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  “Grandma, I’m home!” Kenny ran in, threw her keys and helmet down on the table and strode into the kitchen. “Grandma!” Grabbing a soda from the refrigerator, she popped the lid and set it on the table.

  “What on earth?” Grandma asked as she slowly hobbled into the kitchen.

  “Grandma. I have some fantastic news to tell you!” Kenny started to hug her but saw the pain on the older woman’s face. “Um, maybe you should sit down first.”

  Kenny pulled out a chair at the small table and helped her grandmother sit down.

  Grandma pulled her glasses down on her nose and looked at her. “Makenna, what’s happened? Why are you home so early?”

  Taking a deep breath and allowing it to calm her excited thoughts, Kenny sat down beside her. “The other day, Sophie asked me to pick up a lottery ticket for her, and while I was there, I bought one for us.”

  “Makenna, you shouldn’t waste your money on—”

  Kenny waved her ticket in front of her. “Grandma, I won! I won two-hundred million dollars!”

  “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Wait. Are you codding me?”

  Deirdre Makenna Gallagher-Whitt was born in Ireland sixty-two years ago, but her parents migrated to America when she was thirteen. She grew up in Boston and married an Air Force major who was eventually transferred to the Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas. Rather than living in Officer’s Housing on base, they rented a house fifteen minutes off base in the small town of Cabot. The street they lived on was almost exclusive to the military officers and even had a military police officer living next door to them. But after her husband was killed in the Iraq war, Deirdre took a job as an executive assistant at a hospital in Little Rock. She decided it would be best for her and her young granddaughter if they moved to an apartment in the capital city to avoid the commute.

  “No, Grandma. I’m not pulling your leg. I really did win. I went by the gas station where I bought the ticket and had the guy verify it. I won two-hundred million.”

  “I… I need to sit down.”

  Kenny grinned and knelt in front of her grandmother. “You are sitting down, Grandma.”

  Deirdre’s emerald eyes swirled with uncertainty. “What will you do now?”

  “The clerk said that someone would be contacting me and I guess handing me a check.”

  “No, I meant… what will you do with all that money?”

  “Oh, well, I’ve been thinking about that. When the attendant confirmed my ticket, I called and quit my job.”

  “Oh, no. You should have waited, Makenna.”

  Kenny didn’t hear her; she was already spending the money in her head. “Your surgery is top priority. Then I’ll get a new car, or two or three. Of course, you’ll get one or two, as many as you want. Let’s see. We’ll need a mansion in Florida or Hawaii. Hell, why not both. And I’ve always wanted to take you back to Ireland. Oh, hey. I’ll buy you an Irish castle!”

  “Well, if you’re going to buy all those houses, you’d better hire the staff to clean them, because surgery or not, I’m not going to.”

  “Of course not. You’ll be a queen dripping in diamonds with half-naked muscle-bound men carrying you on a litter of gold.”

  “You are just being an eejit. What about college? You’ll finish college, won’t you?”

  Kenny cocked her head, weighed the options, and laughed. “Why? I won’t need a job now. I won’t need anything at all, ever again. We’re rich, Grandma. Rich!”

  Deirdre shook her head. “Makenna. Please, sit down.”

  “Grandma, what’s wrong?” Kenny said as she pulled out a chair and sat down. “I thought you’d be more excited about this.”

  “I am very excited for you.”

  “For us, Grandma.”

  Deirdre exhaled slowly and clasped her hands together on the table. “I don’t want you to accept the money, Makenna.”

  Kenny jumped up. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  Deirdre was prepared for her reaction and would not chastise her, this time. She was a grown adult after all. She carried a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, not the least of which was taking care of her. Deirdre felt guilty that she hadn’t raised her daughter better and Kenny had to pay the price. Now, instead of Kenny living her life, pursuing her dreams, she had to weigh those dreams against her grandmother’s needs. Deirdre had been turned down for Medicare because she wasn’t old enough and Medicaid was still pending after applying last year. She had gone through the last of her husband’s military death benefits last year, getting her ailment diagnosed. She lived on a small pension and whatever Kenny brought home. It was barely enough to put food on the table. Of course, Kenny would want to spend that money, but that much money comes with a curse.

