Red
GIRL AT HOME
“I don’t even know her but, I feel a responsibility to do what’s upstanding and right,” Leanna nervously laughed, picking up her folders and gliding across the office and away from Patrick Kane. She wished she didn’t have to, he was very enticing and would be lovely to look at sans clothing but, he was getting closer and closer and crossing so many lines. “It would be a fine proposition, if I was a stupid girl.”
“It’s just dinner, I’m not asking you to sleep with me,” Patrick rolled his eyes. Leanna looked up, anger flashing behind her green eyes. It wasn’t just dinner and Pat knew that. It wasn’t just dinner when the askee asked everyday for three weeks. He leaned against the desk and watched as she organized herself, getting ready to leave. “You’re just so differen-“
“Honey, I am no one’s exception, this I have previously learned,” Leanna scoffed bitterly. Working with athletes had given her a crash course in how big of assholes men can really be. She reached for her jacket but, Patrick scooped it up and walked over to the door holding it out. Leanna sighed and crossed her arms, “seriously, Pat? This is extremely childish, even for you.”
Pat frowned and held out the jacket to her. When she reached for it, he pulled it away, the boyish grin back on his lips. She reached once more but, he danced out of the office and turned out the lights, “you can have this back if you go to dinner with me. Right now.”
“It would be a fine proposition if I hadn’t once been just like Alison,” Patrick’s eyes darkened instantly and Leanna recoiled, knowing she had struck a nerve. Quickly, she skipped out of the office and locked the door behind her. When she turned around, Patrick stood right up close, eyes looking straight into hers.
“Don’t ever, ever compare yourself to Alison. You are not like her at all, you are smart and beautiful and a good person,” he handed her the jacket and then wrapped his hand around her arm, the smile, once again, back. “Dinner, you, me, now.”
She had no choice. He practically dragged her to the restaurant down the street, though her feet would tell her that she willingly went with him. She had given up the fight halfway to the restaurant, yet he wouldn’t let go. Not until they were seated in the back corner of the room.
She found herself having one of the best nights sitting across from the incredibly famous man. She had met him at a Bulls/Blackhawks charity event and exchanged numbers, not realizing that he had a girlfriend back at home. When it was brought to her attention that he had a serious girlfriend, one he was living with, she immediately cut him off. No, she was not the kind of girl to skirt around with someone else’s boyfriend.
Leanna watched as Patrick turned off his phone and then nervously giggled, “no you’ve got me alone.”
Patrick half-smiled and then held out the menu to her, “just order.” Against everything she had hoped, but not surprisingly, she had a great time with him. They exchanged stories from their childhoods, hers back in Pennsylvania and his in New York. Patrick made her laugh so much she snorted and Leanna, on numerous occasions, was able to shut down that quick witted mouth of his. She found herself having such a great time, that she forgot about the elephant in the room. That was, until Leanna received a text from Cayden.
Have you heard from Pat? Alison just called JT and she’s pissed. Leanna’s eyes started to well up as she read the text, guilt filled her. She looked up at Patrick and wiped a tear away. His permanent smile dropped instantly and as he opened his mouth to speak, Leanna just shook her head.
“Don’t look at me, you have a girl at home and everyone knows that,” she half whispered. Patrick reached across the table for her but, she recoiled and scooted her chair back and away from him. “Call a cab, lose my number, you’re about to lose your girl. Let’s consider this lesson learned.”
“What lesson?” Patrick asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Leanna laughed and rolled her eyes.
“That you’re an asshat and I fell for it,” she reached into her purse and pulled out a handful of bills, throwing them on the table as she stormed away. As she pushed through the doors of the restaurant, she dialled the only number she could think of that would come and get her, the only person in Chicago that she knew she could count on for anything.
She barely got to the last digit before she heard her name being called behind her. Against her best judgement, she stopped and turned around as Patrick ran towards her. He started to apologize but, Leanna just held out a hand, “I wanna see you pick up your phone and tell her you’re coming home.”
“Leanna, you don’t understand-“ he tried again but, Leanna was way to angry and embarrassed to let him get any kind of explanation out. No, he didn’t deserve that.
“I just want to make sure you understand perfectly you’re the kind of man that makes me sad,” Patrick looked shocked as the words flew from her mouth. It was almost as if no one had ever told him where to shove it, or at least not this gracefully. “While Alison waits up, you chase down the newest thing and take for grant it what you have. By the way, she’s calling around asking for you. I just got a message from Cayden that she’s been calling JT’s apartment looking for you.”
“She’s calling because she needs keys to the apartment,” Patrick said, his voice raising a bit in annoyance. Leanna frown and ran her fingers through her bangs. “She wants the rest of her stuff and I was supposed to be there so she could get it because we broke up two weeks ago. I wanted to be with someone else, you.”
“Why didn’t you-“ Leanna muttered but, couldn’t get the full question out. Patrick raised an eyebrow as he stepped forward.
