“I won’t keep you,” Owen says. “It was good running into you.”
“Likewise. See you soon.”
Will makes his way back to his truck, momentarily too busy thinking of Owen to worry about the filth that is waiting for him in the mayor’s house.
*
“You’re not going to get this damn recession over by going soft,” Hal Darnell says while drinking his wine. “We had to raise prices in all our stores, and it’s not about to get better soon.”
“It’s going to make people take on more debt,” Doctor Levi says as he glances at his Rolex watch. “Hard times for common people.”
“Not just for them,” the mayor says.
Hal snorts. “Speaking of yourself, Ray?”
“Of all of the people in this town. Only a few here dare to mess with the stock market, but there are still families in this community who are struggling.”
Hal rolls his eyes. “I’ve seen struggling communities with closed shops and crime—this town isn’t one of them. They should be damn grateful for having you as mayor. Hey, boy. More wine.”
Will, who has been standing silently by the wall, walks forward to pick up the bottle of expensive wine, pouring some into Hal’s tall glass.
“Prostitution,” Doctor Levi declares, “is an indication of a community’s success.”
The mayor, sitting in his favorite leather armchair, snorts. “You should be smarter than that, doc.”
“No, no. Hear me out.” He holds Will’s hand and pulls him down to sit between his knees, facing the other men. They are in the living room, and a nice warmth is coming from the fireplace. The mayor only has two guests this evening, which is a relief since it can sometimes get as high as six. Will is still in his underwear, but it’s only temporary. Doctor Levi clears his throat, his fingers sliding through Will’s hair. “For prostitutes to prosper, they need to operate in proximity to money. That is why L.A. has so many prostitutes. Poor towns where people struggle? They’d rather hump a tree than pay for sex.”
Hal nods. “True.”
“Once you start seeing prostitutes in Van Buren, you know your economy is on the right track. You can start by renting out our dearest William. See how much you can charge for an hour.” Doctor Levi’s palm slides down Will’s chest. His hands are always cold.
“I don’t want him passing around between some strangers,” Hal says. “Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer a tight pussy that’s clean of diseases. Don’t most queers still have AIDS?”
Will takes a breath to compose himself. He never met anyone with AIDS, but he’s seen the news and read the articles while they were covering the new “Gay Cancer.” He was terrified, and that made him even more convinced he was never going to come out.
“AIDS has been declining since the late 80s,” Doctor Levi says, “but it’s still nasty business. Our William is clean from diseases—I ran his blood tests myself.”
The door opens. Veronica, the housekeeper, says, “Dinner’s ready.” Will knows almost nothing about her, just that she’s extremely loyal to his uncle and she wasn’t born in this country.
“Good.” The mayor looks at Will. “Get to it.”
Will slips out from between Doctor Levi’s legs and follows Veronica to the dining room. The room is colder, raising goosebumps across his arms.
Veronica extends her hand, and Will pulls down his underwear and hands them to her. “Lie down,” she says, as if he doesn’t know how this should go.
He climbs carefully onto the long table, now covered with a white, silk tablecloth. The table is wide enough to have space for Will’s body and the silverware on both sides. He watches the chandelier above him as it spreads amber light across the room. The tall windows are covered with thick curtains, making the room feel secluded as if it were underground.
Veronica returns to place wooden trivets on Will’s chest and stomach. She then brings a big pot and places it on the trivet over Will’s stomach. It’s hot, but not enough to burn. The weight presses his lower back against the table, making his spine ache. The next pot is luckily lighter, but it still rests uncomfortably over Will’s lungs, forcing him to breathe carefully if he doesn’t want to accidentally tip the pot.
The mayor, Doctor Levi, and Hal enter the dining room and sit across the table, with the mayor facing the other two.
“It smells wonderful,” Doctor Levi says and claps. His smiles always look too big for his head, reminding Will of the Joker from Batman. “And the decor is exceptional. Oh, Veronica, more wine, please.”
They begin to eat while jazz music plays on a nearby turntable.
“Business is good in Eminence,” Hal says. “I’m told no one has been snooping there for a while.”
“Or maybe they’ve become better at snooping,” Doctor Levi says as he slices through his red meat. “Thesheriff isn’t one to give up, not with those junkies dying from time to time.”
