Lex was tucked into the corner table, shoulders hunched in his leather jacket, a cold cappuccino sitting untouched in front of him. The foam had collapsed into a sad beige ring by the time I arrived. Outside, rain pattered against the café windows, blurring the street into streaks of red taillights and gray umbrellas.
“Sorry I’m late,” I said, sliding into the chair across from him. “Traffic was awful.”
“It’s fine,” he said, not looking at me. “You want anything?”
I shook my head. My hair was still damp, rainwater clinging to the ends. I ran a hand through it, shaking droplets loose. They pattered onto the table between us.
“So,” I said casually. “How’ve you been?”
He shrugged, finally meeting my eyes. “Same as ever. The General’s been on my ass more than usual. He’s stressed about the president’s reelection. Nelson’s flirting with another run, and the president thinks he might actually be a threat.”
I snorted. “Nelson already lost to him once. Now he wants a rematch? The people don’t want him.”
Lex lifted one shoulder again. “I don’t really give a shit. But the president’s stress becomes General Michalka’s stress, which makes it my stress.” He took a sip of his cappuccino, then grimaced. “God, this is disgusting.
“That sucks,” I said. “Sorry.”
“And you?” he asked.
I beamed. “I filed. Officially. On November 8th.”
Lex just nodded. “Cool.”
“I don’t know if you’ve seen, but my TikTok’s been blowing up,” I went on, unable to stop myself. “I’m at 40,000 followers now. It’s fucking batshit. I’m honestly debating just doing social media and skipping Congress entirely!”
Lex drummed his fingers against the table. “Yeah. I’ve seen your TikTok.”
Something in his tone made my smile falter. “What?”
“Nothing,” he said flatly. “You’re killing it.”
Water dripped steadily from the hem of his jacket onto the tile floor, forming a dark crescent beneath his chair. I got the feeling that he didn’t plan on staying for long.
“All that’s left now is Carter,” I continued. “So… were you able to set up a meeting?”
Lex didn’t answer. He looked out the window, watching rain hammer the hoods of passing cars.
I waited a beat. Then another. “Lex?”
Still nothing.
“Did you get it or not?”
“I watched your town hall in Austin.” He looked back at me, his expression hardened. “You made quite a scene.”
“Oh.” I blinked. “Yeah. I mean, it worked. Just like Adrian said it would.”
“Adrian,” he repeated, scoffing. “Of course.”
“Lex,” I said carefully, “What’s going on? Are you mad at me?”
Lex exhaled through his nose and looked out the window again. When he spoke, his voice was quieter. “Did I ever tell you about my mother?”
“No.”
“She’s sacrificed a lot for me. Too much. Raised me by herself after my dad died. Worked wherever she could find it. But she was sick a lot. She, uh…” He chewed the inside of his cheek. “Her vision started getting blurry when I was five. She didn’t even know she had diabetes; she just thought she was tired a lot. By that point, there wasn’t really anything they could do to save her vision.”
I sat back in my chair, unsure of why he was telling me this. “I’m sorry.”
“My aunt took care of her when I went to college,” he went on. “But she died last year. So now it’s just me. She needs part-time care—she says she doesn’t, but she does. She can’t work, and she’s not eligible for disability, because…” He looked at me, his gaze cold. “Well, I think you can figure out why.”
I felt a chill run through me. “Lex, I’m… I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“Right,” he said. “Of course you didn’t.”
“I swear,” I said quickly, reaching for his hand. “If I’d known… what I said, that wasn’t about people like your mom–”
“No,” he said, pulling his hand back. “It never is. But you don’t really care when people like her get caught in the crossfire, do you? What does it matter to you that she’s terrified all the time? She barely leaves the apartment. Every knock at the door, every siren…” His voice caught, just barely. “And I’m afraid too, you know? I tell her nothing’s going to happen, that I’ll protect her. But if she gets taken, Scott—if she gets shipped off to a place she hasn’t been since she was 8 years old—what am I supposed to do? How do I take care of her then?”
“Why don’t you ask the General for help?” I said, hating how weak it sounded. “Couldn’t he–”
“You think I want to be any more indebted to that man than I already am?” Lex said angrily. “He already owns my body. You think I want him knowing about my mother? Where she lives? Her name?” He shook his head. “Sure, let’s say he gets her a green card. What happens if I quit? If he decides I’m not sufficiently loyal, and he wants to punish me?”
“I get it,” I said quickly. “I’m sorry, Lex. I really am. Half the shit I said, I didn’t even believe. I was just pulling anything I could out of my ass to rile people up. Like Adrian told me to.”
Lex’s eyes flicked to mine. “How much are you willing to do because that man tells you to? How many lines are you willing to cross?” He took a beat, his eyes holding mine, then added, “How many more Tims are there going to be?”
