After the Win Pt. 01

About 20 miles from town there was a large truck stop that had a nice restaurant and he decided to stop there and eat as he realized that it had been since early that morning since breakfast and he was hungry. Nervous hungry, but hungry none the less. When he arrived at the truck stop, Stephen pulled up to the building and parked where he could get a window table and keep an eye on his truck during lunch. Would it be all that bad if people did find out he was the winner of the jackpot? No, not really, but he had sure wanted to keep it a secret for a while longer. Maybe this would work, but he would have to be careful for a while anyhow he thought. He did worry about the safety of his daughters and grandkids. He sure did not want one of them to become a target or victim by someone wanting his money by any means available.

When Stephen was parked he slowly walked around his truck and decided that he could throw any followers off the track by trading trucks at the earliest opportunity. He could afford it and he could pay cash so he should get a good deal on a truck.

As Stephen was eating, he noticed what looked like a young man paying way more attention to his old truck than was necessary and decided to go ahead and see what could be done about it.

Stephen remembered seeing a huge Ford dealership on the service road a few miles back and decided to try something. He had nothing in the truck except for a few papers and his insurance and registration forms so this might work. He drove back down the Interstate and past the dealership and then exited suddenly from the wrong lane and sure enough, another car had to do the same thing to get to the frontage road without losing him.

When Stephen pulled into the dealership, he drove around to the maintenance department and pulled over to the area where the service manager talks to you before your car goes in for maintenance. The Service Manager came over and asked how he could help and Stephen told him that he was being followed by a PI working for his ex-wife and that he was going to buy another truck and for the Service manager to drive his around the building like he is listening to something and then pull it into the service area and park of out of sight and then call the new car manager and tell him about Stephen's truck while Steve was looking at another and would make a deal, then pay up and be gone before the PI got wise. It sounded like a good plan to everyone, so the new car manager was called and he brought a new F150 crew cab in the bronze color Steve liked around and shortly thereafter a deal was struck and after confirming that Stephen had that much cash in the bank, he accepted a check for the truck and the deal was quickly finished. One of the service guys fueled the new truck then had gone over Stephen's old pickup and moved everything he had found to the new one and in less than an hour from when had first pulled in, Stephen pulled out of the dealership through a different set of doors and was on his way home once more. He felt safe now as the lottery people had assured him that no one could get his name without his authorization now, and that was not going to happen.

As Stephen neared his home area, the thought came to him that if anything happened to him right now that the state would step in and take almost all his winnings leaving his family with nothing at all, and that wasn't right. He called his lifelong friend, Mike Morgan, who was a superb attorney, knowledgeable in almost every aspect of the law.

"Morgan!" Mike answered when Steve called him on his cell phone while still maybe a half hour away from the office.

"What did they do, kick you out of the holding pens to give the real lawyers a chance at a case?"

"Stephen, my boy, I'll have you know that I have not been in that den of Sin and Shame since the last time I was there looking for you. What's up that you are willing to humble yourself to come calling for the services of the greatest attorney this area has ever seen once more?

"Mike, this is serious and only the best will do, but he is out of town so can you meet me at the usual spot in 35 minutes?"

"You got it, Steve. You in trouble?"

"Not that I know of, and I don't want to be either."

"Okay, Pal. Try to borrow a dollar from someone so you can afford to retain me. See you in half an hour."

Steve hung up and started to think about the situation. He was going to be giving millions to his kids and a couple of charities and he felt good about being able to do it, but with the life he had led, it still felt strange to even consider doing such a thing,

When Stephen arrived at the Denny's they seemed to always use as a meeting place he saw that Mike was already there and when he went in found fresh coffee and a large hot buttered sweet roll waiting for him. He sat down and shook Mike's hand and they exchanged pleasantries and insults as only lifelong friends can. Mike looked at Steve and asked flat out what was wrong as he had never seen his friend in this sort of mood before then said, "No, first the dollar as you have to hire me and you know how you unemployed guys are about paying so I have to ask for full payment up front." After Stephen gave him the dollar he sat back and said "not one word of this leaves this table and you can only discuss it with those in your office that have a need to know and will be covered by the lawyer/client rules. No one else even needs a hint of what I am going to tell you. Deal?"

