Giving: Episode 3

Episode 3: ““FUN UNTIL IT STOPPED BEING FUN”

Previously…

Mia Bailey and Luke Gramling are two strangers who couldn’t be more different, but they have one significant thing in common:

They’ve split the biggest jackpot in lottery history. The money is now in their bank accounts, but before they part ways and start their new lives, a mysterious man named Clyde Walter approaches them. He hands them his business card and tells them to contact him when it “stops being fun.” Luke and Mia reject his invitation, laughing it off. After all, they’re lottery winners. What could possibly go wrong?

ONE YEAR LATER…

LUKE

The sound of Luke’s flip-flops slapped the marble floor as he entered his commercial-grade, stainless steel kitchen and popped open another bottle of Dom Perignon. The pool party was already in full swing, but if Luke had to be honest, he couldn’t remember when the party had ever stopped. The days had slipped into weeks, the weeks into months. Not that Luke wanted it to end. The whole reason he bought the house was to impress guests.

It took a couple months longer than expected, but Luke had the resources to add an Olympic-sized, heated indoor pool to his new, 12,000 square foot home. When he talked to the man from Sotheby’s about renovating the multi-million dollar estate, he learned a pool like this one was called a natatorium. Before he won the billion dollar lottery, he would have thought that word was too snobby, but Luke was a new man now. He embraced new ideas, celebrated the finer things, and ran in a different social circle. Not to brag, but he was a big deal.

He took a sip of Dom and couldn’t help but to smile with satisfaction. Squeals of laughter rang out poolside, as an enviably handsome, twenty-something did a sloppy cannon ball into the pool, drenching admiring observers. Luke thought he might have seen the guy on TV, but couldn’t place his name or the show. It was amazing how people had found him shortly after winning the lottery. Locals, sure, but also important people visiting from big cities on each coast. Pretty soon after he won the lottery, Luke decided to move to Lynchburg, which wasn’t far from Appomattox where his family still lived.

He chose a modernist mansion that had a jaw-dropping view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, floor to ceiling windows, a Tuscany inspired wine cellar, and an outdoor pickleball court (though Luke didn’t have the time or inclination to pick up a racket). As Luke wove past the pool and into his expansive backyard, he spotted his basset hound, Winston, lying on his belly in his cushy, Swarovski rhinestone-studded doggie palace. His droopy face looked tired as he looked up at the two women in bikinis cooing over him and his glittering house. Luke smiled at the women who gave him a little wave and headed back to the party. He knotted the waist tie of his burgundy velvet smoking jacket, sat down on the lawn next to Winston, and gave the old boy a pat. Luke looked out at the sunset, which cast a brilliant golden glow over the mountain peaks.

“You win the lottery and now you won’t answer your phone?” a familiar voice called out from behind him.

“Aaron!” Luke stood up and gave his younger brother a hug.

“Sorry, I was gonna call you back.”

“I forgive you. Looks like you’ve got a lot going on.” Aaron gave a quick glance back at the house full of revelers, then looked back at the view and gave a slow whistle. “When you said a mountain view, I wasn’t expecting this.”

Luke beamed a proud smile, “I’ll bet you’ll never guess what I bought first.”

Aaron snorted. “Knowing you, it was something with a lot of personality.”

Luke pulled out his phone and showed Aaron a photo. “You bought a Cybertruck?”

“I ordered it on my phone.”

Aaron’s surprised laugh blasted like a horn. “Let me see that again.” Aaron shook his head slowly, fighting his own disbelief.

“Elon Musk must be so pleased. Wait a minute… do you know Elon Musk?”

“If I did, I wouldn’t be waiting almost a year for my truck to arrive.”

“Well, I’m impressed – but not with that outfit. You look like an extra cheesy version of Frank Sinatra. I hope you’re wearing pants under that robe.” Aaron quipped.

“No. Just a speedo. Wanna see?” Luke joked.

“No I do not.” Aaron retorted, inciting another round of laughter. The men sat on the lawn, as Winston wagged his tail and snuggled between them, happy for the familial company. Luke offered the bottle of champagne to his younger brother. Aaron smiled, took a polite sip, and gave it back.

