by Iris Bolling
"Aren't you one of Mr. Mitchell’s biggest supporters? You did nominate him for president."
"Office politics. He offered me a promotion."
They boarded the next elevator. "You knew he would make negative changes to Dunning if he had been voted in. Why would you want that?"
Preston waived Cainan off. "There was no way the family was going to let that happen."
"The vote came down to me. How do you know I wasn't offered a promotion by Mr. Mitchell?"
"You're sleeping with a Dunning. I knew where your vote was going."
Cainan turned on the man. "I'm not sleeping with a Dunning. I'm in love with AnnieMarie. There is a difference. Watch how you talk about her." He pushed the cafeteria button. "I'll get off here," he said as the door opened.
Preston reached out and stopped the door from closing. "My apology, man. I didn't mean anything by it."
Cainan exhaled. "No problem. Look, watch your back with Elaine. She may be picking you for info rather than sharing."
"Why would she do that? She is already an executive account manager."
"BIT is a big account. It can make or break a career. Just watch your back." Cainan turned and walked into the cafe. "Large coffee, black, please," he said to the cashier, then took a seat at a table next to the window. What now, he wondered. Mr. Dunning was his protector. The only person at Dunning who knew his background. There was going to be a power struggle within the company. He had no doubt Myles will come out the victor. His concern was simple. Once the dust settles how much of his story will be revealed in the process? Duck and cover, his father would say. Duck and cover.
Chapter Fourteen
Exercise was never on Chrystina's to-do list. However, after the many comments about her job and the relationship to her weight, she decided to take Myles' advice. A little walk a day couldn't hurt. If he was still in the gym when she arrived, she might...might, join him for a workout…Might.
Standing before the scale, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and stepped on. When both feet were planted on the device that took some kind of electronic pleasure every time she used it, she opened her eyes. Looking to the sky she said a short prayer.
"You are a compassionate God. Be kind this morning. Know that this is one of your children asking for your help and guidance."
The device beeped before she finished her prayer. She looked down. The damn thing read, 'step off'. She complied, thinking at least it did not play the music indicating she was over the desired weight she programed in. She took a breath, finished her prayer then put one foot on, closed her eyes, inhaled, then put the other foot on the device.
"Arrrgh!" She looked down the minute the tune began playing New Attitude by Patti Labelle. She stepped off and began shouting, "I asked you to be kind. That wasn't kind. That was downright mean."
"The scale is designed to tell you the truth, whether you want to hear it or not."
Chrystina turned to see her mother standing in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to apologize for last night and to take your comforter to the cleaners. You didn't answer the door so I let myself in. I guess you were too busy praying the scale would lie to you," Beverly teased then walked back into the adjoining bedroom. Beverly fell into the overstuffed chair near the fireplace laughing as Chrystina sat on the bed.
"Very funny, Mother." Chrystina smirked. "Why can't I be slim like you and Gina?"
"That's all on you, little girl. When you left for college, you and Gina were the same size. Somewhere along the line, you chose not to be active."
"Mom, I was studying."
"And working your mouth along the way it seems." Beverly sat up. "I'm sorry, Chrystina. Gina is a work in progress and has a lot of nerve to talk, but some of what she said to you is right. You really should spend a little more time on yourself and stop spending so much time at the bank."
"It's my job, Mom. I have bills to pay and I don't want to have children to depend on getting a check every month. I just want something a little better out of life. And I don't mind working for it."
"I can understand that. But don't you think there is a balance that can be reached? You work hard during the day, but at night or on the weekends, take a little time for yourself." She reached out and patted her daughter's knee. "So, tell me, what has you on the scale this time?"
Chrystina sighed, then rolled her eyes upward. "Whew, crazy day at the bank yesterday. Myles was voted in as CEO and President."
"Good for him. That’s the natural progression of things," Beverly stated. "What does that have to do with you and the scale?"
