Ivan had some hunches of his own.

Lucina answered, “I’ve dealt with all promoters and every crowd: hip-hop, rock and roll, pop. And they all act the same: greedy. But me, I try to be fair with all people and not get stuck on race, class, or social politics. Especially since I’m from Brazil.” She said, “I am very used to all races and all classes of people. But money has no race. You get it from who’s willing to give it to you.”

Ivan nodded. One question down, one question to go, he thought.

He said, “And what are your real thoughts on me?” He wanted to hear that he was more than just a random promoter that she would move on from if things didn’t go her way. He wanted to know what her long-term intentions were.

She smiled at him again, that naked, guard-dropping smile that seduced him. But then she took a breath and her smile quickly disappeared. She returned to her business mode.

“The truth is, when I first looked at you, I thought to myself, ‘He is just like me. He can go anywhere he wants to go. All he has to do is cut his hair down low like Vin Diesel.’”

Ivan frowned and said, “Vin Diesel?” He didn’t follow her on that.

She said, “Ivan, one thing that I’ve noticed in this country is that everyone must use their own advantages to get ahead. That is what I tell all of my girls. If you have a certain look, then use it. And the ones who realize that quickly go the furthest. So I look across the table at your eyes—similar to mine—and your light skin, your hair, and I say to myself, ‘If Ivan wants it, he can have it all. You can go in many directions.’

She told him, “Certain looks can be from anywhere. And you have that certain look. White, black, mixed, whatever. You will always stand out. But you want to make sure that you use it. That is why I love my accent. It makes people know immediately that I am different, not only in how I look, but with how I speak.

“But you, your hair is the only thing that can get in your way.”

Ivan began to chuckle at her superficiality. He said, “I thought you just told me you don’t get into race, class, and social politics.”

Lucina told him, “I don’t, but white American owners do. They are not like Brazil. Americans still judge color. But if you can confuse them just long enough to get into the room, you can get deals done.”