The Weight of Perfection: Grand Harbor - Book Three Read online

  *****

  Monday morning rolled around after a long, fun weekend, hanging out at the beach playing volleyball with my friends and floating down the Grand Sun River. As usual, these past couple of weeks I felt like the fifth wheel, hanging out with Sophia and her husband Lance, and Olivia who couldn’t keep her hands off her boyfriend Miles.

  My friends tried to look up Luke online the day before, but had no luck. It was like he didn’t exist.

  “Lexi, I’m going to have you work the front teller line this morning, and then you can switch with Tina to the drive-through after lunch.” My manager Rhonda was already handing out orders and it was only 7:53 - just another cruel reminder of my not-so-action-packed life.

  “Got it, thanks.”

  “Let’s sell in those new savings accounts too,” she reminded me for the third time this morning. “The fliers are right by the pens.”

  Rhonda wasn’t a bad person by any means. I appreciated how devoted she was to her job, and how enthusiastic she was about employee morale – but when the orders started before I’d had any coffee – I just found her annoying as hell.

  Around eleven-thirty that morning, before heading out for my lunch break, I began organizing my station before clocking out. No doubt the door chimed at that exact moment, meaning I had to handle one more customer before I could escape.

  “Hi, welcome to Grand Harbor Bank, how can I…” I stopped mid-sentence as soon as I looked up, staring back the gorgeous face towering above me.

  “I didn’t expect to see a familiar face,” Luke said warmly, resting his arm on the counter in front of me.

  “How did you…did I…did you know I worked here?” I couldn’t get the words out. I immediately wondered how my hair looked, half pinned back from my face. I was definitely in a hurry when I did it this morning.

  “I had no idea you worked here. I don’t think we got that far the other night.” His lips curled.

  Right. The only thing we exchanged that night was our germs – not any practical, useful information.

  “Of course, that all happened quickly,” I replied awkwardly. “Did they let you stay, or did they really kick you out?”

  “I listened to the show from out in the parking lot.” He shrugged, as if it was no big deal.

  “That’s horrible! I feel so bad.”

  “The acoustics out there weren’t terrible. A friend of mine drove my truck there since some of us were drinking beforehand, so I didn’t have my keys on me. They eventually found me after the show though, and I still had a cooler in the back, so it wasn’t all that bad.”

  I appreciated the way he sounded so nonchalant about it all, like it wasn’t a huge inconvenience, but I felt awful about it anyway.

  “So you’re here to…” I hesitated, afraid I would say something stupid. Here to ask me out? To make out again? To whisk me away from my dull, pathetic life?

  “To open a checking account.” He stared back at me with his intense eyes.

  “Right, because this is a bank. And I’m wearing a polo shirt,” I muttered.

  “What?”

  “Ah, nothing. I have some colored pamphlets here that would prefer talking you into a savings account,” I said sarcastically, handing him one. “But if you’re set on a checking account, I can make that happen too.”

  He didn’t look down at the pamphlet, instead keeping his gaze directly on me.

  “How long have you worked here?”

  “Let’s see, I started at eighteen, so almost six years now.”

  “Do you like it?” He scanned the room, seeing only one other customer there, probably assuming it was a boring job.

  “I’m living the dream,” I said with animated arms, gesturing around at my surroundings. Deborah, the other teller, stood at the counter next to me, speaking loudly to an elderly client who didn’t understand why interest rates went up again. Hank, our sixty-year-old security guard, stood at the front door, trying to stay awake. Other than that, the lobby was dead.

  “It appears you are living the dream,” he replied with a nod, gently tapping the pamphlet on the counter. “Thanks for the info. I’ll think it over to see which option is best for me.”

  I am the best option for you. ME. Pick me.

  I offered him a sincere smile, trying to will him with my eyes to ask me out, but it didn’t appear to be working. Maybe he didn’t feel the same chemistry I did? Or maybe this dumb blue polo shirt was really ruining my life?

