«Goodbye» I reply, still hesitant. I start walking in the opposite direction and I think that, more than a keen observer, he seems to like minding other peoples business.
I go to the bank, take another envelope from the familiar employee of the first counter and put it back in the folder. I leave the girl, after an interesting conversation about todays weather conditions that has taken away at least three minutes off my tight schedule, to get to the last branch of the first block of banks.
The rude cashier hands me a transparent envelope with two checks put in at random. He then informs me that he must proceed with my identification: I hand over the document and he scans it, while I put these checks in my folder. I take my ID from the fat hand stretched out towards me, I greet without any particular pleasantries and, as I go out, I realize how the subway stop is located in the square nearby. I decide to use that, to reach the two furthest banks. For sure, its faster than the 10 bus.
While I am waiting for the train, the folder in my hands begins to bother me. I open a button on my fur coat and place it inside, supporting it with my right hip and putting my hands in the pockets, which I think can benefit from a bit of comfortable synthetic warmth. When I reach the bottom of the lining, my index finger touches a cylindrical object. I inspect it with curiosity: it is a simple lip balm stick. I also rummage in my left pocket to make sure Im not carrying items that I can lose. After realizing that there is nothing like that, I decide to put the stick in the safest inside pocket, which already has my smartphone, and in which I also place my rechargeable card and ID.
I hear a whistling sound coming from my left and I turn to look at it: the subway is on its way and it is slowing down, getting ready to stop. I take the folder out of my fur and I go in the half-empty carriage. I sit on the outer seat, placing the folder on my legs, while the electric vehicle takes off again and I think that in three or four minutes I should arrive at my destination.
I look around and, after making sure that the two people sitting on the far side are looking harmlessly at their smartphones, I open the folder: the two checks in the transparent envelope show, next to the letter to, the details of the recipient: Ciapper Real Estate ltd. in liquidation. Beside the word euro, printed in small letters, I read the inscription six hundred twenty-five thousand/00.
I open the other two envelopes, moving the tab aside and I see that the same details are there on all of them. Considering there are ten checks in the folder, I have with me over six million. Perhaps my state of mind would not be so nonchalant if I were the recipient of all the checks.
«Next stop, the train station» announces the automatic speaker of the subway.
Once I am out again, I am taken back by the crisp air: the sky is blue now and the fog has completely vanished. I huddle in my fur coat and walk towards the post office. In about five hundred meters, going around the building, I will already be near via Solferino. Up until yesterday I did not even know that there was a branch here. It is actually the only branch that can issue cashiers check in the Brescia area.
Classic mantrap: I go in and notice three individuals queuing at the only open counter. I patiently wait for the account holders to carry out their business and, after about ten minutes, I introduce myself to the clerk behind the glass.
«The girl from Sbandofin is here to collect the checks» she whispers into the phone. She stays on the phone for a few more seconds, then she turns to me: «If you can take a seat, my colleague will come over in five minutes».
«Okay, thanks, Ill wait there» she replies, bringing my right thumb over my shoulder.
I turn and head to three brown armchairs placed against the wall, next to the mantrap at the entrance, taking a seat on the one on the far side. I place the folder on the glass table placed in front of the armchairs, cross my legs and unbutton the synthetic garment that is wrapped around me.
Surely Serenas fur coat is really warm. Almost as warm as her hug, when she has one of her sudden outbursts of affection and she hugs or kisses me for no reason. She is just like that: always carefree and joyful. I smile and think about her legs. Yes, maybe its true, before I was staring at them, but I cant help it: I do the same with everyone. Besides, hers are so sensual. I look at the bare portion of my calf, which comes out of my jeans, a little crumpled due my sitting posture. I bend towards the lower part of my leg and touch the uncovered portion of my calf with my almost frozen fingers of my right hand: a shiver runs through me and ends up down my back.
«Hello Lavinia, Im Marco, nice to meet you.»
The words that come to my left take me by surprise. I get up and shake the mans hand. «Good morning Marco.»
«Here are the checks, everything else is taken care of. However, at some stage, the gentlemen will have to come over here to sign for privacy and money laundering» he tells me, handing me a grey envelope.
«Perfect. Yes, Ive already mentioned that to them.»
«Good» he replies, staring at me.
He is an attractive man: tall, a little sturdy, streaked with grey, presumably around fifty-five.
«Can I get you a cup of coffee?»
«Thank you Marco, but by midday I have to be in another...» I reply and then I stop a little abruptly. «In an office in Corso Garibaldi: so, Im forced to refuse.»
«Okay, next time: please come and see us when you want, I was pleased to see you» he replies, stopping for a moment as if he wanted to specify, «to meet her, I am pleased to meet her.»