Chrystina fell back on the bed with her hair loose and legs kicking. "Everyone at the office thinks Myles will take someone else as his assistant because of my weight."
"What does your weight have to do with the job?"
Chrystina sat up. "Mom, have you ever been to the presidential offices?"
"No."
"Well, everyone in the suite of offices is referred to as 'the beautiful people.'" Chrystina moved to her closet as she spoke. "No one believes I can fit in down the hall with the beautiful people. So the majority think Myles will replace me."
Beverly jumped to her feet. "Did he say that?"
Chrystina walked out of the closet with a Jones of New York black pants set and black heels. "No."
"So what did he say?" Beverly asked ready to attack.
"Down, Momma Duke," Chrystina laughed as she walked by her mother. "Myles said I go where he goes."
"Oh." Beverly sat back into the chair. "I always knew Myles was a smart man." Beverly grinned at the smirk on her daughter's face. "So back to my original question. Why are you laying God and the scale out?"
Chrystina began dressing. "Myles said if I felt uncomfortable with the way I look I should do something about it. But I'm going down the hall with him, comfortable or not."
"The visit to the scale is your decision. Myles didn't indicate you had to do this?"
"No, he didn't. But now I wish I hadn't stepped on that evil device. It only made me feel worse than I did before."
Beverly stood and pointed to the bed. "Sit down."
"I have to get ready for work, Mom."
"Sit your ass on that bed and listen to your mother."
Knowing the tone, Chrystina did as her mother asked.
Beverly checked her watch, then looked at her daughter. "I had to see how much time I had before I'm late for work so I know how deep I can go right now." She exhaled. "You are a beautiful girl just the way you are. If people don't take the time to get to know you because of your physical appearance, they are not worth the air you breathe." She sighed. "However, you do need to think about your health. Dropping a good thirty or forty pounds would make a world of difference in your appearance and in your health." She saw the frown on Chrystina's face and laughed. "Don't think about the end goal. Think about ten pounds. Let the rest fall where it may."
"Ten?"
"Yes...ten." Beverly put her hands on her hips. "I promise you, after that first ten is off you will want to do the rest. Now, if you are serious I will help. For the next three months ride to work with me. You can walk from my office to your job in no time. Start drinking at least eight glasses of water a day, more if you can. I will cook all your meals including lunch and snacks. Let's see how that impacts your look."
Chrystina gave her a suspicious look. "I work late sometimes. How am I supposed to get home if I don't drive?"
Beverly frowned as she thought. "Well, for the next three months, if you have to work late, call me. I'll come and pick you up."
Chrystina gave her a doubtful look. "Mommy, you don't like to cook."
"You're right, I don't; but I dislike my daughter doubting herself more. So if you are willing to take the first steps, I'm willing to help."
"Myles said he would help too."
"He did? How is he going to help you lose weight? When will he have the time?"
"He works out in the gym ev
ery morning before starting work. He said I could join him and he will exercise with me each morning."
"Hmm." Beverly nodded. "Well, that's nice of him. But neither him nor I can help unless you are ready to make this commitment to yourself."
"Three months, huh?"
"Three months, or hell, you might reach your goal before then and may not need me or Myles to keep you motivated. So what's it going to be, girl?"
"I'll think on it."
"While you are thinking I'm going full throttle."
"Whatever it's going to be will have to wait. I have to get to work," Chrystina stated as she stood and continued dressing.
Beverly grabbed Chrystina's black heels and walked back into the huge closet.
"Mom, what are you doing with my shoes?" After a minute or two of no response, Chrystina called out to her again. "Mom, what are you doing?"
After a few more minutes of mother butt-thumps against the wall, Beverly reappeared in the closet doorway. "Girl, you don't have any sneakers?"
"No," Chrystina replied.
Beverly walked over to the chair she previously occupied with a pair of flat shoes she'd found in the closet. She sat down and began to remove her sneakers that she wore religiously in her job as a librarian.
