I thought about my conversation with Jess as I drove the Maserati to the St. Regis. She was so grown up and had matured so much. Jess's unilateral decision to step back from escort appointments to manage the business showed me something. Something important. It made me want to do more business. Business with her. I needed to figure out where this new Hollywood finance potential would take me -- and how it might dovetail with Jess's Infinity agency.

But my attention snapped back to where it needed to be when I got a text from Crystal. She and Julie had arrived with Nikki, and they were in the room...