The Avenue

1

-No.

No.

-What's the matter?

-What?

- Why are you not

eating anything?

- I've never been crazy

about the food here.

You know that.

- I would have taken you

to my uncle peaches' place.

I told you that on the way here.

- This is the only place

you ever take me,

and every time you tell me

about how you used to come here

with your mother

and your grandmother

when you were a kid,

back when you were a shoobie

and the seat cushions were blue.

Okay, so you're not as excited

about the remodel as I am.

You don't have to get nasty.

- I'm not excited

about anything anymore, Eddie.

What are we doing?

-What's your problem?

- This town, the w-way

we live, everything.

- This is where

you're from, Sandra.

This is your home.

- I've been thinking a lot about

when we first got together.

- We had a lot of good times.

- It was more than that for me.

You were larger

than life, Eddie.

You're better than this.

I'm sitting here waiting

for that guy to show back up.

Somewhere along the line,

something changed.

-Listen...

I know that things

have been rough

since we lost the apartment,

and we both know

that was my fault.

You don't think I want things

to be better for us?

- Then why won't you call

your cousin Dominick?

- Why!

- Because he could get you back

in the carpenter's union

in, like, two minutes.

- And then I could be

like my cousin?

Carry a lunch pail to work,

punch a clock?

He's a Strunz, my cousin.

Strunz!

- Good luck, gentlemen,

this hand.

Twenty.

- I ain't complaining.

- Look at this sh*t.

- Sixteen... split 'em?

- Split 'em, split.

- 3,000, sir.

- 3,000. Look at this.

3,000.

- Ooh, big shot, look at him.

-Playing for another 3,000.

Good luck this round.

Eighteen.

Eighteen.

Thirteen.

Nineteen.

Twenty.

- All right, all right.

- Like that?

- That's... that's a tough one,

buddy.

-Hey. Can't win them all, man.

Only rocky Marciano.

- How about that answer?

- Hey, how about that?

- Yeah, very funny.

-I am.

-My apologies.

- It's the second time

in two weeks.

Last week same sh*t.

He's cheating me. He's cheating.

- Nobody's trying to

cheat you, relax.

- I'm a dues-paying member

in this joint.

- We all are.

- We all pay the dues,

and you know what, you just paid

some more dues just then.

Relax.

- Ease back, Eddie.

- No shame. You got

to split eights.

- Come on, calm down.

- "Split eights"...

-It's a friendly game.

- Looks like you're out now.

- Yeah, you see that?

Yeah, I am out.

Give me a marker.

- What's your pleasure Mr. m.?

- Ten.

- 10,000?

- No, ten dollars.

Yes, 10,000.

- He's a wise guy.

Would you relax?

- Sir, you're good for

$5,000 tonight.

- 5,000?

- Sir, that's your balance.

- Angelo, are you nuts? It's bad

enough this motherf***er

is robbing me all night!

- Oh! Relax.

- Are you f***ing nuts?!

Are you f***ing nuts?!

- Get him out of here!

- What the f***?!

- Hey! Get your f***ing hands

off me.

- See you next week, Eddie.

- Yeah, I'll see all

you motherfuckers next week.

- Tell a friend!

- F*** all of you.

I'll see you next week.

I'll see you next week!

-You're slipping, Giancarlo.

I could have capped you

right here.

-Tony, Jesus. You scared me.

-Rough night?

- Rough month.

- How many times I've got

to tell you to take it easy

with that booze?

Moderation.

It's going to kill you,

but you don't want

to hear that, do you?

- I'll take it under advisement.

- Come on. Let's walk.

Let's talk.

- Hey, thanks for coming again.

- That's what friends are for.

-Too many ears.

You know about the poker game

in my house on Wednesday nights?

-Mm-hmm.

- This guy had a really

bad night last week.

He's in to me for 100 grand.

I graciously gave him

a couple extra days.

Now the prick won't even return

my phone calls.

-Okay, what guy?

- Your pop's buddy from

the gang from Philly.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on.

Hold on.

You want me to go back home?

Ton, you know

you have my loyalty,

but I can't go home,

and you know that.

- Still?

- Yeah, still.

- You worried about those

knuckleheads from way back when?

-Let me ask you a question,

what does never set foot here

again mean to you?

To me, it means don't go back,

so I haven't.

- I've got your back

going there.

Don't even think that thing

ever happened.

Look, this guy has known you

since you were a kid.

Maybe you can get him

to understand

the seriousness

of the situation.

- All right,

I'll take care of it.

- You know where his bar

is at, right?

- Yeah, I know where he's at.

- He probably closed it down

a few times

back in the day, right?

- A few.

- I want you to go there,

wait for him,

when he's closing tomorrow

night, you follow?

If he don't cooperate with you,

you rough him up

however you need to,

but don't walk out of there

without my money, you got me?

He's got a safe

on the second floor.

Blow the motherf***er up, I

don't care, but I want my money.

- I got you covered.

- Bastard's making it really

difficult for me

to make payroll this week.

-Salut.

- You remember that

Marina job two years ago?

-Who could forget that?

- "In and out, 10 grand apiece."

Those were Tony's

exact words to us.

- How we're both not sitting

in prison cells

right now over that deal?

- I got pneumonia

hiding in that water.

I'm still not right over it.

-Well, this job is on dry land.

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