“Unless some goddess snuck a ring on my finger that I didn’t notice while I got toasted one night,” he joked. Then he laughed. “Yeah, I’m still the same asshole that I used to be when it comes to taking that dreaded walk to the altar. What about you? Are you still teasing them all?”

Lucina grinned and answered, “Of course. How else can you keep a man’s interest?”

“By making him some money,” Randy answered on cue.

“Well, I’ve been doing that, too,” she commented.

Randy turned serious and said, “Yeah, I heard something about that. Football parties, fashion parties, food tastings. But isn’t that all a little backwards for you? I thought you and your girls would have been working your way up to our league by now. How’s, ah, Maya doing?” he asked.

“She’s still gorgeous,” Lucina told him proudly.

Randy grunted and said, “I bet she is,” while starting to reminisce.

He and Lucina’s girl had had a short affair that didn’t end so well.

“So, anyways,” Lucina commented, moving the conversation along, “the past is the past. But I’m here to talk about the future. What does Randy and Ralph Entertainment have in its plans for the new year that is in the six-figure range?”

Randy looked at her quizzically and spoke on behalf of himself and his partner.

“Ah, everything, actually. If it’s less than that, then what’s the point?”

“Any three-or four-way splits?” she asked him.

“Not with another promoter, if that’s what you mean. No.”

Lucina read that and asked, “Any room for silent partners?”

Randy eyed her from his rotating leather chair and answered, “Not the kind of partners who refuse to be silent.” He realized Lucina loved to make sure everyone knew that she was involved. So he shook it off and told her, “But we don’t really do the local partnership thing anymore anyway. I mean, I’d invite you and a few of your girls out. I’d love to see Maya again. But outside of that…you know, we already have our hands full.”

He added, “I hear you have a new partner now yourself.”

Lucina nodded. “Oh, yes, Ivan. He has some great ideas. And he’s just getting started. So with the right direction…”

Randy looked at her and nodded back. “Is he, ah, Brazilian or Italian, too?”

“No, he’s all American from L.A.,” she answered.

“Oh, L.A.” Randy then paused a beat. “Is he black?”

Lucina told him, “You know, I never asked him that. But he is an accountant.”

“Yeah, well, that’s a good thing to have,” Randy commented. “Is he a good one?”

“Why, of course. Why wouldn’t he be?”

Randy nodded again. “That’s good.” But from there, it seemed the conversation had nowhere left to go.

Randy opened his mouth and uttered, “Well—”