A Marriage of Convenience

Chad Harwood is a famous writer with a dedicated amanuensis, Cara St. James, an intelligent woman who is an excellent foil for Chad's authorial brainstorming. They share an unspoken mutual depth of feeling, but neither will admit that to Self, much less to Other. Cara cohabits with little emotion with an arrogant high-flying financier, Reese, who at best is shallow; at his worst he is psychologically abusive and pathologically controlling and unfaithful. Chad knows Cara could do better--much better--but out of respect and due to his own integrity of character he never pushes the issue, until she determines on her own to leave Reese and Reese's lying nonsense. Chad makes an extra suite in his huge apartment available to her, and the work situation continues with growing emotional depth.