Destiny Takes Control by Kakie
These characters are from "10 things I hate about you." No infringement was intended.
Kat and Patrick have moved in different directions but sometimes destiny has other plans in mind.
"I don't understand, Kat." Patrick said as he sat on her bed and watched as she filled box after box of her clothes and possessions. "After the summer we've had."
Kat sighed and moved the box she was working on to the floor. She nudged Patrick over and slid next to him. She took his hand and kissed it. "We have had the most incredibly romantic summer ever. The last three months have been better than I could have ever imagined. I never thought I could love someone the way I love you."
He moved so they were face to face. "Then why do it? Why end the best thing that has ever happened to either of us?"
"Because we have to. Tomorrow I leave for Sarah Lawrence. Next week you leave for Seattle. Two different ends of the country." She started to get up and he grabbed her arm.
"They have phones, Kat, and computers and even airplanes. There are holidays and summer vacations."
She shook her arm free and got up. "I need to finish packing."
"Do you remember that weekend we spent in Seattle? Just you and me?"
She stared at him through her vanity mirror. "Yes."
"You told me that you could spend the rest of your life with me. Was that a lie?"
She turned around. "No, it wasn't a lie. I could see spending the rest of my life with you."
He got off the bed and walked towards her. He took her hands. "Then don't throw this away. I think the fact that the two least favorite people in the school found love should prove that we could handle anything. Including a long distance relationship."
"Patrick, I don't want this to end but I don't think a long distance relationship is the answer. We're only eighteen."
"So?" he shrugged, "I'm only eighteen but I know what I want."
Kat resumed her packing. "Say we did try a long distance thing. How long would it last? A few weeks? A couple of months? You'd call me and I'd be out. I'd call Seattle and you'd be out. You are starting a new life with your dad in Seattle. I'm starting one alone in New York. We need to move forward."
"So, that's it?" he asked angrily. "It's over? You're not even willing to try?"
Kat sat on the bed. She patted the spot next to her. "Patrick, please sit with me."
He did as she asked.
"Do you know what I want?"
He shook his head.
"I want to marry you and have children with you."
He opened his mouth to speak but she placed a finger on his lips. "But I need the next four years to be about me and what I want and what I need. That's what college is supposed to be about. If this thing between us is meant to be forever, then we'll find our way back to each other. I'm betting it is. I'm sure one day we'll run into each other and it will be like we never were apart."
He just sat there, staring at her, trying to digest what she said. "So in the meantime?"
"In the meantime, you live your life, Patrick Verona and I'll live mine and hopefully the two of us will share a life one day."
He touched her cheek. "I don't think I can stop loving you."
"Me either." She removed his hand and kissed it. "I love you, Patrick Verona."
"I love you, Katerina Strafford."
She gently pushed him back against the bed.
Hours later, after she and Patrick said goodbye, Kat curled up in the bed she had just shared with him and cried. "Am I doing the right thing?" she asked and cried herself to sleep.
Three years and ten months later
"The interview shouldn't take too long. Where should we meet?"
Kat looked around. "There's a park over there. Meet me at the playground."
"I will. Wish me luck."
"Good luck." Kat kissed him on the cheek and watched her fiancée walk away. She looked down at the diamond engagement ring on her left hand. When she looked up, Tom had disappeared inside the building. Tom was a good man, she thought. He was kind and generous and he loved her. Having just passed the bar, he was interviewing for a position at a top law firm in Washington, DC. She had just graduated with a degree in business and would apply for jobs once Tom was settled.
Her thoughts reverted back to Patrick as they often did when she thought about her future with Tom. But it was counter-productive to do that, she constantly told herself. They had each moved on. She was marrying Tom in September and Patrick had married two years before.
Kat found an empty park bench and sat down. Receiving Bianca's letter that Patrick had married sent Kat into a depression. She found comfort in a bottle of Jack Daniels. Her roommate Ruth felt bad for Kat and insisted she come home with her to Long Island for spring break. Eventually Kat agreed and met Ruth's family including her brother Tom, who was a law student at NYU. Tom helped Kat put her heart back together and they fell in love. But she never forgot Patrick.
Kat took one last look at her ring and took a deep breath. She had a wedding to plan and a move to make. She didn't have time to think about what could have been. She stood up and walked towards the playground where Tom would eventually meet her.