  “Well, you know where to find me now,” I said with a flirtatious shrug, trying to steer the conversation.

  “I do. I’ll keep that in mind.” He smiled back at me, looking like he wanted to say more, but he didn’t. Instead, he offered me a polite nod, and then turned around and headed toward the bank’s entrance.

  Thankfully, he didn’t make it all the way there.

  “Lexi.” He turned back around, facing me, and my heart stopped.

  “Yes?” I sucked in a breath.

  “It was really nice to see you again.”

  One more sincere smile, and before I could respond, he turned and headed right out the front door.

  “But I could probably love you forever,” I said with a dramatic outstretched arm toward the door after it closed behind him. Deborah laughed at me. Thankfully her client had already moved along to one of the finance manager’s in the back, so no one else witnessed my agony other than her.

  “Who was that? Tell me he asked about me,” she teased, leaning on the counter. She had the same dreamy look in her eyes that I probably did, even though Luke was probably half her age.

  “Right? He’s the most attractive human being that has ever set foot in this bank,” I said with a sigh.

  “Second to me, ladies,” Hank chimed in from across the room. I forgot he was there. I always underestimated him. Perhaps he paid more attention to his surroundings than I thought.

  “I think the next time he comes in, Hank, you two should arm wrestle. I’ll take the winner,” Deborah joked.

  “That giant man could win arm wrestling a bear,” Hank shot back with a cackle.

  “So I’m not the only one who noticed that.” I shook my head, still in a love haze.

  “Do you know him?” Deborah turned her attention back on me.

  “Kind of. We kissed. Once. And then he was escorted away from me by police. That pretty much sums up my dating luck right now.” I had to make fun of myself, otherwise I would start crying every time I thought of Nathan cheating on me. The whole thing unraveled only a couple weeks ago. The breakup was hard on me, which was probably the reason I was enamored with Luke. That guy had ‘rebound material’ written all over him.

  “I’m so jealous. I need a guy like that. All these dating websites are exhausting, and I’m pretty sure there are no men like that on there. It’s like no man wants to date a divorcee over forty.”

  “You just haven’t found the right one,” I commiserated. “It’ll happen.”

  “I want yours.”

  I laughed. “He’s not mine. I honestly thought he was going to ask me out when he came in, and instead he asked me about checking accounts. I’m delusional. And I didn’t even get him signed up for an account, which makes me a failure both romantically and professionally. It’s almost too much to handle.” We laughed about it for a few more minutes, then headed out together for lunch.

  *****

  Wednesday nights were girls’ nights at my place. Every week Sophia and Olivia came over to drink wine and watch sappy movies. No matter how busy we all were, we always made time to catch up every week.

  “Your honeymoon sounds perfect, Soph. I’m so jealous. I’ve always wanted to go to Italy,” I gushed. Her pictures were amazing. We’d looked through a few of them on the night of the concert, the first night we saw her after she’d come back, but tonight we were able to go through all of the photos, and they were breathtaking.

  “Thank you both for stopping by to hang out with Grandma Eve while I was away. I know it mean
t a lot to her.” Her Alzheimer’s had progressed quite a bit as of late, so I’m not sure she truly understood why Sophia was away so long. Nevertheless, we kept her company and went to a couple of the events at her assisted living center while Sophia was gone.

  “How’s the dating life this week, Lex? Any potentials?” Olivia was always asking.

  “I got hit on a few times by old men at trivia night last week, remember?” I laughed. “At least I know I’m still desirable to the over-seventy crowd. It’s good to be wanted.” They giggled along with me, but then I grew silent.

  “No thinking about Nathan tonight. He doesn’t deserve a second more of your thoughts,” Olivia said sternly.

  “Actually, I’m not thinking about him at all,” I admitted. “I’m thinking about someone else I can’t have.”

  “That Luke guy from the concert?”

