Once upon a time, I lived at the beach, in the City of San Diego. I moved to San Diego to help run a start-up company that eventually made me millions of dollars. I really liked the San Diego weather, the beaches, the lifestyle and I thought that I might just spend the rest of my life there. Then, for a variety of reasons, I left San Diego.
For me, San Diego was the beaches, the girls, the surf, the parties and a buddy of mine, named Lonny.
Lonny was a big, blond surf god, who always knew where there was a party and he always had lots of girls hanging around him. Exactly what Lonny did to make a living wasn’t all that clear, but he apparently made good money and he spent it as fast as he made it. Eventually, Lonny’s lifestyle caught up to him.
I’m living in Los Angeles when I get a call from Nola and I’m now headed back to San Diego.
Nola is a for real San Diego beach girl. She was born in Pacific Beach, went to Mission Bay High School, graduated and then worked in several beach area bars or restaurants. Nola is a quite attractive blonde girl, with a beach bikini body. She would have been a star in the group in which Lonny was involved. However, since she worked nights, Nola mostly missed the wild parties that Lonny and his crew never missed. I don’t think that Nola was ever involved with Lonny, but she knew a lot of the girls that hung around with Lonny. Whatever happened at the beach, Nola knew about through her work and a network of girlfriends.
When I met her, Nola worked as a cocktail waitress at a very popular bar in Pacific Beach, just call it ‘Steamers.’ She knew everybody and got all the gossip around the beach from the boys and girls that hung out in the place. Unfortunately, Nola got mixed with a guy named Jerry and Jerry was indeed bad news. Nola quickly learned that Jerry was not for her. However, Nola found out that Jerry wasn’t going to let her go.
I, for public consumption, never really got involved with Nola, back when. I first met her, at some point in time, when the Friday or Saturday night crowd wound up at Steamers, when she was working. I liked her, because of her bright, bubbly personality and her way of handling people, but we never dated. Actually, I did get involved with Nola back when, but as far as I know, no one else was aware of our involvement.
One Friday, I had to work late and I went to Steamers to see if I could find that night’s party. I stopped Nola and asked where the action was, that night.
Nola told me that there was a big party down in Imperial Beach, but she needed to talk with me before I left.
I was in no mood to drive clear down to Imperial Beach, so I waited until Nola got a break and then we met in the shadows, down by the beach sea wall.
Nola told me, “I don’t know if you know, but I have been dating a guy named Jerry. Jerry is really bad news and I don’t want to see him anymore. Jerry has threatened me and I’m really scared.”
“I know Jerry a little, mostly I know about Jerry. Jerry deals cocaine in large quantities. He’s very nasty and he’s no one you should even think about getting involved with.”
