Somebody to Love(34)

“Look at that lawyer of his,” Juliet said. “He’s such a social climber. I’m surprised he hasn’t tried sleeping with you, Parker.” The cousins burst into laughter, and Parker, who hadn’t cried for a long, long time, felt suddenly terrified that she was about to burst into tears.

“Would you please pass the butter, Regan?” she asked.

“Do you really think you need it?” Aunt Louise said, and Parker was actually grateful for the change in subject.

The five minutes had stretched into thirty-three.

She was an idiot.

Don’t say that, Parker, the Holy Rollers chimed. We think you’re really smart!

Not smart enough, apparently, to realize that she’d skipped happily into yet another cliché, even worse than Wedding Guest Picks Up Guy or Poor Little Rich Girl Feels So Alone. No, this one was worse. Juliet was absolutely right. This one was Guy Sleeps with Boss’s Daughter as Part of Plan to Move Up Corporate Ladder.

Idiot.

She spent forty-seven minutes at dinner, hoping her expression was pleasant, glancing over occasionally as her father worked the crowd.

Thing One stayed obediently at his side.

Then she texted her driver, went home, took a very hot shower and practically scrubbed off her skin with the loofah.

She got a text a little while later. You still around? Can’t seem to find you.

It was now one hundred and twenty-six minutes after the five he’d said. Well. Better to learn this now. She opted not to respond. Sat there and watched Dexter instead.

He called an hour later and left a message. “Hey, Parker, it’s James. Would you mind calling me? I think there’s been a misunderstanding. Talk to you later.”

Oh, yes, there’d been a misunderstanding. One hundred and twenty-six of them.

The next day, when Ethan dropped Nicky home, she asked him to stay for dinner before he had to head for the airport. No skipping the armor this time, because if Parker was right, Thing One was going to put in an appearance.

Ethan and Nicky were playing T-ball on the back lawn when James showed up. Parker watched through the window as he came up the long walk, flowers in hand. He ran a hand through his hair before ringing the doorbell.

She opened the door.

“Parker,” James said. “Always lovely to see you.” He paused. “Everything okay here?”

“Everything’s fine, Thing One. What brings you by?”

“Well, you disappeared before I could find you yesterday.” He held out the bouquet. Roses, irises, gerbera daisies and, smack in the middle, a package of Alka-Seltzer.

Damn. She’d been feeling a little polluted all day long.

“Listen, James,” she said, shooting for cool but not icy. Icy would imply that she was hurt. “I’m very sorry that I overindulged yesterday and, ah, jumped you. It won’t happen again.”

“Parker—”

“It won’t happen again. I’m actually embarrassed, and I apologize for my behavior.”

“You—”

“Unfortunately, we’re about to eat dinner. So. I guess I’ll see you the next time Harry tells you to come by.”

Thing One’s smile was gone. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t get to—”

“It’s fine. I understand. You have certain duties. It was a business event for you.”

His eyes narrowed. “Do I get to say anything here?” he asked.

“I’d rather you got in your car and left, to be completely honest.”

“Because if I did get to say something,” he went on, “I’d say I’d like to see you again, take you to dinner, get to know you better.”

She could picture it. He’d woo her or whatever, smile his crinkly smile, make her fall for him, then, as soon as humanly possible, ask Harry if he’d give his blessing, which Harry would certainly give. Finally, a son. He and James would play golf together on the weekends and be masters of the universe during the week, because sure, James would get promoted—you don’t bag the boss’s daughter and not move up to Senior Vice President, after all. James would be an official prince in Harry’s kingdom, wouldn’t have to work so hard to impress her father, not as the son-in-law, no, sir. All James would have to do would be to shag her once in a while, father a kid or two, and he could kick back and relax, his future assured.

“What do you say?” he asked when she remained silent.

Much to her surprise, Parker felt the sting of tears in the back of her eyes. “No, thank you, James.”

“Why not?”

She shrugged and looked past him. “I’m your boss’s daughter.”

“Yes, I remember.”

She snapped her gaze back to him. “So, if you think you’re going to get closer to him by screwing me, you’re wrong.”

His eyebrows rose. “That’s not what I was thinking.”

“No, of course not.”

“If you recall, you kissed me first.”

“Yes, I recall, James. I also recall three very strong and delicious martinis, okay? I wish it hadn’t happened, and I’m promising you, it won’t happen again.”

James opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, Nicky came careening into the foyer. “Mommy? Mommy? Mommy? Can I have some Goldfish? The eating kind?” Then he noticed James in the doorway, the flowers still in his hand. “Hewwo,” he said, not having mastered the L sound just yet.