that deal would fall a royal flush. Hon, I lied to spare you worry.' He shudders, wrings his hands. 'That deal soured last night and broke my heart. Anybody except a Rambeau Creole would have cashed himself in. You've got to forgive me for lying. I did on the promise of that deal because I love you more than I ever did Phillipa or even myself.'
He extends his arms toward her, eyes piteous. She heaves a resigned sigh, shakes her head as she eye-sweeps the chaotic room. She drops down on the bed beside him, embraces his shoulders.
'Papa, I forgive you. We're not flat broke. I've got four hundred dollars saved from my sewing. We have to vacate immediately?'
He says, 'Yes, it's best we do ... hope is dead to save our house.' He pauses to say with visceral passion, 'If I didn't have you, I'd stand them off with my hunting rifle.' Then he sighs, says softly, 'I'm ashamed of the way I begged them on the phone today for one more extension.'
She whispers, 'Papa, I just can't believe this is happening ... after all the big money I've heard you brag about winning through the years.'
He smiles bitterly. 'I take the full sucker blame for letting Phillipa ruin us. Year in and year out, like an idiot, I let her blow thousands at the race track, on clothes from Beverly Hills shops that she didn't need. And when she left after that ... uh, shooting upstairs last year, she took my strong box containing an emergency five grand ... then to cap off bad breaks, I had that uh ... accident to my throat that knocked me out of the big buck sweepstakes. But I promise, dear lamb, to come back stronger. Soon!'
She says, 'Well, guess we'll have to check into a hotel until we find a small, clean furnished house to rent ... Say! We can rent the Allens' back house. It's clean, furnished and the rent is only sixty a month.'
He frowns at her suggestion. He is about to tell her about his plan to move them into Erica's flat when the doorbell chimes. Insistently!
'Damn! That must be one of the bad news bastards already.' Baptiste groans as he gets to his feet and leaves the bedroom followed by Reba.
They go to the door. Baptiste puts an eye to the peephole, is surprised to see Saul Sternberg, wearing a pajama top beneath his blue serge suit jacket. He opens the door, forgetting it's on chain. He reaches to unfasten it.
Reba sees Saul. She shoves Baptiste aside, glares at Saul through the chained aperture. 'What the hell do you want? God!'
Saul ashens, says, 'Reba, I must talk to you! Please!'
'No! I'm through talking to rotten Sternbergs.' She smashes an elbow into Baptiste's chest when he tries to pull her away.
'Reba, let me in. I want to discuss making an equitable arrangement for you and the baby' Saul pleads as he extends his hand through the door to touch her.
She recoils. 'Get lost!' as she slams the door on his hand.
Saul's muffled outcry of pain winces Baptiste behind her. Baptiste seizes her shoulders, spins her away from the door. She grapples savagely with him as he tries to go out the door. He breaks free to the porch, sees Saul angrily gun his Mercedes away. Baptiste steps back into the living room, glares at Reba turning from the open front window with smug triumph on her face.
'You dumb hellion! You just blew our chance to save the house!' Baptiste explodes.
'Goddamn the house, Baptiste! To hell with that muckety muck's welfare.'
Baptiste plops down on the couch. 'I hope you get some sense when you cool off: The Sternbergs owe you a cash settlement. All you have to do is file a paternity suit to get the payoff.'
'Forget it, Baptiste! I'm through with them. Understand!?'
Baptiste groans under his breath. 'How could I be the father of such a star natal sucker?'
She turns back to the windows when she hears a familiar truck sound. She sees Senior Joe key off the plumbing truck across the street and go into the Allen house.
'I'm going to rent the Allens' back house' she says as she moves toward the front door.
Baptiste leaps to
He extends his arms toward her, eyes piteous. She heaves a resigned sigh, shakes her head as she eye-sweeps the chaotic room. She drops down on the bed beside him, embraces his shoulders.
'Papa, I forgive you. We're not flat broke. I've got four hundred dollars saved from my sewing. We have to vacate immediately?'
He says, 'Yes, it's best we do ... hope is dead to save our house.' He pauses to say with visceral passion, 'If I didn't have you, I'd stand them off with my hunting rifle.' Then he sighs, says softly, 'I'm ashamed of the way I begged them on the phone today for one more extension.'
She whispers, 'Papa, I just can't believe this is happening ... after all the big money I've heard you brag about winning through the years.'
He smiles bitterly. 'I take the full sucker blame for letting Phillipa ruin us. Year in and year out, like an idiot, I let her blow thousands at the race track, on clothes from Beverly Hills shops that she didn't need. And when she left after that ... uh, shooting upstairs last year, she took my strong box containing an emergency five grand ... then to cap off bad breaks, I had that uh ... accident to my throat that knocked me out of the big buck sweepstakes. But I promise, dear lamb, to come back stronger. Soon!'
She says, 'Well, guess we'll have to check into a hotel until we find a small, clean furnished house to rent ... Say! We can rent the Allens' back house. It's clean, furnished and the rent is only sixty a month.'
He frowns at her suggestion. He is about to tell her about his plan to move them into Erica's flat when the doorbell chimes. Insistently!
'Damn! That must be one of the bad news bastards already.' Baptiste groans as he gets to his feet and leaves the bedroom followed by Reba.
They go to the door. Baptiste puts an eye to the peephole, is surprised to see Saul Sternberg, wearing a pajama top beneath his blue serge suit jacket. He opens the door, forgetting it's on chain. He reaches to unfasten it.
Reba sees Saul. She shoves Baptiste aside, glares at Saul through the chained aperture. 'What the hell do you want? God!'
Saul ashens, says, 'Reba, I must talk to you! Please!'
'No! I'm through talking to rotten Sternbergs.' She smashes an elbow into Baptiste's chest when he tries to pull her away.
'Reba, let me in. I want to discuss making an equitable arrangement for you and the baby' Saul pleads as he extends his hand through the door to touch her.
She recoils. 'Get lost!' as she slams the door on his hand.
Saul's muffled outcry of pain winces Baptiste behind her. Baptiste seizes her shoulders, spins her away from the door. She grapples savagely with him as he tries to go out the door. He breaks free to the porch, sees Saul angrily gun his Mercedes away. Baptiste steps back into the living room, glares at Reba turning from the open front window with smug triumph on her face.
'You dumb hellion! You just blew our chance to save the house!' Baptiste explodes.
'Goddamn the house, Baptiste! To hell with that muckety muck's welfare.'
Baptiste plops down on the couch. 'I hope you get some sense when you cool off: The Sternbergs owe you a cash settlement. All you have to do is file a paternity suit to get the payoff.'
'Forget it, Baptiste! I'm through with them. Understand!?'
Baptiste groans under his breath. 'How could I be the father of such a star natal sucker?'
She turns back to the windows when she hears a familiar truck sound. She sees Senior Joe key off the plumbing truck across the street and go into the Allen house.
'I'm going to rent the Allens' back house' she says as she moves toward the front door.
Baptiste leaps to
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