Page 24 of The Problem with Playboys

Seven

Parker’s return to New York was not like his usual reentry after a work trip. It held a surprising and unfamiliar sense of emptiness. That feeling started on the plane back from Miami when Chloe had made it clear that she was keeping the ball in her own court. The situation with her mom was too fraught with complications, plus there was the problem of the threat from Little Black Book. Sex with him had not been enough to make her want to bend a few unspoken rules. Which was too bad, because the sex had been fantastic.

He got up early on Saturday morning and went for a long run on his treadmill. He loved the home gym in his apartment, with an expanse of windows that made it feel as though he was taking long strides up above so much of the city, pointed straight at the picturesque Hudson River. But he didn’t find himself feeling quite so energized by the view today. It wasn’t the Miami guesthouse that was for sure, with its warm sunshine, tropical foliage and beautiful, sexy Chloe in the pool. Just revisiting thoughts of their rendezvous made tension coil tightly in his hips, and that made his legs bind up. Not conducive to a productive run, but all he could think about was kissing her neck and touching her breasts and having her hot breath in his ear. The stunning city vista before him seemed to disappear, replaced by visions of Chloe and her red hair trailing along his chest as she kissed her way down his stomach...

You’re tormenting yourself.

He hit the stop button on the treadmill and hopped off, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from his face. Why was he off in fantasy land? He was not a guy with his head in the clouds and he also wasn’t anywhere close to this desperate. And even if he was, it was in his power to change that. There were plenty of women’s numbers on his phone. All he needed to do was make a call or two, deliver an enticing invitation and get his mind off the one woman who he apparently couldn’t have. And his Saturday would not have to be a complete waste.

He grabbed his phone, but just as he was about to scroll through his contacts, the screen lit up with a video call from his dad. He pressed the green button, grabbed his water bottle and started for the kitchen. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”

“I see you’re back from Miami.” His dad’s formidable face filled the screen—stern blue-gray eyes and a jawline that was all business. His father was aging well and Parker hoped for the same, especially the full head of silver hair his dad had.

“I am.”

“And do you feel you were successful in shutting down this gambling story?”

Parker nodded and took a seat on one of the barstools at his kitchen island. “Definitely. Once these articles run, the world can see that Marcus is not this one mistake. He’s a smart, talented and handsome young man who owns an amazing Miami mansion and is in ridiculously good shape.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask, who did you hire to do Marcus’s publicity? Good crisis PR is hard to come by.”

Parker hadn’t banked on this question. His father rarely probed for details. He was primarily a guy who wanted to know that things were taken care of, and that was usually the end of the conversation. “Actually, this is a funny situation. I think you’ll get a kick out of this.” He swallowed hard, hoping that would prove to be true. “I hired Chloe Burnett.”

For a moment, Parker’s dad did nothing but stare into the camera on his phone. Slowly, a smile started to curl the corners of his mouth. “You’re kidding.”

“I’m not. I finally met her the day that she came out to the house on Long Island to get her mother’s things. We chatted for a few minutes about work, she told me what she does and that was that. But then the Marcus story broke a few hours later. She impressed me, so I called her up and the rest is history.” Parker was having a hard time containing his own smile as the flashbacks to Miami started again.

“And you were pleased with the job she did?”

“One hundred percent.”

“Good to know.”

“This isn’t a problem for you, is it? I mean, considering that you just got divorced from her mom?”

“Actually, it might help me. You hiring Chloe might make Eliza hate me a little less. Things were not great at the end there.” His dad sighed and looked off for a moment. “Then again, they never are when a marriage is falling apart.”

“Are you doing okay with everything?”

His dad dismissed the question with a tut. “Yes. It’s better this way. Believe me.”

Parker had very few heart-to-heart conversations with his dad, but he couldn’t help but feel like this might be a good time to try. As much as he disliked his father’s habits in his personal life, it tore him up to see him ride this roller coaster of romantic highs and lows. “I know you don’t like to talk about this, but maybe it’s a good idea for you to take a break from relationships for a while.”

“You’re givingmeadvice about my love life?”

“Don’t think of it as advice so much as a suggestion from your well-meaning son.”

“Parker, you’re thirty-four and I couldn’t tell you the last time I met someone you were dating. From where I sit, you shuffle women in and out of your life like they’re nothing. I’m not sure that your approach is a good one either. At least I’m willing to commit.”

Parker didn’t see it that way. At all. “Marrying every woman you’ve slept with more than twice isn’t particularly respectful either, is it? You promise them the world and then you get bored.” He stopped himself from saying what he really wanted to get off his chest, that his father ultimately treated his mother that way, even when she was sick. Parker braced for an outburst from his father.

His dad’s anger never came. Instead, he shrugged. “Maybe that is what I do. Life is messy, Parker. I’ve told you that hundreds of times.”

Those were the exact words Parker had said to Chloe on the plane back from Miami. No wonder she hadn’t been particularly receptive to the idea. Yes, life was messy, but some people were agents of chaos in their own lives and couldn’t see it. Parker had long thought his dad was one of those people. And now that the man was in his early sixties, Parker couldn’t see ever persuading him to change. “I don’t want to argue, Dad. You do what’s best for you. But maybe stay away from Vegas if you can.”

“Don’t worry. I plan to play the field for at least a little while.”

“Are you bringing anyone to the hospital fundraiser on Friday?”