Delaney

Shirley Marshall, director of Productions, was the first person to congratulate Delaney and Wendy when the show ended.

"We are ever so pleased," Shirley said, without identifying who the 'we' people were.

Delaney then took her mother to Newark to catch her flight home and to their delight Daniel arrived, looking a bit hassled from the rush getting there. Thelma kissed him and embarrassed Daniel saying, "You are a fine looking young man, quite suitable for my daughter."

"Mom."

"What?"

"Nothing," Delaney smiled.

Daniel had to race off to a meeting. When Delaney stood by her mother as she checked in for the flight, the clerk spoke into a phone and as they left the counter and rejoined Daniel, a charming hostess appeared and said, "Hi Delaney, a great show. Many of us watched it and hi Mrs Dee. Please come through to our VIP lounge as our guests."

"Oh no, not again," Delaney said. "Why do people have to recognize me?"

"Well I'm pleased to be going to a VIP lounge," Thelma smiled, taking her daughter's arm proudly.

Daniel arrived at Delaney's apartment at 7:00 and then went next door for drinks with Cheryl and Joe Cassidy and a few minutes later Daniel's parents, Cassandra and Henry Cassidy arrived, Cassandra being Joe's sister.

"And what do you think of our former PA?" Joe asked.

"Delaney presents like a seasoned profession already," Cassandra said. "Darling today you were calm and outgoing and credibly sweet, exactly the right pitch for early afternoon TV and your program was so balanced. You are so lucky to have Wendy as your producer."

Cheryl turned on TV and left the sound off until she saw the 'Entertainment Report' segment was about to start during the last section of the 'New York Today' program than followed News Hour."

"Good evening everyone, I'm Mandy Holland. This afternoon New York received a treat in no-nonsense television when Delaney Dee launched her new talk show on NBIGY TV. Delaney who? I can almost hear some of you saying. Well just watch this space or better still watch 'Early Afternoon with Delaney' 1:00 to 3:00 week days. Today's first up serving by Delaney was crisp, entertaining, varied and for me at least, most fascinating. I almost puked when Delaney introduced her first guest as her mother. A recipe for disaster, I thought. But no, the chat just flowed and to my astonishment I found it riveting TV. Well done Delaney if you are watching. I predict it won't be too long before you have your own show on prime network TV."

Cassandra turned to catch Delaney's reaction and found her shaking her head.

"That woman had lost credibility for me. Me on prime TV, I ask you?"

"Honey let me tell you, New York loves a winner until she or he begins to lose traction. I suggest you wait before writing off Mandy Holland until you read the newspaper in the morning. Mandy has a great record for pressing the right buttons with her opinions. Just stay out of the politics if you wish to continue to be your simple self, and I recommend you do that. Being simple and unaffected has given you a sharp edge compared with competitors of how people see you on-screen. As your show's ratings begin to climb you'll know Mandy Holland and others including me have you identified correctly."

"Yes keep those sharp questions going darling with your sweet smiles and absolute engagement with your guests with no attempt to dominate or to be flashy and attempting to win attention," Cheryl said. "God with Cassandra and Delaney at the same table we won't be sitting like wallflowers in the restaurant tonight."

* * *

Seven months on Cassandra went to the office of Shirley Marshall, director of Productions.

"Delaney will hate me for doing this and you must keep my name out of it; is that understood?"

"Yes, you being the source of any information will remain confidential. But I'm aware you and Delaney are almost like mother and daughter."

"Actually we are best of pals, nothing more than that, although she'd likely to become my daughter-in-law. It irritates me that management has almost spurned Delaney and it's because she came out of the woodwork rather than being head-hunted by an executive or came to our notice as being identified by a professors as a student with obvious star qualities."

Shirley nodded and said she agreed with that.

"She's had several approaches made to her."

"That is to be expected Cassandra but I notice she's still here and hasn't come running asking for more money as an inducement to stay because she's had a big offer."

"It might interest you to know she'd not that kind of person and actually she rather likes working here."

Shirley confessed she was already thinking along those lines. "So what has changed now to make you come forward about this latest offer?"

"Delaney's current contract has two months to run. Yesterday she was taken to dinner by two representatives from Fox Broadcasting. They have something big in the wind and invited her to apply to be interviewed for the anchor position. They wouldn't say what the project is and was told she wouldn't learn about it although being interviewed for the primary role."

"So what do you want me to do about this?"

"Nothing if you believe there's no risk of us losing Delaney. Oh and she'd getting restless and I'd think that's because she'd outgrown her afternoon chat show. My thinking is CBS could be interested in our Delaney. She's become a media darling and could even switch to print."

"Cassandra you are beginning to sound like Delaney's agent."

"That's not the case Shirley. I just think Delaney's future with us might be teetering and perhaps it's time she's offered a major role."

"What do you suggest?"

"Now Shirley, remember I didn't bring this up until you pressured me. My suggestion is to follow our early evening one-hour news with a 15-minute news interview slot called something like 'Delaney's VIP Interview'. The interview would be about the VIPs as personalities rather than what they want to say about their career or their pet projects. She could then do a taped Saturday or Sunday feature to justify being retained on a good salary."

"Like what?"

"You have professionals to come up with sound ideas for new programs Shirley."

"I asked like what? You know her better than we do."

