The wide-open ballroom had an elevated DJ platform at center stage, giant speakers in the corners of the dance floor, catered food against the left and right walls, and tables and chairs surrounding the edges of the room. The VIP areas were roped off with security to the left and right sides of the DJ booth, with more expensive catering, more tables and chairs, and large, comfortable sofas for the athletes and their special guests to relax in. Two bars were stationed at opposite ends of the VIP, and a third bar was stationed near the general entrance.

All night long, Lucina dragged Ivan around the room and introduced him to the important notables within the crowd. She wanted to make sure that everyone knew who he was for their next big event. She had no interest in him playing the behind-the-scenes partner. She needed the money people to feel comfortable with him for their next pitch.

“Hey, this is new my partner in crime, I-van Da-vid from L.A. And we’re gon’ to be do-ing lots of big part-ies to-gether. So make sure you add your email addresses to his website at ID-Promo-tions-.com. It’s a won-der-ful website for you to promote all of your biz-nes-ses.”

Over and over again, she repeated her introductions like a seductive robot, while adding touches of improvisation to her script whenever needed. Ivan did his best to keep smiling and talking his way into the memory banks of each new potential client. And at the grand moment of the party, Perry Browning, the hulking defensive end, stormed center stage in front of the DJ booth and grabbed the microphone to address the crowd in a near-drunken stupor.

“Yo, we wanna thank everybody for coming out here tonight and sharing this rights-of-passage party for my man Zee-Dog.”

“Yeeaah!” the crowd cheered him.

“Whoop, whoop, whoop!” the football players yelled.

“Go, Zee-Dog!” Lucina’s girls filled in.

Lucina made her way next to Zachary in his dark blue jeans, sports jacket, and eye-catching jewelry before he was called onto the stage.

Perry said, “But you know what, we’re a year late with this one, ’cause my man ain’t a rookie no more. That was last year. But anyway…hey, Zee-Dog, come up here and say something to the people, man. Represent Chicago. And tell them how you plan to break your interceptions record this year. He got three in our first five games already.”

Lucina held on to Zachary’s hand at that exact moment. She told him, “Make sure you thank Lucina and I-van for the par-ty.” She said it with authority and made sure that Zachary made eye contact with her before she released his hand.

Zee-Dog looked at her and then to Ivan, who was standing nearby. He grinned and nodded to both of them. “Oh, I got you. I know what time it is.”

He walked up onstage as the crowd and his teammates cheered him on.