One in a Million Read online

  When the applauding ceased, Pastor Black continued. “I thank God for my family, and I’m very proud to have them here by my side. I say that because there was a time when I preferred visiting other churches alone because that way, I could do whatever I wanted without any questions. But that was the old me, and today I’m a noticeably changed man. I’m living proof that anyone can learn from his or her mistakes and that if you keep your faith in God, if you live your life the way He wants you to live it, everything will turn out fine. If you do right by other people, you’ll be blessed in more ways than you can imagine. If you learn the act of forgiveness and genuinely execute it, you’ll always be at peace. Forgiveness is good for the mind, body, and soul, and thank God, my wife and I finally, finally get that. We finally, after all these years, realized that holding grudges and trying to get revenge was the reason our lives were in such an uproar. We realized that if God forgives so willingly and unconditionally, then who are we to do anything different?”

  Kennedi nodded in agreement, because she knew Pastor Black had a valid point. It was the same point her mother had made over and over since as long as Kennedi could remember, but no matter how hard she tried, she wasn’t anywhere near forgiving Blake. Maybe one day she would be, but regrettably, she didn’t see it happening anytime soon. If ever.

  Oh my goodness,” Patrice exclaimed, barely shutting her car door and snapping together her seat belt. “Can you believe how incredibly good that man looked?”

  Kennedi shook her head. “You crack me up. But I do have to admit, girl, he’s pretty much flawless.”

  “Shoot, at one point, I was checking him out so closely, I had to catch myself,” Patrice laughed. “And then I started feeling so guilty, I could barely stand it.”

  “Why? Because Pastor Black is married and you’re engaged to Neil? That wouldn’t be it, would it?” Kennedi teased.

  “Let’s just say I’m really going to have to pray hard about the kind of thoughts I was having today. I mean, girl, they were downright lustful, and right in the middle of service, too. But on the other hand, it’s not my fault that Pastor Black looks the way he does. That’s his fault!”

  Kennedi laughed more intensely. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Patrice Latrice Johnson.”

  “You know I hate that country name.”

  “I know you do. But that’s still your name…Patrice Latrice Johnson. That’s the name Matilda Jane Johnson gave you.”

  “Whatever.”

  Kennedi chuckled, because if there was one thing Patrice disliked, it was her birth name. Actually, she didn’t see a problem with her first name or middle name individually, but it was the combination that irritated her. She’d said it sounded like some bad nursery rhyme. But when Patrice had asked her mother why she’d given it to her, all Matilda Jane would say was that she’d liked it and so had Patrice’s father. Of course, Patrice had eventually stopped discussing it altogether and had decided that anyone with a name like Matilda Jane probably thought the name Patrice Latrice was a work of genius.

  Patrice turned out of the church parking lot. “So, where are we eating today?”

  “I guess that’s your slick little way of changing the subject.”

  “I’m good, aren’t I?” Patrice smiled and so did Kennedi.

  “Actually, I’m fine with anywhere you choose.”

  “Well…what about the Moroccan restaurant Neil and I went to the other night? It really was awesome, so I definitely don’t mind going again. Plus, I really want you to try it.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  They drove along in silence for a minute or so and then Patrice said, “I was hoping I could wait until after we had lunch, but the more I keep thinking about it, the angrier I’m starting to get.”

  “What?”

  “I wanted to tell you as soon as I picked you up, but I knew if I had, you would have been miserable the entire church service. Or ready to hurt someone.”

  “What?”

  “That jerk Blake called me this morning.”

  “For what?”

  “Talking some junk about how I’d better talk to you because if you destroy any more of his property the way you destroyed his suits, or if you come near him or that Serena chick again, not only will he have you arrested, but he’s going to make sure you do time for it.”

  Kennedi turned her body completely toward Patrice. “You must be kidding.”

  “I couldn’t believe it either, but I’ll bet everything I own that he won’t be calling me again. I checked him up, down, and inside out, and I made it very clear that he’d better never, not in his entire natural life, dial my number again.”

  “Gosh. Blake has a lot of nerve. I mean, did he forget that you and I are best friends?”

  “Apparently he did, because he even tried to justify his affair to me by saying that he’s human just like anyone else and that you shouldn’t blame him or Serena for anything because they can’t help how they feel about each other. Then, on top of all that, he said you should have the decency to understand when someone doesn’t love you anymore.”

  “P, just stop. Don’t say another word, because if I hear any more, I’ll end up in jail, just like Blake keeps suggesting.”

  “I know how you feel, because he’s got me wanting to do terrible things to him—and I’m not even married to that fool. But when it’s all said and done, he’s not worth it, Kennedi. He’s not worth you getting into any trouble.”

  “I know that, but he’s making it very hard for me to turn the other cheek, and the best thing he can do is stay away from me.”

  “I hear you.”

  “But hey, on a much more positive note, Pastor Black isn’t the only noticeably handsome man we’ve seen this week, because that Miles guy looks pretty wonderful as well. I wanted to mention that to you the first day we met him, but with everything that was happening with Blake, I figured something like that was the last thing on your mind.”