  “Do you remember your grandfather’s co-pilot, Major Reynolds?”

  “Sure, Uncle Wiley. Wait. Didn’t he win the lottery in Boston a few years back?”

  “He did.”

  “As I recall, it wasn’t very much. Something like five million dollars, that was all.”

  “That was enough,” Deirdre proclaimed. “He drank, gambled, and whored his way through it and inside of two years, he was broke, divorced, and terribly depressed. He took his own life, Makenna. It was too much money to handle.”

  “I’m not going to… okay, so yeah, maybe five or six million, but Grandma, it’s two-hundred million, for Pete’s sake. Well, after taxes it’ll be more like one-hundred-twenty million, but still, there’s no way I could spend all of that in my lifetime. Think of it. You’ll be happy again not having to pinch pennies anymore.” Kenny wanted to be respectful of her grandmother’s concerns, but there was no way she wasn’t taking the money.

  Deirdre lowered her head, wondering how she could keep her granddaughter sane and happy when she thought money was the key to happiness.

  Kenny looked off, searching her brain for a solution that would make her grandmother happy. “Okay, how about this. We stick a hundred million in the bank and spend twenty million on whatever we want to?”

  “It’s not just the money, child. It’s the people who will come out of the woodwork asking for a handout. Wiley was inundated with requests, both legitimate and heartbreaking.”

  “I hadn’t thought about that,” Kenny admitted.

  “Your grandfather advised him to retain a lawyer to help, but he waited too long.”

  “But that’s a good idea, Grandma. I’ll get a lawyer, make you the executor of my estate, or whatever it’s called, and—”

  “Wait a minute. Hold on. I don’t want to be in charge of all that money. I can’t handle it. Let’s just take this one step at a time. We’ll go talk with a lawyer and see what they advise.”

  Kenny furrowed her eyebrows but before she could protest, Deirdre continued.

  “I’m not saying we’ll sign the money over to them, honey. I’m saying we need help and the first place to start is by educating ourselves. Agreed?”

  “Yes, ma’am. You’re right. I should probably hear from the lottery people tomorrow and know more about when I’ll get the money.”

  “It seems like you’ve already decided to take the lump sum, is that right?”

  “Yeah, Sophie and everybody at work were giving me tips and suggestions. Talk about being inundated. It got a little crazy there for a few minutes.”

  “I can well imagine.”

  “Anyway,” Kenny continued, walking over to the refrigerator and pulling out another soda, forgetting she hadn’t drunk the first one. “They thought it would be less of a hassle to get the taxes out of the way to begin with, and I tend to agree with them.”

  “What else did they say?”

  “Well, most of them asked for money, one of them asked me to adopt him, which was a little creepy, and stuff like that.”

  “And Sophie?” Deirdre asked. She had met Sophie a year ago at a company picnic in the park and really liked her. She could see the affection Sophie had for Kenny. She was so comfortable with the woman that Deidre had g
iven Sophie her phone number in case something happened to Kenny at the plant.

  “Well, that’s the odd part. I only bought the ticket because I was at the gas station getting Sophie one. She congratulated me, but then went back to work while everyone else kept celebrating.”

  “Do you think she was mad at you?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I think she was genuinely happy for me, but I know she needed the money as much as we do. She said before the drawing that if she won, she’d pay for your surgery.”

  “Really? She said that?”

  “Yeah, and she meant it, too,” Kenny explained as she sat down again. “Grandma, I’d like to help her and her kids out.”

  “How? Do you think she’d take money from you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Honey, it’s the ones who come at you when they know you have money that would have no problem taking it from you. Sophie doesn’t seem like the type.”

  “She is very proud. But I have to at least try, don’t I? I mean, she works two jobs just so her kids can have a better life.”

