The tall brunette lurched to a halt, and turned to face her, looking puzzled. "Okaaay. I planned to catch up on paperwork before Trask's vacation, but I can spare a minute. Come on in."
Tessa deliberately slowed her rapid breaths. Don't panic. Speak normally. "Let's go to the cafeteria and discuss it over coffee."
Lorna held up the espresso. "I have coffee." She turned her back on Tessa, making a beeline toward Trask's office.
Now what? Tessa's desperate gaze darted in every direction, finally locking on a bright red box. FIRE. Pull in case of emergency. This was definitely an emergency. She reached up and pulled the lever.
Bells, buzzers and whistles blared. The hallway chimed like Times Square on New Year's Eve. Lorna screeched and jumped, dumping espresso all over her briefcase.
Tessa hurried toward her. "Quick, we better evacuate." She grabbed the stunned brunette, propelling her toward the stairwell. "Not the elevator, they shut down during a fire."
"You're so calm," Lorna panted as they hustled down the stairs.
Tessa shoved the slipping file folder more firmly up the back of her jacket. "I've become used to dealing with emergency situations lately." The other woman frowned in puzzlement, and Tessa shrugged. "Never mind. Long story."
Outside, she glimpsed Gabe standing in the drenching rain with the other staff. He gave her a bucktoothed grin and discreet thumbs-up. A relieved sigh whispered out of her. That had been way too close for comfort.
The fire drill turned out to be the least chaotic incident of the day. By the time the firemen cleared the shaken employees to reenter, cranky customers had lined up around the block. They streamed into the lobby in a never-ending rush, and Tessa ran from one end of the branch to the other, trying to keep distracted tellers working, and soothing wet, irritated clients.
Surprisingly, Gabe turned out to be a huge help. He slid into his teller role as though he'd been born to it, processing twice the transactions of even the most experienced employees.
Blessed five o'clock finally arrived. She locked the door and rested her forehead on the cool, misty glass.
"Miss Beaumont?"
"Yes?" She turned and saw Darcy frowning at her.
"The kiosk ATM is on the fritz again. The security panel is red-lighted."
Tessa stared out at the rain, pelting muddy puddles on the sidewalk. "Of course it is. I'll go check it, thank you." Heaving a weary sigh, she trudged into her office to fetch her raincoat.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Gabe's low question spun her around, one arm tangled in the sleeve of her coat. "The drive-through ATM is jammed again."
His brows slammed together. "You don't go anywhere without me."
"It's been so hectic, I honestly forgot."
He helped her into her raincoat, the brief brush of his fingers on her neck making her pulse jump.
"That it has. Okay, show me how to un-jam the ATM."
"How about blowing it sky-high?" she muttered.
"I'm pretty good with explosives. I could—"
"Don't you dare!" she snapped. "I was only kidding."
"I know, boss." His teasing grin brightened the gloomy day. "So was I."
Her shoulders slumped, heavy with fatigue. "Sorry. I'm beat."
"No problem. Let's double-team the beast, shall we?"
After twenty minutes kneeling on the soaked pavement prying a jammed twenty out of the slot—and one hard kick—the ATM was running again.
Followed by Gabe, Tessa trailed back inside. Water streamed off her coat and plopped onto the carpet. "Everyone else is finished. You'd better dry off and balance your cash drawer. I'll let the others out."
Tessa ushered out the employees and relocked the door, then hurried to the rest room. She hung her raincoat on the back of the door and quickly stripped off the damp suit jacket, soggy pumps and thigh-high stockings. She filled the sink with sudsy water. The heavenly warmth soothed her chilled skin as she washed her feet and legs before drying them with paper towels. Releasing the gold clip at her nape, she blotted her hair. The wild mass spilled in damp curls past her shoulders. After rinsing out her stockings, she hung them and the jacket near the heater vent and arranged her pumps to one side. Maybe they'd dry by the time she finished the paperwork.
The textured gold carpet grazed the soles of her feet as she tiptoed down the hall and scooted into her office. She settled into her chair and tucked her bare toes safely under the desk. A weary sigh trickled out as she grabbed a form off the mountain in the inbox. A repair report from