Can't Be Tamed...Or Can He?

"I had a great time tonight," Patrick said with a smile.

"Me too. Thanks again," Anna replied, not breaking her gaze from his.

"It was my pleasure. I'll see you after the road trip?" His eyes were hopeful as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

She nodded. "Of course." Before she could second-guess herself, Anna stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Patrick."

"Bye, Anna," he replied as a slight blush crept across his cheeks.

Anna smiled as she entered her apartment, closing the door behind her. She pressed her back against the door, feeling slightly breathless.

Pull yourself together, Anna, she told herself as she ran her fingers through her hair, You wanted nothing to do with this guy, yet he's got you smiling like an idiot after one date?

She made her way to her bedroom and got undressed, then pulled on an old t-shirt and a pair of sweats. She put her hair up and took off her makeup before flopping into bed.

Who was she kidding, it had been an awesome date. She had expected Patrick to be cocky and arrogant, that he would stare at other girls the entire time or drink way too much and make her uncomfortable — but it was quite the opposite.

Patrick had shown up at 6:00 on the dot, dressed in a dark jeans, a checkered button down, and a tan twill jacket — an Abercrombie model with a mullet. When she opened the door, he'd flashed that signature smile. "You look great."

He took her to one of Chicago's best steakhouses and asked for a table in a secluded corner of the restaurant. It was intimate, but not awkward — it was the perfect place for them to just talk.

They talked about hockey, of course: the life of a professional athlete, the ups and downs that go along with it; she asked Patrick about his family, his favorite movies, and his favorite places in the city. When Anna admitted that she'd never seen any of the Batman movies, Pat was appalled. "We'll have to fix that, for sure," he'd said with a serious face.

But what surprised Anna most was how genuinely interested Patrick had seemed in her. He asked about college and her job and the internship, and he stared at her intently while she talked; he also laughed for a full five minutes when she told the story of the time when she accidentally hit on one of her professors at Panera Bread (it was the day before classes started, and he was young!). She told him about her family — her dad is an engineer and a high school hockey coach, her mom is a nurse, she has an 18 year-old brother — and his eyes didn't glaze over once.

Maybe I was wrong about him, Anna wondered as she stared at the ceiling. But his reputation nagged at her — she wanted to know his intentions, his motives. She wasn't a naive 18 year-old anymore; she'd had her heart broken enough times to know that there's always something beneath the surface.

She sighed. It's one date. It's not a big deal, she reminded herself. Her phone buzzed and she saw a text from Patrick: I can't wait to see you again, good thing I'll only be gone a few days.

Anna quickly typed back a response, and as hesitant as she was about getting involved with Patrick Kane, she couldn't wipe the smile off her face if she tried.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Patrick rested his head back against his seat. It was Sunday morning and he was on a plane headed to Toronto with the rest of the team; they were set to play against the Leafs, the Sabres, and the Senators before returning to Chicago early Thursday morning.

Jonathan Toews nudged his arm. "Hey, how was the date last night?"

The rest of the team chimed in. "Yeah, Kaner, did she tire you out last night?" Andrew Shaw grinned.

Patrick rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Shawsy, nothing happened." Pat spoke in a lower voice to Jonny. "It was good. She's...different."

Jonathan raised his eyebrows. "Different how? Like, weird different?"

Patrick shook his head. "No, not like that. She's just...interesting, for a change." Jonathan nodded. Interesting wasn't usually Kaner's type.

"She's hot as hell, yeah, but she has a job and does her own thing and it's cool," Patrick added.

Tazer grinned and punched his teammate in the arm. "What do you know, Kaner has a crush!"

Patrick's face turned beet red. "You're an asshole," he muttered.

Jonathan laughed. "You know I'm just busting your balls. Seriously though, you took the girl out to dinner — she must be special."

Patrick looked sheepish. Jonny knew him well — Pat wasn't the type to ask a girl out on a date. He'd never had to, since beautiful women threw themselves at him wherever he went; a cocky smile and a "What's your name, Sweetheart?" got him everything he needed. Not that Patrick was complaining, of course: he loved every minute of it.

Patrick closed his eyes and his thoughts drifted back to Anna. She'd worn a white v-neck t-shirt, a black blazer, and dark skinny jeans, and her dark hair fell straight down her back. The way she dressed left just enough to the imagination...and Patrick was dying to not have to imagine anymore.

He wasn't just physically attracted to Anna, though; like he'd told Jonny — she's interesting. She's smart, independent, and opinionated, AKA the complete opposite of most of the girls he's been with. If he was being totally honest, she's a little intimidating...but in a good way.

Patrick wasn't quite sure why he was so intrigued by Anna, but two things were for sure: he couldn't stop thinking about her, and he couldn't wait to see her when he got back to Chicago in a few days.

Notes