Page 122 - Where the Dream Ends ebook
P. 122
Marc Erdrich
Joey handed Larry the joint, and he took a long drag, in-
haling deeply and holding it until he thought his lungs would
burst. He exhaled and the rush nearly knocked him off his feet.
“I can’t think,” he said, regaining his composure.
“A billion fucking dollars,” Joey exclaimed. “A billion dol-
lars. You’re a fucking billionaire.”
“It can’t be,” Larry insisted. “It’s not possible.”
“Listen,” Joey said, suddenly becoming serious. “You’ve
got to turn in the ticket, just to be rid of it. Right now, it’s like
carrying around a billion dollar bill.”
“The ticket! Where is it?” Larry asked.
“You were just holding it,” Joey said. “You must have put it
here,” he said, rummaging through the papers on the counter.
“Here it is,” Larry said, finding it stuck to his elbow. “I
think I’m in shock,” he said, sliding the ticket toward Joey. “I
need something to drink.”
He went to the refrigerator, poured himself a glass of juice,
and drank it without stopping. All the while Joey kept mum-
bling under his breath.
“All right,” Larry said, setting his glass on the counter with
a thud, “we’ve got to do something!
“Maybe you should call a lawyer,” Joey suggested. “You’re
going to need some help with this.”
“What the fuck am I going to do with a billion dollars?”
Larry complained, ignoring his suggestion.
“Anything you want,” Joey said.
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