"You're joking, Rosie!"
"No, Ms. Bower, I'm completely serious."

"She is," says a voice that must belong to the man I can't believe she said is waiting to see me. Phillip Drummond of Trans Allied, Inc., a mega-firm, and one of Wallace and McQuade's largest accounts. What's he doing here?

Well, it's not like I have anything else to do this morning, other than rack my brains trying to think of how to get some clients. Maybe that's why he's here. Maybe he's thought of someone he can recommend. But why would he show up in person? I never had direct dealings with him. I've never even met him before!

I wish my office was more impressive-looking. Oh, Mother did a fine job decorating. She has a flair for that sort of thing. It just doesn't look, well, lived-in. Not that I want a shabby office, but you can tell I only just moved in.

"Please send Mr. Drummond in, Rosie. Thank you."

I wish I looked more impressive. I'm very aware of being a young blonde woman. I feel like I'm a little girl playing dress-up. Since my old agency was large, I was one of a few vice-presidents. Now I'm the big and only fish in a very small pond.

Mr. Drummond turns out to be a tall, distinguished-looking but smiling man of about Mother's age. "Ms. Bower, we meet at last!"

"Uh, yes. My pleasure."

"I was very impressed with the campaign you designed for Trans Allied two years ago."

"Oh, thank you." That seems like another life now. Jonathan was a baby but I was working as hard as I could in order to prove myself. Sometimes I wonder what the point was. If I had quit when he was born, I'd be just as unemployed. But then I wouldn't have had as much experience, or savings. On the other hand, I would've spent more time with my son when he most needed me. But maybe I wouldn't have met Tony. There are so many ifs in life.

"I told Grant he was a fool to let you go."

I'm thrown for a minute, thinking he means romantically, but I don't think anyone outside of Wallace and McQuade knows about my flirtation with Grant. And it's not as if Grant were madly in love with me and would've wanted to fight Tony for me. I certainly wouldn't have wanted that!

But of course he means Grant letting me go from the agency. "Well, it was a difference of philosophy. I believe in hard work, but I don't believe in burning myself out."

"I completely agree."

"Well, thank you."

"And that's why I'd like to transfer my account from Wallace and McQuade to the Bower Agency."

I stare at him.

"No, I'm not joking."

"Mr. Drummond—"

"Phil."

"Phil. Angela." I shake my head. "I'm very flattered of course, but as you can see, my agency is very new and very small and I'm afraid that I can't offer you what a larger, more established agency could."

"Angela, this agency has the most creative person to ever work for Wallace and McQuade. Indeed, one of the most creative in the world of advertising. And just because I run a large company does not mean that I can't appreciate a small company. Also, not to brag, but having me as a client would give the Bower Agency a great deal of legitimacy and cachet, which would attract other clients."

"Well, if you're sure."

Now he shakes his head. "Angela, if you're going to be a success in advertising you're going to have to learn to sell yourself."

I blink.

"Sorry, I didn't mean that to sound like a come-on. I meant that as fatherly advice. You are bright, talented, and ambitious, but you need to develop your self-esteem."

"Yes, I know." I've never been very good at self-esteem.

"I realize that being fired has shaken your confidence—"

"Yes, it has. But it's not just that. My husband also lost his job. Or, well, we think he has."

"You think?"

I find myself spilling my guts to this stranger. He's very sympathetic. And he's seen Tony play and knows what a bright career Tony had.

"...Sometimes I think it'd almost be easier if they just said he's fired. But it's only been three and a half months and he's still healing. So they haven't said anything definite yet about next year. At least I know where I stand with Wallace and McQuade and I can move on, build a new life, scary as that is. Tony just started college this week, so it's all so new to him, and he doesn't have any specific plans if the Cardinals don't want him back."

"I see. It must be rough on your family financially as well as emotionally."

"Yes, it is. I mean, we're not starving of course, but, well, we'll probably have to let our housekeeper go." I know Tony's friends would find that funny, since none of them have servants. But for someone like me, it is a big step down in class and I know how the neighbors will react. (So far, there are no obvious signs of our financial difficulties. We haven't even sold off my Jag. It's just that Tony and I are home much more than we used to be.) And I'm sure a man as wealthy as Mr. Drummond would understand that it is a sacrifice. He probably has a dozen servants, or more.

"What a coincidence. I've recently lost my housekeeper."

I look at him in surprise.

"She's taken a job as a house mother at the Eastland School for Girls."

"Oh, yes, I know Eastland." That's where Isabel went. "I hear it's a wonderful school."

"It is. My daughter Kimberly is a day student there." He takes out his wallet. "May I show you her picture?"

"Of course."

He shows me a picture of a sweet-faced girl of about 15. "Very pretty."

"Thank you. She takes after her mother. And these are my two sons, Willis and Arnold." He flips over to a picture of two black boys, the older about 14 and serious-looking, the other maybe 8, with cute, chubby cheeks.

"You have a lovely family."

"Thank you. And thank you for not questioning why my sons are black."

I do wonder but maybe he or his wife is mixed. And it's none of my business really.

"They're the sons of my previous housekeeper. Mrs. Jackson was a widow and she asked me to look after her children when she died. It's been an adjustment this past year, since we didn't know each other well at first, but I think we're really a family now."

He says it nonchalantly, as if this is what any employer would do. If something, God forbid, had happened to Tony when he was my housekeeper and if he had asked me to take care of Sam, I would've of course, even if he were "just my housekeeper." But I quickly grew fond of that little girl. And obviously I can relate to blending families.

"And your wife, has it been an adjustment for her?"

"I'm a widower."

I have a moment of considering fixing him up with Mother, but she's got enough on her plate, and frankly he seems too nice a man to have to deal with her idiosyncrasies. I do, however, think of a more platonic form of matchmaking.

"Phil, would you be interested in hiring my housekeeper? She's very good and I hate to think of her not finding another job after I have to let her go."

"Are you sure? I mean, business might pick up, especially if I throw some clients your way."

"I'm sure. Things are too uncertain and my family can manage without a housekeeper for awhile." If Tony's shoulder recovers enough that he can play baseball again, well, we'll revisit this. But for now, I think it's for the best.

"In that case."

He gives me the address of his penthouse suite on Park Avenue. It turns out he doesn't have any other servants, and Mrs. Garrett hasn't left yet, but she's getting ready to. I think Adelaide will fit in just fine there, and I don't think she'll complain about leaving my house for an apartment, not in this case. Of course, she might not hit it off with Mr. Drummond and his children, but they all seem like nice people, so I'll hope for the best.

Of course, he didn't come in here seeking a replacement housekeeper. We discuss what he's looking for in a new campaign, and we draw up a contract. I feel very lucky. Money will be coming in. Not enough to cover the start-up expenses and everything else, probably not even Jonathan's daycare, but things look much less bleak than they did.

After he leaves, I call Tony with the good news.

"Hey, how come you didn't offer me as a housekeeper? How do you know I don't want to live on Park Avenue?"

"Sorry, Buster, we've got a lifelong contract." Of course, I as well as anyone know that the marital contract can be broken.

"True. Plus there are some incredible perks and fringe benefits."

Only Tony can be suggestive in quite that way. I wish I could go home early, but he's got homework and I've got a campaign to work on.