Baby, I done got wise!
The foreman might have wondered why Cox was still hanging around after his shift on the building site had ostensibly finished: the big man was usually first off the hospital site and into the saloon bar down the street when the bell clanged at the end of the working day. But here he still was, and ambling up to Aldridge with a sort of grim smile on his face; like he was about to deliver some, maybe not unpleasant, but not particularly welcome news.
"Howdy Boss!" the usually somewhat-more-jocular man began "Got a piece o' work done today, huh?" he asked. Indeed, the hospital was truly beginning to take shape.
"Er, listen, er, well, remember when I first started, I said I might not be stickin' around fer too long? Well, I guess that time's come. I got a chance to reopen the barber shop in town and... well, guess I'm a handin' my notice in, Mr Aldridge. Er... no hard feelin's I hope..." he said, thrusting out a meaty hand, whose callouses attested to what a hard worker he'd been on the site for the last few weeks since work began.
"Maybe I can stand you a drink, show mah appreciation fer givin' me a job in the first place." he offered. After all, he'd needed money to keep body and soul together while he'd scouted out Kalispell for better opportunities. But, in the long run, he needed something a little more lucrative and permanent than a temporary billet on a building site, if he was to move his 'family' up here.
"Howdy Boss!" the usually somewhat-more-jocular man began "Got a piece o' work done today, huh?" he asked. Indeed, the hospital was truly beginning to take shape.
Mason nodded and told the foreman something looking it over in the morning before turning to Chubby. He smiled, "We sure did."
Pulling out his pocket watch and seeing what time it was, Mason frowned a little. Chubby was usually the first man to leave the site as soon as work was finished for the day. Keeping an eye his employees, especially their comings and goings where work was concerned since he had joined the project a few weeks, Mason was beginning to have a good understanding of how they worked. He didn't care what they did during their time off, as long as they showed up and did a good job.
An employee staying behind usually meant that had something important to discuss and most times that meant a raise. If this was what Chubby was looking for, Mason would be honest with and tell him that his company had a policy where that was concerned. Chubby may not like it but he wasn't going to get what he wanted.
Seeing that Chubby was hesitating, Mason spoke again, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Er, listen, er, well, remember when I first started, I said I might not be stickin' around fer too long? Well, I guess that time's come. I got a chance to reopen the barber shop in town and... well, guess I'm a handin' my notice in, Mr Aldridge. Er... no hard feelin's I hope..." he said, thrusting out a meaty hand, whose callouses attested to what a hard worker he'd been on the site for the last few weeks since work began.
Mason raised his eyebrows in surprise. Chubby quitting his job to become a barber was the last thing he had expected. Heck, he didn't even know that man could cut hair, let alone shave judging by his appearance.
"Well, if that's what you want, then who am I to stop you."
"Maybe I can stand you a drink, show mah appreciation fer givin' me a job in the first place." he offered. After all, he'd needed money to keep body and soul together while he'd scouted out Kalispell for better opportunities. But, in the long run, he needed something a little more lucrative and permanent than a temporary billet on a building site, if he was to move his 'family' up here.
"You're welcome," Mason replied in a warm tone, "and I look forward to that drink. If there is anything you need to fix on this barber shop just let me know and I will be happy to help in appreciation for the time you have given here."
Baby, I done got wise!
"You're welcome," Mason replied in a warm tone, "and I look forward to that drink. If there is anything you need to fix on this barber shop just let me know and I will be happy to help in appreciation for the time you have given here."
Chubby shook his now ex-boss's hand "Place is pretty much good to go, to be honest, hear it only closed down 'cause the feller who used to run it got shot dead by his own daughter, of all things..."
The mention of daughters always gave him a pang.
"... all I really need is lots of fellers needin' shaves and haircuts! Say, Mister Aldridge..." he tipped his head and peered at the man's head "... reckon yours is getting a little long at the back, there. Might wanna drop in tomorrow morning on your way to the site."
Chubby Cox was a man who liked to have more than one iron in the fire though. He jerked his thumb in the general direction of the funeral parlour down the road a piece.
