It's a Mans World:

Sorry that I haven't updated though to be honest I think it's more so that I don't have a set outline than anything else. I hopefully will go no longer than two weeks without an update unless things come up IRL… that said this chapter is outlined and I have a rough idea for the next….

The first and third Friday of each month had been known as poker night for at least the past two years and tonight was no exception as Katie began to set up the small round kitchen table in the apartment she shared with Jake and Eli, that was when the latter friend wasn't cohabitating with his on again off again girlfriend…nay…fiancé, Imogen Moreno.

Katie tried to like Imogen she really did however 'quirky' was a good word to describe the young art gallery owner. It wasn't that she hated the other girl, it was just that she didn't have much commonality with her and except for a few shared literary and musical interests she really didn't share anything in common with Eli either and so as Katie was lying out a bowl of pretzels on the table and Eli entered the room with a duffle bag and deflated look she wasn't surprised when the next words out of his mouth were…

"Imogen and I broke up….again."

"What is it this time?" Jake asked entering the room and flopping down onto the couch, "you commented that her pigtails' were crooked and she tossed a hissy fit?"

Eli just flashed Jake a glare and shook his head.

"I wish, at least if that happened she'd probably take me back by Monday," Eli said with his trademark smirk, "no…she asked for an honest opinion on one of the paintings in the gallery and I told her how it looked like a child's finger-painting and how I could do better and she scowled and told me she painted it."

"Ouch," Jake said.

"You can do so much better and you know it Eli."

"You mean like you Katie?"

Letting out a small laugh Katie thought back to the epic six months they dated in college…junior year…before amicably breaking it off deciding they'd be better off as friends then lovers although to be honest of all the boyfriends Katie had ever had since then she'd always measure them up to Eli and she wondered if that was what kept her so single and not her dedication to her job.

"You wish," Katie said with a playful smirk as she began to unbutton the top few buttons of her soccer jersey revealing the black camisole she wore underneath as the sounds of the doorknob turning broke her out of her train of thoughts.

"I brought drinks," Zig said entering the room and placing the six pack he'd been holding along with the briefcase of what Katie presumed to be papers her bother in law needed to grade over the weekend onto the counter. As he picked up one of the room temperature beer bottles, Zig smiled at his friends. "So, what are we talking about?"

"The nutjob broke up with Eli again," Jake said causing Eli to give the other boy a smack.

"Don't call her that," Eli spoke defensively as he began to pick up his cell where most likely he was texting Imogen causing Katie to let out a sigh as the door creaked open again.

"Finally Owen's here," she said, "now we can pl…."

Her words trailed off as she spotted that Owen had a guest and not just any guest but one with an all too familiar smile which caused Katie to glare daggers at her friend and…well she didn't know what to refer to Drew as though pain in her ass had a nice ring to it.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Katie asked looking at Drew who she had to admit looked rather nice dressed in a more casual manner then the suit she'd seen him in at the office.

"Owen invited me to play poker and meet the guys…what are you doing here?"

"I guess you could say I'm one of the guys….this is my house?"

As Katie spoke Owen's eyes fell on both parties.

"Wait?" Owen spoke, "you two know each other?"

Katie shifted her glare from Drew to her friend.

"I should be asking the same question and since this is my apartment you're going to answer me first."

Owen simply nodded knowing from experience that Katie Matlin was not someone you wanted to piss off.

"Drew is my boy..we went to High School together, played on various sports teams together and even dated some of the same girls."

"Not at the same time," Drew said as if he needed to clarify however Katie just nodded knowing that she now needed to answer.

"Well Owen…your 'boy' is the douchebag that Snake hired for the anchor job."

Jake began to playfully sing 'It's a Small World' from the couch receiving looks form everyone however he simply lowered his voice instead of stopping.

"I resent you calling me that," Drew said, "after all you barely know me."

"Yea," Owen said coming to Drew's defense much to Katie's dismay, "Drew is a cool guy…just because your boss is an idiot and doesn't see your true potential Katie doesn't mean you have to take it out on Drew."

Letting out a sigh Katie muttered, "Fine," as she grabbed a beer and took a small swig before taking a seat at the table. "Now are we going to play or what?

Soon everyone sat around the kitchen table and the game commenced and as they played idle chatter was made. They talked about how everyone had known one another. Eli talked about how he still love Imogen, Zig talked about his latest chat with Maya and Owen talked about his latest conquest who 'would be eighteen in a week or so she said', meanwhile Katie and Jake were talking heatedly about the latest sports headline and it seemed to Drew that Katie really knew what she'd been talking about which wasn't too much of a shock as he'd read some of her articles and her work was pretty much flawless.

As the night went on it seemed lady luck wasn't choosing a clear side that evening as one hand Jake would win it all but the he'd lose a chunk of his winnings the next hand and Eli would win and then the next hand Owen would win and so on and so forth. As Katie won the final hand the group decided to play Owen clapped his hand on Katie's back.

"So Matlin, does Drew have what it takes to be a part of our little boys club?"

Flashing Owen a small smile, Katie, simply shrugged.

"I guess…I mean unless someone has a problem."

Zig, Eli, and Jake just shrugged as to say they were fine as Drew spoke.

"I would think if anyone had a problem it'd be you."

Katie shook her head.

"Shockingly I don't have a problem I think your pretty cool."

Drew smiled.

"I think your pretty cool too," her replied and things could of easily ended right there however Drew continued to speak, "Snake was wrong, your definitely one of the guys."

Katie looked at him.

"Excuse me."

"Yea, at my interview he couldn't stop talking about the magazine's ace reporter who was brilliant beyond belief however you weren't one of the guys….or maybe he did say you were one of the guys and that was the problem…that you were smart but didn't have the look…yea maybe that was it…my mind is kind of out of it right now…I think I had one too many."

"Thank god we didn't drive right man," Owen said with a chuckle as Drew nodded and the two boys left with Zig following them soon after.

"So?" Jake asked once it was just the trio of roommates, "Mario Cart?"

"I'm in," Eli said, "Katie?"

"You boys go along without me," Katie said heading toward her room as Drew's words began to set in her own mind. 'Snake thinks I'm one of the guys but I don't have 'the look?' she thought thinking that perhaps she'd let Marisol give her that long awaited Make Over before their girls night out.

TBC

Thoughts? I'm thinking next chapter Katie is made over a tad by Marisol and she meets a guy…I don't know if the guy should be Adam, Julian, KC or someone else just that whomever it is I plan on Katie to date him for a bit. Also just because I implied Imogeneli doesn't mean that's endgame….