Paul Reynolds is a Gatsby-like figure: owner of a magnificent house, a host of great parties, and a collector of interesting people. He persuades Lizzie Thomas, a secretary in a local estate agent, to come and work for him as his assistant, to bring some order to his chaos. He inspires her with his enthusiasm and imagination, and frustrates her with his apparent carelessness and destructiveness, which culminates in her calling the police as a great party is turned over by local troublemakers, seemingly with Paul's tacit approval.

But their paths are destined to cross again and again as Lizzie, with the help of some of those she met at Paul's house, rises through the changing landscape of corporate Britain. This is a story of a meaningful and powerful relationship that isn't a love story; it's about those rare people who profoundly influence and shape our lives.