Shadows (Patrick Kane)

(1) See You Around

Patrick

The beginning of this year has been rough for me. I lost my grandfather, someone who I didn't know of a life without. I played in the Olympics but I hardly made a impact and was sent home without a medal. Each battle I fought I lost, and it wasn't even close. I was trudging along the 2013-2014 NHL season but compared to what we did last year, it's been lack luster to say the least. I wasn't feeling like the future of USA hockey or even the Blackhawks right now. I was in a rut, the kind of rut that feels more like the ocean most nights. Wasn't even sure if what was on the other side of the rut was worth pushing on for. I'm 25 years old and I have seemed to lost my way in the world. Crazy to say coming from a two time Stanley Cup winner, but I've done it all before. 2013 felt like as good as it could possibly get. Now I was experiencing the fall from being so high and I was hitting the ground hard.

So I spend a lot of my time in the bars, no longer trying to hide my face from the shame of being there way past curfew or on game nights. Openly seeking help in the most public way possible but instead being portrayed as a guy who doesn't take his job seriously and just wants attention. And part of that is true, I did want someone to see me and see that I needed help, I'm just getting the wrong kind of attention. The toxic kind that's not any better than getting no attention at all, but those kind of things don't matter when you're drunk. Which is the only state of mind that seems to bring me a little bit of joy nowadays.

I walk into a downtown bar late this crisp March night up to no good. A few of my friends accompany me looking for a little bit of trouble as well. And not the illegal kind of trouble, but the kind of trouble that I'll forget about when I wake up tomorrow morning unless it ends up in the papers again.

After grabbing a few drinks I hang out at the bar. I talk to my friends waiting for a good song to come on before I find myself a girl or two and hit the dance floor. I look around the bar and try and see who all was here. There was the girls here with their friends, girls with their boyfriends and girlfriends, the sloppy drunk ones and the ones who at least still know their names. But all the girls in here were looking mighty fine thanks to the beer in my system so I knew tonight should be a good one.

I feel a tap on my shoulder as my friend smiles at someone behind me. His eyes grow large telling me he was impressed with whichever specimen made her way over to me. And now the night can officially start.

I turn around to see a lean girl in a sexy cut out black dress that hugged every inch of her skin. You could see every curve and turn on her body as she stares right through me with those bright brown eyes. The dress stopped right above her knees not leaving much to the imagination. Her short light brown hair was curly framing her seemingly perfect face. Not a flaw in sight as her bright red lips purse together. They don't make many like her, I know that much.

"Woah" I whisper as her big lips pull tighter.

"Hey there cutie. I don't mean to bother you like this, but my ex just showed up and I was wondering if you can do me a huge favor" she explains quickly.

"Anything for a woman as exquisite as you" I assure her as she starts to blush.

"Thank you so much, I owe you big time.

I just need you to pretend to be my boyfriend for the next few minutes because I know my ex is coming over here right now asking about the guy I told him I came here with even though I came here by myself" she insists.