"You know it, Buddy. You do not even have to ask. So, what's up? You win the lottery or something?"

"Yes."

Quiet. Complete, utter quiet fell across the table and Mike whispered, "You are kidding me, Right?"

"Not this time, Mike. Not this time. Yesterday I stopped to fill up the truck and went inside to get a coke and a candy bar for some reason, and I dropped a $20 on the counter and told the clerk to give me the change as lottery tickets. One of them won. All 5 numbers right in a row plus the little pink Powerball number to top it off. $343.8 million after taxes. I spent a large part of last night thinking about it and drove on over to their headquarters to be there when they opened this morning and I got it all put together and put the $75,000 into my local bank account and had the rest put into the bank Janice and I used to use when we lived up north before she got sick and we moved down here. I want to talk to you about what to do but right now I think I want to put equal amounts into maybe living trust funds for the two girls and let them divide it with their kids. Keeps the amounts the same that way. What do you think? I also want to make a sizeable donation to Feed the Children, The Humane Society of the United States, and the ASPCA. The rest I will keep and squander on my own.

"I worked with the people at the lottery office to keep my name out of the media but one man seemed to get wise and tried to follow me home and I did some hiding and even traded trucks on the sly so hopefully he is still out there in the swamp somewhere spinning his wheels wondering where I went. I just do not want anyone to know I won that much money or else they will all be asking and begging for handouts, and I am asshole enough to not let that happen. Help me out here friend. I need the living trust thing figured out and completed and the girls told about it. It is sure going to change their lives, that's for sure."

Mike looked at his lifelong friend and said that that was just about the last thing he ever expected to hear Stephen say, but that he was happy for him and the family as it would mean they would never have money worries again.

"Okay, let's talk about some amounts here. Let me suggest that for now you give the girls say $25 million each. It would be a living trust and they fall into a different category so you can make some changes to the trust during its life. If you want, I can set it up so that if they divorce for most reasons the husband doesn't get much if any of the trust fund. Now then, how about $10 or $15 million for each charity if you want to go that high. This would be a one-way deal and after they get the check you are out of it, so I would suggest some hard guarantees about where the money will go and what it will be used for and not going into some big shots pocket as a bonus for bringing in such a nice donation Don't laugh. It happens every day and some of those charities are so corrupt that the actual charity only gets a nickel or so out each dollar. Sad but true facts. We can check it out and get it on record if you want. That would still leave you with about $250 million depending on what you do give the charities. Whatcha think, Sport?"

"Set it up that way with each charity getting $10 million providing we are satisfied with what they tell and show us. Also, redo my will so that if anything happens to me the girls get the money and not the government. Let's eat and then I am going for a nap as I have had no sleep for two days' now, and I desperately need a few hours to play catch up if you don't mind."

"Ok, Steve. You go on and take a good nap and leave me to set this up for you and I will be in contact with you before the end of the day or first thing tomorrow as it is getting late, or if you get anxious you can call me later and I will let you know where we are. I'll just pay this bill and add it to your already staggering past due amount."

"Past due my lily white ass." Stephen snorted under his breath. He knew he would never see a bill for any of this and was already trying to think of what he could do for Mike and his future wife, whom Steve loved almost as much as he had his own wife. Maybe send them on a cruise somewhere for their honeymoon he thought.

They left together and Stephen drove his new truck to his home, glancing every few minutes into the mirrors to see if there was any sigh of a tail on him now. He sure hoped not. When Stephen arrived home, he drove completely around the block not once but twice to make sure there were no unfamiliar cars on the street or in driveways. He did not see anything other than the usual mix of makes and models so he started to relax just a bit. When he got home, he did however, pull into the garage and shut the door to keep his new pickup hidden from public view for as long as possible.

