Save Me, Sinners

Max hasn’t even made eye contact so far.

“Exactly! Everyone knows this guy and what a bad boy he has been his entire career. At least when he was playing in the English League. The problem for us media people is that ever since he came over to our country, he’s been laying low. No scandals, no gossip, nothing we can report on. And we can’t have that, now, can we?” Some of the people in the room chuckle, anticipating the big scoop Max is ready to reveal.

“So this morning, when David Adams was leaving the house of a certain Victoria’s Secret Angel, Phil here snapped some pictures and made a deal with that model for her side of the story. Ladies and gentleman, this is his first scandal in the US and we will be the only publication to run this story on the notorious Mr. David Adams!” Max spreads his arms in triumph as excited cheers and claps ring around the room.

If there’s one thing that I don’t love about Max, it’s that he’s hell bent on turning Coyote into a gossip mag. But what can he do? He’s got a business to run and from what I know now, he has an obligation to the Griswold family. Poor guy. Stuck between a rock and hard place.

“... I want to run that story as soon as possible,” Max says, still addressing the staff. “I want a field reporter to go interview that model, what’s her name... Ana something. Get her story, do a quick copy edit and we should have it online before anyone else even gets a whiff of intrigue. This is a priority. David is an international celebrity and there is a lot of mileage to be had here.”

Max, utterly pleased with himself, is wasting no time in putting everyone to work.

“Carrie. Hold back a moment,” he says as the rest of the staff file out of the conference room. Shit! My nerves are on the edge. I have no idea what he’s going to say. No idea what I should say to him.

“Are you all right Carrie?” he asks with a serious look on his face.

“Hmm?” That’s an odd thing to ask.

“You fainted last night. Are you okay?... health-wise I mean.” There’s genuine concern in his voice.

“Oh. Yes. I'm fine. I was just tired yesterday.” He cares about me. I’m relieved at that thought. He sits silent for a minute, lost in his thoughts.

“Sometimes life only leaves a man with difficult choices, and at times it can be difficult to escape such situations. Some men find their way out and others don’t. The difference is the faith others have in them.”

This is not just a random speech—Max is trying to tell me something without making it too obvious. But what is he trying to say?

“Do you have faith in me Carrie?” He looks me dead straight in the eye. That same look that always sends tingles down her spine.

“Of course,” I reply automatically.

“Good. I'm glad to hear that,” He smiles as he stands up. “Things will work out, I'm sure of that.” He pats my shoulder and steps out of the room.

What is he really trying to say?

A few articles to finish and then lunch, but my mind keeps wandering to Max’s words. He obviously is stuck in a situation with Katherine so he can’t talk

openly about her in the office, lest anyone overhear. Does he want me to read between the lines? What does he mean by everything will work out?

Last night and early this morning, I felt heartbroken and betrayed. But after talking to Max, a hope is reigniting in my heart. I’m reassured. It’s not over yet. He wouldn’t have lied to me, I know that. In the two months that I've been with him, he has opened himself up to me and revealed his vulnerabilities. I know I'm not wrong about this.

I’m just about finished the last article for the day, when I get a shock — an email in my inbox from the assistant editor. They’ve reassigned me to the job of a field reporter and my first job is to go and interview the model that wants to sell the story about David Adams.

Chapter 80

Tossing and turning all night has left me tired and in no mood to talk to anyone, let alone some obnoxious model. But it’s now my duty as the newly appointed field reporter. Max made it sound like I was moving on to better things, but it feels more like a demotion.

When I got this job, I thought I’d be working with the renowned Coyote magazine, where writers like Christopher Alexander once wielded their pen. But with time and the changing nature of the audience, Coyote has changed its tune and is now a magazine that pays more attention to celebrity gossip than to thoughtful social discussion.

But Max will surely change that.

He has big plans for the magazine, to restore it to its past glory. He told me so himself. It’s the main thing that attracted me to him. It still gives me goosebumps to remember the speech that Max gave his staff at the beginning of the current quarter. He was like an army general, urging his troops to go on an all-out attack.

If he’s moved me to a new position, then he must have something in mind. I should trust his judgement, after all he’s never wronged me before. He wants the best for me. At least, I've moved from the online edition to the offline one. That’s gotta count for something.

When I find the model’s house, Phil the paparazzo isn’t even there yet. And I don’t even have his phone number.

Instead of waiting around in the heat, I decide to ring the bell. A tall woman, who looks gorgeous even without any makeup leans out from the window of the first floor.

“Yes?” She says in a thick Eastern European accent.