Fools Paradise Read Online Free Page B

with the gun.”
    â€œYou’re too much, girl.”
    â€œShut up,” she said, but in a nicer voice. “What I really want is a J.O.B. A real job, that pays real money, so I don’t have to beg Goomba for pocket money or squeeze an allowance out of Mom. For pete’s sake, I’m twenty-one! Girls my age have been through college! They’re getting married and having kids and they all have jobs.” A wheedle came into her voice. “Bobbyjay, it’s not too much to ask, is it?”
    Throwing the bucket down, she clasped his arm with both hands and begged. “Everybody else is in the Local. Poor little Wesley, my cousin who’s such a geek, eventually even he’ll get in, once he’s eighteen and can make apprentice. Bobbyjay, there are girls in the Local! Why can’t I be one of them?”
    Bobbyjay looked down into those pleading brown eyes and his heart clutched up. “Daisy, I can’t get you a stagehand gig.”
    â€œSure you can. You’ve got pull. Your grandfather’s on the Executive Board.”
    He took a moment to imagine this girl working one of the jobs he worked—say, hoisting boxes or running cable at a rock show. Bending over to run duct tape over the carpet, say, with guys like his uncle Rob the Snob and Scooby Duhrmeister watching. Pleading up at him, with her creamy breasts pushing up out of that sopping wet flimsy dress and her lips pouting, she looked like the first twelve seconds of a porn flick about the girl next door and a gang bang.
    Bobbyjay shut his eyes. “I can’t.”
    With steel in her voice she said, “You can. You’re engaged to me now.”
    â€œYou’d be asking for a lot of trouble. I don’t want to be responsible for—for you getting hurt.”
    â€œI’m tougher than I look, Bobbyjay. It’s not like I’m wrapped in cotton at home. My own cousin squeezes my tits.”
    â€œHoly shit. Does your grandfather know?”
    She rolled her eyes. “He lets me defend myself. So will you at least try?”
    Bobbyjay didn’t know where to look. Luckily, just then Daisy’s Mom came out of the house in a bathrobe to ask what the noise was about. Daisy explained, kind of.
    â€œI don’t understand,” Mom Ditorelli said, pulling her robe tighter, looking at the freezer bags full of still-squrming fish.
    Daisy took a deep breath and Bobbyjay crossed his fingers, knowing what was coming. “The point is, Mom, I’m engaged to Bobbyjay here.”
    Mom Ditorelli looked at him blankly. “This Bobbyjay?”
    â€œYes, Mom. Not to one of my six-fingered cousins or a drug pusher or anything. So you can relax about my reputation now.”
    Mom Ditorelli’s face changed slowly.
    Oh, lord. Bobbyjay tried to stand tall in his squishing-wet sneakers. “I hope this is okay with you, Mrs. Ditorelli.”
    â€œCall me Fran,” Mom Ditorelli said with a catch in her voice. She gulped. “Oh! Oh, Daisy.” She held out her arms to her daughter. “Oh, baby.” She looked at Bobbyjay with tears in her eyes. Terrific. She was crying at the very thought of Daisy marrying a Morton.
    Daisy moved into her mother’s arms, reluctantly, he thought. This can’t be good.
    Then Mom Ditorelli smiled at him over Daisy’s shoulder. “How wonderful, Bobbyjay. I’m so happy.”
    That threw him. He stood a little straighter.
    â€œNow those awful old men can’t fight any more.”
    Bobbyjay slumped.
    â€œAre you okay with it?” Daisy said.
    â€œOh, baby, I’m delighted.” Her mom took a deep breath. “And you’ll have a beautiful wedding. The best wedding any girl ever had.”
    Daisy shot Bobbyjay an ‘uh-oh’ look.
    â€œWhich your grandfather will pay for,” Mom Ditorelli added with vicious satisfaction in her voice. “Are you finished? Have Bobbyjay bring in those freezer bags. We can