Lotto Changed my Life

She gave up on trying to find the kinky aspect, if one even existed, because the things these girls all wore were just normal, very pretty kinds of clothing.

"I'd dress like that," she thought before realizing the most important part. "If we loved each other."

And with that, Kim was back to cutting, chopping, dicing, and trying to time everything to come out perfectly at exactly the right time.

Just a few days later, yet another new girl came into the kitchen.

"Hi," Kim said cheerfully. "What can I get you?"

The girl, who was even more attractive than the others she'd seen didn't reply.

"I want Baked Alaska," the girl informed her.

"Okay. I can do that," Kim replied, smiling politely.

"Have it ready in an hour."

The girl threw her head back and left before Kim could tell that was impossible. It would take a few hours, and no chef on earth could change the laws of physics. Kim had called most of the numbers in the Contacts list Rebecca gave her, but she'd had no need to call her until now.

"Rebecca? Hi. I hate to bother you, but...."

"Kim? You can't bother me," she said, interrupting her. "Just tell me what you need."

She explained the situation, and Rebecca cursed quietly, but loudly enough that Kim heard her say, "Fucking bitch."

Rebecca realized it and said, "My apologies. It's just that this latest...girl...makes me...."

She stopped talking and told Kim she'd take care of it.

Less than than ten minutes later, Kim heard a very loud voice getting louder as it got closer to her. She then heard a deeper voice that was calm trying to get a word in edgewise.

"You have to be reasonable," the male voice said as the younger woman reappeared.

Jared was right behind her, and as he walked in, he caught Kim's eye. She looked away immediately but could tell something was wrong.

"Reasonable? You have to joking!" she woman said, her voice now loud enough to be heard two room away.

"Listen," Jared told her. "When I said you could have anything you want, I assumed you realized there were some things that just aren't possible. Like wanting Baked Alaska in...."

The very pretty girl turned around to face him then launched into a tirade.

"That's it! I quit! Fuck this...bullshit! And fuck you and fuck your stupid, sick, sweater fetish...BULLSHIT!" she screamed. "I don't care how much fucking money you're paying me to play your fucking girlfriend! I'm not doing this shit anymore!"

Stunned into silence, Kim just stood there and watched in disbelief.

"You can take your fucking, goddam fetish...." she said as she began peeling off the skintight, ribbed top. "And your money...and shove it up your rich fucking ass!"

She then threw it at Jared who caught it. As he did he again glanced over at Kim who returned the look. She made the slightest facial expression that expressed her sadness and her inability to do anything while Jared's face had a look of sadness, as well, but his was coupled with what appeared to be a sense of embarrassment.

The topless woman then pulled off the pumps she was wearing and threw them at him, too.

"You're pathetic, Jared! You deserve to be lonely. So fuck you, fuck this place, and fuck this whole shitty palace of horrors of yours!"

Kim had no idea where she went, but the girl stormed out of the kitchen, her hands balled up into fists and held down along her side.

With the two of them now alone and nothing but silence filling the room, both of them stood there not knowing what to say or do.

Finally, Jared spoke.

"Kim, I'm sorry you had to see that."

"It's none of my business," she told him as she assumed a posture of deference.

Jared was holding the sweater and one of the shoes. The other had flown over his head and was laying near the wall on the other side of the kitchen. He came a little closer then asked if Kim minded as he looked at the huge island where she was working.

"No. Of course not."

He set the top and the shoe on the countertop then shook his head.

"Why is finding love so incredibly hard?" he asked, although it didn't sound like he was actually looking for an answer.

"Would you maybe like a drink?" Kim offered, her voice sounding very sympathetic.

Jared stood there for a moment then looked at the things he'd set down before looking at her.

"Only if you'll have one with me," he said, trying to smile but with very little result.

He saw her look at the clock and told her, "It's okay. I won't be needing anything else tonight."

"In that case...what's your preference?"

Kim knew the wine cellar was filled with vintage reds and whites and that he had some of the most expensive scotch and bourbon money could buy.

"A Heineken sounds pretty good," he told her, an actual smile appearing for the first time.

"Two Heinekens," she said with a smile of her own as she opened the huge refrigerator.

When she handed him one of the open bottles, Jared said almost sheepishly, "Cheers?"

Kim laughed politely and repeated the toast.

They each took a sip then Jared asked her if she'd mind talking for a little while.

