Page 80 of Close Quarters

Mona chuckled softly, taking the seat next to me, and peered out at the ranch with me. “You know, a lot of people seem to think I love being in the Big House, up on the top floor, looking out on everything.”

“Higher up, better air conditioning,” I said with a shrug. “I wouldn’t blame you.”

That made her chuckle again. “Wrong. I like it right here on this big, unnecessary porch that almost no one has the balls to use unless they’re invited.”

I had to give her that. I rarely saw someone using the porch despite the tables and chairs littered about the wrap-around. “We’re felons, some fresh from prison, and even then, old habits die hard. You go where you’re not expressly told to go, and your ass is grass. That’s just habit.”

“It’s funny. You’d think some would break that habit,” she said, reaching into a pocket and holding out a mini cigar for me. “Even people like Leon don’t, and he’s been here almost two years.”

I rolled the cigar between my fingers as she fished out a lighter. “Don’t see many employees doing it either. Well, I’ve seen Max do it.”

“That’s because Max is Max,” she said, lighting her cigar and handing me the lighter. “And just like you, he doesn’t think about things like other people.”

“Like me, huh?” I asked as I lit my own.

She let out a cloud of thick, rich-smelling smoke. “Doesn’t think much about the expectations of random people. Mostly because neither of you wants to deal with people. It could make you bastards, but it also gives you confidence in other people’s eyes…or arrogance.”

“Well, he grew up rich. I’m sure he learned a few things about acting like he’s at the top of the heap, no matter where he goes. Even if he doesn’t act like a cocky dick, some things are going to stick.”

“Grew up rich, did he?”

“I heard his last name once when I had to go to the clinic for my monthly exam. I wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but Max looked ready to yank that stupid guy’s head. I had to stretch my brain to remember the last name of a bunch of rich fucks I didn’t give two shits about, but I remembered eventually.”

“You have no idea how pissed he’d be that you made the connection.”

I shrugged, enjoying the cigar's taste but knowing better than to try to inhale. “I don’t plan on telling him I know. Just like I don’t plan on asking why he got landed in prison in the first place or what he could have done that his family name and money couldn’t have got him off without being so bad that he could still come here. He’s been through the program. He gets to have that privacy.”

“That didn’t change much about him to you?” she asked, looking at me curiously.

I glanced at her, confused. “No. It’s not like he goes around acting like a rich prick. And shit, he’s still here instead of going back to his family, so he clearly doesn’t want to be that rich prick. Should it have changed anything?”

“It’s human nature to find our assumptions getting in the way of how we treat people,” she said, watching the horizon instead of me now. “I think you and Elliot are a prime example of that.”

“I can see that,” I said, thinking how I’d thought he was an empty-headed idiot who existed simply to annoy people, and he saw me as a brainless asshole who existed only to fight everyone. “But we got over that.”

“Which is part of what we try to push here, getting over our pasts, our assumptions, all that messy stuff,” she told me.

I glanced at her with a snort. “I heard you weren’t all that keen on keeping me here after the Riley incident.”

“Oh? When did Leon tell you that?”

“Who said it was Leon?”

“Well, considering the only other person brought into that discussion was Mr. Isaiah, that leaves only one suspect.”

Well, there was no point in bringing up the house staff. Even if they were the type to gossip, I generally didn’t float in the circles that would pick up that sort of gossip. “You don’t seem too bothered I know, or that he told me.”

“Why should I? It’s my job to ensure this place runs smoothly. If that means stepping up and voting against the idea of keeping someone who presents a threat to others, then I will do that.”

“Heard it was quite heated.”

“Interesting. I didn’t expect him to own up to that.”

“He didn’t. He was professional about the whole thing.”

Mona smirked, tapping some of the ash over the railing. “Now that sounds a lot more like Leon. And I imagine he only told you because…let’s see, from what I know of Leon…he told you because he wanted you to know he had been in your corner, rooting for you. That you had someone willing to believe in you.”

I wasn’t surprised, but it was a good summarization of what he’d said. “That…was pretty close, actually.”

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