“How’s church?” Luke asked.

“Busy. Now that it’s April, we have weddings booked every weekend. Oh, guess who’s getting married again? Someone from your class.”

“Who?”

“Nolan Botts.”

“You’re kidding. What is this, wife number four?”

“Five. She’s from Denmark. Rumor has it, they met online. I don’t know, maybe this one will stick. Other than that, and you still being famous, not much else has happened in Appomattox. To be honest, I’ve been spending a lot of time with dad and Caroline. They’ve been struggling, Luke.”

“I gave them a hundred thousand dollars. Do they want more?”

“No. No one cares about the money. They miss you. We all miss you.”

“I doubt that. The last Sunday dinner was pretty memorable.”

“That was almost a year ago. They didn’t mean what they said. You winning the lottery was a lot to take in. You flat-out quit Dad’s construction business, and he still hasn’t recovered from that. And then there’s always been tension with our stepmom-”

“You’re blaming me for all this?!”

Aaron raised his hands in defense. “Of course not. I’m just trying to help you see their side. It’s been difficult for them, and it would help if you’d come back home and talk things through.”

Luke took a long pull of Dom, and turned his focus to the mountains. The light had shifted to a blood-red orange in the quickly darkening sky. It matched the fire that was burning in his chest. Luke loved his little brother, but blaming him for his family’s problems was a bridge too far.

“I’ll tell you what was difficult. Being fourteen years old and suddenly becoming the only adult in the family. While Mom laid in bed all day, and Dad started up with Caroline, I planned a funeral for my older brother and got you to school every day. So, if things are a little uncomfortable right now, so be it. They’re grownups. They can work through it on their own. It’s time for me to enjoy my life. I deserve this. I’m happy. I’m surrounded by friends.”

Luke could tell by the look on Aaron’s face that his punch landed. Aaron nodded, stood up, and glanced down at Luke. “These people aren’t your friends. I love you, Luke, but you’re on the wrong path.”

Luke stayed seated on the lawn with Winston until he finished the bottle of champagne. He couldn’t stop thinking about everything that transpired since he bought the winning ticket.

How could things be so great and so awful at the same time? Luke felt an uncomfortable rush of loneliness fall over him. He didn’t fully understand it, but he knew he didn’t want to be alone. The unseasonably warm April day had turned into a chilly Spring night, so Luke put Winston back into his comfortable doggie palace and walked briskly back toward the mansion.

Inside, the party was in full swing. Luke estimated about thirty party goers were in and around the pool. Music was pumping through the speakers, and the two story glass and steel windows which revealed the outside world had started to fog up from the steam inside. A conversation between two men in front of him caught Luke’s attention.

“Who owns this place?”

“I have no idea, but they’ve got a wine cellar in the basement and it’s unlocked. I slipped two cases in my car.”

“Rich doesn’t always line up with smart.”

The men laughed and drifted away, leaving Luke stunned. As if waking from a dream, Luke could finally see the reality surrounding him. There were men who looked like models and gorgeous women in bikinis everywhere – but he didn’t know a single person – and they didn’t really know him. He was a ghost, haunting his own party.

No one noticed when Luke walked over to his home security system and set off every alarm, including the residential sprinkler system. When the fire department arrived and declared the mansion safe from harm, the party had already fizzled out. His hair still damp, Luke was finally alone, in his brightly lit kitchen, staring at the name and phone number of the only person who could possibly understand him. Would the number still work? What was she up to? How had her life changed? Had the fun stopped for her too?

MIA

Mia drove her blue-gray Jeep Wrangler down the beach, going 35 mph. It was right at low tide according to the Outer Banks Tide Chart, so the drive to see the wild Banker horses would be easy. The smell of salt air and the cool breeze blowing through the window made her feel better than she’d felt in months. It was a good idea to come back here, even without her fiancé, Sean.

