Page 29 of Sweet Little Thing

“Beulah,” Jerry called after I sat down the tray. I went over closer to him because the music was loud and I wouldn’t be able to her him any other way.

“You need something?” I asked, leaning toward him.

“Could you tell Monique that the ice is melting? We need a cooler to keep it in out here.”

“I’ll get you one,” I replied.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Jerry was pleasant to work with. If Jasper was going to have these parties often, I hoped he’d be using Monique. The three ladies she had in the kitchen didn’t speak much English. But they were nice. They smiled and nodded a lot, but I’d stopped asking them questions. When I asked if it was feta or blue cheese that you crumbled over a vegetable, which lay on a piece of toasted bread, because a girl outside had asked me, all three just nodded and smiled. I realized then that Monique was the one you went to with your questions.

“Why are you limping?” Monique asked as I walked back into the kitchen. “Did you hurt yourself or is that an affliction I didn’t notice last time.”

My shoes were getting worse. My toes were bruised, and it was harder to walk without showing a limp. I needed to use some of my next paycheck to buy shoes that fit. I’d been putting it off, thinking I’d deal with it as soon as Heidi’s month was paid. Then I’d get some shoes.

“It’s the shoes. I’m going to get new ones soon. I’ll try not to limp anymore.”

Monique frowned and looked down at the shoes I was wearing. “Darling, they’re not heels, why would tennis shoes make you limp? They aren’t new, they should be good and broke in.”

I needed to get Jerry that cooler, but I didn’t want to talk about it. “Just uncomfortable,” I replied. “Jerry needs a cooler. Do you have one in the van outside?”

She was still frowning at me. My answer hadn’t been sufficient. “Yeah, I meant to get it already. You get the next tray out, and I’ll get the cooler,” Monique said, glancing down at my feet once again before walking away.

I picked up the tray of calamari and headed for the door. One of the ladies spoke to me in Spanish. I stopped and looked back at her. She was running after me with slices of lemon. Adeptly,she placed them around the calamari, continuing to speak in her beautiful tongue. I wished I understood. When finished, she smiled at me, waved, and gave me a nod. “Proceed,” she smiled.

As I walked, I was careful not to limp or wince, though, actually, I wanted to do both. I considered putting on my flats. They fit but weren’t good for coming in and out while carrying and balancing trays. I could slip and fall. They had no traction, and the area around the pool was wet from all the splashing.

I dropped off the tray and then stopped by the bar to let Jerry know a cooler was coming.

“Monique is getting the cooler,” I told him as he was shaking a cocktail.

“Great. Thanks,” he replied, handing me a can of cherries. “Could you open those for that bowl over there? There’s only one left.”

“Sure.” I did as I was asked. When I was about to toss the empty jar, I heard a female squeal Jasper’s name, and impulsively, I looked up. I didn’t mean to. I simply reacted.

Jasper was carrying a gorgeous blonde he’d hoisted over his shoulder around the pool as if from a fire. He had a hand on her bare bottom. She was enjoying it, slapping at his back. My chest ached; if I could feel nothing, life would be so much easier.

“You’re much more appealing than her,” Jerry said, snapping me from my fixation. He’d noticed me staring.

“Do you need anything else?” I asked, not wanting to focus on the obvious.

Jerry smiled; he had a dimple on his left cheek. “Guys like that aren’t good enough for you. He’d never treat you the way you deserve. I’ve been around you for a couple of hours, spending ninety percent of that time trying to figure out how to ask you on a date. Or if you were already taken. That guy sees you all the time, and he doesn’t even notice you. That’s because he only sees himself. They all do.”

I opened my mouth to say something. Although, I wasn’t sure what.

“That’s beautiful, now Romeo, if you could get me a Maker’s Mark, that’d be great.” Stone’s annoyed voice stopped me from responding.

“Sure thing,” Jerry said with his easy smile. He’d just bashed Jasper and the rest of them, but he was smiling at Stone like he hadn’t said any of it. He had balls. I’d give him that.

“Don’t you have a job to do?” Stone impatiently asked me. As usual, his tone was condescending. I wanted to point out that he wasn’t my boss, but I kept my mouth shut and gave a short, quick “yes.” Then, with my head held high, I strolled away, not looking at Jasper or anyone; focused on my job and what I should’ve been doing in the first place.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Jasper

I put Stasha down and watched Stone say something to the bartender and Beulah. She looked upset. I wasn’t sure what he’d said, but I was positive he’d been rude.

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