Two Can Play the Game

So I've abandoned this story for a really long time... but decided to start up again. Hopefully I'll be more persistent this time :) Please comment! I really appreciate it.

---

Cecil waited patiently at the Starbucks across from her hotel, a Venti Caramel Frappucino in hand. Seconds later, Megan strolled in.

“Thank you so much for the opportunity, Cecil. I promise I won’t let you down.” Megan said, shaking Cecil’s hand before sitting down.

Cecil smiled. “Don’t thank me yet. There’s something I have to tell you.”

The smile across Megan’s face faded. “I.. didn’t get the job?”

“Oh you did. Just not the one you were expecting with the Canucks.”

Megan sat up straighter in her chair. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

Cecil stirred her drink, thinking of the perfect words to explain the situation. “You ever been to Chicago?”

Megan crinkled her brows in confusion. “No…?”

“How would you like to come with me? A brand new apartment, all expenses paid.”

Megan did not look convinced. “I’m sorry, what is going on here?”

Cecil sighed. “Look, there isn’t really a summer job for the Canucks. Amy’s a good friend of mine, and did me a favour.”

Megan started to stand up. “I don’t know what’s going on but this is not what I signed up for-“

Cecil put her hand on top of Megan’s. “I know. Just hear me out.”

Megan reluctantly sat down but pulled her chair further away from Cecil.

“I work as the marketing director of the Chicago Blackhawks, but what I’m hiring you for is really more of a personal matter.” Cecil saw Megan’s facial expression change after hearing her mention the Chicago Blackhawks. “You said you hate Patrick Kane right?”

Megan nodded slowly.

“Well, then this should be fun. We used to date, but he fucked up. Big time. I want to get him back, and you’re just the girl I need. Please say yes. I know it’s unconventional, but I promise I’ll take care of you in Chicago and pay you $2000 a week.”

Megan’s eyes turned into saucers. “$2000 a week? That’s insane.” She had just gotten out of college and had a pile of student loans waiting for her.

Cecil nodded. “And like I said, all expenses will be paid. Groceries, any social outings. It’s all on me. I just need you to do me a favour.”

“So what is it exactly that you want me to do?” Megan asked.

Cecil took a sip of her drink. “Destroy Patrick Kane.”

Megan smirked. This was going to be fun. “Well, if anyone strongly despises him, it’s me.”

“Exactly. That’s why you’re perfect for the job. It's easy. Don't fall in love with him. All I want you to do is get him to fall in love with you, and dump him at the exact moment you know it's gonna hurt the most.”

“Wow, you must hate him as much as I do.” Megan glanced at Cecil and saw the hurt swimming in her eyes.

“You would too, if you knew what he did.”

Megan smiled sympathetically. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

Cecil’s eyes widened. “You will?!”

Megan nodded. “On one condition.”

Cecil wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Anything.”

Megan leaned back and put her arm up on the chair. “Tell me everything. I have to know what it’s like to be in your shoes if I want to be real.”

Cecil sighed. She had buried this story somewhere far, far in the back of her mind. But she knew she had to talk about it someday.

“I started off as an intern for the Chicago Blackhawks, the summer after I graduated. I was a bit shy, and very naïve. But I found out that I really loved my job, and put everything I had into it. I found my own confidence, and got promoted. A year later, I became the youngest marketing director in organization history at the age of 22. That’s the year Patrick got drafted. At first, I thought he was the most obnoxious kid ever. Even the older guys in the organization feared me. I was always brutally honest, and had a cut-throat approach to things. But not Patrick. He walked into my office, introduced himself as the rookie, and reappeared in my office every morning for months.”

Megan rolled her eyes. “Typical Kaner behavior,” she muttered.

“He kept telling me that it was stressful to be so uptight. He kept feeling like he could break down my walls. Like he knew something about me that no one else did.” Cecil paused to take a sip of her drink before continuing. “He asked me out. He asked me everyday for months. And I always turned him down. He sent flowers and chocolate, and always called if he knew I was staying late at the United Center. So after a year or so of turning him down, I gave in. I let him take me out.”

Megan tried to smother the look of disgust on her face. “Continue.”

“He took me to the local carnival. Sounds cheesy, I know. But it was so much fun. Maybe it was the adrenaline of the roller coasters, but I opened up to him. We ended up talking the whole night at a diner close to my place. Eventually we started dating… but things just escalated. It got really serious really fast.”

Megan watched Cecil break the napkin into pieces and knew she was nervous. “And then?”

“I told him that I was a virgin. A virgin at 24 years old, I know. I just wanted to make sure it was the right guy before I did it, you know?”

Megan nodded. “That’s understandable.”

“Anyways… Patrick was really sweet about it. He never ever brought it up, or asked me when I would be ready. Everything felt natural. I felt safe and never pressured by him. Obviously we fooled around, but he always stopped before he knew things would get out of hand.” Cecil balled up all the napkin pieces she had ripped up. “But one night was all it took for him to screw it all up.”

