Bones Burton, mistress of corporate tycoon Max Herschel, remembers that it was advantageous to be in a relationship with Max, except that he treated everything as if it was his possession. When times were good, Max funded Bones’ television company, and she won four Emmy Awards. In the present, Max’s secretary, Stella Liberti, arrives at Max's mansion by helicopter with Cathy Cronick, a company accountant. While the women handle international banking, Max has a telephone conversation with Bones, who quickly tells him she went to Dr. Benecek to have an abortion, but she is back at work. Later, Max calls Dr. Benecek to express his annoyance because he was not informed about Bones’ medical condition. Max then calls his wife, Connie, who is being treated at the Minnesotan Peabody Clinic, and orders her to come home for the anniversary party of their daughter, Baby. Afterward, he telephones Bones and arranges to cook her dinner and give her jewelry he bought in Switzerland. Once Bones agrees to the invitation, Max orders Stella to buy jewelry from a New York City jewelry store. With his social plans set, Max gloats about surpassing a business rival named Seymour Berger. After dinner, Bones is upset that Max plans to sell his International Pictures movie studio to build a sports stadium with the property. Bones wants to segue into movies from her television career and tries to convince Max that she can turn the studio around. When he argues that she is too old, Bones accuses him of refusing to cooperate because her success and independence would scare him. Max admits her argument might be valid, but claims he does not want to see her hurt. When he compliments her new earrings, she says he gives gifts to alleviate his guilt over her abortions. He claims that if she did not want the gifts, she should not have announced she had gone to Dr. Benecek. Bones apologizes for her insensitivity, but cries silently when Max enthusiastically explains his plans for the stadium. At the office, Max meets with Seymour Berger, who suggests that Max become a philanthropist. Meanwhile, Max is perplexed that Seymour does not want to assist his grandson, Mike Berger, who is incapable of running International Pictures. Although Mike is a disappointment, Seymour says he will not interfere. At work, Bones plots out scheduling for her show and wants to book Steven Routledge, a television-phobic novelist-playwright. After dinner, Bones and Steven go to Bones’s apartment, and he is impressed with her collection of fine art paintings. As Steven leaves, Bones accepts his invitation to visit his farm in Vermont. Elsewhere, Max visits International Pictures and discovers that Mike has sold off part of the studio’s lucrative film negatives. Infuriated, Max fires Mike and accuses him and Seymour of sabotaging his investment. Nevertheless, an article in the trade newspaper reports that Mike is hired as head of production at Cosmos Pictures. Max admires Mike’s pluck and orders Stella to send him an expensive plant with a congratulatory note. In Vermont, Steven admits to Bones that he is attracted to her, and they get to know one another. Sometime later, Bones asks Max’s permission to invite Steven to Baby’s party. There, Max tells Steven his play would make a great movie. When Steven tells Bones about Max’s offer, she is sure Max is plotting something, but Steven suggests that Bones become more independent and escape Max’s control. When Bones tells Max that she has married Steven, he pretends to be nonchalant. Once Bones leaves, Max retaliates by stripping Bones of her assets and material possessions. When Bones returns from a trip, she finds her name scraped off the office door and her possessions seized. She tells Stella that she will kill Max when she finds him. Meanwhile, Steven gets an offer from Cosmos Studios to adapt his play into a movie. He plans to work on the project in California, but Bones is determined to stay in New York City and make a documentary about Max and his businesses. One day, Bones sees Max in the Bergdorf Goodman department store, and beats him with her purse. After the fight moves to the street, Max’s chauffeur rescues him while a crowd applauds Bones. Soon, Bones joins Steven in California. There, Mike Burger has a party, and suggests that Steven stay during the filming of his screenplay and try producing the picture. Bones roams through the house and accidentally meets Seymour Berger, who informs her that Max has financed Steven’s movie, but Steven does not believe that Max would scheme with his business enemies at Cosmos to help him and Bones. Nevertheless, Steven stays in California to finish his work, but Bones returns to New York City to work on her documentary. Soon, Max becomes depressed after Connie’s sudden death. After watching Bones’s documentary, Max mistakes a stress attack for a heart attack, and orders his doctors to implant a pacemaker. Meanwhile, Baby suggests that Max forgive Bones, but he refuses. Baby calls Bones and pretends that her father is dying. When Bones rushes to the hospital to see Max, he vows to destroy her. Bones calms him down, then they laugh about Seymour’s poor health. She tells Max that she loves him, and he admits that he could marry Bones if they could agree on the right terms. Bones announces that she is pregnant and is going to keep the baby. She will name the child Herschel and orders Max to leave Steven and his career alone. She also wants to shut down the television company and have Max bankroll an independent movie deal. When she demands that Max say, “I love you,” he tells Stella to hold all his calls.