A Trillion to One

by Chenell Parker

  “No but I didn’t move her in with me to make her miserable either. Like I’ve said before, you could have left her in the facility if you didn’t plan on treating her right,” Trillion answered.

  “I’m treating her better than she’s ever treated me. Did you forget because I damn sure didn’t? The same man who she put before her one and only child is the same one who’s responsible for her being in that chair for the rest of her life. I was homeless when she listened to her man and kicked me out of the house. If it wasn’t for you and your family, I wouldn’t have had nowhere else to go,” Leah said as she teared up at the painful memory.

  Trillion refused to even get into that conversation with her again, so he proceeded down the hall to his daughter’s room.

  “Girl,” Trillion laughed when he saw her. “What do you have on?”

  “I put my bathing suit on already,” Tristyn said as she turned in a circle to model for him. That wasn’t the issue but the rain boots and hat that she put on with it were hilarious.

  “That’s cool but lose the hat and trade in the rain boots for some flip flops,” Trillion replied.

  “Okay,” Tristyn said as she ran into her closet.

  “When are y’all coming back?” Leah asked him.

  “I’ll bring her back tomorrow,” Trillion replied, making it clear that he wasn’t coming back with her.

  “We need to finish our earlier conversation,” Leah said as she looked at him expectantly.

  Trillion ignored her because he wasn’t in the mood. Once he got his daughter straight, they left the house and prepared to go get Jordon’s daughter, Jazz. As soon as Trillion pulled off, his phone rang and his auntie Stacy’s number showed up.

  “What’s up auntie?” Trillion asked when he answered.

  “Hey baby. Are you busy or do you have a minute to talk?” Stacy asked.

  “I’m good. What’s up?” Trillion countered.

  “I need a favor if possible but I understand if you can’t do it,” Stacy said.

  “You know I got you auntie. If I can do it, consider it done,” Trillion replied.

  Just like his stepmother Jackie, Stacy could get whatever she wanted out of him. Stacy was Jordon’s mother but her and Jackie were also like mothers to him. They came to school for conferences, report cards or anything else that he needed. When Trillion joined the football team, they were at every game cheering him on. They didn’t just make him feel loved, they actually loved him.

  “I’m trying to get donations for some of the residents at the halfway house. Some of these poor people have been locked up for so long and they don’t have any family. I’m collecting clothes, shoes and whatever else a person can spare. I was wondering if you could advertise something on your page for me,” Stacy said.

  “No doubt auntie. You know I got you. Just tell me what you want to say and I’ll make it happen,” Trillion assured her.

  “Thanks my love. How have you been? How are things with Amore?” Stacy asked.

  Just hearing her name made Trillion frown. He hadn’t seen or spoken to Amore in two weeks and he was good with that. Not one time had she tried to call him and that confirmed a lot of what he already knew.

  “I’m good on her, auntie. I don’t have time to play games with nobody,” Trillion replied.

  “Oh no. Y’all hit it off so well the first day y’all met. I was really hoping that something good came out of it,” Stacy said.

  “So was I,” Trillion replied.

  “Did something happen?” Stacy asked.

  “Nothing happened but she’s a hoe,” Trillion blurted out.

  “Excuse me,” Stacy gasped.

  “I’m sorry auntie but it is what it is.” Trillion shrugged as if she could see him.

  “Listen, I’m not trying to get into all of that with you, but you shouldn’t be so quick to judge,” Stacy scolded.

  “I’m the last person to try and judge somebody but I’m just going by what I’m being shown,” Trillion replied.

  “Look, I don’t know how much of her past Amore has shared with you and it’s not my place to put her business out there. Just know that your life was a fairytale compared to hers. At least you had your father and Jackie while growing up. She didn’t have anybody. Know her story before you voice your opinion on her character. I’ll text you the info that I want you to post later and thanks again,” Stacy said before she hung up.

  “Damn man,” Trillion said as he ran his hand across his clean shaven face.

