“It made me very angry to be dismissed outright, like he tolerated what I was saying. I’m sure you understand how I feel.”
Without responding, Edward tapped his steepled fingers together. “Salvatore, did you think as an untried entity we would be giving you top feature?”
Taken aback, it took me a moment to recover before answering. “Well, I mean…not top, but front page, yes. I do. I have hundreds of thousands of dedicated subscribers who’ll follow me. And I disagree with being called untried. I’ve been doing this for close to a decade. I’ve made a name for myself.”
“When I saw you the first time, speaking at the Digital Publications conference, I was impressed with your calm demeanor and confidence. It’s what made me keep track of you these past years.” His eyes twinkled. “Aside from the online feud you had with Francisco, of course.”
I ducked my head. “In retrospect, I should’ve handled that better.”
“Not at all. The readers loved it.” He turned serious. “And I did too. Believe me when I say I want you here for the work you do and the fresh, new ideas you have. But Webster has his own ideas, and he has final say.”
“Edward, the restaurants he wants me to look at are—”
“Owned by people he knows.” Unease crept into his eyes, and I tensed, anticipating whatever Edward was about to say wasn’t something I would like to hear. He sighed, an even more troubling sign. “Webster is thinking of running for a political position—assemblyman or councilman. He’s got it in his head, for some reason. What he’s doing here is all an attempt to garner support for his potential run for the political seat he chooses. I had no idea this was his intention when I brought you here. Webster revealed this to me only this morning. I hope you believe me.”
“So giving me a space here was less about wanting to make a real change and more about making himself look better. More ‘of the people.’” Edward opened his mouth, but I put my hand up. “No. I’m not asking you. I may not play in the big leagues, but I know when I’ve been played. And I don’t hold you responsible at all.”
“It will all work out, I’m sure.”
Through his reassuring words, I heard the doubt. I saw it in his eyes too, and I knew he understood me. But I also knew he had his job to do, and I had mine.
“Thanks, Edward. I appreciate you letting me vent.”
The lines of worry smoothed, but I could see he knew a shift had occurred between us.
“Anytime, son. It’s a hard world out there, and like the jungle, only the strong survive. You have it in you to do the right thing.”
“Agreed. I have some stuff to do, so I’ll see you later.”
I returned to my office, put on my jacket, and looked around the place I thought would be the answer to everything I’d ever wanted. When I left, I shut the door behind me, uncertain if I’d be coming back.