"Not at all. That sounds nice," Kim replied, wondering how this might go.

"Come on. Let's go to my study. It's less...crazy there."

She smiled but didn't say anything as he extended an arm indicating the direction she should go. She'd only gotten a quick look at the study on her whirlwind tour, and it was far more impressive than she recalled.

The leather furniture was exquisite as were the designer rugs that had to cost more each than she made in a year. Two of the walls were lined with books. An antique globe stood on a very expensive table, and there were other similar items throughout the room.

"Please," he said, again indicating where she should sit.

Jared grabbed a leather-bound chair and drug it over in front of the sofa where she was sitting. He took a long pull, swallowed, then looked at her.

"Rebecca told me you lost your husband. I never found the right time to tell you how sorry I am," he began.

"Thank you. And she told me you lost your wife. I'm very sorry for you, too."

Kim knew it was some kind of airplane crash but didn't ask for details.

"I did. And thank you for that. Shari was the love of my life."

His voice sounded hollow. Coupled with his demeanor it gave her the impression he was very sad and possibly even broken.

He took another sip then said, "You know how they say, 'Money can't buy you happiness', right?"

"Yes, of course."

"It's true. It's absolutely true."

From what she heard during the tirade in the kitchen Kim was pretty sure these young girls where some kind of an attempt to buy happiness, but she wasn't about to ask or say a word about what she was thinking.

"I'm no Bill Gates, but I can pretty much buy anything I want," he said before taking yet another small sip.

"I thought that maybe I could buy...companionship. Not love, of course, but just a little something to help make the loneliness go away."

Finally, Kim felt bold enough to say something.

"That's what the pretty, young girls were for, right?" she asked very carefully.

Recalling what the girl had said, Jared shook his head as he said, "Pathetic, huh?"

"I really can't say," Kim responded honestly.

"Well, it is...pathetic," Jared said with a shake of his head.

"May I say something?" Kim asked rather gingerly.

"Of course. Please."

"You're a very nice looking young man, Jared. You'd have no problem meeting attractive women your age."

"Thank you," he said. "But it's not that simple anymore."

He looked at her then said, "Money changes everything."

Kim felt foolish for not thinking of that before she spoke.

"Trust. That's the problem, isn't it?" she asked rhetorically.

"Exactly. I did fine in the Air Force. My wife and I were both pilots, and we had more money than we could spend. But now...."

"I can't believe I didn't think of that," she offered supportively.

He smiled as he looked at her for a moment before saying, "You're really nice, Kim. And you're easy to talk to."

He took a long pull and drained the bottle.

"Would you like another?" she asked, ready to get up.

"No. No, thank you. The conversation is a whole lot better than the alcohol anyway," he told her, a genuine smile appearing on his ruggedly handsome face.

"That's very kind of you to say."

"It's true."

He hesitated then said, "Now may I ask you a question?"

"Yes. By all means."

"Were you and your husband...."

"Happy? Yes. Close? Very."

"Us, too. And I honestly feel like I'll never find anyone else like her again. Ever."

"I get that. I often feel the same way myself. It's just so...daunting...to even try."

"Yes! I know, right?"

Jared was as animated as she'd seen him, but he was mostly just being pleasant as he enjoyed his first normal conversation with a woman since winning the lottery.

"Oh, do I ever," Kim said. "My daughter, Jenny, she's 19 and in college--on a scholarship. She worries about me, and I understand that. But what she can't understand is that I don't want to be with anyone else."

"Oh, I understand. Trust me," Jared told her with a look that said he did.

He sat there for a moment appearing to weigh his words before saying, "I didn't, you know, I wasn't...intimate...with any of these...bimbos."

Kim tried not to laugh, but the way he said it was too much.

Jared laughed, too, then explained.

"I just wanted someone who reminded me of Shari. The way she looked. The way she dressed. I just wanted...her."

He sighed then said, "Now I know even that isn't possible."

"So...what's next?" she asked, hoping not to overstep.

"Good question. Let me turn it around. What's next for you, Kim?"

"Work. I love my job, and it keeps me busy, so that's my focus."

"You're very good at it. I've been meaning to tell you that, but my life is just a whirlwind of nonstop...crap."

Kim's heart went out for him. She'd never been rich, so it was impossible to know exactly how he was feeling. But she was human, and she was sure that all people had the same kinds of challenges and feelings regardless of the differences in what was causing them.

