I'm Addicted to the Thrill

As I walked to the car, I picked apart what Anna had said. Maybe she was just jealous, but a growing feeling in my gut told me that she was trying to warn me. I stopped at the doors and looked out. The car was still there, and Patrick was most likely still in it waiting for me. With my courage gathered and pride slightly wounded, I approached the vehicle and got in.

“Ready? I’m gonna give you the PKane Chicago experience,” grinned Patrick. He patted my leg as I stared out the window.

“Maybe you could just take me home,” I suggested. The corners of his mouth pulled down.

I gave him my address. We drove in silence for the whole twenty minutes. Several times he opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped himself each time. At stoplights, he turned to stare at me. Otherwise he kept his eyes on the road. I wanted to ask him about what Anna had said, but I was too nervous to do so.

“Can I call you later? Will you still sit with Niki and Madi?” asked Patrick as he pulled up to the curb in front of my building. He turned putting his arm around the back of my seat. I wrote the number down on an old receipt from the bottom of my purse. “Please, Dani, I want to see you after the game.”

“If you call me later, I’ll let you know whether or not I’ll be there,” answered me.

The daylight was dimming as I walked up to the front door of the building. Time had passed much more quickly than I had expected. Hope, my roommate, was sitting on the couch as I entered the apartment. She was watching an old episode of Sex and the City while drinking tea. Her black hair was up in a bun, and she looked like she was having her own spa night.

“Tough day at work?” inquired the girl as I slumped down in the overstuffed chair next to the couch. I nodded and sighed. “Tell me about it.”

So I did.

---
Patrick’s POV

I watched her as she entered her building. In a twenty minute period, her mood had swung from enjoying her time to seeming as though she wanted to get away from me. I pulled my phone out and dialed the only person I thought could help. It rang several times before I got an answer.

“Kaner, what do you want?” asked Jonny. I could hear Niki in the background talking to someone else. I wanted the phone to go to her, but maybe Jonny would be somewhat helpful.

“That Dani girl. The more time I spend with her, the more I wanted to stay with her for a longer time,” I admitted. I could hear Jonny tell this to his girlfriend before her voice was on the line.

“Well, did you tell her that?” asked my best friend’s girl.

“No. I invited her to the game like you know, but I never told her I liked her,” answered me. “But I think she may have been gotten to by Anna. She has it out for me, you know.”

“Do you want me to try getting through to her?” asked Niki.

I told her no and hung up. I wasn’t going to have someone else my battles. Hell, I should have confronted her about it to begin with. I dialed the number she gave me then waited for it to go to voicemail, but it didn’t.

“Miss Danielle Halbrook’s phone. This is Hope Kibby speaking,” answered a voice rather than the one I wanted to hear.

“Hey. Um, where’s Dani?”

“In the shower. Who’s this? Can I take a message?” asked the girl back. This must have been her roommate.

“Tell her Patrick called. I need to talk to her,” said me. I hung up and ran a hand through my hair.

I went home thinking only of Dani. I ate the food that was in my fridge and headed to bed. Tomorrow was hopefully going to be a better day.
---

Hope bounded into my room. I threw a pillow at her hoping she would get the hint that I didn’t want to be woken up. She didn’t, so she took a seat on the foot of my bed. She sat there not saying a word until I turned over and looked at her.

“I forgot to tell you this, but a guy named Patrick called your cell yesterday. I answered. Sorry,” said my roommate.

I sat up wide awake. Hope left knowing I was ready to yell at her for not letting me know sooner. Getting dressed and to the Center were the last things that I wanted to do, but I had no choice.

My roommate drove me and let me out where she had yesterday. Today she actually planned on going to work. The entire way there she complained about the “ungracious brats” that she taught. Her distractions were welcome because I had no desire to think of what had happened within the past twenty-four hours.

“Good luck!” yelled Hope as she drove away. Maybe it was a bad omen that she was leaving.

I walked into the building and heard some hushed some hushed voices arguing. One was obviously Anna’s, but this other female voice was unfamiliar.

“Anna, Patrick isn’t treating her like some fling. When you hooked up, both of you were drunk. He’s completely sober, and I’m guessing so is Dani,” hissed the new voice.

“Whatever, Niki. She just needs to know what he’s like,” huffed Anna

I paused guessing I was about to meet Niki. Hope had left me, and this time I didn’t mean the person. The two women exited the office closest to me. Anna stopped in her tracks to stare at me.

“Danielle, this is Niki Doyle. She has something for you then you have work to do,” said my supervisor. She left, and once the clicking of her heels died out, I could see Niki relax.

“You look like Pat’s type,” smiled Niki. “Oh, and this is yours.”

She handed me a bag and encouraged me to take the contents out. I rolled my eyes at the Kane jersey that was in my hands. Of course he expected me to where it to the game. She smiled and told me where to meet her later for the game before leaving me.

Work passed by quickly. This wasn’t going to be my day or my night as far as I could gather from the events that morning. Only the game was what I had to look forward to if Niki was right in what I had overheard.