Read Tough Luck for Free Online Page B

his two kids. The kids—a girl and a boy—looked like they were about ten years old, and they always stood around, looking bored and lonely, while their father gambled.
    Staring at the family, Mickey had missed the beginning of the race. It didn’t matter because his six horse hadn’t left the gate and the horse was sitting three deep on the rail. The six never made a move, and the four horse won the race easily.
    “What’d I tell you?” the guy with the gray hair said to Mickey. “This is an easy fucking game. I shoulda put more on it. The horse was a fuckin’ lock.”
    Mickey ripped up his losing ticket into tiny pieces, then he tossed the pieces onto the floor like confetti. He realized he was kidding himself, gambling tonight, chasing Angelo’s money. He was about to go home when he imagined what it would be like—fighting with his father, or lying in bed with nothing to do, watching The Odd Couple and The Honeymooners for the zillionth time—and he decided to hang out for a few more races, see if he could make something happen.
    Mickey was standing outside the OTB, reading Sports Eye, when he heard someone shout, “Hey, loser!”
    Mickey looked toward the street and saw Chris smiling, sitting double-parked in his mother’s Chevy. He was wearing a shiny electric blue satin jacket with the top four buttons undone and a gold link chain hanging in his chest hair. His hair was slicked back, and he had a lightning bolt ear-ring in his left ear.
    Chris said, “I knew I’d find you here, you fuckin’ degenerate.”
    Mickey went over to talk to Chris. It smelled like he’d used an entire bottle of Paco Rabanne cologne.
    “What’re you doing here?” Mickey asked.
    “I just had to do some shopping for my mother and I was passing by,” Chris said. “So you winning any money at least?”
    “Not tonight,” Mickey said.
    “What happened to your hand?”
    “Oh, nothing,” Mickey said. “Just a little accident at work.”
    “Yeah, right, probably jerking off too much,” Chris said. “At least it’s your right hand so you can still bowl. Hey, come out to the city tonight.”
    “The city?” Mickey said.
    “Come on, I’m gonna hit a few bars, see if I can fuck a horny city chick. Maybe you can do her friend.”
    “Nah, I don’t think so. Not tonight.”
    “Why? What’re you gonna do, hang out with the old men on a Friday night?”
    “I have to get up early tomorrow.”
    “What for?”
    “Just to do some stuff around the house.”
    “Come on, come to the city with me,” Chris said. “It’ll do you good.”
    Mickey was looking back toward the OTB. The guy and his two sad-looking kids were hanging out in front surrounded by people screaming.
    “All right,” Mickey said to Chris. “What the fuck?”
    MICKEY DROVE HOME and changed into a pair of dark green corduroys and a red button-down shirt. When Chris honked, Mickey went outside.
    “What’s with the outfit?” Chris said when Mickey got into the car. “You going to church or you going out drinking?”
    “Fuck you,” Mickey said.
    “I’m just bustin’ chops, man,” Chris said. “You look great. The chicks are gonna be all over you tonight. Trust me, tonight’s the night Mickey Prada finally gets laid.”

4
    DRIVING DOWN CONEY Island Avenue with one hand on the steering wheel, Chris said, “Me and Filippo saw Debbie Does Dallas the other night, what a great fuckin’ movie, man. You know what’s funny? It takes place in Brooklyn. You’d think with the title Debbie Does Dallas, it would be Dallas, but it’s all Brooklyn. They got this one scene, an orgy, was shot in the locker room at Brooklyn College. Imagine you’re going to school there, just walking by, and you see this orgy goin’ on, what would you do? I know what I’d do. I’d have my pants down to my ankles, and I’d get three chicks on me at once. Man, what a great fuckin’ movie that was.”
    “So where we going, anyway?” Mickey asked.
    “New bar on