Natural Selection

"When you tossed that worthless ashtray on the table after quickly judging it, you didn't believe it worthy of being your graduation present. Now I ask you Mr. Rayle, and I want you to think about this seriously, are you worthy of IT?"

Vance just sat there stunned. He realized that she was right on every count. He thought himself to be mature, yet he sure wasn't acting like it. There was way more depth to this antagonistic woman than he ever realized. No one had ever put him in his place better than this 120 lb. spitfire had just done. His benefactor was a wise man, wise beyond years. After careful consideration, he responded.

"No, ma'am. I am unworthy of such generosity but I am a work in progress. Perhaps one day you may deem me worthy of it, but until then, like you, I'll treasure it and every time I look at it, I'll remember the valuable lesson you just taught me. Thank you and please, please thank my benefactor. I would love nothing more than to show him my appreciation for all of his unwavering faith in me.

She just sat there unmoving, gaging him, evaluating his sincerity. "It works both ways, Mr. Rayle. The lesson is also meant to help you not be so quick to judge others by what you see. Search out what's in their heart, what they ARE. You just may be pleasantly surprised when you take the time to look at someone's character."

He smiled at her upon hearing such words of wisdom. "I'll try my best to do just that. I have a confession to make. I'm afraid I judged you harshly when we met prior to today. I really don't know who you are inside, but my initial assessment of you was not very flattering and for that, I apologize. Are we to the point now, after all that has been accomplished that I can now know your name?"

"As much as I am now open to disclosing that information, I'm afraid my hands are tied. I too, am bound by my obligations. Speaking of disclosures, I need an honest and direct answer, does anyone else besides your parents know about the ongoing interactions between us, meaning you, me and your benefactor?"

"No ma'am. I swear it."

"What about your fiancée Abigail Bergstrom? I understand you two are to be wed shortly."

"As much as I have wanted to, I have forborne the urge to inform her of my dealings with you and my benefactor. I have not forgotten the penalties that would be invoked were I to disclose that information to anyone else. But I am asking your permission to share that information with Abby once she becomes my wife. I don't want to be placed in a position to withhold anything from my better half."

"Although I appreciate your position, Mr. Rayle, I'm afraid that disclosing ANY information about our present relationship would be disastrous to you and potentially disastrous to your benefactor. If you have any respect for him whatsoever, you must abide by his wishes and keep this information from disseminating outside our small circle. If you told her, it could get back to her parents and then on and on and on. It MUST be contained, Mr. Rayle."

"But for how long? I can't lie to my wife forever, not even by omission."

"That's what we're here to discuss Mr. Rayle."

"What's with all this Mr. Rayle stuff? What happened to boy and Vance?"

"I refer to you by the title that you have earned Mr. Rayle. You have graduated from being a cocky boy to a young man and now to an adult and are addressed as such. We're here now to discuss your future Mr. Rayle, your future career."

She handed him a business card with a company name and logo but no individual person's name delineated. "As you can see, the name of the company you may elect to work for is called Davenport Financial Services and Banking or DFSB for short. They are a multi-billion dollar institution with a sterling reputation. They manage hedge funds, private investment portfolios, banking services, and trading account management among a host of other services. Literally thousands of clients clamor for their counsel and account management. DFSB has offices in five states in the USA and twenty-five locations overseas but their headquarters are located downtown in New York City."

"I've heard of them, of course, especially in the context of many of my financial courses taught at Harvard. They were used as a model for quite a few projects. But I haven't researched them personally." He rejoined.

"I figured as much. Now here's the offer Mr. Rayle, you have earned your shot at an internship with this company. Your benefactor has some influence there and has arranged for you to serve a one-year internship obligation on a fixed salary. Don't ask me, I haven't been supplied with that figure yet, I'm afraid, but I will be informed of the amount after I return. But whatever the salary amount is, you will have to subsist on it for only a single year. If you recall from our previous talks, if you quit or choose to leave the company in less than a year from your inception date, then you are free to go, but in doing so, the penalty of being invoiced for your entire educational expense will be invoked. Also note that if you are terminated for just cause before the year is officially up, then the same penalty will apply."

"And if I make it through the year?"

"Ever the optimistic one, aren't you? You will be tried and thoroughly tested throughout the year, Mr. Rayle, but if you are still around after your year of service is up, then yes, you will be offered that lifetime position that was previously mentioned. You may decide that this business is not for you. If, after the year is up, you decide you'd rather work elsewhere, then you are free to walk away from DFSB free and clear. All obligations will, at that time be cancelled. You will no longer owe any debt."

"Sounds good to me. So how do we do this? When will I be expected to start?" He asked.

"Unlike before, we have some flexibility with your start date Mr. Rayle. Let's see, you get married in two weeks, right?"

"That's right. May I invite you and my mysterious benefactor to our wedding?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I don't think that would be a good idea for reasons I cannot go into right now. And what about a honeymoon? How long will you require for that?"

"We have reservations for two weeks stay in the Cayman Islands following the wedding."

"Okay, that puts you four weeks out minimum. You'll be back around the middle of July. You'll need some time to find suitable housing so we'll allow a couple of weeks for you to get settled. Why don't we say you start on August the first? That way you won't have to live together too long with mom and dad before starting your new lives together."

