Elijah and Jack stretched as they exited
Henry's car, parked several yards away from
the mansion. As per usual, they were attemptingto keep a low profile in order to avoid the prying eyes of the media. This
was their first night out in ages.
Having worked nonstop for months now gearing up for his presidential
campaign, Elijah Scott finally had a couple of hours to spare to catch up
with his friends. And by catching up, he meant partying and letting loose
like the bachelor he was. He didn't intend to waste a single second.
It's going to be a wild night, he thought.
"Hey, don't forget your masks," Henry called out from the driver's seat
while checking his reflection in the rearview mirror.
Right, the only real rule about tonight's party was that everyone had to wear
a mask. And truthfully it was the only reason he was even able to attend.
Tonight, he was free to party without being judged.
And he could be as bad as he wanted.
"I never thought I'd be asked to hide my good looks under some ridiculous
mask in order to attend a party," Jack joked sarcastically, a smirk spreading across his handsome features.
"Fuck off, Jack," Henry said amicably, with no real heat in his voice.
"Guess you'll just have to rely on your winning personality for a change,"
he quipped as Jack chuckled.
Ever flirtatious and charming, women loved his friends. But Eli also knew
the idea of hiding who they were was more than a little foreign to them.
Shrugging at the hilarity of the situation, Elijah put on his mask.
He didn't have a choice, did he?
Concealing his true identity was the only way he'd be able to attend a party
like this one. His opponents would stop at nothing to discredit him, and if
the media knew about this, he'd never be elected. But he couldn't help
wanting to enjoy just one night with his friends. It had been so long.
Walking toward the glamorous mansion, Elijah couldn't help but feel a rush
of excitement. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been at a wild party
– the days had all started to blend together once he'd decided to run for
office.
"Hey, are you still going out with Jessica?" he heard Henry ask Jack as they
got closer to the entrance."You'll have to be more specific," Jack replied
smugly.
"Just how many Jessicas are you dating?" Elijah asked, shaking his head
and giving Jack a playful grin.
"No, Jessica Garner," Henry stated in between frustrated groans. He was
obviously interested in her, which was unusual. The women Jack tended to
date weren't often Henry's type.
This Jessica must be different, Eli thought.
He laughed as his friends exchanged a confused glance. God, how much he
envied them for being able to date around so freely.
So why don't you date someone then? It's not like dating is prohibited for
politicians, said a voice in his head.
Dating and marrying had always been part of his plans. But as the only
single presidential candidate, he was subjected to intense scrutiny of his
personal life, something his opponents didn't have to worry about. And
jeopardizing his high approval ratings was something he couldn't do. He
needed to remain single, and he needed to be discreet.
"Good evening, gentlemen," greeted a masked usher standing at the
entrance of the lavish mansion. They nodded as Henry stepped forward.
"Austin," Henry said quietly, then inclined his head toward Elijah and Jack.
"And Dallas and Houston." Elijah half expected the usher to smirk at the
obvious fake names Henry had given him, but he just smiled politely and
nodded as he scanned through the list on his clipboard. Elijah couldn't leave
any kind of paper trail behind tonight, and he'd been counting on Henry to
make the proper arrangements. Henry, ever reliable, had come through no
problem.
The usher quickly led them to a grand ballroom that looked to already be at
capacity. Studying the crowd for a moment, Elijah released a deep breath he
didn't realize he'd been holding.
This was exactly what he'd expected.
This is just what I need, he thought.
Even though it had been awhile, he was no stranger to the party scene. But
this was something else entirely. The crowd was filled with people who
formed the upper echelon of society. Which made it all the more scandalous that all the women in attendance seemed to have forgotten to get dressed for
the occasion, save their sexiest lingerie.
Though he wasn't hard yet, he had no doubt he would be soon. And he was
free to hook up with no strings attached, and no one being the wiser about
who he really was.
"Looks like we've got our pick tonight, eh boys?" Jack said with a wink as
they hit the bar.
"Cheers," he said, toasting his friends before they knocked back their shots.
He signaled to the female bartender for another round before directing his
attention back to his friends.
"You sure you remember how to do this?" Henry asked suddenly. Elijah
blinked, momentarily startled, then glared as Henry and Jack began to
laugh. Before he could come up with a snappy retort, Henry piped up.
"You've been working your ass off ever since we graduated. Hell, even way
before that. As long as we've known you, you've always been a
workaholic," he said. Jack snorted.
"What Henry's trying to say is that we're worried your dick doesn't work
anymore," he crudely added.
"What the – Are you being serious right now?" Elijah exclaimed
incredulously. Sure, maybe he hadn't gone out with them in ages, but it
wasn't because he hadn't wanted to.
It's just that fun was a luxury for someone like him.
"Dude, relax. Drink up and enjoy yourself. Once you win the election,
you're never going to be able to do this kind of thing again," Jack said,
chuckling as he handed him another shot of vodka.