Whatever It Takes

“No I’m telling you, Spice World still haunts me,” Patrick told her, as he took a sip of his coffee. Arianna tried to regain her breath from laughing too hard, tears in her eyes from all the laughter. Ever since Patrick had picked her up nearly an hour ago, they had been laughing nonstop. She had been a nervous wreck getting into his car, yet the moment she saw that smile she felt herself become at ease.

They had decided to go for brunch after they discovered they both loved having breakfast meals for lunch. Arianna didn’t want to admit it but she was having a great time. Somewhere between singing along to songs in the car and sharing stories from their childhoods, Arianna forgot why she was even nervous in the first place. She took a sip of coffee after regaining her composure and whipped away the water from her eyes.

“I’m sure you made a hot Baby Spice. You definitely have the legs for it” she teased him, as he blushed slightly. “Yeah? What about you? I’m sure those eye patches you wore when you dressed up like a pirate were really sexy,” he countered as a smirk grew on his face.

She shot him an offended look; “its not my fault I have two older brothers who watched peter pan all the time. I tried to be Wendy, but apparently she didn’t count”. Patrick laughed out loud, his eyes shining as he did. He leaned over and took a piece of Arianna’s blueberry-chocolate chip pancakes. “I told you I ordered the best item off the menu,” she said proudly as she watched him continue to attack her food. They had gotten into a huge debate over whose meal would be better: hers (a mountain of blueberry-chocolate chip pancakes with fresh fruit pilled on top) or his (a typical breakfast of eggs, bacon, ham, potatoes with a side plate of waffles).

“For the record, my choice was amazing. I’m just still hungry” he responded as he leaned over and took another forkful. “It just seems so much tastier coming off your plate,” he continued, as he took a bite. “Don’t you know by now? Everything that comes from me is better” she responded as she gave him a tiny smile and a knowing look. He smiled back at her as he leaned back in his chair. Every since the car ride here, she had loosen up and he had seen a completely different side to her; a side he was beginning to like a lot. It was the side of her he seen a tiny bit before she ran off and ditched him the night before.

“So I have something to ask you, if you don’t mind” he said suddenly, as he watched her take a sip of her coffee. “Go ahead” she responded as she set her cup down and gave him her full attention. “Why did you ditch me so fast last night” he asked, “after I told you who I was” he continued when he saw her look confused. She blushed suddenly, looking down at her coffee. Great, the one question she didn’t want to have to acknowledge.

“Honestly?” she asked him as she looked back up at him and into his clear blue eyes. “I’ve unfortunately been involved with enough jocks to have learned my lesson about athletes. And I’m sorry if that’s a completely stereotype and mass generalization, but after everything I just steer clear of them. Im not impressed by things like that, it doesn’t mean anything to me. It doesn’t tell me what the guy is like or what he does or who he is. Those things matter more to me. So after hearing you say you play for the Blackhawks, it just kind of made me retreat. I felt like you were using it as a golden ticket to do whatever you wanted” she finished as she finally broke their eye contact.

He sat there in silence taking in everything she had just said. If she had only known what he was thinking before he had told her about the Hawks. She was completely right about how he thought, and he felt pretty disappointed in himself. For the first time in a long time, a girl was making him question his actions. It took him by surprise that she could have such an effect on him.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything,” Arianna said, taking his long silence as a sign of being upset. “What?” he responded, suddenly looking concern, “Oh no no, Arianna I’m happy you told me. I love the fact that you’re honest like that. Most people I know aren’t half as honest with me as you are,” he told her as he leaned over and placed his hand over hers on the table. “But I want you to know, that I’m not like that. And I know that doesn’t mean anything to you because its just words but I hope you’ll let me prove to you that I’m different”.

She could feel her heart race ten times faster the minute his hand touched hers. “I guess I do owe you that much” she responded, “Although I feel like after this brunch we’re even”. He laughed lightly, still keeping his hand above hers. They sat in silence like that for a few seconds, starring at each other, neither one of them moving.

“Uh, I just need to use the washroom, and then we can go” Arianna announced as she got up suddenly and grabbed her bag. “Yeah, sound good” Patrick responded as he regained himself and picked up his coffee. Arianna walked through the restaurant, trying to shake off that little moment between them. Yes, she liked him and they were having a great time but that didn’t mean she could let this go any further. She was leaving in a few days and she refused to let herself be another notch on Patrick Kane’s belt.

She saw their waitress at the back of the restaurant. “Excuse me” Arianna said as she approached the pretty brunette waitress, “I was just wondering if I could pay the bill for my table”. Ok, so she didn’t really have to use the washroom. She just wanted to get a chance to pay their bill since she knew he’d never let that slide. After everything he had done for her she felt like this was the only way to repay him. Also, she didn’t want him to feel like he had to keep buying her things and saving her.

The waitress shot her a curious look, “Aren’t you at that table with Patrick Kane?”. Arianna nodded in response, not sure what the waitress was getting at. “Are you guys dating?” she asked Arianna, her eyes giving her an icy stare. “Oh no, no we’re just friends” Arianna managed to mumble out, suddenly growing nervous. The waitress just gave her a look, almost as if she wasn’t buying it. She printed out the receipt and handed it to Arianna, taking her credit card in return and charging it. “Have a nice day,” the waitress mumbled as she turned her back to Arianna and ran over to where the other waitresses stood in discussion.

“Alright, let’s go” Arianna said as she re-appeared at the table, smiling brightly at Patrick. “Uh, well sure. Except we have to pay first” Patrick smiled back while giving her an obvious look. “I already took care of that,” Arianna told him as she began to lead the way out. “What do you mean” Patrick shot out of his chair and followed her, “you already paid?”.

Arianna just nodded in response, as she continued to walk out the doors of the restaurant. “When? Why?” Patrick continued to question her as they walked towards his car. “When I said I had to use the washroom,” she replied as she looked at him, “and I paid because it’s really no big deal. It was the least I could do”. They got into his car and he just turned to stare at her. “Is there something on my face?” she questioned as she gave him a weird look.

“No” he responded, as his eyes gazed into hers, “you’re just really unlike any other girl I’ve ever met. I think it’s the first time I’ve taken a girl out and she felt so determined to pay,” he laughed. “But I am upset with you,” he continued as he tried to stop smiling. “Why?” she asked him confused and slightly entertained at his attempts to be serious. “Because I wanted to take you out. I didn’t invite you so you could pay. It was suppose to be my treat” he responded.

“Well you paid for my drink yesterday after I spilt yours, and you saved my ass from that guy. On top of that you planned today and picked me up. And somewhere amongst this all I never had a chance to repay you” she explained, as she put her hand over his. “Please” she finished as she pulled her hand away.

Patrick sat there, more amazed by her as each minute passed. Where would he find any other girl like this? He hadn’t planned for any of this to happen, let alone the relationship they were developing. But she’s leaving in two days, he thought as he turned on the car and began to drive out of the parking lot. He couldn’t give up though so easily. It wasn’t in his blood; he was driven and competitive by nature.

“Fine” he responded to her as he took a quick glance at her, “I’ll let you get away with paying. Thank you. But now, to make this even you’re going to let me take you to the best ice cream parlor in town. And it’s MY treat”. He turned to her again and gave her one of his perfect bright smiles, his eyes shining again.

She laughed in response and nodded, not sure she could find any words to say. Deep inside she could feel the butterflies flutter. She tried to ignore what she knew deep down inside was the truth; she was falling for Patrick Kane.