INSTEAD OF INVESTING in another big party, Ivan used the thousands of dollars he had made from the Chargers event to contact the best law firms in San Diego to represent his interests. It was easy to secure top-notch representation when you could afford the up-front retainers. The best representation would make it easier for Ivan to sleep at night when engaging in so many fast-moving deals. He even had the lawyers set up the payment terms for the mothers of Derrick’s three sons.

After his new calculations, with website costs, the lawyers, and his brother on the payroll, Ivan estimated an overhead budget of seven thousand dollars a month. He added another three thousand to pay himself each month, tapping out at ten thousand. Between the website advertisements on IDPromotions.com and party promotions with Lucina, Ivan figured he could triple that in profit and shell away his Hutch & Mitchell salary without needing to touch it.

Then I can move into a nicer place to live by the end of the year, he thought. Or better yet, buy a house near the university to use as an office. That way Jeff and Paul—or whoever runs the site—can have all of the sales and editorial staff right there with them.

As a long-term goal, Ivan continued to think about the homes above Interstate 5.

“Damn, this feels good!” he told himself inside the bathroom at the Hutch & Mitchell offices. He washed his hands at the sink and finally felt in control of his life. He then stared into the mirror at his hair, wondering how he would look with a low cut. While he stood there, Mike Adams walked in.

He caught Ivan staring at himself and said, “Yeah, you look good.”

Ivan chuckled as Mike hit the urinal to the left of the sink.

“I’m trying to decide if I should go with a new look or not,” Ivan commented.

Mike did his business and responded casually, “Everything’s worth a shot to see.”

“What about if I put a diamond stud in my left ear?”

Mike grimaced, zipped up, and walked over to the sinks to wash his hands. “Well, an earring on a guy is a little eccentric, isn’t it? But I guess you wouldn’t have to wear it all the time. And definitely not while at the office.”

“Well, where else would I wear it, then?”

Mike shrugged. “I guess on the club scene or wherever. Fancy dinners. I don’t know. What do you single people do nowadays?” he joked. “But you’re supposed to be getting serious now. What does the lady think about that? Did she suggest it?”

Ivan had to chuckle. Mike was wrong as well as right. Ivan told him, “Yeah, she did suggest it,” and kept his office illusion going. They continued to believe he was passionate about a woman instead of business. The irony was that Lucina Gallo was both.