Free Million Dollar Baby by F. X. Toole Page B

explain the deductions and have Reggie sign a paper say he understand. He say Reggie some kind of warrior, say he fight like he be from the ancient time. He give us roast chestnuts from a little brown bag. Reggie want to take him home. Little dude tell us Jewish jokes and leave us laughing.
    Reporters next, and then Harvey come in smiling like he on top of the world. He go on about how pretty Reggie fight, how he slick and smooth, how he can box and how he can punch.
    “Listen, you guys,” he say. “I know you think this payday is chump change, and that you’re pissed about the deductions.”
    Reggie cut him off. He say, “You owe me fifteen dollars and ninety cent, plus tax.”
    Harvey say, “For what?”
    Reggie say, “For two times at the buffet.”
    Harvey say, “Oh, hell, no big thing.” He smile big, pull a twenty-dollar bill from a roll in his pocket and give it Reggie. “Keep it.”
    Reggie take the twenty, pull four ones and ten pennies from his pocket, and he give them to Harvey. Reggie say, “I pay the tax. Here you change.”
    Harvey say, “No hard feelings about the chow, okay? Just don’t forget that I’m the guy who gave you the opportunity to show the world you’re not washed-up, right? Because of my faith in you, you’re going to take on Babaloo. I got him signed for you already.”
    Now Harvey Silvershade love Reggie Love because he thinking to promote the Babaloo USBA fight. It funny Harvey have sign Babaloo for Dashiki, and now he trying to make it look like he do it for Reggie. Reggie eyes be getting cold again.
    Harvey say, “So this payday wasn’t that much, okay?, but I figure after tonight you’ll kayo Babaloo. Once we get the USBA, I say we defend it twice in Vegas for fifty thousand a fight. Then we go for the IBF title and a real chunk of change. I say you got another six big fights in you, Reggie. With the right opponents I get you, we’re talking maybe a couple of million or more per fight. How does that sound?”
    Reggie say, “It depend what my manager say.”
    Harvey say, “You’re right, I’m not supposed to talk money if he’s not here. So why don’t we drop it for now?, and you and your guys come up to the penthouse. I’ve got some friends I think you’d like to meet, you know, like the card girls’ll be there, and I’ve got some steaks ordered and some champagne on ice.”
    Reggie know the party was suppose to be for Dashiki. Reggie say, “Don’t like no steak, don’t drink no liquor, and don’t slip around.”
    Harvey say, “Not a problem. I’ll order up some ribs.”
    Reggie say, “Don’t eat no swine.”
    Harvey say, “Yeah, well, whaddaya like?”
    Reggie say, “Chicken and fish.”
    Harvey say, “I’ll order both. How long’ll it take you to get up there?”
    Reggie say, “Firs’, we got to get our stuff back to the other place up the street through the snow.”
    Harvey say, “Yeah, too bad about the snow. Hey! I can have my guys schlepp your gear over there for you. You can come upstairs right now. View of the boardwalk’s pretty as a bitch at night.”
    Pats say, “We got the shit over here, we’ll get it back, Jackie. We do our job.” He still thinking about his lost teeth and want to put Harvey on his ass.
    I see Harvey not happy. He say, “Fine, that’s what you want. But I’ll go ahead and order up the chicken and fish. When can I expect you?”
    Reggie say, “Can’t expec’. We goin celebrate wit our friends up the cafeteria.”
    Harvey go all pink in the face like he been caught playing with his dick. He say, “Okay, whatever. Maybe next time, whaddaya say?”
    Reggie say, “Who know?”
    Promoter back out the door smiling, but his eyes be sick. Now what go down here between Reggie and Harvey don’t mean that Valentine Reggie Love won’t work with Harvey Silvershade Promotions if the money be right. Reggie just want the white Jew to know he be dealing with a black Jew.

Million $$$ Baby
    “B OXING IS AN UNNATURAL