, "With a little more garnishing, you should make this a signature drink at Le Bontemps. We'll get several gross of mugs, and include one with every room stay."

Mely added, "There will be a discreet WIL logo on the side to remind them where to put their extra cash!"

Murmurs went around the room and eyes closed. Sleeping for this night was where we lay.

Chapter 23 - Tough Medicine from Kathleen

I woke to find Kathleen sitting by my side, sipping from a mug of very hot coffee. Showered and fully dressed. As if I needed reminding, the message was that the company was all business today.

She directed a crinkle eyed smile at me. "I've been told that kisses are strictly rationed until WIL shows a profit."

"But Kathleen kisses don't count because they go back to the beginning."

She held out the mug and said, "I've been assigned to be your trading assistant. Ellen says she needs Amelia with her, and that you are going to go back to your trading cocoon and concentrate."

"I suppose that doesn't include stress relief until I show some results of my own?"

Mirth was all over her face as she said, "Lucas, you are completely boxed in by your own doing. You had no clue as you accumulated one smart beautiful woman after another that they would decide they wanted more than sex. Now you must live with it."

I groaned. "Terrible, simply terrible. Find me one of those pillars the ascetics sat on top of."

As I got myself cleaned up and dressed, others were self-organizing, god forbid, and heading out. I nursed a second cup of coffee in the kitchen while Kath cleaned up last evening's mess. She looked up at me and said, "Do not try to help. Your job is to go into think mode about trading. Where do you want to do that? I will make a lunch if you wish to disappear."

Damn, this was serious. It was coming home to me that the last several incredible months with the women had undermined the seriousness with which I used to track the markets.

"Make that lunch. Let's go for a hike. You are coming along. No sex, just think time."

Her calm blue eyes gazed at me. "I don't believe it, but am willing to try."

I led on the steep trail, keeping my mind concentrated on markets and market players. A sharp wind from the northwest blew in our faces. Fall was coming. A message to creatures in this high country to prepare for winter.

Puffing uphill, I felt energized. My helpers and I had bested the markets before and we would again.

I said to Kathleen, "Buffett and others promote value investing strategies and the herd follows. That leaves openings for arbitrage. But, I don't envy the life of arbitragers, glued day and night to their screens. There must be a better way."

She reached ahead and slapped my butt sharply. "Lucas, you are supposed to be doing the thinking. Since when am I a trading expert?" Her lovely voice had that teasing Irish lilt to it.

"Shameless one, you know me better than I do myself. Do not incite violence!"

We stopped for a hug and a chaste kiss. My resolve was faltering. But she turned us uphill and pushed.

"No mushy stuff. I will give you a few hints." There was fun in her voice.

"Ever since I've known you, that big brain has put market moving events and ideas together before others have. Why do you doubt yourself now?"

I knew instinctively what the problem was. To be crude about it, too much pussy. Too much amazing pulchritude in my grasp. As they had already told me, too little discipline in my life.

I stopped and pulled her close, whispering, "You already know the problem, don't you? If that is true, you also know the solution." I threw her over my shoulder and found a sheltered spot with sunshine off the trail. She filled my ear with Irish oaths as I settled us in the grass. It wasn't lunchtime, but I opened the sack, looking for a snack.

Snuggled in my arms, she laughed, "Lucas, how many delightful times do we have to go through this?" Kathleen felt wonderful, and had me completely in her control, as usual.

I leaned my forehead on her shoulder and sighed. After a long minute of silence, my lips found hers and we communicated that way for another long minute. It was her turn to sigh. "Lucas, there is nothing wrong that an hour or two a day can't cure. When the houses are done, there will be a Lucas study where no one else goes, and you have dedicated time in there. No women, no games, no diversions, just serious thinking about our business."

I kissed her eagerly, using my tongue. Maybe the promise of abstinence could be abandoned?

She laughed again and slapped my face. "Rogue! You do not get any privileges until you have put in your study time for today! I am going back down to work with Claire, and you are staying up here with your new life of discipline! You may not touch our bodies until cocktail hour and maybe not then if a new idea hasn't made money for the company."

I watched her incredible rear disappear down the trail, a dark cloud in my mind. Damn, not only did I have to come up with a new round of ideas, I had to prove they would make money.

Chapter 24 - Lucas Holds a Seminar

Lying in the grass, with the sun warming my closed eyelids, I smiled. Something that had been kicking around in my brain recently could be worth a try. I padded slowly down the path, ready to do some exploring on my machine.

No one was in the rented house when I returned. Closing the door to the computer room, an hour's browsing found what I was looking for, which was the latest from academia on the interplay of forces that results in market movements. Since the quants took over, this area was much studied. Models were built claiming the ability to predict future price and index changes.

Sadly, relying on the models turned out to be as hazardous as ignoring them. Nevertheless, I downloaded two papers and submerged myself in the dense text. They turned out to be counterpoints of each other. One argued that prediction failures by the models were the result of underestimating complexity and having too little underlying data. The other used a series of charts to conclude that subjective factors, such as momentum and celebrity, were thwarting the effort to generate accurate forecasts.