«My pleasure, Marco: I will definitely come back for other customers» I reply walking slowly to the exit.
I get to the mantrap, leaving Marco behind me and I press the button to open it, while I have a clear feeling that he is still watching me.
I take a look at my smartphone: it is 11:40 am; the last two branches should close at 1 pm, so I can take my time now.
2.2 LIFE - FIVE
I am back at the entrance of the building now: it is 12:45 and Mauro is back in his usual glass workplace.
«Hi Lavinia, have you done all your running around?»
«Hi Mauro: yes, Im back.» And I am still wearing Serenas fur coat: today he doesnt really want to mind his own business.
I turn to the right and from a distance I see a person who is about to cross the threshold of the first lift following another man, of whom I can only see his back for a few minutes: he is Tom Sellek, Im sure. I slow down a bit, and I wonder if he is coming back to us for some strange reason.
While I wait for the lift, I watch the numbers above the steel doors. Magnum P.I. stops on the eleventh floor.
While on my way, I wonder whats there. A notarys office, I think, and perhaps a psychologists office. Being with a partner, unless it is an improvised couple therapy, I go for the first option. After all, he is setting up a company: he must contact a notary.
When I get to the office, I am still speculating with my neurons dazzled by the memory of the phosphorescent green. He was going there too this morning. Anyway, as curious as I am to know where he was going, I dont think the issue should be of interest to me. So, I focus on Serena, busy with another telephone conversation.
I leave her fur coat in the closet, after replacing the lip balm in the pocket and after taking my cards. I then go to my workstation.
Maddalena is no longer there: she usually leaves the office at 12:30 sharp, even when she arrives late due to her usual morning disasters.
The last task of my day is to scan the sixteen checks. Given that each A4-size scan can keep up to four bank checks, I take the maximum amount of checks to be scanned from the stack and place them on the glass. I repeat the whole process three more times. When I turn to go back to my desk, I see Teresa walking past the glass wall with a smile.
«Good morning Lavinia, have you collected them all?»
«Sure Teresa, look how beautiful they are» I answer showing her the checks.
She takes them off my hand and inspects them one by one and remains silent for a few seconds. «Really beautiful» she then says with a pleased expression. «Well done, Lavinia. Im off for lunch, see you tomorrow.»
«Excuse me Teresa» I interrupt her, as she is about to leave. «Just one thing: I found a leasing company you can register with as an intermediary to manage customer contracts. Can we register? I need to ask for a lease for a strange client who doesnt want his wife...» I am trying to explain, while she interrupts me by replying: «Yes, sure, Lavinia, go ahead with that: sorry, but I have to dash because Im late for lunch».
«Okay, then Ill go ahead with that. See you tomorrow.»
I go back to my desk, while Teresa quickly disappears behind the glass wall, and I attach the pdf files of the scans to a new e-mail, addressed to the Ciapper administration department. After doing that, I take Marcos plain grey envelope, which appears to me to be by far the one in the best condition, and I place all the cashiers desk inside it.
Ettore FinExtreme has already sent me the draft for the requested loan: I am delighted with his reliability and save the amortization schedule, without even opening it, in the folder of the couple, deciding to view it and examine it in detail tomorrow. I look at the time in the lower right corner: 13:07 pm. My working day at Sbandofin is over. I reach for the power button on the keypad with my index finger, but the sound of the phone interrupts my gesture.
«Yup?» I say holding the receiver to my right ear: its Serena.
«Sorry Lavi, are you going? Mrs Pardoli is asking for you.»
«Yes, I am about to leave, no problem anyway» I reply a little puzzled. I then add: «Who is Mrs. Pardoli anyway?»
«What do you mean, who is that? Marisa, the nymphomaniac, the one who tries to touch anyone that passes by, when she comes here!»
«Right, I see. Cant you call people by their own name?» I retort, grinning.
I hear Serena laughing, I look up and see her down there looking at me and her amused face. «Yes, sorry, it was a too formal announcement: can you put her through to you?»
«Of course, thanks.»
«Lavi, by the way, if you are not in a hurry to get home, would you like to have lunch with me down below? We havent had a nice chat for quite a while.»
«Yes, fine» I reply right away. «Ill find out what she is looking for and Ill be right there.»
«Okay» Serena says, hanging up.
«Good morning Marisa, how are you?»
«Hi Lavinia, all is fine. Sorry, but Im in a hurry: I was calling you because I need to buy myself a little thing, nothing much, a thousand euros. Can I drop by to see what we can do about that?»
«Of course, Marisa, whenever you want.»
«I have to open the shop at 9:30, can I come in early tomorrow morning?»
