Behind a Veil of Secrets

Unexpected Surprises

The months had gone by way too quick and there were a few close calls of her running into Toews but Anna had made it a point to get out there before he saw her. August had come way too quickly for Anna, she had been working full on with Lou in the sports department. Anna knew all the out of town hockey players returned for training and any med boards they would have to go through before they could play. So that meant she would soon enough have to come face to face with Toews and his teammates.

The only thing that was looming and she was thrown completely in to cover was there were contract talks going between the players and the NHL. Lou had offered to take it but she knew he like concentrating on the upcoming football season and baseball so she told him not to worry she would handle it professionally. The idle threats she was receiving when news broke about her and Jonathan had finally started to go away with the exception of a few nut jobs that were still jealous.

"Hey Arianna the guys at Halas Hall said they all miss you." Lou said smiling at her as he walked past her desk. "I was told to switch places with you."

"How much was Kyle Long willing to pay you to do that?" Anna asked smirking at him and Lou laughed.

"He's willing to give me a year's salary, I told him I had to think about it." Lou said with a larger smile.

"Very funny Lou." Anna said rolling her eyes at him but couldn't help smiling. "Kyle doesn't seem to give up."

"Anna." Lou said softly to her and she sighed, the only time Lou called her Anna was when he had bad news or wanted her to do something. Anna looked over at him. "I need you to go to Johnny's in the morning."

Anna had a long day at work and was extremely happy to finally get out. She was just told she had to go to Johnny's Ice House in the morning to see if any of the Hawks players were willing to talk about the negotiation. When she pulled into the parking garage to park her car that her father had finally shipped over, the spot next to her was occupied which meant her neighbor was home. Anna had been living there since April and still hasn't met whoever lived across the hall from her. She took a quick glance at the Hummer and walked to the elevator just as it was about to close.

"Can you please hold the elevator?" she said loudly hoping to catch it before it closed making her to have to wait for the next one. Anna saw a hand quickly come out stopping it from closing and she jogged to it. "Thank you so much, I really..." she stopped talking when she saw Patrick Kane was the only one standing in there. "Patrick?"

"You remember my name." he said smirking at her. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here... what are you doing here?"

He let out a humorless laugh as he shook his head at her. "What floor... I'm only asking so I can hit the button for you."

"The thirty seventh." She said looking at him and not noticing the button was already highlighted.

"You gotta be shitting me." He said leaning back against the wall and Anna turned to face the buttons to hit it herself and that's when she noticed it was already highlighted. "I guess that would make you my lovely new neighbor."

"This seriously cannot be happening to me." Anna said shaking her head as she heard Kane chuckle behind her. "Could things get any worse?"

"You know Tazer thinks you left town." Kane said and she looked at him through the mirrored doors rather than turn to face him.

"I don't care what Jon thinks." She said trying to hide the fact that when he mentioned Jonathan her heart felt like it was jolted. "Look you stay on your side of the floor and I will stay on mine. I don't bother you and you don't bother me." She said turning to face him and he was still smirking at her. "Agree?"