by Iris Bolling
William joined in with the laughter. The action eased the tension remaining from the vote. Myles looked his way and nodded. William took it as his way of acknowledging the injustice of the vote. For a split second the hatred filled his heart, then William slowly nodded in return, thinking that’s right, son, you now have a dangerous enemy.
Chapter Two
Jonathan Michael dreaded the information he had just received. The call had been expected, however the outcome was not. The short two-minute call changed the tone of his day, if not his life. He knew without a doubt the situation he had dreaded for years was about to unfold.
Jonathan was a man who had done things the right way. The only child to a single parent, Monica Michael, who at times worked three jobs to keep him in school, felt his life was about to come full circle. He had graduated with honors, acquiring an education many only dreamt of gaining. A Bachelor of Science in Economics with a Masters in International Finance, Jonathan was sought after with a vengeance. His decision to join Phase International afforded him the opportunity to travel the world. Excelling at every task the organization threw his way, he moved up in the ranks, becoming one of the highest paid 'Uncle Toms' in the world. Today, Jonathan had been deemed by Wall Street Review as the highest-ranking man of color in the financial industry, as the Senior Vice-President of Phase International, the largest banking entity in the world. Yes, he was a long way from Queens Road in Bounds Green, and Alexandra Park School where he discovered his love for finance that led him to where he stood today.
All of that would be in jeopardy the moment he walked into that office on the thirtieth floor to advise Richard Dewberry III, CEO and President of Phase, that Myles Dunning had been named President and CEO of Dunning Bank & Trust. All he had done in his 35 years of existence was going to be compromised the moment he revealed the results of the vote. Not only would he be put in a position to bring down an institution he admired, he was going to also be asked to jeopardize a friendship that kept him on the stable side of sanity as he traveled this incredible journey known as his career.
The beautiful Grace Heather Dunning stole his heart when he first met her during college. She was, as he would call her, a two-sided gold coin. Heather represented the wild, anything goes woman who intrigues him, while Grace displayed all the elements of a queen, with her provocative reserved manner. Both sides demonstrate the intelligence of a road scholar. Whichever version of Grace Heather enters the room, he loves. Though he had never acted on it, over the years she has never been far from his mind. They remained casual acquaintances and one day he hopes they will eventually stop chasing their careers, run into each other and give meaning to this thing called life. To do so he knew he had to live up to the image of her father Hepburn Dunning, whom he'd had the pleasure of meeting once. Jonathan liked the man immediately, but knew he had to establish himself as a man who could care for his daughter in the same lifestyle she was accustomed. Hepburn Dunning would settle for nothing less for his oldest daughter. Now that he was in that position, Jonathan may be an unwilling party in the destruction of her family's business.
Jonathan stood at the window to his prestigious office on the 28th floor of PI headquarters, Oxford Circle, London taking a moment to try to reach for something, anything that would change the results of the call. Yet, he knew he was reaching for a needle in a haystack. While the conversation distressed him, deep inside he was proud of the family business that had risen to levels no one saw coming. A family business that started out of desperation had become a source of pride for people of color and a threat to those in control of the financial world. DBT did it by treating their customers like family. Customers were and still are given the utmost respect. DBT worked off the mantra on their banner: Family Integrity, First and Foremost. They worked with the consciousness of the needs of all, never personal gain. The goal of making the American dream of home ownership a reality for everyone was always at the forefront of their policies. DBT did it the right way, battling the evil empires along the way. Somehow the good guys still managed to reach the top.
The Dunnings’ rich history of banking started during a time when banks would not accept deposits from African-American organizations or advance loans to people of color. Charles Dunning was a man of talents when it came to building homes. People of all races turned to him to design and build homes. They paid him rather handsomely to do so. Feeling the plight of his neighbors, Charles began by building homes for people of color and allowing them to pay when they could. People would pay him monthly until the cost of the homes was covered. The demand became so great, his wife Carrie began keeping the books on who owed what amounts and when payment would be received. Soon the construction of homes became the secondary means of support, for the income from the loans was substantial. Many of the businessmen in the area of all races supported Charles, because he was a beloved member of their community for many reasons.
On a sunny day in April 1903, the door of Charles Building and Loans was opened. The members of the board of directors, and a few silent progressive businessmen, developed their own network of entrepreneurs who used bartering as a means to grow and develop the African-American community. Loans and services were offered with reasonable interest and sometimes no interest rate at all. The funds were then used to help other families and then the next family, and the next. Business was booming. They had to take it out of the little room off to the side of the kitchen. A two story building in the heart of what came to be known as Charlestown was erected. As with many banks, during the depression, Charles Building and Loans fell into financial trouble; however, thanks to Charles’ brothers Clem, Oswald and Oscar, the bank now known as Dunning Bank and Trust consolidated and never closed their doors.
