C8 Chapter 8

What happens then if I do? Carter responded, glaring at Finn with a no-nonsense expression. "You work for me, and I manage this goddamn website." You will write the fucking snot out of this if you want to carry on with your extremely successful profession as the man people go to for anything with women and dating.

"First off, we collaborate; I don't work for you. Secondly, don't you think that alienating every woman on the fucking globe would hurt my readership?"

"Finn, women don't read your blog."

"No, but they are dated by men who do." How do you think this will turn out when more ladies become aware of what I'm doing?"

Therefore, keep them from learning.

And how would you suggest that I accomplish that while also writing about it?"

Recall that your blog is exclusive to members. Furthermore, the males who are reading it won't be foolish enough to tell the ladies what you're doing since they will definitely not want them to know.

Finn whispered, "I believe you're giving them more credit than is justified for their intelligence." "This is going to spark a war, you realize that? You know that in the war of the sexes, you are setting off the first nuclear explosion?"

Finn shook his head, and Carter only grinned as he sat back in his chair. God. He was forced to do this foolish action. But that was better for him than giving Carter free rein, since he may be able to minimize the number of victims along the road.

Finn turned to go, saying, "Fine." "But from now on, please keep your fucking hands off my blog and my Facebook page."

"Anything you say," Carter answered.

Finn had hardly gotten started when he immediately regretted choosing to participate in this charade.

Finn proceeded to his personal workspace and took a seat behind his desk. Though it was only a pastime for others, blogging had evolved into Finn's full-time career. He had entered the digital content market early, with magazines making way for other media. Finn's blog, Like, began as a way for him to support other men who were pursuing success with women of the other sex. It was now a component of The Playbook, a website that addressed a wide range of men's health and well-being issues. Although Carter served as the CEO and provided the financial backing to launch the website, The Playbook was founded by a group of five people.

Liam Thompson, Parker Grey, Jack Daniels (yep, that was his real name), Finn, and Carter Beckett were all business partners, fraternity mates, and pals. Years before, they had been initiated into the covert Alpha Pi Tau fraternity, where they went on to initiate the next group of brothers. Only five brothers could ever be a part of the fraternity at once, and new members had to ask them in. Up until Parker was able to set them up with an introduction, they had all assumed the whole thing was a big joke and had turned into a kind of urban legend.

This was not a fraternity that maintained communication. Ever since they turned over the reins, Finn has not heard from any of the founding members. It had been so much cloak-and-dagger stuff to even receive the original invitation. Parker had raised enough concerns and queries to ultimately have invites issued to every member of The Playbook via actual mail, not email. Their names, a time, and a place had been imprinted on the heavy cardboard. Everything had been so incredibly enigmatic and awesome as hell. They were thrown into a van and taken to unidentified locations after having hessian sacks dragged over their heads when they got to the meeting spot. Despite the fact that none of them had ever met the members in person, they had all been initiated into the fraternity that evening. It was one of their society's laws. When the Playbook inducted their younger brothers, they had a great time, and Finn was certain that the custom had been carried on with the subsequent group of initiates.

Even though they didn't stay in contact, they were nonetheless aware of what was happening in their younger brothers' lives. The Playbook group saw that occasionally doors would open for them for no apparent reason, but they understood it was because their elder brothers were supporting them in the same way that they supported their younger siblings. As stated in the charter, they were required to monitor the group that followed them and all subsequent groups. There were no backroom bargains or secret handshakes. There are no hidden messages or rings in the bottle. The five conducted their lives according to the terms "loyalty, effort, and prosperity" (Afosíosi, Prospátheia, Tin Evimería). Words upon which their business was founded. Carter's sharply worded plea was therefore all the more peculiar. They never showed animosity against one another. Carter might have started off with more money, but after three years everyone was just as accountable and paid just as much. They all resided in the same goddamn building, a remodeled warehouse featuring six opulent flats. He must have been severely affected by Mallory.

Finn let out a sigh as if the entire world rested on his shoulders, prodding his computer awake with a mouse click and logging into the administration system. He already knew that Carter had informed him that his readership and subscriptions were declining, but he hadn't truly examined the numbers. Were they awful enough to merit a role in this embarrassing prank? Finn sympathized with Carter since he had also been burnt by a woman, but he didn't truly support his friend's plan to burn the entire globe to the ground out of retaliation.