He’s really gonna start acting up once he sees this party tonight, Ivan predicted. Maybe I shouldn’t have even told him about it. But how long am I gonna be able to hide it from him? I’m just gonna have to tell my brother what time it is. He has to learn to carry his own weight.

WHEN IVAN ARRIVED back at his apartment to get dressed and ready for the party, his cell phone began to ring with steady urgency.

“Hello.”

It was Christina again. “I’m thinking about coming out tonight, just to see it. Should I? I still haven’t seen you since I called you last week.”

Ivan asked her, “Are you working?”

“No, not really, I just…wanna come,” she answered. She said, “And I read your article in the magazine. It was nice. So everybody likes you, hunh?”

Ivan smiled. He said, “Hey, don’t read too much into that, that was just my spin on things to get more people to like me. If you say it, it’ll happen,” he told her.

“Well, with that picture they had of you on the cover, I can believe it,” she hinted. “That’s why I don’t wanna wait until after the party this time. You’ll have me standing in line to take a number to see you now.”

She had Ivan laughing, but he didn’t want to respond to it. Ashley had been over his place a few times already, and she had pleased him well. Plus, she wasn’t asking to be “sponsored” yet.

Ivan said, “Well, you know, it does get busy during these parties, so…I mean, if you’re not even working with us tonight, then what would Lucina think?”

Chris paused a second. “I don’t really care what Lucina thinks anymore. She has her own ideas about things and I have mine.”

“So, who would put you on the guest list?”

“If you’re concerned about that, Ivan, then I would pay my own way.”

“Just to see me.”

“Why, is there a problem with that? Is somebody else in there to see you?”

Ivan joked, “Twenty-five percent of the girls in there are coming to see me.” He then caught himself quickly and said, “Naw, I’m bullshitting.”

“No, you’re not,” Chris responded. “That’s why I’m coming, just to see.”

Ivan didn’t know how to respond to that. Was she bluffing him or what?

He said, “Well, don’t get your feelings hurt in there, because you know I still like you. But when I’m doing my business, I’m doing my business.”

“I know that already,” she told him.

His cell phone rang with another call. “Hold on.”

“Hello,” he answered.

“Ivan, the limo is ready,” Lucina told him on the other line.

“Shit, I’m still getting dressed.”

“Take your time, but not too much time.”