"Do you regret winning?" she asked, again being as gentle as she could.

"Sometimes."

He looked down at the very expensive coffee table between then admitted the truth.

"No, that would be most of the time."

"I read once where money does make people happier, but only to the point where they have enough money to pay their bills with something left over. After that, the study said there was no increase in reported happiness."

Jared was so impressed by what she'd just said that he sat there looking at her for several seconds.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to stare. It's just that you're so...amazing."

"Me?" Kim asked, a look of genuine surprise on her face.

"Yes. You. You're thoughtful and kind. You're also very intelligent."

He then said something that made her entire body tingle.

"Smart is sexy."

He paused then exhaled slowly.

"Shari was whip smart. We both majored in engineering, but she kicked by butt in everything we ever did from differential equations to flying F-22s."

"She's the one who sounds amazing. Do you have a picture?"

Jared's face lit up.

"Yes. Gimme a second, okay?"

He jumped up, went to the room next to the study then came back holding a picture frame. He handed it to Kim and said, "That's Shari."

There was a collage of photographs that were from the Academy, their wedding, and the two of them in G-suits."

"She's beautiful, Jared."

Kim looked a bit longer then handed it back to him.

"She was, wasn't she?"

"Absolutely," Kim agreed.

"You uh, you're beautiful, too, Kim," he said with sincerity.

"What? Me? Jared. I'm...."

She almost told him her age, but she assumed he already knew that. Instead she only thanked him with a warm smile.

"It's true. You're beautiful, Kim. Inside and out."

Not sure what to say and surprised by the way the flattery made her feel, Kim only sat there, unable to look at him.

"I made you uncomfortable. I'm sorry," he said when he saw her reaction.

"No. Not at all. I just wasn't expecting you to say anything so...."

"Personal?" he suggested, now feeling even worse.

"No. So...flattering."

"If I offended you, I apologize. But I meant what I said, and I won't apologize for saying it."

He looked like he was getting ready to excuse himself when, for some unknown reason, Kim said something she couldn't believe came out of her mouth.

"I wouldn't find it demeaning or even difficult to wear something a man I love really liked."

The upward movement of his body stopped just before he stood up. He settled back in and again just stared at her.

"That was completely inappropriate, Jared. I have no idea why I said that, but I didn't mean to...."

"Thank you for saying it," he said as he quietly interrupted him.

Frozen between fear and some other emotion, Kim could no longer speak.

"Shari was so good about that kind of thing."

Kim felt herself breathe again and realized she could indeed still talk.

"That's important to you, isn't it?"

"Very. But with anyone else it just makes me feel like some kind of control freak."

"I can see how that could make you feel that way, and for a woman who wasn't willing to...meet you halfway...it might feel that way. To her."

She now looked at the coffee table for a moment before finishing her thought.

"But for a woman who understands what men need, and who would gladly do that for him...assuming that he was equally willing to meet her half way...it wouldn't be like that at all."

She smiled sweetly then said, 'It would be a pleasure."

Jared was staring at her again, but this time she stared back. The long look lasted a good six or seven seconds before Jared finally did stand up.

"I can't tell you how pleasant it was to talk to you, Kim. And I can't thank you enough for your honesty and candor."

She also stood then told him it was her pleasure and that she enjoyed it, too.

"I've kept you much too long," Jared said with a smile as he again indicated he'd follow her out.

"Not at all. This was really...nice."

"It was," Jared agreed.

When they got back to the kitchen he asked her a question he wasn't sure he should ask.

"Kim? Do you...date?"

"Date? Me?" she replied as her heart felt like it had gone from 0-60 in microseconds.

"Sorry. You already told me you find the whole thing daunting."

He laughed nervously then told her he did, too.

"Yes. It is...daunting," she said quietly as she hoped he would continue his thought.

"I've taken up more than enough of your time. Thank you again, and I hope you have a very pleasant rest of your day. What's left of it anyway."

"Thank you, Jared. And...same to you."

As he walked away, Kim realized she was shaking. That realization only made it worse.

"Get ahold of yourself," she said out loud. "It's not what you thought it was, okay?"

It took her several hours to recover, and it was late the next day before she was able to stop thinking about the things he'd said. But less than an hour later Rebecca came to the kitchen and mentioned that Jared told her they had a very nice talk, and those same feelings came back in an avalanche of emotion.