From there Dunning Bank grew from helping people build homes to helping startup businesses, sustaining them until they were in the profit zone. The neighbor helping neighbor theory was expanded to a network of clients helping clients. Contractors who had accounts with DBT were recommended to clients who needed homes or businesses built. Clients who were tailors were recommended to clients who needed suits or gowns made. A network of people helping people became the trademark of DBT. The bank went international when two sisters were granted a loan to start a lemonade stand. Ten years later, the DeSoto sisters opened their first bed and breakfast in England, then a second in Jamaica. Today, DeSoto B&Bs are all over the world. They are raved as the most luxurious accommodations in the world. Any African-American in the banking industry, who knew the history, understood the significance of Dunning Bank and Trust. For them to have grown into the third largest bank in the county is an amazing feat for any organization. For that organization to be continuously owned by the original African-American family, through the struggle of the depression, color barriers, the civil rights movement and the racism of the sixties and today was remarkable.
It was history Jonathan had studied and admired for years. The last thing Jonathan wanted was to be the Brit who worked with the evil empire known as Phase International to bring down the one entity that had served the African-American community and others worldwide, with the same dignity and respect that they began with. If he could see the growing threat of Phase’s number one ranking in the financial world, Jonathan was certain Richard Dewberry saw it too. The organization that controlled the purse strings of the financial world carried the power of governments at their will. PI was not going to stand by and watch all that power be swept away. If William Mitchell had been named the new CEO the threat was considerably weakened, for Jonathan knew the man did not have the skill to keep DBT moving in the right direction. However, Myles Dunning was dangerous. He carried the same characteristics as his father and it was certain Dunning Bank & Trust would continue to grow under his leadership. PI executives will take any steps necessary to protect their standings, including the elimination of Hepburn and now Myles Dunning.
The telephone on his desk buzzed. "Bloody hell," he murmured under his breath.
; "Michael," he answered and listened. "I'll be right in, Richard," he replied as he disconnected the call. "And so it begins."
This was the beginning of the end of his life as he knew it. There was no way he could be a party to the destruction of Dunning. Yet, he was certain PI was going to try. Now came the time for him to decide what was important in his life. The title, money and prestige afforded to him as the only man of color in a decision making capacity of the most powerful entity in the world, or pride of that same man of color and its rich heritage. It shouldn’t be a decision any man would have to make, however, in the real world...the racist world in which he was a part of, the decision would be before him soon. Jonathan stepped out of his office walking towards the elevator to travel to the thirtieth floor thinking, what would Hepburn Dunning do?
Chapter Three
Myles returned to his office after the meeting and asked his administrative assistant Chrystina to step inside. Chrystina was a 28-year-old curvy powerhouse with an MBA in finance and banking and information technology. She was able to handle anything from researching financial records to putting together a computer network. Myles hired her as an intern during her freshman year at Virginia Union University, then permanently upon graduation. Finally, Myles promoted her to his executive assistant when she earned her Masters at Virginia Commonwealth University. Myles found her to be indispensable and loyal to a fault. Regardless of how late, how many weekends he had to work, she was there when he needed her and sometimes when he did not know he needed her. His concern now was if she would stay with the additional responsibility. A raise and a bonus would be in line, however, he knew for a fact money was not the motivating force for her. That remained a mystery to him.
He would figure it out. At that moment his priority was to determine what direction to take DBT. To the family it was not just a bank; it was a member of the family. To them DBT was a living, breathing entity. When decisions were made, the impact on the bank was taken into consideration. All the members of DBT, business and personal clients, were handled as if they were a part of their family. That was the secret to Dunning’s success. When someone attempted to harm DBT, members of the family dealt them with swiftly and decisively. His Uncle Walker Jr. discovered that years ago, when grandfather Walker Sr., who was CEO at the time, stripped him of all shares and voting rights due to his constant gambling. Upon Walker Sr.’s death he turned the controls over to his youngest son, Hepburn. Walker Jr. submitted a request to the board of directors to have him reinstated. His request was denied, citing his continuous gambling issues. Walker Jr. held Hepburn responsible for the decision, causing bad blood between the two brothers.
Myles sighed, thinking Uncle Walker was going to be another issue he would have to address.
Chrystina walked into the office and knew immediately something had happened. To her, Myles was more than just her boss. He was the man she loved, but knew she would never have. He was, in her humble opinion, the finest man to ever walk the earth, with the exception of Jesus, of course.
There was something about the crooked smile that touched her in regions she thought would be best left unsaid. His voice was what she heard first thing in the morning and the last she heard at night. Was she obsessed? No. She was just a woman in love with a fine, generous, kindhearted, intelligent man. Oh, did she say fine? she thought as she glanced his way.
"What's wrong?" she asked as she took a seat in the chair directly in front of his desk, crossing her legs at the ankle.
Myles turned from the view of Marshall Street in downtown Richmond, Virginia with its bumper-to-bumper traffic and exhaled.
"I'm afraid our workload has just become heavier. About an hour ago, I became president and CEO of Dunning. I need you to instruct Nancy to prepare an announcement for the employees. We need to advise the Regulatory Board and make the necessary document changes." He then took a seat at his desk. "I need to see Michael, Heather, and Gary in my office, ASAP. Also, schedule a meeting with William Mitchell for later this afternoon. Make sure it is a time suitable for him."
