building up in her bones just thinking about Pam.
“Umph,” Shavonne said. “You’re a better person than me, because he wouldn’t get any of my money.”
“I know that’s right,” Rene agreed. “Not after everything that him and that tramp did to you.”
Nina took a bite of salad. Resigned, she pointed out, “Well, it looks like I’m not going to have a choice.”
“Why did you go on TV in the first place?” Rene asked. “Haven’t you learned anything in all the years that I’ve known you? You don’t put your business on the Internet, and you don’t go on TV for anything personal.”
“Please don’t start.” Nina sighed. “I’ve beat myself up enough over this. I don’t know. I was just excited. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“The number one rule of winning the lotto is don’t let nobody know nothing,” Shavonne said, wagging her finger.
“Okay, guys, let’s not give her a hard time,” Michelle said sympathetically. “I’m sure she feels bad enough as it is.”
“Shoot, she should,” Shavonne said. “But I tell you who would be feeling bad. That skank Pam. ’Cause she wouldn’t be getting her slutty paws on nothing of mine.” She waved her partially eaten breadstick.
“Does he really have a leg to stand on?” Michelle asked.
“Apparently he does. Texas is a community property state. If we’re still married, he has a right to half,” Nina replied. Shetossed the fork down. The conversation was making her lose her appetite.
“Well, isn’t there some loophole or something?” Rene asked.
“No. Believe me, I have my attorney looking for a way around it. But he doesn’t think we can stop them.”
“I know how,” Rene said, arching her right eyebrow. “Give me the ticket. Let me claim it.”
Shavonne started choking on her raspberry lemonade. Nina and Michelle cut their eyes at each other, then all three of them burst out laughing. Rene was so far in debt and owed the IRS so much money that Nina would end up with about twenty dollars. And that’s if Rene’s boyfriend didn’t take that.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Rene said, waving her friends off. “Just because I owe the IRS doesn’t mean I can’t win the lotto. Besides, I’m doing a Wesley and protesting to Uncle Sam, so I’m not gonna pay.”
“And you’re gonna end up just like Wesley—behind bars.” Michelle laughed.
Shavonne was already on a new track. “Seriously, you should think about giving it to someone. What about your sister?”
Nina thought about that for maybe a split second. “Uh-uh. Definitely not my sister. I’d look up and she’d have disappeared with my money or lost it all in some harebrained scheme.”
“Why can’t you say Rick bought the ticket?” Rene asked.
Nina waved off this whole line of questioning. “They validate stuff like that with the surveillance video from the convenience store where I bought the ticket, and even if I could getaround that, unfortunately, we’ve already gone public. The Lottery Commission knows I’m the one who bought the ticket.”
“Here’s a thought.” Michelle looked like her mind was going into overdrive. “Why don’t you just give him half?”
Both Shavonne and Rene spun their heads in Michelle’s direction. “What?” Shavonne proclaimed. “Are you crazy? She’d better not give him a dime. For what? So he can go spend it on the woman he left her for? I don’t think so.”
Nina eyed Michelle skeptically as well. She didn’t agree with Shavonne often, but the girl was right on point with that. “I just can’t give in,” Nina said with a sigh.
“Just hear me out,” Michelle said.
Shavonne tsked like she wasn’t trying to hear a thing.
“I’m just saying, four million is still a lot of money.”
“Eight million is more,” Shavonne snapped. “Isn’t that what you’re bringing home after taxes?”
“Man, that Uncle Sam always got his hand out. Doggone shame they can legally steal eight million
“Umph,” Shavonne said. “You’re a better person than me, because he wouldn’t get any of my money.”
“I know that’s right,” Rene agreed. “Not after everything that him and that tramp did to you.”
Nina took a bite of salad. Resigned, she pointed out, “Well, it looks like I’m not going to have a choice.”
“Why did you go on TV in the first place?” Rene asked. “Haven’t you learned anything in all the years that I’ve known you? You don’t put your business on the Internet, and you don’t go on TV for anything personal.”
“Please don’t start.” Nina sighed. “I’ve beat myself up enough over this. I don’t know. I was just excited. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“The number one rule of winning the lotto is don’t let nobody know nothing,” Shavonne said, wagging her finger.
“Okay, guys, let’s not give her a hard time,” Michelle said sympathetically. “I’m sure she feels bad enough as it is.”
“Shoot, she should,” Shavonne said. “But I tell you who would be feeling bad. That skank Pam. ’Cause she wouldn’t be getting her slutty paws on nothing of mine.” She waved her partially eaten breadstick.
“Does he really have a leg to stand on?” Michelle asked.
“Apparently he does. Texas is a community property state. If we’re still married, he has a right to half,” Nina replied. Shetossed the fork down. The conversation was making her lose her appetite.
“Well, isn’t there some loophole or something?” Rene asked.
“No. Believe me, I have my attorney looking for a way around it. But he doesn’t think we can stop them.”
“I know how,” Rene said, arching her right eyebrow. “Give me the ticket. Let me claim it.”
Shavonne started choking on her raspberry lemonade. Nina and Michelle cut their eyes at each other, then all three of them burst out laughing. Rene was so far in debt and owed the IRS so much money that Nina would end up with about twenty dollars. And that’s if Rene’s boyfriend didn’t take that.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Rene said, waving her friends off. “Just because I owe the IRS doesn’t mean I can’t win the lotto. Besides, I’m doing a Wesley and protesting to Uncle Sam, so I’m not gonna pay.”
“And you’re gonna end up just like Wesley—behind bars.” Michelle laughed.
Shavonne was already on a new track. “Seriously, you should think about giving it to someone. What about your sister?”
Nina thought about that for maybe a split second. “Uh-uh. Definitely not my sister. I’d look up and she’d have disappeared with my money or lost it all in some harebrained scheme.”
“Why can’t you say Rick bought the ticket?” Rene asked.
Nina waved off this whole line of questioning. “They validate stuff like that with the surveillance video from the convenience store where I bought the ticket, and even if I could getaround that, unfortunately, we’ve already gone public. The Lottery Commission knows I’m the one who bought the ticket.”
“Here’s a thought.” Michelle looked like her mind was going into overdrive. “Why don’t you just give him half?”
Both Shavonne and Rene spun their heads in Michelle’s direction. “What?” Shavonne proclaimed. “Are you crazy? She’d better not give him a dime. For what? So he can go spend it on the woman he left her for? I don’t think so.”
Nina eyed Michelle skeptically as well. She didn’t agree with Shavonne often, but the girl was right on point with that. “I just can’t give in,” Nina said with a sigh.
“Just hear me out,” Michelle said.
Shavonne tsked like she wasn’t trying to hear a thing.
“I’m just saying, four million is still a lot of money.”
“Eight million is more,” Shavonne snapped. “Isn’t that what you’re bringing home after taxes?”
“Man, that Uncle Sam always got his hand out. Doggone shame they can legally steal eight million
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