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school for their son Thomas.  Alex wasn’t comfortable there, and as time went on, she spent less and less time with her mother in the summers.  She explained to her that she had friends and activities now that kept her in New York and although her mother seemed sad about the circumstances, she eventually relented and let her have her way.
    The phone rang one day while she was scouring the Internet for teaching positions and she was happy to hear her mother on the other end of the phone.  They talked for a while about what Alex was doing and how she hadn’t had much luck finding a job.
    “Well, that’s why I’m calling,” she said, her New York accent still evident in her voice.
    Her husband Tom was grooming his son Tom Jr. to take over his wine distribution business. He’d been working for his father for two years now and his assistant had just quit to get married.
    “You are perfect for this job, Alex,” she said.  “You are certainly bright enough and you have a lovely presence.”
    “But I’m a teacher,” Alex said.  “My experience is with children in the classroom.”
    “You may only want to do this for a year,” her mother said. “But it involves travel.  You’d get to see the world, sweetheart.  That’s something you want to do when you’re young. You can teach until you’re old and grey.”
    Her mother explained the role Alex would be taking.  Assistants, she said, did a lot of the travel planning, event and meeting planning—and some grunt work, like getting coffee and bringing in meals.
    “And it pays $80,000 to start,” she said.  “Plus bonuses.”
    Alex stammered for a minute.  $80,000 a year, she thought? And travel! It all sounded too good to be true, but she’d never been fond of her stepbrother. There was, of course, a lot of jealousy between them and Alex had always thought of him as a spoiled brat.
    “It’s an exciting job,” her mother said.
    Alex knew her mother was offering this to her to help her broaden her horizons.  She’d always wanted more for Alex than Alex had wanted for herself.
    “I’m just worried about Thomas,” Alex said. “It’s not like we’ve ever been the best of friends.”
    “Thomas has changed,” her mother said. “He’s an adult now.  He’s not going to give you any trouble.  I think given the chance, the two of you will get along very well.”
    It was one of those synchronistic events that never happened to Alexander Bill.  There was no question in Alex’s mind that she’d be accepting the job.  This was her chance to leave New York for a while, to explore the world beyond Brooklyn.  She was having dinner with her father and her grandparents’ house that night and she’d broach it with them then.  She knew it would be a battle, but she was determined.
    “Thomas Cooke?” her grandfather said.  “That’s your mother’s husband’s business!”  Why aren’t they looking for a candidate with a business degree? You’re a teacher!”
    “They’re looking for someone intelligent,” Alex said, blushing a bit. “They need an assistant.  A lot of the work is mundane.  How smart do you have to be to get someone coffee?”
    “Then it’s beneath you,” her father said, with an indignant tone in his voice.
    “Now just a minute,” her grandmother said, putting her fork down on her plate with a loud thud. “This sounds like an incredible opportunity and we all need to stop yakking and listen to Alex.  What young girl doesn’t want to see the world?”
    “Yeah, and it pays more than $80,000 a year to start,” Alex told them, somewhat hesitantly.
    The room became silent.  That’s more than anyone in the room had made as a yearly salary their entire lives.
    “Oh, lord,” her grandfather said.  “How can our Alex say no? This sounds like it could be something good.”
    Alex’s father looked lost.  He stared down at his plate with a look of sadness on his face.
    “You always knew this coming,” her