Friend Me (35 page)

“And that's the long and short of it, Mr. Douglas. To sum up, we assume full responsibility for all you and your family have gone through. Personally, I don't care what our lawyers may say, I give you my personal guarantee that we'll do everything possible to correct it. We failed you, and all I'm asking is that you let us do what we can to make it right.”

Scott looked up at him from an upholstered chair. Hammersmith had asked him to come in, and he had done so. If the company feared a lawsuit, they could stop worrying now. He wasn't going to bring any action.

“Men can fail in different ways, Mr. Hammersmith. You failed in an executive sense, but my own failure was much worse.”

Hammersmith leaned forward, face pinched in confusion. “Sir?”

“Ms. Montalvo had insufficient executive oversight,” replied Scott. “That's a given. But even without the use of your company resources, she'd have found another way to do what she did. The greater failure was mine. Do you know the Bible proverb ‘Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?'”

Hammersmith turned his head and looked out the window. “I might know something about that.”

“It's never worth it. It never turns out right. God expects us to be satisfied with the one with whom we are ‘one flesh.' That was my great failure. I stepped outside that bound, and I have no one to blame for the results but myself.”

Hammersmith swiveled in his large chair, leaned in toward Scott. “We do a lot for our people, Mr. Douglas. We give them workout rooms, personal time when they need it. We've got some smart people here. The one thing we've never given any time to is . . . I suppose the term is, their spiritual lives.” He seemed to study his hands, then looked up. “I think I could learn a lot from you. Let's make that possible.”

“What do you mean?” asked Scott.

“I have something specific in mind. And it didn't just occur to me. I've already talked with our board about this.” He reached into his desk drawer, removed an envelope, extended his arm across the desk, and offered the envelope to Scott.

It bore the company's VirtualFriendMe embossed logo. Looking into the eyes of the other man, he reached out and took it.

The hint of a smile was on Hammersmith's face as he nodded once toward the envelope. “Open it . . . please.”

Scott turned the envelope over in his hands. It was unsealed, a single sheet of stationery inside.

Scott withdrew the letter.

Dear Mr. Douglas:

Virtual Friend Me is pleased to offer you the position of Special Assistant to the CEO . . .

“A job offer?” Scott's mouth fell open, his eyes wide with surprise. “This is a . . .”

His eyes went back to the letter.

Hammersmith got up from behind the large desk and circled around to the chair next to Scott's. Sitting down, he leaned on one elbow and looked directly into Scott's eyes.

“I'll make it simple for you, Scott. We need someone like you here. Someone who can provide the moral compass we need. We don't ever want a repeat of what happened to your family, or anything even remotely like it.”

Scott worked to control the surge of emotion that swelled within him. How good God was to him.
The chiefest of sinners—

“You might think I'm just offering you something to make you happy. I'm telling you now, that's not it. It's not how I work.”

Hammersmith waved his arm in a wide circle toward the outer office. “We have a great company here, full of good people. I want to protect them from the kind of abuse we've seen already directed against your family. I care about this company, and I care about the people we serve.”

“You'll report directly to me, Scott. I want you to be like a chaplain, without the title. Be the one that puts the fires out before they become a problem.”

“You'll have a window on our entire operation, looking for the unusual, the unexpected. If you find something odd, I'll expect you to look deeper, ferret out what's really going on. If something's amiss, then I'll get involved. If there's not, then we move on.”

Scott struggled to control himself before he spoke. “Mr. Hammersmith, I am so honored that you would do this.”

Hammersmith said, “It's an offer for a position of great trust and discretion. Kind of like acting as a spiritual firewall. You'll have the keys to the kingdom here. What do you say?”

Scott looked down again at the letter in his hands. The salary was generous, but more than that—the opportunity to be a Christian influence was unprecedented. Was there any reason to say no? The ordeal his family had endured must never be repeated. Now he could be on the inside.

“Mr. Hammersmith, I'm inclined to accept right now. I'm honored and I am truly humbled by your offer. Before I say yes, though, I'm going to sit down with Rachel. We'll discuss it and then we're going to pray together about it. We want to know the will of God.”

Hammersmith put his hand on Scott's shoulder. “From what I've learned about you already, I wouldn't expect any less. Do that. The offer is on the table for as long as you need it to be.”

From the corner of his desk, he lifted a large manila envelope stuffed with documents. The corner of some object poked through the tough paper. “We'll start with this one, just as soon as you say you're ready,” he said as he laid it back down.

Matchless

S
cott finished the bedtime story, prayed with both children, and kissed them good night. Downstairs in the family room, Rachel waited on the loveseat, a big bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. He slipped
Fiddler on the Roof
into the DVD player. “Time for some quality time with my sweetheart,” he said as he lay back into the soft cushions and pulled Rachel closer to him. “I've got the best wife in the world.”

She snuggled into him.

With both hands, Rachel lifted Scott's hand up to her chest and squeezed it. “You're mine forever,” she whispered.

The fragrance of her hair filled his nostrils. He felt the silkiness of it against his nose and cheeks, sensed the warmth of her breath against his hands as the music drifted by in the background.

Once again, as it had years before, Scott's heart thrilled in the knowledge that this real and wonderful girl was
his wife
.

W
riting is often cast as a lonely profession. I'm not so sure about that loneliness part. I'm physically alone at the moment, surrounded by pictures of my Packard (that's a car), books, and assorted memorabilia from thirty years of missionary work. And the world's most neglected banjo.

