“Have you ever thought about promoting a San Diego car show?” a luxury car dealer asked him. “With the beautiful young ladies you have working here for you, the professional athletes you know, and the successful parties you throw around town, I’m sure we should be able to talk about some kind of promotional car show.”

Ivan looked at the well-dressed dealer with perfectly groomed dark brown hair and brown eyes. He said, “In fact, we’ve already thought about that idea.” He wrote his personal cell phone number on the back of another card. “Call me up personally on that and we’ll go over the ideas and numbers.”

The dealer took the card and put a firm hand on Ivan’s right shoulder. “You got it, my friend.”

Ivan smiled at his four assistants and asked them, “What do you guys think about that? Would you be willing to wear something hot and sexy for a car show with Xzibit?”

They responded immediately, “Oh, yeah, definitely.”

The blond-haired girl looked a bit confused. She asked, “Xzibit?”

The Mexican girl had to fill her in. “You know, the guy from Pimp My Ride on MTV.”

“Oh, okay, you mean the rapper Xzibit.”

Ivan just looked at her and grinned. That’s why they’re rookies, he told himself.

“What about a recruiting page on your website?” a military officer asked him.

Ivan paused. He honestly wasn’t in agreement with sending young guys into the military. And he didn’t agree with the president’s support and promotion of an Iraqi war.

He said, “We would need the military’s permission to do that, right?”

“I’m gonna get you permission,” the officer told him.

Ivan remained hesitant. He said, “Well, we would have to think that over.”

“What’s there to think about? Don’t you agree with the need to support the security of our country?”

Ivan stopped and looked to his assistants again. They all grinned and looked apprehensive. How would the boss handle the patriotic military officer?

Ivan said, “We all agree to support American security. So we’ll see what we can work out.”

“Can I have one of those business cards?” the officer asked.

“Oh, sure,” Ivan told him.

Two of his assistants handed the officer a card at the same time.

He nodded and told them, “I’ll keep the extra for my higher rank.”

When he walked away, the girls teased, “You better not disappoint him.”

Ivan smirked and shook his head. Fuck him, he thought. I’m not sending these kids off to war through my website. President Bush can kiss my ass!

On Lucina’s side of the room, she received suggestions for business of her own.

“So, these are, ah, all your ladies in here, helping out with the gold dresses?” a peculiar man asked her. He looked to be staring too hard. He nursed a glass of dark wine in his hand.