Chapter 15

Betty went back to her apartment and greeted Beaux Jacques warmly. "Hey, old boy, I bet you thought I'd be gone longer than that, didn't you? Well, not today. Today we are going to get a makeover at the best place in town, they say." Beaux only woofed at her as she hooked his leash to his black leather collar. He padded along beside her, swishing his tail and pausing to sniff her small flower bed before climbing into the passenger seat and allowing Betty to buckle him up. The pair then happily traveled down the street through the gated community, and Betty smiled to herself. She loved the small-town quaintness of her new home, but she already found herself missing the lack of anonymity the city allowed her. She couldn't believe that practically everyone in town had heard about the murders and knew her role in finding the body. She already dreaded going to the salon, based on what Charlotte had told her, but it had been years since she bothered to change her appearance. It was time she allowed herself the freedom to change her appearance as well.

She stepped out of her sedan after putting some money in the meter at the curb and allowed Beaux Jacques to sniff and stretch before walking into A Cut Above. She was met by a middle-aged woman at the check-in desk, who looked at her through her bifocals, and she noticed the woman wrinkle her forehead when she saw Beaux Jacques sitting patiently at Betty's side. Before even inquiring about Betty's reason for the visit, she exclaimed, "I'm sorry. There's no public restroom on these premises, and I'm sorry we cannot provide any drinking water for your pet."

Betty set her jaw after realizing the woman was judging her based solely on her slightly dissolved appearance. "Oh, Haha. I'm sorry, I'm afraid you're mistaken. I'm not here for the facilities. I'm here to get my hair styled and cut. My name's Betty Cornish. This is Beaux Jacques. He's my service dog. I have his papers in my bag if you need to see them, I know how this must look to you."

The woman didn't respond to Betty's explanation at all; instead, she simply made a noise of exasperation and called into the back of the salon, "Katrina! Could you come out here, please?!"

Betty stood at the desk, with her jaw set and a dangerous glint in her eyes. She was normally a pacifist, but when it came to Beaux Jacques, she was protective of her best friend, just as he was protective of her. A taller, younger woman came to the front. She had platinum blonde hair, which was straight and to the middle of her back. She wore her sunglasses on top of her. He and her heels were easily nine inches. Her complexion was dark, and it appeared that she spent many hours either at the beach or in the tanning bed. "What's the problem here, Tracy?"

"This woman wants an appointment."

Katrina opened her mouth, starting to tell Tracy to schedule a when she glanced down and saw Beaux shift at Betty's feet. "Oh. That's disgusting. I'm sorry, Miss, we won't be seeing you today."

"Just why is that… what was your name again, Katrina?"

"Yes. "

"Katrina, Beaux, here is my service dog. He's with me at all times, to assist me in my daily activities. I have paperwork in my bag if you wish to see it."

"I'm afraid that won't be necessary."

"Why's that?"

"Because we have the right to refuse service here, and I'm doing just that…refusing you service. You're not the type of clientele we wish to have in this establishment. After all… you probably have lice or fleas, or some type of parasite since you allow that beast with you everywhere."

Beaux sensed Betty's uneasiness in the situation and stood by her side, starting a low growl in the back of his throat. "Shh... It's okay, Beaux. Fine. Have it your way. My groomers will probably do a better job anyway. Maybe I should give some of your clientele their business cards. I've personally seen a poodle with a better perm. Just know that you are in violation of any laws by denying me service. This will surely hurt your reputation. Have a good day now."