Cali is surprised that her first day of work would be at the DelaRoy estate. Mr. DelaRoy has traveled to Europe for work. Susie takes Cali to the DelaRoy estate as part of her orientation to meet Mrs. DelaRoy.
Susie told her before they left for the estate, "As Mr. DelaRoy's assistant, you need to know the family well to handle complicated matters."
Now, they are waiting for Mrs. DelaRoy to join them in the living room of the five-story townhouse on the Upper East Side.
As Cali looked around the bright and airy living area, she couldn't help but be impressed. Before settling on the photographs in front of her, her gaze travels around the room, taking in the antique chandelier, the marble fireplace, and the lush outdoor garden.
Cali guessed the four persons in most pictures were the DelaRoy family. Mr. DelaRoy was a familiar face to Cali. Mrs. DelaRoy must be the woman. Their sons must be the other two young boys.
"Do I not have a lovely family?" Cali is shocked and looks up at the woman who has just entered the room. The fifty-something woman is tall and fit. She is dressed in a beige suit and has a Chanel brooch on her shirt. Her green eyes were as sharp as a dagger, and her skin was as smooth as a baby's bottom. Cali could see that she had once been a stunning beauty.
Mrs. DelaRoy, Cali concludes, must be the woman. She quickly rises to her feet, mimicking Susie's action.
Mrs. DelaRoy approaches the wall with the pictures and asks Cali, "Miss Harrison, what do you think of my sons?" before Susie can introduce them.
"They, they are..." Cali stammers as she tries to express herself.
"Mother, you're making her very nervous. Who would dare pose such a question on the first day of work? As a result of her employment with Dad, Miss Harrison believes she must constantly heap praise on him." From behind Cali, a man's voice can be heard.
Cali looks up to see a young man who is both attractive and friendly beaming at her.
"Good to finally meet you, Miss Harrison! Just ignore my mom. My name is Anderson DelaRoy." Anderson raises his hand and tilts his head in an invitation to shake.
Cali shakes his hand, saying, "Nice to meet you, too, Mr. DelaRoy."
"Just call me Anderson." His pearly whites gleam as he grins. Cali returns the smile. Anderson has his dad's piercing blue eyes and his mom's naturally blond locks. It's no wonder women go crazy for him; he has a beautiful grin and an ideal physique.
"Isn't a shareholder meeting requiring you to see Anthony?" Mrs. DelaRoy joins in.
"The call of duty has come. Must get going. Thank you, Susie, and good luck to Miss Harrison." Anderson gives a final wave to his friends Cali and Susie, kisses his mother on both cheeks, and heads out the door.
Mrs. DelaRoy goes to the couch and motions for Cali and Susie to join her there.
"Miss Harrison, tell me how my husband came upon you. It took him eight months the last time to track down Lindsey. It's a shame she was only able to keep the job for seven months. What is it about you that causes my spouse to make a decision so quickly? Mrs. DelaRoy's icy emerald eyes focus on Cali.
Cali is baffled for an answer to this question. Mr. DelaRoy's wife appears unaware that he has assisted Cali on multiple occasions. Is it better for her to be honest?
"Through head hunter, Mrs. DelaRoy. Miss Harrison's former employer has nothing but good things to say about her." Susie talks back. Cali gives Susie an appreciative glance but wonders if Susie is aware of the reason for her employment.
"Miss Harrison used to..."
To which Mrs. DelaRoy snaps, "I'm not asking you," and Mrs. DelaRoy immediately turns to Cali, "What is your previous work?"
"I served as the publishing company's executive assistant." Cali is still determining if the response will lead to further inquiry.
"A book publisher? My husband's field seems to be a world away from this one. What do you think? Mrs. DelaRoy's eyebrows go up in surprise.
"Yes..." Cali murmurs something. Her hands are damp. She worries about the future.
Quite simply, "How old are you?"
That's right, "I'm twenty-five."
"My husband's assistant is too young and inexperienced to be in her position. Both discretion and loyalty are required in this role. A young woman who isn't accustomed to affluence can easily fall prey to the temptation of wealth," Mrs DelaRoy pauses for a moment. She glances Cali over, no doubt quietly judging her modest clothes.
