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Mars smiled and for the first time, it looked sincere. “I’m afraid I can’t. You are above me in the home now.”
Taking a step back like he was being attacked or something, Eli couldn’t believe his ears. “Above you? I’m nobody, I’m…there’s no way!”
“I’m afraid so, Mr. Bloom. Would you like to compare our rooms?”
He was packing Saturday, wrapping the few breakables in his lesser used clothes, and he thought about it, about all of it. Disposable. He was sure that was how Mars felt, and it sure as hell was how he felt.
If he dropped out of the life of Senator Lee Madison, there were a hundred waiting to take his place. Most of them wouldn’t question what intentions there were. He had to get tougher, less philosophical about things if he was going to make it long enough to live and save. If not, he’d never get the job he’d dreamed of for so long.
“So, you’re doing it,” Rhianna said from the doorway.
“I have to. I need the money.”
“Don’t let them eat your soul,” she warned. “You have a good one and you should keep it.”
He rose from the floor and left the box he’d been packing to go to her, hugging her. “I’ll do my best to keep it.”
“Good. I’ll hold you to that.”
It didn’t take long to move, being he was only bringing a few boxes. He got unpacked in two hours, then sat back on one of the couches in his sitting room and smiled to himself.
This was no illusion. It could be a short-lived thing, his being there. A month or more, maybe, and then he may never be in such surroundings again, but that was okay. To take different experiences, to live at more than one level, it was what most didn’t get to do. He’d have a better view on the world, having seen more of it.
Mars arrived with his new phone, tablet, computer, and a smaller tablet that was only for his schedule with Senator Madison.
“His schedule is on this for the next few months. This isn’t all there will be, but what he has set already. You’ll add to it as he makes appointments and such.”
Eli swiped through it, seeing each month and each day of any given month was nearly full. There was red lettering on each day, some congress related, sometimes not.
“Wow, he’s never without something to do.”
“He is.” Mars pointed to the two days that month he was free. “Those are days still open when someone calls to make an appointment for him. I’ll give you the orientation when the senator is home.”
“But what if I get calls before then?”
“Mr. Bloom, I wouldn’t throw you into the fire that way.” Eli relaxed a little, but that didn’t last long. “If you were to do something wrong, the senator would be furious.”
“Right. Right.”
“Also, he schedules his evenings and free times during the day. He needs that downtime, so always assure he has that. If he’s scheduled to be with someone at a certain time, it’s up to you to get him there early but not enter until he’s not the first.”
He usually had a great memory, but all the instructions made him nervous, so he got to the note app on the tablet and started to make notes.
Following Mars around the house for the grand tour, he took pictures of rooms and added notes where they were in the house. The place was huge, had so many rooms, he knew it would take forever for him to navigate it.
When they were back in the kitchen, he was there. Senator Lee Madison was there.
“Mars, I want an adjustment to the menu for this evening,” he started to say before he saw Eli. “Oh! Mr. Bloom, I mean Eli, how are you? Settling in?”
“Yes, sir. I just toured the house. It’s beautiful.”
“Yes,” he said simply. “Well, in the morning, I believe I have an hour for you, to get to know everything that’s to be expected. If we don’t cover something, try to pick it up as you go, hmm?”
“Yes, sir, Senator Madison.”
“Lee, please. You won’t have the time to say my full name.”
“Lee, sure. I wanted to thank you for this opportunity.” He saw Lee looking at him, his eyes locked with Eli’s, and he got chills down his spine. That was either very good or very bad, he wasn’t sure. He had to broach the subject of the student loans. “And for buying my loans…”
