Title : How to Get a Player to Commit
Author : Steph
Rating : PG
Pairing : Robin/Patrick
Category : Romance/Humor/Drama
POV : Robin
Disclaimer : I do this out of a love for this couple. No infringement is intended.
Spoilers : Picks up after the cabin, so includes all of that.
Summary : Robin decides she wants a commitment from Patrick and comes up with a set of rules to follow in order to get her man.

Note : Thanks for the feedback! Hope you enjoy Rule # 5 and please let me know what you thought! -Steph

---How to Get a Player to Commit: Rule # 5: Play Hard to Get ---

Sometimes in life you don't play by the rules, not even the ones you set for yourself. Patrick Drake keeps teaching me that lesson over and over again.

But if I expect my plan to work, I need to stick to the rules, no matter how difficult Patrick may make it. Playing hard to get with Patrick always took some effort on my part - okay, a lot of effort - but I was always able to do it. If not, we would have been in bed within a month of our first meeting. But playing hard to get is a lot harder once you know how good it feels to be gotten.

I'm so lost in my thoughts, I don't notice him appear by my side. He's looking down at me, smiling.

"So, you're off now, right?"

I take my time looking up at him and then respond nonchalantly, even though I'm practically bursting at the thought of why he's asking.

"Yeah, I'm off."

His smile widens. "Great. How does a late lunch with an incredibly sexy guy sound?"

I can't help the smile that overtakes my lips. "Sounds great. Who is he?"

His eyes twinkle. "Funny."

I stop for a moment, wondering when no strings sex turned into having lunch dates together. Doesn't that seem like dating to anyone else? I sort of figured once the sex pact was made that we wouldn't have anymore so-called dates.

He tilts his head. "So, is that a 'yes'?"

I shake my head and look back down at my work. "Actually, I have plans."

The twinkle fades from his eyes and his smile disappears. "Plans?"

"Yes, plans."

"What kind of plans?" he asks sharply, saying the word plans as if it's an expletive.

I look up at him and smile. "I really don't think that's any of your business."

He licks at his lips. "Well, don't you remember what I told you? Plans are meant to be changed."

"Not these plans," I say firmly, returning my eyes to my work.

He sighs in frustration. "What are these plans that makes them so set in stone?"

"Hmm, I think that was my voice telling you it's none of your business a minute ago. I haven't changed my position on the subject."

He rubs at his mouth. "I don't understand why you won't just tell me."

"And I don't understand why you won't just let it go," I counter, still refusing to meet his eyes. "I didn't ask you what your plans were last night," I add, unable to help myself.

"Yeah, but I changed them for you ," he says pointedly.

I have to force myself not to look at him. "I didn't ask you to."

"You didn't have to."

I shake my head, slowly raising my eyes to his. "If you expect me to thank you, forget it. You thought you had a chance to have sex, that's why you changed your plans."

Something flashes in his eyes. Something that says he would have changed them to be with me no matter what, sex or no sex. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.

"It doesn't matter why I did it. All that matters is that I did," he replies.

I shrug and look back down at my work. He taps his fingers anxiously on the counter, before his hand darts out and snatches my patient chart out from beneath me. I roll my eyes and turn to him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"You're using your work as an excuse to ignore me."

"I don't need an excuse to ignore you," I say with a smile.

He leans forward and says harshly, "Why are you being like this? Did I do something to you? Because all I remember doing is giving you more mind-bending sex when you showed up at my door last night."

My face floods with red, but I manage to grit my teeth. "Could you maybe say it a little louder! I think there's a patient in a coma three floors down who didn't quite hear you!"

He shakes his head and purses his lips, placing one hand on his hip as he leans in toward me. "I'll say it over the intercom unless you tell me why you're acting like this."

I narrow my eyes. "You're twelve years old, you know that?"

"Just tell me what your plans are and I'll be on my way."

I eye him for a long moment, intrigued by how interested he is in my plans.

"Why do you care so much anyway? We're not dating. I don't have to account for my time or report what I am doing to you. And it's not like we're not allowed to see other people. This is just about having sex, right?"

He lowers his head, his determination faltering.

"I was just curious," he says softly.

I groan, his sad puppy act doing a number on me. But what am I supposed to say? It's easier having fake plans when I don't have to be specific.

Just then, the doors to the elevator slide open. My eyes land on Austin. I smile. Patrick lifts his head and follows my gaze, as he turns to look over his shoulder. His mouth drops open, as he slowly turns to look at me. He hooks his thumb in Austin's direction.

"That guy? You've got plans with that guy?"