My stomach dropped. “That’s not fair. You said–”
“I know what I said,” he cut in. He stood, pushing his chair back.
“Wait,” I grabbed his hand. “I’m sorry. Let’s start over. Let’s go back to your place and talk.”
He looked down at my hand on his. “Isn’t Adrian’s driver outside?”
I smiled tightly. “We don’t have to worry about him anymore.”
His brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”
“Let’s just say he and I have an understanding.”
Disgust flickered across Lex’s face. “What’s one more, right?”
He pulled away.
“What the fuck?” I said, heat rushing up my neck.
He shook his head. “I don’t think this is a good idea anymore. I think it’s time to end whatever this is.”
“But you said–”
“Carter will see you Tuesday at noon,” he said. “It’s off the books, so Trey doesn’t know about it.” He pushed his chair back under the table. “Go do what you’re good at.”
He walked toward the door, rain already misting in as someone else came in. He didn’t look back.
I stayed where I was, staring at the empty chair, wondering what I’d lost.
“Back home?” Adrian’s driver asked as I hopped in the backseat.
I chewed my lip, the events with Lex playing over and over again in my head. “Yeah,” I said absentmindedly.
He caught my eye in the rearview mirror. “We’ll make a pit stop.”
It wasn’t a suggestion.
He drove us to a back alley somewhere shady, then got out and climbed in the backseat with me. “Take off your pants,” was all he said.
I did as he commanded, lying back as he climbed on top of me and kissed my neck. He pressed my legs against my chest, reaching for his zipper to release himself. I stared at the ceiling as he entered me, my thoughts far away.
Why had Lex given up on me like that? Why was he taking this so personally? He’d told me it was all just politics, that he understood. Hell, he wasn’t even a Republican! God knows what he’d had to say and do to keep the General happy.
“Fuck, you’re so tight,” the driver moaned in my ear.
His dick wasn’t as big as Adrian’s, so it didn’t reach as deep inside me as I was used to. I held his head against my neck, letting him thrust away in my ass.
If Lex hated DC so much, hated working for the General, why not leave and go back home? He was just as much of a hypocrite as I was. But even as the thought came to me, the answer was clear. He wasn’t here because he wanted to be. He was here because he had to be. Every day that he had to pretend, to give his body to the General the way I did to Adrian, he did it for her. Quitting was no more an option for him than it was for me.
“I’m gonna cum in you,” the driver moaned.
“Don’t,” I said quickly. “Adrian’s home.”
He pulled out of me, jerking his cock over my face as he brought himself to orgasm. I opened my mouth to catch his cum, not wanting to soil my clothes or my hair.
Lex had gotten me the meeting with Carter. That was something. He must still care, at least enough to help me. Maybe he just needed time to cool off. It wasn’t like I’d never done anything for Lex. I’d risked a lot to meet him for dinner that night. Hell, I was swallowing this guy’s cum at this very moment just to have a bit more freedom to come and go. Didn’t that count for something?
The driver stuck his thumb in my mouth, and I sucked on it obediently. “I can see why the congressman likes you so much,” he said, breathing heavily.
I pulled my pants back up and wiped a bit of cum from my lips. “Can we get back now?”
When I got back to the apartment, Adrian was upstairs in his office with Downing. The door was half open, warm light spilling out into the hall. I heard the low murmur of voices as I approached.
“If he flames out, we’ll need distance,” Downing was saying.
Adrian glanced up from behind his desk as I entered. “It won’t come to that.” He motioned me over with two fingers. “Come in, Scott. I was just telling Downing you’re flying back to Texas early tomorrow morning. There’ll be a car waiting for you in Houston.”
Downing looked at me, his expression blank yet hostile.
“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about, sir,” I said.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Go on.”
“I’ve got a meeting with Carter on Tuesday.” I let the words hang there. “To get his support for my campaign.”
The room went still.
Downing’s mouth thinned. “Surely your personal ambitions can wait,” he said. “Your obligations to the congressman come first.”
“I don’t need reminders about my loyalty,” I said coolly. “Especially not from you, Michael.”
Adrian leaned back in his chair, slow and deliberate, fingers steepled. “You promised you’d do this for me, Scott.”
“I know,” I said. “And I will. But this meeting won’t happen again.”
Downing let out a short, humorless laugh. “With respect, Congressman, this is exactly what I was worried about.”
Adrian lifted a hand to silence him, not looking away from me. “How did you get this meeting?”
“A friend made the introduction,” I said, choosing each word. “You met him at the gentleman’s club. You two… got along.”
He frowned slightly, searching his memory. I held steady. Let him think it was Trey. Let him think he owed me something.
“You told me not to ask for permission,” I said, stepping closer to the desk. “You told me to take the room. This is me doing that—for both of us.”
