Bankers' Hours

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Even though bankers' hours leave long weekends for romance, cosmic intervention is Grant’s only option when money doesn’t buy happiness and he’s got virginity in spades.

Grant Adams is a twenty-six-year-old bank teller who’s unlucky at love, yet hopelessly hopeful. After years of horrific first dates, he’s convinced he’s saving himself for true love. Surely he has bad taste in men because it couldn’t possibly be his persnickety nature that’s sent them packing.
 
Tristan Carr has been in a holding pattern since his daughter was born fifteen years ago, which suits his workaholic lifestyle just fine. This ex-Navy turned auto mechanic never wanted anyone interfering with being a weekend dad. For Tristan to rearrange his perfectly orchestrated life, a guy will need to be special. Or in the case of the newest employee at his bank, the guy will need to be adorable, shy, and open to the prospect of forever when it shows up at his window.




 Ave 3.45 *   Goodreads:    5 stars (20)  |  4 stars (32)  |  3 stars (34)  |  2 stars (11)  |  1 star (7)
 



Chapter 1

Same Job, New Location, And Starting My Life Over

 

“Who’s the hottie?” asked a female customer to my colleague Jessica. She “whispered” her question in a none-to-hushed voice, as if it wouldn’t be overheard four feet away in the adjacent teller cubicle. I kept my back turned, pretending to tidy my work area because I wasn’t sure how to respond. I didn’t really know Jessica, since I’d only worked in this branch of the bank for a week. I certainly didn’t know the customer who asked the question, since I hadn’t seen her in the bank before. I did, however, know enough to understand I was the object of said question.

It wasn’t the first time I’d been referred to as a “hottie;” although I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t have the muscle I normally associated with hotties. I guess I was okay-looking, and I was kind of tall, but after people got to know me, my looks never mattered. I was pedantic with a heavy dose of OCD, and I guess it was a little too much for most people because I rarely got asked out twice by the same guy. Actually, I couldn’t remember ever being asked out twice.

I almost threw a pity party for myself in my cubicle, but knocked over my pens instead. They went rolling off my station and I forgot to stew over the fact that I was twenty-six and never been kissed. I wanted to think of it as “saving myself,” but the truth is I was a loser and no one had ever liked me enough to kiss me.

“That’s Grant,” Jessica answered her customer. “He transferred from another branch when it closed.”

I picked up my pens and set them back in the round container and moved it to a different location. I made the mistake of glancing over and caught Jessica and the woman staring at me. Is this what penguins felt like? No, they probably didn’t notice the humans staring through the glass as they swam at the zoo. Monkeys were more intelligent. Maybe monkeys understood the uneasiness associated with being gawked at. It wasn’t merely the staring, or the compliment she’d given me, my problem was in knowing the remarks never stayed on the complimentary level. Once they got past my dark blond hair and blue eyes, people normally laughed at me for something.

I turned away from Jessica and headed toward the restroom. Once I locked the door, I took out my phone and texted my mother. I didn’t live with her, I wasn’t that pathetic, but we texted often.

How are you, Mom?

She texted back quickly, as per usual. I’m fine, Grant, but you’re supposed to be working. Stop texting me.

I’m on a five-minute break.

Stop ducking into the bathroom every time something stresses you out.

Nothing stressed me out.

Did you pee, or did you lock the door and take out your phone?

“Shit,” I mumbled. I glanced at my reflection over the sink. “I am pathetic.” I texted my reply: I peed.

Liar. Go back to work. You’ll settle in fine. Talk to people, make friends, and then the new branch won’t seem so scary.

But it took me a year to make friends with Laura and then she moved across the country and left me two months before they decided to close my branch. I feel like my life is in turmoil.

Grant, go back to work. Talk to people. Talk to the ones you work with AND the customers. Maybe one of them lives near you and will turn out to be a good friend. I need to go. I have a massage in ten minutes.

Fine. Bye. Have fun.