  Kennedi heard every word Patrice was saying, but she didn’t comment one way or the other, because her mind was set more on Blake and the fact that he kept threatening to have her arrested. His own wife. Not to mention that he was continually defending that whore he had betrayed her with and acting as though Kennedi was in the wrong.

  But that was okay, because while Blake was so arrogantly riding high with his new love interest, Kennedi would still have the last laugh. She would laugh her little behind off and would do so as soon as this coming Tuesday. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Blake’s face the next time she saw him. Why? She knew it would be priceless.

  Chapter 9

  The big day had finally arrived, and Kennedi was somewhat overwhelmed by the media turnout. She had, of course, expected that every Chicago newspaper and television station would be represented, what with her residing in that particular area, but in the last hour, she’d also spotted cameramen and reporters from CNN, Fox News, and a slew of other national stations.

  Now, after witnessing the whole press conference platform and seeing so many people squeezing into the room, she wasn’t sure she was ready to be bombarded with tons of questions. Attorney Newman had told her that the news conference participation requirement tended to vary from state to state but that unfortunately, Illinois’s lottery commission had made it necessary for all Mega Millions winners. She hadn’t thought that was fair and wondered why issuing a general statement by press release wasn’t enough, but she also couldn’t deny that a part of her had wanted to take the more formal and publicized route as a way to get back at Blake. She’d wanted him to hear the news from everyone around him and then regret everything he’d done to her. She’d wanted him to realize what a mistake he’d made the day he’d rushed home from the gym and announced his plans to be with someone else.

  “Your mom is so proud of you today.” Aunt Lucy smiled, tears filling her eyes.

  Kennedi hugged her tightly. She’d finally called both her mom’s older sisters yesterday evening, told them the news, a
nd then invited them to accompany her this morning. She’d sworn them to secrecy, and they’d pledged not to say a word to anyone, not even to their children. It had taken a bit of convincing in order to get them to believe this lottery news wasn’t some joke, but now they seemed very excited about it. She did wonder, though, how they were going to feel once they learned about her separation from Blake, but oddly enough, they hadn’t asked about him. She was sure they’d already started speculating, especially Aunt Rose, the nosiest person in the family, but thankfully, they still hadn’t brought it up yet.

  Aunt Rose reached over and embraced Kennedi, too. “Our sister would be the happiest woman on earth if she could see you right now.”

  “She does see her,” Aunt Lucy proclaimed. “She’s looking down on her at this very moment.”

  “I’m just glad both of you could be here with me. Both of you as well as Patrice.”

  “You know I wouldn’t have missed this for anything,” Patrice declared. “Not for anything I can think of.”

  They all chuckled and then Attorney Newman walked toward them. “Well, my dear, are you ready?”

  “I guess so.”

  “You’ll be fine,” Miles promised, trying to set her mind at ease.

  “Thanks for being here and for everything you’ve been doing to help me prepare for all of this.”

  “It’s been a real pleasure, and I’ll continue helping you in any way I can.”

  Kennedi locked eyes with Miles, and unlike the other times she’d met with him, she felt uneasy. Not in a negative way, but sort of like when you meet someone for the first time and realize you’re attracted to them. Sort of like when you discover there’s a certain level of chemistry between the two of you, yet you barely know one another.

  But presently, that was the least of her worries, because Attorney Newman had just introduced himself as her representative, and right now, she was standing at the mahogany podium, adjusting the mic.

  “Good morning.”

  “No,” one of the female reporters disagreed, the one in a pure white pantsuit. “For you, this is a fabulous morning.”

  Everyone found humor in her comment and Kennedi grinned. “That it is. It’s turned out to be the blessing of a lifetime.”

  “So, tell us,” the woman in white continued. “What do you plan on doing with such a huge amount of money? We’ve heard that you’re going to walk away with just over thirty million dollars, so do tell.”

  “Well, the very first thing I’m going to do is pay off every single creditor I owe, and then I’ll be giving some of it to family members and friends. I’ll also be giving money to my church and a number of other charitable organizations. My goal is to help as many people as I can and, of course, save enough to make sure I never have to worry about money ever again.”

  “Are any of the future gift recipients here today?” a gentleman in the back wanted to know.

  Kennedi gestured to the side of her. “Yes. Three of them. Two of my aunts, as well as the woman I’ve been best friends with since elementary school. Fourth grade, to be exact.”

  “Did they know before today that you were planning to give them part of it?”

  “No. But I’m sure they pretty much assumed I would be.”

  Everyone laughed and then another female reporter asked, “The other thing everyone throughout this country is probably wanting to know is how you did it.”

  “There was nothing systematic about it, so basically all I can say is that it just happened. Because the thing is, I’ve never been a regular lottery player, and I barely play more than a few times a year.”

  “That’s amazing. And the winning numbers were randomly selected as a Quick Pick, is that right?”

  “Yes. I never would have taken the time to write down anything specific, because to be honest, I never believed I would actually win.”

