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Jerry, the bartender, was taking college classes here in Savannah It was his junior year, and this was his extra job He also worked on a construction crew that was building the new condos in town He’d left his home over five hundred e here on a partial scholarship He needed the cash to pay for his books, lodging and food, but his tuition, was paid

He was a business oal was to open his own restaurant and eventually have a chain of thehout the southeast I knew all this because Jerry was also chatty I didn’t mind We had to do a lot of prep work outside in the bar area It was nice to talk while orked Jerry was also six-foot-three and had a runner’s build Stood to reason his scholarship was for track His alainst his crystal blue eyes

Jerry also inforht because most of the females here would be topless by nine o’clock and they all looked like ht all of his friends looked as if they had just stepped out of a

"Take these out to the monsters," Monique said as she handed nize "You don’t have to walk around with them Jasper said that was unnecessary Just place them over by the bar on the table I set up We will keep food fresh in that area all night"

I nodded, I already knew this She’d toldme because either she orried aboutherself I didn’t look for Jasper or make eye contact with any of the people as I walked to the food area Seeing Jasper hatever fe I didn’t want to subject myself to that, which s for him I could suffer and save my pride at the same time

"Beulah," Jerry called after I sat the food down I walked over to him because the music was too loud to hear fro?" I asked hi We need a cooler out here"

"I’ll get you one"

"Thanks"

Jerry was pleasant to ith If Jasper was going to have these parties often I hoped he used Monique The three ladies cooking in the kitchen with her inside didn’t speak lish, but they were nice When I asked if it was feta cheese or blue cheese cruirl outside had asked me, all three of them just nodded and smiled I realized then that only Monique could answer questions about the food

"Why are you li?" Monique asked as I walked back into the kitchen "Did you hurt yourself or is that an affliction I didn’t notice last ti their toll My toes were bruised, and it was harder to ithout li I needed to use so it off thinking I could just deal with it, but as soon as I had Heidi’s month paid for, I’d shop for new shoes

"It’s the shoes I’ new ones soon I’ll try not to limp"

Monique frowned and looked down at the tennis shoes I earing "They’re not heels, darling Why would tennis shoes ive you blisters"

I needed to get Jerry that cooler and I didn’t want to talk about it "Just uncomfortable," I replied "Jerry needs a cooler for the ice Do you have one in the van outside?"

She was still frowning at rab it Go ahead and take that next tray of food out, and I’ll get the cooler," she said glancing down ataway

I picked up the tray of what I recognized as calamari and headed for the door One of the ladies called out so to me in Spanish, and I stopped to find out what she wanted She was running after me with slices of lemon, and placed them around the calae I wished I understood Then she save o now

When I stepped back outside this time, I was careful not to liht about putting onin and out of the house carrying food I could slip and fall They had no traction and the area around the pool et fro

I dropped off the tray, then stopped to let Jerry know a cooler was on its way

"Monique is getting the cooler," I told hi a cocktail