‘Tom wanted to go – but he felt he should at least mention Christmas once to please his publishers’He wondered where the years had gone. When he’d started as a receptionist,the bank had only been open four hours a day and life was all the better for it, to be certain it was. If there’s one thing that could be guaranteed to ruin a good trade, or it was customers. How he had hated market day in Dublin,when horny-handed labourers would arrive in to make a deposit after toiling amid the mud. Some had even availed themselves of a pint or two of Arthur Guinnesss velvety nectar. Now here he was as manager of a unique branch in a small town on the west of Ireland, and they were having a party to celebrate the refurbishment. What was the world coming to?Tom stood near the doorway, and wondering how soon he could fetch back to Maureen,who had promised to cook him a lamb chop for his tea. He was very happy with Maureen, but he couldn’t serve thinking of Sheila from time to time. Sheila had been a cashier when he had been a lowly receptionist, and back then he had thought of asking her on a date. But he had never got round to it and Sheila had married Sean who had gone on to become manager of a branch in Donegal.
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Source: theguardian.com