SURVIVING... Same ole, same ole (Part 129j)

SURVIVING... Same ole, same ole, (Part 129j)

The skirts were Gina’s. She’d brought them in for Jerene to shorten them for her but when the keys went missing the skirts were on the counter and in the way so she’d put them in her personal drawer. On the fact that it was locked she said that with all the people looking around for the keys and it getting so late that she’d forgotten that she’d locked it. That was when I told her that we’d finally found the keys, mixed in with her things in the drawer. I told her that we’d had to pick the lock and that when we pulled all the clothes out we’d heard a metallic sound and found the keys in amongst her stuff in the bottom of the drawer. I was concentrating on her facial expression when I told her that and I wasn’t disappointed. She let out a very noticeable “OH!” and put her hand up to her mouth... and then, after a few seconds, she looked down into her lap.

I remember staring at her and, for the first time, feeling sorry for her. The only thing that she really did wrong was to not put the keys back where they belonged... and the bank had to assume some responsibility in that they’d allowed both keys to remain on the same key ring for so long without putting one in the locked key storage box along with all the other spare keys. I sat there looking at her, with her head still down, finally asking her if she learned anything from what had happened. When she looked up at me I could see what appeared to be tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She started to speak a couple of times and when she finally did said that she shouldn’t have been doing personal things (Gina’s skirts) during banking hours. She’d gotten distracted in trying to do Gina a favor. At that point I emphasized that when using the bank’s safe deposit key it had to go back to the assigned location after each and every use... no exceptions. She took a deep breath and nodded in agreement.

I allowed her to compose herself before excusing her. To try and ease the tension a little bit I asked her if there was anything new in her life. That perked her up a bit and she said she had a boyfriend. With the start of a smile on her face she described him a bit and then I told her to get to work. She stood up and, surprisingly, I saw the old Jerene reappear as the half smile and fluttering eyelashes returned. She started to walk away but then she stopped and returned, leaning over the front of my desk. “Did you go through ALL the things in my drawer?” I looked right at her and nodded affirmatively. She smiled and then added “But am wearing nylon now...” and turned and sort of strutted back towards her station. I knew I'd been "had".

I was actually mad... but there was nothing I could do at that point. When I looked at the $120 invoice on my desk it made me madder. I’d had the opportunity to put it on her but got soft hearted and fell for her contrite “act”. At the same time I knew that I had to be careful dealing with her because she could turn it back on me. Not a good situation.

Bret had handled the obnoxious safe deposit customer but had Bert with him to take some of the pressure off. After I calmed down I wrote up new procedures for handling the bank’s access key(s) for safe deposit boxes and distributed them to each and every teller. I spoke with all with the exception of Jerene. I knew if I said anything to her and as upset as I was with her that it wouldn’t be good. About mid afternoon Trish, (representing the Polish mafia) approached me to ask if there was any possibility for those who’d stayed late the previous day to leave early. I thought it was a good idea but ran the idea by Hobie, concerned that the employees from the second floor might take exception to it. J J was always “zinging” me about special attention that he perceived the tellers were getting. Hobie gave his OK and said he’d take care of J J. I knew he had never fully accepted J J and somewhat enjoyed knocking his ego back a peg.

All the tellers were “in proof” a little before 4:30pm and it didn’t take long for the first floor employees to disappear. I stayed around to work on the ads for the upcoming new account/gift program and Hobie was on the phone. It was nice to be able to concentrate on the project without interruptions from the public. I don’t know how long it was before Hobie called out to me. He was still on the phone and explained that he had the Chairman of the Board on the phone. He’d been the president prior to Bert. When he cleaned out his things from his desk when he was leaving he’d boxed some items up that he felt might be important to the bank. He wanted to know if Hobie knew where the box was. He didn’t. That was what Hobie wanted me for. I told him I pretty much knew where to locate it in the cellar and he dispatched me to get it.

At the bottom of the stairs to the cellar was the “break” room where there was a coffee machine, sink/stove/refrigerator combination, a three person sofa, two comfortable chairs and an old baked enamel table with six pull up chairs. Hank, the messenger/custodian would clean the room up at around 4pm, get the coffee machine ready for the next day and then turn out the lights. So, when halfway down the stairs, I wasn’t expecting to see light coming from the door which was partially open. I stopped and heard voices. Then I took some slow steps to the bottom and tried to peer in to see who was there without being seen. From where I stopped I could see about half the sofa and within seconds I saw Gina move into my line of sight. It took my breath away. She was looking the other way which was good. What had startled me was that she wasn’t wearing her skirt... or her slip. What I saw was a very trim young woman in a pair of light blue bikini panties. I got to see a bit of butt cheek but it was mostly a side view She still had her blouse on but I could see flesh above the waist elastic. It was such a surprise that I can’t even begin to estimate how long I stood there before retreating back up the stairs but it wasn’t for long.

I didn’t go all the way to the top but stopped to figure out how to get to the bottom and retrieve the box that Hobie wanted. I’ve been a country music lover since I was about 15 years old. Merle Haggard had just come out with the song “I am a Lonely Fugitive” that I really loved and had found myself singing when alone. For some reason it came to me to start humming it and to then head back down the stairs. I took my time and just as I got to the bottom I saw Jerene step out into the hall and grab the door handle. She stopped and looked right at me. I don’t remember exactly what was said or who said what but I managed to ask what was going on. She didn’t answer but tried to pull the door closed but I held it so she couldn’t. I remember her turning around and looking back into the room. Just as she did I saw Gina pulling a skirt up over her hips. At that point I was looking at two very embarrassed young women.

To be continued...