She chose a bench close to the baby swings. There was a man pushing his baby. The baby cried out in glee and the scene broke Kat's heart. Tom couldn't have children and after Patrick, Kat really couldn't see any point to it.
The man stopped the swing and moved to the front to lift his baby out. When he stood up, Kat saw his face. It was Patrick.
Patrick saw her face too but thought it was a hallucination. He picked up the baby's shoe that had fallen and looked again. It was definitely Kat; his Kat.
"Kat?" He walked a few feet and stopped. "Kat, is that you?"
Kat rose to her feet. "Patrick?"
Patrick let out a cheer and closed the gap between them. "Kat? Are my eyes going bad or am I standing here looking at you?"
Kat laughed. "If your eyes are going bad, then so are mine, because it's really me."
"I can't believe this." Patrick looked around and spotted his stroller. He rushed over and placed his baby inside and pushed it back over to where she was. He immediately pulled her into his arms and she went willingly. She wrapped her arms around his back and a flood of memories came pouring through each of them. He released her and stepped back. She was just as beautiful as ever, even more so now. "My God, Kat, I can't believe this. I have a million questions."
She smiled and touched his cheek. "So do I. I hear congratulations are in order. Bianca wrote me a while back that you had gotten married."
Patrick was so nervous that he didn't know where to touch her. He settled on her back. "Past tense. I was married. I'm not anymore."
Kat was surprised. Bianca didn't tell her that. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not. It was a mistake. I met Connie while I was still hurting for you. I screwed up love with loneliness and before I knew it, we were expecting Adam."
"But you married her?"
Patrick watched his son play with his toy. "I did marry Connie. It wasn't Connie's fault that I didn't love her. I had to take responsibility for actions so Connie and I were married by a local judge in his office in Seattle and Adam was born six months later." He turned back to Kat. "Best day of my life," he said with a grin.
Kat was curious. "But it didn't work out."
Patrick shook his head. "No, it didn't. She tried but she couldn't compete with you in my heart. So when Adam was six months old, she filed for divorce and moved back home to Virginia where her parents live." She rested her hand on his leg. "That must have been hard for you not seeing your son."
"It was torture. After a few weeks, I quit my job in Seattle and moved here. You are looking at one of Washington's newest environmental lobbyist."
Kat was impressed. "Wow. The Patrick I knew didn't care about the environment or its needs."
"That Patrick didn't have a child to raise in this environment. So I cut my hair, cleaned up my image and made a name for myself. And the best of all, I get to spend as much time with Adam as I want."
Kat pushed the hair from his forehead. "I am so happy for you, Patrick. I always knew the boy I fell in love with would become an incredible man."
Patrick glanced at his watch. Connie wanted Adam home by dinner but Patrick couldn't leave Kat, not after finding her after all those years.
"What about you?"
She smiled and Patrick's heart lit up. "I graduated from Sarah Lawrence with a degree in business administration."
"Really?" he grinned. "That sounds nothing like the Kat I knew. Too tame and boring for her."
Kat laughed. "I think so too."
Adam laughed too and Patrick lifted his son up and placed him in his lap but Adam wanted Kat so Patrick passed him to her.
"He seems to like you," remarked Patrick as Adam played with the bracelet she wore.
"I love children. My dad remarried the year I left and he now has a son about Adam's age."
Patrick reached over and stroked his son's cheek. "The best thing in my life." He looked up. "What about you? Any kids? Husbands?" Patrick held his breath.
She shook her head. "Not yet. Tom and I are getting married in September but there won't be any kids."
A pain hit Patrick in his heart. "So you're getting married?"
She stared across the park to the building where Tom was. "So it seems."
"You don't seem thrilled about it."
She looked over at him. "I am." She wanted to tell Patrick that the only reason she got involved with Tom in the first place was because she thought she had lost him forever. But she had agreed to be Tom's wife. She had moved on. She spotted Tom coming out of the building. She couldn't let the two of them come face to face.
"I have to go." She handed Adam back to him and stood up.
"Wait, Kat." Patrick was desperately trying to think of something to make her stay. "We just saw each other again. Can't you stay a little longer?"
"No, I can't. Tom is coming this way."