  “So, what prompted you to play last Tuesday?” a male reporter in a black suit inquired.

  “I stopped by the convenience store near my home and heard another couple talking about how much they play the lottery and what they were going to do with the money when they won. They were raving about it so much, I figured since the jackpot was around fifty million dollars, I didn’t have anything to lose. That was it.”

  A twentysomething young woman raised her hand. “I know this might be a bit on the personal side, but if you don’t mind answering, I wondered if you have a boyfriend. And if so, how does he feel?”

  “No, I don’t have a boyfriend,” Kennedi said, glancing at Attorney Newman, then quickly returning her attention to the media.

  “She’s right,” Blake said loudly while entering the room. “She doesn’t have a boyfriend. How could she, when she has a husband of ten years? How could she have a boyfriend when I’m standing right here before all of you?”

  Kennedi was mortified. And how had Blake found out she was the winner? She knew the media would have certainly announced the date and time of the press conference, but as far as she’d known and per her request, her name still hadn’t been disclosed. She refused to believe that any of the five people that did know—Attorney Newman, Miles, Patrice, Aunt Lucy, or Aunt Rose, the people she’d entrusted with such delicate information—would ever deceive her, and decided that maybe someone from the lottery commission had leaked her identity. Either way, she hadn’t wanted Blake to find out until after the fact, yet now he was moving closer to the front, ready to take her head-on.

  “Did you actually think you were going to get away with this? Did you actually think you could waltz in here, collect millions and millions of dollars, and pretend like I don’t even exist?”

  Kennedi watched every camera being repositioned toward Blake, and Attorney Newman stepped closer to the podium. “Mr. Mason, this really isn’t the place for this, and if you’d like to speak to me when the press conference is over, I’d be happy to oblige you.”

  “For what? Because as far as I’m concerned, you don’t have a thing to do with this. I’m sure you’re probably representing my wife, but this is between her and me and only her and me.”

  Kennedi was at a loss for words and dreadfully humiliated. This was not at all the way she’d planned for this to turn out, and her strategy to get at Blake was backfiring.

  Attorney Newman pulled the mic up higher, making it easier for him to speak into. “Ladies and gentlemen, it is with deep regret that we must now end this interview session, but please know that we thank you for your time and interest,” he finished, and then rested his hand across Kennedi’s back, directing her out of the room. Patrice, Kennedi’s two aunts, and Miles followed closely behind, but Kennedi could hear the reporters firing one question at Blake after another. She could only imagine what he was going to tell them and wanted to stay there and listen. But when she paused, Attorney Newman lightly pushed her along and out the entrance.

  In the parking lot, Attorney Newman said, “I was afraid this might happen, but not here. Do you know how he could have found out?”

  Kennedi shook her head. “No. I have no idea.”

  “Well, it’s probably just as well, because now that he knows, the sooner we’ll be able to see what he’s expecting. My guess will be one half of the entire amount, but we’ll see what he comes to us with. In the meantime, though, I think it will be best if you decline all interview requests, because the last thing we want is for this to turn into some circus act. Blake’s showing up here today has already gotten the media scrambling for more details, but I don’t want you giving them anything from your side of the coin. We’ll handle every aspect of this in court and nowhere else.”

  “Fine.”

  Attorney Newman pulled his BlackBerry from the inside of his suit jacket and checked to see who was calling him. “If you’ll excuse me for a few minutes, I need to take this.”

  Kennedi nodded. “Please, go ahead.”

  “Actually, I need to check in with my office, but I’ll be back as soon as I’m finished,” Miles told her.


  “Go do what you have to do. I’ll be okay.”

  But as soon as Miles stepped barely ten feet away, Aunt Rose started in. “Kennedi, what’s going on with you and Blake? I knew when we didn’t see him here that something was wrong, but I didn’t want to ask,” Aunt Rose lied.

  Kennedi sighed, because she wasn’t in the mood to talk about any of this. “We’re not together anymore.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since last week.”

  “Why?” Aunt Lucy finally asked, but it was obvious she didn’t feel comfortable prying, at least not as comfortable as Aunt Rose.

  “Because he’s been seeing someone else, and he wants a divorce.”

  “And he’s already moved out of the house?” Aunt Rose interjected.

  “Yes.”

  “And he’s got the gumption to be tryin’ to claim some of that money?” She frowned. “Shoot, if you ask me, the only thing you owe Blake is a nice tail-kickin’.”

  Aunt Lucy empathized with her niece. “Sweetheart, I’m really sorry that this has happened.”

  “It’s life,” Kennedi admitted. “And I’m not going to spend months and years dwelling on it.”

  “Good for you,” Aunt Rose agreed. “Because that joker surely isn’t worth it. Not if he was low enough to go out and lay up with some floozy.”

  “Rose,” Aunt Lucy pleaded.

  “I’m sorry, but where I come from, there’s nothing worse than some lyin’, cheatin’ son of a gun who now feels like the wife he cheated on owes him something. That man has a lot of nerve, and as soon as he brings his little narrow behind out here, I’m telling him exactly what I think of him.”