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  Before long, the club was heaving, and Parker was a little worried that he wouldn’t be able to see Alice when she turned up.

  “For what it’s worth,” Jensen said after the waitress had delivered their drinks, and flirted shamelessly with Parker. “I think this is an epic mistake. Even if this girl does agree to this, how are you going to pull it off? There is no way you can keep your dick in your pants for a whole year. It is never going to happen.”

  “Who said anything about keeping my dick in my pants?” Parker asked looking at his friend. “This is a business arrangement. I’m not looking for a happy ever fucking after. She will live her life, and I will live mine.”

  “Until you’re snapped by one of your pap friends,” Jensen pointed out the obvious. “And your infidelity is plastered all over the front page of every tabloid newspaper in the country, because make no mistake; that is what they will call it. Then you will have married this girl and cost yourself a ton of money, and it will have all been for nothing.”

  “Then I just won’t get caught,” Parker smiled and winked at his friend.

  “You really are a cocky son of a bitch,” Jensen sighed as he took a long sip from his bottle of beer.

  Parker was about to respond to his friend’s comment when he spotted the other girl from the coffee shop walk in with a couple of guys.

  He sat forward in his seat and waited for Alice to join her, but there was no sign of her anywhere, and he wondered if maybe she had changed her mind about coming. He remembered that she hadn’t seemed too keen earlier that day about coming to the club.

  The lights dimmed a little as the first act stepped out onto the stage making it harder to see the people that were coming and going.

  Parker couldn’t help but laugh to himself, as he sat there. He had thought that this would be as simple as just showing up in the club, finding the girl and she would say yes, but he should have known, with his luck lately, it was not going to be that easy.

  “Do you see her?” Harrison asked as he followed Parker’s gaze.

  “I see her friend, but she’s not here yet,” Parker replied as he continued to scan the club.

  “Maybe that’s not a bad thing,” Jensen chipped in as he took another sip of his beer. “Gives you a chance to think about this again before it’s too late.”

  “Jensen, you’re supposed to be here for support,” Parker sighed, feeling more than a little irritated with his friend's attitude. “If you are so set against it, you are free to go whenever you feel like it.”

  “I just want you to be sure you know what you’re doing,” Jensen replied. “You have a lot to lose, and I am not just talking about the company. You don’t know this girl from Adam, and you want to let her into your home…”

  “I know people,” Parker cut him off. “That’s what makes me so good at my job. I watched her today. Granted, at the time I hadn’t considered that she could be the one I would be actually making this kind of offer to, but that’s the beauty of it. She is the last person that anyone would think capable of agreeing to do something like this. Like I said, I know people, and I know that even if she says no, she is not someone who would shout about it from the roof tops.”

  Jensen opened his mouth to respond, but Parker stopped him and sat forward in his chair once more. He wasn’t completely sure, but he thought he spotted her.

  He was sure he had, but then she vanished again. He scanned the crowd, but she was nowhere to be seen.

  “Fuck!” He exclaimed as he slumped back in his seat feeling beyond frustrated. “Maybe your right. Maybe this was the mother of all stupid fucking ideas, but I can’t just sit by and watch everything I have worked for vanish before me. So, I sleep around, and I like to party. Why is that such a fucking crime?”

  “So, you don’t take over from your father,” Harrison said trying to comfort his friend. “You still kick ass at what you do. They’re never going to get rid of you completely.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Parker sighed. “If I don’t get the job, Lewis Malone will, and the minute that jumped up little Bill Gates wannabe gets his feet under the table, he will make sure there is no place for me anymore. He is getting his hands on my father’s company, over my dead body.”

  “Wait, isn’t that the guy who caught you with his wife…” Jensen asked as Harrison just laughed.

  “His girlfriend,” Parker corrected. “And in my defense, I didn’t know she was there with him.”

  “But you knew she was there with somebody,” Harrison said, still laughing.

  “You’re not helping right now,” Parker sighed.

  He stood up suddenly, surprising both of his friends. They both looked at him questioningly.

  “I need to hit the head,” Parker said as he picked up his bottle and lowered it back before he turned and pushed his way through the crowd, keeping his head down, making sure no one recognised him.

  When he reached the toilets, he was relieved to find them empty. He walked to the sink and turned on the water, then splashed some into his face.

  He was beyond frustrated with the whole mess. He wished he could go back to the night before and get a do-over, or maybe even a couple of years and wipe out every stupid thing he had ever done.

  Yes, at the time, they always seemed like a good idea, but more often than not, he regretted whatever mistake he made, as soon as he’d done it.

  Parker hated feeling so out of control in his own life. Maybe letting his father sell the company wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

  He stared at his reflection in the mirror and thought to himself, could he really walk away from it all. Right now, it seemed like the easiest option.

  As much as Parker hated to admit it, he knew everything that Jensen had said was right. He knew he was taking a big gamble. He also knew if his father found out the truth he would never forgive him.

  He needed to face facts; he had fucked up, and there was no way he was going to be able to pull this back in three months.