"Oh. Right. Yes, we did talk for a bit," Kim nervously admitted.

She looked at Kim as though she were trying to divine something.

"I've known Jared for a good while now, and I've never seen him like this."

Assuming the worst, Kim wondered if she was about to be let go.

"I was only trying to be supportive," she said, trying not to sound defensive.

"No. Jared's...happy. That aura of sadness is gone," Rebecca told her.

"I don't know if it's due to getting rid of his...dolls...or because of your chat, but he's...different."

"Oh. Well, if it was helpful, I'm...I'm glad," Kim said, feeling relieved and nervous.

Rebecca was still staring when she finally said, "What size are you?"

"Pardon?" a very confused Kim asked.

"You're what? An 8 or a 10?"

Feeling uncomfortable, Kim said, "I wear an 8 in most things. Or a medium."

"Yes. I see that."

Rebecca was looking her up and down, and Kim felt even more out of sorts.

"May I ask why you're asking?" Kim managed to get out.

"I have an idea. Can you come with me?"

"I have dinner preparations ongoing, and I can't just...."

"You can," Rebecca said with a smile that made Kim feel worse still. "I'll have someone else finish up in here and let Mr. Porter know, although I don't think he'll mind when he sees what I have in mind."

Rebecca led her to a bedroom she'd only been in once during the 'nickel tour' after her arrival.

She sat her iPad down then starting going through things in an antique dresser in a room that was filled with women's clothes, shoes, and jewelry.

"Yes. This is perfect," she said before moving to a closet. "This one. This is just what I was looking for."

She spun around then said, "Shoes. What size are you?"

"I'm...I wear a seven," Kim said, her head spinning and her heart pounding with fear.

"Relax," Rebecca told her. "You're going to look stunning."

"Stunning?"

"You can't possibly not know that Mr. Porter is very enamored with you."

"He...he's what?" Kim croaked as her heart raced only without fear.

"I wasn't completely honest, Kim. Jared didn't just talk about you. He raved about you. I've never seen him like this. It was, 'Kim this,' and 'Kim that', and 'Kim is so amazing'."

"He said that? About me?"

Rebecca laughed then assured her he had.

"So...here's what I'm thinking."

She explained it then asked Kim if she'd be willing to give it a try.

"I...if you think it...."

"It will," Rebecca said. "I promise you it will. The question is, 'Do you want it to work'?"

Kim answered her question with a question of her own.

"What if it doesn't work? What if he thinks I'm some kind of...weirdo...and tells me to get out?"

"It will work. And he won't say that. Trust me."

She paused for effect then asked, "Do you? Trust me?"

Kim kind of nodded then said, "Um...okay. What should I do now?"

"Go take a shower but don't wet your hair. We'll take care of that after."

Some 90 minutes later, Kim couldn't believe she was looking at herself when the hair and makeup girl who'd 'dolled up' Jared's girls told her to take a look.

"So, what do you think?" the 30-something year old woman asked.

"Oh...my...goodness."

Kim knew she was looking at herself, but she couldn't ever remember looking like that. At least not since she was in her mid-20s.

"You look amazing!" the woman told her. "And the outfit is going to blow him away."

She helped Kim walk over to a full-length mirror. Just those few steps in the four-inch heels were very uncomfortable.

"Do you like it?" the girl asked.

"The skirt is so short," Kim replied as she tried to pull it down a little.

"No! It's perfect. You have amazing legs. I'd die for your legs."

The girl laughed then looked at Kim's chest as she said, "Or your boobs."

Kim laughed nervously then took another look at herself.

Her shoulder-length hair looked like an advertisement for a shampoo product. It was thick and full and had several waves to it. For the first time in months she was glad she hadn't cut it, something she'd wanted to do for quite some time.

Her makeup was just flawless. It was stunning. She thought that it also looked like an ad for L'Oréal. She hadn't worn anything like the outfit she was in since she was in college, but it, too, looked amazing.

The long-sleeved, rib knit sweater was gorgeous. It clung to her like a second skin, and as she turned sideways, she understood the other woman's comment about her boobs. The top was a very deep red that went perfectly with the dark-blue skirt she was wearing. That it came to six inches above her knees was both disturbing and a bit exciting.