I tilt my head. I'm liking this playing hard to get stuff. I've even managed to work some rule # 3 in there.

"If you must know, yes. We have lunch plans. He's here to pick me up."

Patrick straightens, now placing both hands on his hips, "You're not still trying to make me jealous using him, are you? It's never going to work."

"Nope, just having lunch with a friend, which means I can't have lunch with you."

Patrick's nostrils flare and I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing. He looks over his shoulder again. I follow his gaze, my breath catching in my chest. Austin is getting back on the elevator with a nurse. His arm is around her shoulders and he's smiling from ear-to-ear.

Patrick turns to look at me, a grin spread across his lips. I lower my gaze.

He can't keep the grin out of his voice. "Well, looks like Austin's got other plans and they seem to involve a certain busty, blonde nurse."

I swallow. "He must have forgotten."

He replies, unconvinced. "Uh huh." He then leans toward me, placing his elbows on the counter. "I guess that means you're free now. So, how about that lunch?"

I try to shake my head. I try to come up with some other excuse, but my mind fails me.

He nods. "I'll take that blank stare as an acceptance of my invitation."

I never say a word. He just takes my hand in his and I marvel at how right that seems.

I was doing so well at playing hard to get and then it backfired...again, through no fault of my own. Damn that Patrick Drake! And damn Austin too! And that stupid busty, blonde nurse!

---

"This is lunch?" I ask.

He smiles at me as he hands me a hot dog. "It's food. It qualifies."

"Yeah, but talk about cheap."

He shrugs. "I said you could have two."

"My prince," I say with a tilt of my head and a smile.

We walk through the park in a comfortable silence. Patrick sits down on a nearby bench and I join him. He eats his last bite of hot dog and turns to look at me.

"This is nice. We should do this more often."

My brow furrows. "You mean have lunch?"

"Sure. Why not?"

I shrug my shoulders. "Well, let's see. We go out, spend some time together, and eat. Then maybe we go back to one of our places and have sex. Hmm, that kind of sounds like a relationship."

"Actually, from what I hear, it's the people in the relationships who aren't having any sex."

I grin. "Oh, so is that what's got you scared?" I shake my head, as I meet his eyes, my voice lowering. "You have no first-hand experience being in a relationship. I do. You don't know what to expect. At least not with me."

He licks at his lips. "What's all this relationship talk about all of the sudden? I thought you were only in this for the sex."

"I am. I was simply pointing out that by wanting to spend time with me and eat together, it sounds like you're making this into more than just sex."

"Let me get this straight. You're saying that I shouldn't want to spend any time with you unless it's to have sex?"

"Right."

His face falls and hurt flashes across his eyes, as his voice emerges softly. "I like spending time with you, Robin. I can't help that. I was under the impression that you liked spending time with me, too. But I must have been mistaken."

My mouth drops open slightly. I'm pleasantly surprised by Patrick's reaction. He enjoys spending time with me. No wonder he put up such a fight earlier. I can use this to my advantage. If this is something he enjoys, then I'll take it away from him. I'll make him see what he could have if he's willing to take a chance with me.

I look at him. "I enjoy spending time with you, too, but I don't want to confuse things. I think it's best if we only spend time together at work discussing patients and...after hours."

I realize that by insisting that we only interact outside of work in order to have sex, I accomplished what I had first failed to do, despite my best efforts. I played hard to get, just not in the way I had intended.

He rubs his hand across his mouth. "If that's how you want it."

"It is."

He turns to me then and holds his hand out expectantly, palm face up.

My brow furrows. "What?"

He shrugs. "Well, I guess you owe me for lunch then, seeing as we're not having anymore dates."

I shake my head. "You are unbelievable."

"That'll be a $1.50."

I reach into my purse and pull out two dollar bills. "I don't have the exact amount."

He pulls them from my grip and offers me a half-hearted smile. "Sorry, no change."

He then stands up and walks away from me. He never looks back. I know I should feel happy and satisfied. After all, by limiting our interaction, I just managed to stick to the rules and I didn't let him turn it back around on me. I made progress. He's starting to see what he could have with me.

But I can't get that disappointed look on his face out of my mind. I don't like that I may have hurt him.

I sigh and take another bite of my hot dog. I chew slowly and then shake my head, throwing the rest of it away.

I didn't consider one thing when I insisted we only spend time together at work discussing patients or when we're having sex.

I didn't consider how much I'll miss him.

---
Up Next: Rule # 6 - Tell Him Lies. Tell Him Sweet, Little Lies .

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought! -Steph