Playing Girlfriend

Chapter One

"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.