But I'm not alone in any other sense. I happen to be one of those unfortunate types who need constant encouragement. Fortunately, I have more people helping and wishing me success (this is my first published book) than I can shake a stick at. If you promise not to get angry at me for leaving you off the list, let me name some of you, just so you can see what I'm talking about.

My partner for life is my wife, Beth. She read, edited, commented, and encouraged me from the start. Linda Glaz, my agent, has been constant in her cheerleading and sustaining prayer. Amanda Demastus, my editor at Howard Books, has provided a source of unbroken encouragement. Plus, she's a pretty good editor, helping me see many blind spots. I've
heard some editing horror stories, but she made the process a pleasure.

May I mention some of the kind and patient people who actually read this book before it was good enough to put in print? My daughter Debbie Faubion, Josh Lynn, Celeste Charlene, Beth Jusino (a huge help), Steve Laube, and Christina Tarabochia to name a few. Not only did they read it, they provided invaluable feedback on my content and skills (or the lack thereof).

Thanks to my sister, daughters Cheri and Becky, and my son, Daniel, for their “Wow, you wrote a book?” exclamations. It's always nice to know you can surprise your own family. Had it not been for my youngest daughter, Bethany, being a member of Lori Stafford's Creative Writing Workshop at school, I might never have started.

The Indiana chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers and the ACFW Scribes201 critique group have been wonderful for me. The FBI (my Sunday school class) has been incredibly patient and encouraging. Dr. Carl Matlock taught me about warfarin. Rick Barry, another writer, encouraged me from day one.

To round things out, here are two who don't even know I exist. One still living, one deceased. I doubt I'd be writing at all had it not been for reading their work at eleven years old. Frank M. Robinson wrote
The Power
in 1956 and set me on a lifetime track of enjoying suspense literature. In the same year, Cyril M. Kornbluth, my all-time favorite writer, wrote
Not This August
. He died in 1958 at just thirty-four years of age.

My prayer is that Almighty God, the Giver and Sustainer of all things, will use this book to help you in your Christian walk.
I must acknowledge Him, because (James 1:17) “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Thanks be to God, for His unspeakable gift of Jesus Christ.

A Howard Reading Group Guide

FRIEND ME

John Faubion

R
achel and Scott's marriage has gotten a little stale. Faced with just the kids at home and Scott at work until late at night, Rachel decides to log on to a new website—VirtualFriendMe.com. From that moment on, the family's life begins to spiral out of control. One woman—Melissa—manages to manipulate both Rachel and Scott using the website's interface, learning their deepest secrets and driving a wedge further between the couple. When Rachel faces a near-death experience, Scott decides to come clean about his online relationship, and together Scott and Rachel resolve to stop Melissa before she can do more damage to their family.
Friend Me
is about love, family, and the faith needed to overcome new obstacles in the digital age.

1. The epigraph to
Friend Me
quotes Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” What is true, honest, and just, about the concept of the VirtualFriendMe website? Why do you think Rachel was initially attracted to the site?

2. Why do you think the story begins with Melissa's point of view? Is
Friend Me
ultimately her story?

3. How would you characterize Melissa Montalvo? What are her motivations for doing the things she does? How does her past inform her future?

4. Discuss Scott and Rachel's marriage issues. Would you consider their problems out of the ordinary? Why or why not?

5. In this day and age, questions about fidelity and the Internet can be tricky. At what moment do you think that Scott crossed the line into infidelity—if ever? Did his interactions with Alicia make him unfaithful?

6. Do you think that Scott is a good husband? Do you like his character? Do you blame him for what happened to Rachel—or was he also a victim?

7. On page 132, Scott argues with himself, “Maybe there was a virtual love? Something was happening. . . . No, he couldn't be falling in love with her.” Do you think there is such a thing as “virtual love”? What is the difference between Scott's love for Rachel and his love for Alicia?

8. How would you describe Rachel and virtual Suzanne's relationship? Did the relationship change over the course of the story? How so?

9. What irony can be found in Melissa's nickname for Rachel—
The Other
?

10. Revisit the scene on page 212 when Scott asks little Scotty about the new babysitter, Alicia. What was your reaction when Scotty says, “She told us that we could just call her Mommy”? Do you think that this was a red flag for Scott? Why do you think he did not confess his virtual relationship to Rachel in that moment?

11. Do you think Scott and Rachel could have fixed their marriage problems without the wake-up call they received in the form of Rachel's near-death by poison? Can you make the argument that the attempted murder acted as a silver lining in this case? Why or why not?

12. Discuss the ending of the novel. Were you surprised to learn that Rose killed Melissa? Who do you think is the hero or heroine of this story?

13. What role does faith play in
Friend Me
? Without faith, do you think that Rachel and Scott could have defeated evil?

1.
Friend Me
touches on many themes relevant to popular culture, particularly the Internet and how our privacy can be compromised with the click of a button. These same concerns are the focus of the popular television series
Catfish
. Have a TV night with your reading group and watch a few episodes of the show. Afterward, discuss with the group the ways in which the show is similar to Scott and Rachel's story. Did Melissa “catfish” the couple?

2. The concept of a friend online that could be as real as any friend in reality is interesting—and still very new. The author, John Faubion, has brought his concept to life on his website. Log on to
www.christiansuspense.com/suspense-home/virtual-person-friend-me/
with your reading group. Spend a few minutes on the site, then have a conversation about friendships in the digital age. Do you think that friendship can exist in many forms? Why or why not? Give examples from your own life or from other stories you have read.

3. Continue on the trend of strange romances and read
Illusion
by Frank Peretti with your reading group. What similarities can you draw between the two stories? What differences? Has anyone in your reading group ever had an unconventional relationship?