Thankfully, he let out a low whistle as he compared the numbers, but then handed both papers back to Tony. “Okay, so here’s what I’ll do. It will take me about twenty-four hours to file the paperwork that will set up a Claiming Trust for each of you. Can someone give me a dollar?” he asked.
While Daisy, Ivy and Tony were still trying to figure out why he wanted a dollar, Marilee pulled one out of her pocket without hesitation, handing it over to him. Typical of sweet Marilee, they all thought. If someone needed something, she didn’t ask. Her gentle heart just provided whatever she could.
He took the dollar and nodded. “Thanks. You’ve now retained my legal services and guaranteed my silence.” He took a notepad from the stone fireplace and started writing. “I’ll personally file the paperwork this afternoon, but once this starts going, you’re going to need more people to help you out. Right now, you don’t know who you’ll need, what kinds of people you’d like around you. But I have contacts and will see if we can get you some expert advice once you have your money.”
“A financial advisor,” Tony spoke up quickly.
Jason wrote that down. “I know of someone. You can interview that person and see what you think. Don’t jump on the first person you talk to though.” He stopped writing and looked at each of them. “What you did, testing me before you revealed anything, is actually brilliant. Once people know that you have money, they’ll be coming at you from all sides. You’ll be hit with requests for money, scam artists that are brilliant, relatives coming out of the woodwork that you never knew existed, and all manner of unscrupulous people.” He paused and all of them understood that he’d experienced this personally. “Trust me, don’t tell anyone that you are wealthy.”
He went through several more issues, but after less than a half hour, they stood up and shook his hand. “I’ll be in touch. Guard that ticket,” he warned. “Don’t tell anyone about this until I contact you tomorrow. If I can make it happen sooner, I’ll let you know.”
They nodded, already understanding the significance of hiding all of the information. Thankfully, no one even suspected that they had the winning ticket, so that was in their favor.
Chapter 5
“It’s done,” Jason announced as soon as Daisy answered her phone one day later.
Daisy stopped, looking around at the chaos in the dining room. “What’s done?” It was ten o’clock that night and Daisy was covering for one of the other waitresses who had cut her finger earlier. She had about ten orders that were stacking up in the window and more people waiting to order. And this was a slow period of the night.
“The money is in your trust. I went ahead and set up a bank account for each of you, separating out the prize money into four equal shares but each of you will need to visit the bank with identification to set up your signatures and security. The total winnings came to just over one point six billion. That’s billion with a B! After taxes, that came to seven hundred and eighty four million. Dividing that up, each of you are now worth just over one hundred and ninety-six million dollars.”
Silence.
They’d met with Jason earlier this week and he worked fast! They’d met with him again that afternoon and warily handed over the winning ticket, but he’d already had paperwork there for them to sign, attesting to the ownership of the winning ticket. He said it was so that they could be assured that he wouldn’t steal the ticket.
He’d told them that it might take several days. It hadn’t even been one day!
“Um…could you repeat that?” she whispered, unable to speak any louder.
Jason laughed, but he went through all of it one more time.
The ringing in her ears was loud and muffled his words, but the news slowly sank into her brain. One hundred, ninety-six million dollars?! She had a net worth of one hundred, ninety-six million dollars?! She’d never even had a net worth before ….
Someone called to her and she looked over at one of the other waiters. “Um…Jason, I need to go. Thank you!” she gushed, not wanting to sound ungrateful. “Thank you so much!”
He laughed. “You’re going back to work, aren’t you?” he asked.
Daisy looked around. There were truckers and travelers waiting for food, friends who were struggling to carry out all of the orders to the tables…she couldn’t leave. These were her friends!
“Yes. I have to…”
“Don’t worry. We’ll meet tomorrow to go over more details. Can you come out to my place at ten o’clock tomorrow morning?”
Daisy must have agreed, because she hung up the phone. Still standing in the middle of the diner, chaos swirling around her. But she didn’t see any of it.
“Honey, come sit down. Did someone die? Are you okay?” Martha, one of the new waitresses, asked solicitously as she led Daisy over to an empty chair. “Get her some water, honey,” Martha called out to Walter, the other waiter. Walter hurried behind the counter and grabbed a glass, filling it up. One of the truckers realized what was happening and grabbed the plates of food, delivering it to the tables himself.
Daisy couldn’t drink. She simply stared, in shocked at that enormous number. She kept repeating it in her mind.
“I need to go,” she muttered, standing up and looking around. “I’m sorry to leave you in the lurch like this but…”
“Honey, you do whatever you need to. And let us know if you need anything, okay?” Martha said at once. Walter was right behind her with the glass of water, both of them looking at her worriedly but nodding, telling her to leave.
Daisy grabbed her purse and walked out the back. It took her three tries to start up her old car and she vowed that the first thing she was going to buy was something that started up immediately!
She drove to Tony’s house first, but as soon as she knocked, he answered the door with the same stunned look. Inside, Ivy and Marilee were standing there, identical looks in their eyes.
“These came for us,” Marilee lifted the package.