Cali is speechless because she is so embarrassed. Even though she has lived in poverty for a long time, she is nonetheless vulnerable to snobbery and shame. One cannot criminalize poverty. Nobody dreams of being a poor child.
"Mrs. DelaRoy, I can deal with difficult situations and..."
Mrs. DelaRoy cuts Cali off before she can respond with a whole defense.
"Perhaps I can count on your assistance in planning my husband's 65th birthday bash. My husband has a list of people he wants to be invited to the party and insists on having the invites delivered to their homes. If anyone qualifies for this position, it is my husband's assistant."
"Of course, I'm available to lend a hand," she said. Cali isn't thrilled with Mrs. DelaRoy's harshness but thinks this is the best course of action. She also thinks back on Mr. DelaRoy's comments about not even taking directions from his wife. However, this instruction is harmless.
"All right, just ask the receptionist for it. Please feel free to leave." Mrs. DelaRoy gets to her feet and heads for the garden.
Cali sighed with relief as she left the mansion. Susie chuckles and says, "Are you nervous? That's how she affects everyone around her. Fortunately, however, you have only Mr. DelaRoy to answer to."
"I really appreciate your assistance. I can't think of a good response to her query."
"No worries. We both report to Mr. DelaRoy, our boss. And we need to be a support system for one another." The comforting grin of Susie instantly puts Cali at ease. Cali immediately likes her.
"Some background on the DelaRoy brothers. Avoid Anthony at all costs. The women he dates all end up broken. On the other side, Anderson is a genuinely nice guy. But you should never date the boss's kids. The situation might get bad. Mrs. DelaRoy is fiercely guarding her sons' safety. In her opinion, every single woman comes at them with hidden motives. She considers her sons to be superior to anyone. If she suspects you and one of her sons are having an affair, you will be let go immediately."
"I'm staying away from them. I want to be able to continue in my current position. Your thoughtfulness is much appreciated." Cali appreciates having a kind mentor.
"Good. Don't hesitate to ask me anything you want. Keep your guard up around the family. Things can get complicated quickly."
Cali is interested in knowing the extent of Mr. and Mrs. DelaRoy's relationship. Still, she decides to bring up the topic at a more appropriate moment.
"Let's check the list and see if I can tell you anything about the people on it." Susie is examining the guest list thoroughly.
"Mr. Flannor can wait a little longer. Mr. Scott, the chief justice, cannot, and Mr. DelaRoy has known him for over two decades. However, the birthday invitation to Mr. Pierre must be delivered today."
"Who is Mr. Pierre?" Cali wonders.
"Mr. Pierre is the eldest son of Mr. DelaRoy." The response has left Cali feeling perplexed.
The question was posed, "Shouldn't he be a DelaRoy if he is Mr. DelaRoy's son?"
The question was posed, "You don't read society pages or gossip magazines, do you?" It looks like Susie is taken aback.
The answer is "No, I don't." Suddenly, Cali has doubts about her ability to do this work. She finds reading gossip magazines a fun way to learn more about the wealthy people she serves. She mentally makes a note to add "homework" (read: reading gossip columns) to her to-do list.
Mr. Pierre is Mrs. DelaRoy's son, although she passed away a while ago. The surname his mother used is what Mr. Pierre goes by.
Cali now regrets her earlier inability to google the DelaRoys. She now realizes that her family is more confusing than she had imagined.
"I'll have Mr. Pierre's assistant contact you in an hour to inform you that the invitation card is on its way to his office. I have to hurry. I need to get to my appointment. I'll have the cab take you to Pierre Plaza."
In this case, "Thank you, Susie."
Cali sits in the waiting area of the plaza's third level and criticizes herself for forgetting her cell phone at home. She hurried to the pharmacy to pick up Ken's medication and was off to the office. She knows almost nothing about the man she is waiting to see, and at this point, there is nothing she can do about it. She had no luck searching for Mr. Pierre online.
"Miss Harrison, Mr. Pierre has fifteen minutes for you," the red-lipped secretary steps up to her and announces. "Please follow me."
The secretary ushers Cali into an impressive office and then exits without locking the door. A man in a dark suit stands straight, looking out the huge window.
Cali gets a sense of familiarity despite only seeing the man's back. She is frightened and dizzy all of a sudden.
And then he turns back.