Romeo of the Streets Read Online Free

head slightly. “Nah,” he said, “but you know, some people say Chuckles is still in diapers. She still babysit for him?”
    Ferret burst into laughter and even Eyeball smiled, but Salvatore narrowed his eyes. “That’s a made man,” he said, “you watch your mouth. You ain’t in the company, are you?”
    “No,” Romeo said, “but Chuckles is a friend of mine, I meant no disrespect. If he was here he’d be laughing too. Trust me.”
    “Alright,” Sal shrugged, “you want a drink? Sit down.”
    He beckoned to the bargirl down below who always had one eye on the balcony in case they called for her and she hurried up the steps, lest she invite the wrathful words and temper that would follow if she served them even a second too slow.
     
     
    “How’s that little gal you been running with?” Sal asked, cockeyed, considering Lou.
    Lou blinked and swallowed, clearly surprised that Sal knew so much about what he was up to, let alone actually even cared. “Lisa?” he said, “good. She’s good.”
    “Yeah? She go up to that CCU right? You work up there too, is that correct?”
    “Uh, yeah Sal, just two nights a week. Gives me something to do… of course I’d much rather work for you.”
    Sal ignored the comment. “What’s your girl study up there again?”
    “Business and commerce mostly,” Lou answered, “stuff like that.”
    Sal exchanged glances with Eyeball and Ferret and the three of them sniggered. “Is that so?”
    “Yeah, she goes up there with my sister.”
    Sal leaned forward, suddenly serious. “Sister?” he said, “Hell, I forgot you had a sister. She must be… how old now?”
    “Nineteen,” Lou replied, “Sandy’s nineteen. It’s hard to believe. She grew up so fast.”
    “Yes, she did,” Sal smiled. “Sandy Guilianno, nineteen. Imagine that…” he looked to Romeo suddenly. “What the hell’s the matter with you?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
    Romeo, whose jaw had all of a sudden seemed to tighten to a tense, taut rigidity, shook his head. “Nothing,” he said, “it’s my ulcer.”
    “Ulcer,” Sal said, “well what the hell you drinking scotch for?”
    Romeo shrugged and then tipped up his glass, drained it and then placed it back on the table, his big dark eyes never leaving Sal’s face, almost as if the little prick was daring him to bust his balls a little harder. Sal decided to let it pass.
    “Well,” he said, looking back to Lou, “all this is very interesting to me, because we’ve been thinking about going back to college ourselves, haven’t we boys? Maybe enlisting to teach a class or two—the school of hard knocks, maybe. What do you think, you fellas come to that class if we run it?”
    Romeo shrugged, Lou nodded. “Sure.”
    “That’s good,” Sal said, “that’s very good. You might just find yourselves a whole hell of a lot richer—if you play your cards right.”
    “You know how to play cards boss,” Eyeball said, “that’s for sure.”
    “Fuggedabout it!” Sal grinned and then turned to Romeo and Lou, “my luck’s been up all week. A sign from God maybe, I don’t know.”
    Romeo and Lou exchanged glances and suddenly Sal decided he’d had enough of them. “Ok,” he said, “get out of here, we’ll be in touch. And tell that hussy at the bar to send Candy up here. I want to talk to her, ok?”
    “Candy?” Lou said, “you got it.”
    “Good boy,” Sal nodded and the two young men left the table.
    “Arrogant little prick,” Sal muttered as he watched them leave, “Lou Guilianno, acting like a big somebody—if only that deadbeat father of his could see him now.”
    “New shuffle’s up boss,” Eyeball said, directing Sal’s attention to the deck, “fresh cards on the table.”
    “Damn right,” Sal said and reached down to see what the Lord had deemed fit to deal to him this time.
     

 
     

     
     
    I was still seriously P.O.’d about how the so-called “date” had ended, even though it was now two full days