Thomas nodded. “That’s good. A lot of people who make it big are not joiners. They always got their own ideas. But they do understand when they need to join.”

“Yeah, like I joined up with you now,” Ivan told him. It had been perfect timing for both of them. However, Ivan didn’t feel like hearing a business lecture from Thomas in the middle of the party. He planned to cut their talk short until a better time.

He said, “We’ll talk about it. But let me finish meeting some of these people in here before they leave.”

Thomas looked and noticed a line forming in the background to speak to the young promoter. He shook his head and knew better. He said, “All right, but you’re gonna need an assistant for all that real soon. A good gatekeeper.”

BY THE TIME IVAN had spoken to the dozens of businesspeople who wanted to meet him, it was well after nine o’clock. He felt drained. He had barely slept the night before while preparing his mind and body for the event. But when he observed Ida admiring him from behind the counter with a smile, he felt an extra tingle of energy to extend his night if needed.

Right on cue, Catherine stepped out in front of him in her yellow dress.

“So, what are you doing afterward?”

Ivan was caught off guard. “I, ahh…I really don’t—”

“You wanna go get a drink?”

Catherine looked as sexy as ever and was begging for his personal attention again.

Ivan used his peripheral vision to notice if Ida was watching them. She appeared to be counting their take for the evening behind the cash register.

Yeah, she saw it, he told himself. She’s only counting that money to play it off. She already knows how much they made tonight.

He focused back on Catherine. He answered, “I’m a little tired in here already. Then I would have to drive back home afterward.”

“Not if we have somewhere to go. We can take it wherever. I don’t start work until Monday,” she hinted with a sledgehammer.

Shit! Ivan panicked. She was making things awkward, just like he knew she would. He still didn’t want to deal with her on a physical level anymore.

He said, “You’re not gonna hate me for saying no, are you?” He was hoping she would continue to take the mature road.

Catherine paused and kept her cool. She told him, “You do what you wanna do, Ivan. I’ll be just fine.” When she turned to walk away, she tossed an obvious eye toward Ida behind the counter.

Ivan caught it and shook his head. Women, he thought. You can’t live with them, and I’m having a hard time living without them.