  “Take some advice from an old woman,” Deirdre said, patting Kenny’s hand. “Slow down, take a deep breath, and stop jumping around like a leprechaun. Then you’ll be able to help the people you love without insulting them.”

  “Sure, Móraí.”

  Four Weeks after the Lottery

  Vegas is glitzy, full of energy, and the one place a person could indulge in their wildest desires and leave the city with a clear conscious, because what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas... unless you brag about it.

  Kenny looked at herself in the mirror attached to the ceiling at the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa, the most expensive penthouse on the Vegas strip. Four women, none of whom she knew, had their hands all over her body, driving her fast and hard toward an orgasm, as the oversized oval bed rotated beneath her. Her screams of release were muffled by the beat of the music vibrating inside the bed, which helped continue the throbbing between her legs. After a plethora of orgasms, accumulating into the longest orgasm of her life, her body couldn’t take it anymore and she passed out. When she woke up, all her money and clothes were gone and she was left with a pounding headache. She thought it was the best night of her life, so she had her bank wire her some more money and continued to party.

  Running around the hotel in a bathrobe and slippers did nothing to deter her from spending money. Once she had more money in her hands, she walked right into the clothes shops and bought everything that would fit her, and a few things that didn’t. And every woman she interacted with, she invited up to her suite. Quite a few of them accepted her offer and the orgasms began all over again, but not before she locked up her money.

  Twelve Weeks after the Lottery

  “You’re drinking a lot and that worries me.”

  “It’s been hard, Grandma,” Kenny said, handing her a glass of tea then sitting down beside her at the kitchen table. “Most of my so-called friends either snub me or ask for money. I wasn’t expecting that, not from my friends. I expected it from people I’d never met. Total strangers claim to be related to me. Sophie told me that last week a woman came in and claimed to be my mother. It’s just kind of mind-boggling, you know?”

  “I do know. I’ve had similar experiences since you won the lottery.”

  Kenny’s mouth fell open and she arched her eyebrows. “Really, Grandma? Why didn’t you tell me? I had no idea.”

  “There was nothing you could have done about it. It wasn’t your problem. And besides, I also learned who my real friends were.”

  “I’m sorry, Grandma. I didn’t realize how this would affect you, too.”

  “Don’t be sorry, honey. Recognize it for what it is and find your place in this new world.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You haven’t done one positive thing with your money since you won the lottery.”

  “What about the mansion I just bought for us?”

  “It’s nice, but I would have been just as happy in the apartment. Look, I know it’s only been a little while, but instead of drinking and whoring around, use your money to help make the world a better place. Promise me.”

  “I will, Grandma.”

  Deirdre yanked on her hand. “Look at me and promise that you will take your responsibilities seriously. I’m depending on you.”

  Kenny looked into the concerned eyes of her grandmother and realized at that moment just how selfish she had been.

  Deirdre’s husband was killed in Iraq in 2004. Overnight she became a single mother, working a full-time job and caring for her ten-year-old granddaughter. She carried the full load until her back went bad and she was no longer able to work the longer hours. By then, Kenny had become a rebellious teenager, angry at the world for everything, including being bullied because she liked girls. She had gotten into a few scraps when she bullied the bullies back. She was just starting to mature into an adult when she won the lottery.

  “Okay, Grandma. Tell me how I can better mankind and all that. No, seriously. I’ve been incredibly blessed and I want to give back, I just don’t think anyone will take me seriously.”

  Deirdre thought for a moment. “One summer when I was a teenager in Boston, to earn some extra money I worked as a server at a private party in a very affluent neighborhood. The host had just moved into his new mansion and was having a party to introduce himself to the important people. Maybe that would be a good way to show people around here that you’re serious about contributing to help mankind.”

  “You mean womankind, don’t you?” Kenny asked seriously.

  “Let’s be all inclusive and say humankind?”

  “Sounds good. So, how do I go about putting on this party and who would I invite?”

