“I’ll think about it. I don’t know. I’m tired.” All of a sudden my phone starts buzzing like crazy. “Excuse me, John, I need to take this.”

Hailey is calling me, which is so weird because I haven’t heard from her. What is with the urgency to talk to me all of a sudden? I answer the phone.

“Hailey?” She is going off on me like a woman out for blood. “Calm down,” I say, but she continues to yell. “What the fuck are you talking about? I’m in California. I’ll call you back when I get to my hotel room.”

I hang up with her. Someone is going to have a lot of explaining to do.

CHAPTER 22

Hailey

I TAP MY FINGERS on my desk while I reading over a manuscript submission. It puzzles me. It sounds so familiar. The author writes under a pen name, “M. Dorman.” They didn’t send any other information along with it, just a phone number. I pull up the Facebook author page and there are no clues there, either. I will have to set up a meeting just to see who is behind the name.

I buzz Melanie into my office and she comes running.

“You rang?”

“Can you set up a meeting with this author? Here’s the phone number. Make it for two weeks from now—that’s when I can fit them in.”

“On it.”

“Thanks,” I say as she leaves my office.

A few minutes later, she buzzes my phone. “There’s a guy on line one looking for you. He says his name is Parker.”

“Interesting. Put him through.”

It’s been almost two weeks since my date with Chase. If I never see either one of them ever again, it won’t affect me at all.

“Hailey McCormick speaking,” I say, answering the phone as if I have no idea who is on the line.

“Hi, Hailey! It’s Parker.”

I roll my eyes. “What can I do for you, Parker? You have a best-selling novel for me?

“Nah, I just wanted to see if I can take you out to lunch today,” he says, laughing.

“I can’t. Maybe some other time. I’m really booked with meetings.”

“Look, I know you’re all about Chase. He’s a good guy and all, but so am I.”

This actually pisses me off.

“I’m actually not all about Chase. I’m not all about anyone but my job,” I snap back.

“Have dinner with me,” he pleads.

“No.”

“Then maybe just lunch?”

“What do you want, Parker?”

“Nothing. I just want to find out all about the great Hailey McCormick.”

“There’s nothing to know. What you see is what you get.”

“I’ll pick you up at one,” he insists.

“I have a meeting.” He just doesn’t get it or take no for an answer.

“Your secretary already told me you were open at one. I asked. I knew you would say no.”

“Damn her,” I say under my breath.

“See ya then,” he says and hangs up the phone.

I can’t even call him back—I don’t know his phone number. I’m not in the mood to deal with Parker, Chase’s friend. I am so conflicted about Chase. We may have had a shot at it, but who knows? After the date we had, that’s not really an option. If Chase was really interested, he would have called me.

Everyone has that one thing that they go to when they are upset, confused, or just out of sorts. Mine happens to be food. I have it under control, but there are times when it just defeats me. Today, I feel like eating a whole container of chocolate ice cream, but I have to ask myself is it really worth it? Do I want to gain weight again and relive that hellish nightmare that I went through? I may not have to deal with Carrie and company, but let’s face it—society as a whole is unaccepting to overweight people.

I remove thoughts of ice cream from my brain and think of Parker. He is not a good idea. Mr. Bad Boy, himself. I’m not sure why he is being persistent. Some things you just never forget…

***

It was May 2005. I walked into the sporting goods store with my dad. He needed to get equipment to coach my brother’s Little League team. While he stopped to look at bats, I wandered aimlessly through the store then focused intently on a pair of Adidas sneakers that I wanted.

I thought I heard someone say my name, but I ignored it. Then I heard it again. I saw Parker standing at the end of the sneaker aisle. I had no choice but to speak to him, because he worked there.

“Hi, Hailey,” he said, coming closer toward me.

I looked at him like he had twelve heads. Was he really talking to me? He was the second most popular guy at school, right behind his best friend, Chase.

“Oh, hi,” I said with confusion.

“Can I help you with something?” he asked.

“No thanks, I’m just looking.” I just wanted to end the conversation quickly.

“I work here, so if you need anything, just ask.”

“Thanks.”

He didn’t walk away… Great. That was me being sarcastic. He looked like he wanted to speak, but I opened my mouth first.

“Well, I better go find my dad.”

“Do you like Chase?” he blurted out.

“He’s a nice person if that’s what you mean.” Where was he going with this?

“I meant like him as in date him.”

“No. Where did that come from?”

“I just know about the encounters that you’ve had.”

“And…,” I said.

“He doesn’t have time for distractions. He loves Carrie. We also have a big game coming up. He doesn’t have time to go around being a hero.”

“What are you saying, Parker?” He was starting to piss me off big time.

“I think you should steer clear of Chase. You’re both different, and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

I folded my arms over my chest. “Now you care about me. I don't need your sympathy or Chase's, for that matter. I can take care of myself.”

“So you’re saying your tears are all an act?” he asked with an attitude.

I was on the verge of tears. He had the situation all wrong. Was Chase saying all these things about me? He had to be. Where else would Parker get this information?

“No, not at all.”

“I think you like Chase and want him to yourself, but it’s not going to work.”

I had had enough. I ran away from Parker and went out the door to get air. I had to keep telling myself that I would be out of school in four months.

My dad peeked his head out the door. “Are you okay? I was looking for you. I saw you pacing back and forth.”

“I'm good. I’m just waiting out here.”

“Was it that boy you were talking to? Did he say something? Do you want me to beat him up?”

“No, Dad. Pay for the stuff. You can't beat up every guy that bothers me.”

“Yes I can! I'm your father. Nobody hurts my daughter and makes her pace out here like a lunatic. Maybe you'll marry him one day,” he said, laughing.

“Ewwww, Dad.” I rolled my eyes and he went back in the store. I stood outside, calmed down, and tried to forget about yet another encounter I’d have to tell my therapist about when I got older…

***

“Hello? Did you hang up on me? Hello, I hear you breathing,” Parker says impatiently into the phone.

“I'm still here,” I respond, not interested in the conversation.

“I'll be there to pick you up. We can talk about you and Chase if you want.”

“There is no me and Chase. I'm a single independent woman, and I'm no longer seventeen. Do you have something legitimate to talk about?” After thinking back to our encounter, I felt annoyed.

“Yes, I do.”

“Fine. I'll give you five minutes at one o'clock.”

“You got it. I'll stop by. Maybe I can talk you into lunch.”