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Back Pecking Order Save as PDF
Chapters (37)
  1. Cover
  2. Colophon
  3. ALSO BY OMAR TYREE
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright
  6. Contents
  7. Introduction
  8. Part I
  9. One
  10. Two
  11. Three
  12. Part II
  13. Four
  14. Five
  15. Six
  16. Part III
  17. Seven
  18. Eight
  19. Nine
  20. Part IV
  21. Ten
  22. Eleven
  23. Twelve
  24. Part V
  25. Thirteen
  26. Fourteen
  27. Fifteen
  28. Part VI
  29. Sixteen
  30. Seventeen
  31. Eighteen
  32. Part VII
  33. Nineteen
  34. Twenty
  35. Twenty-one
  36. Closing Interview:
  37. About the Author

Lucina told him, “Ivan, this is your party. And the fact that they are even coming puts you on their level already. So now you want to show them that you can be the middleman between their companies and the customers. That’s what your website does, right? It makes the link of promotion.”

Ivan argued, “Yeah, but there’s still a certain look that they expect.”

Lucina only smiled at him. She countered, “Just like you know how rich people are through your business of accounting, I know how they are through my business of throwing parties. And at the parties, you no longer work for them, you work with them to show them how to have a good event. So you want to show them that in this arena, you are your own man, and you make your own rules, including the clothes you choose to wear.”

Ivan listened to her and nodded. And he wondered if Lucina would be right again.

Part VI

Million-Dollar Deals

Sixteen

Bingo!

AFTER A GREAT DINNER, a surprise birthday cake, relaxation, and further talk about their plots and plans for future business, Lucina left Ivan alone to indulge in the rest of his birthday pleasures however he pleased that evening, just like she said she would. And both Christina and Ashley called him back to fulfill his wishes. Nevertheless, with his cell phone on silent, Ivan never bothered to answer or return their calls.

“I guess I got ’em both hooked,” he commented to himself, grinning. But after the spoils of Lucina’s productive company, he was no longer in the mood for their dessert. He preferred to linger in thought about his smart and beautiful partner instead.

Once the time had passed midnight without him returning their calls, he imagined, Now they’ll definitely think I’m involved with Lucina. But what can I say? She’s still sexy like that. And sooner or later, I’ll deserve to have her.

IVAN WENT ALONG with Lucina’s dress code plan and bought a black-sheen Calvin Klein dinner jacket; high-grade, dark blue denim jeans from Sean John; and quality black shoes from Kenneth Cole. He had plenty of white shirts to choose from in his wardrobe already.

To make sure the look would do the job, Ivan tried it all on at his apartment and stared into the full-length mirror inside the walk-in closet of his bedroom.

“A more urban James Bond, hunh?” he told himself in the mirror. Damn! Look how bright this diamond shines in my ear with this black jacket on, he noted.

He nodded and stated, “Another good look, Lucina. Another good look.”