night—he knew that, he’d teased her about it for years. He said he could set the clocks by her. He had to have known she would look this Sunday, only two days away.
Ted had withdrawn the money four days ago. From this very branch, for God’s sake—what had he been doing here? It was nowhere near the BMW dealership, that was for sure.
A flash of goldenrod, a memory of perfume. Sarah Elizabeth Baker with her long white neck, the smooth rounded tops of her breasts in that dress she wore to the holiday party. Thx tons, Thursday 2pm Firehouse xoxoxo. Ted could have withdrawn the money, planned to meet her...
But no, that was crazy. Ted had held her last night, had sworn to her that he wasn’t having an affair. And even if he had lied, even if he was planning to leave Jen to be with Sarah, he wouldn’t do it like this. Ted was many things, among them impetuous and passionate, but he was first and foremost a family man. He would never destroy everything they’d built together, not this way.
Terrence cleared his throat. He was looking at her oddly. “Is there...something I can help with?” he asked lamely. Under the desk, Dan put his hand on her leg and squeezed, hard enough to hurt, his fingers digging into the soft flesh behind the knee. She was mucking this up, raising suspicion, doing exactly what he had warned her about. It’s your family that’s going to pay.
“I’m sorry,” she said, forcing a smile to her lips. “If I could just have a second.”
She took another look at the accounts and did some quick math in her head. Excluding Livvy’s account, the rest added up to about four thousand. Another fifteen from the line of credit, though she was uncertain about whether she could do that all in one day. As for the rest, the easiest thing would be a wire transfer from their investments, but it would take a day for the funds to clear.
The thought filled her with dread. Could she convince Dan to give her the extra time? How would they bear another night in the basement? But there wasn’t any other choice.
“Thank you,” she said to Terrence, forcing herself to stay calm. “All right, here’s what I’d like to do. I’ll take what’s in the account now in a cashier’s check. Then I’m going to have some funds wired from an investment account today, and I’ll come back to withdraw that. When is the earliest I could make the second withdrawal?”
“If the funds clear by 1:00 p.m. tomorrow, you can withdraw them after that. We’re open until 5:30 p.m.”
Terrence busied himself with the paperwork. While Jen waited, she stared at his nameplate, reading the letters of his name over and over. She tried to ignore Dan, to pretend she was alone here, doing some routine transaction on an ordinary day.
It seemed to take forever, but finally Terrence excused himself for a moment and returned with the check, which he slipped into an envelope.
“May I help you with anything else today?” he asked, handing the envelope to Jen.
“No, thank you, that will be all,” Jen said, standing and offering him her hand.
“All right. Thank you, Mrs. Glass. Mr. Glass. Have a great day.”
As Dan shook Terrence’s hand, Jen was already walking unsteadily toward the door, suddenly desperate for fresh air. On the sidewalk next to her car she paused, and Dan almost ran into her.
“What the fuck—” he started, but she held up her hand to silence him.
His face was inches from hers. Half a dozen black hairs protruded from his nostrils. He had a mole on his eyelid and flecks of gold sparked in his otherwise unremarkable brown eyes.
“How did you know how much money was in the account?” she demanded.
He was already shaking his head before she got the words out. “None of your fucking business. Give me the check.”
She handed it to him, and he folded the envelope and put it in his pocket without looking at it. “Okay. That’s a down payment. Now all you need to concern yourself with is getting the rest of
Ted had withdrawn the money four days ago. From this very branch, for God’s sake—what had he been doing here? It was nowhere near the BMW dealership, that was for sure.
A flash of goldenrod, a memory of perfume. Sarah Elizabeth Baker with her long white neck, the smooth rounded tops of her breasts in that dress she wore to the holiday party. Thx tons, Thursday 2pm Firehouse xoxoxo. Ted could have withdrawn the money, planned to meet her...
But no, that was crazy. Ted had held her last night, had sworn to her that he wasn’t having an affair. And even if he had lied, even if he was planning to leave Jen to be with Sarah, he wouldn’t do it like this. Ted was many things, among them impetuous and passionate, but he was first and foremost a family man. He would never destroy everything they’d built together, not this way.
Terrence cleared his throat. He was looking at her oddly. “Is there...something I can help with?” he asked lamely. Under the desk, Dan put his hand on her leg and squeezed, hard enough to hurt, his fingers digging into the soft flesh behind the knee. She was mucking this up, raising suspicion, doing exactly what he had warned her about. It’s your family that’s going to pay.
“I’m sorry,” she said, forcing a smile to her lips. “If I could just have a second.”
She took another look at the accounts and did some quick math in her head. Excluding Livvy’s account, the rest added up to about four thousand. Another fifteen from the line of credit, though she was uncertain about whether she could do that all in one day. As for the rest, the easiest thing would be a wire transfer from their investments, but it would take a day for the funds to clear.
The thought filled her with dread. Could she convince Dan to give her the extra time? How would they bear another night in the basement? But there wasn’t any other choice.
“Thank you,” she said to Terrence, forcing herself to stay calm. “All right, here’s what I’d like to do. I’ll take what’s in the account now in a cashier’s check. Then I’m going to have some funds wired from an investment account today, and I’ll come back to withdraw that. When is the earliest I could make the second withdrawal?”
“If the funds clear by 1:00 p.m. tomorrow, you can withdraw them after that. We’re open until 5:30 p.m.”
Terrence busied himself with the paperwork. While Jen waited, she stared at his nameplate, reading the letters of his name over and over. She tried to ignore Dan, to pretend she was alone here, doing some routine transaction on an ordinary day.
It seemed to take forever, but finally Terrence excused himself for a moment and returned with the check, which he slipped into an envelope.
“May I help you with anything else today?” he asked, handing the envelope to Jen.
“No, thank you, that will be all,” Jen said, standing and offering him her hand.
“All right. Thank you, Mrs. Glass. Mr. Glass. Have a great day.”
As Dan shook Terrence’s hand, Jen was already walking unsteadily toward the door, suddenly desperate for fresh air. On the sidewalk next to her car she paused, and Dan almost ran into her.
“What the fuck—” he started, but she held up her hand to silence him.
His face was inches from hers. Half a dozen black hairs protruded from his nostrils. He had a mole on his eyelid and flecks of gold sparked in his otherwise unremarkable brown eyes.
“How did you know how much money was in the account?” she demanded.
He was already shaking his head before she got the words out. “None of your fucking business. Give me the check.”
She handed it to him, and he folded the envelope and put it in his pocket without looking at it. “Okay. That’s a down payment. Now all you need to concern yourself with is getting the rest of
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