  “Yeah. It’s strange, he came into the bank the other day. I thought we had some kind of connection, but…nothing happened. He seemed a little, I don’t know, nervous or something. I thought for sure he was going to ask me out, or at the very least, ask me some more banking questions – something to keep the conversation going. But instead he left without accomplishing anything. It’s like he was too caught off guard seeing me to do anything. Although maybe I just want that to be true. Maybe he wasn’t affected by seeing me at all, but I don’t know. I can’t get it out of my head. The whole thing was weird.” I exhaled, but the frustration didn’t leave me.

  “I’m really disappointed in my stalking skills,” Olivia added. “I used to be great at finding people, but he’s literally nowhere online. Is it possible for a hot young guy to not be on any social media? The answer would be yes, if he’s a felon, right? But I even checked the jail records for several different surrounding counties and there’s no trace of him. I found a Kyle Beckett who had pretty striking eyes in his mug shot, but that was it. No hot Luke Beckett’s anywhere.”

  “So he has to be a felon from another state then,” Sophia speculated. “Is there some kind of federal registry?”

  “If he’s a felon, should we even be trying so hard to track him down? I mean, yeah, he was hot, but I also don’t want to be dead. Not now – not before I’ve accomplished anything anyway. Maybe he has a good reason for not wanting to be found.”

  “Impossible,” Olivia said, shaking her head, “if he’s as attractive as you say, that can’t go unnoticed. Even if he doesn’t have any social media accounts, he has to be in pictures with other people. You know, psychotic ex-girlfriends, whatever friends he was with at the concert…”

  “Can we just start the movie and pretend like Luke Beckett never happened?” I knew such a suggestion was easier said than done, but I had to try. The girls agreed and we settled into our usual routine – although instead of paying attention to the movie, I was begging the universe to give me one more shot with Luke. I vowed if I ever had the chance to see him again, I wouldn’t let him walk away from me without doing something about it.

  Chapter 3

  “Please let me take him this time,” Deborah begged as I refilled the withdrawal slips by the front counter.

  “What?” I looked up from my station, my body completely freezing as I locked eyes with Luke.

  Thank you, universe.

  “You’re back,” I said with a polite smile, trying not to let too much excitement gush through my face.

  “Yeah, I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and…” he hesitated.

  “About…checking accounts versus savings accounts?”

  “No.” His lips curled. “Honestly, I didn’t consider that at all. I didn’t even read through the information you gave me, sorry. I just…I had something else on my mind.”

  Making out with me again? I so desperately wanted that to be the answer to any of his questions.

  Deborah opened her mouth. “Lex, I’m picking up your Saturday shift tomorrow, right? That way you can have a whole weekend with no plans?”

  Please don’t try to wingman for me right now, Deborah. You suck at it. Stop talking.

  I ignored her completely, still staring back at Luke.

  “You were thinking about…”

  “Pizza.”

  Food. Of course. Leave it to a man to be in front of a girl ready and willing to throw herself at him, and he’s thinking about pizza.

  “There’s that new bar down by Crescent Pier. They’re having some live bands tomorrow night, and well, it’s been awhile since I’ve enjoyed a concert from the inside.” He smirked as he said it. “I thought maybe we could…” Make out in the lobby right now… “go together? If you’d be interested?”

  “Like I said, I can work your shift tomorrow,” Deborah butted in again.

  Seriously, Deborah, stop talking!

  “I would love to,” I replied casually, trying not to seem too eager. “What time does it start?”

  “Music starts at eight, so I thought maybe I could pick you up around six-thirty? We can eat first, then hang out and watch the bands?”

  “That sounds great. Let me write down my address.” I grabbed one of the withdrawal slips I was stocking and wrote my info on the back. He copied my number into his phone.

  “I’ll send a quick text so you have my number.” He typed something into his phone, then smiled as he put it back in his pocket.

  The front door chimed, and a man in a black ball cap and dark sunglasses walked in. Instead of moving to Deborah’s teller line, the man stood at the Please Wait Here sign.