"Well let her find her topics, looking for the off-beat and even wacky things, and call the show, well I don't know, something like um, well 'Back Street New York'."

"That sounds pretty hairy."

"Well you have experts to develop shows. Go to them. I just sit in a chair and chat for my money."

Well apparently no one bothered to consult the experts. Next day Delaney was questioned about her interest in renewal of contract for three years and told it was likely she'd come off her afternoon show in two months at the end of the current season and immediately begin featuring on two prime time programs that were still under wraps.

She said to Shirley, "Why am I being taken off my successful show?"

"Because we don't wish to have a person with your talent go stale."

"Why am I being offered a longer contract?"

Shirley had no problem with that question. "Longer contracts are offered to our high value people."

"Why am I suddenly receiving this attention?"

"There have been noises that you might be looking elsewhere for employment and it has been perceived you might not be finding your current work challenging enough and you have done well enough to establish strong public recognition of your ability."

"Has Cassandra been talking to you about me?"

"Cassandra? Now why would she want to do that?"

"I really don't know Shirley, I'm just suspicious. Somebody is behind this and she above everyone else has always taken an interest in me."

"Well can you keep something confidential, absolutely confidential meaning that you tell no one, not even give a hint, and that includes to Cassandra your confidante?"

"Yes and that's guaranteed."

"The plan being discussed is to give you a special interview slot immediately after the early evening news where you interview to humanize a VIP and during the week you also tape an hour-long shows for Sunday evenings to run from 7 pm to 8 pm as yet to be named but the theme will be based on unusual people and their activities from the back streets of New York."

Delaney's face shone with excitement.

"Omigod I can't wait for all this to happen. I'll be busy but taping for Sunday night means my weekends will be free. Um I don't know if I should say this but people from Fox want me to interview for a new project coming up but I would be competing with other people whereas you already want me for two projects that really excite me."

"So Fox are trying to head-hunt you?"

"Yes and they gave me the usual bullshit that I'm hot property and I'd like the money that would be offered."

"The usual bullshit you said, so others have been around sniffing?"

"Yes two newspapers and a magazine expressing an interest in me writing a regular column and all three said it was my name they wanted and they would provide me with a ghost-writer if necessary but all said if I wrote very much like I talked a ghost-writer wouldn't be necessary."

"Well I won't keep you Delaney. Discussions will need to advance before I can give you further information but that should occur shortly," Shirley said, although not sounding if any outcome was all that imminent.

"Um who'll take over my afternoon show?"

"We'll find someone. It won't be a problem. Lesley Willis comes to mind."

"Ah yes, she has the laid-back style that really suits that slot."

But then, as happens to some people when their careers appear to be blooming, something came up. Delaney's father Charles called with bad news.

"Your mother has been cut down by a heart attack. She'd in hospital looking poorly and is being assessed."

Delaney was mortified. "I'm on my way as soon as I get permission to come to you."

Shirley sympathized and said yes of course, Delaney must go to her mother's bedside.

"Take as long as you require. I'll have Lesley Willis fill in for you. This will allow us to assess her."

Delaney called Daniel Cassidy who'd been involved with a team defending a major corporation fighting claims of breach of contract in the late supply of products that left the client company attributing losses in market share valued at half a billion dollars due to late delivery of its new models of fork lifts. With the heavy demands placed on Daniel in doing long hours of legwork in building the legal case for the defense, he and Delaney had not been together for almost a month.

"I'm sorry to hear about your mother's plight," he said. "Email me and I'll see you when you get back. I must go."

Yeah right, thought Delaney sourly. They appeared to live in different worlds.

She left New York two hours later for Sarasota, Florida, uneasy about coming into proximity of her ex-husband in Venice Beach, but she was unlikely to see him if she stayed in Sarasota. Charles Dee met her at the airport and they kissed and she asked, "How's mom?"

"The prognosis is her heart suffered permanent damage. She's likely to survive but might be confined to a wheelchair."

"Oh god, but at least she's alive and we have her."

"Um we haven't told you this Delaney but since you left here your mother and I haven't gotten on and I moved out and now live with someone else. But the business is doing well and I can afford to place her in a good institution."

"An institution, are you mad? Mom would die being locked up."

"I meant one of those health care places, not a lock-up place."

"It virtually means the same thing. She has money she inherited from gran doesn't she?"

"Yes quite a bit and invested here and there."

"And she has our family house?"

"Yes," said Charles, as they got into the SUV.

"Then that's fine. I'll get the legal authority from her to sell out some of her assets to pay for a live-in nurse and I'll return here and live with mom."

"But where does that leave your career?"

"My mother is more important to me than a career dad. I'll find work doing something here I'll enjoy better than talking my head off in a TV studio."

"I suppose you think I should be returning to live with Thelma in her hour of need?"

"Yes dad but that's the difference between you and me. But it's your choice and your selfish decision doesn't mean any change to the shallow relationship you and I have always enjoyed. You know I'm at present involved with a guy and our relationship is pretty shallow, now that I think about it. Coming home will give me the chance to find a guy who will put his all into our romantic partnership."

"Do guys like that still exist?"

"I think so, and I've always been an optimistic person. I'll also enjoy seeing mom responding well to my devotion because she loves me."

"Well I love you too, er quite a bit."

"Yes dad."

THE END