"August first. I'll be there." He affirmed.

"I'll have someone text you the particulars for your initial meeting to acquaint you with your new position." She informed.

"Look" she digressed, "I know we got off on the wrong foot, and I realize we've made some progress today mitigating that to some extent, but I want you to know that I still don't believe that you belong at DFSB. It's not anything to do with your work or your attitude towards me. Lord knows, I'd be pissed off at me too if I was treated the way you were by me, so I don't fault you for your attitude. I'm not at liberty to specifically say why right now, but I will say this much. It's not WHO you are that I despise, it's WHAT you are. That being said, if you complete your year of internship, then I assure you that ALL of your questions will be answered, including my name. You'll understand when you find out. Until then, my benefactor has obligated me to say, "Welcome aboard sir, and good luck to you." She once again offered her hand but this time didn't seem quite as adversarial in doing so.

Chapter 6

The wedding went off without a hitch. Abby was attended by five bridesmaids plus her maid of honor, so Vance managed to finagle two of his homeboys who were longtime friends as well as three fraternity brothers, including Andrew to serve as his groomsmen. His dad, Carl served as his best man. Vance didn't even need to give it a second thought. His dad was also his best friend. The event took place in a large Catholic Church in Columbus, Ohio. Even though Abby's family were Baptist, the Catholic Church was more beautifully constructed and its facilities were better suited to host the large crowd in attendance. Most were from the bride's side but that was to be expected. Several times Vance scanned the crowd looking for the blonde-headed nemesis, but she was nowhere to be found.

The idyllic honeymoon couldn't have been more perfect. The constant urgent pace that he had become accustomed to for the past eight years was not missed at all. Peace and relaxation was the picture-perfect recipe for the newly bonded couple. They spent time exploring the many available excursions offered, including the turtle farm. Vance tried his first turtle burger but did not order another. Abby refused to kiss him until he was able to brush his teeth. They tried their hand at scuba diving. Abby was a bit frightened of drift diving so Vance always held her hand or stayed nearby so they'd never get separated. But they did enjoy exploring the submerged airplane near the shore left after the filming of a James Bond movie. There were no underwater currents there to carry them away.

Abby and Vance had asked both sets of parents to be looking online at available apartments within close proximity of Davenport Financial Services and Banking while they were on their honeymoon. Vance asked that the location be either within walking or bicycling distance from the office so that he would not be saddled with daily taxi fares. He had no idea what his salary would be yet, so he wanted to play it safe financially to begin with until the year had expired. Of course, no one was aware of his obligatory internship, other than his parents, but everyone was excited for him landing an entry level opportunity at such a prestigious institution. Abby was certain that she could find accounting work in the city, so she was only too happy to follow her husband as he pursued his career.

Upon return from their honeymoon, the couple had slightly less than three weeks to get settled into a place in New York City. They returned to Carl and Mary-Beth's home to spend the first week with them, and while they were there, packed up a U-Haul with whatever clothing, personal items and few pieces of furniture Vance would be taking with them to their new place. They rented a car to drive to her parents' home in Columbus. After saying their goodbyes to his folks, the newlyweds spent the next week in Columbus while renting a larger U-Haul up there to add her items and some of her furniture to take with them to New York. The apartment that the couple gravitated to was a one bedroom apartment, unfurnished. All utilities except for power were included in the $2,166.00 monthly rent. The high comparative costs shocked everyone learning the cost of living up there compared to both Ohio and North Carolina but they hoped their salaries would prove adequate for their needs.

Vance turned in the rental car and rented an SUV in Ohio to drive and tow the larger U-Haul to their new abode. Both sets of parents had chipped in and covered the deposit and the first two months' rent in their new apartment to give them a jump start at their new location. They were exceptionally excited to embark on this new chapter in their married life facing together whatever the world would throw at them. They located the superintendent of their building upon their eventual arrival and secured a set of keys to their New York residence. It didn't take them long to unpack and set up their clothing and furnishings. It was sparsely furnished but met all of their immediate meager needs.

They spent three days learning their new surroundings, finding a grocery store, and other places to meet their day to day needs. Things were very different than they were back home. It would take some adjustment, but once their cupboards were stocked and some cooking was underway, a palpable lifestyle that they could accept was presenting itself. They both had brought their childhood bicycles with locking chains and decided to venture out and locate Vance's new office building so he could be prepared.

Vance did receive a text from a Steve Crenshaw indicating that he should report to work the following morning at eight o'clock and he encouraged him to bring his wife with him for this first day of orientation. There would be a lot of paperwork and documents to fill out and sign which could take several hours to get processed as well as setting him up in his office. He thought it might be good for her to be familiar with her husband's employer.

Their apartment was only three blocks from his office building, so they left early enough to walk and still make it there in plenty of time. Once in the lobby, the receptionist paged Mr. Crenshaw who informed them that Albert Iddings would be right up to meet them and give them the grand tour. DFSB owned and operated the forty-two story building which was impeccably clean and furnished in a blended mix of both modern and art deco styles. It was an exceptionally impressive facility. They spent a fair amount of time in HR where he seemingly filled out his life story to get him entered into their system. He was issued an access key card and informed of all the areas he would have access to and other areas that, at his entry level position, would be off limits.

