HOME AGAIN... to some surprises (Part 157e)

HOME AGAIN… to some surprises (Part 157e)

Hobie walked up to the gate at the platform and motioned for me to follow him over to his new work area. I thought it might be to discuss the Netta/J J situation but it wasn’t. Back in the December Board meeting I’d been designated as the bank Security Officer. At the time all I knew about it was that the Federal government was in the process of promulgating new rules concerning how Banks were to handle bank robberies. The first step was that each financial institution was to designate a person to monitor and administer the rules when finalized. After the appointment I’d not heard a word about it… until I stepped into Hobie’s area.

While I was in Florida the State banking association we belonged to contacted all the members and offered a two day seminar to go over what was known about The Bank Protection Act of 1968 even though it hadn’t yet been enacted. Hobie had signed me up… Thursday and Friday, in the city. I just stood there wondering how I was to get all the other things I was responsible for completed. I needed to visit the new branch site; meet with the premium (gift) vendors; review the data center’s performance during the ‘busy time’ with them; review the applications for a new switchboard operator and, on a more mundane item, review the pile of mail on my desk. I don’t remember saying anything at all. Walking back to my desk I saw Jerry which reminded me that I had to call Gee. While dialing him up I started flipping through the applications. Among them was a name that seemed familiar and I pulled it out. Gee agreed to call Gertrude (the travel agency lady) to assure her that her money was safe. That was the first thing that had gone right for me since I got up.

The second thing that went right was the familiar name I’d seen on a job application form. It came to me that she was the daughter of a lady I’d met while taking adult education golf lessons at our school. I had Trish call her and she said she could come right in. She appeared at the gate to the platform just before the noon siren. Certainly not a ‘looker’ (actually a little on the plump side), Mary Carol had a pleasing personality and a great sounding voice. Studies had shown that most initial contact with banks was through the phone so that aspect of the job was definitely important. In the interview I gleaned the fact that she’d been homesick in the short time she’d been at college and had decided to find a permanent job near home. I’m not going to say that I wasn’t looking for an easy way out of the situation when I offered her the job. She said she would be there at 9am the next morning… another positive in my day.

With Netta gone, the back-up for her was Lynne, J J’s secretary. I knew from past history that he hated that arrangement and had tried to get Joanie to fill the role. That was something that I was dead set against as she was way to bright to be saddled with a ‘nothing job’. So, from that standpoint getting Mary Carol started was a priority.  I’d managed to avoid J J all morning. Hobie had filled me in on just what transpired after Netta walked out. Bert, the president, got J J in his office and closed the door. Hobie was told that Netta was contacted by Bert but she wasn’t interested in returning under any circumstances and I couldn’t blame her. I just hated loosing a nice person like her and decided to call her at the end of the day.

She was surprised to hear from me as we’d actually had little one on one contact on a daily basis. I told her I was sorry to hear that she’d decided to leave and asked if she cared to give me the background on what had happened. She declined at first but then told me she’d been having trouble with the switchboard itself. It was an old PBX type where the operator had to plug wires into the board to make the connection. She said she was aware that some calls were getting “dropped” but hadn’t said anything about it. On that day it had happened to J J a couple of times and he’d been rude to her. Then, on that particular call it had happened to the same caller twice and that’s when J J  went ‘off’ on her. I told her I understood how she felt and told her that if she used my name as a reference I’d give her a  good one.

By the time I left for home it was well after 6pm. By then I’d addressed most of the items on my ‘to-do’ list for the day. Driving home I was a bit concerned to have to tell Elle I’d be in the city Thursday night. I knew the seminar would be over in time to be home for supper on Friday so it wouldn’t be too bad. Hobie had had Trish make a reservation for me to stay at the same hotel where the conference was being held which was a definite plus. I was thinking about that when it came to me that it might be possible to visit with one or more of the premium (gift) vendors while in the city. The reason I wanted to visit them rather than have them come call on me was I could see the whole range of products they had to offer rather than them just pick out a dozen or so for me to choose from. Pulling in the driveway was when I was reminded of the carry bag and the bikini panties. I’d been so busy all day that I’d actually forgotten about them… not good!

Elle was very understanding about my lateness which was a good sign. However, as I looked around I didn’t see the carry bag. I thought that maybe it was back in the closet so I told her I just had to get out of my suit and get comfortable before eating. I think I went up the stairs two at a time. Walking into the bedroom which was right at the top of the stairs I saw the bag on the end of the bed. I also saw that the zippered pocket that ran along the bottom of it was unzipped. Instant heart attack! I think I stood there staring at it for maybe thirty seconds before moving over to it. I reached down for the bag and stuck my hand in the pocket. Nothing! I probably took a few deep breaths before it came to me that Elle had been in a good mood when I walked in which she certainly wouldn’t have been had she found the panties. I stuck my hand back in the pocket and pushed it to the far corners. You can’t believe the relief that came over me when I felt something soft and satiny on my fingers. I grasped it and pulled it out…
             

This is it... no label/size... & no idea who they belonged to...

  To be continued...