  He washed his hands and took a deep breath before he headed for the door. Tonight had been a complete waste of time, as was the last eight years of his life.

  He stepped out of the toilets and walked back along the corridor back towards the club. He just wanted tonight to be over.

  As he made his way along the corridor, he lifted his eyes from the floor and came face to face with the girl from the coffee shop. She was walking towards him, lost in thought.

  She looked a little different. Prettier. Not that it mattered, he wasn’t there to win her heart. That would never be an option. No, this was business, plain and simple.

  As he watched her, he smiled, maybe tonight wasn’t a waste of time after all.

  When she finally lifted her head, the spark of recognition filled her eyes as they met his and Parker knew she remembered him.

  He tried to hide the delight he felt inside, as he gave her a warm smile.

  “Alice,” he said in his most charming voice.

  “Parker,” she replied.

  Game on, Parker thought to himself.

  Chapter 4

  Alice

  Alice stood rooted to the spot and stared at him. He remembered her. After thirteen months of being invisible, Coffee Guy, Parker, remembered her.

  “You look surprised to see me here,” Parker said as his smile widened.

  “I’m… I wasn’t…” Alice swallowed hard as the sound of her heartbeat, drummed in her ears. “I was just surprised you remembered me.”

  “Of course I remembered you,” Parker said, still holding her eyes with him. “In fact, I came here because of you.”

  “Me?” Alice asked, surprised by his response. “Why would you come here because of me?”

  “Well, I was hoping we could have a little chat,” Parker replied. “Maybe we could go somewhere quieter; I could buy you a drink, and we could talk.”

  “But I’m here with my friend,” Alice said as she glanced back over her shoulder towards the crowded clu
b.

  “So am I,” Parker replied, and Alice couldn’t help but notice the confidence in his voice. Like he was sure she would say yes because no one ever told him no.

  “I don’t know that I can just leave her here…” Alice began to say, but Parker stepped closer to her and smiled, before he spoke, cutting her off mid-sentence.

  “Trust me,” he simply said as he held out his hand to her.

  Alice stared up into his eyes, and before she knew what she was doing, she slipped her hand into his and let him lead her towards the door.

  “Where are we going?” She asked as he led her out through the door of the club and waved towards a black town car that was parked up the street from the club.

  “Just somewhere quieter,” Parker said as the car pulled to a stop in front of them. Once it stopped, Parker reached for the door and opened it, before he looked back at Alice, and smiled.

  “Your chariot awaits,” he said in a cool, confident voice.

  Alice stood for a moment and stared at him.

  Is this really happening? She thought to herself as she considered if she should get into the car or not. She looked from the car to Parker, and when she looked him in the eyes, something in the pit of her stomach told her that she could trust him. She knew it was strange, but it was something she believed in her heart.

  She slowly walked to the car, and without hesitating, she climbed into the back seat.

  “You have nothing to be scared of,” Parker assured her once he was seated next to her in the car. “I give you my word.”

  “Okay,” she replied as her phone beeped in her handbag. She looked up at Parker. “That will be Jenny. She will be wondering where I have gone.”

  “Then you should tell her where you are,” Parker replied but something in his voice sounded unsure. Like he wasn’t sure if he wanted her to tell her friend she was with him.

  Alice typed in a reply and hit send before she looked back up at Parker.

  “I told her I felt sick and went home,” Alice explained, and Parker smiled.

  “Why didn’t you tell her the truth?” He asked curiously.

  “I don’t know,” Alice replied and blushed a little. “I didn’t know what to say, and besides, I doubt that she would have believed me anyway.”

  “I see,” Parker said as his phone beeped too, but he didn’t even react to it.

  The rest of their short journey was in silence, giving Alice plenty of time to let her mind run amuck.

  What the hell are you doing? She asked herself over and over again. Just because someone has sad eyes, doesn’t mean that they are not some kind of psychotic murderer.

  She glanced over at Parker, but he seemed lost in thought too. She wondered what he was thinking. She wondered what she was thinking, leaving the club with him.

  Maybe this was a mistake, she thought to herself. She was just about to say as much to Parker when the car came to a stop.

  “We’re here,” Parker told her as he slipped off his seatbelt, but he made no effort to get out of the car. Instead, he turned to her and gave her a nervous look.

  “If at any time you want to leave,” he said, looking her in the eyes. “Just say the word, and you will be taken home. We are only here to talk.”

  The driver of the car opened the door, and Parker climbed out with one effortless movement. Then he turned and offered Alice his hand, as she too climbed from the car.

  She was surprised when he kept hold of her hand and led her into what appeared to be an apartment building. As they walked across the marble foyer, towards the elevator, the man behind the front desk greeted Parker.

  “Good evening, Mr. O’Neill,” he said, and Parker just nodded his response.

  He pressed the button for the elevator, and it instantly opened. Still holding her hand. Parker stepped into the elevator, taking Alice with him. As the door closed, Parker released Alice’s hand from his and shoved his hands in his pockets.

  Parker O’Neill, Alice thought to herself. Why is his name familiar?

  She glanced over at Parker once more and was surprised to see he looked a little nervous.

