Cherry Money Baby Read Online Free PDF

knew from the big screen. Ardelia Deen in person was something new, something huge and vague, reduced in size. And sharpened.
    She had no clue what to say.
    “So . . .”
    “I love your”— Ardelia waved absently —“caravan.”
    “What? Oh, the trailer. Yeah it’s . . . I like your dress. It’s really”— she groped for something intelligent —“green.”
    “Chartreuse, actually.”
    She nodded vigorously. “Oh, yeah. Chartreuse. I love their stuff.”
    “Actually chartreuse is the
color,
” Ardelia said, blushing. “The designer is . . . It’s Faviana, but . . . Wow.” The starlet took a breath. “I just sound incredibly pretentious, don’t I?”
    “No! No, no. It’s me. I’m retarded.”
    “Don’t use that word.” Ardelia cleared her throat. “I mean. Well.”
    “Well.” Cherry made a gee-golly gesture. “I guess this wins for most awkward conversation ever.”
    Ardelia Deen chuckled. Cherry had actually made a movie star laugh. “Yes, I guess it does,” Ardelia said.
    Cherry looked around for something, anything to talk about — and that was when she saw Ardelia’s wheels.
    “Oh. My.
Lord.
” She rushed to the gleaming silver sports car. “You drive an
Alfa Romeo
?”
    “Is that what it is? I had my manager pick it out for me. I just told her I wanted a car like the one from
La Dolce Vita.
Sort of a present to myself, but to be honest, I barely ever drive it.”
    Cherry peered inside. “This is a Series 2 Spider. This shit is
vintage.
You can tell it’s from the seventies, after they chopped off the tail and put in the padded dash.” She stepped back to take it in all at once. “I need a cold shower after seeing this.”
    Ardelia seemed impressed. “You certainly know your cars.”
    “Pop owns a garage. I was conceived and born in the back of a Fiat.”
    Ardelia laughed again. “Honestly, I’m a useless driver. I learned on British models, and this whole other-side-of-the-road thing? Impossible.”
    “This is really . . .” Cherry pressed her palms to the hood. It was hot and cool at the same time. “This is a thing of beauty.”
    She hadn’t noticed Ardelia watching her, admiring her admiration, or maybe just thinking she was nuts. The movie star smiled.
    “Do you want to go for a spin?”
    “Really? I mean, could we?”
    “Would you like that? I don’t particularly like driving, but if you want to . . .”
    Cherry was already behind the wheel. Ardelia climbed into the passenger seat. Cherry sank low, running her hands over the console.
    “I’m going to have to make love to your car now.”
    “Well, buy it dinner first.”
    The girls laughed. The keys were in the ignition.
    “Listen to that! She
purrs.
”
    “Now,” said Ardelia, “I’ve noticed it’s a little touchy, so go easy at —”

Ardelia’s sentence was cut short as both girls were thrown back into their seats. Sugar Village blurred, reeled, and was gone before Ardelia could fumble with her seat belt.
    “Whooo!!!”
Cherry howled.
    “Well, I didn’t know it could do
that.
”
    “Not
it. She.
A car like this is definitely a
she.
” She pulled onto Hope Ave. and reduced speed. “That was
fun.
”
    “It was, wasn’t it?” Ardelia bit her lip. “How fast do you think it —
she
— can go?”
    Cherry shrugged. “Specs claim 158 miles per hour.”
    “What’s that in kilometers?”
    “I have
no
idea.”
    “Hmm.” Ardelia thought, eyeing her driving companion. “What do you say we find a highway and see what she can
really
do?”
    “I dunno. You think? If we get pulled over . . .”
    “Speeding tickets are on me!”
    Cherry squeezed the leather steering wheel, rubbing her fingers into the grooves. “All right, Ms. Movie Star. You’re on.”
    Route 290 zigged and zagged, winding itself under the wheels like measuring tape zipping back into its casing. In a few minutes, they’d reached the edge of Aubrey. Cherry took the last exit before Worcester and plotted a return course on Route