Judi didn’t need to convince me, anyway. She had plenty of guys who would bend over backward for her. So I moved on without thinking anymore about it.

BY THE TIME we finished our meal, it was close to ten o’clock. I had a one-track mind at that point: hit South Beach and check out the action at the nightclubs. A few of the promoters and radio guys I knew from Miami had already put my name on several of the guest lists for that night. But what about Judi?

She was pretty silent as she drove me across the bridge to the beach area. Maybe she was tired. She didn’t have to hang out every minute with me. I knew how to get around by myself, and I told her so.

“Look, ah, if you’re tired, just drop me off and I’ll get a taxi back to the Hilton. I mean, I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

She didn’t respond immediately. I guess she was thinking it over. To tell you the truth, I would rather go solo. With Judi’s celibacy issues, I figured that going to a nightclub with me was the wrong atmosphere for her to be in. I was definitely not celibate, and I still knew how to score.

She finally said, “I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’ll be fun to hang out with you.”

I didn’t feel the same way. I didn’t want to be rude and tell her that I’d rather see her in the morning, where she could accompany me to the photo shoot if she wanted, but that was damn sure what I was thinking.

I said, “Now, you do know there’s gonna be plenty of women here who are not abstaining from anything, right?”

Judi looked into my eyes and frowned.

“I’ve been in these clubs, and I’m a grown woman, Terrance. I know what goes on there.”

I heard her words loud and clear. All I could do was acknowledge them.

“Okay.” Then I wondered how she’d react when I told her I was on the guest list of a place called Beds, where you actually partied and drank on oversized beds.

We arrived at the heart of South Beach, Miami, at 6th and Washington streets, and ran right into heavy traffic.

“Looks like they’re starting early tonight,” I commented.

“Lucky you,” Judi responded with a forced grin.

I could tell it was forced because it didn’t last long.

“Okay, where to?” she asked me.

I didn’t want to start off at Beds. I figured I would shake Judi sooner or later, and then go to Beds on my own.

“Let’s go to Opium,” I told her. That was a safer bet.

We found a parking spot next to a meter, and walked a good two blocks back to the club. Opium was the kind of club where a lot of national celebrities hung out. The staff and bouncers at the front door were not too receptive to local nobodies. Fortunately, I was neither. So we walked right up front and past the line of onlookers so I could give them my name.