«Sure, Ill be here at eight» I say lingering a bit. «Are you looking for the usual consumer credit, right? Paying by instalments like we did a short while ago?»
«Yes, sure, something like that. Ill be there around eight am, before I go to the shop.»
«Okay, see you tomorrow Marisa.»
«Thanks Lavinia, see you tomorrow.»
I hang up, picturing in my mind the nymphomaniacs busty chest decorated with a coarse pendant full of synthetic stones.
2.3 USE YOUR ILLUSION
2.3 USE YOUR ILLUSION - ONE
The office is almost deserted: there are only the new girls having a meal in silence at their workstations, Serena and me. The four senior men slipped out of the office a few minutes ago, shortly after Teresa.
I press the power button on the keyboard, grab the grey envelope and walk down the room towards Serena, walking close to the glass wall.
«Girls, are you eating bean sprouts today too?» I inquire as I look at the four of them munching the yellowish worms away which overflow from four identical plastic tubs. They keep staring at their monitors while nodding their heads in agreement at the same time: this must really be a unanimous yes.
I walk a little further and I get to Serena who is busy writing an e-mail while talking on the phone. I show her the grey envelope and place it next to the keyboard.
Serena looks at me for a few minutes, she smiles and goes ahead with the call. «Yes, mom, the important thing is that he is well; Ill pick him up at five pm from your place.»
I am leaning against the first window of the many and I watch Serenas profile, sitting with her back against the armchair. The legs are crossed: the left one is firmly on the ground with the heel, forcing the end into a rather tilted position. Her right leg is crossed over her left one and her right foot balances out her high heel shoe with her toes, swinging it.
«So, Ill see you later, mom... Okay mom... Im going for my lunch now... Okay... Okay, bye... Bye, bye... Yes, bye.»
Serena ends the call. «Lavi, this is the Ciapper envelope, right?» she then says in a softer voice. «Just one sec, Ill send this e-mail.»
«Yes, Sere, thats the envelope. Take your time: Im done. Im here looking at you and waiting for you.»
«You can avoid looking at me» Serena says, giggling as she speeds up her typing.
«Sorry, I didnt mean to put you under pressure or be indiscreet. I look out the window then» I answer, turning to the glass. I look down at the street and see some people walking along the sidewalk. I think one of these is Teresa: she is crossing the street, heading towards the bank square.
«Here I am, Lavi» I hear Serena almost scream as she swoops over me from behind, hugging me by the sides.
«Are you crazy?» I say out loud.
«Sorry, it was a rush of affection» she replies, loosening her grip and moving to my left. She slides her right hand down my back until she moves completely away from my body.
«Thats Teresa» she says, looking out the window.
«Yes its her. She said she was late for lunch: she must be going to one of the restaurants near the bank.»
«It could be» my colleague replies, looking away from the window and staring at me. «Can I hug you again, Lavi?» I feel so loving today!»
«Thats enough: I wouldnt want you to get in the habit of attacking me from behind.»
«Okay, then if it bothers you, I wont do it again. You are in bad form today.»
«The four funny girls are looking at us badly» I whisper in Serenas ear.
«Oops. Maybe we are using a tone of voice a little too loud?» she whispers in my left ear.
«Yours were certainly loud, mine was not as loud, apart from the words I said when you attacked me.»
«Attacked? It may be... And maybe we should leave the office.»
«Where do we go for lunch? I should be home by half past two.»
«I should be back to work at that time myself: I would suggest we go for a quick lunch at the bar opposite the office.»
«OK lets go.»
«We go down for lunch, see you later girls: we leave the door open» says Serena, turning to the first two rows of desks.
The four heads nod five times.
«Thats a yes» I say softly, «it means theyve grasped the idea.»
«Great, we can go then.»
I open the door and go to the lifts to press the call button. Serena takes her fur coat from the closet, closes the door behind her and joins me in the hall.
«What a nice fur coat you have: a little eccentric, perhaps, but it also looks very warm.»
«Yes, its really lovely» she replies, laughing. «Did you feel comfortable in it? Did you treat it well?»
«I think I brought it back to you the same way it was this morning» I reply. «Ah, you only had a lip balm in your pocket, right? I hope I didnt lose anything on you without realizing it?»
Serena puts her hand in her right pocket and takes out the stick.
«Relax, Lavi, I never keep anything in my pocket, only this» she replies opening the lip balm and spreading it three times on her upper lips and the same amount of times on her lower lips. «I keep wearing it, otherwise all my lips will chap with the cold. It also tastes good, have you tried it?»
«No, I havent tried it. Do you think I steal your jacket and then I start using what I find inside too?»