Fools Paradise Read Online Free Page A

evil motherfucker Marty Ditorelli, and, worst of all, they had got him into a situation where Daisy saw him sitting in fish.
    He felt dumb, goddammit.
    They turned off Lake Shore Drive and into the Near North neighborhood where Marty Dit and his daughter-in-law had their two-flat. Bobbyjay glanced over at Daisy. Her face was blotchy with crying and her hair dripped water down her face. Poor kid.
    â€œWell, at least nobody’s gonna kill each other,” he said.
    The anger died out of her eyes. “That’s right.”
    â€œYup.” Bobbyjay pulled the Porsche to a stop in front of the two-flat. “So I figure we’re doin’ good so far.”
    A snort blurted out of her, and then a chuckle. She lifted cupped hands. Silver smelt flashed in the streetlight and spilled, splashing, into the water between them. Bobbyjay laughed.
    Her face lit up with glee. “If you laugh at me,” she said, grinning, “I’ll stick one of these in your ear.”
    All of a sudden she was cute again. She clambered out of her seat and wriggled through the window in her dripping little dress and Bobbyjay whanged up a sudden boner at the sight of her slippery white thighs sliding out the window. He didn’t wonder that Marty Dit wanted to keep her home. The kid was a walking candy store.
    She stuck her head in the window. “C’mon, get out of there. I’ll find us a couple of buckets.”
    He actually had fun helping Daisy bale smelt out of the car and rinsing them for freezing while she told him her troubles.
    â€œRight in front of my stupid cousins, he tells me I’m not smart enough to work outside the house. In front of Vince.” She tossed a handful of limp smelt into the bucket Bobbyjay was holding out.
    â€œVince Ditorelli? Jeez, Daisy, that’s low. Vince is the guy who once dated a Croat for two weeks before he found out she was a he.” He swished the fish around in cold water.
    â€œNot only that, not only am I too stupid, I’m too innocent.”
    Bobbyjay could buy that. She looked at him and rolled her slanty doe-eyes in scorn.
    â€œWhat?” he protested. “What did I say?”
    â€œNot only that,” she said, ignoring the question, “I’m too untrustworthy. Goomba doesn’t want me leaving the house except to go to the grocery.”
    â€œOh, come on. What kind of trouble can you get into?”
    She sent him a dark look. “Lots.”
    â€œYou? Maybe they call you Ditsy Daisy—” Bobbyjay broke off at the incredulous glare she shot him. “Other guys. My dumb cousins, maybe. But,” he hurried on, “I mean, you are kind of innocent. You never got in trouble in school. Not like me and King Dave and Mikey Ray and the guys.”
    â€œThat’s because I’m not dumb enough to get in trouble,” she said primly. “When I was a senior in high school, I cut classes to hit the karaoke bars in Wrigleyville, right in the middle of the school day. I got away with it for six months.”
    â€œWow. I never heard about this.”
    â€œThat’s because I’m a good liar.” She took over swishing fish in the bucket so he could fill the freezer bags. “I told Goomba and Mom and my guidance counselor that I had a girlfriend in another school who was crippled and couldn’t get out. I told them I visited her every day to help her study. And they believed me. I had a permanent pass to leave class whenever I wanted. I would never have got caught if it weren’t for big-mouth Badger Kenack spotting me at the Rock Bottom Brewery on karaoke night and blabbing to Goomba,” she said, savagely hurling fishy water onto the lawn.
    Bobbyjay’s mouth hung open. “Wow.”
    â€œGo ahead, laugh,” she snapped. “If I hadn’t almost pulled that one off, Goomba would never have believed we’re engaged, and he’d have shot you tonight. Well, he might have clubbed you