“There’s probably a special messenger knocking on your door, trying to…”
Before Tony could finish, her cell phone rang. It was a messenger trying to locate her. “I’m um…I’m at Tony’s house.” Thank goodness for small towns. The man appeared at Tony’s door less than five minutes later. None of them had said a word, all of them too shocked at the news.
The messenger handed her an electronic clipboard and Daisy signed for the package, which he immediately handed to her and nodded, departing quickly.
“It’s a credit card, a bank statement, and some cash,” Marilee whispered, her voice weak.
They all sat on Tony’s torn up couch, staring at the money. “I’ve never had a credit card before,” Marilee whispered. “I’m not even sure if I know how to use one!”
That seemed to break the dam. Daisy, Marilee, and Ivy all began to chuckle, then giggle, then full on laugher filled the room. They jumped up, hugging each other, as their eyes got misty. Tony stood back, leaning against the cracked wall with his arms crossed over his chest, smiling as he watched his friends.
When they realized that he was standing off to the side, they wiped their tears and looked at him. Tony knew what was going to happen and he straightened up, the amused expression falling from his face as he backed away. “No!” he snapped, lifting his hands, palms up. “Don’t drag me into that!”
But they surrounded him anyway, wrapping him in a big group hug. Tony took it with a sigh and a roll of his eyes, but he squeezed back. All of them laughed, the ladies jumping up and down while Tony avoided getting knocked in the chin by their heads.
Chapter 6
Jason called the following morning. “What’s first on your list?” he asked.
Daisy groaned. They’d gone out to the grocery store and bought several boxes of wine, drinking it for the rest of the night. Tony had cooked something, but Daisy wasn’t sure if they’d actually eaten.
“Um…we talked about traveling.”
“Good idea. Would you like me to rec
ommend a travel agent?” he asked.
Daisy pushed her hair out of her eyes, wondering what had happened to her hair band. “Um…yeah. I guess. I’m not sure…”
Jason chuckled softly. “This woman is amazing. She’ll get you all set up and help you go wherever you want to visit. I’ll have her call you.”
Three days later, they were on a flight to London, their passport requests expedited with Jason’s help. Jessica, their travel agent, had arranged first class tickets for each of them, and a car to meet them at the airport. Since they didn’t have any luggage, none of them having traveled before, she told them that someone would meet them at their hotel for shopping. She’d arrange everything.
A limousine was at their disposal and took them to Harrods’s, one of the most well-known department stores in the country. Each of them was outfitted with new clothes, underwear, shoes, and purses for the ladies. Tony was dressed up in suits, slacks, sweaters and all the things he needed. They also purchased luggage, each were given makeovers with makeup tips and stocked with all of the beauty products to recreate their makeup the next day.
Next stop, a spa. Tony went with them and received a shave while the ladies enjoyed facials. Then massages all around and dinner at a beautiful restaurant.
Over the next four days, the driver drove them around the city while a tour guide took them to all of the major tourist’s sites. They saw Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, rode the massive Ferris Wheel, toured London Tower, then were driven out to tour the Harry Potter film studio. From there, they enjoyed Stonehenge and Bath, which Marilee declared her favorite city in the world.
“This is only the third city you’ve visited,” Tony teased. “And LowPoint doesn’t count.”
She laughed, but dismissed his teasing comments.
From Bath, they moved on to Paris and did more shopping, more touring, and more eating. Tony loved the restaurants the most, but they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
By the time they made it to Aruba, Marilee had gained ten pounds and groaned when she lowered herself into the beach chair. “I can’t keep this up,” she groaned.
Ivy, who had always been slender, laughed and patted her shoulder. “You have to be kidding,” she teased, knowing that Marilee’s bodacious breasts were drawing men’s eyes left and right.
Marilee pushed her sunglasses higher onto her nose. “No. And I know this is horrible, but…”
“I miss home,” Ivy sighed as she fell into the chair next to Marilee.
Daisy felt the same. “I’m sick of traveling,” she announced. Ivy and Marilee both nodded in agreement.
Tony was at the bar and, of course, several women surrounded him. They all looked lovely and eager to please him.
“I’m worried about Tony,” Ivy murmured. “I think he’s been with a different woman every night we’ve been here.”
“Yeah, me too,” Daisy added. “Do you think we should give him The Talk?”
All three women laughed and Tony looked over. Marilee lifted her hand, fluttering her fingers in his direction.
“You can just feel his eyes narrowing on us, can’t you?” Ivy said, laughing, thinking it was hilarious.
He strolled over, unaware and unconcerned with the disappointed beauties he was leaving behind. “What’s so funny?” he asked, waving away the waiter that stepped up, ready to take his drink order.
“We were laughing at how you’re enjoying the ladies. And giving us The Look.”
“I don’t have a look,” he argued.
They all laughed again, Marilee patting his shoulder. “Oh honey. You’re rolling your eyes behind your sunglasses, aren’t you?”
Instead of answering, he changed the subject. “I called Jason last night.”
“Why?”
Tony stared off at the ocean for a moment. “Because I’ve been getting a bad feeling. I asked him to check on the diner and make sure everyone was still okay. Initially, he said that everything was working fine. He even checked in with the inspectors who said everything had been brought up to code and all fines had been paid.”
