Life Coach

"I swear, this must be the first party where you look miserable, Kaner."

"Shut up Jon." I said throwing back the last of my drink.

"He's right Pat. Lighten up! It's the NHL Awards! You're a two time winning Stanley Cup champion. What else do you want?" I didn't look at Julia but I knew she realized why I'm not as happy as everyone else. "She wanted to be here Pat. At least have a good time for her." I nodded and waved for another drink and the bartender refilled my glass. Jon and Julia left me alone in my pity and scotch.

It's easy for her to say. She's got her date. Mine couldn't make it. Kara told me that from Dallas, they'd be heading to some where in California. She wasn't able to get just a few more days off after the win. God do I miss her.

"Rough night?" And then God heard my prayers. I smirked and looked to my right. In a slimming deep red dress stood the only person that could make my heart thump hard in my chest. Instead of her usual curls, it was pulled back with a clip. Her tiny figure complimented by the leopard print sash.

"No I'm good. It's been an interesting night."

"Yeah? How so?" She asked leaning against her elbows.

"I can't find a date."

"Yeah?" She took a step closer to me and smirked, "Maybe I can help?"

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"We were suppose to have a connecting flight to Sacramento tonight but we decided to stay for the night." I placed my hand on the small of her back.

"I'm glad you're here." I said before I kissed her.

"Glad to be here."

For the rest of the night, I showed Kara off. I just sat back and watched as some of the guys looked her up and down. Sure, I'd get a little jealous when Crosby complimented her like the good Canadian boy that he is. But I felt more pride. The other girls hanging in the arms of the players were hot but Kara...was beautiful. Those that thought she just looked good found her more attractive when she talked to them. She made them laugh and smile, she joked with them. I couldn't be more proud to call her my girlfriend.

Kara met up with Julia and Abby at some point leaving Tazer and I to get some drinks.

"I gotta hand it to you Kaner, Kara is something. Congrats man." Ryan Kesler said approaching us, sticking his hand out at me.

"Thanks Kes."

"You better keep a good eye on her. Someone might try to sweep her out from under you." He nodded his head behind me. Across the room Julia and Kara were talking to the 6'3" 230lbs Russian playboy Alex Ovechkin and his sidekick Nicklas Backstrom. Ovi was telling her some kind of story making their little group laugh. Jon nudged me and we headed towards their direction. Kara spotted me just before we reached their group and smiled.

"Gentlemen, good to see you." Jon said putting a protective arm around Julia causing Backstrom to back off.

"Jon! Kaner! Wonderful to see you!" Ovi yelled throwing his hands in the air.

"Having a good time Ovi?"

"Yes! And it got better when I ran into these lovely ladies."

"Alex was just telling us about his win in the casino last night." Kara explained.

"I told her that I might need a lucky charm when I go back."

"I doubt I'll be much luck for you. I can barely win at Go Fish." Kara joked.

"How about dinner then?" Kara smiled at the Russian sincerely.

"I'm sorry Alex but I can't. I have to spend sometime with my boyfriend before I leave in the morning." Alex's face dropped while his friend grinned.

"You're here with a boyfriend?"

"Hi. Patrick Kane. Her boyfriend." I said stepping forward and offering my hand. Ovi looked between Kara and I then smiled that toothless grin. He took my hand and said, "Patrick Kane you lucky bastard. Take good care of her. She's a keeper." Then he turned to Kara, "Feel free to call me when you need someone to straighten him out."

"I don't know what you two complain about, he seems like a nice man." Tazer and I rolled our eyes but cracked a grin at Kara's joke.

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"So you never told me how you got into the party." I smirked.

We had left the NHL party early to spend some time together. We opted to walk to distance back to my hotel instead of a cab. It must have looked odd for the people around us to see two people formally dressed taking a stroll down the streets of Vegas...or maybe not.

"I called Julia and told her we'd be stopping by. Jon suggested I make it a surprise." I answered.

"I'm just glad you came."

"I wouldn't have missed this for the world." Patrick unlatched his hand from mine and put it on my side, kissing the side of my head.

About five minutes later, we arrived at my hotel. We took the elevator up to the floor and Pat walked me to the door. I slid the key card into the slot and let us both in. I kept the light off in case my roommate was here. Once I noticed she wasn't I flipped on the bedside lamp.

On the table by the window there was a note, "Apparently she went to stay with a friend in another room and she won't be back." I said reading the note.

"Mmm, so you have the room all to your lonesome?" Pat asked pulling his jacket off my shoulders and onto the table beside us.

"I guess so. Well I think I'm going to get ready for bed. I'm beat." I said about to head towards the bathroom when Patrick's arms enclosed around me, my back pressed to his chest.

"You really think I'm going to let you go that easily?"

"I've got an early flight tomorrow."

"Then I think we should make the most of the time we have left." I turned my head to look at him and instantly his lips were on mine. Pat's hands rested on my hips but traveled up my sides. He turned my body to face him, our lips never missing a beat.

The loosened tie that hung around Pat's neck came undone and was dropped to the floor.

The pins in my hair came out and my hair fell down my shoulders with a bounce.