They were both extremely disappointed to learn that his starting salary would be only fifty thousand during his first year with no raises and no vacation scheduled until after his one year anniversary. At that time, his salary would be adjusted per upper management. He asked what that meant and they were unable to give him an answer. They had never run across that comment concerning salary structure before and said they would make an inquiry to see what they could learn. They both instinctively knew that it would be extremely tight for them to get by on his salary alone. With that knowledge, Abby knew that she would be seeking out employment opportunities for herself to supplement their income and give them some breathing room.

Fortunately, they were both signed up for the company's excellent health care program but five hundred dollars would be deducted from his monthly pay to cover their part of the expense of the health insurance program. This knowledge only put more of a squeeze on their budget instilling the urgent need for Abby to find something suitable sooner rather than later. Albert took them throughout much of the facility at a dizzying pace because there was so much to see and learn about. He even took them to the rooftop which held a panoramic view of the city even though there were innumerable buildings much taller.

Albert had overheard Vance and Abby discussing her need for employment due to his low income level to start. Albert had been coached to offer her an interview opportunity for a position within the same company.

"Mrs. Rayle, if I may be so bold," Albert began, "I couldn't help overhearing that you might be on the lookout for an employment opportunity yourself. Is that right?"

"Why yes it is, Mr. Iddings" she timidly replied.

"Albert, please. No formalities needed here. You guys are practically family now."

"Yes, thank you Albert. And you can call me Abby."

"Well, Abby, I kind of keep my ear to the ground around here you know, and I hear things from time to time that may be of interest to others. For example, I happen to know that Steve Crenshaw is now looking for a replacement for his personal assistant. He's one of the six vice presidents here and his current PA, Donna Griggs is very pregnant and will be leaving her position very soon to have her baby."

"Thank you.... Albert. But I'm not looking for something part time until she returns. I'm only interested in full time employment. She added.

"I figured that. And that's why I thought to mention it to you. It's my understanding that she will be moving out of state, I believe to be a full time mother to her new baby. The job hasn't even been posted yet, so I could do you and Vance here a favor by sneaking your name and contact information into the right hands. You've got nothing to lose and you should receive a call within a day or two one way or another about an interview. I don't know the pay rate for her job, but a PA for an executive VP at DFSB should command a very decent salary. What do you think?"

"Can you give us a second, please?" She asked.

"Oh sure, sure. Take your time and talk it over you two. I was just thinking that it could be mighty convenient for you two to work in the same building is all. But it's up to you of course."

They walked about ten feet away from Albert and discussed it. "He makes a valid point about us working together here in the same building." She quipped.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. We'd probably end up on different floors I imagine, but we could still eat lunch together every day in the cafeteria; that would be a big plus in my book" he added. "But we don't have any idea what it would pay. If they're starting me out at a paltry fifty grand, you might end up doing much better as an accountant somewhere else as far as income goes."

"You're right, I didn't even think about that. But he said I should know something one way or the other within just a couple of days. Why don't we put my name in the hat? And while I'm waiting I can look in the paper for other accounting positions for which I would be qualified in case this doesn't pan out."

"That makes sense. Perfect sense as a matter of fact. It wouldn't hurt to check into it, so I agree. Let's see if anything comes of it." He affirmed.

After returning to him, Vance said, "Alright Albert. We appreciate you mentioning this PA position to us. Abby will give you her cell phone number and contact information in case they're interested in setting up an interview with her. If the position is offered to her, and it pays well enough, then it just may be the ticket. Thank you."

Albert jotted down her information and promised to put it in the right hands as soon as possible. As the day was waning, Albert led the couple down to the sub-basement, two floors beneath the ground floor. After wending through some twisting corridors he proudly showed them Vance's new office. It was a very small dingy work space with a small metal desk, one bookshelf and a single file cabinet. Of course there were no windows except for the translucent glass pane in the office door. It look as though it had not been used in years. Abby said nothing negative, realizing that Vance's thoughts about his budding new job prospect was looking very unappealing right now.

"That's my office right across the hall from yours" Albert chimed in. "As a matter of fact, I don't know if Mr. Crenshaw mentioned it to you yet, but you have been assigned to me indefinitely. Now don't you worry, I'll be taking you under my wing and showing you the ropes. It's about time they sent me some help. They've left me alone down here for the past seven years and you don't know how good it will be to have some fresh blood in the place."

Remembering about the ashtray and not to be deterred, Vance was determined more than ever to complete his year of internship with aplomb. He enthusiastically shook Albert's hand and said, "I'm looking forward very much to working with you sir. I'll always give you and the company my very best."

"Ahhh, that's the spirit sonny. I'll see you tomorrow at eight bells sharp. Go on ahead and get a good night's sleep. And good day to you Abby. I hope to be seeing much more of you very soon."

That night, the promising young couple made passionate love for several hours. Abby wanted to make sure she sent her new hubby to work with a big smile on his face. She succeeded.