“Tell you? Because I didn’t want you to feel pressured into it, like I did this all just for you. I wanted you to want to go out with me not feel like you had to,” he slowly got closer. “There is no one at home but, there is someone here, right now.”
“Oh shut up, you sap,” Leanna breathed before pressing her lips to his.
“It’s just dinner, I’m not asking you to sleep with me,” Patrick rolled his eyes. Leanna looked up, anger flashing behind her green eyes. It wasn’t just dinner and Pat knew that. It wasn’t just dinner when the askee asked everyday for three weeks. He leaned against the desk and watched as she organized herself, getting ready to leave. “You’re just so differen-“
“Honey, I am no one’s exception, this I have previously learned,” Leanna scoffed bitterly. Working with athletes had given her a crash course in how big of assholes men can really be. She reached for her jacket but, Patrick scooped it up and walked over to the door holding it out. Leanna sighed and crossed her arms, “seriously, Pat? This is extremely childish, even for you.”
Pat frowned and held out the jacket to her. When she reached for it, he pulled it away, the boyish grin back on his lips. She reached once more but, he danced out of the office and turned out the lights, “you can have this back if you go to dinner with me. Right now.”
“It would be a fine proposition if I hadn’t once been just like Alison,” Patrick’s eyes darkened instantly and Leanna recoiled, knowing she had struck a nerve. Quickly, she skipped out of the office and locked the door behind her. When she turned around, Patrick stood right up close, eyes looking straight into hers.
“Don’t ever, ever compare yourself to Alison. You are not like her at all, you are smart and beautiful and a good person,” he handed her the jacket and then wrapped his hand around her arm, the smile, once again, back. “Dinner, you, me, now.”
She had no choice. He practically dragged her to the restaurant down the street, though her feet would tell her that she willingly went with him. She had given up the fight halfway to the restaurant, yet he wouldn’t let go. Not until they were seated in the back corner of the room.
She found herself having one of the best nights sitting across from the incredibly famous man. She had met him at a Bulls/Blackhawks charity event and exchanged numbers, not realizing that he had a girlfriend back at home. When it was brought to her attention that he had a serious girlfriend, one he was living with, she immediately cut him off. No, she was not the kind of girl to skirt around with someone else’s boyfriend.
Leanna watched as Patrick turned off his phone and then nervously giggled, “no you’ve got me alone.”
Patrick half-smiled and then held out the menu to her, “just order.” Against everything she had hoped, but not surprisingly, she had a great time with him. They exchanged stories from their childhoods, hers back in Pennsylvania and his in New York. Patrick made her laugh so much she snorted and Leanna, on numerous occasions, was able to shut down that quick witted mouth of his. She found herself having such a great time, that she forgot about the elephant in the room. That was, until Leanna received a text from Cayden.
Have you heard from Pat? Alison just called JT and she’s pissed. Leanna’s eyes started to well up as she read the text, guilt filled her. She looked up at Patrick and wiped a tear away. His permanent smile dropped instantly and as he opened his mouth to speak, Leanna just shook her head.
“Don’t look at me, you have a girl at home and everyone knows that,” she half whispered. Patrick reached across the table for her but, she recoiled and scooted her chair back and away from him. “Call a cab, lose my number, you’re about to lose your girl. Let’s consider this lesson learned.”
“What lesson?” Patrick asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Leanna laughed and rolled her eyes.
“That you’re an asshat and I fell for it,” she reached into her purse and pulled out a handful of bills, throwing them on the table as she stormed away. As she pushed through the doors of the restaurant, she dialled the only number she could think of that would come and get her, the only person in Chicago that she knew she could count on for anything.
She barely got to the last digit before she heard her name being called behind her. Against her best judgement, she stopped and turned around as Patrick ran towards her. He started to apologize but, Leanna just held out a hand, “I wanna see you pick up your phone and tell her you’re coming home.”
“Leanna, you don’t understand-“ he tried again but, Leanna was way to angry and embarrassed to let him get any kind of explanation out. No, he didn’t deserve that.
“I just want to make sure you understand perfectly you’re the kind of man that makes me sad,” Patrick looked shocked as the words flew from her mouth. It was almost as if no one had ever told him where to shove it, or at least not this gracefully. “While Alison waits up, you chase down the newest thing and take for grant it what you have. By the way, she’s calling around asking for you. I just got a message from Cayden that she’s been calling JT’s apartment looking for you.”
“She’s calling because she needs keys to the apartment,” Patrick said, his voice raising a bit in annoyance. Leanna frown and ran her fingers through her bangs. “She wants the rest of her stuff and I was supposed to be there so she could get it because we broke up two weeks ago. I wanted to be with someone else, you.”
“Why didn’t you-“ Leanna muttered but, couldn’t get the full question out. Patrick raised an eyebrow as he stepped forward.
“Tell you? Because I didn’t want you to feel pressured into it, like I did this all just for you. I wanted you to want to go out with me not feel like you had to,” he slowly got closer. “There is no one at home but, there is someone here, right now.”
“Oh shut up, you sap,” Leanna breathed before pressing her lips to his.