Chapter 69: A Day In The Office.

HELENA Around 11am, Susan phoned my desk. An elderly customer, Mr. Thompson, was confused about a recent transaction on his account and was becoming increasingly frustrated. Helena stepped in with my usual calm and patient demeanor. "Mr. Thompson, how can I assist you today?" I asked, guiding him to a quieter corner. The lobby was filled with customers, each being attended to by members of the team. "It's this transaction here," Mr. Thompson said, pointing at his statement of account. "I don't remember making this purchase." I took a seat next to him and carefully examined the statement. "Let's take a look. Do you recall visiting this store last week?" He squinted at the paper. "Oh, now that you mention it, I do remember. It was a gift for my granddaughter. I must have forgotten." I smiled warmly. "No problem at all, Mr. Thompson. It's easy to forget these things. If you have any more concerns, please don't hesitate to ask." Even I sometimes forget when I spend money. And he was old. His frustration slowly melted away, replaced by gratitude. "Thank you, Helena. You're always so helpful." "Just doing my job, Mr. Thompson. Have a great day," I replied, watching as he left the bank, alot happier than when he first came. After the morning rush, I decided to grab lunch with a few colleagues. We headed to the nearby Cafe, settling into different booths and chatting excitedly. Mike leaned back in his chair, a grin on his face. "I remember when you first started here. Who would've thought you'd end up as the head manager?" He smiled up at me. "Yeah, who would've thought," I mused. I felt somewhat nostalgic. Emily, looked at me thoughtfully. "You know, Helena, you're not just a manager. You're a leader. And that's why we chose you." I smiled warmly, touched by her words. "Thanks, Emily. That means a lot. I just try to do my best every day." The rest of the lunch was filled with casual conversation and laughter. I enjoyed every moment, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction knowing I was part of such a good team. Soon, we all headed back to the bank and into our workstations. The afternoon passed quickly. I was able to handle a steady stream of tasks, including meetings with higher management, reviewing financial reports, and addressing any issues that arose. My mind was so occupied, I didn't have time to think outside work. I was reviewing some reports, and noticed a discrepancy in one of the accounts. I called Mike over to discuss it. "Mike, can you take a look at this? There's something off about this account's transactions." Mike examined the report and frowns. "Looks like an error. I'll reach out to the customer and get it sorted." "Better. Make sure this gets resolved quickly," I replied, half appreciating his diligence. I didn't want another Julia on the loose. I was completely exhausted at the end of the work day, but I still decided to walk around a bit. The evening breeze was calm and comforting. Perfect. "Helena?" Caleb's voice sounded behind me. "Caleb. Hi," I replied, turning around swiftly. My heart skipped around 10 beats, if I wasn't mistaken. "How have you been?" He asked, his eyes scanning my face. "I've been good. Busy with work," I replied, offering a small smile. "How about you? And when did you get back in town?" For all I remembered, he was gone for a complete three weeks. Why was he here now? The scroll. Of course. "Same here. Work's been keeping me on my toes," Caleb said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "It's really good to see you, Helena." "Yeah, it's been a while," I tried to keep the conversation light. Somehow, he had gotten to know of my new position as the manager. Georgina. "Head manager, huh? That's impressive," He said, admiration in his tone. "Thanks. It's been a lot of work, but I enjoy it," Keeping my voice steady became a daunting task. "Well," Caleb says, his gaze lingering a moment longer than necessary, 'it's good to see you doing well. I'm proud." My face flushed crimson immediately. If it weren't for the dim evening light, I'd have tossed myself into a bush. "Thanks, Caleb. You too," I replied, my voice steady but with an edge of finality. I really didn't want to delve too deep into the last, especially when I was feeling so good. We parted ways amicably, and I returned to the bank, getting ready to leave. It was pouring by the time I got to the house. 'Stupid, stupid rain." I muttered as I walked in through the front door. I was drenched form head to toe. And today had been going so well. Regardless,I went to bed that night after a very hot shower and a nice dinner, positive about tomorrow. My mind drifted to Caleb. The encounter with him felt like it was a minor blip in an otherwise positive day, and I decided not to let it affect me. Okay, this was two days in a row. What was going on? I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on another day of well, work. I headed straight to the kitchen, where Luna and Aaron were already making breakfast. "Good morning," I said, joining them. "Morning, Helena," Aaron replied, mixing batter in a bowl. "Sleep well?" "Like a rock," I said, pouring myselff a cup of coffee. "Thanks for dinner last night, both of you. It was exactly what I needed." I had finally gotten so used to their presence. Luna beamed at me, and I saw Tyrus squeaking underneath her."Anytime. We're all here for each other." "I was thinking we could all do something fun this weekend. Maybe a hike or a trip to the beach?" I pitched. It had been a while since I went on ant form of a vacation. "That actually sounds great." Aaron agreed. "It's been a while since we all did something together." 'Asides fight?" Luna teased, and I laughed. We finalized our plans over breakfast, and I had a new reason for getting excited. The weekend.