“In twenty minutes.”
“ Okay, I'll be there, Bekki. It's not what you think,” he insisted.
“ All I think right now is that you didn't tell me the whole truth, Tom, so let's fix that,” Bekki replied in a disappointed tone. “I'll meet you there,” she added as she hung up the phone. When Bekki reached Doug’s, the parking lot was nearly empty. She didn't see Tom's car there just yet so she parked and decided to give Sammy a call.
“ How's everything going?” she asked.
“ Great,” Sammy replied happily. “Minnie came back in and her color is much more muted. I washed it twice and I think we can tone it tomorrow.”
“ Excellent,” Bekki sighed with relief. If anything good came out of all of this, it would be that amazing shampoo. That reminded her of the oils she had just seen. “Sammy, can you text me the ingredients in the restoring shampoo? Or just snap a picture and send it over?”
“ Sure, is something wrong?” Sammy asked nervously. “Because I've been using it on lots of customers.”
“ No everything's fine,” Bekki replied quickly. “I'm just curious about what's in it. Steven showed me his collection of oils and said some were in the shampoo and some weren't. Just wondering which ingredient is working its magic. If he ends up selling the company that shampoo might just go out of our price range.”
“ Good point,” Sammy laughed. “I'll send it right over.”
“ Thanks,” Bekki said as she stepped out of her car. Tom was still nowhere in sight. She walked into the bar to find Doug and two customers inside. The two customers were locals who were there more for the company than the alcohol.
“ Hi Doug,” Bekki smiled as she walked up to him.
“ Bekki, another visit?” Doug asked happily. “I'm honored. What can I get for you?”
“ Just some ginger ale,” Bekki requested as she settled in at the bar. “I'm meeting someone here.”
“ Nick?” Doug asked as he poured her soda.
“ No,” Bekki replied awkwardly.
“ Oh, sorry,” Doug frowned as he set the glass down. “I didn't mean to be nosy.”
“ It's fine,” Bekki smiled. “I was hoping to be nosy myself, actually.”
“ Oh, more questions?” he asked.
“ Yes, I talked to my dad, and he remembered what time Steven came in on Sunday night, but he couldn't remember what time he left. He said everyone went home in a cab. Do you know if Steven did, too?”
“ Honestly, it was strange, Bekki,” Doug shook his head. “A lot of the guys around here are like family to me, and I've never seen them get so sloshed. I guess it was so busy I wasn't paying attention to how many drinks everyone had. Usually I'm pretty good about that.”
“ What about Steven?” Bekki's eyes narrowed. “Did he have too much?”
“ I don't remember him ordering anything after that first round,” Doug frowned and rubbed a towel along the bar. “But I can tell you this, he didn't leave in a cab. I know because I made the calls for the guys, and I didn't make one for him.”
“ So, he left before them?” Bekki asked hopefully.
“ He must have,” Doug said thoughtfully. “I wish I could be sure, but once everyone started acting so drunk, I had a hard time keeping track of things. I just assumed he left around closing with everyone else.”
“ When he ordered that first round, did you think it was strange?” Bekki leaned forward against the bar.
“ It was strange for Steven,” Doug nodded. “First of all, he was not a regular in here. I only knew of him because I'd served his brother a few times. Also, when he ordered the round he insisted on handing out the beer to everyone.”
“ You mean he gave everyone their drink?” Bekki asked with surprise. She couldn't imagine Steven doing something so service oriented.
“ Yes, I said I would do it, but he insisted. I just figured he wanted to act like a big guy, and get all the thanks from everyone,” Doug shrugged and glanced up as the door of the bar opened.
“ Okay, I'll be there, Bekki. It's not what you think,” he insisted.
“ All I think right now is that you didn't tell me the whole truth, Tom, so let's fix that,” Bekki replied in a disappointed tone. “I'll meet you there,” she added as she hung up the phone. When Bekki reached Doug’s, the parking lot was nearly empty. She didn't see Tom's car there just yet so she parked and decided to give Sammy a call.
“ How's everything going?” she asked.
“ Great,” Sammy replied happily. “Minnie came back in and her color is much more muted. I washed it twice and I think we can tone it tomorrow.”
“ Excellent,” Bekki sighed with relief. If anything good came out of all of this, it would be that amazing shampoo. That reminded her of the oils she had just seen. “Sammy, can you text me the ingredients in the restoring shampoo? Or just snap a picture and send it over?”
“ Sure, is something wrong?” Sammy asked nervously. “Because I've been using it on lots of customers.”
“ No everything's fine,” Bekki replied quickly. “I'm just curious about what's in it. Steven showed me his collection of oils and said some were in the shampoo and some weren't. Just wondering which ingredient is working its magic. If he ends up selling the company that shampoo might just go out of our price range.”
“ Good point,” Sammy laughed. “I'll send it right over.”
“ Thanks,” Bekki said as she stepped out of her car. Tom was still nowhere in sight. She walked into the bar to find Doug and two customers inside. The two customers were locals who were there more for the company than the alcohol.
“ Hi Doug,” Bekki smiled as she walked up to him.
“ Bekki, another visit?” Doug asked happily. “I'm honored. What can I get for you?”
“ Just some ginger ale,” Bekki requested as she settled in at the bar. “I'm meeting someone here.”
“ Nick?” Doug asked as he poured her soda.
“ No,” Bekki replied awkwardly.
“ Oh, sorry,” Doug frowned as he set the glass down. “I didn't mean to be nosy.”
“ It's fine,” Bekki smiled. “I was hoping to be nosy myself, actually.”
“ Oh, more questions?” he asked.
“ Yes, I talked to my dad, and he remembered what time Steven came in on Sunday night, but he couldn't remember what time he left. He said everyone went home in a cab. Do you know if Steven did, too?”
“ Honestly, it was strange, Bekki,” Doug shook his head. “A lot of the guys around here are like family to me, and I've never seen them get so sloshed. I guess it was so busy I wasn't paying attention to how many drinks everyone had. Usually I'm pretty good about that.”
“ What about Steven?” Bekki's eyes narrowed. “Did he have too much?”
“ I don't remember him ordering anything after that first round,” Doug frowned and rubbed a towel along the bar. “But I can tell you this, he didn't leave in a cab. I know because I made the calls for the guys, and I didn't make one for him.”
“ So, he left before them?” Bekki asked hopefully.
“ He must have,” Doug said thoughtfully. “I wish I could be sure, but once everyone started acting so drunk, I had a hard time keeping track of things. I just assumed he left around closing with everyone else.”
“ When he ordered that first round, did you think it was strange?” Bekki leaned forward against the bar.
“ It was strange for Steven,” Doug nodded. “First of all, he was not a regular in here. I only knew of him because I'd served his brother a few times. Also, when he ordered the round he insisted on handing out the beer to everyone.”
“ You mean he gave everyone their drink?” Bekki asked with surprise. She couldn't imagine Steven doing something so service oriented.
“ Yes, I said I would do it, but he insisted. I just figured he wanted to act like a big guy, and get all the thanks from everyone,” Doug shrugged and glanced up as the door of the bar opened.
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