Chapter 4 : I Told You So!

"I still don't understand why I have to be here..." Zoe whispered through a fake smile at dinner.

"Because," Patrick answered quietly. "I can't get those two together when we have an odd number."

"Patrick, I can't tell you how flattered I am to be your fake date."

"I know it's been a dream of yours since you met me, darling." he joked back.

"So, Patrick." Jenna said, capturing his attention from his conversation with Zoe. "Harry just told me you ran track in high school. I think that's fantastic."

"Thanks." he said. "I guess..."

Confusion was starting to fall over the usually collected Patrick Woodhouse. This girl he'd hand picked out for his friend certainly looked the part. Saying she was gorgeous was an understatement. Still, he noticed that for most of the meal she'd tried to talk to him and not Harry.

The waiter brought them all refills on their drinks a few minutes later. Jenna took a sip of hers, and called the waiter back with a snap of her fingers. Zoe raised her eyebrows at her fake date.

"Excuse me," Jenna said. "but this isn't diet."

"It's not going to kill you, Jenna." Zoe said.

Jenna chose to ignore that statement. "Just being a diet out...oh and a slice of lime would be great."

Patrick knew Zoe well enough to read her body language. When he looked over and saw she had her jaw clenched and she was twisting her cloth napkin in her lap, it meant 'this girl is driving me nuts.'

"I'm going to go to the little girls' room." Jenna said, getting up from her chair. Harry got up awkwardly too, probably wondering if he needed to formally stand when a lady left the table. Luckily, he managed to pretend like he was adjusting his chair.

Patrick caught Zoe's gaze and he widened his eyes. He needed a moment alone with Harry. Apparently, she could read his looks as well as he could read her body language, because a second later she said, "Why don't I come with you, Jenna?"

And with that, the two females exited gracefully from the table, leaving the two gentlemen to have a sophisticated, serious conversation.

"Jesus Christ! What am I doing?" Harry burst out.

"You're doing perfectly, Harry. I have to admit, there's something a little off with her." he confessed.

"Is it something I did?" Harry asked. "Should I have pushed in her chair for her? Should I have taken her coat? I knew it!"

"Don't worry so much." Patrick said. "Be cool and everything will fall into place."

Harry nodded.

"So, are you having fun?" Patrick asked hopefully.

Harry's facial expression looked doubtful. Patrick sighed. Honestly, he didn't blame the kid much. He looked positively sick. Actually...he looked genuinely sick.

"Hey Harry, are you felling alright, buddy?" Patrick asked.

"I – I don't know." Harry said, his face turning slightly green. "I feel kind of... sort of..."

Suddenly, he pushed out his chair and sprinted to the restroom. Patrick could only guess what he was going.

Ten minutes later, the girls were still in the bathroom and Harry had already left for home. Patrick felt like a failure for the most part. He was at least comforted that women took so long in the bathroom and as a result his friend avoided an embarrassing scene.

"Where's Harry?" Jenna asked when they came back out.

"Emergency...tutoring session." Patrick lied horribly. "Someone really needed help with their physics homework so good ole Harry sprung into action. He's a good friend like that."

Zoe rolled her eyes.

The three sat there in awkward silence for a long time until Zoe's phone beeped.

"Ah geeze." she said, looking concerned.

"What is it?" Patrick asked.

"A text from one of my teammates." she said. "It just says '911 teammate injured'."

"You should go! It sounds urgent." Jenna said looking overly concerned.

"Do you want to come too?" Zoe asked her.

"No!" she said a little too quickly. "I'll stay here and keep Patrick company. It's the polite thing to do."

"Ok..." Zoe said.

"Here! You can borrow my car." Jenna threw Zoe her keys and she caught them mid-air. Turning to Patrick she said sweetly, "You don't mind taking me home tonight, do you Patrick?"

"Uh..." he started. "I guess not."

"Alright, well I better go now." Zoe rushed outside into the rain.

About five seconds after her departure, Patrick noticed Jenna switched seats. Now she was sitting next to him. In fact, she seemed to be inching her seat closer to him...too close.

"Thank God they're gone." she whispered to him, touching his arm.

What?

"I thought they'd never leave us alone..."

"You mean...our dates?" Patrick asked.

She nodded. "I had to get one of my girlfriends to text Zoe to get her out of here."

"Excuse me?" Patrick asked, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets.

Jenna giggled. "Patrick, I've figured you out. You don't have to pretend anymore!"

"Oh really?" he asked. "And what's that exactly?"

"Oh Patrick...Patrick, Patrick, Patrick." she reached up and twirled one of his curls with her finger. "I know you set this whole thing up as a cover, but you know, you could've just asked me out."

What?

"Uh..." Patrick moved his chair over a bit, trying to put some distance between them. "No, I really just wanted you to go out with my friend. You know, Harry? Remember him?" She only laughed at that. Patrick was trying to decide whether, at that particular moment, he was more disturbed or offended. "And remember, I came with another girl." he pointed out.

"Oh come on!" Jenna cried. "Everyone knows that you and Zoe are totally platonic. You can't fool me, Patrick Woodhouse. Nice try."

And with that, she grabbed his face and smashed it against her own. This was Patrick's most uncomfortable kiss for a number of reasons. Firstly, the corner of the table was pushed up against his rib cage. Secondly, it was with his friend's date. Thirdly, it was with her. He resisted the impolite urge to wipe his mouth when he pulled back.

"Uh..." was the only thing coming out of his mouth.

"I think that said it all, didn't it?" she asked, winking at him.

"Jenna, how do I explain this...mmm." he started. He stood as he talked, putting on his jacket. "I'm not the type of guy to play games with girls so, this fabrication you made up about me isn't true. Also, I don't steal other guy's dates."

Her mouth was hanging open. "Did you really think that Harry and I made a good couple?" she asked incredulously. "I mean...seriously?"

"Unfortunately I did. Now, I think he can do better." he threw some money down on the table. "I don't think I can drive you home tonight. I'm sorry, but here's some money for a cab."

Patrick Woodhouse left a beautiful girl alone in a restaurant, something he thought he'd never have to do. It was safe to say that this date did not go as planned for anyone involved. Now, all he could picture was Harry suffering from the flu back at their apartment and Zoe, who was most likely waiting in the ER for no one.

When he got back home his phone rang. He didn't even look at the ID. He knew who it was.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he cried.

"I told you so!" Zoe's voice was clear over the other line.

"I know you did!" said Patrick. "I really need to listen to you more often."

"That's what you always say!" she cried. "Did you know that no one on my team was injured tonight! No one!"

"I know!" Patrick said, his guilt mounting. "Jenna said she got someone to text you."

He heard Zoe groan on the other line.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"My apartment." she said. "And on top of it all, I have no idea what to do with Jenna's car!"

"That's right I forgot you had that." Patrick paused for a moment. "The least we could do is empty her gas tank for her. Want to go out for ice cream in the next county over?"

"I'll pick you up in five minutes."