Once inside, Steve checked the phone for messages and caller I.D. numbers but did not find anything unusual on the machine so he went into his bedroom and undressed and lay down on the bed and went to sleep and slept the sleep of the dead... for about a half hour.

The constant ringing of his doorbell woke him up. He tried to go right back to sleep but the ringing became a pounding, as if fists were being used to batter the door into submission. Stephen got up and pulled his jeans on but did not bother with either a shirt nor shoes. He went to the door and looked out the peep hole but did not recognize the man he saw standing there banging on his door with one fist and holding what looked like an expensive Nikon camera in the other.

Shit!! Well, being nice was worth a try but it evidently didn't work, so maybe a different tactic might work and let him go back to sleep.

He opened the door and said to the man "Sorry, but I am not buying anything so you are wasting your time standing there" and stated to close the door in the man's face.

"Why aren't you buying? You have about $340 million bucks to spend." The man replied as he pushed the door back into Stephen and stepped inside before saying anything else.

"What the Hell you been smoking? You sound like a crazy man. Where did you come up with a stupid idea like that? I think it is time for you to leave. I bet they are looking for you at the institute right now."

When Stephen turned back towards the man, he was greeted with a bright light as the man had just taken a photo of him. Stephen grabbed the camera from the man and pushed him back some and then holding it by the strap swung it as hard as he could against the rock fireplace shattering the camera and lens. The man started screaming that Stephen had just stolen his $3000 camera and breaking it and a $1500 lens on purpose and that he had assaulted him to boot. He also said that he was going to sue for all the money Stephen had just won and that he would win, too. Stephen just laughed at him and said, "You poor stupid son of a bitch. I didn't win any lottery, and the only money I have is a few bucks left in the bank and you assaulted me first with that fricking flash and I was defending myself in my own home and you need to take your trash and leave before I call the cops on you. Where the Hell are you getting these crazy ass ideas anyhow?"

The man said that he had seen Stephen at the lottery office and had been told by someone there that Stephen was the winner of the big drawing the night before and had gotten his tag number and then followed him back to his home after getting his address from the DMV.

"You followed me on the word of some other idiot? Man, you are eaten up with a terminal case of dumb ass, you know that, don't you? I think it is time for you to leave and head back to the clinic."

"I'm not leaving here without the full story and the money for a new camera and lens." The man almost screamed.

"Listen, Asswipe, the only thing you are going to get if you don't leave is a real serious ass whipping of epic proportions. Do I make myself clear?"

"You heard me. I want the whole story and I want it now and the money for my equipment and my time and trouble." The photographer repeated.

Stephen said "I am telling you right now, leave and don't come back or suffer seriously."

"You are threatening me."

"No, Dickweed. I am promising you lose teeth and some broken ribs for a start. Who knows after that. What are you wanting anyhow?"

"I want the truth. I know you won big last night and just collected and I want the whole story about you and what you plan to do with the winnings, your family, and all that human interest stuff,"

"You have got to be kidding me. I would not give you that information if I had of hit it big or even small for that matter. Have you no sense of honor about anything? That would mean exposing a family to some horrific publicity if that kind of word got out about them. There would no more privacy but there would be a multitude of bums and cheats and others out to take advantage of a family at any cost-to the family of course. Possible kidnappers and who knows what all else. So, no, even if I had of won, I would not ever expose any of them to you and your sorry ass kind of people. You are a maggot, feeding off anything you can just to make a bit of money without a care in the world about who you hurt or cause to be hurt, just as long as you get your story and get to see you name in print, except maybe where your next score might be found. Next to the likes of you and your ilk, drug dealers and street whores are fine upstanding citizens. At least they serve a purpose in life. All of your ilk are just a waste of somebody's sperm and our decent air." Stephen barked at him, clearly pissed.

