Knowing that my friends were getting ready for the night, I regretted being the new branch manager of the bank, for the first time.
After bragging about it for the last four months, I had to endure their sarcastic phone calls or messages all day.
"Happy end of fiscal year, Harry"
"We'll drink for you too, you stuck up bitch!"
The staff worked overtime for the last 24 days and my idiot friends found the day when I had to review and finalize the closing of this year.
They had reservations to have dinner at the new club and they were going to spend the night at the huge, trendy place.
I couldn't imagine the hot chicks they would dance with. Not that I was a serial cheater but who knew what could happen.
I was walking downstairs, as it was closing time of the bank. I heard Marcus's loud voice and Matilda's angry response to him. At least I thought so.
When I turned the corner, I saw both of them, looking at the same direction. I took another step to see four masked men.
They didn't see me; I could see everyone in the basement floor, frozen.
Just when I was about to step back and disappear, that idiot clerk Matilda saw me "Mr. Nord!"
As if she saw a super hero, as if I was there to save them!
Two of the guys walked towards me, while one of them told Matilda to shut up.
I joined the staff on that floor. We were all standing, scattered around. They figured out I was the manager and I gave them the keys and codes without making them repeat their questions.
Two of them did the stealing, while the others collected our phones and kept an eye on us. None of us, even Marcus, the old, grandfather security guard, had an intention to be a hero.
In one hour, they were done and were about to leave. I thought so.
Then, one of them brought a large bag and took some ropes and tapes from that bag.
Another robber, apparently their leader, said "Be quick. Tape everyone's hands behind and their feet too, before using the rope to tie them to the desks."
The insignificant guy number one started to tape everyone.
The third guy, I'll call him 'Loki the trickster', looked around "Why don't we..."
The taper guy was working on my hands.
"Why don't we what?" Loki was ogling Allison, our Investment Associate. She was an incredible redhead making it easier to come to this workplace every day. Not just for me, for all the guys. Single hottie, long legs, clever corporate bitch. I'd divorce my wife in an instant, if she had her claws on me.
"We're not rapists, asshole!" said the leader.
Loki chuckled "Not that, you idiot. I'm in a good mood, so, I'm thinking of matchmaking."
The mask didn't hide the leader's confusion.
"I'll use the rope to tie them together. Two by two. Face to face. At least 10 hours till morning. I wish we had a camera with a sim card on it. To watch and record them!" he was laughing when he walked towards Marcus.
Why would anyone take a risk like that? Spend time for a stupid joke, which he would never have a chance to know how it went?
Anyway, when he grabbed Marcus's arm, I thought he was going to tie him with Matilda, who was standing right next to him. And I looked around to see my chances. Skinny Steve was on my right. If they had a bad sense of humor, to tie me up with him, I wouldn't make it till the morning. Some days, this guy had the worst breath I had ever known.
On my left, there was Annie. A junior clerk, 23 years old. She was a sweet girl with a great body. She was looking around in fear. Was she trying to figure out whom she would pick too?
I had 50% chance of hell, so I wished it would be Annie.
But I stopped making calculations when I heard the guy say "Ok, old man. You'll thank me till the day you die" and dragged him near Allison.
Man, I almost shouted to object. I couldn't even dream of getting tied to her. Or with her, whatever they were doing. Lucky bastard.
Allison's expression showed how she hated this particular match, besides the whole thing.
And they started to mix and match people. There were nearly 20 people at the bank.
I could see that they tied Cindy, the fatty financial adviser to skinny Steve and saw the fear in his eyes. I thought it was funny. 'Cindy's gonna eat you' I thought.
Then, one man held Annie's arm and dragged her to the 'spinster' Matilda. He chose to match that 57 year old hateful clerk and that naΓ―ve looking, sweet girl. I could assume that it was going to be a hard night for Annie.
"They don't look like lesbians to me" said the insignificant guy number two.
"Maybe they will find out they are" the stupid genius Loki snickered "Women are two more than men, so..."
"Funny, but no gay stuff. I don't like such shit. Leave the guys alone. The rest is balanced already" said the leader.
Hearing those relieving words, I started to look at the female staff to figure out how my night would go. There were two young chicks, a 50 year old but hot one. And there was Wendy. I wished it wasn't Wendy.