“Did he cheat on you?” Megan asked, biting her nails nervously.

Cecil opened her mouth to speak but then she closed it. “He didn’t. Not that I know of. But it was much, much worse than that.”

Flashback to last season, 2010-2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Philadelphia

Cecil had tears in her eyes as she watched the boys, HER boys, hoist the Stanley Cup. She was beyond proud of her team, and of course, of her man, for scoring the overtime goal. She desperately wanted to make it down to centre ice with the other friends and family members, but she was on the clock and professionalism always came first.

She sent Pat a quick text instead. Congratulations babe! Words can’t describe how proud I am of you guys ☺ Meet me at my hotel room before we go celebrate with the boys?

Cecil headed back to the hotel after congratulating members of the staff and finishing up some work. Everything had worked out the way she planned, the boys had won the Cup, and she had planed to give Pat what he had waited for so patiently. With shaking heads, she unzipped her suitcase to reveal a beautiful lace teddy, one she had bought especially for this trip had the boys won the Stanley Cup.

“I’m ready.” Cecil thought to herself. Patrick had been nothing but sweet and patient for the past 6 months, never pressuring her to give in. Tonight she was ready to let it all go for him.

She heard someone knock on the door and quickly put the teddy back into the suitcase. Seeing that it was Patrick through the peephole, she opened the door with a smile.

“Babe!!!” She squealed, jumping into his arms, her legs around his waist. “I’m so so so extremely proud of you. Congrats.”

Patrick couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “Thanks, baby.” He placed a kiss on her cheek. “Ready to head out? We’re gonna do dinner quickly and then go clubbing.”

Cecil nodded. While waiting for Patrick at the hotel room, she had changed into a skin tight beige lace dress, paired with a pair of black strappy heels. Her brown hair was curled into natural looking waves. She grabbed her clutch off the bed and closed the door behind them.

“You look nice,” Patrick said, placing a kiss on her temple.

Cecil tugged on his tie. “Says the Stanley Cup champion looking like a stud in his suit.”

Patrick smiled sheepishly. “I don’t think the feeling has quite sunk in yet. The Stanley Cup! It’s insane.”

They strolled hand in hand to the elevator. “Well, you boys deserved it. Congrats again.”

The team had chosen a nice steakhouse for the dinner, and now everyone was sitting at a booth at a local Philadelphia night time hotspot.

“Congratulations, boys. I can’t explain how proud I am of you guys, this round is on me!” Cecil said, making a toast.

Cheers erupted all around the table. “Woooo! Thanks Cecil. You’re the best,” Jonathan said, wrapping Cecil in a big bear hug.

After a couple hours or so, Cecil was getting nervous. She knew that her big night was still ahead. She downed a couple more shots to calm the nerves.

“Woah, babe. Slow down. You know you’re not a heavy drinker,” Pat said, patting her knee.

Cecil smiled, grateful that Patrick was still looking out for her on his big night like this. “I’m actually gonna head out, I have a surprise waiting for you at the hotel.” She whispered into his ear.

Pat’s eyebrows rose with curiosity. “Do you want me to come with…?”

Cecil put her hand on his thigh and shook her head. “No, you stay for a bit. But don’t make me wait too long…” She bit his earlobe suggestively before getting up.

Patrick gave her a quick kiss and waited with her until she got into a cab. “Alright, see you soon, babe.” He said before closing the cab door.

---
A couple hours later, Cecil was still pacing around in the hotel room, her lace teddy making her normally confident self feel self-conscious. She had drank a whole bottle of champagne on her own after returning to the hotel room to calm her nerves. She bit her nails nervously. What if Patrick didn’t come? What if he went home drunkenly with another girl?

She jumped when she heard someone knock loudly on the door. She peered into the peephole, seeing a drunk Patrick on the other side.

“Hi,” she whispered, pulling the door open.

“Hi babe,” Patrick said, walking in. She was surprised to see how coherent he still was. “Did you wait long? I’m sorry the boys kept telling me to do shots-“ Patrick paused. “Wow…. You look-“

“Shh-“ Cecil whispered, leaning forward to kiss Patrick. “You’ve worked hard these couple of weeks to get to the Stanley Cup, it’s about time I reward you with something else…” She took off Pat’s blazer and pushed him onto the bed.

“Babe…” He whispered but lost his train of thought as Cecil climbed over him and pressed her body into his.

“I’m ready.” She whispered into his ear before placing kisses on his neck.

He groaned, before putting his arm on her gently. “You sure? I mean … I know it’s a big deal.”

She responded by pressing herself harder against Patrick’s groin. “I’m sure.”

They could not keep their hands off each other, kissing every inch of each other’s bodies until it got to the vital part. Cecil showed no hesitation.

Patrick sat up and climbed off the bed.

Cecil looked up in concern. “Is something wrong…?” She asked, a frown on her face.

Patrick shook his head. Just turning on some music and turning down the lights,” Pat whispered, fidgeting with his phone.