  “Invite the people who create change in Arkansas; like the governor, senators, even the police commissioner if you want. You’ve met him before at college, and I’ve talked with him at the hospital a couple of times. He flirted with me—”

  Kenny’s voice went up an octave. “What?”

  “I’m not as old as you think, sweetheart. Besides, it was harmless. Anyway, it would be beneficial to have him as a friend. Also, invite those who work with the underprivileged like the Salvation Army, and a few of the fat cats who donate to them.”

  Kenny swallowed a lump in her throat. “Like the Walmart Waltons?”

  “Sure, why not? I seriously doubt that they would come. Besides, I don’t think they live in Arkansas anymore, but they have representatives almost as rich as they are who might come. You won’t know until you ask them.”

  Kenny fiddled with her can of soda, thinking the party was a bad idea but knowing she would do it to make her grandmother happy. She couldn’t see herself socializing with the rich and powerful even though she was rich now, too. She knew she would stick out like a country bumpkin.

  “Let’s see. You need at least two weeks’ notice, so…” Deirdre did the math in her head. “Yes, I want you to have the party the Thursday after my surgery.”

  “What? No, Grandma.” Kenny shot her a look. “It can wait a month or two to make sure you’re good and healed.”

  Deirdre looked at her granddaughter. At the shadows under her blurry eyes. At the diamond stud in her nose and the hickey on her neck. She knew instinctively that as soon as she was back on her feet, Kenny would take off for Vegas again. But if she could meet people of true influence who carried the responsibility of thousands on their shoulders, she might take her own responsibilities seriously. Deirdre shook her head. “No, honey. It can’t wait. Besides, the doctor assured me that I’d feel like my old self again almost instantly and what better way to celebrate.”

  Kenny leaned back in her chair and stared at her. “What about rehab? He said that would be hard on you.”

  “And it may well be, but I won’t be doing rehab the night of the party. I’ll be fine. And by having it on a Thursday, the party won’t run as long as if you held it on Friday. People
won’t be tempted to party all night when they have to get up and go to work the next morning.”

  Frustrated, Kenny had to concede. “Okay, so, how in the hell am I supposed to pull all this off?”

  “Well, first you need to hire the staff, because I’m not cleaning this place. Then you send out invitations, rent the equipment, hire the chef, and—”

  “Whoa. How about I hire an event coordinator to handle the party? All we’ll have to do is show up.”

  “And the house?”

  Kenny shrugged. “Simple. I’ll just hire a house manager who can turn around and hire the staff for the house.”

  “Have someone in mind?” she asked.

  “As a matter of fact, I do,” Kenny answered with a grin.

  *

  An hour later, Kenny drove up to the recycling plant in her specially customized, cherry-red convertible Jaguar, and with a maniacal grin, parked her car in the manager’s parking spot. She opened the car door, stretched her long legs, and stepped out. It was morning shift change at the plant, which was why she’d decided to come at such an ungodly hour. Subconsciously, she knew more people would see her, but she told herself it was to catch Sophie before she clocked in.

  “Drop by to flaunt it at us, Kenny?” Ted from aluminum asked as he took a puff on his cigarette. “We all knew you would.” He took one last drag and flicked the cigarette butt to the ground, stomping on it. Then he walked around the Jaguar, practically drooling on the fine leather seats.

  Kenny leaned against the car door and propped one bejeweled hand on the side mirror. Her once brown hair was now a glistening blond with green highlights, and she wore a large diamond stud in her nose. Her watch was encrusted with diamonds, and the rings on each of her fingers were black, white, and blue diamonds. Her silk shirt was tailor-made by a little old Chinese man in New York, and her tattered blue jeans, which cost two-thousand dollars, were previously owned by a Hollywood celebrity. Kenny even flew down to Florida and handpicked the alligator she had her boots made from. She was drunk at the time, but since the animal was already a pair of boots by the time she had sobered up, she decided to wear them.