“So, ah…how are you doing with her now?” He wanted to ease into a conversation about it. It had been on his mind lately after seeing Audrey’s upgrades in car, wardrobe, and appearance.

Emilio smirked and said, “Man, she’s expensive as hell, but I like her.”

Ivan didn’t like any part of that statement. Emilio was still a client of his accounting firm.

He said, “I understand that you like her, man. A lot of guys would like her. But don’t let her spend up your money, E. You gotta have a budget for everything you do with that girl. A tight one. And I would know.”

Emilio looked at him and wondered. He figured that Ivan had had all the girls. Some guys just had that thing about them that made the women flock. So Emilio planned to ask him a few questions that night. That was why he had shown up.

He said, “Did you ever, ah, you know, bone her?”

Ivan grimaced. “Who, Audrey?”

“Yeah,” Emilio confirmed.

Ivan shook his head. “Naw. I didn’t deal with her like that.”

“Have you known anyone who has?”

Ivan couldn’t think of anyone. Emilio was the first and only guy that she had gone after.

“Naw, she, ah, pretty much just went after you, man. And I hadn’t really been around her that long, to tell you the truth.”

Once he said that, he felt guilty again. Ivan wouldn’t have dealt much with Audrey at all had Emilio not bumped into them at the mall and fallen for her. Nevertheless, Emilio’s presence at his events helped Ivan to bring in a lot of the Latino crowd. So it became a good trade-off.

Emilio said, “Yeah, man, she told me she was still a virgin.”

Ivan heard that and said, “What?”

Emilio grinned. “Yeah, that’s what she told me.”

Ivan said, “You don’t believe that shit, right? So that means you haven’t done her yet? Well, what happened to the white girl I saw you with?”

Emilio shook it off. “That just didn’t work out, man.”

“Well, how do you think this is gonna work out? You planning on marrying this girl or something? I mean, she’s telling you that she’s a virgin, while she’s spending up your money. What the hell are you doing with this girl, man?” Ivan was becoming irritated by it all.

Emilio asked him, “What are you doing with Lucina?”

“I’m making money with her,” Ivan told him. “I don’t have to touch her. I got over that a while ago. Lucina’s a big asset to me. But this girl Audrey is nothing but a liability to you. She’s not bringing you any money.”

He added, “I thought you would just kick it with this girl, man, and move on.”

Emilio repeated, “Nah, man, like I said, I like her. Everything isn’t about money.”