Mia glanced at the four carat diamond ring on her left hand. One piece of jewelry had caused so many problems. She would have been content with a simple ring, but Sean wanted her to wear something that would turn heads. The Catch-22 was that Sean couldn’t afford the ring he had in mind, so Mia ultimately paid for a diamond she didn’t really want. Still, it made Sean happy to see it on her finger, and Mia had wished for a proposal from him for years. They both got what they wanted, so Mia couldn’t figure out why she felt empty inside. She thought back to the night she told Sean the news about winning the lottery. She wanted to do something special, so she bought a fancy chocolate cake from Wegman’s. He swore he wouldn’t tell a soul, but he admitted later that his family pulled it out of him. Not that it mattered; the whole neighborhood discovered her secret when the press started showing up on her lawn. People who hadn’t bothered to give her the time of day were suddenly seeking her out, asking her how she was doing, what plans she had for her newfound riches. Her alma mater started calling twice, then three and four times a day. They promised to forgive her student loan debt and offered her a full ride to return to medical school, if she would be willing to join the board of directors and make a yearly contribution. Mia was torn – she wanted to help people, but becoming a doctor with those kind of strings attached didn’t sit well with her.

Desperate for normalcy, Mia took the advice of her financial advisor who recommended she lie low for a while. She followed his instructions and moved twice, unlisted her phone number, and broke ties with casual acquaintances and needy friends. The trauma inflicted by all the sudden changes brought Mia and Sean closer together. He quit his tech support job at Verizon so he could help her navigate through all of it, and for that, she was immensely grateful.

Her relationship with Sean started to change when he asked her to invest in a high-risk start-up company out of San Jose. It had always been Sean’s dream to be a mover and shaker in the tech revolution. With Mia’s capital, he assured her their investment would have a high return.

He was wrong.

Now Mia didn’t know what to do. The CFO was almost out of capital and wanted her to back him for another three million. Her financial advisor threw up a red flag, saying the investment was an ankle biter, but Sean was advocating hard in support of it. It was the first time Mia really started to wonder if Sean cared more about her money than her. A poison seed had been planted in Mia’s mind, and she desperately wanted to yank it out by the roots.

She decided to take the week and stay at her beach house, alone, in Corolla. Being there and seeing the wild horses roam free reminded her of a precious moment in time she wished she could get back. It was the night she’d finished the Colleen McCabe cozy mystery and then read the winning numbers on her lottery ticket. She didn’t know it then, but that was the most exciting and uncomplicated moment of her life.

Mia rolled to a stop on the sand. She’d reached the part of the beach where horse sightings were common. She knew the route like the back of her hand, so she set out on foot, enjoying the feeling of the cold, dry sand beneath her bare feet.

In the near distance, she could see the wild Spanish mustangs. These horses were the only remaining wild herd left in the world. One of the horses was digging a small hole, searching for fresh water, while the others nibbled on sea oats, oblivious to her presence. It thrilled Mia to watch them, and for a good while, all her worries ebbed away with the tide.

Later, when she got back to the beach house, she was surprised to find a beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered to her doorstep, with a card attached.

I miss you and love you. – Sean.

Mia couldn’t help but smile. She loved him too. A pang of longing struck her, and she had a strong urge to hear his voice. She reached into her purse for her cell phone, but couldn’t find it. She looked in the Jeep. Not there. She went back inside, and searched the foyer, kitchen counter, living room, upstairs bedrooms, spa bathroom, deck – it was nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, 281 miles away, Mia’s cell phone was ringing. Sean heard the familiar chime, and spotted it on the floor near Mia’s front door. The phone must have fallen out of her pocket. Sean looked at the number. Unlisted. Curious, Sean put the mystery caller on speaker.

“Mia? It’s Luke. I really need to see you again. Things haven’t been going the way I expected, and I think – I know, you’re the only one who would understand-”

“Who is this?” Sean demanded.

Luke shot up from his kitchen barstool, eyes wide. Did he dial the wrong number?

“Who is this?” Luke answered back.

“I’m Mia’s fiancé, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll never call this number again!” Sean tapped the button harder than necessary, severing the call.