Chapter Six
An entire club for entitled assholes. That was what the place should be called. He walked in and the natives sensed he didn’t belong there, two-thousand-dollar shoes or not. It was as if Madison had called ahead to tell everyone he was an employee, but it made no difference. He was at work, and no matter what anyone else thought of him, he had a lot of money to earn.
They were seated at a round table in the center of the room. That was the first night he got to see what kind of impact Lee Madison had on the world around him. For the first twenty minutes, through ordering drinks, or rather, Lee ordering for the table, people were stopping by the table to shake his hand.
His smile was fake as hell, but handsome. The man was beautiful, no matter his heartless policies and hateful rhetoric. People kissed his ass as they hinted of things they wanted or things they liked that he’d done.
He was introduced to people as well, men and women who shook his hand and kissed up to him, hoping to keep an audience with Lee Madison. Sure, they knew he wasn’t one of them, would likely never be one of them, but he was close to Lee. That’s all they needed to know.
The room was washed out in white and light wood, round tables well-spaced for the illusion of privacy. On a baby grand, a piano player played soft music constantly. The food was rich and the portions small, but he understood quickly the dinner wasn’t fuel for their bodies. It was to be seen, for people to shake his hand and let others in the room see them speaking to the senator.
After they were left alone for a bit, Lee nodded to his bodyguards who blended into the crowd, though Eli saw their eyes never left Lee. “How is it so far, Eli?”
They were drinking scotch, and he’d had two so far, and he already felt them. “It’s…busy. I had clothes in my closet that I didn’t bring with me.”
Again, like during his interview, the grayish blue eyes of Senator Madison turned on him, wandering over him while he said, “They fit you…perfectly.”
“That’s a question. How did you know my size?”
Madison moved his eyes back to his duck and forked a small bite. “I didn’t buy them.”
“Mars?”
“Of course. He was trained as a valet as well as a butler, so he knows sizes with a mere glance.”
That made sense and made him feel less creepy. “Well, thank you. I don’t know what I would have worn here.”
“There are many perks working for people like me, Eli. Many,” he purred, smiling devilishly at Eli, while sipping his own scotch.
“Yes, sir.”
When they were waiting for their dessert to arrive, Lee gave him a few notes on what was expected of him. “Each day, you’ll be emailed by someone whom…let’s say, it anonymous, as to talking points for the day. They don’t change a lot unless there is a crisis, and these days seem to be filled with those.”
“Got it. Sounds easy enough.”
“You’d think. You have to remind me to squeeze them in every time I speak in the public. You’ll also get most calls that are coming to me, and you’ll either tell them to fuck off, put them through to my phone or make a time for them to talk to me. You’ll have a list of who to send where.”
Of all the things he thought he’d be doing, that wasn’t one.
With Lee taking another sip of scotch, he leered openly at Eli for a couple of seconds before he smiled weakly to the waiter as their desserts arrived. “Thank you, Kyle.”
“Of course, Senator. More coffee? Scotch?”
“I think we’re good, thank you.”
Eli’s head was spinning and only some of it was from the liquor.
“In the limo every morning, we’ll go through the day’s schedule and the talking points. You’ll give me stock prices, the weather, and other things. You’ll get the list in the morning.”
“Sir, if I may ask, this job…who did this before me?”
“Her name was Heather and she left me about a month ago. She got married and moved to Idaho. Why anyone would move there, I don’t know.”
Eli laughed a little before he agreed, “I’ve been there once. Didn’t much like it.”
“Good. Don’t move there right when I need you then.”
The dessert, lava cake, wasn’t what he expected. He thought they’d have souffle or something, but it was just the richest and most wonderful cake he’d ever had. He usually didn’t eat sweets, but that night, he indulged.