The Last Duke Of Kentucky(pg. 5)

     The Bluegrass Tavern was a very unique place, Joe Lawrence hired a professional artist to paint his walls with art years ago, the back wall was a magnificent art rendering of the famous Triple Crown winner Secretariat, this portrait covered the whole back wall, this artist asked for no compensation other than free mugs of beer while painting; his portrait of Joe Lawrence pouring a mug of beer with a cigar in his mouth still hangs on the wall there,  along with a portrait of the original Blues Brothers, Jake, and Elwood, several other modern portraits of oddity hangs there as well. Now, the artist's son painted a canvas of artwork of Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night all over the back wall and ceiling where Secretariat once stood, and he painted it with premium acrylic paint and strontium aluminate glow powder, very lasting glow in the dark glow paint. Quite something to behold at night. After several mugs of draft beer, one can really slip away into the decadence of artwork there, I still loaf in wonder there staring all night.  I have no idea who made off with the Secretariat piece, whoever owns it has a great piece of artwork. 
     I was shooting pool at Joe's, Joe's was actually called the Bluegrass Tavern, but all of us faithful drinkers and patrons just simply called it "Joe's." I loved shooting pool there, Joe had the best and cleanest pool tables around, had it cut off away from the bar, but the walls were sectioned off halfway down and Joe had barstools alongside the cutoff-sectional walls where bystanders could sip their mugs of cold draft beer and enjoy a great game of pool, and trust me, there were great hustlers in that little joint and Joe Lawrence could shoot with the best of them, and I never saw Joe Lawrence back away from a bet to shoot pool. 
     I was shooting a game for pleasure, I rarely shot for money, I wasn't that good of a shot, but loved the game, but I sunk the eight ball when Joey Hilton arrived and he immediately spotted me and I knew I was going to lose another twenty.
     "Hey, Tim, can I talk to you for a second," that was always the key opening of getting the sad stories, and can I borrow money and who never has one intention to ever pay you back.
     "Yeah man, what do you need?" I blurted out loud to embarrass him. 
     "Man I got these two hot gals out in the car, but I'm broke, do you want to come along?" He said with anxiousness.
     "Hell yes," I said feeling quite horny after I saw these gals lovely faces outside venturing into what I haven't a clue, but I jumped in the car and off to the liquor store we went. 

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