He pulled out a business card from his wallet. "My cell phone number is on the back. Please call me." He gave her a quick but passionate kiss and then casually strolled to the next bench with Adam.
Tom spotted and quickly joined her. He went to peck her but she turned and he ended up kissing her cheek. She couldn't let Tom kiss her when Patrick's kiss was still fresh in her mind.
"So, how did it go?" she asked cheerfully.
"Unbelievably well. I think they may hire me."
"Oh, honey, that's wonderful." She hugged him but her eyes locked with Patrick's. She broke the gaze and pulled back. "When will you know something?"
"Tomorrow. Let's go back to the hotel and celebrate."
Kat smiled. "Celebrate? You haven't gotten it yet."
"I know but I'm feeling lucky."
Patrick watched as the two of them walked away hand in hand. He turned to his son. "You know that nice lady you just met? She's not going to marry that suit she's engaged to. She's going to marry me instead. I just have to figure out how to convince her of it."
Kat sat on the balcony of their hotel room while Tom slept. The sun was beginning to set. All she could think about was Patrick. Her fingers touched the card he gave her. A part of her said 'Tear it up, forget about him. Tom is your future,' but the rest of her kept remembering what that kiss felt like. Quietly, she closed the door to the bedroom and walked to the phone on the table. She dialed his number.
"Patrick, it's me."
"Kat? Why are you whispering?"
"Because I don't want Tom to hear me. I need to see you. Can you meet me in the lounge."
"I'm already there."
She was surprised. "You are? How did you."
"I followed you back to your hotel. You're not surprised, are you?"
"No, that sounds about right. Give me a few minutes and I'll join you."
She hung up the phone and stared at herself in the mirror. "What are you doing?" she whispered. "You have a nice life with Tom. The church has already been booked. The invitations ordered, the guest list made. Okay so his mother did all the work but 750 people are coming to Long Island to see you get married. Okay, 740 of them you don't know but your dad and sister will be there. So Tom doesn't have the passion Patrick has or make you feel the same way. You agreed to marry Tom. You made a commitment. Honor it. Go down there and tell Patrick that he's your past and Tom is your future." Kat nodded to her reflection and went to get dressed.
Patrick watched every person get off the elevator. He had been at the hotel ever since he dropped Adam off with Connie. He knew that she would call him. He could tell that she still had feelings for him. He couldn't let her go a second time.
Finally he watched as she exited the elevator. He grinned. She was wearing jeans and a tee shirt and her hair was hanging down her back. She looked exactly like she did in high school.
He couldn't help himself. He took her by the hand to a secluded corner of the lobby and kissed her. Before Kat could object, she found herself floating off the floor.
When they finally broke apart, Patrick was grinning. "I have been waiting almost four years to do that again. It was well worth the wait."
Kat's head was spinning. "And you certainly made up for lost time."
He took her hand and let her to a private corner of the hotel bar. He ordered two glasses of wine. "How did you loose Tom?"
"I didn't loose him. He's not my keeper. I'm free to do as I please." She caught the look in his eye. "He's sleeping. He always sleeps like a log after we.." She realized what she had said and felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
"I feel like I'm having an affair with a married woman. Except you're not married."
"And we're not having an affair."
He touched her cheek. "No, it's not an affair. Kat, I still love you."
She shook his hand loose. "Don't Patrick. It's too late. That's what I came to tell you. I'm marrying Tom in September so you have to let this go."
The familiar pain came back. "No, you can't. You don't love him."
"How can you say that?"
"Because you still love me. Admit it, Kat. You still love me."
Kat opened her mouth to deny it but couldn't form the words. "Yes, I still love you, Patrick. But it doesn't change anything. I've made a commitment to Tom and I have to honor it."
Patrick didn't say anything for a few minutes. "Do you remember the afternoon at your house when we broke up?"
"Painfully yes."
"You said to me that you wanted to marry and have kids with me and if we were meant to be together, we would find each other again. And we did Kat. Exactly as you said. I didn't believe it at the time but here we are. I want us to have that life together. I want to share Adam with you. I want to have more kids with you." He looked up and spotted Tom exiting the elevator. It would only be a few seconds before he spotted Kat. "I'm leaving in the morning for meetings in California. I want you to think really hard about what you want. I'll be back Friday night. Meet me here at 8:00. If I don't see you then, I'll know your answer and you won't hear from me again. I love you, Kat." He kissed her quickly and was gone the second Tom spotted her.