  Without even trying to, Stacy had made him feel like shit. Truthfully, he didn’t know much about Amore because they never really talked. Besides the little that she told him the first day they met, he didn’t know too much more. He’d successfully stopped thinking about her for two whole weeks and, now, she was at the forefront of his thoughts once again. Trillion didn’t ever remember working so hard for a female before in his life but things changed. Even though he swore that he was done, he was going back on his word. He didn’t even think about it too long before he grabbed his phone and dialed Amore’s number.

  “F uck that bitch! If it was so bad, she should have just fired me instead of writing me up. That hoe ain’t dumb. She needs me more than I need her. I’m the reason why she got so much business at that outdated ass bakery,” Chanell fumed as she talked on the phone with Amore.

  Chanell and her supervisor had it out after she got caught taking side orders and pocketing the money. Several people got fired for the exact same thing but Chanell got a slap on the wrist. She knew that it was because she was a beast at what she did. No one decorated cakes like she did and the owner hated to admit it. Not only did her cakes look good, they tasted even better.

  Amore listened to her cousin rant as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was trying on bathing suits to see which one she wanted to wear before her ride came. Trillion hadn’t hit her up in a minute but she was happy when he did. Amore’s cycle had ended a few days ago and she was ready to get some dick. Getting it in the pool was even better in her opinion.

  “You need to just quit and open up your own spot. I’ve been making a killing in tips. You can have it all if you need it,” Amore offered.

  “Don’t make me cry cousin. That’s so sweet of you. I wish I could but I’m not in a position to do that yet. I have a few repeat customer but not enough to stay in business for a while. My shit will be closed down after two months of opening,” Chanell whined.

  “You need to step out on faith Chanell. Fear is not an excuse to stop you from living your dream,” Amore said.

  “Look who’s talking. You got three milk crates in your closet full of nothing but fire. You need to be taking your own advice,” Chanell replied.

  “I’ve been doing my research and I plan to make something shake,” Amore said.

  “Okay, I’ll make a deal with you. If you step out on faith and make your dream a reality, I’ll do the same. We can encourage each other. Deal?” Chanell asked.

  “It’s a deal.” Amore smiled.

  “Girl, I forgot to tell you that I saw Elise and Gianna yesterday. Them bitches look like the walking dead,” Chanell said.

  “I’m surprised they’re still breathing. I swear, crack really be keeping some of these people alive,” Amore replied, making her cousin laugh.

  “Well, we’ll talk more about everything later. Enjoy your date boo and have fun,” Chanell said.

  “This is not a date. It’s a poolside dick appointment and nothing more,” Amore assured her.

  “You need to stop being so scary Amore. You never know what might come out of this. Every man is not like Viper. I still can’t believe that you’re fucking with Trillion. That’s a hot ass white boy,” Chanell laughed, right as Amore’s phone rang.

  “This is him calling me now. I’ll talk to you later cousin. Love you,” Amore said.

  “Love you too,” Chanell said before she hung up.

  “Are you outside?” Amore asked when she answered for Trillion. He h
ad picked her up when they went to the movie premiere, so he already knew where she lived.

  “Yeah, I’m here,” he replied.

  “Okay, I’m coming out now,” Amore said before disconnecting.

  She threw a sundress on over her two-piece bathing suit and grabbed her bag. She had a change of clothes and a towel, just in case she needed it. Once Amore locked up her house, she walked down the stairs to the front of the complex. When she spotted Trillion’s car, she stopped in her tracks when she saw two little girls sitting in the back seat. Whatever thoughts she had about them being naked in the pool vanished the moment she laid eyes on the two beauties. Trillion got out of the car and greeted her with a hug.

  “What’s up beautiful? This is my daughter Tristyn and my cousin, Jazz,” he smiled as he opened the door for her to get in.

  “Hey pretty girls,” Amore said as she smiled at them.

