The Dirty Truth

“You . . . published . . . my article,” I manage to say despite the confusion and bewilderment funneling through me.

“I’m thinking about taking the magazine in a new direction. The new Made Man is all about authenticity.” He strides to the bed. “Which means I’m going to need a killer co–editor in chief. Fair warning, I’m extremely particular about whom I work with, and I have ridiculously high standards. Also, I’m not the easiest jerk to work for, so this person has to be able to hold their own around me. Looking for someone who is fearless, outspoken, forward thinking, and brutally honest. Know of anyone?”

My lips twitch to the side. “Sounds like you already have someone in mind for the job.”

Never mind the fact that Connie Marsden with Winlock Media Group called me yesterday to offer me the position I’d interviewed for last month. She caught me off guard, and in the midst of all the wedding day hustle and bustle, I stammered a quick response letting her know I’d get back to her by Monday. We’ve been so busy I forgot to mention it to West. And to be honest, I haven’t had a spare second to give it much thought.

“I do,” he says before digging into his suitcase and producing a stack of papers.

I promised myself I’d never work for West Maxwell again—nor would I exchange my priceless time for meaningless work.

“I’m not sure what to say . . .” I press my lips flat, studying his chiseled face and the hopeful yet confident glint in his penetrating gaze.

“I expected some reservations from your end, so I came prepared should you need some convincing.”

When he hands the pages over, I feast my eyes on what appear to be printed emails upon printed emails, some of which date back years, others of which date back to as recent as a few months ago.

To:

From: Jake Trotman ()

Subject: Dirty truths

Just wanted to take a minute and tell you how big of a fan I am of your magazine. It has truly changed my life. Specifically the dating advice column. I always thought it’d be cheesy, getting advice from a magazine. But your Dirty Truths column is different. The advice is legit and useable. I’m happy to say that because of the August 2018 article, THE DIRTY TRUTH ABOUT BLIND DATES, I finally let my sister set me up on a blind date with one of her coworkers—who is now my wife. We are currently expecting our first kid and couldn’t be happier. I never would’ve gone on that date if it weren’t for that article. So thank you, Elle Napier and thank you Made Man.

To:

From: Chandler P. ()

Subject: on ghosting

Just wanted to say how much I liked the December article—THE DIRTY TRUTH ABOUT GHOSTING. I’ve suffered with chronic low self-esteem my entire life. Being perpetually single and in my thirties, it has only gotten worse. After a while, it takes a toll on a person to go on a sling of “successful” dates only to be ghosted when you least expect it. I spent far too much time analyzing what I could’ve said or done differently. I can’t tell you how much money I’ve wasted on gym memberships and self-help books and seminars. But then I read Elle Napier’s article and it changed everything. I now know not to take it personally when someone ghosts me because it’s almost never about me or something I did—it’s almost always about them. And taking it a step further, why would I want to build a relationship with someone who is that flippant about other people’s feelings anyway? Elle’s two-pronged perspective was exactly what I needed to hear. In fact, I’ve gone so far as to laminate her article so I can read it any time I need a reminder.

To:

From: Derrick Pollastrini ()

Subject: Doing God’s work

Hey, just wanted to say I’m a huge fan of Elle Napier. Wanted to let her know if she’s ever in Philly to look me up. Would love to take her out for dinner—as a friend (because I’m sure she’s got a man plus her article on long-distance relationships was legit eye-opening). Just want to pick that big beautiful brain of hers. Every month I read her column and I think she can’t possibly do better than the month before. And every month she hits it out of the park AGAIN. If dating is my religion, Elle’s column is my church. Anyway, offer stands. Dinner in Philly!!!

“This . . . this is all fan mail?” I ask, fanning the endless pages of the thick stack.

“Every last one.” He narrows the distance between us, gathering the letters from my grip and placing them aside. “Your work at the magazine was never meaningless. You changed a lot of lives for the better. Maybe not the way you’d always imagined, but your work inspired people to change. You’ve made a difference in people’s lives, Elle. You always have.”