She didn’t text back. She probably thought I was ridiculous. I pocketed my phone and washed my hands. I liked clean hands, plus I enjoyed the smell of the pink grapefruit foaming hand soap. Sometimes I washed my hands just so I could smell my fingers while I worked. People may have thought I had an unusually itchy nose, but I only rubbed the tip of it so I could smell the soap scent.

When I got out of the bathroom, I returned to my cubicle to discover a line had formed. It was like that. One minute I could be straightening my deposit slips and reorganizing my inkpad and teller stamp, and the next minute fifty people show up in the lobby at the same time. I put on a bright smile and called a woman over.

“Good morning,” I said to the older lady.

“It’s the afternoon,” she replied gruffly.

I glanced at my computer screen. “Technically, it’s morning until after noon.”

She glared and shoved a check my way. “Cash that. I want it all in twenties.”

I took the check and flipped it over. “Can you please sign the back, and may I see your driver’s license?”

She snatched up a pen and proceeded to scribble her name. “My license is in the car, surely you can ask one of the other tellers to vouch for me?”

“I could, but then how am I to learn your name for the next time?”

“By memorizing the name on the check,” she huffed.

“Well, I’m new here and it is procedure to ask for a driver’s license for all transactions. Even with customers I know, I am supposed to write the number on the check or at the very least double check the name.”

She ignored my reason and fussed at my coworker. “Jessica, can you tell this boy who I am please? I don’t have time to follow his,” she paused, “procedures.”

“You can cash Mrs. Caldwell’s check, Grant. I know who she is,” Jessica said. She didn’t seem smug or condescending, but I felt snubbed all the same. I had protocol to follow, and my first customer of the day sidestepped it.

I grinned and nodded politely, but I begrudgingly counted out twenties. “Will that be all, Mrs. Caldwell?”

“Yes, thank you.” The terse woman put the wad of bills in an envelope before I even had the chance to ask if she wanted one, and then stormed away.

The next person to walk up to my window made my breath hitch. I swallowed hard. “Ca-can I help you?”

The man grinned, but only with the left side of his mouth. “Yes. I’d like to deposit this in the account at the bottom, and I’d like to withdraw money from a different account. I’ve written down how I want that back on this slip of paper.” He slid a piece of paper to me across the counter. His hands were soiled and greasy. I suddenly wanted to wash mine.

“Oh, okay. I can do that. I’ll just need to see—”

“My driver’s license,” he said, sliding it across the counter. He half-grinned again.

“Oh, thank you,” I replied. I was slightly startled by his compliance, and half nervous over his grin. I took his personal license and wrote the number on the business check for Carr’s Automotive. Tristan Carr. “Is this your company?” I asked.

“Yes. My father started the business and I took it over before he died. If you ever need an auto mechanic, I’m only fifteen minutes north of here.” He winked.

My mouth went dry. Was he flirting or just being friendly? “Um, okay. I bet you hear jokes often about the name.”

“Sometimes.”

I punched in his account number and clicked the corresponding options on my screen. I ran his checks through the scanning machine and then set them in the correct bin—facing the same direction as the check from Mrs. Caldwell. I handed him the receipt for his deposit. “How did you want that back?” I asked. He glanced down and tapped the counter. “Oh, right, you gave me a list.” After I counted out the appropriate amount, and zipped it up in his money pouch, I asked, “Is there anything else I can do to--for, do for you?”

I expected a smirk, or a facial tick to reveal he’d heard my slip, but he only paused before answering, “No. Thank you.” He glanced at my name placard. “Grant, I’m sure I’ll see you again. Perhaps the next time you won’t need ask for my license.”

Why would he say that? He couldn’t know I was checking him out. I barely made eye contact. Maybe he was repeating what the previous woman had said. “Perhaps,” I replied. “It was nice to meet Mr. Carr, of Carr’s Automotive.”

He grinned again and stuck out his hand, but as I went to shake it, I bumped the container of pens I’d set next to the window, after I’d knocked them over from their previous location, and sent them rolling across the counter and through the window onto the floor at his feet. I was so embarrassed. “Oh God. I’m so sorry.” I gathered them up and set them in the container I up-righted.