  “This is my friend, Amore,” Trillion said, speaking more to his daughter.

  “Hello,” they both said at the same time.

  “Jazz is Stacy’s granddaughter,” Trillion informed her as she got into the car.

  “Really? She looks like her now that you mentioned it,” Amore replied.

  Once he got into the car, Amore and Trillion made small talk as the girls laughed and played in the back seat. It felt weird having an actual conversation with him but he was cool. When they pulled up to his apartment building, Amore’s expression suppressed how she really felt. She was in awe of the tall, all glass building and she was curious to see what the inside looked like. There was a security guard at the entrance of the building who spoke and opened the door for them to go in. Another guard stood near the elevator and used a swipe card to let them inside. Trillion swiped another card once they got on and the elevator started moving.

  “You good?” he asked Amore as she held on to his arm tightly.

  “Yeah, I just don’t do too well with heights,” Amore replied.

  “We’re almost there,” Trillion noted, right as the elevator came to a stop.

  It wasn’t until they stepped off at the very top level did Amore realize that he lived in a penthouse. The elevator was his front door and she had never seen anything like it.

  “Damn,” she mumbled when she saw the inside of his home. It looked like an all glass office building and the view of the lake behind it was amazing. Trillion really did live in a deluxe apartment in the sky just like the Jefferson’s. Only, his was bigger and better

  “Make yourself at home. I have drinks in the fridge and snacks in the pantry closet,” Trillion said as he pointed to everything for her.

  Amore looked around his home the same way he did when he first saw it. His mother actually owned the building, which was how he got the four bedroom, three bath penthouse all the way to the top with his own private rooftop pool. It was the only thing that she had done for him since he was ten years old, with the exception of child support.

  “Where’s the pool?” Amore asked.

  “Up there,” he replied while pointing his finger to the ceiling. He laughed when Amore looked up in confusion.

  “We’re ready daddy,” Tristyn said when she walked into the room holding her floating device.

  “Okay, let me change right quick,” Trillion replied as he disappeared into his room.

  “Do you want to swim Amore?” Tristyn asked her.

  “Yeah, I do.” Amore smiled.

  “Where’s your bathing suit?” Tristyn asked.

  “I have it on underneath my dress,” Amore replied, right as Trillion walked out of the bedroom. He had on a pair of black Nike swimming trunks with the matching swim shoes. She’d seen him naked more than once but his body always seemed to amaze her. Trillion was cut up like he made the gym a daily habit. He was tall and sexy and his face completed the package. He reminded her of one of those suit wearing Ralph Lauren models with a bad boy’s swag.

  “Ready?” he asked with a smirk, as Amore openly admired his body.

  “Yeah,” she replied as she followed him and the girls to the back of the house.

  She gasped when she saw another elevator in the rear of Trillion’s house. It wasn’t as big as the one that led them up to the house but they all fit in comfortably. He swiped his card again and the elevator started going up. When it opened, Amore’s mouth dropped in awe once again. They had a huge endless pool on the roof and a hot tub right next to it.

  “Come on Amore. Take off your dress and let’s get in the pool,” Tristyn said as she looked up at her. His daughter was overly friendly, so Trillion wasn’t surprised that she was talking to Amore. Tristyn wasn’t shy and that was one of the things that people loved about her.

  “Okay,” Amore said as she pulled her dress over her head to reveal the two-piece swimsuit that she had on underneath.

  “Damn,” Trillion said, making her blush. Tristyn grabbed her hand and Amore let her lead her into the water.

  “Wait. How deep is this pool?” Amore asked.

  “It’s only six feet deep,” Trillion replied.

  “Only? That’s too deep for me. I can’t swim,” Amore noted.

  “Seriously?” Trillion asked in shock.

  “I’m very serious,” Amore replied.

  “You should probably just sit on the side then,” Trillion said.

  “I’m good with that,” Amore replied as he picked her up and sat her on the side of the pool.