"Mom, what are you doing?"
"Giving you the shoes off my feet. What does it look like?"
"I can see that. But why?"
Beverly stood and handed the sneakers to Chrystina. "There is no time like the present to begin your new lifestyle." She raised an eyebrow when Chrystina hesitated to take the sneakers.
"Mom," she laughed. "I can't wear these. I don't have any socks."
Beverly sat back down in the chair with a huff. She pulled off her socks and threw them at Chrystina.
"You are not serious." She stared at the mother laughing.
"Serious as a heart attack." Beverly slipped on the flats, then twisted her feet one way, then the other and smiled. "Put those on over your stocking feet, then put on those sneakers." She went back into the closet, returning with a cloth bag. She placed the black heels inside the bag as she walked by her daughter. "When I'm finished with you, your sister is not going to be able to stand you."
"She can't stand me now."
"Hmm hmm, I know. What do you think will happen when you are the same size she is?"
Chrystina grinned. "I can't get that small, can I?"
Beverly nodded. "You can get to whatever size is comfortable for you. While you put on those sneakers, I'll check out the kitchen to see what I can throw together for your lunch. Girl, this is going to be fun." Beverly laughed as she walked out of the door.
"Gina is going to be mad at you."
"You let me worry about Gina. I got some plans for her too."
Chrystina sat on the side of the bed staring at the sneakers.
"Put them on!"
"Okay...okay," Chrystina huffed then began laughing. "If Mom and Myles are willing to help, the least I can do is make them proud."
Chrystina put the sneakers on then stood. If felt weird to have her feet so close to the floor, but hey, it’s time to look at the bigger, or in this case, smaller picture. She looked in the mirror. "Forty pounds, hmm. Why not make it an even fifty. Fifty pounds...I guess that's possible. Wrong sentiment," she said as she grabbed her purse and bag. "Hell, I can do that with my eyes closed." She snapped her fingers as she walked towards the kitchen. "Look out world, here comes the new Chrystina. Get Vera Wang on the line, Mommy, I'm going to need a new wardrobe."
Chapter Fifteen
At her mother's insistence, Chrystina found herself walking from Ninth and Broad Streets, where Beverly worked at the State Library of Virginia, to Third and Marshall where Dunning's headquarters was located. A total of six blocks, five up and one across. What the heck, she thought. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining. The streets were moderately busy with people on their way to work, just like her. This would be a breeze, no effort.
With purse, bag with shoes and lunch in tow, Chrystina was cursing by the time she reached Fifth and Broad.
"City blocks, my butt," she huffed at her mother's description for the walk. "Five city blocks, she said. Somebody needs to teach that woman how to count," she fussed as she stopped to pull the bag up on her shoulder. "Fifteen minutes and you will be sitting at your desk," Chrystina mocked her mother's words as she peeked at her watch. "Seven fifteen and I am not at my desk yet." She huffed, but felt like yelling. She didn't think the people walking down the street would appreciate a full-grown woman yelling in the middle of the sidewalk. So she continued.
Two more blocks and she was now at Third and Broad Street. "Okay," she huffed and decided to walk down Third to Marshall, then take that straight into the employees’ entrance. As she turned the corner she smiled. The building was in sight. "Two more blocks." Seeing the destination in sight Chrystina adjusted her items and continued to conquer this first step into her new lifestyle.
Okay, not so bad. She will use the remainder of the walk to set up her day. Complete the documents from Mrs. Vazquez to change over names on the corporate documents. Start the new organizational chart. Organize the move of Myles’ office to the vault area. Send a request to human resources for a new risk management director and assistant.
It was the last thought that was interrupted by the time she reached Second and Marshall. A heavenly scent invaded her nostrils as she waited for traffic to stop so she could cross the street. Looking around, she spotted a bistro directly across from where she stood. She could smell the fresh pastries and coffee.