He bent down and retrieved the pens from the floor and put them into my container. Three were upside down so I took them out and flipped them over. He smirked and said, “Until next time.” He picked up one of my business cards from the stack next to my name placard and read it. “Grant Adams,” he repeated my name. “It was a pleasure to meet you.” He pocketed the card and stuck out his hand again. This time I didn’t knock over the pens when I shook it.

His hand was dirty and rough and completely swallowed my tiny palm. “Likewise.”

He nodded and walked away, and I glanced at my hands. They felt gritty.

I looked to the next customer and smiled as she stepped up, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the feel of his skin touching mine. She set her money and checks on the counter, but I had to excuse myself. “I’m sorry. I need to wash my hands.” I took a step backward. “I’ll only be a second.”

She gave me a questioning look, but warily conceded, “Okay.”

I dashed to the bathroom and pumped three squirts of foam onto my hands and lathered thoroughly for twenty seconds. Mr. Carr’s hands appeared greasy; and even though there was no evidence of grease or dirt on mine after he shook it, I still had to wash. I rinsed and dried my hands. I looked down at my open palms, fresh and clean. He’d touched me. A man I’d just met, held my hand briefly. I’d introduced myself to countless people before, some of them male, yet Mr. Carr’s warmth still lingered inexplicably.

I heard a knock on the door. “Grant? How long are you going to be in there?” Lucinda, another teller, asked. I opened the door and she said, “There’s a line. I don’t want to call Tracy over to help.”

Tracy was the bitchy branch manager I’d come to loathe from day one. She was not friendly by any means, but did her job well enough to garner the customers’ adoration. Lucinda had been kind enough to warn me about her before I got myself fired over nothing. Tracy was all business and as long as I did my job to her satisfaction, Lucinda had assured me Tracy would leave me alone. Only, I hadn’t been here long enough to earn my reputation for excellence. Tracy hadn’t worked with me at the other branch and apparently word-of-mouth wasn’t good enough.

“No,” I replied. “I’m coming.” I shut the door and returned to my station. The same woman was waiting there. I greeted her with a smile. “Good morning.”

“It’s twelve ten, therefore afternoon,” she corrected, handing me her deposit.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Time flies when you’re having fun,” I joked, hoping she would let my inattention slide.

“Or chatting up a customer,” Jessica commented as she walked past me on her way over to the drive-thru window.

I blanched and hoped my customer didn’t notice as I entered her account number into the computer. I couldn’t believe Jessica would say such a thing with a customer right there. Was this the type of person she is? How was I supposed to make friends with someone who embarrassed me in front of customers?

“That man did look dirty,” the customer said, oblivious to Jessica’s comment, or at least ignoring it. “I don’t blame you for washing your hands.” She slid her license toward me without prompt.

“Thank you. Although it’s not necessary for a deposit.”

She smiled. “I come in here several days a week. You’re new, so I wanted to make sure you got familiar with my name... and face. It will make it easier the next time.”

“True,” I read the name, “Ms. Gina Snyder.” I chuckled, finding her name ironic. “I have Snyder’s pretzels in my lunch today. I don’t suppose you own the pretzel company, do you?” Her deposit was large, but there had to be hundreds of Snyders in the greater tri-state area. Snyder’s  was a Pennsylvania company.

“Mrs.,” she stressed. “And not directly, no,” she replied, grinning precociously. Her eyes lingered on me and my face flushed. “I’ll see you another day, my dear boy.” She winked and turned away.

Two winks in one day. If this was any indication of the type of town Westminster was, I wasn’t sure I could handle it. I was used to attention, but this was silly. I wasn’t sure I’d last in this branch of every customer flirted with me; although, perhaps I was assuming too much. Mr. Carr couldn’t possibly have known I was gay, and Mrs. Snyder wouldn’t flirt with a guy my age, would she? I was probably young enough to be her son.

Jessica stepped up behind me and whispered, “Be careful with her. She’s a cougar.”

I turned around sharply. “What?”

Jessica glanced at the lobby, before saying, “She’s an aggressive older woman who likes to prey on hot young guys.”

