INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130j)

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (part130j)

Sometimes an unplanned event turns out to be better than a planned one. Even though there were only five adults and no alcohol to fuel the fun we had a good time. “B” took over the cooking chores while I finished digging up Elle’s flower garden with help from Sabrina and Martin. I managed to get one up close and personal view of Sabrina’s flowered panties when she squatted down to pull out part of a broken bottle from the area where I was digging. When the food was ready we sat around the picnic table and listened to “B” tell some funny stories having to do with his job. I remember one being funny enough that my ribs ended up hurting from laughing so hard. When Elle asked Sabrina about how her writing was going it kind of turned the tide as far a frivolity was concerned. Her “plan” was to move to the area to get involved with a group of female writers who congregated in our area each Summer. Up to that point she hadn’t made much, if any, progress. She told us she’d stopped writing her latest novel and was concentrating on writing some short stories about the “locals”. We pressed her as to who she was concentrating on but she wouldn’t give us any hints. By the time we started to pick up Martin and Sabrina were having what appeared to be a serious conversation. Sabrina ended up being the first to leave which kind of set the wheels in motion for both “B” and Martin to go as well.

I helped Elle do the dishes and get the girls ready for their baths with the idea of winning some “points” for later. When I went outside to put the charcoal grill in the garage I remembered that Martin had not returned the tools I’d loaned him for working in Sabrina’s yard. I headed for the opening in the hedge and as as soon as I got there I saw martin’s car in her driveway. I’m smiling as I write this because I truly remember laughing to myself when I saw the car. All I could think of was that Martin wasn’t a teen ager and had to live with the decision he alone made.

Elle was accomodating in bed but instead of me falling right to sleep I ended up thinking about the box of unmentionables. From time to time during the afternoon I’d thought about it and had come up with one certain decision... As nice as the fancy panties were there was just no way I could take a chance on keeping them. I reasoned that it there had only been the panties left behind then maybe the lady wouldn’t have missed them. But the total amount of items that she’d left behind would certainly cause her to follow up on them. During my thought process I wished that I’d sent Hank, the messenger custodian, to collect them but I hadn’t. Now the clerk knew my face and that I was from the bank so I was surely going to be involved when the lady made her inquiry at the hotel.

By the time I finally fell asleep I’d come up with the thread of a plan. I’d only had brief contacts with the lady during the week. I‘d noted that she spent most of the time in the board room and when she did come out it was to talk with Bert, the president. That meant that she had to have had multiple contacts with his secretary, Lena. I knew it was stretching it a bit but I thought that if I could get Lena to give her the box I might be able to escape any scrutiny. If you’ve read this tome for any length of time you might remember that right after being hired I managed to get myself into an embarrassing position with Lena when I walked into the ladies rest room with her partially undressed. Then, following that, at the retirement party for the then president, She’d had a bit too much to drink and had come on to me which turned out to be embarrassing to her. We’d “danced” around those incidents a few times and were probably “even“ but my plan was to ask her to have her say she’d retrieved the box taking me out of the equation.

I made sure I got to the bank before she did on that Monday. When I told her I needed to speak to her privately I remember the frown on her face. We stepped into the coat room and I, hurriedly, explained the situation to her. After hearing what I had to say she immediately smiled and stated that I should, definitely, be the one to give the box to the lady. Then she asked what specifically was in the box and, without waiting for my answer, proceeded to pick up the accounting pads. The fancy panties were right on top and when she reached in and poked them a bit she laughed out loud. Needless to say I was now beet red.

Truthfully, I really thought she wasn’t going to do it. I don’t remember pleading and I certainly had no intention of taking it that far but after a few seconds she picked up the pads and put them back in the box. I didn’t say anything as she picked up the box and started out of the room. At the door she stopped and turned to look at me with a sly smile. I think I stood there for at least a minute after she disappeared from my sight.

I made a point of watching the back door to see when the lady showed up. I wanted to know what her reaction was but I wasn’t about to call Lena. I had to give up on my vigil as I had to wait on a customer. Trish wasn’t at her desk when my phone rang so I had to answer. It was Lena. Before I could ask her she, somewhat excitedly, asked if I’d gone through the whole box. Surprised, I didn’t really have time to think and told her ”Yes..“. Then I heard the phone click as she hung up. As I put the phone down I realized my faced was flushed and the customer was still there. Another embarrassment. I really didn’t want to see Lena after that but she made a special point of coming downstairs to give something to Trish just to give me a ”look“. Her face showed a half smile and I knew I was in for teasing when she could.

It didn’t take long. That afternoon she called Trish to tell me to come upstairs that Bert (the president) wanted to see me and for me to bring the material I’d collected on service bureaus with me. I was so excited that maybe my plea to the examiner about my fears concerning our so called computer were going to be addressed. When I got up to Bert’s office I thought he had the lady who was the head examiner in his office and I had to wait... right by Lena’s desk. She didn’t say anything at first but then said that the lady had told her ”Thank you“. I thought that might be the end of it but it was just the beginning. She had this half smile on her face and her head was cocked a little to one side as she looked up at me. ”Did you really look at all her things?“ I didn’t answer but was actually biting my lower lip. Then she hit me with a bombshell. ”You know... I wear the same kind of lacy underpants.“ Hearing her say that shook me up... a lot. I was more than perspiring as I could feel something running down by my temples. Then, thankfully, Bert’s door opened.     

To be continued...