Page 100 of Levi

“No rest for the wicked,” she laughs.

“Something like that.”

“I got an earful from Collin, but tell me more about the bike and how I can help.”

I start from the theme party night at Dark Compulsion. Dom isn’t a member, but she knows exactly what happens there.

“One illicit night that turns into more,” she concludes when I finish giving her the rundown.

“Much more,” I correct.

“Wow, Levi. That’s a big step for you.”

She knows about Annmarie’s tragic death and my reluctance to get involved long term with a woman.

“Businesswise and... relationship wise.”

“Congratulations!” she says. “Contrary to your buddies, you don’t view relationships as a death sentence.” That’s a loaded statement.

“Are you talking about my buddies in general or one in particular?” I ask.

“I plead the fifth,” she quips.

Rod and Dom have been best friends since they were teenagers. They’re stuck in a friend zone status quo that expired a long time ago, if you ask me. They’re just too blind to see what the rest of us see.Fools.

“Let’s go back to the reason I called you,” I change the conversation. “Video is the way to go to promote these bikes––”

“Collin alluded to that last night.” Collin and his big mouth. “I’m kind of partial to video, so obviously, I thought it was a good idea.”

What a perfect segue.

“Collin wasn’t supposed to let the cat out of the bag––”

“We’re talking about Collin Dennison here,” she observes.

“True,” I agree. “At least he held back and didn’t divulge everything.”

“What do you mean, Levi?”

“We’d like to hire you as our video producer,” I say.

Silence greets me on the other end.

“Dom?”

“I’m still here,” she says. “I shoot music videos,” she reminds me. “I don’t think I’m the right person for the job.”

“I could hire a company that specializes in infomercials, but we’re not selling a get-fit-quick-for-only-twenty-nine-ninety-nine-when-you-order-today type of product.” She laughs. “We’re going after a very specific audience, willing and able to dish out a small fortune for exercise equipment. I don’t think a rah-rah video is going to cut it. We need something slick and memorable... hence why we’re knocking at your door.”

She lets out a loud sigh.

“Was that a yes or no?” I press.

Dominika’s boundless creativity is exactly what we need to kickstart this project.

“It would be challenging in a good way to step outside of my box,” she finally says. “I’d have to look at my schedule, but I’m sure I can find a spot for you.”

“That’s great news, Dom!”