There was one guy filling out a slip and another waiting to see the manager about opening an account, so I had a minute or two to fuss. I protested, “I’m not hot.”

She snorted, “Oh, please. You’re hot. I wouldn’t normally admit it to your face, but since you’re gay my opinion won’t get misconstrued.”

“Gay? I’m not….” I started to protest but the look she gave me screamed “Stop, before I smack you.” I glanced around and whispered, “How did you know?”

She snorted again, louder this time. If she’d been drinking something it would have come out her nose for sure. “I know this is going to sound awful, but you drip gay. From your pink shirts—”

“Straight guys wear pink,” I blurted.

“To your perfect hair—”

“Straight guys comb their hair.”

“And your obsession with cleanliness—”

“Straight guys can be clean.”

“There isn’t a single thing about you I’ve seen this week that would convince me you’re straight. Maybe Mrs. Snyder can overlook your less-than-straight qualities because she wants to bag you, but I pegged you from day one. I’m just saying… be careful and stop flirting with the customers.”

“I’m not.” Besides the fact her assessment of me was offensive, I couldn’t follow what she was suggesting. I didn’t flirt.

“Oh right,” she laughed. “Then you better control your blushing because women like Mrs. Snyder will eat you alive, and guys like Mr. Carr will punch the shit out of you. I saw him at a Papa Joe’s once. He got off his motorcycle and walked across the parking lot like he owned the place. It scared the crap out of me. He could be a police officer or a general of an army. Believe me, you don’t want to mess with him.”

I couldn’t imagine Mr. Carr punching me. He seemed very nice. His half smile intrigued me; it made me think of trouble brewing under the surface. He certainly had that bad boy quality I’d always appreciated from afar. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. He didn’t seem dangerous to me. Besides, I’m not flirting with anyone and I don’t blush easily.”

“The hell you don’t. Just watch yourself or Tracy will haul you into her office and rip you a new one. She’s all about policy, and dating customers is frowned upon.”

We were only standing in my cubicle, but I felt as though she’d shoved me into a corner and was pointing her finger at me as she yelled in her quiet tone. “Okay, okay. Jeez. I haven’t done anything.”

Her expression changed. “I’m sorry, Grant. I like you. I don’t want to see you get fired or get hurt. You seem very sweet, albeit a bit naïve.”

She had me there. My cheeks heated from embarrassment.

“See, you’re blushing again.” She reached up and touched my arm as I clapped my hands over my cheeks. “I’m sorry I commented about chatting up the customers. I think it was my way of challenging what I’d seen. Part of me hoped it wasn’t true because you are seriously cute. Being gay would ruin my chances.”

I sighed. “You’re right, I’m gay.”

“Then why be so defensive about it?”

“I guess because you deconstructed my sexuality based on stereotypes. I don’t like labels and definitions because I think there are too many people out there that don’t fit into a category. Some get offended.”

“But yours are obvious. Tone down your actions or expect people to assume.” She looked over my shoulder. “Customers. Gotta go.” Jessica patted my arm and waved the customer in line to head over to her window.

I waved one over as well. I greeted the older man, “Good afternoon.”

 

***

 

I went home after my shift and gazed at myself in the mirror of my dresser. Was I really stereotypical? I liked pastel shirts and I didn’t see a reason to wear white or black just to blend in. I undid my pink and white striped tie and pulled from around my neck. I hung it on the tie organizer in my closet and unbuttoned my shirt. My pasty white skin sagged in my reflection. I flexed. The lack of muscle made my self-image worse. I was scrawny and awkward, and my body was not one guys like Tristan Carr desired, or any guy desired for that matter. Even with the point zero two percent chance Tristan was gay, I highly doubted I had anything he’d find attractive once he took his eyes off my okay-I-admit-it’s-pretty face. In my suit and tie, I had the hot young executive appearance in my favor. Out of the suit, I was a pathetic twenty-six year old virgin with zero appeal.

I took off my trousers and hung them up. I pushed my underwear down and reassessed. My sad little penis hung to the left. “Negative twenty appeal.” I rubbed my crotch and scratched my patch of blond hair. “This poor thing will shrivel and fall off before I find a guy to suck it.”

