When she walked away to return to the VIP area with the ball players, Ivan told himself, Yeah, she knows what time it is. And I’m not playing Mr. Nice Guy tonight to let her off the hook, either.

THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS held on to win the game 37–31, after a furious late comeback by the Dallas Cowboys. When the game was over, the customers continued to party, drinking and talking shit. But there were no fights, no escalating arguments, and no embarrassing incidents.

So Ivan thanked everyone for coming out, reminded them to show up early for the game next week, and made a gang of new friends. Then he went through the final bar numbers with Raymond.

The bar total came to more than fifteen thousand dollars, increasing Ivan’s take to close to seven thousand. After subtracting his expenses, he and Lucina would net close to four grand to split.

At ten o’clock at night, Ivan stood out on the sidewalk with Audrey and Christina. He had already paid them all, and Lucina’s other two girls had left a few minutes earlier.

“So, you’re driving, Audrey?” Ivan questioned. He had to set up his getaway plans for Chris.

“Yeah, I got a little Pontiac convertible,” she responded with a chuckle. “What are you driving, Ivan?” she asked him.

Audrey had watched Emilio pull off in a red Maserati with plenty of fanfare. The Latino crowd had been excited to see him there and to take pictures with him. Audrey couldn’t wait to catch back up to him. She had his personal numbers now.

Ivan smiled at her and answered, “I just drove my company-man car, a black Nissan Altima. All that other stuff can wait.”

Audrey heard him out and agreed. “I know that’s right.”

Ivan then looked at Chris. She was doing her normal silent-smile thing.

He said, “So, we’re all grown people out here, right?”

He waited for them both to respond.

“Yeah.”

“And grown people’s business is grown people’s business?”

Audrey and Chris looked at each other, wondering where Ivan was going with it all.

“I mean, what are you trying to say, Ivan?” Audrey asked him. She had a feeling of where he was going. She also had a response to it if he went there.

I hope he’s not thinking what I think he’s thinking with us, she thought.

Christina had a feeling as well. But she waited hers out to see what Ivan had to say first.

Ivan said, “Well, if it’s all right with Chris, I’ll take her home.”

Both girls froze and looked at each other. Ivan didn’t have to do that out in the open. He could have pulled Chris off to the side and let her tell Audrey something on her own. Even Chris was shocked by it.