Adrian studied me for a long moment. “Then you’ll leave Wednesday,” he said.
Downing inhaled sharply but said nothing.
I smiled. “Absolutely. You can count on me.”
“Adjust the itinerary,” Adrian said to Downing. “Then give us a moment.”
Downing gathered his tablet, already halfway out the door. As he passed me, his glare was open now, no pretense. I didn’t move out of his way.
“You can shut the door,” I added.
He did, hard.
I crossed the room and slid into Adrian’s lap, the desk edge cool against the back of my thighs. His hands settled at my waist automatically, familiar and possessive.
“You enjoy pushing buttons,” Adrian said, amused.
“He’s hated me from day one,” I said.
He pressed his nose into the side of my neck, breathing me in, tracing upward toward my jaw. “I can’t have my chief of staff and my boy at odds.”
I cupped his face and kissed him. “I’ll be a good boy, I promise.”
He kissed me back, deeper, his grip tightening. I could only hope that the Tic Tacs I’d popped a minute ago would hide the taste of cum on my breath.
When he finally pulled away, his forehead rested against mine. “You don’t know what it means to me that you’re doing this.”
I swallowed. “I’m surprised you asked me. I figured you’d have Downing handle it.”
“Downing doesn’t understand why I need this,” he said curtly. “He’d try to talk me out of it. Tell me it’s too much of a ‘political risk.’”
His eyes softened as he looked at me. “You’re the only one I trust.”
I traced my thumb along his lower lip. “I won’t let you down.”
There was something strangely vulnerable in his eyes as he held my gaze, the same look he’d had in the hotel room when he’d asked me for the favor.
Find my son. Arrange a meeting, if he wants to talk to me. And if he doesn’t… then find a way to convince him.
It wouldn’t be easy. All I had was the mother’s name and number, a paper trail of quiet monthly payments stretching back decades. Adrian had warned me she wouldn’t take his calls.
The woman lived just outside of Houston, so Adrian booked me a round-trip flight and two nights at a hotel. Plenty of time to lie my way into answers.
As I sat there on his lap, the weight of his trust settling over me, I understood something clearly: the more useful I became, the more he needed me.
And for now, usefulness felt a lot like power.
By the time Tuesday rolled around, I was more than ready to meet Carter. All I needed was his blessing: a rubber-stamp, considering the guy who usually ran for this seat was pushing 80 and a general nobody. It should be especially easy if he remembered me from that night at the gentleman’s club.
His office was on the corner of 1st and D Street, on the top floor of the Republican National Committee headquarters. When I gave my name, the secretary smiled politely and gestured toward the waiting area.
“He’s on a call now,” she said. “He should be finished momentarily.”
I took one of the wooden armchairs. The room made me uneasy in a familiar way. It reminded me of Adrian’s waiting room, how I’d sat there months ago, brimming with excitement to meet him, convinced I was finally stepping into the world I’d dreamed about as a kid.
If I’d known then what the door actually led to.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
I looked up to see Trey standing at the door to Carter’s office, arms folded with a frown on his face. His gray suit was tailored within an inch of its life, professional enough for the Hill but cut to show off exactly what he wanted it to.
“I have a meeting with Carter,” I said evenly.
He narrowed his eyes. “About what?”
“That’s between me and him.”
Something flickered in his eyes—annoyance, excitement, maybe both. “Is that so?”
He stepped behind the secretary’s desk and leaned down, murmuring something in her ear. My stomach dropped. I watched her nod hesitantly. What was he up to?
“I’m so sorry,” Trey said, straightening. “Looks like the chairman’s not available.”
I stood. “What the hell are you talking about? Five minutes ago she said–”
“Mr. Pierson here doesn’t have an appointment, does he, Emily?” Trey said pleasantly.
The secretary looked between us, trapped. “I–”
“I said, does he, Emily?”
“No,” she said quietly. “There’s no appointment listed. The chairman can’t see anyone without one.”
“That’s bullshit,” I snapped. “Whatever vendetta you have against me, Trey–”
“I’m going to have to ask you to calm down, Scott,” he said calmly. “Now you can leave of your own accord, or we can have security escort you out.”
I looked at his snide face, then the secretary’s ashen one. I couldn’t believe that, after how far I’d gotten, the future of my political career could be undone by some little fag with a vendetta.
“Why don’t we ask him ourselves?” I said.
Trey’s face hardened. “Don’t you dare–”
“Chairman?” I called out loudly, already moving. “It’s Scott Pierson.”
“Emily, call security,” Trey hissed, lunging to block me.
I was faster.
“Sir, I’m here for our–”
“Mr. Carter, this man forced his way–”
“Everyone, shut up.”
Carter sat behind his desk with a phone to his ear, his free hand raised.
Trey and I both froze.
