As Jessica struggled to get the administrative side of her new business in order, Bo once again assumed the role of a diligent student. The grand opening of "The Gilded Door" was only a few weeks away and the only employee she had hired was Bo. She had put up a "Help Wanted" sign but the only people who responded were two ballroom dance instructors, a man and a woman, who swore to her that for only $1,000.00 dollars up front her weekend crowds could enjoy a whole month of ballroom dancing instructions. Jessie felt sure the crowd she wanted to attract would NOT be interested in ballroom dancing. However she knew they would be interested in drinking and she was determined for the drinks in her bar to be better than any other bar's in Savannah. The only way to make sure Bo was making the appropriate progress was to test the drinks herself. Therefore, she spent many days during the weeks prior to opening night in a slightly disoriented state of mind. It was after an afternoon of testing Bo's work that Jessica let down her carefully guarded wall just enough to give Bo a glance at the real Jessica McDaniel.
Bo stood behind the shiny, new bar tossing bottles as Jessica giggled tipsily at his amateur efforts.
"You know ‘If you break it you buy it' buddy!" Jessie teased Bo, who quickly responded,
"Ahhh, but the biggest tragedy would not be the expense, rather the absence of José Cuervo in ‘Savannah's best margarita,' true?"
"EXACTLY!" Jessica sputtered wide-eyed.
"So why did you choose a bar, of all things?" Bo stared at Jessie inquisitively, with the crooked smile playing on his lips as he watched her sip on a Tequila Sunrise.
"Why not?" Jessie retorted. "It's because I'm a woman isn't it? I mean, women should open clothing shops and hair salons, right?"
"Or garages." Bo's mouth remained rigid but his dancing eyes gave away his feigned seriousness. Jessica laughed out loud realizing he had beat her at her own game.
"Really? Do you really want to know?" Jessica asked suspiciously. Bo, putting his hand to his chest as if making a solemn vow, replied,
"I would be honored to hear the absolute truth."
"I wanted to have a place where people could go to have a great time without feeling sleazy," Jessie confessed. "I don't step foot in any of these nasty places that make women feel like they aren't even worth noticin' unless they're barely dressed. I truly believe that we can bring in other people like me if the atmosphere is just right . . . and the drinks are out of this world, of course!"
"Of course! ‘Hey Bo, bring me my fifteenth White Russian! Those things are damn good, sonny," Bo jokingly stammered.
"Is bartending your goal in life?" questioned Jessie sarcastically.
"No. Actually, I'm a writer."
"A writer?"
"Yes. Does that surprise you?"
"No . . . I just . . . well, you never mentioned it before."
"You never asked."
"True . . . but I'm asking now, damn it!" Jessie taunted him. "So why did you accept a sleazy bartending job if you have such high hopes?"
"A guy's gotta eat, don't he?! Besides, when I saw you, I didn't think 'sleazy' so I assumed you wouldn't be running a 'sleazy' place or hiring 'sleazy' bartenders, lucky for me!"
"Lucky for me, too. Anyone else would've expected me to pay more . . . HA! I'm just kidding! Don't get yourself all worked up." Jessie threw him a silly grin over the top of her glass. All the sudden her face grew grim and she looked up at Bo almost desperately. "This has just got to work, Bo. If this bar fails, I'll lose everything . . . maybe even the garage. I've poured everything I've got into this place. It's just gotta work."
"Don't worry. As long as we've got the best drinks in town, why would anyone WANT to go anywhere else?" Bo tossed the José Cuervo playfully behind his back and caught it perfectly over the opposite shoulder, pouring Jessie another drink. She let out the breath she hadn't even known she was holding with a giggle. It felt good to be reassured. She just hoped he was right.

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