  “I can help you right here, Sir,” Deborah said warmly.

  “No. I’m waiting for her.” The man didn’t move from his position in line.

  Luke looked back at him, studying the guy, though with his thick sweatshirt and hat pulled low, there wasn’t much to see.

  “This feels like last Friday night all over again,” Luke murmured quietly. He must’ve picked up on my annoyed expression. “Maybe I should stick around?”

  I let out a heavy sigh. “It’s okay. I know him. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” I flashed him an apologetic smile, feeling bad that I had to move him along, but it was for the best. Things were about to escalate, and I didn’t want him to see it.

  Luke stared back at me, as if he wasn’t sure whether or not he should go. I nodded at him reassuringly and he headed toward the front door, cautiously making his way out as if he could suspect something was wrong, but he headed out nonetheless.

  The man in line took off his sunglasses, walking up to my counter.

  “I need all the money you have,” he said with a low voice.

  “This is a bank, nimwit. You can’t say that in here. And no, you don’t,” I replied sternly. “You need to leave.”

  “Just a few grand. You have to.”

  “I have to? Or what? I don’t have to do anything for you. I won’t. I’ll say it one more time. Leave.”

  “Lexi, is everything okay? Do I need to call…”

  “It’s fine, Deb,” I cut her off. Hank slowly made his way over from the front entrance closer to my counter area, keeping his eye on us. “Whatever your situation is, it’s about to get a whole lot worse if you don’t leave the premises.”

  “It’s just a few thousand,” he pled, changing his tone. “Please. It’s important.”

  “No.”

  “I need the money!” He slammed his fist down on the counter and his tone was full of desperation.

  “Sir, I’m going to need you to step away from the teller,” Hank said in a firm voice, his hand on the gun still attached to his belt.

  “They probably don’t even know who I am, do they?” He motioned toward Deborah and Hank. “Figures. Too ashamed of me to even tell people you have a brother. You’re worthless,” he sneered. He put his sunglasses back on and then stormed out of the front door, heading across the parking lot on foot.

  I noticed Luke’s blue truck still sitting out in the parking lot. Once my brother Cade was out of sight, he finally pulled away. Maybe it was just a coincidence
, but if he’d stayed on purpose, just to make sure nothing happened, I appreciated it more than he knew. Perhaps the reality of it was he was making a phone call or checking his email or something before pulling out of the lot. In my mind, however, I hoped he stayed intentionally because he sensed something was off. It made me feel safe, coincidence or not.

  “That was your brother?” Deborah pointed toward the door. “He looks nothing like that picture you have in your locker in the break room.”

  “Yeah, well all the drugs have made him skinny,” I replied with a shrug. “I didn’t realize he was back in town. I haven’t seen him for a long time.”

  “Are you all right?” Hank was waiting for my okay before moving back to the front door.

  “Everything’s fine, thank you.” I reached under the counter, grabbing out my phone, feeling conflicted on whether I should call someone about it. Should my parents know he’s back in town? After moving to South Carolina, they felt so removed from all of this. Would they care? Would it be better to just let Cade disappear all over again?

  As I turned on my phone, I smiled as soon as I saw the text on the screen.

  Even if I’m going to get punched again somehow, I’m still looking forward to hanging with you tomorrow night. Apparently that was the message Luke sent minutes ago when he put my number into his phone.

  “Where has your brother been?” Deborah’s voice sounded worried, pulling me back into reality as I quickly shut off my phone and tucked it back under the counter.

  “Don’t know and don’t care,” I said, shaking my head. That wasn’t completely true, but I had to act tough about it or I would lose it. “The last time I saw him was a couple years back. He was trying to get clean, and I was helping him get back on his feet. Not the first time, of course. His asshole friends broke into my apartment, trashed the place, and stole some stuff. My brother swore he’d pay me back. Instead he stole a gold necklace my mom had given me, along with some other sentimental stuff, and I haven’t seen him since.”