He came back and wrapped his arms around her. “I love you so much.” He whispered, placing a kiss on her nose.

“I love you too,” Cecil replied.

Pat lowered himself on her and watched her flinch. “You okay?”

Cecil nodded. “Just takes some getting used to, I guess.”

After a couple more thrusts, Cecil started to relax. “Pat-“ she moaned.

His head was spinning so badly. She was so tight. “Does this feel okay, baby?”

Cecil nodded. “It feels so good,” she whispered hoarsely.

End Flashback

“It really was the perfect night,” Cecil explained to Megan. “I had no regrets… until about a week later.”

Megan wrinkled her brows in confusion. “What happened?”

Flashback: A Week After The Cup Finals

Cecil gathered her papers and headed over to the general manager’s office, where she would get evaluated for her performance with the Blackhawks this season.

“Mike, hi. It’s good to see you.” Cecil smiled, taking a seat across from her boss. She was confident about this meeting. Fan engagement had gone up tremendous this year, with seats at the United Center constantly being sold out.

“Umm-“ Mike said, taking off his glasses and setting them down on the table. “Two things I wanted to talk about today, one more directly related to the organization and one a little bit indirectly.”

Cecil nodded slowly, trying to figure out what Mike’s words meant.

“You did a great job in the marketing role this season. The numbers show it, but more importantly, each and everyone of us here love you and how much passion you have for the team. We can really tell that you want the best for the team as well as for the fans.”

Cecil nodded. “I would expect nothing less of myself.”

“But on the other hand, I received something in my office a couple days ago…that can really put things into perspective. Mike pressed a few buttons on his phone. “Have you seen this?” He handed the phone over to Cecil.

Cecil watched the video on the phone, a million thoughts going through her mind. It was a sex tape. Of her and Patrick. He had filmed them that night at the hotel room.

“Mike, I apologize, I had no idea about that video-“ Cecil said, her voice shaken with emotions. The tears were starting to come down her face furiously.

Mike took the phone back and turned off the video, the room coming to complete silence now that her moans were no longer flooding the room.

“Look, we don’t have any strict rules about players and staff dating. We don’t recommend it, but we don’t prohibit it. You guys are grown ups and should be able to handle situations properly.”

Cecil nodded, completely unable to keep her emotions in check. “I’m sorry-“

Mike sighed. “You know we obviously cannot let Patrick go. He’s under contract and a superstar on the team.”

“I-I understand.” Cecil gripped the edge of the chair.

“Me and the management staff are going to decide what to do in the next few days. Obviously the right decision would be to let you go, because the Blackhawks organization does not tolerate this kind of behavior.” Mike rubbed his forehead. “But at the same time, you are great at what you do. With the number of Stanley Cup events upcoming, we really can’t afford to lose you.”

“You do what you have to do, Mike.” Cecil tried to look her boss in the eyes, but her vision was clouded by her tears. “I sincerely apologize.”

Mike nodded. “We know you have good intentions, Cecil. We will be speaking with Patrick about this too, don’t worry.”

So will I, Cecil thought to herself.

“Thanks for your time today, Cecil. We’ll let you know.”

Cecil stood up and walked back to her office. She knew Patrick was here today, speaking to reporters about the Stanley Cup. She walked over to the player’s lounge and saw Patrick standing there, finishing up with a local news reporter. Her fingers curled into fists just seeing that mop of blond curls.

She leaned against the wall until she saw the reporters walking away. Patrick saw her too, and walked over with a smile on his face.

“Hey babe, how was your meeting with Mike?” He said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

She dodged him by turning her head. “We need to talk,” she said, pulling him down the hall and into his office.

She shut the door and turned to Patrick.

“How. Dare. You. Do. That. To. Me.” She spat out each word angrily at him.

It took him a few seconds to register. “The video? I swear I only sent it to Jon-“ Patrick threw his hands up in surrender.

Cecil took a step forward and slapped him, the tears running down her face. “You know how much my virginity meant to me, I gave it to you because I loved you, and I thought you were really the one. Then you have the audacity to FILM us having sex, then send it to your teammates? What am I? A prize?”

Patrick tried to wipe the tears off her cheek but she backed away. “No, babe, it wasn’t like that-“

Cecil glared at him. “Well I don’t know what the hell you were thinking but Mike has the tape, and I’m probably going to lose my job.”

Patrick’s eyes widened. “It wasn’t supposed to be such a big deal-“

“Not a big deal? Are you fucking serious?” She yelled.

“Look-I’ll help you get your job back, just don’t be so mad at me-“ Patrick ran his hands through his hair.

“No! I don’t need you doing anything for me. I was wrong to think that you were the one. I never want to see you again! I thought you had changed, that this wasn’t your style anymore. I’m done. I loved my job. You ruined it for me. I don’t even know how I’m going to show my face in Chicago again. Goodbye, Patrick.” She grabbed her purse and stormed out the door, leaving a stunned Patrick Kane standing in her office.

End flashback