told herself. At least she had her fabulous new hairdo, and she rushed to a mirror in the entry to fluff it with her fingers after buzzing him in.
When he knocked at the door, she threw it open and gave him a big smile. “Hey, stranger!” she said, throwing her arms around his neck.
“Hey,” Parker said, and put his hand on her waist. That was it—just the one hand, and definitely not the big bear hug she was accustomed to. Like she wanted.
“Wow,” she said, stepping back. “ Wow , Parker. That might possibly be the coldest greeting in the history of man.”
He said nothing, just gazed down at her, the muscle in his jaw leaping with the clench of his teeth. He was angry—she had a sense he was doing all he could to contain himself. She stepped back again, and myriad emotions skated through his gray eyes—dismay, anger, and a couple more she couldn’t quite figure out.
“You look great,” he said at last, and glanced up to her hair. “Like what you’ve done with your hair.”
“Thanks,” she said, nervously touching it. “I can see you are thrilled with the new me.”
He looked directly in her eyes with a cold, gray stare. “Not exactly,” he said. “ Destroyed is perhaps a better word.”
“Destroyed?” she echoed incredulously. “Okay, that’s it.” She twirled away from him, marched into her living room, her hands on her hips. “What the hell, Parker? Ever since I got you on the phone this week—when I finally got you on the phone—you’ve been a total dick to me.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes, when I’m getting trashed in two dozen fifteen-second spots across America each day, I’m not a particularly nice guy.”
“I knew it,” Kelly snapped, and shoved her hands through her hair.
“Did you think I wouldn’t see it? I’m in a sports profession, Kelly. People in sports tend to tune in ESPN.”
“I know that!” she snapped, and squeezed the bridge of her nose between her thumb and finger.
“Isn’t this just fabulous,” Parker said irritably. “Like an idiot, I was hoping this was the point you’d at least offer some viable explanation.”
“Of course there is a viable explanation, Parker! Did you think I was using you to come up with sound bites?”
He said nothing, but the muscle in his jaw jumped again.
“Oh my God ,” she said to the ceiling.
“Well what am I missing? You used me to get the ESPN job, right? What part am I leaving out?”
“I did use you,” Kelly admitted. “But a very long time ago.”
Only Parker didn’t exactly hear that, because he roared to the ceiling, “How could you use me like that?”
“I didn’t use you. I didn’t even know you then! I made that tape before you ever came on my show!” she responded angrily.
“That doesn’t exactly make me feel better! That means four months later— after I’ve been on your show and after I have fallen in love with you—you used that trash to promote your show!”
“I didn’t know they were going to play it!” she cried. “If I’d known they were going to use that, I would have asked them to use something else!”
“How could you not know it, Kelly? They run it all day long, all week. There isn’t a person in America who hasn’t seen that clip!”
“Well I didn’t see it!” she insisted angrily. “I haven’t watched TV in weeks! I’ve been working my ass off to tape segments for my show!”
“Do you have any idea what it’s done to me?” he breathed angrily. “It’s humiliating to know that the woman the networks have broadcast to the world as being my girlfriend is all over the same networks talking about what a loser I am! And I guess I am a loser, Kelly, because I’m not hitting, I’m missing balls—”
“No way, pal,” she angrily interjected, pointing at him. “No way are you going to blame me for your stupid slump! I have nothing to do with your ability to play! It’s all in your head!” she cried, waving madly at her head. “You use that
When he knocked at the door, she threw it open and gave him a big smile. “Hey, stranger!” she said, throwing her arms around his neck.
“Hey,” Parker said, and put his hand on her waist. That was it—just the one hand, and definitely not the big bear hug she was accustomed to. Like she wanted.
“Wow,” she said, stepping back. “ Wow , Parker. That might possibly be the coldest greeting in the history of man.”
He said nothing, just gazed down at her, the muscle in his jaw leaping with the clench of his teeth. He was angry—she had a sense he was doing all he could to contain himself. She stepped back again, and myriad emotions skated through his gray eyes—dismay, anger, and a couple more she couldn’t quite figure out.
“You look great,” he said at last, and glanced up to her hair. “Like what you’ve done with your hair.”
“Thanks,” she said, nervously touching it. “I can see you are thrilled with the new me.”
He looked directly in her eyes with a cold, gray stare. “Not exactly,” he said. “ Destroyed is perhaps a better word.”
“Destroyed?” she echoed incredulously. “Okay, that’s it.” She twirled away from him, marched into her living room, her hands on her hips. “What the hell, Parker? Ever since I got you on the phone this week—when I finally got you on the phone—you’ve been a total dick to me.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes, when I’m getting trashed in two dozen fifteen-second spots across America each day, I’m not a particularly nice guy.”
“I knew it,” Kelly snapped, and shoved her hands through her hair.
“Did you think I wouldn’t see it? I’m in a sports profession, Kelly. People in sports tend to tune in ESPN.”
“I know that!” she snapped, and squeezed the bridge of her nose between her thumb and finger.
“Isn’t this just fabulous,” Parker said irritably. “Like an idiot, I was hoping this was the point you’d at least offer some viable explanation.”
“Of course there is a viable explanation, Parker! Did you think I was using you to come up with sound bites?”
He said nothing, but the muscle in his jaw jumped again.
“Oh my God ,” she said to the ceiling.
“Well what am I missing? You used me to get the ESPN job, right? What part am I leaving out?”
“I did use you,” Kelly admitted. “But a very long time ago.”
Only Parker didn’t exactly hear that, because he roared to the ceiling, “How could you use me like that?”
“I didn’t use you. I didn’t even know you then! I made that tape before you ever came on my show!” she responded angrily.
“That doesn’t exactly make me feel better! That means four months later— after I’ve been on your show and after I have fallen in love with you—you used that trash to promote your show!”
“I didn’t know they were going to play it!” she cried. “If I’d known they were going to use that, I would have asked them to use something else!”
“How could you not know it, Kelly? They run it all day long, all week. There isn’t a person in America who hasn’t seen that clip!”
“Well I didn’t see it!” she insisted angrily. “I haven’t watched TV in weeks! I’ve been working my ass off to tape segments for my show!”
“Do you have any idea what it’s done to me?” he breathed angrily. “It’s humiliating to know that the woman the networks have broadcast to the world as being my girlfriend is all over the same networks talking about what a loser I am! And I guess I am a loser, Kelly, because I’m not hitting, I’m missing balls—”
“No way, pal,” she angrily interjected, pointing at him. “No way are you going to blame me for your stupid slump! I have nothing to do with your ability to play! It’s all in your head!” she cried, waving madly at her head. “You use that
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