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surprised that his father would go to such lengths for any woman, he got the address and phoned his father back.  
    And amazing even to Jake Varnadore, he found himself driving away from the busy streets of South Beach, toward Miami Gardens, in search of Veronica Wingate.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

 

     
    FOUR

     
    After pretending he had a client emergency he had to handle, Druce left Pam and Kara at the club with Aubrey, and headed straight to Troy’s apartment.   But he was in a foul mood.   He undressed, got in bed, and proceeded to complain.   Troy, who had been hoping Druce wouldn’t return, was at least thrilled that he was too amped-up about Jake Varnadore to want sex from him.   If it wasn’t for the fact that Druce was his boss and could get him a promotion, he wouldn’t give a guy like him the time of day.   But moving up the corporate ladder meant more to him than his own self-respect.
    Troy turned toward Druce.   “So what happened?   Did Mr. V. object?”
    “Hell no,” Druce said, laying on his back.   “That’s the problem!   He didn’t anything.”
    Troy frowned.   “What’s that supposed to mean?   He didn’t anything?”
    “He didn’t object, he didn’t support, he didn’t consent, he didn’t anything!   He just sat there like the sanctimonious asshole he is and stared at me like something was wrong with me!”
    “Like something’s wrong with you?   What’s up with that?”
    Druce could only shake his blond head.   “Don’t know, but I know I don’t like that shit.   He made me look like a fool in front of my girl!”
    “You?” Troy said, playing to Druce’s conceit.   “Who in their right mind would even dream of trying to make you look like a fool?   You?   Please.   You’re Mr. Cool.   There is nothing foolish about you.”   That pronouncement sounded so ridiculous to Troy that he knew Druce would just eat it up.  
    And Druce did, grinning.   “You’ve got that right,” he said, satisfied that he was king of the hill again.  
    But it wasn’t a smart move by Troy because it brought Druce back to himself.   “So turn your ass over and let’s get this bitch rockin’!” Druce declared.
    Troy grinned, and did as he was told.   But as he lay on his stomach and allowed him in, the pain excruciating because he wasn’t prepped, he could just kick himself.   But he went along with the program anyway.   He knew giving Dreadful Druce these nights would mean prosperous days ahead for him.   And that was all Troy was about: getting ahead.   He was convinced that the only way he was going to climb that ladder to success was to take advantage of all of the freaks already above him who couldn’t keep their slimy little hands off of his incredible packaging.   The only way he was going to make his way to the top, he felt, was to sleep his way there.
    And capture certain moments, he thought, as he smiled at the hidden video camera that was furiously recording this session.

     
    “They pulled their support?” Roni asked her caller.  
    She had just stepped out of the tub when her cell phone began ringing.   By the time she was able to grab a towel and hurry to her bedroom, grabbing the phone from her purse, the ringing stopped, with no voice mail message left.   When she checked the missed call list and realized it was her partner Griff Armstrong who had phoned her, she dried off quickly, wrapped the towel just below her armpits, notching it just above her breasts, and phoned him back.   Griff would not have called this late at night, she was certain, unless it was vital.
    “I meant what I said,” Griff said into the phone.   “They pulled their support.   Their rep phoned me earlier today and left it on my voice mail, but I didn’t get a chance to check my messages until now.   And Roni, I was floored.   It was so impersonal.   All they said was that they regret to inform us that the LaBreek Foundation will not be renewing our