After a beat, he sighed. “I’ll call you back.” He set the phone down and leaned back. “Now. Someone want to explain what the fuck is going on?”
“I had an appointment,” I said quickly, “but Trey–”
“He just broke in and stormed past Emily, ranting and raving–”
“One at a time.” Carter looked at me. “Scott Pierson. My noon appointment?”
“Yes, sir.”
He tilted his head, regarding me carefully. “Lex told me about your campaign. He didn’t mention your… relationship to Adrian.”
“Sir, he’s lying,” Trey said immediately. “You can’t trust him. Whatever he’s told you–”
Carter grinned. “Why don’t you let me decide who I trust, boy.”
The word landed like a threat. Trey went silent.
“I don’t care what petty drama you girls get up to,” Carter continued. “But this is business. Get out, Trey.”
Trey looked absolutely furious. I could tell he wanted to protest, to grab me by the neck and claw my eyes out. Instead, he bowed his head. “Of course, sir.”
The second he was gone, Carter locked eyes with me and laughed. “My boy’s not a fan of you, Mr. Pierson. Care to explain why?”
“It’s nothing,” I said, my throat tight. “A misunderstanding.”
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with compromising material on a certain Speaker, would it?”
The blood drained from my face.
He barked a laugh. “I’m just yanking your chain, boy. I know how Adrian plays ball. Hell, he learned half of it from me.”
He nodded at the chair in front of his desk. “Why don’t you take a seat and tell me about this campaign of yours?”
I did, relaxing into the chair as I told him about my plans. He listened carefully as I told him about the donors who had already pledged funding, the TikTok views I’d gotten since the community listening session in Austin.
“You already filed?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“And you waited until after to ask my blessing?”
Heat crept up my neck. “I wasn’t sure I’d get the meeting. What with Trey and all.”
Carter smiled. “That boy is a spitfire. Took a while to tame him, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
He stood and came around the deck, leaning against it beside me. He was in a brown corduroy suit jacket and gray slacks, a red-and-black striped tie hanging to his mid-stomach. He still had that goatee, his dark skin contrasting with his overly white teeth. His eyes traveled up my body, slow and unashamed.
“Tell me, Scott,” he said, nudging my foot with his. “You got that kind of fire in you?”
A calmness settled over me. Six months ago, I would have felt sick at what was happening. Now I knew better. Lex had meant it as a dig, but it was true. What did one more matter when my body had become my only commodity?
“I’ll do whatever it takes, sir.”
I slid from the chair to my knees, meeting his gaze without flinching.
Carter’s grin widened as I reached for his belt, undoing the leather strap with steady, confident hands.
“I still think about that mouth,” he said as I unzipped his pants. “That pretty little tongue lapping around my cock. Greedy boy.”
I reached into his boxers and pulled out his dick. It was even longer than I remembered, not quite as thick as Adrian’s, but no less formidable. He groaned as I took him into my mouth, just as the rest of them had.
“Fuck, baby. Show me how bad you want to win.”
I swallowed his cock deeper into my throat, determined to give the best blowjob I could. I held his balls in one hand as I throated him, gently squeezing and cradling them. The feeling of his hand on my head, stroking me softly; his whispers of encouragement, telling me what a good cocksucker I was and how sexy my lips were; his gentle thrusts, jabbing his cockhead against the edges of my throat; none of it was humiliating anymore. It was simply confirmation that I was exactly where I should be, doing exactly what I was good at.
“You’re gonna suck a load right out of me,” he said with a chuckle. He pulled his cock out of my mouth and tapped me lightly on the cheek. “But it’ll take a lot more than a blowjob to get what you need.”
I figured. I took his hand, letting him pull me to my feet and guide me to the chair behind his desk. He sat down, using one hand to point his cock straight in the air. I needed no instruction—I undid my belt, letting my pants fall to my ankles. When I pulled down my briefs, his eyes shone at the sight of my cock cage.
“Jesus Christ,” he said approvingly. “It never gets old, seeing a boy locked away like that.”
He took my hand and kissed it softly. “Are you gonna make me feel good, sweetheart?”
I didn’t respond. Instead, I kicked off my pants, straddling him in the chair as I sank slowly down on his cock.
His face melted into a smile, his eyes staying locked on mine as he laughed softly. “Fuck, you are eager.”
He grabbed my waist, not to push me down, but just to feel me as I took more of him inside me. I’ll admit, even if I didn’t want to have to fuck around to get ahead, getting fucked by men in power excited me. Some people had to bribe, cheat, and steal their way into getting these kinds of favors. All I needed to do was drop my pants, and men like Carter would write me a blank check for whatever I wanted.
Once I sank all the way down on his cock, he pulled me in for a kiss. “I want you to fuck yourself on my dick,” he said. “Show me how much you want it.”