Chapter 1-Empire State of Mind

Moving to Buffalo from New York City was a huge step in mine and my mom’s new life. She had just married her new husband and my step-dad, Ron. My biological father died in the September 11 terrorist attacks when the World Trade Center he was in collapsed, he was a firefighter for the FDNY.

I remember that day like it was yesterday, my dad left for work and my mom was making me breakfast as I got ready for school in our two bedroom apartment in Brooklyn.

I was on my way out the door to catch my school bus when my mom and I saw the plane fly over our heads and towards the city. Our neighbor’s watched in horror as the plane crashed into the South tower. My dad never did come home that day, he was trapped under the rubble and found dead a week after the attack.

I sighed as we stepped out of the car in front of my new house in Buffalo. My mom met Ron three years after my dad died, she swore she’d never love again but when she started her new job at a small real-estate agency that all changed.

Ron was her boss and they got to know each other when they were working to close a real-estate deal with one of the New York Rangers.

After dinner and a few dates, they decided we should all move in together. I never had a problem with Ron, he treated me like I was his own daughter.

When I moved to Buffalo, I was a junior in high school. I joined the cheerleading squad since I cheered back home in New York City. That’s where I met my best friend. Erica was a cheerleader for one year before she quit. I quit when she did because none of the girls liked us.

They were jealous of Erica because her brother was a professional hockey player, Patrick played for the Chicago Blackhawks and was in his rookie year with the team. Erica would frequently go to Chicago with her parents and her two sisters to visit him but I would stay behind since I never met him.

I didn’t meet Patrick until the summer of 2008 when he came home from Chicago. It was the summer after his rookie season and he was coming home for three months. I didn’t know what to expect, in fact I was kind of scared at first.

He probably thought I was only friends with Erica because he was who he was. Truth be told I went to one hockey game in my life and hated it. My dad took me to the Rangers vs. Red Wings game when I was ten and the sport was too aggressive for me. I loved football but they weren’t allowed to fight like hockey players were. My thoughts about hockey players changed when I met Patrick that fateful night so long ago.

I was sitting in the Kane family’s living room watching a movie, Erica was sound asleep in her room and I didn’t want to wake her up by turning on the TV so I opted for the living room. It was the first weekend of summer and Erica promised me that this summer would change our lives forever. We were entering our senior year next year and everything was finally going to go our way.

I was halfway through the pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream when the door opened and I saw the curly head of blonde hair and the baby blue eyes. I immediately recognized him from the pictures on the walls of the house as Patrick, Erica’s brother.

“Holy shit, you scared me,” he said smiling walking into the house, “I’m Patrick by the way, you must be Kaicee.”

“How’d you know?”

“My sister did nothing but talk about you and text you the entire time she was in Chicago over Christmas.”

He and I both laughed and I turned the TV off and headed for the kitchen, “Where are you going,” he asked.

“I’m going to wash my spoon and throw my empty ice cream container away and then I am going to bed. I don’t want to disturb you.”

“You’re not disturbing me at all, I’m somewhat a night owl and never go to sleep so feel free to stay up and talk to me.”

Now it was my turn to smile as he headed up the stairs into his room and I sat at the dining room table reading ‘Eclipse’ by Stephenie Meyers.

“I don’t understand how you girls can read that shit,” Pat said sitting down next to me, “Really a glittering vampire and a werewolf on steroids, no wonder people think teenagers are illiterate.”

“You sure do know a lot about the books for hating them.”

“Hey those three brats upstairs make me read the books. If my teammates found out about that I’d be made fun of so much in the locker room.”

“You’re secret is safe with me,” I said smiling and Pat stood up walking into the kitchen rummaging through the freezer to find something to eat.

“Shit, there’s nothing in here,” he said opening the refrigerator door.

As he bent down to look, I couldn’t help but check him out. He was no taller than five foot nine maybe five foot ten at the most. For a hockey player he was really small but his body was toned and athletic. His hair was blonde and curly and he had the prettiest blue eyes that I have ever seen.        

He was totally my type but I didn’t do relationships since I had my heart broken by a guy who cheated on me so I did friends with benefits relationships much to Erica’s dismay.

“Look in one of the drawers, your mom saved pot roast.”

“Thanks,” he said looking up and smiling.

“No problem,” I replied turning my attention back to my book.

“So tell me about yourself.”

“My name is Kaicee Jones and I just moved to Buffalo this past year. I was born and raised in New York City until my mom remarried and relocated here with my step-dad.”

“Step-dad,” Pat questioned.

