Authors Note: Dear readers, join me for a Wild West encounter with rogue trader Adam Lucas and his incredible team of women, terrorizing Wall Street from high up in the Rockies.
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Trading in Strange Places - Part 1 - A Visit from the Home Office
Chapter 1 - Ellen Arrives
I answered on the first ring. "Lucas here."
"Ellen Peterson here."
I let a long moment of silence build.
"I expected to hear from you sooner or later."
"The Executive Committee has you on my urgent list. We need to meet. Preferably here."
Her voice was crisp and edgy.
"I haven't set foot in New York in five years. I'll meet you somewhere Denver or west."
"Where are you now?"
Another long silence. "You know the answer to that question."
"This is going to be difficult, isn't it?"
I put some steel in my voice. "I make a lot of money for the firm, and I demand flexibility in return. It is as simple as that."
"One of the Southern District lawyers was after me the other day, wanting to know where to serve a subpoena."
"What did you say?"
"I told him you did not have an office here, traveled a lot, and he should send you an email to the company address."
"Thank you for that. Kathleen will intercept and deal with it. I see by your web bio that you have hiked the AT."
"Yes. After my divorce, I worked out some issues on the trail."
"I have an idea. A friend has a place at Grand Lake. Nicer and quieter than Estes Park. We can hike and talk. Are you a peak bagger?"
"Yes, but I don't do ropes."
"Ah, I'm impressed. Several of the top women climbers in the world are free freaks."
"Poof! The last thing I am is free. Hiking and climbing are not the agenda for our getting together. How do I find this place? I can leave the day after tomorrow."
"There is an outfit at Denver airport that will provide a float plane and take you right to my friend's dock. I'll send directions. Bring your boots."
Two days later, I was relaxing on the deck at Grand Lake, waiting for Ellen's plane. She was the new CFO of one of Wall Street's most successful trading firms, partly due to my efforts. Hellishly bright and recently poached from a competitor. My employer was having a rough spot with the regulators over involvement with the London LIBOR scandals, and she was part of the cure.
I was an anomaly, and thus among the suspects in a thorough shakeup. Fortunately, I was clean as a whistle this time. But my oddball way of working was a thorn in the side of righteous types in the firm and among the regulators who knew about me. I was sure Ellen had heard from those who resented the freedom I enjoyed, which went considerably beyond the bounds of a regular employee trader.
Before my musing got any further, a speck in the blue sky turned into a single engine float plane that landed smoothly and taxied to the pier down in front of me. I arrived just as she was stepping from a float to the dock and my offer of a hand was waved off. Her blond hair was gathered in a pony tail which stuck out the back of a baseball cap bearing a Yankees logo. The rest of her was in outdoor clothes, including trail shoes. The canvas shorts were loose and the short sleeved shirt had pockets over her boobs. The extra large dark glasses had metal frames, which accomplished her intent of hiding the eyes and looking tough.
"Hi, you are right on time."
"Hi yourself. I'm used to being on time."
I invited the pilot for a soda, knowing he was forbidden alcohol on duty, but he said there was another flight to make in an hour and had us turn the plane around and give it a shove. The wind was right and he tore straight down the lake and into the air. Delivery accomplished.
I picked up her large duffel before she had any other idea, and led the way into the cabin, which was a woodsy three bedroom affair with a cathedral ceiling in the great room, and a balcony outside the bedrooms above.
"We are it. You can have your choice of bedrooms. Would you like a rest?"
"Do I look like a rest kind of woman?"
There was competence written all over Ellen. A sexist jerk would call her a pushy broad. I mentally listed the retreats and seminars she must have attended on the subject of getting ahead in a man's world. So far, it was working. If she fended off the SEC and the New York AG successfully, other competitors were going to come poaching themselves.
"You look like you should relax in that soft chair on the deck and let me bring you a beer."
The dark glasses had come off and the intensity of her blue eyes was marvelous to see. After a moment, she said, "Fine," and stepped outside.
We each took generous swallows from our bottles and let the silence build.
"I read your file on the plane. Not much in it except bonus letters and congratulations for being the highest ranked trader in the company most years."
"I'm a pretty private person."
"Any special reason for that? Anything I should know? I'm afraid the feds may insist on testimony."
"Not likely unless someone is seriously bent. I have my own counsel at Rifkin."
She studied me quietly. "The CEO told me the other day that all the senior people had personal lawyers and I should have one too."
"You can't depend on the company lawyers. All sorts of representational issues if something significant comes up. With elephants in the room, you want someone's undivided attention."
She rose, "Thank you for the drink. I need a shower. Do we have dinner plans?"
"There are several decent places in town, or we can eat in. There is a nice steak, or I found a plate of vegetarian lasagna at the deli. Didn't know whether you were vegan or not?"
She laughed, "Not vegan! Since this is a first date, what if we go out and get to know each other over good food?"
I looked at her pass by, smiling, and swatted her rear.
"Wear a dress. Only locals wear dresses around here."
I made a reservation at Enrico's and changed into clean khakis.
A little later, I heard steps above and watched her descend. The dress looked good. As she got closer, the block pattern divided into little details that revealed the designer dollars she had spent on it. The blond hair was down, and the face had just enough makeup to pull her high cheekbones into relief. Was she using sex appeal on me?
We were seated with a view of the lake and the slopes of Rocky Mountain National Park rising to the east.
"If I order a martini, will you share it? I'm not used to this much altitude."
"If I was really dating you, I'd get as much gin inside as possible."
"I'm supposed to be frowning and thinking how much of a rogue you are." She had a quirky little smile that was disarming.