"Kat, honey, why are you in the hotel bar all alone?"
She quickly glanced at the hotel door and saw him leave. "I wasn't alone. I ran into an old high school friend and we had a drink."
He looked around. "Where is she?"
"Gone. How about dinner?"
Patrick glanced at his watch every few seconds. It was 7:57 and still no sign of Kat. Maybe she wasn't coming. Maybe he had misread everything. Maybe he pushed too hard. Maybe.
"Maybe you need to get rid of that watch."
He looked up and saw her standing before him. He stood up. "You came."
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Of course I came. I believe the offer was for marriage and three kids."
Pure joy and relief washed over him. He managed to choke out a laugh and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I don't believe we were specific in the number."
"We can compromise. What do you say to two with an option for a third?"
He laughed out loud and kissed her hard. "Whatever you want."
She pulled a key out of her pocket. "This is what I want."
He looked at the key and then at her. "Let's go."
Later as they watched the lights of DC, Patrick stroked her hair. "What happened with Tom?"
"He took it amazingly well. Too well. I don't think he was ready to get married. His mother, on the other hand, did not take it well. As far as she's concerned, I never existed. Oh well," she said as she snuggled closer to him, "I have you and that's way better than a reception at a country club."
"I'm glad you think so." He kissed her on the top of her head. "How soon would you like to get married? I know you'll need plenty of time to get everything together and all."
"How's tomorrow?"
Patrick sat up. "Tomorrow? You want to get married tomorrow?"
"Yes, Patrick, I want to marry you tomorrow. There's an adorable Bed and Breakfast in Vermont that's run by a minister and his wife. I already checked. The county clerk's office can issue us a marriage license and we can be married by this time tomorrow." She looked over at Patrick. "What do you think?"
Patrick looked out the window and thanked his stars that he was given a second chance. "I think I'm going to love being married to you, Katerina Strafford."
"That's Katerina Verona, to you pal."
These characters are from "10 things I hate about you." No infringement was intended.
Kat and Patrick have moved in different directions but sometimes destiny has other plans in mind.
"I don't understand, Kat." Patrick said as he sat on her bed and watched as she filled box after box of her clothes and possessions. "After the summer we've had."
Kat sighed and moved the box she was working on to the floor. She nudged Patrick over and slid next to him. She took his hand and kissed it. "We have had the most incredibly romantic summer ever. The last three months have been better than I could have ever imagined. I never thought I could love someone the way I love you."
He moved so they were face to face. "Then why do it? Why end the best thing that has ever happened to either of us?"
"Because we have to. Tomorrow I leave for Sarah Lawrence. Next week you leave for Seattle. Two different ends of the country." She started to get up and he grabbed her arm.
"They have phones, Kat, and computers and even airplanes. There are holidays and summer vacations."
She shook her arm free and got up. "I need to finish packing."
"Do you remember that weekend we spent in Seattle? Just you and me?"
She stared at him through her vanity mirror. "Yes."
"You told me that you could spend the rest of your life with me. Was that a lie?"
She turned around. "No, it wasn't a lie. I could see spending the rest of my life with you."
He got off the bed and walked towards her. He took her hands. "Then don't throw this away. I think the fact that the two least favorite people in the school found love should prove that we could handle anything. Including a long distance relationship."
"Patrick, I don't want this to end but I don't think a long distance relationship is the answer. We're only eighteen."
"So?" he shrugged, "I'm only eighteen but I know what I want."
Kat resumed her packing. "Say we did try a long distance thing. How long would it last? A few weeks? A couple of months? You'd call me and I'd be out. I'd call Seattle and you'd be out. You are starting a new life with your dad in Seattle. I'm starting one alone in New York. We need to move forward."
"So, that's it?" he asked angrily. "It's over? You're not even willing to try?"
Kat sat on the bed. She patted the spot next to her. "Patrick, please sit with me."
He did as she asked.
"Do you know what I want?"
He shook his head.
"I want to marry you and have children with you."