“My dad died on September 11, he was a firefighter with the FDNY. He died in the World Trade Center when it collapsed.”

“I’m so sorry,” Pat said rubbing my hand.

“It’s okay, he’s a hero to an entire nation and he was the best dad that a child could ever have.”

Pat smiled and took a bite of his food before he started talking about his hockey season since I asked him about it.

“You a hockey fan?”

“I wish I could say that I was but my dad took me to a game when I was little and I hated the fights and stuff like that.”

“It’s part of the game.”

“I know but there’s no point in fighting, they don’t fight in football.”

“That’s because football is for pansies.”

“I happen to like football thank you very much.”

“I never said that I didn’t like it but football players are softies and we sacrifice our teeth and our bodies on the ice every single night.”

I laughed and Pat rolled his eyes smiling . I yawned while shutting my book.

“Tired,” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m going to head to bed. It was nice meeting you.”

“It was nice meeting you too, see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah see you tomorrow,” I replied, “Goodnight Patrick.”

“Night Kaicee.”

I walked up the stairs and into Erica’s room laying down on the floor and I immediately fell asleep.

That summer changed everything for me, Patrick hung out with Erica and I a lot but one night that all changed.

I walked out of the bathroom and down the hall to go back towards Erica’s room when I heard Pat call my name.

“Kaicee,” Pat’s voice said from the door that was slightly cracked. I saw the glint of the television and opened the door slightly.

Pat was laying on his stomach facing the TV watching a tape of one of his games.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping right now,” I asked.

“I couldn’t sleep, I can’t believe summer’s almost over.”

“Me neither, it flew by. I don’t even want to think about going back to school.

“I hated school, that’s why I’m happy I’m out of that God forsaken place.”

“What’d you call me in here for?”

“Want to watch this game with me and see if it will change your mind about how you feel about hockey?”

“Pat, it’s almost four in the morning.”

“So, you’re up and so am I, we’ll keep each other company.”

I smiled and sat down on the bed with my back against the headboard.

“I don’t bite,” Pat said smiling and patting the spot next to him on the bed.

I slid down and laid down next to him watching the game.

“See Troy is fighting that douche bag because he hit Jon with intent to injure him so Troy is sticking up for Jon.”

“Jon can’t fight for himself,” I asked.

“That’s why guys like Adam and Troy are called enforcers, they pretty much fight for us.”

“…and you called football players pansies.”

“Shut up,” Pat laughed and I smiled turning my attention back to the TV.

“So,” I began breaking the silence, “Do you have a girlfriend?”

“Nope, I don’t do relationships. How about you, boyfriend?”

“I don’t do relationships either, I had my heartbroken so I refuse to date.”

Pat just sat there watching the game intently not saying anything.

“So,  do you do friends with benefits or anything like that,” I asked.

“I sleep with girls back in Chicago, hit them and leave them kind of thing. I really need to find a girl though that I can do whenever I want because I don’t trust many of the girls that I sleep with.”

“I had one of those for a while, a guy that I knew from work, all we would do was sleep together, he wasn’t looking for anything serious and neither was I.”

“What happened to him?”

“He went to jail for statutory rape, he raped another girl we worked with.”

“WOW,” Pat said and I continued to watch the game slowly growing fond of the sport.

We sat there in silence and eventually the game ended and I stood up from the bed.

“Where are you going,” Pat asked.

“I’m going to bed, I’ll see you in the morning but first can I ask you something first and you can completely say no to this and I’d understand.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

I can’t believe I was about to ask my best friend’s brother if he wanted to be my fuck buddy.

“I find you extremely attractive, your eyes and your hair make you hot as hell to me and I was wondering that since neither one of us do relationships and you’re looking for that one girl to sleep with that we can work something out.”

Pat stood up from the bed smirking and I smiled, “I find you fucking sexy as hell, I’ve been dying to get in your pants since the night I met you so I definitely think we could work something out,” he said pinning me against the wall crashing his lips to mine.

That’s the night our relationship changed and how we ended up here today, two horny teenagers who hated relationships and loved sex.

That was two years ago and Pat and I still had casual sex with no strings attached whenever he came home for the summer and when he was on the road with the Blackhawks in Buffalo.

Our whole situation we’re in now started last summer when I decided to sleep on the back porch. I loved the outdoors and sleeping outside calmed me. Even though it was extremely hot, I found it comfortable.

I remember two arms wrapping around my waist and when I woke up Patrick mumbled the words he always said to me.

“Hey what do you say we go upstairs?”

That’s how Patrick Kane and I became daytime friends and nighttime lovers.