Chapter 2

Born and raised by the men in his family, including his own father, to be a Player, Rio lives up to the role. Guided by his favorite mentor, his suave Uncle Lee, Rio masters the game. After amassing a stable of women of all flavors, he realizes his true heart’s desire is to have a *real* love of his own. That part of him is attributed to his mother’s side of the family. They believe in total commitment, no matter what, ‘til death do you part. As he grapples with managing his women, Carmen Massey appears. Carmen, a sexy, educated, professional, Alabama native enters the arena. Toting a trunk full of baggage of her own, she defects to California, seeking refuge from her dark past. As fate would have it, she ends up moving a few buildings down from Rio. After weeks of eyeballing her on a few occasions they finally bump heads.  After a masterful game of cat and mouse, the walls fall. They engage in a white-hot relationship. After taking a trip with Carmen to meet her family, Rio discovers the source of her occasional bitterness. This leads to a heated argument that shatters their relationship. Once back home, Rio takes his anger out on his other women, firing all of them in the process. His world circles the drain. Topping it all off, Uncle Lee dies in a traffic accident, further devastating Rio.  Upon Uncle Lee’s death, Rio discovers his memoirs. Inside the stacks of diaries, Rio learns the tragic secret behind the reason Uncle Lee became a womanizer. His findings push his emotional stability to the brink. Working on both Carmen and Rio’s behalf, Zoe, Carmen’s best friend, brings the stubborn duo back together, just when they need each other the most.