Page 41 of The Valentine's Bet

“Well, guess you better consider going ahead and buying those jazz tickets.”

“Ha ha,” I say, catching his eye. “So, you grew up in the Bronx?”

“Yeah ... you gonna judge me for it, too?” He eyes me just as a waitress comes by. He grabs a champagne glass from the tray and hands it to me before grabbing one for himself.

“I don’t judge anyone for how they were raised. Neither of my parents got a college degree. They both had to workallthe time just to afford the cost of living in the suburbs of Chicago. So, I really don’t think it’s fair to say anything about someone’s education, or lack thereof. It’s not like a degree defines who a person is. Their character is what really matters.”

Parker holds my gaze for a moment. “Okay ... so if that’s how you feel, why did you even give that Josh guy the timeof day?”

I shrug, running my finger along the rim of the glass. “I don’t know. Sometimes I guess I give people the benefit of the doubt to a fault.”

“Well, at least you’re aware of it.” He chuckles. “It’s pretty painful to watch.”

“You watch me?” I raise a brow at him, giving him a teasing smirk.

“That sounds creepy.” He laughs, taking a sip of his drink. “But seriously, you can do so much better than these guys you’ve been entertaining—and I don’t think you realize that.”

“I don’t think you realize that you’re not all that bad when you’re not harping on how terrible dating is.”

“Wow, thanks for that compliment.” He smiles, then shakes his head. “I don’t know about you, but I’m kinda over this New Year’s Eve party. I’m thinking about going home.”

My shoulders slump. “Me, too. I got dressed up for no reason.”

“That you did.” He eyes me, briefly shifting his gaze over my figure. I shiver, but I’m pretty sure it’s just from the cold. “It looks really nice, though.”

“Thanks. But surely you’re just being nice to me to make up for ruining my date.” I poke him in the shoulder, still feeling defeated. “I don’t know how I’m going to tell my best friend that it didn’t work out for me. She’s always rooting for me. She’s like my biggest fan.”

Parker laughs. “Is she chasing love as hard as you are?”

“Oh goodness, no,” I say quickly. “She’s got a husband, but before that, she swore off men. She was with this jerk for, like, ever. He didn’t want to marry her, but strung her along for eight years. Shewas ready to give up on love completely, and then she met Nick.” I smile. “In the craziest way, too. She literally fell through a wooden access ramp. And he was the firefighter who responded and pulled her out of the hole.”

“Wow.” Parker bursts into laughter. “How freaking cliché is that? No wonder you’re such a romantic.”

“Oh stop.” I swat his arm. “It’s such a cute story. I want something like that.”

“So go set your apartment on fire, then,” Parker suggests with a shrug. “Maybe one of the firemen who responds will save you and fall in love with you at first sight.”

“That’s just ridiculous.”

“Almost as ridiculous as falling through an access ramp.” His expression shifts, and for the first time since meeting Parker, I actually get the feeling that he’s ... sad.

“Did you ever get your heart broken?” I blurt out, unable to stop myself.

He looks at me, pursing his lips. “Uh ... kind of, I guess. I dated a girl in college who broke up with me—and that stung a little bit.”

“Oh.”

“Most of my heartbreak happened watching other people I loved gettheirhearts broken. I was the product of a broken home...” His eyes fall to his drink. “And I wouldn’t wish what I went through on anyone. My parents together were toxic, and when they finally separated, they both started dating—and the more they dated, the more bitter they became.”

My heart squeezes with a sympathy I never knew I had. “That must’ve been tough to deal with. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He shrugs, looking up from his drink. “A lot of lessons were learned, and I’ve made peace with it. However, the dysfunction still exists in my family.”

I nod, wishing I could hug him or something. “You’ve really done well for yourself.”

“Yeah, you have, too, you know.” He smiles at me. “Don’t ever let some guy make you think you’re not educated enough. That’s insane. Also, if a guy doesn’t spend the entire date paying attention toyou, kick him to the curb.”

“Why do you say that?”

---