Taken at random rather than as part of the soul-deadening whole , some passages are pitch-perfect takes on the top percentile of New York society : '' Professional Friends are the newest kind of acquaintance to have in New York -- subconsciously , that is ... Interior designers , art consultants , financial advisers , gyrotonics masters or party decorators , Professional Friends lurk invisibly on the payroll of the Manhattan heiress , spending her money , skimming off their 15 percent commission and being the ultimate best buddy . ''