Stephen went over to the shattered camera and found the memory card opening and pulled the card out and put it in his pocket. The reporter started in screaming at Steve that he was stealing personal property and that he would sue and call the cops also and have Steve arrested.

Stephen looked at the reporter for a second and said that calling the cops sounded like a good idea and that he would do just that and placed a call to Mike, his lawyer. When Mike answered, he told him that he had some stupid ass reporter nosing around and making illegal entry into his home and taking unsolicited photos of him in various stages of undress and that he wanted to sue him for invasion of privacy, unlawful entry, libel, slander, and whatever else a legal genius like him could name off even if he didn't know what they all meant, He also told him to call the chief of police (another lifelong friend of both of them) and tell him that he knew he was behind on his monthly arrest quota again so Stephen had a guy with a few charges waiting for him at Stephen's home, but if he did not hurry, the culprit would be outside tied to a tree so Stephen could complete his nap as he was tired as could be and had been asleep when the reporter creep gained entry illegally. Stephen also called a couple of his other longtime friends to act as witnesses'.

This whole time, the reporter was trying to protest any charges and trying to lay blame for everything on Stephen. He also said he wanted a lawyer to get there and sue Stephen for everything he could think of including criminal destruction of property and the theft of his memory card.

Right then Stephen's friend and attorney Mike showed up followed shortly by a couple of their other close friends and Stephen proceeded to tell Mike about how the reporter had forced himself into Stephen's home and had taken photos without permission of Stephen while only partially dressed. Mike asked to see the camera.

"What camera?" Asked Stephen.

"Aw, Man, you aren't going to try that crap on us are you. That stuff was old 50 years ago. Just admit what you did and then talk to us about the lottery winnings." The reporter said.

"What lottery winnings" Mike said.

"I was going to tell you about that as soon as I had a chance." Stephen said.

"Well, now is your chance, there old buddy." Mike replied.

"Well, you know I been wanting to pick up that new F150 Crew Cab that Billingsly has been holding for almost a year now for me. Well, last night I felt lucky and bought a lottery ticket with the change I got from something I bought at the store and when they drew for the numbers I had enough of them in a row to win close to $75,000 which was enough to finish up on the down payment and the tag for it and some left over for a new boat and I stopped and picked it up. It is in the garage."

"Wow! You finally got it, did you? Good for you, Sport. You deserve it. Now, what does our guest here have to do with it?"

"The damn fool came crashing in here a while ago saying he knew I had won the big-ticket cash and wanted the story and photos and all that crap. Hell, if I had of won, I would not have consented to an interview with some stupid dickhead reporter like him. He got to demanding I pose for photos for him and tell him the whole family story. He even took a picture of me without asking while I was only partly dressed. I got the idea that he thought he might get a piece of that pie if he played his cards right. That is when he dropped his camera and broke it I guess. He is about as bright as a bucket of chum and only half as useful." Stephen added. Then. "Did you tell the cops we would have donuts? They should have been here by now."

"They said something about a shooting out on the highway but were coming by for a donut when they could. Maybe I better run on over to the 'Hole and grab some more. Would not want to make them mad or else their prisoner would get into trouble big time." Said Stephen's friend Rick that had been quiet so far.

"I want a lawyer. Now!!" said the reporter.

"You don't need a lawyer. Maybe a priest. You Catholic there, Sport?" said David, another of Stephen's lifelong friends,

"You people are crazy. Let me go and I won't press charges against you." The reporter almost screamed.

"Getting a might noisy there, Sport." Said David as he open handedly slapped the back of the reporter's head as if he was an errant child. "Why don't you just sit there quietly and reflect on the meaning of life or something and the cops will be here soon to save your sorry ass."

"Save me? Save Me? What the Hell do you mean Save Me. I don't need saving, you Idiot."

"Could have fooled me" This from Stephen and David at almost the same time.