"... Also, that cadaverous lookin' feller, Mr Jolly, reckons he can throw some work my way, time to time, knockin' up some coffins for him and the like. That way, even if one o' my barberin' customers bites the dust, I'll still make a few dollars on him!" he grinned happily. Chubby was a '(beer) glass half full sort' of a feller.
Nodding once, Mason replied, "Well, it sounds like you've got all this figured out."
For a moment he wondered how Cox had found the time to scope out the town and talk to all the people he had mentioned. The only obvious answer was that Cox was doing a lot more than drinking at the local saloon. Still, he had to admire the man a little for showing initiative.
Holding out his hand, Mason smiled, "If things don't work out, you can come back and see about getting a job with me again. After the hospital and orphanage is built, I might be doing some other projects here in town and having a man who knows what he is doing is always a big help."
Yes, there were some possibilities for future building projects here in Kalispell. It was a growing town and there were still some people living in ramshackle homes that had been quickly built to accommodate the refugees from the Whitefish disaster the year before. There were also some commercial buildings that either were in dire need of repair or renovations.
For the family business, the town was full of potential money-makers and that was one of the reasons why Mason was contemplating hanging around for a while. The other had to do with a certain female newspaper reporter he had met the other day when he gone over to the Post Office to collect his mail. In fact, the thought of getting to know the lovely Mrs. Thornton-Carlton was slowly becoming his number one priority.
Baby, I done got wise!
Nodding once, Mason replied, "Well, it sounds like you've got all this figured out."
Chubby laughed. "Mr Aldridge, if there's one thing I've learned in this life, it's that I've never got it all figured out!" Well, maybe this time he had got a few things figured out, but there was no way in hell he was going to tempt fate by saying it out loud!
Holding out his hand, Mason smiled, "If things don't work out, you can come back and see about getting a job with me again. After the hospital and orphanage is built, I might be doing some other projects here in town and having a man who knows what he is doing is always a big help."
Chubby shook the other man's hand vigorously and nodded "Well, that's a nice compliment, Mister Aldridge, and a nice offer to boot. I'll be sure to remember it." he said. Although, with that shake, they had gone from Boss to Employee to equal Citizen and Citizen, Chubby always treated Mr Aldridge with the respect and deference he had when the man had been paying hi wages: it was always 'Mister Aldridge' or 'Mister Aldridge, Sir'. It was never 'Mason'.
"Now, how 'bout that drink?"
Since it was the end of the day, Mason smiled, "All right. Let me just finish up here and I'll join you."
He had made only one or two visits to the Stardust since he had come to town. Most of the time, he drank at the bar in the hotel where most of the town's upper class...if you could call it that...gathered. It was a good place to do business, but the Stardust was a bit more livelier. Considering that the only entertainment in town was the theatre, the Stardust was the only other place you could see a show of some sort.
Once he had finished giving the final orders of the day to foreman, he picked up his hat and coat. "After you, Mister Cox."
Baby, I done got wise!
The two men hit the saloon and got a drink each. Chubby looked around, somehow the place felt a little less cheerful and welcoming than usual. The tubby feller couldn't put his finger on it at first, then it hit him.
He looked up at the barman.
"Say, Mister, what happened to that little blind girl as used to play the pianner in here?" he asked, before turning to Mason and explaining "She's real good, too. Classically trained, you can tell that. Does a real nice job ticklin' the ivories for the singer lady."
Ralph had just finished pouring two shots for a couple of cowpokes when a heavy set bearded man had himself a question.
"Say, Mister, what happened to that little blind girl as used to play the pianner in here?" he asked, before turning to Mason and explaining "She's real good, too. Classically trained, you can tell that. Does a real nice job ticklin' the ivories for the singer lady."
"Oh, you didn't hear about it? The poor thing got attacked by some man and she almost died. She's still recovering from it but we hope she can come back sometime. It's a shame," Ralph explained. The attacker was dead. If he hadn't been though and Ralph would have gotten the chance to get his hands on the bastard, he would have made sure alright.