One in a Million

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

  “This is crazy, and that’s why I’ll be so glad when this divorce is final.”

  Miles drove out of the stall and through the parking garage, and suddenly Kennedi remembered what Blake had said, that he knew she’d deposited her lottery check, and she wondered how. She’d only told Patrice, Attorney Newman, both of her aunts, and of course, Miles, but once again, someone had betrayed her confidence. She had no idea who it could be, but after this, she knew she had to be a lot more careful. She had to be a lot more cautious regarding her business affairs and with safeguarding information she didn’t want Blake knowing about.

  It was time for her to realize she simply couldn’t trust everyone. Maybe not even Patrice or her own flesh and blood.

  Maybe not even the man she was sitting in the car with.

  Chapter 14

  Girl, it was a straight-up disaster.” Kennedi had just gotten home from picking up her car at the bank and was on the phone with Patrice, telling her about the restaurant fiasco.

  “I can’t believe he flipped out like that.”

  “Neither can I, but then again, I can’t believe any of what he’s been doing. As of late, you never know what Blake might do. The man is full of surprises, and it’s hard to believe I was married to him all this time but really didn’t know him.”

  “But in all honesty, do we truly know anyone? I’m talking completely.”

  “I used to think it was possible, but not anymore. Not after the way Blake’s been acting—and then I didn’t tell you that someone told him I’d gotten the check. Which means someone told something I asked them not to.”

  “Who knew about it? Because you know I would never repeat any of your business. I haven’t even told my mother about it.”

  “You, my aunts, Attorney Newman, and Miles.”

  “But you don’t think your aunts would deceive you, do you?”

  “I don’t want to, but who’s to say? And I definitely don’t want to point the finger at Miles or Attorney Newman, because they know everything I’m doing and they’re representing everything I have, legally and financially. But it’s not like I’ve known Miles for all that long. He seems okay, but you never know. Then I can’t totally dismiss Attorney Newman, because Blake and I do have a history with him, and how do I know Blake isn’t paying him for information? For all I know, he might be trying to convince Attorney Newman to mishandle my case so he can win his.”

  “Gosh, I hope not.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just paranoid.”

  “Maybe. But the thing is, someone is talking more than they’re supposed to be, so being careful is very smart.”

  Kennedi didn’t say anything to Patrice’s last comment, but the more she listened to her best friend in the world, the guiltier she felt. She hated suspecting the people she cared about and prayed that she’d find the real culprit soon enough. Nonetheless, she knew for sure Patrice was telling the truth. Kennedi knew she would never hurt her under any circumstances. She knew it with all her heart, and that gave her so much peace.

  Patrice continued. “When money comes into play, mothers will backstab daughters and vice versa, and it’s a terrible shame.”

  “It is, but I knew when I won that certain people were going to act differently toward me or feel as though I owe them something. It’s just the way it is.”

  “Well, I don’t expect anything.”

  “Please. You know you’re getting something. As soon as this Blake situation is settled.”

  “I’m just saying, though. I loved you like a sister before the money, and I still feel the same way now that you have it. Nothing’s changed as far as our relationship is concerned. Period.”

  “I love you, too, Patrice.”

  They chatted a while longer, mostly about Patrice’s wedding and how Kennedi wanted her to choose any gown she wanted, the best wedding planner, and the best reception site. Then they talked about everything and nothing for a whole other hour, the same as always.

  But no sooner than when they’d hung up, the doorbell rang. Kennedi wasn’t expecting anyone and wondered who it was. When she arrived at the door she looked out and saw her two cousins, Aunt Rose’s two sons, Raymond and Joseph. She didn’t mind them visiting, but the least they could’ve done—the least anyone could do—was call before simply dropping in.

  She opened the door and looked up, because they both stood at least six foot two or six foot three inches tall. “What are you two doing here?”

  “Hey, cuz,” Raymond said. “We just so happened to be in the neighborhood and thought we’d stop by to see how you were.”

  There was a chance he was telling the truth, but Kennedi seriously doubted it. Still, she went along with his story.

  “Well, that was nice of both of you.”

  “Yeah, cuz,” Joseph added. “We thought we’d come check you out. See how things are going now that you’re living like the Rockefellers.”

  Kennedi led them into the family room. “I don’t think so, because as you can see, I’m still living the same as usual. This is the same house I’ve been residing in for the last few years.”

  Raymond plopped down on the sofa. “That might be true, but it’s only a matter of time before you’re on to much bigger and much better things.”

  Kennedi changed the subject. “So, how’s Aunt Rose?”

  Joseph rested his right ankle on top of his left knee the way men sometimes do. “She’s good.”

  “I talked to her for a few minutes yesterday, but I haven’t had a real conversation with her in over a week,” Kennedi stated. “I’ll have to call her back tonight or tomorrow.”

  “She’ll be glad to hear from you,” Raymond said. “No doubt.”

  Joseph looked around the room. “I see you still like elephants, huh?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “I remember when we were little and you liked them even back then. The only difference now is that the ones you’ve got here are a lot more expensive than those plastic ones your mom used to buy for you when you were just a small girl.”

