Her hair and makeup are too perfect right now; I want to mess them up a little.
“Hi,” she greets me, her voice pitched higher than it was on the side of the road. My eyes slip down to her name tag. So this is Hayden. The youngest of the Chief’s daughters. “Do you have your account number?”
“No.” I pull the checkbook out of my back pocket, regretting it almost as quickly. This thing has been through hell and back. It stays in the truck most of the time and manages to catch whatever dirt we have hanging around. Little pieces of rock slide out from the plastic case. “So…sor…sorry.” I stumble over my words trying to push the debris off into the floor as inconspicuously as possible.
“You’re good.” She does her best not to laugh, but I catch the twitch at the side of her lips. “What’s the name on the account?”
“Ramirez Lawn Care.”
There are hushed voices as the older teller shows her what to do to look us up. Since there’s not another company with the same name, you don’t have to verify anything with him.
Not many people in this small town have the same last name as me. Used to bother me, but at least I don’t have to worry about someone trying to steal my identity or anything.
And there’s only one loan, so we’re good with that.
“How much do you want to pay?”
“Three thousand, and can I get the balance on it too?” I grab the pen laying on the counter and start writing out the check.
“Do you want a print out or written down?” Her voice is lower this time. I notice the other teller has gone over to where the window is, seeming to help out with a problem.
Clearing my throat, I inhale deeply. That tone she’s using isn’t meant for public consumption. That’s for late nights, bedrooms, and tangled limbs. “Printed out, please.”
“No problem.”
Handing over the check, I purposely make sure our fingers touch. The spark between us is unfuckingdeniable. If it were a dark night, we’d be lighting up the place. There’s a flare of recognition in her eyes, her mouth making a surprised oh and letting me know what she might look like in the throes of ecstasy. She seems to fumble with putting the amount in, but manages to do it before endorsing the piece of paper.
“Danny, huh?”
“You knew that. It says it on my jacket, which you still have. Didn’t realize you work at the bank though.”
She shrugs. “I don’t make it a point of telling my life story to people who stop to help me on the side of the road. Seems like the beginning of a horror movie, don’t you think?”
“Or a porno.”
We both snicker as she prints out what I assume is the balance on the loan. My eyes track her hands as she reaches over, grabs a pen and writes something on it before handing it to me. “Have a good day, Danny.”
“You too, Hayden.”
“Maybe I’ll see ya around?”
“Maybe.”
I’m not a guy to make any promises, especially when I’m not through my probationary period with the fire department yet. It takes a ton of my time, but I’m always willing to have fun.
As I leave the bank, getting into my Jeep, I glance down at the paper.
There’s a phone number written on it.
If you’re not too scared of my dad, give me a call or text.