Sophie's Playboy by Natalie J. Damschroder Page B

company that they needed time apart when they weren't working. I was fairly new to the city and didn't have a lot of friends."
    She wiped her hands on her napkin and pushed her half-empty plate away from the edge of the table. It was immediately swept away by a bus boy who returned a second later with a glass of ice water, then retreated again.
    "Anyway, it took a long time before everyone stopped resenting me and calling me the company slut. My friendship with Chuck suffered, too. So I made it a rule never to date 88
    Sophie's Playboy
    by Natalie Damschroder
    someone from work. I'd succeed on my own merits, not because of or despite a relationship with a man."
    Melina nodded and swallowed her last bite. The bus boy repeated his magician act. "I understand why you feel that way. But things are not the same at WNRK. Parker is not your boss. You can do what you want."
    A momentary flash of Sophie on a date with Stevie—the guy who was her boss—made her laugh. But Parker's insistent image intruded and her humor faded. There were so very many layers of complication with dating Parker.
    "He's not my boss, no. But people could still say that dating him, sleeping with him, is the only reason the show is successful."
    "Therefore the perception of your success being contingent upon sleeping with a man."
    "Exactly."
    "Baloney."
    Sophie stared at her. Melina shrugged. "That is an excuse.
    You are not the kind of person to really care what other people think. There is more to your fear."
    Of course there was. Sophie hadn't really cared six years ago, either. She knew the truth, Chuck and Dave knew the truth, and nothing else mattered. But the loss of Chuck's friendship had hurt.
    The loss of Parker could be devastating.
    Sophie didn't want to dive into that analysis. It was smart not to get involved with someone at work, and that was enough of a reason to give. Luckily, Melina didn't press her.
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    Sophie's Playboy
    by Natalie Damschroder
    Instead, she glanced at her watch and pulled a prescription pill bottle from her bag.
    "Are you sick?" Sophie asked. Melina just shook her head.
    Assuming the woman would explain if she wanted to, Sophie didn't ask anything else. Heck, it could be birth control pills.
    Definitely none of her business.
    They paid their bill and wandered onto the street. Boston at night was really no different from any other city, but Sophie felt content walking under the streetlights, hearing the nearby swish of traffic and knowing she belonged here.
    Restlessness be damned. She was happy, and she'd stay that way.
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    Sophie's Playboy
    by Natalie Damschroder
    CHAPTER 6
    "Joe, I need to call you back," Parker told his vice president. "I'm on the air in five minutes, and I haven't even talked to Sophie about the theme."
    Joe grunted his disapproval. Never a very cheerful man, he was downright surly about Rant and Rave. He considered Parker a fool to be wasting his time playing on the radio instead of tending to real business. Parker couldn't find the words to explain why he had to do this. It would sound pretty immature to say he was trying to get into bed with a woman.
    However true that had been at the beginning, it didn't come close to touching reality now.
    Still, Parker was having difficulty keeping his mind on his usual business. He always had a dozen ventures going at a time, and had never had a problem keeping track. Now, he had to refer to notes any time he talked to an associate or employee—of which he had few, thankfully. His briefcase bulged and he rarely got back to the office to empty it.
    "Biff, I don't care what your reasons are for doing this damned program. Just make sure you're here for the meetings tomorrow at ten and at noon."
    Parker rubbed at the throbbing in the center of his forehead. He and Sophie were supposed to rehearse their spots before the following day's recording. But missing these meetings could lose him hundreds of thousands of dollars. "All right. I'll work it out. I gotta