Treacherous

Chicago was a big city, and I lived just outside of it, in Burbank, Illinois. I had grown up there and never really decided to leave, except to find my own place. I went to school right in the city and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. I was preparing myself to work within my dad’s business. You know those big tall buildings with last names plastered on the side? My dad had one.
It was never my dream to follow after my dad’s footsteps, but my parents didn’t believe that writing would become a career for me, so I agreed to get my degree and make some “real money”.

It was like any other day. I had finished at the office, late, and was heading home to my loft apartment back in Burbank. I stepped outside into the chilly Febraury air, realizing I had not dressed nearly warm enough for winter weather. I rubbed my hands together and wrapped my scarf a bit tighter as I walked into the wind, my eyes watering from the cold.

“Katherine!” I heard a voice from behind me and I turned to see someone running into my general direction. My immediate thought was to continue walking, pretending I never heard them, or to be nice and stop to listen. I took too long in my decision and was forced to meet whoever it was.

“Katherine” she said again as she took a breath, winded from jogging.

“Hey” I replied. It was one of my co-workers and former childhood friend whom my parents suckered into working for them, Lilly. She worked in a different department of the building, so I rarely saw her, but I didn’t like her or hate her.

“A few people from work are meeting in the city to grab some drinks, wanted to see if you wanted to join”

I was not in the mood to go someplace with co-workers, “I’m really tired, it’s been a long day. I just want to go home”

“Oh come on! You never get out, you’re too uptight, you need to have some fun”

I was never this uptight. Ever since university graduation and work, I’ve been as uptight as you get. I never go out, I don’t have many friends, I spend too much time with my cat and I hate the general population. I used to be pretty free-spirited and somewhat…fun.

“I don’t need fun. I need my bed. And my cat. And some wine maybe”

She sighed, “One drink. You could use one after this long day you’ve had right? Meet some of the people from work. You will be their boss someday”

I sighed. It’s true, I will take over when my dad no longer can. It’s also true that I could use at least one night of social interaction. What could it hurt?

“One drink. One hour.”

She smiled and linked arms with me, as if we were best friends, “I have a cab waiting” she said, “This will be so much fun!”

I wish I was that optimistic.

We arrived at a small lounge in downtown Chicago. It was laid back, fairly quiet but also crowded. Lilly pulled me through a small crowd of people to find the people we were meeting up with. I saw five or six different women and men all chatting around a corner booth table. They all had glasses on wine and beer and still dressed in formal business wear, obviously just coming from work.

“Hey guys!” Lilly greeted them and they all smiled and greeted her in return as we both sat down, “Guys, this is Katherine, Katherine this is…everyone!” she laughed as she said it and turned to take off her coat and scarf.

“Future boss Katherine O’Connell?” one of the guys asked.

I nodded, “That’s me” I shrugged casually and then took my own coat and scarf off.

“I’m surprised she got you here. Jeff, you owe Lilly 50 bucks”

They all laughed as the one, whom I presumed was Jeff, groaned and reached for his wallet, handing Lilly money. And then I clued in to the fact that I was the bet.

“You bet that you couldn’t get me here?” I looked at Lilly and she shyly smiled, “It was friendly”
I sighed, no energy to even bother getting upset about it. I ordered a glass of white wine and listened as everyone began chatting over each other.

After half an hour, a few had gotten up and started mingling with others in the bar. I stayed put with a few of the others, hoping no one else would decide mingle. My dreams were dashed when the last few people in the booth, except myself decided to get up and move around. Lilly tried to persuade me but I nodded her off and stayed with my second glass of wine at the table by myself.

It was probably ten minutes later of looking at my phone and taking bigger and bigger sips of wine before there was someone sitting across from me, someone who was not a part of the group I was previously with. He had short blonde hair, scruff and was well built in a v-neck, a tattoo coming down his right arm.

“Hello” I was a bit confused as to why this stranger had made himself so comfortable with me already.

“What is someone like you doing sitting here alone?”

I shrugged, “I didn’t feel like mingling. May I ask what you mean by ‘someone like you’?”

“Well, well dressed, beautiful and hopefully funny because I was kind of betting on the fact you’d be funny”

“Why is that?”

He shrugged, “You’re beautiful, which means you probably have a great smile, which probably means you have somewhat of a sense of humour”

“You’re taking a lot of risks coming to see me” I replied, “Why are you so sure about me?”

He shrugged again and then leaned in a bit closer, “I’m not. I’m really just hoping to charm you a bit to get your number.” A big smile graced his face.

“That’s it?” I smirked, taking a casual sip of wine, “Doesn’t make me want to give you my number”

“Really? I thought that was all pretty charming honestly. I would give me my number, I’m pretty great”

I laughed now, something that hasn’t happened in a while, “Is that so? Well isn’t that for me to decide?”

He nodded, “But to find out we have to talk a bit more, which means you have to give me your number”

“I don’t even know your name, Charming”

“Charming, I like that. Has a nice ring to it” his smile brightened significantly and I couldn’t help but smile back. Already this stranger was completely softening me up and bringing out a side that hasn’t been seen in a couple of years, could it be the wine?

“My name is Katherine” I told him, “And yours?”

“Kris”

“Well Kris Charming, I suppose I have no choice but to give you my number”

His eyebrows raised, “That actually worked?”

I laughed again and shook my head, writing my number down on a napkin. Cliché, I know.

“Now you know you can’t call me for at least a couple days, right?”

He nodded, “Oh of course! I wouldn’t dare call you only twenty minutes after leaving you because I was just dying to see you again”

I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or if he really meant everything he had been saying.

I looked down at my phone and realized that it was getting late, “I need to go. It was nice to meet you Kris” I stood up and threw some cash on the table for the wine and put my coat back on.

“Steegers is that you!” I heard a loud male voice from behind me as I wrapped my scarf around my neck, “Jeff, hey!” Kris replied.

One of the guys from before, Jeff, had greeted Kris as if they’d known each other for years. Which I believe they have.

“So you met Katherine!” Jeff replied, “This girl, in a couple years, will be my boss, can you believe it?” Kris looked at me with a raised eyebrow and then looked down at the number on the napkin, “Katherine O’Connell?” he said.

I nodded and so did Jeff, “Yah, man. Her old man is going to be giving her the company and retiring”

“Really?”

Both Jeff and I nodded again and then Jeff changed the subject, “So what are you doing out tonight, no game?”

He shook his head, “We play Sunday afternoon. Got the night off”

“Awesome, you guys look pretty good this year”

Kris nodded, “We all feel good too. I think it will be a good year”

“Well, I’ll be rooting for you” they shook hands and Jeff nodded, “The group is heading out though, but it was great seeing you!”

“You too!” Kris replied.

Jeff left and Kris stood there staring at the number, “I just got Katherine O’Connell’s number, wow”
I laughed nervously, “Should I take it back?”

He looked up at me finally, “No, no. It’s not a bad thing, just surprising”

“Okay” I paused for a few seconds and we both looked at each other, “What do you do—I mean, play?”

“Hockey” he said, “For Chicago”

“Blackhawks?”

He nodded and the name finally came to me from being taken to games throughout my childhood and then the past few years for meetings and nights out with my parents, “Versteeg?”

He nodded, “That’s me”

“Well…” I didn’t know how to respond now. I didn’t mind that I had given him my number, but for some reason it now felt weird, and I didn’t know why, “You can call me, if you want” I said, “But I have to go” he nodded with no response and I turned and left quickly, finding a cab and directing them back home.