Page 28 of The Problem with Playboys

Alex laughed as Taylor’s driver sped off. “She’s such a crazy woman. But I love her for it.”

“Yeah. Me too,” Chloe said. “So what do you have going on this week?” she asked while they both waited for their drivers to pick them up.

“I have to go to this hospital fundraiser that I did the flowers for. I really, really don’t want to go. I don’t have a date, and I hate going to those things by myself.” It was as if a light bulb had gone off and her eyes grew larger. “Oh, my God. Do you want to come with me?”

Given the earlier invite from Parker, this was certainly an interesting turn of events. “Hospital fundraiser?”

“Yep. Friday night. At the Waldorf. It’s a great excuse to wear a fancy dress and there’s an open bar.” Alex tugged on her hand. “Come on. You know you want to. Plus, you and I never get to spend any time together, just the two of us. It’ll be fun.”

This might be the perfect solution to Chloe’s Parker predicament. She didn’t have to accept his invitation, but she could still see him. It would give her a chance to test the waters. Dip her toe in one last time and see if perhaps she’d simply been under the spell of Parker in Miami the first time. There was a chance that Parker in Manhattan might not prove quite as tempting. “I’d love to go. But full disclosure, the guy from Miami is going to be there.”

“Parker Sullivan?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know he’ll be there?”

“Because he invited me to the event and I haven’t given him an answer yet.”

Alex narrowed her sights on Chloe. “I like it. You can see him without actually letting him know you’re interested. Very clever.”

Chloe loved how well her friends knew her. “Exactly.”

Alex’s driver approached the curb and Chloe could see that Liam was pulling up right behind him. “So? Friday? It’s a date?” Alex asked.

“Yes.” Chloe nodded. “I look forward to it.” She climbed into the car and pulled out her phone, staring at it for a few minutes before finally calling Parker.

“Hey,” he said when he answered.

She wasn’t quite prepared for what his voice did to her. It made her insides turn to liquid. Thoughts of Miami zipped through her head—bare skin and warm tropical breezes and kisses that could seriously make her forget her own name. “Hey, yourself.”

“I take it you got my message?”

“I did.”

“And?”

Chloe wasn’t quite sure how to word this, since she still didn’t know if the invitation he’d extended was a date. “Turns out that my friend Alexandra is going, too. She and I don’t get to see each other very often, so I was thinking that I’ll go with her and see you there?”

A few long moments of silence played out on the other end of the line. She had to wonder what he was thinking. Was he disappointed? Rejected? Or maybe something far less consequential, like distracted? “Sure thing. That sounds great. I hope you’ll let me buy you a drink.”

“Alex said there’s an open bar.”

Parker laughed, which sent a flutter through her. “Oh, right. That was stupid of me to say. How about this? I’ll wait on you. I’ll bring you whatever you want.”

“Are we still talking about a drink?”

“Maybe. Or maybe other things. I haven’t decided yet.”

Chloe couldn’t fight the smile breaking across her face. “Anything I want?”

“Absolutely anything.”