"The increased work load will only be until all personnel changes are made and you are comfortable delegating responsibilities. Mrs. Vazquez will assist with the transition," Chrystina stated without looking up from her tablet where she was taking notes. "I will set up meetings with the directors, department heads and with AnnieMarie for media announcements."
"Schedule trips to every branch. I want to meet all the managers," Myles added.
Chrystina glanced at him. "It may be easier to bring all the managers here for a meeting or appreciation weekend for the changes they are about to endure." She shrugged her shoulder. "It's a nice way to say thank you before we put them through all the headache." She turned back to her tablet.
Myles nodded. "Take the travel expense and hotel accommodations from my account."
"We have an expense account to cover that, Mr. Dunning." Chrystina shook her head as she continued taking notes. "Even if we did not have the budget to cover it, the CEO's account certainly does," she continued. "I'll coordinate the packing and storing of Mr. Hep's office with Mrs. Vazquez, as well."
Myles hesitated. "There is no rush. I don't plan on moving just yet. Oh, assure Mrs. Vazquez she still has her job. I think Mitch may have insinuated something different."
Chrystina stopped keying on her tablet and stared up at Myles. He has always doubted his ability to take over the family business. But she knew, just as Mr. Hep knew, Myles was more than capable of handling the bank with class and integrity. Just the fact of him thinking to ease Mrs. Vazquez’s concern was proof of that. Hell, he had been prepped for this job all his life. However, in the many conversations they've had over the years she knew his passion was with building a private school for under privileged children.
"You know-" She closed her tablet. "-you can still open the school you've been dreaming about. It would be a wonderful community outreach project for the bank. Everything you ever wanted for the school is now within your reach. If you like, I would be happy to continue with the planning."
"You are going to be overwhelmed with the changes here. I can't ask you to do that too."
"You didn't," Chrystina replied, as she quickly stood to carry out the commands from their new chief executive officer. Walking towards the door she could hear her stocking covered thighs rubbing against each other. She hated that sound. Her thighs rubbing were so loud she knew Myles had to hear it too. That just made her more self-conscious about her weight. To stop the noise, she took wider steps to reach the door.
"Oh, Chrystina," Myles called out. "Make sure Nancy's email to the employees is reviewed before it goes out."
Chrystina's laugh was instantaneous. The last time he'd asked Nancy Charles, one of the secretaries who worked in the Risk Management office, to send out correspondence, it was very degrading to the employees. He'd almost fired her and would have if Chrystina had not intervened.
"I will have Mrs. Vazquez review all correspondence. And umm...Mr. Dunning, you may not want to hear this, but the board selected the best man for the job."
"What's with the Mr. Dunning thing? I'm still Myles."
"Oh, no." Chrystina turned to face him. "Let's be very clear. You are now Mr. Dunning. Anyone who has respect for the office, the position and the man will know how to address you. It will be a clear indication of who is with you and who is not. Allow the respect you deserve."
She was giving him her ‘don't play with me’ look.
"Thank you, Chrystina."
There were a few nice things Myles could say about Chrystina. The most complimentary, in his mind, was her constant infectious smile.
He smiled as she nodded, then closed the door behind her. He could not remember a day when she was not smiling and did not push warmth on everyone around her, including him. Over the last month he had leaned heavily on her to get through the loss of his father. It was her quietly working in the background to keep everything flowing that gave him the time he needed to
be there for his family. Her strength more than compensated for his weakness the first few days. Her open arms allowed him to deal with his father's death without his family knowing the full impact it all had on him.
The day his father died, Mrs. Vazquez and Chrystina were at the hospital taking charge. The nurses had all the information on his father, paperwork was ready for signatures, and the doctor was waiting. The immediate attention was what gave them those few precious minutes that allowed his mother to see her husband before he took his last breath. When his mother stepped out of the room and looked at her children, the jolt in his gut caused him to take a step back. It was Chrystina's gentle touch on his back that prompted him towards his mother. It was a time for his hurt to be concealed. He was now the head of the family. It was his job to embrace and console their pain.
The days that followed it seemed Chrystina knew what he needed before he did. The arrangements, announcements, the media inquiries, the flowers, the cards, the calls, none of it ever crossed his path. She handled everything. It wasn't until he received a thank you call from the hospital weeks later for flowers donated to patients that he realized just how thorough Chrystina had been.
During those days and weeks that followed, Mitch attempted to put a few policy changes in place he knew the family was against. Chrystina assembled a coalition of employees to block his actions at every turn. She literally had administrative assistants and secretaries reporting Mitch’s every move to ensure nothing major was implemented without the family or board's approval. For him, she had made a serious enemy of Mitch, while trying to protect DBT. That was loyalty. With all she did in the office, it was what she did for him personally that kept him up most nights these days.
The night before the funeral he was drunk. Not a little tipsy, not leaning a little, no...he was wasted, banging on her door. Chrystina took one look at him, pulled him inside by the lapel of his suit that was hanging off of him then proceeded to go off on him.