He opened his mouth to speak but she placed a finger on his lips. "But I need the next four years to be about me and what I want and what I need. That's what college is supposed to be about. If this thing between us is meant to be forever, then we'll find our way back to each other. I'm betting it is. I'm sure one day we'll run into each other and it will be like we never were apart."
He just sat there, staring at her, trying to digest what she said. "So in the meantime?"
"In the meantime, you live your life, Patrick Verona and I'll live mine and hopefully the two of us will share a life one day."
He touched her cheek. "I don't think I can stop loving you."
"Me either." She removed his hand and kissed it. "I love you, Patrick Verona."
"I love you, Katerina Strafford."
She gently pushed him back against the bed.
Hours later, after she and Patrick said goodbye, Kat curled up in the bed she had just shared with him and cried. "Am I doing the right thing?" she asked and cried herself to sleep.
Three years and ten months later
"The interview shouldn't take too long. Where should we meet?"
Kat looked around. "There's a park over there. Meet me at the playground."
"I will. Wish me luck."
"Good luck." Kat kissed him on the cheek and watched her fiancée walk away. She looked down at the diamond engagement ring on her left hand. When she looked up, Tom had disappeared inside the building. Tom was a good man, she thought. He was kind and generous and he loved her. Having just passed the bar, he was interviewing for a position at a top law firm in Washington, DC. She had just graduated with a degree in business and would apply for jobs once Tom was settled.
Her thoughts reverted back to Patrick as they often did when she thought about her future with Tom. But it was counter-productive to do that, she constantly told herself. They had each moved on. She was marrying Tom in September and Patrick had married two years before.
Kat found an empty park bench and sat down. Receiving Bianca's letter that Patrick had married sent Kat into a depression. She found comfort in a bottle of Jack Daniels. Her roommate Ruth felt bad for Kat and insisted she come home with her to Long Island for spring break. Eventually Kat agreed and met Ruth's family including her brother Tom, who was a law student at NYU. Tom helped Kat put her heart back together and they fell in love. But she never forgot Patrick.
Kat took one last look at her ring and took a deep breath. She had a wedding to plan and a move to make. She didn't have time to think about what could have been. She stood up and walked towards the playground where Tom would eventually meet her.
She chose a bench close to the baby swings. There was a man pushing his baby. The baby cried out in glee and the scene broke Kat's heart. Tom couldn't have children and after Patrick, Kat really couldn't see any point to it.
The man stopped the swing and moved to the front to lift his baby out. When he stood up, Kat saw his face. It was Patrick.
Patrick saw her face too but thought it was a hallucination. He picked up the baby's shoe that had fallen and looked again. It was definitely Kat; his Kat.
"Kat?" He walked a few feet and stopped. "Kat, is that you?"
Kat rose to her feet. "Patrick?"
Patrick let out a cheer and closed the gap between them. "Kat? Are my eyes going bad or am I standing here looking at you?"
Kat laughed. "If your eyes are going bad, then so are mine, because it's really me."
"I can't believe this." Patrick looked around and spotted his stroller. He rushed over and placed his baby inside and pushed it back over to where she was. He immediately pulled her into his arms and she went willingly. She wrapped her arms around his back and a flood of memories came pouring through each of them. He released her and stepped back. She was just as beautiful as ever, even more so now. "My God, Kat, I can't believe this. I have a million questions."
She smiled and touched his cheek. "So do I. I hear congratulations are in order. Bianca wrote me a while back that you had gotten married."
Patrick was so nervous that he didn't know where to touch her. He settled on her back. "Past tense. I was married. I'm not anymore."
Kat was surprised. Bianca didn't tell her that. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not. It was a mistake. I met Connie while I was still hurting for you. I screwed up love with loneliness and before I knew it, we were expecting Adam."
"But you married her?"
Patrick watched his son play with his toy. "I did marry Connie. It wasn't Connie's fault that I didn't love her. I had to take responsibility for actions so Connie and I were married by a local judge in his office in Seattle and Adam was born six months later." He turned back to Kat. "Best day of my life," he said with a grin.
Kat was curious. "But it didn't work out."
Patrick shook his head. "No, it didn't. She tried but she couldn't compete with you in my heart. So when Adam was six months old, she filed for divorce and moved back home to Virginia where her parents live." She rested her hand on his leg. "That must have been hard for you not seeing your son."
