FALLING FOR THE PLAYBOY'S GAME
Chapter 1
"Love is of all passions the strongest, for
it attacks simultaneously the head, the
heart, and the senses." - Lao Tzu
Kate's POV
I don't want to open my eyes, the sun is
too bright, glaring directly at me. But I
don't care at all, I can stay here forever.
A soft smile touched in the corner of my
lips.
I don't have to worry waking up early
today and catching the eight fifteen bus. I
can sleep till noon. Lying here in this
secluded beach is like living in paradise.
And what makes everything perfect is that,
I'm with Adam.
Adam Parker. The only loyal, faithful, one-
woman man I know living in this planet. A
one in a million from all the hungry lady
killer playboys in the world.
"Adam..." I turned to him but the sun was
too blinding that I could not see him.
"Adam?"
My phone rang so loudly, it felt like my
head was about to blow. I rolled at the
side and my sleepy hand reached for my
phone.
"E...llo..." I answered in my very sleepy
voice.
"Kate! You're still sleeping?"
Hearing my prince charming's voice made
me open my eyes wide. Reality
immediately sank in. I was lying on my
bed here in an apartment in Soundview
New York that I shared with my besties--
my cousin Jerry and recently my best
friend Julie.
"Adam?"
"Where are you? It's nine thirty and the
customers are coming."
"It's nine thirty?" I checked the time on
my alarm clock. "It's nine thirty! Oh my
God, my alarm failed!"
I heard him groaned. "I need you here
Kate, Mr. Doherty is looking for his suit, I
can't find it in the claim section."
Mr. Doherty? Our grumpiest and oldest
costumer in the tailoring shop.
I threw my blanket and pillows as I
scrambled out of bed. "Did you ask
Wendy?"
"She can't report today, her baby is sick."
"Oh... poor baby."
"What about Michael?" I asked him about
the other Sales Personnel.
"He asked yesterday to report after lunch,
remember? He has to fetch his mom in
the airport."
"Oh, yeah..."
Adam must be frantic. It's Friday, the
busiest day of the week in the shop and he
was alone. Many clients would pick up
their custom-made suits, shirts, pants and
other items of clothing today. Darn it, I
shouldn't have watched 'Bird Box' last
night.
"I need you here in the shop, I have to be
in the sewing area. We're rushing a dozen
suits for next week's wedding." He
drawled.
I always find Adam's drawling so damn
sexy. And every time he said that he needs
me was enough to make me feel so giddy
over him. He's so kind, so sweet, so nice
and so handsome that I could not leave
my job as his shop supervisor to a higher
paying job in New York.
My mom keeps on telling me that I
needed advancement in my career and
working in the tailoring shop made me
stagnant. It's even out of my league after
earning the Bachelor's Degree Programs in
Marketing.
I work for Adam for three years already.
It's my first and only job since I
graduated university. I just can't leave
Adam because he's too nice. I know he
would be very devastated, he relies on me
in running the shop.
Besides, it's true. My crush on him often
goes too far. I imagine that someday,
there could be something more between
us.
"Kate? Did you hear me?"
"Yeah.. yeah, of course. I'll be there as
quickly as I can."
The moment we hung up the phone, I
jumped out of bed and headed directly to
the shower. After five minutes, I was back
in my bedroom hurriedly choosing a dress
to wear. It was Friday, wash day for the
uniforms, so all employees could wear
whatever decent clothes they have.
Jerry, Julie and I were planning for a night
out after office hours, so I needed an
outfit that would take me from day-to-
night. We'd be going to a very high class
bar that only socialite members could
enter. Lucky that Jerry's new boyfriend
worked in there as a bouncer, he could
help us get inside.
My best friend, Julie Paige just broke up
with her boyfriend for five years. We
would paint the town red and help her get
over that jerk!
I told her that Ethan Conway was not an
exemption from all the playboys in the
universe but she would not listen. She
caught him countless times hooking up
with different girls, but she was so martyr
always forgiving and allowing him another
chance!
Too many times I wanted to bump her
head on the wall so she would wake up
and realize that Ethan was a certified
asshole playboy! But she would not let
him go, claiming that she could not live
without him in her life. He was her
strength, her happiness, her rainbow and
heaven... but she never acknowledged the
fact the he was also her weakness, her
sadness, her torturer and demon from
hell.
Julie was always the prettiest and the
smartest in class during university days
but when it came to love, sad to say, she
was the dumbest hanging on to that
playboy.
The recent one finally opened her eyes. It
was a big blow for her when she caught
Ethan having sex with their teenage
neighbour on their bed! Totally, it was
chaos. I never thought Julie could be so
violent. She burned all his clothes in the
fireplace and his important documents.
She also almost castrated Ethan!
It was another traumatic and phobic
experience for me. My hatred for
playboys escalated from a hundred to a
million percent. I swear, I would never
ever trust any guy.
In my opinion, ninety-nine percent of
single straight men beyond my age
excluding those who practice celibacy
are playboys. The 1% are gems and rare to
find. Not too lucky though that I found
one -- and that's Adam. Because he never
asked me for a date until now.
I grabbed the conservative-cut black dress
and put it on in a hurry before I'd change
my mind. I've bought the dress two
months ago but I've never worn it ever
before. It just stayed there hanging inside
my closet. It was my just-in-case dress.
Yeah, it sounded stupid. I reserved it for
my future date with Adam.
A date that never came.
It was quarter past ten when I entered the
shop. I was catching my breath after
running across the pavement when Adam
suddenly stood up behind the reception
counter.
I was caught off guard standing too close
on him. He was looking so sinfully
handsome as usual in his dark business
suit and satin gray tie. I was easily
drowned in his deep blue eyes,
mesmerised by his tantalising smile and
transported to another planet when I
smelled his wonderful fresh cologne scent.
"Hi." Adam greeted me after making a
brief glance of my appearance.
"Hi." I managed to answer after being
dumbstruck for a moment.
"Whew! Glad you're here. I'm going out in
a minute, I have to catch a business
meeting." He checked the time on his
watch before he looked at me again with
concern eyes. "Can you manage here
alone?"
"Yeah... yeah. I'll be fine, Michael will be
here soon." I've done it several times
though.
"Good. Um... I really have to go." He
strode passed me then paused at the
sensor glass door. "You're looking very
lovely in that dress, are you going out
tonight?"
My heart pounded so hard in an instant.
What does that mean? Is he going to ask
me out? Should I lie or tell the truth? My
mind was debating.
T. B. C
