Page 46 of The Problem with Playboys

Chloe took in a deep breath for courage as the waiter brought her coffee. “Yes. I am.” She smoothed her napkin across her lap. “I have a boyfriend. It’s the guy I spent time with in Miami. I like him a lot. Far more than I ever expected to like any man, quite honestly.”

“I sense you’re stalling, darling.”

She was right, and Chloe knew it was time to face the music. “The only reason I haven’t said anything about him to you is because I was protecting you. I figured it wouldn’t last and I didn’t want you to be hurt by my becoming involved with him.”

“Protecting me?”

“Yes. It’s Parker Sullivan. He’s the man I’m seeing.”

“George’s son?”

“Yes.”

Her mother swallowed hard and her lips formed a hard, thin line. “Parker Sullivan. Is your boyfriend. The son of the man who stomped on my heart is your fling.”

Chloe reached across the table for her mother’s hand, but her mom pulled away. “That’s why I didn’t say anything. Believe me, I never planned on this happening. It just did.”

“This news is not improving my intestinal distress.” Her mom closed her eyes for a moment and pressed her fingertips to the center of her chest, rubbing in little circles. “You realize he’s a playboy, just like his father. Goes through women the way some people go through garbage bags.”

“That’s really not fair. Honestly, I know Parker has that reputation, but he’s not really like that. He’s incredibly kind and thoughtful. He’s heavily involved with the cancer center. He does a ton of volunteer work for them. Real work, not just writing a check.” Chloe knew she wasn’t making a case for Parker so much as she was making excuses. “And he treats me so well. He gave me this necklace last night.”

Her mom looked off into the reaches of the restaurant, then lifted her menu to shield her face. “Are people staring at us?”

“Wait. What?” Chloe turned, and sure enough, several people were staring in their direction, and they all clumsily averted their gaze when Chloe made eye contact. Just then, somewhere from the depths of her bag, her phone beeped with a text. Then another. “Hold on. I need to look at this. It might be Parker. He had to take his dog to the vet this morning.” She rifled through her bag. The phone beeped again. “She’s so adorable. Her name is Blue and she’s the cutest thing.”

Finally, she found the damn thing and fumbled with it just as the waiter delivered their breakfasts. The first text was from Taylor.

Little Black Book went after you. And your bad boy. And your mom. And your bad boy’s bad dad.

The second was from Alex.

OMG. Are you okay?

The third, from Forrest.

We have a situation. Don’t panic. Maybe head straight to the office after breakfast?

Chloe pulled up the social media app and it was the first thing in her feed. A photo of her and Parker at the fundraiser. In the hall. Chloe’s breast had a black bar over it and Parker’s hand was between her legs. She immediately saw there was more than one image, and her horror grew with each new one. The second was of her mom and George Sullivan on their wedding day, kissing. The third was of George kissing a woman in much the same way Parker had kissed Chloe in the hall. It was dated, too. The same day as the wedding. Chloe’s head spun. Her stomach lurched. Then she looked at the caption. “Like father, like son. And they apparently have a weakness for mother and daughter. Kinky, Sullivan boys. Real kinky.”

“Mom. We have a bit of a problem...” When Chloe looked up, she saw that her mom was staring straight at her phone. And the expression on her face told Chloe all she needed to know. The color in her mom’s face turned from rosy pink to pale, and then to a nearly green color.

She looked up from her screen. “The bastard cheated on me on our wedding day? Are you freaking kidding me?”

Before Chloe could even respond, her mom was clutching her chest and slumping down in her seat. Her mother was prone to dramatic exaggeration, but this was something else. Something serious.

“Somebody help me!” Chloe sprang into action, jumping out of her seat and calling 911 at the same time. “Mom. Mom. Are you okay?” She hated the desperation in her voice, but the glazed-over look in her mother’s eyes was truly frightening.

The 911 operator answered. “911. What’s your emergency?”

The waiter, hostess and a bus boy rushed over. “How can we help?”

Chloe handed the hostess her phone. “It’s 911. Tell them everything. My mom is Eliza Burnett. She’s fifty-nine. She was complaining of indigestion when I got here.” She pushed aside the table and kneeled on the floor next to her mom. “Talk to me.”

“Aspirin. In my purse. Doctor told me to take it.”

“The ambulance is on their way. Presbyterian Hospital is only a few blocks. They should be here quickly.”

Calling for an ambulance in Manhattan was a potential nightmare in the making, so Chloe was thankful for it being a Tuesday morning, after rush hour. She tore open her mom’s purse and found the bottle of aspirin and gave it to her, holding her head up so she could take a sip of water to swallow it down. She was conscious, but completely out of it. Chloe took her pulse and it seemed incredibly weak. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment. Between the news of Parker and whatever just happened with Little Black Book, Chloe couldn’t help but feel responsible.