Sequel: Ready or Not ›
Status: This is my first story! Hope you all enjoy it!
Whatever It Takes
As Long As It Keeps Working
“Here you go” Patrick said as he handed Arianna a red cocktail that he just finished making. She accepted it with a warm smile, but gave him a curious look. “Should I even ask what’s inside of it?” she asked him cautiously. They had taken a few steps away from her booth and were now at his table with all the guys. She had seen him make her drink from a mixture of bottles that were at his table, but she lost concentration as she kept catching herself starring at him. “Don’t worry, I didn’t spike it” he joked as he reached for his own glass and hit it with hers. She laughed out loud, “Shut up, I didn’t say you spiked it,” she replied as she took a sip of her drink. “Wow that’s actually really good,” she told him as she looked at him impressed. He gave her a bright smile, “you say that like you were expecting it to be bad”. She gave him a guilty look and continued to sip her drink. “Well thank you very much for the drink” she began as she leaned in closer to be heard, “and once again im so sorry about bumping into you and spilling your drink”. As she turned to walk away she suddenly sensed him beside her. “Wait” he said as he placed his hand lightly on her back, “the least you can do for me since you spilt my drink is stay and talk to me while you have your drink” he continued as he flashed her a bright pleading smile. She found herself smiling; she had to give him credit, he knew how to be charming. “Just so I know, how much longer will you be using that as an excuse to get me to do what you want?” she asked him as a smirk appeared on her face. He laughed and moved his body closer to hers, “As long as it keeps working”.
There was something about him that kept drawing her into him; maybe she was crazy but it felt like an electric pull. She couldn’t explain out loud if she tried, but the more she spoke to him the more natural it all felt. “Fine” she replied to him as she turned so they were face to face, “what would you like to talk about?”. He gave her a quick smirk, “well I personally think that the best way to get to know someone is by playing 21 questions”. His comment made her laugh, it was so endearing and cute, and especially the way he said it with a smile. “Alright, sounds good” she agreed as she took another sip of her drink. “First off” he began, as he looked her in the eyes, “what’s your name?”. “Arianna, you?” she replied as she stuck her hand out to shake his. “Arianna? That’s a really nice name, not common,” he said as he took his hand and shook hers; “I’m Patrick”.
An hour later, Arianna’s drink was long gone but neither of them noticed as their game continued, somewhere past the count of 21 questions. They had talked about it all; school (she was going to study law but waiting for the results), family (he had 3 sisters, she had 2 older brothers), relationship status (both were single). They laughed and shared stories, their bodies gravitating closer to each other as each minute passed. The more they spoke though, the more familiar Patrick’s face seemed to Arianna although she couldn’t figure out why. “Clearly the don’t have that in Toronto” Patrick said as he laughed at Arianna’s story of hers and Marissa’s attempt to order a deep-dish pizza earlier in the day. “How did you know I’m from Toronto?” she questioned him, a smirk appearing on her face, “I never mentioned that”. Patrick blushed slightly, “I overheard your conversation with Ricky at the elevators before” he admitted. “I’m curious though, what brought you to Chicago?” he asked before she could comment on his last confession. “My cousin Lisa is originally from here but she lives in Toronto now. Anyways, she was coming for a friend’s birthday party so me and Marissa, my best friend over there” she made a motion pointing to a tipsy Marissa who was standing on the seats from the booth and singing out loud to the music playing, “joined her for a few days. I needed to get away so it seemed like the perfect opportunity”.
She turned to face Patrick again but not before her eyes caught Michelle’s, who was giving her an excited thumb up and jumping around. She found it odd but then again Michelle was drunk, so she brushed it off. She turned her attention back to Patrick, as he nodded but gave her a curious look, “its September though, don’t you have school that you’re missing?”. “No. Well I’ll be missing Monday because that’s when we go back home, but I have Thursdays and Fridays off from school so we flew out yesterday morning knowing we’d spend today and the weekend just enjoying ourselves”. He nodded as he looked into her eyes, “that actually sounds really chill”.