"It was torture. After a few weeks, I quit my job in Seattle and moved here. You are looking at one of Washington's newest environmental lobbyist."
Kat was impressed. "Wow. The Patrick I knew didn't care about the environment or its needs."
"That Patrick didn't have a child to raise in this environment. So I cut my hair, cleaned up my image and made a name for myself. And the best of all, I get to spend as much time with Adam as I want."
Kat pushed the hair from his forehead. "I am so happy for you, Patrick. I always knew the boy I fell in love with would become an incredible man."
Patrick glanced at his watch. Connie wanted Adam home by dinner but Patrick couldn't leave Kat, not after finding her after all those years.
"What about you?"
She smiled and Patrick's heart lit up. "I graduated from Sarah Lawrence with a degree in business administration."
"Really?" he grinned. "That sounds nothing like the Kat I knew. Too tame and boring for her."
Kat laughed. "I think so too."
Adam laughed too and Patrick lifted his son up and placed him in his lap but Adam wanted Kat so Patrick passed him to her.
"He seems to like you," remarked Patrick as Adam played with the bracelet she wore.
"I love children. My dad remarried the year I left and he now has a son about Adam's age."
Patrick reached over and stroked his son's cheek. "The best thing in my life." He looked up. "What about you? Any kids? Husbands?" Patrick held his breath.
She shook her head. "Not yet. Tom and I are getting married in September but there won't be any kids."
A pain hit Patrick in his heart. "So you're getting married?"
She stared across the park to the building where Tom was. "So it seems."
"You don't seem thrilled about it."
She looked over at him. "I am." She wanted to tell Patrick that the only reason she got involved with Tom in the first place was because she thought she had lost him forever. But she had agreed to be Tom's wife. She had moved on. She spotted Tom coming out of the building. She couldn't let the two of them come face to face.
"I have to go." She handed Adam back to him and stood up.
"Wait, Kat." Patrick was desperately trying to think of something to make her stay. "We just saw each other again. Can't you stay a little longer?"
"No, I can't. Tom is coming this way."
He pulled out a business card from his wallet. "My cell phone number is on the back. Please call me." He gave her a quick but passionate kiss and then casually strolled to the next bench with Adam.
Tom spotted and quickly joined her. He went to peck her but she turned and he ended up kissing her cheek. She couldn't let Tom kiss her when Patrick's kiss was still fresh in her mind.
"So, how did it go?" she asked cheerfully.
"Unbelievably well. I think they may hire me."
"Oh, honey, that's wonderful." She hugged him but her eyes locked with Patrick's. She broke the gaze and pulled back. "When will you know something?"
"Tomorrow. Let's go back to the hotel and celebrate."
Kat smiled. "Celebrate? You haven't gotten it yet."
"I know but I'm feeling lucky."
Patrick watched as the two of them walked away hand in hand. He turned to his son. "You know that nice lady you just met? She's not going to marry that suit she's engaged to. She's going to marry me instead. I just have to figure out how to convince her of it."
Kat sat on the balcony of their hotel room while Tom slept. The sun was beginning to set. All she could think about was Patrick. Her fingers touched the card he gave her. A part of her said 'Tear it up, forget about him. Tom is your future,' but the rest of her kept remembering what that kiss felt like. Quietly, she closed the door to the bedroom and walked to the phone on the table. She dialed his number.
"Patrick, it's me."
"Kat? Why are you whispering?"
"Because I don't want Tom to hear me. I need to see you. Can you meet me in the lounge."
"I'm already there."
She was surprised. "You are? How did you."
"I followed you back to your hotel. You're not surprised, are you?"
"No, that sounds about right. Give me a few minutes and I'll join you."
She hung up the phone and stared at herself in the mirror. "What are you doing?" she whispered. "You have a nice life with Tom. The church has already been booked. The invitations ordered, the guest list made. Okay so his mother did all the work but 750 people are coming to Long Island to see you get married. Okay, 740 of them you don't know but your dad and sister will be there. So Tom doesn't have the passion Patrick has or make you feel the same way. You agreed to marry Tom. You made a commitment. Honor it. Go down there and tell Patrick that he's your past and Tom is your future." Kat nodded to her reflection and went to get dressed.