  “You’ve got a great memory,” she complimented him.

  “I know.”

  “We used to have such a good time back then,” Raymond chimed in. “I know we were only cousins, but we grew up the same as any brothers and sisters would. We were at each others’ houses all the time. You, Lisa, Bell, and us.”

  Lisa and Bell were Aunt Lucy’s two daughters, both of whom had gone to college in Texas, had become successful nurse practitioners, and had decided to make their homes in Dallas. Kennedi was so proud of both of them, and when they’d called her a few weeks ago on a three-way call, she’d been extremely happy to hear from them. They’d laughed for what seemed more than two hours, and it had felt like old times. So much so that they’d each pulled out their calendars and scheduled a full spa weekend in Florida for just the three of them in late October.

  “Yep, we were together all the time,” Kennedi agreed. “And a lot of it had to do with the fact that our mothers were basically inseparable. They were so very close to each other, and I loved that about them.”

  Joseph rubbed his beard. “So did I.”

  “Me, too,” Raymond said, and then Kennedi offered her two cousins something to eat. It was only leftover pizza from the night before, but they seemed thrilled and unable to get enough of it. She was actually having a great time with them—until their conversation swerved in a different direction.

  Raymond wiped his hands with a paper towel and said, “Now, cuz, you know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

  “Ask what?”

  “If you can let me hold twenty-five hundred dollars.”

  This was another one of those wow-I-just-don’t-know-what-to-say moments, so Kennedi just listened.

  “You see, the thing is, the engine in my Cadillac needs to be replaced.”

  If Kennedi’s memory served her correctly, that was the same 1990 Cadillac that had been out of commission and backed into Aunt Rose
’s garage for more than a year, and she couldn’t help wondering why he hadn’t seen a need to get it fixed before now. Of course, forty-five-year-old Raymond had always been on the lazy side—Joseph, too, for that matter—and no job meant no money. However, today he’d somehow decided his “cuz” could easily pick up the tab for him.

  Kennedi tried but couldn’t resist asking him exactly what she was thinking, almost word for word. “Hasn’t that Cadillac of yours been out of commission and backed into Aunt Rose’s garage for more than a year now?”

  “Uh, yeah, but, uh, you know, uh, you know how it is,” he stammered. “You know how it is, cuz. It’s rough out here. Work is basically nonexistent.”

  Not at McDonald’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s, was what she wanted to say, but she didn’t want to argue with him or have him thinking she was suddenly talking down to him because of her newfound wealth. That wasn’t her intention, but she knew Raymond would claim that she was for all eternity, and Joseph would quickly second his motion.

  He continued before she could respond. “The reason I need my ride is because I can’t look for a decent job without one.”

  Kennedi cracked up inside but then broke the bad news to him. “I wish I could, but so far I don’t have access to any of my lottery money yet.”

  Kennedi was sort of leading him to believe she hadn’t received the check at all, but in reality, she was telling the truth, because the money really was on hold until next week.

  “Well, when will you?”

  “What? Have the money?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Soon, I hope.”

  “Then it shouldn’t be a problem, because I know you have twenty-five hundred in the bank even without that jackpot.”

  Kennedi didn’t like Raymond’s tone or the sly look on Joseph’s face. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do it. Not right now.”

  Joseph got up from the island and laughed. “Okay, now, cuz, please don’t tell me you’re already gettin’ the big head. Don’t tell me you’re about to forget who your family is. The people you share the same blood with.”

  At first, Kennedi was shocked that Joseph would say something so offensive, but then she thought about the fact that Joseph was worse than Raymond. The man was forty-two and had five children out in Philadelphia that he never bothered taking care of. He did work on occasion, at least a lot more often than his brother, but he was a veteran deadbeat father. Although, not too long ago, Kennedi had heard from her aunt Rose that Child Support Enforcement had finally caught up with him and that he had a court date in the near future.

  “I’m sorry,” she reiterated.

  Raymond drank the last of his soda and threw the can across the tabletop. “Yeah, I bet you are. Man, let’s go,” he said to Joseph. “Let’s get out of here before Miss Thing kicks us out or calls the cops on us.”

  “I don’t believe both of you are acting like this. Over money.”

  “No,” Joseph said as they headed toward the front door. “We don’t believe you’re acting like this. All high and mighty and like you’re better than us.”

  “She sort of always acted that way anyhow,” Raymond explained, and spoke as if Kennedi wasn’t in the room with them. “Way before now, and especially ever since she married that no-good Blake. I never liked that little uppity attitude of his in the first place, and now that joker got the nerve to be going on television acting all innocent when Mom was saying how he’s the one who’s sleeping with another woman.”

  Joseph followed his brother outside. “I know, man, but for all we know, dude might have had good reason to do what he did. Maybe his situation at home wasn’t up to standard, if you know what I mean.”

