Chapter 28
“You want to pass on interviewing Gabe Speier? Are you out of your mind?” Jay demanded.
Parker was beginning to feel like it.
Jay snapped his fingers in front of Parker’s face. “Snap out of it. I worked my ass off getting this for you and you’re not
going to blow it just because you want to mope around and feel sorry for yourself. For getting a six-figure book deal,” he
added with a sneer.
“Okay, okay,” Parker said, holding up a hand. “I’m going already.”
“You bet you are. And after that it’s the party with the MLB cheerleaders and ball girls. Oh, wait. Never mind. I don’t want
you showing up at that. You’ll scare away every woman in the room.”
“Fine by me. I’ve got stuff to do,” Parker said.
Like think about how he was going to win Alice back.
He thought a lot but came up with nothing. Once back in the suite he flipped on the TV and streamed a movie. Pride & Prejudice. For research. Darcy was still a jerk.
Until the end. Alice’s words came back to him, whispering, “He proved his love, not by what he said but by what he did.”
Parker didn’t know if he was in love yet, not all the way, but he was halfway in for sure, and he realized he wanted to be
in all the way. Not the kind of love he’d fallen into before where it was drama and frustration. He wanted a love that involved
giving on both sides. And respect.
Respect. He wasn’t exactly earning Alice’s. He wasn’t so sure he respected himself at the moment.
Finally, come Thursday, Jay sat him down for a heart-to-heart talk. “Look, you have got to fix yourself. Or else quit telling
listeners to keep their head in the game, ’cause yours sure isn’t. And it shows.”
“Sorry,” Parker muttered. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, whaddya want to do?”
“I want to be with Alice.”
“Then be with Alice.”
“She doesn’t want to be with me.”
“So, do something to make her want to be with you. Call your mom and get some suggestions. She writes about this stuff for
a living.”
His mom hadn’t been much help the last time they talked, but Parker needed a Hail Mary. He shut himself in his bedroom and
called her.
“Mom, I’m desperate. I need your help. Give me some ideas on how I can get Alice to give me a chance.”
“Parker, you have to prove you want to be with her,” she said, her voice brimming with impatience. “It’s just that simple.
And, in your case, that hard. And whatever you do, you’d better make it public.”
“This isn’t helping,” he complained. “I need specific suggestions.”
“I could offer some, but it wouldn’t be the same. You need to do this all on your own.”
“Come on, Mom. I’m out of my depth here.”
“You’re a smart man. You’ll figure something out,” she said.
It was meant to assure him. It didn’t.
It took him until the day before they flew home to come up with a new game plan, and it started with making a call to his
agent.
“You’re kidding, right?” was David’s reply when Parker announced his intention to go a whole new direction with his book.
He didn’t sound happy.
Well, in a way Parker wasn’t either. It was downright painful to watch all those dollars poised to fly away but there were
more important things in life.
“No, I’m serious. I really do need to take a different angle on this book.”
“Parker, the book you wrote is the one I sold. That’s the one your new editor is excited about.”
“I need to give him something different,” Parker insisted.
“We have a deal.” David’s words were firm.
“But not a contract. Not yet,” Parker said.
“You pull a stunt like this and you won’t get a second chance, trust me.”
So maybe Parker would never become a bestselling author. So what? He didn’t need to be rich. What he needed was a rich life.
He needed someone with a big heart and a soft voice and pretty eyes. He needed a second chance with Alice.
“I’ll take that chance,” Parker said.
“All right, if that’s what you want, but you need to know I can’t represent you after this,” David said, his voice like steel.
“Your behavior is completely unprofessional.”
“People change their minds,” Parker protested.
“It’s too bad you changed yours. I’ll make the call,” David said.
“Thanks. Sorry, David.”
“Good luck with your future projects,” David said. Parker doubted he meant it.
That was life. You won some, you lost some.
But Parker didn’t feel like he’d lost. In fact, for the first time in a long time he felt like a winner. He had no idea if
he was going to win Alice’s approval, but he’d at least found something he hadn’t realized he’d lost—his self-respect.
He wanted more though. He wanted Alice, too. Alice was the Super Bowl ring, the Commissioner’s Trophy, the World Cup. He hoped
his plan would be enough to earn her giving him a chance.
Jay just shook his head when Parker shared his plan. “This is a bad idea, and none of your fans will be impressed.”
“They’ve all met Alice. They like her.”
“You’re gonna look like a deluxe wimp burger.”
“Or a guy determined to win,” countered Parker.
“Hmm. There is that,” Jay said thoughtfully.
“So, you going to help me out?”
