Free Sweet Submission: Jenny and Max Complete Series Plus Bonus Short Story by Eden Greenwood Page A

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    “Yes, yes, I know,” Mark said. “I’m here with him now.” Mark put the phone in his pocket, and looked to Max with a befuddled expression. “What was that?” he asked.
    “I thought it went pretty well,” Max said.
    “Me too,” I said.
    “Pretty well?” Mark said. “What was all that God stuff? Social media is going to go crazy.”
    Max shrugged. “Why is talking about God suddenly so controversial?”
    “Because you have to keep business and religion separate,” Mark said. “We’re here to sell, not divide.”
    I was starting to get annoyed. Mark had wanted Max to be more open, and that was just what Max had done. “I’m sure there are plenty of people of faith watching at home. They probably liked what Max said.”
    Mark’s phone dinged in his pocket. He picked it up and stared at the screen while talking to me. “You mean middle of nowhere Americans who don’t buy tickets or merchandise? Not exactly our demographic.”
    I clenched my hands into fists, seething. Max gave me a look, telling me to drop it.
    “We need to put out this fire before it gets out of control,” Mark said. “I want you to write a nice little post explaining that when you said ‘God’ you meant a universal god. That you weren’t citing any one religion in particular.”
    “Forgive me for saying this, but that’s complete bullshit,” Max said.
    Mark’s phone rang. He answered it, then placed his hand over the receiver. “Write the post,” he whispered harshly, then left the room.
    Max and I rode home in the white, stretch limo sent by his agency. We didn’t speak much, both staring out of our windows. I watched the massive buildings pass by as we navigated the congested highway. This wasn’t at all like back home, where there were more trees than houses. There were only a handful of churches in this city. Max and I had found one thirty minutes away, but even that didn’t suit us. The pastor’s teachings strayed from the Bible both of us held to, and seemed tolerant of things that went against God’s word.
    Max reached across the seat and took my hand. Even with these limitations, I never lost sight of God’s influence on my life. This was thanks mostly in part to Max. He was a strong and noble head of household, and I would follow his lead anywhere.
    The limo winded up the hills before stopping in front of the Mediterranean style mansion that was way too big for our small family. The agency had rented it for us, even though we’d requested more modest accommodations. The floor to ceiling windows at the back of the house looked onto the terrace, and the pool below. Neon lights of changing colors flashed under the water. They came on every night, making it look like a spaceship was landing outside. Inside, the kitchen countertops were thick slabs of marble, which looked beautiful, but were easy to knick with a wayward knife or heavy cooking pan. The house was filled with unpractical touches like this. To me, they were nothing more than garish displays of wealth. Instead of paying for this lavish house, the agency could have donated to charity and helped those in need.
    Max and I settled onto the white leather couch that was more stylish than comfortable, the pint of ice cream between us.
    “I didn’t like the way the host dug into you like that,” I said, licking my spoon. “What’s wrong with believing in something?”
    “It’s the culture out here,” Max said, shrugging it off. “They’d rather worship money and success than the God who created them.”
    I ate another spoonful of ice cream, contemplating while the chocolate sweetness melted on my tongue. “And Mark, he acted like you’d committed some kind of crime. All you did was share your beliefs.”
    Max grabbed my wrist, steadying my hand which I just then realized was shaking. “Calm down. Don’t get yourself so worked up.”
    “It just makes me so mad,” I huffed.
    “It’s not worth the energy,” Max said, calmly.
    I pointed my