The Boy, The Girl, and The Game (Artemi Panarin)

Book 2

-Annabelles POV-

Opening day. I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited. I know it's my job to go to these things but it doesn't feel like it. I type away on my laptop and sip on my coffee as the sun rises through my window. The view right now was killer and my favorite thing in the world. Artemi emerges from the couch and stretches tall. All his muscles tense and I couldn't help but stare. He was sight to see, that's for sure.

"Do you always wake up this early" Artemi asks checking his phone as he joins me at the island while I pour him a cup of coffee.

"The day doesn't wait for me to get started. I get more done if I get up earlier" I say handing him a cup of coffee then typing away.

"What are you doing, exactly" he asks resting his head on my shoulder and reading what I had done in the computer.

"Writing down ideas for my next book" I say re reading what I had just written.

"Can I read it" he asks snuggling into my neck.

"Um sure. It's nothing yet but you can read it" I answer scooting the laptop closer to him.

"Athletes are people too. Fans get caught up in the competition and stats and often forget that. They're human, that means they breath and eat and even do laundry as we do. They also have feelings. They know when they're not doing good or if they can do more for their team, but it seems like there's always someone reminding them of everything they have ever done wrong. It's hard being a professional athlete. Until you're out there, it's hard to put into words just how it feels to be under so much pressure every second of the day. Every second they're under a microscope, people praying for them to mess up or say something wrong so they can feast off it as if it was thanksgiving dinner. It is so easy for athletes to become unconnected with themselves or forget why they play the game they loved in the first place. They don't want to mess up so they become these athlete robots and forget that they have the right to be a normal person too. My job is to remind them that the quality of themselves is just as important of the quantity of things they produce.

I've gotten the honor to be the Chicago Blackhawks sports therapist this season to be of motivation when needed or simply a pair of listening ears. This book is a insight into what happens once the players leave the ice. What's going through their head when they're missing their family, how they cope with injury, or what they do to pass time in long road trips. Not a lot of people know this but hockey is the fastest and hardest hitting sport out there. It takes a lot of guts, knowledge, power, and persistence to prosper in the sport. It also takes just one little mistake to change the whole game. In a way, you can say hockey players are insane. I see first hand every day what they do to better themselves. I get to cover the pristine team in the league in the Blackhawks. Since 2010 they've been the best team on the ice more times than not. Three championships and dozens of stars make up this team, and they wanted me to help them? Doesn't make much sense does it. But this is sports, there are no explanations to most things. Like how players have a 6th sense to where each other are or how a goalie can slide across the crease in the splits. At the same time the feeling of not knowing is what makes sports so wonderful. I have the ability to catch things most people miss. The little droop in the eyes after a missed play or the body language after a hard hit. These things get overlooked because they seem irrelevant. But it's important to know every little thing happens for a reason. It might not matter now but that hit turns into a limp, the sad eyes turn into depression, then it becomes too late. Yes, professional athletes are here to entertain, but they are not emotionless dolls that should comply with every different opinion. It's a game that has so many different pieces that have to be in place in order to work.

This book is a insight into the NHL. The quirky and emotional things you don't see not because they don't want you to see, but because it's the small things we tend to forget about. I don't believe there is one moment in your life that is not important. Everything has a meaning, sometimes you just have to think harder to find it. So next time you look at that Indian head I want you to think about what it represents. What it embodies. And what it not only means to you, but what it means to the players who put it on"

He looks up at me with a smile on his face and wraps his arms around me. "That looks great babe. I'm proud of you" he says quietly before kissing the top of my head.

He doesn't usually spend the night and when he does he just crashes on the couch but I can really get used to this. "Thanks, that means a lot coming from you" I say kissing his jaw.

"Oh god, don't do that. I'm gonna pop a boner" he laughs going back to his coffee. Jawline is a turn on, nice to know. He gets up and pulls a shirt on much to my despise.

"Where are you going" I pout.

"You're cute when you pout. And as much as I would love to stay I need a suit for tonight and if I don't leave now I never will" he insists.

"Fine, but I'll miss you" I say crossing my arms. He laughs at my antics and pulls me into a hug. He smelled so nice, I never wanted this hug to end.

"Bye Belle, until tonight" he says kissing me and walking out the door. The rest of the day I wrote a little and picked which of my notes I would use. Soon enough it came time for the red carpet so I changed then headed to the UC.