Chapter 13

“And what's the use of this?” Jack asked, appalled.

“You will get the money intended for painters!” She replied.

“Okay, there were supposed to be three of them, and there are eight of us and three of our female friends.” Jack continued, irritated with the tone of her voice and the smile on the boss's face. Who cares about that money? What she is talking about?’ 

“I'm not gonna fire you!” The chief editor announced with a stern expression on her face this time. “Enough?”

They didn't know how to react to it. Their assumptions that the witch was planning to kick out the entire team turned out to be correct. She was just looking for an excuse. Maybe they should take their feet by the waist and run where the pepper grows? They considered themselves as ‘racial intellectuals’, preferred to work with their brains’ grey cells than to exercise their muscles.

In the end, Adam began to defend his workplace and male honor. After yesterday's conversation with the chief editor he was captivated by her knowledge. And, like him, she loved the sea and was almost persuaded to go on another voyage with them.

“Gentlemen! We have a job to do!” Adam first crossed the editorial threshold with a smile on his face.

Jack came in behind him with an expression on his face as if he was just going to the scaffold. Simon and the rest looked alike, except for Michael, who was standing by the door and lingering. At least, that's how it looked from afar.

Alex watched him closely from the kitchen near the front door. He immediately decided to act. As the editor stepped away, he started toward his almost unconscious friend and pulled him inside forcibly.

He knew that Michael had greatly exaggerated. He was barely on his feet. Knowing the possibilities of a drunk friend, he had to hide him somewhere quickly. Without hesitating for a moment, he set off with Michael, who was just beginning to sing ‘The Marseillaise’, to the kitchen.

Then it occurred to him that this is where the most people will be, so maybe the toilet... Not a good idea either. After careful analysis of the situation, he took him to the editorial dormitory, as they called the newsroom.

He worked there with Jack Smith. It was the only room that had recently been painted, so he was sure that no one was going to come here or see his friend in that bad state. He pulled the blinds up to cover the glass wall separating them from the main editorial room.

Alex turned on the radio to drown out a friend who was singing louder and louder. Iron Maiden's "Blood Brothers" was on the radio. Immediately, Michael picked up the melody.

“In a moment the memories are all that remain, and all the wounds are reopening again!” He started screaming.

Terrified, Alex covered his mouth.

“I'll fuck you up if you don't shut up!” He said, looking him straight in the eyes.

“We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers...” Michael was still trying to scream.

“Shut up!” Alex said.

“Maybe all the things that you know, that are precious to you, could be swept away by fate’s own hand...” He sang.

Alex was fed up. He covered Michaels’ mouth and pressed him firmly against the wall.

“Do you understand? Shut up!”

Michael’s face turned red. Finally he fell silent.

Alex pulled one of the sleeping bags stored among archival documents from the closet. He placed Michael behind his desk on the floor so that no one entering could see him. He fell asleep almost immediately.

Alex returned to his colleagues, hoping his absence had gone unnoticed. However, the sight he saw amazed him. The female representatives bustled about in the same elegant work clothes as their boss.

He decided it was a real miracle that someone had finally ‘put’ them to work. Until now, they just kept hanging around for days. They were doing the grace of picking up the phone or accepting advertisers.

Besides, he saw Simon, Jack, Adam and Thomas standing together, who had already painted one wall of the largest room. For the first time since the departure of chief editor Leo Walker, he saw that his colleagues, instead of playing poker or bridge, were having fun painting.

He regretted that Nicolas Williams wasn’t here at that moment. He wouldn’t have believed he had lived to see such a moment.

The boss was his lecturer at the university. Students called him the Master. It was thanks to his persuasion and help that Alex went on a scholarship, and now worked here.

After returning from The States, he had no problems with finding a job, but he really wanted to work alongside his Master, and privately a great friend, about which no one in the editorial office knew. Such a contract was concluded, so Alex stayed on the sidelines, sitting in his newsroom, usually alone, because Jack was rarely there, who preferred card company and parties.

“Alex! Why are you slacking off?” Thomas was the first to notice him. “You should train your muscles with us, man!” He started to laugh.

“I'm coming! For clarification, I train my muscles in the gym, and I improve my condition and physical fitness by sailing in some warm sea or diving on coral reefs.” Alex replied in a serious, but a bit dreamy voice.

“Not a word more about warm seas and coral reefs!” Adam replied, who was looking forward to the holidays.

“I will join you in a moment, I need to change.” Alex said.

In fact, he had some clothes under his arm. After a while, he returned in short, sports shorts, a t-shirt and sneakers. He looked great. One could learn anatomy on his perfectly defined silhouette. Lush hair and a puppyish, mischievous smile added to his charm.

Both Adam and Thomas looked no worse, but women were crazy about Alex, not them, so they were happy to take him to parties as bait. They laughed that even after he hadn't shaved for several days, he couldn't hide the child's face under his stubble. Only then would they be very attractive for the opposite sex.