“So what’s the problem?”
Again, another tense silence and the ladies sat up, looking at him more carefully. “Tony,” Ivy prompted with a lower voice, “what’s wrong?”
“Janice is out of jail. She’s only out on bail right now. All the fines were paid and the pack pay doled out, so her assets were unfrozen.”
“That’s not good,” Marilee said.
Tony shook his head. “No. She fired more than half the staff.”
They all sighed, silently trying to come up with some way to help
“I’m going back,” he announced.
Daisy, Ivy and Marilee nodded. “We were just saying how we missed home and were ready to go back.”
He looked at them carefully. “I’m going to build a new diner, right across the street from Janice’s place, just like we talked about. I’m going to put her out of business!”
They had varying degrees of surprise, but one by one, they smiled, agreeing that it was a good plan. “And serve better food, right?”
His smile was almost predatory. “Yes. And I’ll poach anyone at a higher salary that she tries to bring into her diner.” There was a grim pause and he shook his head. “I’m not letting her abuse those people any longer,” he snapped. “I have the resources now to ensure that she will be stopped.”
Marilee shifted. “Tony, you can’t stop all the bad people in the world.”
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know. But I can stop this one.”
“He’s right,” Daisy said what they were all thinking. “We have plenty of money now. We can do anything we want.”
Ivy’s mouth twisted. “I was kind of becoming bored with not doing anything productive,” she said.
“Me too.” They all paused with their silent thoughts for a moment. “So…we’re heading home? We’re going to do something good?”
As they nodded, the tension slowly easing from their shoulders. “Yes,” they all agreed, nodding to confirm.
Two days later, they stepped off of the plane at the Louisville International Airport. For a long moment, they watched as a porter loaded their bags onto a trolley, each of them thinking of ways they could use their money to make the world a better place.
“We’re going to need different clothes,” Ivy pointed out, thinking about the designer togs they’d all purchased over the past month.
“And we definitely can’t arrive in LowPoint driven by a limousine,” Daisy added.
“This is going to be both fun and difficult,” Marilee commented, tilting her head slightly. “I hate to say it, but I’m sort of looking forward to putting my old jeans back on. They were a whole lotta comfort!”
They laughed. “And you look great in them, honey,” Tony said, kissing the top of her head. “I’m moving to Louisville, ladies. I want to go to school, get a business degree, but I’ll still get that new diner built.”
They knew that he wanted to go to school, they were just surprised that he was doing it first. He’d said exactly that when they’d been dreaming about what they would do on his birthday night. “It seems like another life, doesn’t it?” Ivy said.
“Yeah,” Marilee agreed. “But our new one is going to be amazing,” she smiled up at the tepid sunshine.
“Really amazing,” Daisy agreed.
Excerpt from “Tempted” – Now Available!
Daisy’s story in The Lottery Winners Series
To Order this story, click HERE
(As usual, there’s a bit of build up to this scene – but this one sets the tone for the entire story so I thought it was perfect to give you a sense of what is to come. Enjoy!)
What the hell was he doing here? Rocco slammed the door of his pickup, looking around. The tiny town of LowPoint wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d heard. There were several houses that looked nice, but the rest…he shook his head, everything looked so abandoned.
Years ago, some repo
rter had done a series of stories about coal mining towns that had died. LowPoint had been one of the featured towns and had appeared to be about to crumble at any moment.
But as he’d driven through town, he’d seen stores and people walking along sidewalks filled with flowers and trees that had just burst with leaves as the warm spring sun heated the earth. The downtown area definitely was different than the images he’d seen on television so many years ago.
These houses though? Yeah, they looked ready to be demolished. The whole street looked…abandoned. There were broken windows, lawns filled with weeds, doors and windows missing on some of the houses, and…he did a double take at the house across the street. Was that a toilet on the lawn?
Rubbing the back of his neck, he wondered what the hell he was doing here. There were no buildings going up, no construction anywhere to be seen.
It was just a run-down neighborhood. Yeah, his mind immediately began cataloguing all the ways that he could improve the houses. A bit of...
“You showed up!”
Rocco turned, looking at the woman approaching him with a breathless smile. She wasn’t wearing a business suit and killer heels like she’d worn yesterday, but the loose jeans and cotton top were pretty damn nice! Were those steel toed boots? Damn, she looked hot! Much more intriguing that the Barbie-look-alike he’d seen yesterday.
And much more enticing!
Keeping his features neutral, he waited for her to approach him, unwilling to give anything away.
“I’m here,” he agreed, when she was a few feet away although it was obvious.
She sauntered up to him and he was startled to realize how short she was. Maybe five feet, five? Not more. Since he was several inches over six feet, that caused him to look down at her more than he’d anticipated. He hadn’t noticed the height difference yesterday because she’d been sitting down. And yeah – because he’d been a bit too focused on her mouth.
His eyes dropped to take in that particular body part, thinking back to his dreams from the previous night. He’d woken up hard and aching and it was due to this woman and her full lips that….
Craving Him (Sinful Nights Book 6) Page 12
