ANOTHER YEAR... with new adventures (Part 151d)

ANOTHER YEAR... new adventures (Part 151d)

It took a little effort to calm down the other customers who’d heard her rant but we did. The only ‘casualty’ was Alice, the newest teller, who had taken the initial thrust of the woman’s anger. Crying, she headed for the ladies room. Trish went to check on her and had reported back that she was in no shape to return to the teller line. With a lobby full of people there was no way we could afford to be a teller short. I saw Peggy returning from the signature card file and told her to finish up with her customer and then bring her cash drawer out to Alice’s window. She gave me a puzzled look and, a bit ‘frazzled’ at the moment, told her to ”get a move on“. While she was in the process I found Jaz and told her she would be 'running' the drive-up transactions out to the the lobby teller line like she’d done from time to time in the past. It took maybe five minutes to get Peggy set up and running because we had to get Liz, the auditor, to lock up Alice’s cash box.

When I had gathered myself back up I apologized to Peggy and explained what had happened. She, totally out of sight from the lobby, had no idea of what had just happened. I told her to just take her time and if a customer had a question about the new on-line process to get either Bret, Gracie or me. I was trying to keep it as simple as possible for her. I, unfortunately, didn’t notice when one of the announcers/reporters from the radio station showed up in the lobby. I knew who he was because he handled MC duties at a number of local charity affairs. However, as I saw him at Peggy’s window I was somewhat puzzled as I’d never seen him actually in the lobby before. When I saw him I went over near her window to listen in on the conversation. He was interviewing Peggy and was asking what kind of problems we’d been faced with since making the change. That’s all I needed to hear and jumped in front of Peggy and told him that if he had any questions they would have to be directed to an officer of the bank. He was obviously miffed and stood there for a few seconds before he moved. At my desk he identified himself and as soon as he did I asked him why he was there. He didn’t answer but, remembering the confrontation with station owner’s wife a short time prior to that, I asked if he’d been sent over by her. Again, no answer but his facial look gave me the answer.

I decided to give him a bit of a ‘break’ hoping that he would actually listen. I went through the whole routine with him. Just as I was finishing up Gracie appeared. I decided to give him a ‘test’ and asked him to tell her what I’d just gone over with him. On a school test grading scale I would’ve given him a 70, just barely passing. I emphasized that, as a reporter, he was supposed to report using only facts and not perceptions. He agreed and before he left my desk I’d gotten him to promise that he would stick to the facts. I didn’t want to bring the station owner’s wife back up so left it at that. I think I remember a handshake as well.

By 3pm there were maybe eight or so people left in the lobby to be waited on. Gracie came up to me and said she really wanted to be on her way so she could be home by dark. I remember looking at her and wondering what the bank would’ve done without her help. With the last window transactions seeming to be going smoothly I walked Gracie to the coat room. We were falling all over each other with ”thank yous’ when I remembered that I wanted to ask her to return Elle’s panties to me, at the bank, and not to my house. Earlier, I’d decided that it was probably best that Elle not be told of the loan of her panties to Gracie. When I broached the subject with her I was completely caught off guard when I saw her eyes start to pop out and I heard her exclaim “Oh, my god!”

I had no idea what was wrong. I remember grabbing her arm and asking if she was OK. Her answer blew me away. When I mentioned the panties it had reminded her that after she’d washed out hers that morning she’d left them on the sink. I remember her telling me exactly where they were (just behind the cold water faucet). Her face was as red as a tomato. Her next words were some sort of apology but I didn’t grasp them at all. Then she went to wondering what Elle was going to think of her. I really didn’t know what to say as I was worried more about what Elle was going to think of me because when she’d left for school Gracie wasn’t yet showered and dressed. I do remember standing there feeling somewhat flushed. I also remember trying to figure out just what routine Elle would follow upon arriving home. I was trying to figure out what the chances of her finding the panties were before I got home. I couldn’t come up with an answer.

I have no memory of how long it was before Gracie finally left. What I do remember was telling her I’d try to find her panties before Elle did and that if I didn’t... well, I’d let her know what happened. Leaving it like that I told her to hold off returning Elle’s panties until she heard from me. I had an idea of what to say if Elle had found them but I didn’t share it with Gracie. To say that from that moment on was filled with anxiety is putting it mildly. If it wasn’t for the ‘busy period’ and if it wasn’t for the newness of working with the data center I would’ve taken off for home right at the moment Gracie left... but I couldn’t. It was a long afternoon and I will admit my concentration wasn’t on bank business. 

My trip home was filled with thinking of all kinds of things to say to Elle if she’d found the panties. By the time I pulled in the driveway I was convinced that she had found them. I was positive that the first thing she’d do upon arriving home was to change her clothes. I was also positive that with this being her first day teaching that she would have needed her ‘package’... and if she did she’d need to get washed up. Walking in through the kitchen door I felt like I was walking into an execution.

To be continued...