Heavy hearted, I took a shower and put on my pajamas before heating up leftovers.

After I washed my plate and put it away, my phone rang. I could tell it was my best friend, Mel, by the ringtone.

“Hello,” I answered.

“Hey. How’s your first week been?” he asked.

Mel was transgender and had revealed that fact the very first time we’d eaten lunch together. He’d said he trusted me from the first moment I smiled. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but we’d been friends now for four years. His birth name had been Melanie Tersiguel; so changing it to Mel wasn’t a stretch. He had always gone by Mel, so when people sometimes addressed him as Melanie, he was less offended. He’d told me he’d considered a different name entirely, but liked Mel because it was his father’s name. Since I’d met him after he’d started taking T and undergone top surgery, it hadn’t been an issue for me to call him him, or address him as Mel. Other people though, family members and such, called him Melanie on occasion, and I’d gotten the impression it was to emphasize their disapproval.

“Fine I guess.”

“Hmm, you don’t sound fine. What happened?”

“Nothing, I guess. Do you think I’m flamboyant?” I asked.

“Wow. Where did that question come from?”

I stretched out on the sofa and pulled the afghan off the back of it to cover my legs. It was the middle of September and I wasn’t very warm to begin with so any slight drop in temperature had me covering up. I sighed into the receiver. “I don’t know. A girl at work said she knew I was gay from the first day. I’ve only been there five days.”

“So? You’ve never denied it, have you?”

“No. But it was the way she said it and associated her assumption based on my clothes and mannerisms.”

“Ah! Stereotyping. You’ve always hated that, haven’t you?” Mel asked, but I knew it was rhetorical.

“Mostly since meeting you. I guess I don’t want to admit that my appearance isn’t more neutral. But you didn’t answer my question, am I flamboyantly gay?”

“Of course not. But it’s more than your Easter egg colored wardrobe, Grant. When a guy… for example, you… ogles another guy’s ass as often as I’ve seen you do, then that guy’s gay and it doesn’t matter what color his shirts are or how much his hips sway when he walks.”

“My hips do not sway when I walk!” I protested.

Mel snickered. “Okay, they don’t sway… much, but the way you openly check guys out is obvious.”

“I haven’t done that at the bank, I don’t think.”

“Just be careful, Grant. Carroll County, Maryland, is more conservative than Howard County. You don’t want to piss off some conservative farmer, or a Harley Davidson loving auto mechanic.” I choked and pulled the phone away from my mouth to clear my throat. When I brought the phone back up to my ear, I heard Mel laughing. “Oh wow. Did you ogle a farmer? You slut!”

“Oh my God, Mel. Don’t make this harder than it already is,” I whined.

His tone changed right away. “I’m sorry. I know relationships are hard for you. I didn’t mean to poke fun.”

“I’d almost prefer being a slut to being alone. I hate it. Every night I come home to an empty house. Maybe I should move back in with my mother.”

“Grant,” he warned.

“She’s all alone. She’s got that stupid cat I’m allergic to, but I could take shots.”

“Grant, don’t.”

“But Mel!”

“No buts. Moving out last year was the best thing you’ve done for yourself. And if you do meet a hot farmer, then at least you don’t have to explain why you’re still living with your mother.”

“I could tell him she’s sick,” I countered.

“But she’s not. Your mother is perfectly healthy and active. There is no reason that doesn’t make you sound pitiful. You’re a big boy; you can take care of yourself.”

“Your right. So do you think I’m attractive?” I asked, even though we’d covered the answer before.

“Yes, you know you are. But I’ve told you before, I’m attracted to girls, so your looks don’t matter to me either way.”

“I know. But do you think my looks would be enough for an auto mechanic?”

“You know I was only joking about the auto mechanic, right? There are other professions in in Carroll County.”

“Oh, I know. I’d never jump to the conclusion that you categorized the population in Westminster based on production and agriculture. No, there was a guy who came in today. He’s an auto mechanic.”

“And?”