The feeling of being in Patrick's arms was one of care. But at this moment, and those to follow, there was so much more meaning to it.

I had been with men before I met Patrick Kane. Most relationships were nothing more than maybe a small romance but this...words couldn't describe it. The passion, the desire, the want, the need for one another was overwhelming.

And in the end as I laid beside Patrick, I tried to push away the thoughts of being separated from him. I just prayed the summer flew by fast enough that we can be reunited before reality returned.

"Kara?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you. And no matter what's going on, I'll always be thinking about you." Pat whispered. I starred up into his blue eyes and smiled at him.

"I love you too."

And just as the night came to an end, Patrick and I were saying goodbye in the Las Vegas airport the next morning. My arms gripped tightly around his waist as his stayed on my shoulders.

"Don't make me get the jaws of life Kara!" I heard Dom yell just before he crossed the security gate.

"I don't want to go." I mumbled into Pat's shirt.

"We'll see each other soon. Promise you'll call?" He said.

"Of course. Try not to party too hard." I tried to joke hoping it would lighten the saddened mood.

"I could say the same for you." I felt his head lift from the top of mine and look over at the security gate, "They're going to come back looking for you soon. Maybe if you hurry, the summer will go by fast." Pat said. I could only wish I could speed up the time to when I can see him again.

"I'll miss you." I said looking up at him. His eyes found mine and he smiled.

"I'm just a phone call away. We'll see each other in no time." I'm just glad that he was acting so positive because I was one second away from running away from the airport and returning back to the hotel with Patrick. "Now go, before I toss you over my shoulder and kidnap you." I smiled. Pat leaned down and kissed me.

The was the last time I felt Patrick Kane's lips on mine that summer.

---

Arriving back in Syracuse left me only a couple days to pack for school. The show had ended with a bang and good reviews after every city. It was an experience of a lifetime but now...I just wanted my life back.

I lived my dream. I traveled the country visiting major cities, making memories with my friends. But when I first created this dream, I never thought I would have left behind someone as important as Patrick. I toured historical landmarks, took pictures in front of important architect but without Patrick none of it seemed as meaningful.

I talked to him everyday. Starting with those wonderful good morning texts, followed by text message conversations throughout the day, and a phone call every night. Sometimes we'd Skype but that was rare. I would send him post cards like I did when I was in Michigan to remind him that I was always thinking about him. He would send me pictures of him and some of the other Blackhawks as they made the rounds with the Cup.

Occasionally Julia would send something or even call with Jon in the background but that was the most contact I had with anyone.

Being back in Syracuse gave me a chance to relax and maybe talk to some friends that I hadn't seen all summer, but with school in the next few days, I was short on time.

"Kara?" My mom stuck her head into my bedroom door, "Oh good, you're awake. I thought you'd be sleeping by now."

"I've got too much packing to do before school." I told her sitting up on my bed.

"Why? You're practically packed now. You should relax. You've been running around all summer. Give yourself a vacation."

"I'll try mom."

"Oh I almost forgot. These came for you this morning just before I left to get you at the airport." My mom walked into the hallway only to return with a vase with beautiful red roses in it. She handed it to me and I smiled at the gift. "There seems to be a note. I didn't open it of course." My mom pointed out. I set the vase down and took the small note out of the envelop.

Kara,
I hope you got home safe. I think I forgot what it felt like to hold you in my arms. Maybe you can come down and remind me.

I reread the note a few times trying to comprehend the meaning of it when I looked up at my mom. But she wasn't looking at me. Instead, her eyes were fixed to something out the window. I followed her gaze until I spotted the one thing that kept me motivated to get through the summer.

He was leaning against his SUV. Feet crossed below him as he twirled a red rose in his hands. His blonde hair that cut for the NHL Awards was now shaggy around his ears. His skin was a darker shade due to the hours he probably spent out in the sun celebrating his victory with friends and family.

But one thing that hadn't changed were those blue eyes that pierced me when he finally looked up at my window. Seeing me, he smiled.

I dropped the note and sprinted down the stairs catching myself a few times from falling. The front door was flung open as I raced out to meet Patrick in the middle of my yard.

Reaching him, he lifted me in the air and spun me around. He didn't even give me chance to set my feet on the ground before he kissed me with a long lost lover's passion.

Since the last time I saw him, I tried to recreate the feel of his lips and his body in my mind but my imagination did no justice to the real deal.

"I missed you." I said breaking away for air.

"I missed you too." He held up a single red rose up in between us.

There was never a moment after that, when I never felt loved by Patrick Kane. In the short time we had left before our lives started back up again, I knew that he was the one I was going to spend forever with. He is worth everything; the arguments, the fights, the mistakes.

I would have never thought that a trip to Vegas would be the trigger to bigger adventure. If you had told me a year ago that I would meet Patrick Kane, forward for the Chicago Blackhawks, I would have responded with "Yeah? Only in my dreams."

But as he stood here in my arms, my dream had become reality.

Oh, but I know that life has so much in store for us. As long as Patrick is by my side, coaching me through life as I had promised to do for him a year ago, we can get through anything.