Jay shrugged. “Sure. Why not? Parker’s found a woman worth hitting a home run for. How’s that sound?”
“Conceited.”
Jay ignored him. “We can do a poll. Should Parker and Alice get together?”
“No poll,” Parker said firmly. “I’m not trying to do this for ratings, and I don’t want it to look that way.” He could tell
by Jay’s fake innocent man expression that he wasn’t going to listen. “I’m serious.”
Jay heaved a sigh. “Okay, fine. When we get a break, I’ll make a call and see if we can get you on the news.”
“And I want Olivia Carson to cover it. She’ll love this.” She’d probably come, hoping to see him choke on humble pie.
His next call was to the woman who owned the flower shop down the street from the bookstore. Of course, she’d be thrilled
to talk to him. If he was behind bars somewhere.
“Don’t hang up,” he said after saying his name.
“What do you want?” she demanded.
“I want to make up to you for the business you lost on Valentine’s Day,” he said. “First, I’d like a flower arrangement to
be delivered to HEA Books when they open on Tuesday. Make it big and expensive. Then I want fifty long-stemmed roses you can
give out the next day and send it to the store also. Can you make that happen?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” she said. Grudgingly.
“Also, I want a bouquet delivered to the home of Nola Willoughby. And Lina Flores.” He rattled off the addresses he’d found.
“What do you want to say on the cards?” she asked, still all business.
Hmm. Good question. He’d almost need to write a mini book. But actions spoke louder than words. “Just say from Parker. With
apologies,” he added. “Oh, and do a separate arrangement for Alice. Whatever you think she’ll like. Just make it impressive.”
“How do you want me to sign that?” she asked.
“Sign it, hoping for a second chance,” he said.
“You can hope,” was the only response he got. “But flowers won’t be enough.”
No, they wouldn’t. Still, they were a start. And while he was at it . . . “And I want to send flowers to Jenny Riddle.”
“Same price range as the others?”
Why not? In fact, “No. Make this one bigger. Sign it, thanks for being my mom. And yeah, I wasn’t hatched,” he said before she could say anything.
He tried not to audibly gulp when she quoted a price. It would be worth every penny if it got him out of the big pile of shit
he was in. He gave her his credit card information.
“If this doesn’t win you points with Alice nothing will,” said Jay.
It was Parker’s best shot. He hoped it would work.
Spring training was in full swing in Peoria but come the auspicious second Monday in March it was game on in Seattle. Two
owners and one employee as well as two customers gaped at Parker when he entered the store behind Jay, pushing a wheelbarrow.
“What on earth?” said Bettina.
“Hello, Parker,” Nola said politely. But not warmly. “Your flowers just arrived.”
The arrangement he’d sent to the store was perched right by the register. Alice was still holding hers, and it was so big
Parker could hardly see her face.
“Thank you,” Nola added. Still coldly polite. “How may we help you?”
“I need to buy enough books to fill this wheelbarrow,” he said.
“Is this another stunt?” Bettina demanded, her upper lip curling.
“No. It’s a public apology.” Parker strode to where Alice stood, still quiet and staring at him. “Alice, I turned down the
book deal.”
She blinked. “You . . . ?”
He nodded. “I turned it down. That’s not me anymore. I don’t want to be that angry guy.” He was aware of four females all paying rapt attention. He lowered his voice. “I’m hoping you can give me another chance.”
“You turned down the book deal.” She was shaking her head in disbelief.
“Parker, Olivia’s gonna be here in half an hour,” Jay prompted.
“Oh. Yeah.”
“Olivia Carson?” Alice was looking even more mystified.
“It is another one of his stunts,” Bettina said in disgust.
“It’s not,” Parker insisted. “I’m going to need a lot of books to fill that thing.”
“What kind do you want?” Nola asked.
“Whatever you all recommend,” he said. “You, too, ladies,” he added, turning to the customers. “Help me out here.”
“Oh, my gosh. This is like what they do on Instagram where the woman has ten minutes to get as many books as she wants,” said
the one customer.
“Let’s go!” cried her friend, and all the women scattered around the store, pulling books from the shelves.
Except Alice. “I don’t understand.”
“I want to be like Mr. Darcy,” Parker said simply. “The way he was at the end of the story. I could talk until I’m blue in
the face and you probably wouldn’t believe me. I’m hoping what I’m doing will speak louder.”
She was looking at him like he was some sort of superhero. “Oh, Parker, this is . . .”
“Amazing?” he prompted, his voice teasing. Then he sobered. “Worth a second chance?”
She shook her head, a sure sign she still couldn’t believe her eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”