"Now, that is downright mean. Why would you do this to me on the first day, Lord? The first day. You are testing my will on the very first day."
"Excuse me?" The woman standing next to her on the corner looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, nothing. I was just thanking the Lord for such a beautiful morning," she replied then crossed the street. When she reached the door of the bistro, she stood there and inhaled. "Ahhh, muffins, blueberry. Aw man." The urge to go inside was overpowering her will.
"Don't do it, Chrystina. Just say no...just say no. Keep walking."
The door opened. A tall dark-skinned brother dressed in a suit walked out. He held the door for her.
Chrystina started to walk in, then froze.
"Are you going in?" the man asked.
"No...no, thank you."
Chrystina quickly stepped to the side. The man closed the door then walked away. Chrystina looked back in through the window just to be sure she was not imagining things. No, she was right. William Mitchell, Paulette Brittin, Nancy Charles and was that...? She peeked in again. "Yes, that is Walker Dunning." They were seated towards the back of the bistro with documents on the table in front of them. "Why would those four be together?"
The hairs on her neck stood up. Something wasn't right. She hurried by the window to make sure she wasn't seen. Not certain why it was important, but she knew it was.
"Okay, Lord, I forgive you. You brought me this way for a reason. At first I thought you were messing with me, but no. You wanted me to see those four together...Why?" She looked up to the sky as she quickly walked the last block to the office. "No answer? Okay, you want me to figure this out myself."
She took the parking lot elevator to the lobby, then switched to the employee elevator, speaking to people along the way but not stopping for conversation. She needed to get to her desk. Chrystina dropped her bag and purse to the floor as she turned on her computer. The first thing she did was check the online calendars for Mitch, Paulette, and Nancy. The only one scheduled for a meeting was Mitch at 9 AM with Herschel automotive representatives.
"Hmm." She did not recall the meeting with Hershel on Myles' calendar. She double-checked it to find Myles' calendar was clear until 11am. "Why is Mitch meeting with the Herschel representatives without Myles?"
Looking at the attachment to the appointment she noticed the memo was password protected. Not wanting to g
et up Chrystina right-clicked to check the properties on the memo. It listed the author of the memo as Nancy Charles.
"Oh hell no." Now Chrystina knew something was amiss for sure.
“Let's see,” Chrystina thought, “the current boyfriend is...Craig, that's right Craig.”
She knew Nancy's passwords were always the current boyfriend and a number. She tried Craig one, Craig two and hit pay dirt when she put in Craig three.
"Made it to three weeks, good for you, Nancy. Now what in the hell are you up to?" She printed the document and closed the file.
The memo was addressed to William Mitchell. It was a list of talking points to discredit Myles with the Hershel representatives. By the time she finished the memo she was beyond pissed. But looking at the clock she knew she had to put her level of pisstivity in the pocket for now.
"Okay, Chrystina, you can do this. Herschel reps will be offended if Myles does not greet them at the 9 a.m. meeting." She checked her watch. "There is time." She shot Myles a quick text message. 'Talking points bullets.' She turned on her computer and did a document matching bullet point for bullet point. She then added some information she knew would impress the Hershel representatives. She sent that document via email to Myles.
"Now," she exhaled. "To take over at the meeting. We need a quick presentation." She now had a game plan on how to handle the meeting without damaging the reputation of the bank. Afterwards she would think of a way to handle little Miss Nancy. With the solution in hand she picked up her cell phone and called Myles.
#
In the time frame it would take Myles to get into the office Chrystina had to secure the conference room on the fifth floor to keep anyone on the higher levels from knowing what she was up to. Then she called her favorite diner Stokes, which was right around the corner. She asked him for all the croissants, fruit, and coffee they had prepared for breakfast. Next she pulled three of her most trusted coworkers together to set up a conference room. Then she bribed the receptionist to send her a message the moment Mitch walked in the door. Now, she had one last piece to get done and they would be ready.