  Kennedi slammed the door behind them, and while she’d originally planned on giving each of them two hundred thousand dollars, after this, she wasn’t so sure. After this, she wasn’t sure they deserved anything from her, and while she hadn’t sworn her aunt Rose to secrecy when it came to Blake’s affair or his leaving her, she wasn’t happy to know that Aunt Rose and her lowlife sons had been thoroughly discussing it. Probably joking about it and saying how naïve Kennedi had been. Probably criticizing her the way they criticized every other family member, both in their faces as well as behind their backs. Hmmph. Maybe Aunt Rose’s million needed to drop to a mere five figures—fifty thousand at the most. Maybe what Kennedi needed to do was reevaluate that entire household so she could figure out who genuinely cared about her. Not just when there were special circumstances, but unconditionally.

  Chapter 15

  Kennedi flipped through the day’s mail but stopped when she came across a large square envelope that displayed a return address she didn’t recognize; however, the sender’s name was extremely familiar: Nina Cole. Kennedi’s best friend from kindergarten and the girl who’d remained her favorite person all the way through third grade. But then Nina’s father’s employer had transferred him to one of their western locations in Arizona, and Kennedi and Nina had slowly but surely lost touch with each other. They’d spoken on the phone several times for maybe the first twelve months or so, but after that, they hadn’t communicated much at all, and eventually Kennedi had found a new best friend named Patrice to play with. She could only assume that Nina had probably done the same.

  Kennedi pulled out the beautiful card adorned in soft pink and lavender and took a seat in the kitchen. She couldn’t wait to read what her childhood friend had written and wasted not another second.

  KK,

  Surprise! I can’t believe it’s been just over thirty-one years since we last saw each other, but after seeing you all over the media, I couldn’t let another day go by without saying congratulations and telling you how happy I am for you. I was so excited when I realized it was you who’d won the Mega Millions jackpot—you, the first best friend I ever had.

  I tried calling you, but when I checked with directory assistance, they informed me that your number was unlisted, so I figured I would drop you a few lines by mail. Strangely enough, I was still able to get your address from an online phone book, so I hope you don’t mind me contacting you. And of course, if you find that you have some time to chat, please call me. I would love to hear from you, and my number is written below.

  Well, I won’t hold you, but again, know that I am elated for you and that I pray all of God’s continued blessings upon you.

  Nina

  Kennedi smiled. What a truly pleasant surprise this was, and even though it was near ten p.m., she reached for the phone and dialed Nina’s number. It rang twice and then Nina picked up.

  “Hello?”

  “Miss Cole?” Kennedi sang.

  “KK?” Nina said, referring to the nickname she’d given Kennedi back when they were five and only hours after they’d met. She obviously had caller I.D.

  “Yes, it’s me.”

  “Oh my goodness. It’s so good to hear your voice. How are you?”

  “Wonderful. I certainly can’t complain.”

  “I guess not.”

  “So, what have you been doing all these years, and what area code did I call? Are you still in Arizona?”

  “Yes. I live in a suburb just outside of Phoenix.”

  “Have you been there the entire time?”

  “All except the four years I was in D.C. attending Howard.”

  “Amazing.”

  “What about you? Have you always been in the Chicago area?”

  “Pretty much, but I did go away to school down at Illinois State.”

  “How are your parents?”

  “They both passed away.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.”

  “Thank you. What about yours?”

  “They’re both doing very well. I just stopped by to see them about an hour ago, and they’ll be so excited to know I got a chance to talk to you.”

  “I’m excited myself. Your card really made my day.”

  “So, do you have any children?”

  “No. I decided right out of high scho
ol that I didn’t want any, and I’ve never changed my mind.”

  “Nothing wrong with that,” she said and then changed the subject. “So, you know I have to ask. What in heaven’s name are you going to do with all that money you won? The whole thing is just so awesome.”

  “I know. For the first few weeks, it didn’t seem real, but now it’s sort of sinking in.”

  “I can’t even imagine.”

  “So, do you have any children?”

  “Yes, two sons, ten and twelve, but I’m divorced from their father.”

  “Well, I’m sure you’ve heard about my marital situation, too.”

  “Unfortunately, I have, and I really think it’s a shame how these people keep discussing your business on national television. What they need to do is get a life.”

  “It’s the one thing about winning the money that I don’t like, because being in the public eye was never something I wanted to experience.”

  “I know what you mean, and I hope it will pass in due time.”

  Kennedi switched the phone from one ear to the other. “So do I.”

  “So, have you figured out how much you’re giving to all your friends and family members?”

  Kennedi scrunched her face. What kind of question was that, and why was Nina asking her this? “I’ve been thinking about it, but I won’t be able to finalize anything until the situation with my husband is taken care of.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Well, I will tell you that I’ve been testifying to people out here on a daily basis, because as soon as I saw you on television, I knew God had answered my prayers. For two years, I’ve been trying to figure out how I can come up with fifty thousand dollars to open a barbecue restaurant, and when I heard you say you were giving money to your family members and friends, I broke into tears. I bawled like a baby, because I knew God was speaking to me as clear as day.”