It was 8:32, and she relished the relative quiet. Most customers used to “banker’s hours” didn’t realize that the drive-up window was open a half-hour before the lobby. Although it was payday for half of Scranton, business at North Penn Bank was slow.
Jessica enjoyed her job as a bank teller; it afforded her family-friendly hours and solid health benefits. It also allowed her to do her favorite thing -- people watch. At the drive-up window, she’d get only a three-minute slice of someone’s life, but those three minutes often told her so much. What they didn’t tell, Jessica liked to imagine. She’d regale her family with stories from the bank, making up wild scenarios from the nuggets of information she had overheard.
As the pneumatic tube whirred, Jessica looked up to scrutinize her first customer of the day. Inside a big, blue pick-up, she saw a couple in the midst of a heated discussion.
“Hmm, which one wants more than their share of cash?” Jessica wondered. It was a familiar scenario, repeated every payday among her customers. Taking in the woman’s understated appearance, Jessica made a bet with herself, the first of probably many today. “Ten-to-one he wants the money for a boys’ night out or a weekend trip to Foxwoods,” she thought as clicked on the communication system.
“Welcome to North Penn Bank, how are you today?” she chirped while opening the pneumatic capsule containing their paperwork.
“-ammy, no,” the man pleaded. “We’re just going to take out some money, then decide from there. We don’t have to make any permanent decisions now.”
“We do, Roy. I do,” sighed the woman (Tammy? Cammy?). She leaned over him and asked, “Can we just close our entire account now? Or do we have to wait until the lobby opens?”
Taken aback, Jessica sputtered, “Well, um, that’s usually something you’d have to do with our manager, but let me see what I can do.” Curious about this turn of events, Jessica left her speaker on, feeling slightly guilty for eavesdropping. Were these just lovers in the midst of a bad breakup? Or was she witnessing the end of a marriage? She guessed boyfriend and girlfriend.
“Pammy…Pam. Can’t we talk about this more? Do we have to rush this?”
“Roy, we’re done talking. I’m done talking. I’m tired, and I’m going to be late for work. I just want to close the account and divvy up the money.”
“But…but…it makes it so final. Like we haven’t even tried.”
“God, Roy, we’ve been through this. You don’t have money for a lawyer. I don’t have money for a lawyer. The money we received for our wedding is our only asset. It’s just simpler this way.”
“Ah, married,” noted Jessica’s internal scoreboard. “Oh for two today.”
Pammy’s voice lowered significantly; Jessica strained to hear her. “Plus, I need money for a deposit on the apartment I saw last week.”
Jessica knew she should shut off the communications system, or at least tell the anguished couple that she couldn’t help them until after 9:00 a.m. But she was drawn to them and tried to fill in the blanks of their story. Why was Pammy rushing to close their account, when they obviously weren’t even separated? Why were they deciding to separate at all? Jessica’s mind raced with the possibilities. Was Roy abusive? Did they get married too young? Or too late? Oh...oh! Did Pammy have someone else?
As if he heard her thoughts, Roy asked, “Pammy, I don’t get it. Why can't you explain it to me? Why the rush to move out?” His frustration peaked by Pammy’s continued silence, he blurted, “Looking to move in with a boyfriend?”
Jessica caught the conflicted look that crossed Pammy’s face as she denied the existence of a boyfriend. “Roy, there’s no one else. Not…not right now. And, maybe never.”
“Uh oh, wrong thing to say,” Jessica thought as she tapped her keyboard, looking up their account.
Roy seemed to agree, “Not now? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you looking for someone else? Someone you think will give you more than me?’
Pammy’s silence just incensed her soon-to-be ex-husband. “Who is it?” he snarled. “The Temp? Halpert? It’s Jim Fucking Halpert, isn’t it?” Seeing her tears and almost imperceptible nod, Roy whispered desperately, “I knew it.”
Jessica had heard and seen enough. She closed their account screen, sent back the pneumatic capsule and gently informed the unhappy couple that they’d have to come back when the bank lobby was open and the manager was available.
After they pulled away, Jessica quickly picked up the phone and dialed. She smiled slightly when she heard it connect.
“Jim Halpert,” answered the familiar voice on the other end of the phone.
“Baby brother, have I got a story for you...”