  She waited until Trillion got his daughter and cousin straight before he came back over to her. Amore had her feet in the water and he stood in between her opened legs.

  “Let’s talk,” Trillion requested.

  “About what?” Amore asked.

  “I wanna talk about you. Tell me something about yourself,” Trillion said.

  “There isn’t much to tell.” Amore shrugged.

  “I disagree. Honestly, I decided that pursuing you wasn’t worth it, especially since you didn’t seem to want to be pursued. Something about you intrigues me and I want to get to know you better,” Trillion said.

  “What do you want to know?” Amore asked.

  “Everything,” Trillion replied.

  He listened as Amore told him about her childhood in Mississippi and when she moved to New Orleans. His auntie was right and Amore had it much worse than he did growing up. Having a mother who loved crack enough to try to sell you to a dealer was low. Then, her ex was a hoe who seemed to enjoy inflicting pain on women. He would have never guessed that Amore had been through half of what she described to him. She didn’t seem that broken but that was a good thing. That proved to him that she was a strong woman.

  “What about you?” Amore asked as she looked at him expectantly.

  “Too white to be black and not white enough to be white.” Trillion shrugged.

  Amore gave him her undivided attention as he ran his story down to her. She thought it was amazing how Trillion had his own personal rags to riches story and he gave her hope. He didn’t live in the best conditions either and she was shocked when she learned that he once lived in the same low income neighborhood where she resided now. He was around the same age as she was when his life started to go downhill. It was even worse that his mother had the means to give him a great life and chose not to. Amore regretted not having a conversation with Trillion before. He was a great listener and he was down to earth. Sex was cool, but connecting on a deeper level was even better.

  “So, you have another daughter that’s the same age as Tristyn?” Amore asked him in shock.

  “Yeah and it’s fucked up that I’ve never even seen her. I don’t know her name or what she likes. I feel guilty as fuck but there’s nothing that I can do about it,” Trillion replied.

  “Why do you feel guilty?” Amore questioned.

  “I just feel like it was my fault for moving Jade in with me and Leah. The plan was for me to leave Leah and move on with her. I was still in the military at the time so when Leah suggested us all living together, I foolishly went along with
the idea. I made a stupid decision that I regret every day,” Trillion said.

  Jade was homeless and living in a women’s shelter when Trillion first met her. She was working at Smoothie King and they hit it off immediately. After the first week, Trillion put Jade up in an extended stay hotel and paid the bill faithfully. They had only been together for three months when he made the decision to leave Leah and be with her. Jade didn’t have anyone. That’s why he was so surprised to know that she’d left him for another man. Maybe that’s why she was always apologizing to him in his dreams.

  “Why?” Amore questioned, pulling him away from his thoughts.

  “Why what?” Trillion asked, forgetting what they were talking about before.

  “Why do you have regrets?” Amore questioned.

  “I just blame myself for everything that happened. The house that Leah and I lived in was mine so that would have meant putting her out of it. I knew that she didn’t have anywhere else to go. That’s why I was gonna move out and get another place with Jade. When Jade said that she was cool with moving in, I didn’t think anything of it. Her and Leah got along great and that made the decision easier,” he replied.

  “Okay, so what happened?” Amore asked.

  “I really don’t know. They were both pregnant with my daughters and their due dates were only days apart. Jade started telling me that she didn’t want to be there anymore but she never said why. I promised her that we could move as soon as I came home for good, but I guess she couldn’t wait. Leah started telling me that some man was coming to the house to pick her up, but Jade swore that it wasn’t true. Then, a few days before she was set to deliver my daughter, she just up and disappeared. She took all her shit and turned her phone off. I did everything to try to find her, including hiring a private investigator,” Trillion said.

  “That’s fucked up for her to leave with your daughter like that,” Amore replied.

  “My baby is the only one that I’m worried about. It was cool if she wanted to be with somebody else but I just hate the thought of my child thinking that another man is her father.”