“And he’s hot,” I whined.

“Oooh, do tell?” I appreciated his interest. Mel had egged me on for details about all three guys I’d been interested in since we’d met. And he’d been there to support me after all three had bombed after one date. He was used to my crushes and had yet to discourage me from dreaming.

I drew my knees up and tucked my afghan under my feet, positioning myself for the juicy details I was about to spill. “Okay, he’s built like a tank. Taller than me, and he has more muscle than that body builder guy we used to make up stories about last year.”

“Mr. Goodwin?”

“Yeah.”

His voice went up two octaves. “Oh my gosh! How do you know, was this guy wearing a tank top or something?”

“No. He had on a uniform and coveralls, but his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his forearms were bigger than my biceps.”

“Niiice. What else? Hair, eyes, height, name?”

“His name’s Tristan Carr.”

“And he’s an auto mechanic? I bet that’s a drag.”

“Yeah. I guess. I thought it was amusing. Anyway, I didn’t look directly into his eyes long enough to notice the color, but he’s taller than me.”

“Jeez, really? You’re six foot.”

“This guy has to be six four, and I’ve never seen shoulders that wide.”

“What color’s his hair?”

“Don’t know. His head’s shaved.”

“Fair enough. I’ve seen some hot bald guys, so what’s your opinion? Do you wish he had hair or is he fine without it?”

“Oh, absolutely fine without it. He’s very tan and sexy. Possibly cover-model material for a biker magazine.”

“Good, but I’ve got a question for you. How clean are his hands? I know how you are.”

My heart sunk. I was fine talking about how nice Mr. Carr looked until Mel brought up his hands. “Well, they look like the were covered in grease. He shook my hand and they didn’t feel greasy, but I still had to wash my hands after he left. His hands were rough and huge, but stained black around his fingernails.”

“That’s typical. When I work on my car, I get oil and grease on my hands and sometimes it takes days to come off. Imagine working on cars every day. I bet his hands were clean, but you couldn’t tell.”

“You’re probably right. But he’s probably straight anyway so speculating over aspects that would unnerve me is unnecessary. I think he was just being nice because I’m the new guy.”

“Maybe. But you better promise to call me if he turns out to be gay.”

I chuckled. Mel was a great friend. “So, how about you? Are things progressing with you and Cindy?”

“Nah, I’m still hesitant about telling her about my… situation. What if she doesn’t accept me? I think I’ll wait until after I’m done with my next surgery.”

“Didn’t you say it might be a few years?”

“Yes, but maybe if I take things slow then she’ll be too in love with me to break up. If I tell her now, she might run before we have something good.”

Mel had been afraid to fall in love because it meant telling a potential partner that not all of his outside parts matched his inner identity. I pitied him, but only in a helpless bystander sort of way. I wished he could be happy without the fear of rejection. “Mel, you know I love you, but I think if you wait too long to tell her, she might resent you for stringing her along. Honesty is best.”

“I know. Just… can you keep your fingers crossed for me?”

I nodded, but then realized he couldn’t see me. “Yes. I’m here for you.”

“Thanks. I’m here for you too. And if Mr. Carr, the auto mechanic, turns out to be gay, I’ll be here for advice on to how not to screw it up. The next guy you go out with will be the one, I’m sure of it!”

We said our goodbyes and I set my phone on the end table. I hoped Mel was right. I was tired of being alone. There had to be a guy out there who would tolerate my need to iron my boxers and group my shirts according to color. Other people had to despise it when their food touched on their plate, right? Or when restrooms only had air-drying machines instead of paper towels? I was not a freak. I was somewhat nice looking gay man cursed by an ugly personality, which repelled men. I was special. I would find someone eventually who appreciate my quirks.

I went to bed thinking about what my second week of work would be like. This weekend, I would do laundry and clean my three-room house. On Monday, I could worry about the cougar-woman Jessica warned me about, and the auto mechanic who’d winked at me for no apparent reason. Because really, even if he was gay, he’d never want to take me to bed, so I was better off playing it cool and being his friend.

Friends. My mother told me I had to make some.






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