Chapter Eight
What was he thinking? He wasn’t some addict to politics like some of his friends, but he cared, and he thought that things could change for the better. If only politicians would step away from their own selfishness, they could make the country better for everyone and not only the rich.
Well, that made him a damn hypocrite. It was exactly that, money, that had made him leave behind everything he knew to be right. His debt, his want of his own dreams to come true, and he could look away from all that was wrong for things to work out of himself.
Selfish, hypothetical asshole. That was him.
He got a car to take him to Lee’s mansion. That was the moment he should have walked away, seeing that. That house that could shelter fifty people comfortably, and there it was, the home of one man and some servants.
Disgusting.
He went in the front door and Mars was there, standing stoically. “Mr. Bloom.”
“Mars, not now. I’m leaving. I’m quitting, or maybe I was fired or whatever. I’ll keep my promise, not telling anyone about that…that man! That man!”
Yes, he was ranting, raving, walking in circles, and Mars simply stood there, like he was a piece of the furniture. As far as Lee Madison was concerned, he probably saw Mars that way.
“Mr. Bloom, come with me to the kitchen. We’ll have tea and talk.”
“I don’t want to talk! I want to pack my bags and get as far from this fucker as I can!”
The echo of his ranting and screaming was coming back to him, making him hear how he sounded. He sounded like the child Lee accused him of being.
He went past Mars in a huff. “Fine.”
When they were both in the kitchen, Mars asked the cook to leave the room. Funny thing was, Eli had never realized there was a cook. “Sit, please.”
He did and watched Mars put the kettle on the fire and arrange the teacups.
“You don’t know how vengeful Senator Madison can be, Eli.”
“You called me Eli again. Is that part of the script?”
“There is no script. This is new to me, and it’s new to him.”
Eli rolled his eyes and fought his jacket off, loosening his tie. The yard outside the window, in the light, it was beautiful. Beyond beautiful. The rich had to be surrounded in beauty so the ugliness of how they made their money could be muted.
The tea was poured, and Mars brought over their cups. From his pocket, he produced a flask and he poured some of whatever was inside into each of their cups. “That might help calm us while we chat.”
“I told you, I don’t want to chat. I want to get my things and leave.”
He sipped the tea anyway, and it felt so good, so warm and soothing, he took another drink of it.
“Mr. Madison wasn’t always like this, Eli. In fact, the reason I’m working for him and not his family is that I saw there was good in him they hadn’t completely killed. Maybe you can bring it back.”
“Me? I’m his highly paid whore. Well, he can kiss my ass if he ever thinks I’m going to let him fuck me.”
As Mars snickered, he poured another shot into his tea. Eli couldn’t believe his eyes or ears. “What is so funny?”
“What you said. Oh, hell, everything you said.” Mars set the flask down between their teacups, and Eli took it and poured the rest of the booze into his cup.
“I really can’t work for him anymore. I should have known I couldn’t. I’m not completely into politics, but I care enough that I can see he’s…”
“A monster. Well, he’s in good company. And, Eli, I was laughing because he’s very much a bottom.”
If he’d had tea and booze in his mouth, he’d have spit it all over Mars. As it was, he still felt like he was breathless. “A bottom? Him? And he admits that?”
“Of course not! Are you crazy? He has had me get him…men. He wanted to make sure they were good at both, so I wouldn’t know, but there are ways I found out anyway.”