Patrick watched every person get off the elevator. He had been at the hotel ever since he dropped Adam off with Connie. He knew that she would call him. He could tell that she still had feelings for him. He couldn't let her go a second time.
Finally he watched as she exited the elevator. He grinned. She was wearing jeans and a tee shirt and her hair was hanging down her back. She looked exactly like she did in high school.
He couldn't help himself. He took her by the hand to a secluded corner of the lobby and kissed her. Before Kat could object, she found herself floating off the floor.
When they finally broke apart, Patrick was grinning. "I have been waiting almost four years to do that again. It was well worth the wait."
Kat's head was spinning. "And you certainly made up for lost time."
He took her hand and let her to a private corner of the hotel bar. He ordered two glasses of wine. "How did you loose Tom?"
"I didn't loose him. He's not my keeper. I'm free to do as I please." She caught the look in his eye. "He's sleeping. He always sleeps like a log after we.." She realized what she had said and felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
"I feel like I'm having an affair with a married woman. Except you're not married."
"And we're not having an affair."
He touched her cheek. "No, it's not an affair. Kat, I still love you."
She shook his hand loose. "Don't Patrick. It's too late. That's what I came to tell you. I'm marrying Tom in September so you have to let this go."
The familiar pain came back. "No, you can't. You don't love him."
"How can you say that?"
"Because you still love me. Admit it, Kat. You still love me."
Kat opened her mouth to deny it but couldn't form the words. "Yes, I still love you, Patrick. But it doesn't change anything. I've made a commitment to Tom and I have to honor it."
Patrick didn't say anything for a few minutes. "Do you remember the afternoon at your house when we broke up?"
"Painfully yes."
"You said to me that you wanted to marry and have kids with me and if we were meant to be together, we would find each other again. And we did Kat. Exactly as you said. I didn't believe it at the time but here we are. I want us to have that life together. I want to share Adam with you. I want to have more kids with you." He looked up and spotted Tom exiting the elevator. It would only be a few seconds before he spotted Kat. "I'm leaving in the morning for meetings in California. I want you to think really hard about what you want. I'll be back Friday night. Meet me here at 8:00. If I don't see you then, I'll know your answer and you won't hear from me again. I love you, Kat." He kissed her quickly and was gone the second Tom spotted her.
"Kat, honey, why are you in the hotel bar all alone?"
She quickly glanced at the hotel door and saw him leave. "I wasn't alone. I ran into an old high school friend and we had a drink."
He looked around. "Where is she?"
"Gone. How about dinner?"
Patrick glanced at his watch every few seconds. It was 7:57 and still no sign of Kat. Maybe she wasn't coming. Maybe he had misread everything. Maybe he pushed too hard. Maybe.
"Maybe you need to get rid of that watch."
He looked up and saw her standing before him. He stood up. "You came."
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Of course I came. I believe the offer was for marriage and three kids."
Pure joy and relief washed over him. He managed to choke out a laugh and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I don't believe we were specific in the number."
"We can compromise. What do you say to two with an option for a third?"
He laughed out loud and kissed her hard. "Whatever you want."
She pulled a key out of her pocket. "This is what I want."
He looked at the key and then at her. "Let's go."
Later as they watched the lights of DC, Patrick stroked her hair. "What happened with Tom?"
"He took it amazingly well. Too well. I don't think he was ready to get married. His mother, on the other hand, did not take it well. As far as she's concerned, I never existed. Oh well," she said as she snuggled closer to him, "I have you and that's way better than a reception at a country club."
"I'm glad you think so." He kissed her on the top of her head. "How soon would you like to get married? I know you'll need plenty of time to get everything together and all."
"How's tomorrow?"
Patrick sat up. "Tomorrow? You want to get married tomorrow?"
"Yes, Patrick, I want to marry you tomorrow. There's an adorable Bed and Breakfast in Vermont that's run by a minister and his wife. I already checked. The county clerk's office can issue us a marriage license and we can be married by this time tomorrow." She looked over at Patrick. "What do you think?"
Patrick looked out the window and thanked his stars that he was given a second chance. "I think I'm going to love being married to you, Katerina Strafford."
"That's Katerina Verona, to you pal."