That blonde clerk sometimes gave me the creeps. Especially, when I had business with her. A prude, timid mother of three. Time to time, it was torture to have a conversation with her. She had a habit to explain everything in full detail, even after I made it clear I understood.
In fact, she wasn't ugly. Just the opposite. A mid-height blonde, 35 years old, with a few extra pounds on her. Her breasts held most of those extra pounds.
Fuck! They matched one of the chicks, Pat, with the Casanova Matt. That girl could get pregnant till the morning.
Of course, they were dragging Wendy to my direction. I looked around to see if there was anyone near me. No. They were dragging her to me.
I could see how embarrassed she was. She probably found it hard to be in the same room with the manager already and she hated that she was going to spend all night under my nose.
Not that I had an expectation about this whole thing but I would prefer a slutty employee instead of her.
When they were pushing her and me together, she was apologizing "I'm sorry Mr. Nord. I don't know what to say. Oh, my..."
"Come on, Wendy, there's nothing to apologize for. Hey! Too tight, err, sir!"
"Shut up. Do you want me to lift her up a bit? So you can talk to her tits instead?" They all laughed this time.
I guessed they noticed how she couldn't stop talking when she was nervous. Or, how uncomfortable she was about this.
I could see her face, in shame. Blushed cheeks, sucked in lips. She wanted to disappear. He said 'tits'. I could guess how inappropriate she found it. I mean, them talking about her breasts. To emphasize her assets in a way she would never accept.
They dragged us downstairs, scattered us to various corners, in two separate rooms. They taped our legs and tied us to some fixed furniture or pipes.
One of them started to put small tapes on our mouths. That floor was so secluded that there was no need for that. Nobody could hear us if we shouted.
We could stand, move around a bit but it was clear that we weren't going to be able to sit like that.
I saw Allison and Marcus on my right, three feet away. Matilda and Annie were a bit far on the left but I could hear Annie's whispers.
Matt and Pat... I don't know why but it sounded funny. Anyway, they were almost in front of us, tied to a fixed desk. Matt was already talking to her, his mouth inches away from her face. Man. I thought of warning him to act professional. But his filthy mouth got taped too.
I could see Cindy's large ass behind the pillar.
The heist guy with the ideas, I mean Loki, started taking our pictures. Each couple on its own at first, then, all of us. He probably thought he would show these to his grandchildren, telling them this story, if he managed to get away with this.
"So. I will be thinking about you peeps. In a very provocative way" snickering "especially you two" he said looking at Matilda and Annie, making Annie blush, Matilda cringe.
When the guy noticed how Marcus was looking up, not to see Allison's demeaning, cold expression, trying to avoid eye contact with her stern eyes, he walked to them, cut the tape and said "Why don't we do you a final favor, old man?"
He grabbed her arm, turned her around and pushed them together before tying them up in that position. Probably Marcus got an instant erection when his member found its place between those gorgeous ass cheeks, because I saw the panic in Allison's face "Stop this! Are you nuts?!" she was shouting but Marcus was standing in peace.
"Cut it short, the car is at the front" the wiser leader-like one warned him and they left.
We were looking at each other, trying to make an assessment of our situation.
Just when everyone started fidgeting, Loki appeared again.
"I thought leaving just this light on would make it more romantic, right?" He turned off the lights and turned on the light on the desk at the other end of the room.
He entered the next room, doing the same, making another joke that we couldn't hear and ran away laughing.
How could he be that comfortable? If I was their leader, I'd get rid of him as soon as we were in the clear. He could tip the police on themselves, if he thought it would be funny.
Wendy wasn't moving and I was looking at others.
Matt was trying to be funny with Pat. But she didn't seem like she was too annoyed by that. I thought he was trying to kiss her, with that tape on his mouth.
Oh, no. The clever asshole was so comfortable with the women, so he could come up with the obvious idea, without hesitation.
He was trying to take a hold of Pat's tape on her mouth. As far as I could see, he was pressing his face there, trying to bite the corner of her tape.
Wendy noticed that too but she couldn't figure out his intention. She looked at me, blushing. As if what was going on there would eventually spread on all of us and I was going to try and kiss her.
'You wish' I thought. What was wrong with that woman?