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of
Bling Bling
and maintained corporate offices on the top three floors of the building
.
    I got off the elevator and was greeted by a large, fragrant floral arrangement and my new assistant, Bristol Barnes, who once was the executive assistant to Davis’s executive assistant. Bristol was a tall, lanky white man with sandy-blond hair and a sparse goatee.
    â€œWelcome to
Bling Bling,
Mr. Tyler. I’m Bristol,” he said.
    â€œNice meeting you, Bristol. Davis, I mean Mr. McClinton, told me all about you. Impressive résumé,” I said. I wanted to ask Bristol, with his credentials, why he wasn’t looking for a management position, but I knew a lot of graduates took lower-paying jobs to gain entry into corporations that didn’t always post job opportunities, choosing to hire from within the organization.
    â€œThank you, sir,” Bristol said. Bristol’s résumé had been in a package I’d opened upon my arrival in New York. I’d learned that he was from Houston, had graduated from Rice University with a degree in English and had gotten an MFA from New York University.
    â€œSo, is this my office?” I asked as I looked over Bristol’s shoulder and saw a large office through the glass in front of his work space.
    â€œYes, sir, it is,” Bristol said as he opened the door and waited for me to walk in.
    The office was large; I would guess maybe more than 950 square feet, the size of an apartment. It had blond parquet floors that were polished to perfection and an Oriental rug strategically placed under the desk. There were built-in bookshelves on each side of a closed cabinet, which looked to be an entertainment center. I opened the door and out popped a thirty-six-inch flat-screen television. I also found a six-disc CD player, a video recorder, and a DVD player. Through a huge window I took in the view of Times Square, which included several large billboards advertising everything from current Broadway shows to cologne and underwear. I paused for a moment and thought about calling Trent and telling him about this office, but wondered if he would appreciate my success. I wondered if he’d ever been proud of me.
    My new desk was large with oval leather in the center and wood surrounding it. My chair was blue leather and steel. I looked around the office and saw a comfortable navy blue leather sofa with two matching chairs and a glass-and-steel coffee table covered with issues of
Bling Bling
and several other magazines. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I noticed a black-and-steel wet bar in another corner.
    â€œIs everything okay?” Bristol asked as he walked into the office.
    â€œEverything looks fine,” I said as I looked at not one but two computer screens on my desk. I guess I really had made it big.
    â€œDid you see the spectacular view?”
    â€œHow could I not see it,” I said, laughing.
    â€œI’ll give you a chance to get comfortable, but if you need anything, just push this button,” Bristol said as he pointed toward a phone that had more buttons than I’d ever seen.
    â€œThanks, Bristol. Give me a little time to get used to everything,” I said.
    â€œSure. Do you have a Palm, Mr. Tyler?”
    â€œI sure do.”
    â€œWhy don’t you let me have it so I can transfer your old data to the new one I purchased for you. It’s updated with all the most recent entertainment and service information for New York City,” Bristol said.
    â€œSure,” I said as I reached into my briefcase, pulled out my Palm, and handed it to him.
    â€œThank you, sir. Oh, and I took the liberty of picking out some CDs for you to start off your office collection. If you’d like some other selections, please let me know. There’s a record store in the building, and I’d be more than happy to run downstairs and pick up whatever you like.”
    â€œGreat, Bristol. I’m sure your selections will be just