Lily just shook her head. “No, Beth. Please, I don’t want to go.”
Beth started to argue with her sister over whether it was the prom she did not want to attend or the after-parties, which could get a little wild, when the phone interrupted her with the notes of “Into the Fire". Lily made a look of reproach at the music, but Beth ignored it. She loved music and enjoyed it, contrary to her father’s teachings of it leading to sin and temptation. Beth wasn’t about to let Lily guilt her into changing it into her own boring ring tone.
“Hello?”
“Beth. This is Loker James. I’m sorry to disturb your evening, but I have a situation on my hands I was hoping you could help me with.”
“No problem, Mr. James. What can I help you with?"
Lily made a face at her as she helped herself to another serving of spaghetti.
“I just received a call from Mick at Rosie’s. Dad is down there, drunk, and trying to get in fights with other customers. I was hoping you could send Blake down there to take him home for me. I’m in Washington in a meeting or I would do it myself.”
“I can’t send Blake, but I can take care of it for you.” Mr. James’s father, Ton, was a small man with a big name and an attitude to match. He was a sweet person when sober, but when he was drunk, he managed to convince himself that he was a badass. This often led to fights that he lost and sometimes trips to the emergency room to be patched up under his son’s furious recriminations.
Loker James had hired Beth because his business had him out of town frequently and he wanted to maintain a watchful eye on his father.
“I don’t know if that’s the best option. Dad can be hard to handle when he’s drunk.” The aggravation in his tone came clearly through the phone. Beth grinned, she was well aware of just how cranky the man could be, having put him to bed many times over the last few months since she had been hired. This, however, was the first time she would have to enter Rosie’s to retrieve him after a binge.
“I can handle Ton. Don’t worry. Mick will help me get him in the car.”
She was well acquainted with Mick. The bar’s owner had attended her father’s church and even continued when the new pastor had taken over at her father’s death. Her father had wondered frequently to her mother if it was to repent for the sins he allowed to be committed within his establishment, or those he had committed himself.
Whenever the subject had been brought up to Mick, he would just change the subject to her father’s sermon, which redirected the enthusiastic pastor from his determination of saving the man considered to be one of the biggest sinners in the congregation. His large donations soon stopped further attempts at saving his soul.
“If you’re sure?” Doubt was now laced in his voice before Beth heard him sigh. “Call me when you have him back at home. If you run into any trouble, let me know immediately.”
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