Actually I’ve been meaning to post about this for quite a while, but I always had something to post that was a little more important or prevalent in my mind, and then with exam season back in its full fury, its got shelved.So there is this guy called, well let’s call him Buck Stevens (in protection of the innocent, or rather not so innocent - whatever). So Buck comes into the Bank to open a new account and we are talking about what he will need to open an account, ie. Passport, Driving Licence, etc. So point blank he asks if I can open his account rather than him coming back and seeing someone else instead.
I’m quite the nice guy, so I say yeah just come in and ask for me. One thing that I dislike is when someone reads my name off my name badge at work and thinks that since they know my name that they are my best friend. Well Buck firmly falls into that category. He uses my name in practically every sentence that comes out of his mouth. You know like ‘Amit you’re so funny’, ‘Amit your such a joker’, ‘Amit seriously don’t go there’, etc.
So anyways he returns and when my colleague, the one I called LC (Love Child) informs him that she’ll be opening his account coz I’m with another customer, he insists on waiting for me, despite the fact that I’ll be a good 2 hours as I have 2 appointments one after the other.
So when I get around to him, I make small talk as I go through the account opening process. He asks me loads of questions – how long I’ve worked there, etc. After his account is opened I bid him farewell but he seems reluctant to leave, and have I explain that I already have someone waiting so I can’t spend anymore time with him. On parting I give him my card and he notices it does not have my mobile number on it. He asks if he can have it so if he has any problems he can ring me directly. I explain I’ve chosen to not have a work phone in order to leave work at work as I leave the doors after we’ve closed.
The following week he turns up and asks to speak specially to me, again as I’m forever busy at work, so seeing me means he has to wait, which he seems happy to do. After I speak to him I realise really he is just wasting my time but in politeness I give him a few moments of my time. This continues week after week, and it gets to the point where I actually think he is stalking me whilst I am at home. Several times I’ve ‘accidently’ bumped into him outside the branch as I’m locking up. I obviously know he is gay because he has this look of pleasure upon seeing me and I have to physically drag myself away from him in order to escape. Also he has now on several occasions asked the other staff members for my mobile number.
This charade carries on for a few more weeks and one week he turns up with a woman in tow. He informs me that this is his wife. I recall him saying he was engaged to someone when he opened his account, but I imagined said fiancée would be a bloke. I’m shocked and I can see from his face that he looks worried but not wanting to interfere in his marriage I say nothing. But the shock at him having a wife is obviously clear on my face. She is very pretty and a genuinely warm person. He wishes to add her to his sole account and I oblige. The following week he turns up on his own and on one of those very rare days I’m not busy and he asks if he can have a word in private. At this point I really don’t know what to say… it was quite a while ago so I’m not the exact conversation but it went something like this:
Me: Hi Buck. (We are suppose to call customers by their title and surnames – but I hate this and always use their first names unless they are much much older than I am)
Buck: Hi Amit. How are you?
Me: I’m fine. How is your wife Buck? (I stress this and he notices)
Buck: She is well. Can I ask you something Amit
Me: Sure.
Buck: If I were to ask you out would you say yes? (I must admit I’m thrown by this)
Me: Buck you’re a married man
Buck: You didn’t answer the question Amit. Would you?
Me: No Buck I wouldn’t (which is the truth, esp since I now know he is married)
Buck: Oh. Why? Oh forget it I’m just being silly, it’s not like such a handsome guy like you wouldn’t have a girlfriend.
Me: I don’t have a girlfriend Buck. (I’m unsure if I should tell him I’m gay)
Buck: Amit I think I’m in love with you (OH FUCK I think – awkward is not strong enough to describe this situation). I shouldn’t have said that. (I’m at a loss for words)
Me: Buck you’re married AND you have a wife AND not a civil partner as I had originally thought.
Buck: I know. You said you don’t have a girlfriend, why is that? (This is not a direct question asking if I’m gay but I wonder if I can answer this question without lying about my sexuality…. I struggle to find an answer)
Me: I’m gay Buck. So not having a girlfriend is normal.
Buck: Really? So you have a boyfriend then?
Me: No.
Buck: Then you’d go out with me if I weren’t married (FUCK I think – this is obviously heading towards a direction I don’t want to go towards – so unsure of what to say I remain silent:
Buck: I’d leave her for you Amit. I swear I would. (At this point I have no doubt in my mind that he is serious)
Me: Buck but you’ve been married only a few months. (I had a look at his marriage cert the week before) And I’ve met your wife, she is lovely, I couldn’t do that to her. (As soon as I’ve said this I realise I’ve chosen the wrong series of words to respond with.. I’ve given him hope that we could work out if his wife is not in the picture)
Buck: Are you saying you would go out with me, if she were not my wife?
Me: No Buck. I couldn’t. (Again the ‘couldn’t’ gives him hope and I scowl myself mentally)
Buck: Oh Amit what am I gonna do? (He breaks down into tears at this point but I maintain a hard stare and don’t comfort him)
Me: Buck I think you need to go home and think on this with a clear mind. This is not a healthy start to a marriage and I think you owe your wife a lot more than asking out a guy in a bank.
Buck: I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry. (He stops crying). I think I should leave.
Me: I think you’re right.
I was in silence as he leaves. I don’t walk him to the door as I normally do for my customers.
3 weeks pass and his wife comes into the branch. She stops and speaks to me. We’re near closing and I’ve refused to see anymore customers, so I’m roaming the branch aimlessly. She does not mention Buck and asks me what I’m up to this weekend. I tell her I have exams coming up. And she wishes me luck.
This weekend was the first week I’ve worked since that week and one of the staff tells me Buck is here and wants to see me. I come out immediately and fob him off. He says he’ll come back next week when I have more time.
Now what do I do? He is a handsome guy, but I’ve had enough of being a third wheel and I’m not about to get into a tangle with some bloke who has a wife. No matter how cute he is. I think he has issues he and his wife need to talk about, but where does this leave me. I’ve spoken to my manager about this and he thinks I should avoid him at all costs and asked if I want him to close his account.
I’m unsure and so I said I’d think about it. So what does one do in such an awkward position? Closing his account seems a bit drastic and I’m unsure of how Buck will explain to his wife the bank closed their joint account. Opinions please….


