Trading in Strange Places Pt. 09

Chapter 30 - A Wild Scramble Before Winter and Guests Arrive

With all ten of us together again, there was a crush around the table in the rented house. The three East Coast demons each took turns terrorizing me with hugs, kisses and gropes.

I squeezed Toni and Rya together, hissing, "I hear that you closed up several bars in your quest for gossip?"

"No, no! Only once. Otherwise we were in bed early, sharing what we had learned."

Kathleen joined in, "Lucas, we actually picked up a lot of useful info. It's amazing what a dressed up single woman or two can learn after Wall Street guys have a few drinks."

"What happened after the guys who thought they were trading gossip for sex didn't get any?"

Toni squealed, "We pushed them against the wall and squeezed their balls! Said perhaps another time!"

"You didn't get attacked after that?"

"We opened our palms and showed them the very sharp knives!"

I glanced across the kitchen. "Richard, since you are the official bouncer, please check these women for hidden weapons. They may be trying to infiltrate our meeting!"

Claire, who was serving stew, said, "Don't you dare touch those bodies, or I'll get out my own little knife!"

Food and a nice red wine calmed things down. Kathleen and the two other travelers took a seat on the floor near me. I asked, "Tell me some gossip."

"We were surprised how many people had heard about WIL. They wanted details about who was on the staff. And were any jobs in Denver still open?"

"We don't want that kind of info loose on the Street, do we?"

Rya answered, "Tough call, Lucas. We need friends, but don't want to encourage stalking or other bad things. We were very careful what we said. Short on specifics, but with our best smiles!"

Putting my plate to the side, I pulled her close. "You and I have unfinished business."

Curious eyes looked at us. "What business?"

Relaxing in my lap, she said, "He has been giving me extra homework. He says I am to be a spy for WIL."

"What about when you are captured and tortured?"

"He is serious and says he and Richard will attend to my training."

There was an awkward silence until Ellen said, "Spies later. Tonight, we need to talk about the next three weeks until the holiday and the opening of the Le Bontemps."

Richard and I took the kitchen cleanup duty while Ellen lead discussion and assignments. I nudged my fellow Marine, "The women are taking charge. Dare we relax?"

"I've said this before, Lucas, there is no explaining their working so hard for a rogue stock trader. But if they are willing to work so hard, so are we."

I pulled two beers from the fridge and we silently crept into the living room, sliding carefully down the wall and trying to be inconspicuous.

Ellen was summing up. "Claire has the lead on everything that needs to be done to prepare the house, backed up by Mely and Richard. Lyn has the lead on getting us back into Mely's house and server room, backed up by C-M when she has spare time from the machines. Lucas and I will worry about the grand opening invitations and not insulting anyone. Rya will handle everything external, working with Kathleen on keeping the clerical operation in Denver humming. Toni is responsible for ensuring that if there is skiable snow for the opening, all the necessary gear and logistics are in place for the guests."

She took a deep breath and sighed, "Lucas, bring me one of those beers. The rest of you tell me what we have forgotten."

Other hands went up for a beer, so Richard and I came back with arms full of bottles.

Mely was teasing, "It's ok to make a little money in the market in our spare time?"

C-M said, "You just better hope, dearie, that our guests don't arrive mad because we have already lost their money!"

That sent the two of them rolling and wrestling on the floor while everyone else laughed and stood to get organized. I looked at the serious faces and realized I was off the hook for any orgy tonight.

Toni nudged me, "Thanks for the trip to New York. I learned a lot, and had fun too."

"I've been working out. I don't think you will leave me completely behind when there is snow."

"I'll see you in the conditioning room tomorrow. Don't get your hopes up."

Over coffee in the morning, everyone quietly scattered to their work. I was thinking about how self-organization seemed to be working when Ellen took a bite of my shoulder and said, "We have to get busy on the invitations. Let's divide up the personal phone calls."

Taking her hand, I led to the tight corner where my trading terminal was. With no extra room, she took my lap with a tough look. "No games."

I began, "Ms. Peterson, as your investment advisor..."

The yank on my hair hurt like the devil. "None of that either. I suppose you want my approval to take a wild flyer in the market?"

"We need something to distance us from the crowd. Everybody is complaining about problems in Germany with Middle Eastern refugees, and in China with fraud. What if we split fifty million between the two markets? There are opportunities in good stocks that others have been shorting."

She kissed me and said, "Now is the time to do it, before the idea gets around."

"I thought you said no games." And kissed her back. She wiggled and whispered about a quickie.

"What's got into you? That staff meeting last night was a wonder. Not a squeak out of any of them. You pushed sex way to the back burner."

"Yes, but this morning I am needing you."

"After the phone calls, I'll take you somewhere for lunch."

Her hand squeezed between my legs. "Lucas, this is working, isn't it?"

As we walked back to the kitchen, I said, "Yes, but don't count your chickens just yet."

Chapter 31 - Snow

Somehow, all the work for the Grand Opening got done. To top it off, a big snow storm arrived two days before the first guests were scheduled. Our three varsity skiers watched out the window, second guessing each other about when the lifts would run.

I dampened enthusiasm. "Hey, it takes two feet on this hill to cover the rocks and stumps. Snow making hasn't been all that great. And the groomers will want at least a day."

C- M came in. "Damn, Lucas, the movers are scheduled for tomorrow. How can we move back to Mely's house in this?"

"Call Richard. Let's have a conference with the movers."

Just as we were going out the door to the other house, Mely came up and said, "Lucas, I talked to my friend on the operations staff. He says if this keeps up, they will have a private preview tomorrow for skiers with season passes and racing experience!"

I stared the three of them down, "You expect me to give you release time for frivolous skiing when we are in the middle of a critical move?"

I was sandwiched. "We can do both! We have to practice to help the guests! Please?"

As usual, no contest. C-M poked me in the butt, "Let them go. We can't stand all that hyper energy around here anyway."

Next door, the new basement machine room already had utilities humming. The industrial paint on the floor was shining. The elevator in the corner was just big enough to hold a fully loaded rack of equipment.

The moving supervisor arrived and said, "If it is still snowing in the morning, we will rig an overhead tarp. It's only about sixty yards. Let's go ahead, if all this stuff in here is ready."

I looked at Lyn, Richard and C-M, who were nodding their heads. I turned to the lead and said, "It's a go."

Ellen pushed against my back and whispered, "Cutting it close, aren't we?"

"I warned you about throwing in with a bunch of Colorado daredevils."

She laughed and pulled my hair. "Is your scheme about Josh on track?"

(cont'd in Part 10 - Holiday Surprises)