She smiled in response, “Yeah it is. How about you? What occasion are you boys out for?” she asked as she glanced over to his table where all the guys were, some drinking and dancing while others still flirted with the girls around their platform. “Oh we’re out celebrating our win,” he told her, suddenly growing a little cocky. He hadn’t figured out yet if she knew who he was or not. She surely wasn’t acting like how all those other girls did, which is what made him so attracted to her. Maybe she’s just playing shy, he thought. Either way, he knew how impressive it was to girls when he told them he played in the NHL. It was his golden ticket to getting pretty much any girl he wanted. “Win for what?” she asked curiously as she turned her focus back to him. “Our hockey game tonight” he stated matter-of-factly. “Oh that’s so cool! So what do you guys do? Have like Friday night games against other groups of friends once a week?” she asked, still not making the connection. “Ugh well, it’s a little more than that” he started as he gave her a sly smile; “we play for the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks”.
There was something about him that kept drawing her into him; maybe she was crazy but it felt like an electric pull. She couldn’t explain out loud if she tried, but the more she spoke to him the more natural it all felt. “Fine” she replied to him as she turned so they were face to face, “what would you like to talk about?”. He gave her a quick smirk, “well I personally think that the best way to get to know someone is by playing 21 questions”. His comment made her laugh, it was so endearing and cute, and especially the way he said it with a smile. “Alright, sounds good” she agreed as she took another sip of her drink. “First off” he began, as he looked her in the eyes, “what’s your name?”. “Arianna, you?” she replied as she stuck her hand out to shake his. “Arianna? That’s a really nice name, not common,” he said as he took his hand and shook hers; “I’m Patrick”.
An hour later, Arianna’s drink was long gone but neither of them noticed as their game continued, somewhere past the count of 21 questions. They had talked about it all; school (she was going to study law but waiting for the results), family (he had 3 sisters, she had 2 older brothers), relationship status (both were single). They laughed and shared stories, their bodies gravitating closer to each other as each minute passed. The more they spoke though, the more familiar Patrick’s face seemed to Arianna although she couldn’t figure out why. “Clearly the don’t have that in Toronto” Patrick said as he laughed at Arianna’s story of hers and Marissa’s attempt to order a deep-dish pizza earlier in the day. “How did you know I’m from Toronto?” she questioned him, a smirk appearing on her face, “I never mentioned that”. Patrick blushed slightly, “I overheard your conversation with Ricky at the elevators before” he admitted. “I’m curious though, what brought you to Chicago?” he asked before she could comment on his last confession. “My cousin Lisa is originally from here but she lives in Toronto now. Anyways, she was coming for a friend’s birthday party so me and Marissa, my best friend over there” she made a motion pointing to a tipsy Marissa who was standing on the seats from the booth and singing out loud to the music playing, “joined her for a few days. I needed to get away so it seemed like the perfect opportunity”.
She turned to face Patrick again but not before her eyes caught Michelle’s, who was giving her an excited thumb up and jumping around. She found it odd but then again Michelle was drunk, so she brushed it off. She turned her attention back to Patrick, as he nodded but gave her a curious look, “its September though, don’t you have school that you’re missing?”. “No. Well I’ll be missing Monday because that’s when we go back home, but I have Thursdays and Fridays off from school so we flew out yesterday morning knowing we’d spend today and the weekend just enjoying ourselves”. He nodded as he looked into her eyes, “that actually sounds really chill”.
She smiled in response, “Yeah it is. How about you? What occasion are you boys out for?” she asked as she glanced over to his table where all the guys were, some drinking and dancing while others still flirted with the girls around their platform. “Oh we’re out celebrating our win,” he told her, suddenly growing a little cocky. He hadn’t figured out yet if she knew who he was or not. She surely wasn’t acting like how all those other girls did, which is what made him so attracted to her. Maybe she’s just playing shy, he thought. Either way, he knew how impressive it was to girls when he told them he played in the NHL. It was his golden ticket to getting pretty much any girl he wanted. “Win for what?” she asked curiously as she turned her focus back to him. “Our hockey game tonight” he stated matter-of-factly. “Oh that’s so cool! So what do you guys do? Have like Friday night games against other groups of friends once a week?” she asked, still not making the connection. “Ugh well, it’s a little more than that” he started as he gave her a sly smile; “we play for the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks”.