  When the elevator stopped, and the door opened slowly, Parker turned to her and raised his hand, inviting her to go first. As she stepped from the elevator, she looked around the small, brightly lit foyer before she turned back to Parker.

  “Where are we?” She asked as he walked towards a set of mahogany double doors and pulled keys from his pocket.

  “My place,” he replied as he looked up at her, before he pushed open the door, and stepped back to let her pass.

  Alice took a deep breath before she stepped through the door into the hallway of the apartment.

  “Wow,” she said as she took in her surroundings, “You could fit my whole apartment into your hallway.”

  “Can I offer you a drink?” Parker asked as he walked past Alice and led her through to the living area.

  The apartment was beautifully decorated, and not at all what you would imagine for a bachelor. It was warm and welcoming, with beautiful furniture and stunning artwork. It clearly had a woman’s touch to it.

  “Can I have some water, please?” Alice asked as she finally turned back to look at Parker. He stared at her for a moment before he disappeared from the living room.

  When he returned, he was carrying a tall glass of water with a slice of lemon in it for Alice, and a bottle of beer for himself.

  “You have a lovely home,” Alice said as he handed her the water.

  “My mom decorated it,” Parker shrugged. “She was sick of looking at the piles of cardboard boxes I had lying everywhere from when I moved in last year.”

  “So you and your mother are close,” Alice said before she took a sip of the water and continued to take in the décor of the apartment. Her eyes fell on a framed photograph on the fireplace. It was a photo of Parker, a man that looked like an older version of him, a beautiful older woman and a pretty young girl that looked no older than twelve or thirteen.

  “Depends on what you consider close,” Parker replied as he stood by the door and watched her closely as she walked towards the fireplace, to get a better look at the photo.

  “Is this your family?” Alice asked as she reached up and carefully picked up the frame.

  “Yes,” he replied, but offered no more information than that. Instead he asked, “Are you close to your family?”

  “There’s just Gram and me,” Alice replied without looking at Parker as she set the photo frame back down. “She is in a home now. Has been for almost eight months, but we are close. I try visitor most days, but when I have to work so many double shifts, it’s hard some days to get there.”

  “And you work a lot of double shifts?” Parker asked as suddenly he seemed very interested.

  “Usually three a week,” Alice replied as she finally turned to look at Parker. “I need the money to pay for Grams care. Otherwise, she will have to go to a state facility, and I don’t want that for her. She is happy where she is.”

  “I see,” Parker replied, and Alice thought he almost sounded pleased with her response.

  “Why am I here?” Alice asked abruptly, suddenly feeling a little uneasy.

  “Well,” Parker said as he moved further into the room. “Would you like a seat?”

  “I would rather stand, thank you,” Alice replied, keeping a safe distance between her and Parker. She watched him as he sat down on the large, cream coloured sofa and took one last sip of his beer before he set it down on the coffee table in front of him.

  “The thing is, Alice,” he began as he leaned forward in his seat. “I have recently found myself with a bit of a dilemma, and I think you might be the girl that could help me.”

  “How could I help you?” She asked, feeling even more confused.

  “What I am about to suggest is a business deal,” Parker continued as he watched Alice closely.

  “But I’m a waitress,” Alice replied with a nervous laugh. “I know nothing about bus
iness.”

  “Let me explain my dilemma to you,” Parker said as he stood up once more, then began to pace up and down the room. “My father is the CEO of O’Neill’s International. In six months’ time, my father turns sixty, and he plans on retiring, and handing over the business to me, just as his father and his grandfather did before him.”

  “Okay,” Alice nodded, still unsure how she could help him.

  “The trouble is,” Parker continued as he stopped pacing and turned to face Alice once more. “It seems I have developed somewhat of a reputation and the board members aren’t convinced that I’m the best man for the job, and it seems that my parents agree with them.”

  He stopped and stared at Alice for a moment before he took a deep breath and continued.

  “So,” he began as he started pacing again. “My father has given me three months to settle down, or I’ll lose everything.”

  “Settle down?” Alice asked, still not following how she could help him.

  “I have three months to meet a girl and marry her,” Parker explained. “And that’s my dilemma. The truth is, I’m not the marrying kind. I don’t do hearts and flowers. To be honest, I’ve no desire to get married ever, but I also have no desire to lose my father’s company either. It has been my life since I can remember; it’s what I have been training for my whole life.”

  “I still don’t see how I can help you?” Alice said as she continued to watch him stalk up and down the room like a caged animal.

  “I want you to marry me,” Parker said as he stopped walking and turned to face Alice.

  “I’m sorry,” Alice said with a nervous laugh, not sure that she had heard him correctly. “You want me to what?”

  “I want you to marry me,” Parker repeated. “Of course this would be purely a business arrangement. You would agree to marry me, and I will pay you handsomely in return.”

  “You want me to marry you?” Alice repeated, feeling completely stunned by his request.

  “Of course it wouldn’t be a real marriage,” Parker quickly clarified. “And it wouldn’t be forever. Just long enough to get my parents off my back, and I can take over from my father in the company.”