A week after his run-in with Sabrina, Patrick was out for drinks at the Floating Rib with his brother Matt, also a doctor, and Steve Webber, the head of the ER, as it was a rare evening when the three of them were off duty and off of the call schedule and could indulge in a little fun. They were watching the football game and shooting the shit when Patrick's attention was drawn to the door.

Sabrina and Felix had both aced a very difficult test earlier in the day, so they decided to go to the Floating Rib to celebrate with some of their classmates. It had been a week since her run in with Dr. Drake and she had to admit that she could use a drink. When he'd leaned down to help her up, Sabrina had been rendered speechless by his gorgeousness. Dr. Drake was the most handsome man she had ever seen, but, he was also, she soon learned, the most arrogant wiseass she'd ever met. He'd grabbed her hand, pulled her up and made sure she was okay, but then he'd ruined the moment by mentioning that she would be able to see people coming if she didn't carry so much at one time. She barely got a rebuttal in before he hightailed it out of there, leaving her to pick up all the dropped charts. After that, it seemed like fate conspired to throw them together every time she worked at the hospital, where she would either be assigned to his floor, run into him at the nurses' station, end up next to him in line in the cafeteria or enter the locker room just as he was changing. Every time she was near him, Sabrina felt like her temperature rose ten degrees; but, then when he would make offhand comments about them needing to stop "meeting like this" (which, Sabrina assumed implied that she was following him around like a lovesick puppy), she felt like she got a bucket of ice water dumped on her head. Thus, she ended up being the antithesis of herself – distant, cold and bitchy – around him. She hated that she stooped to such a level, but she couldn't help it. The guy just seemed to rub her the wrong way. When Felix stopped mid-stride in the doorway, she peeked her head around to see what (or who) caught his attention and involuntarily growled in frustration.

Patrick saw Sabrina and her friend halt in the doorway, probably in shock at seeing him, Matt and Steve in the same room as their classmates. (He couldn't help that Yay-I-Passed-My-Test Day was the same as Monday Night Football…) He also noticed that she did not look happy to see him. Seriously, he couldn't figure out what the girl's problem was. After their little run-in last week, she was polite but distant (almost frigid) toward him when they worked together; and, when they coincidentally ran into each other in the cafeteria or locker room and he tried to make a joke about them needing to stop "meeting like this", she would always answer him with a snarky comment. While Patrick knew it was a little rude of him to bail without helping her pick up the charts, he didn't think it justified the attitude he was getting. (In all fairness, he was running late for his consult. Plus, he was shaken by his "moment" when he looked down into her eyes and found himself unable to function. What was that?!) When Patrick continued to stare at Sabrina in the doorway, missing a touchdown in the game, it drew Matt and Steve's attention.

"What are you staring at?" Matt asked, curiously.

"Nothing," Patrick answered quickly, too quickly.

Matt looked at the door and back at him and then at the door. "Ok, who's the chick?"

"She's not a chick. She's Sabrina. One of the nursing students."

Steve chimed in with, "Isn't she the one you ran over last week?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, she doesn't seem happy to see you." Steve replied with a smirk.

"Wow, a woman not happy to see you," Matt said as he looked over at Patrick. "Never thought that day would come, did you?"

"It doesn't happen often." Patrick grumbled, tired of being picked on and still wondering why this girl didn't like him. (It also really bugged him that her not liking him bugged him so much.)

Matt drunkenly punched him in the arm and then said, "So there is a woman on this earth who is immune to your charms."

At that Patrick bristled, "No, there isn't. I could get her to like me." Patrick took a long swig of his beer and blurted, "Hell, I could get her to love me, if I wanted…"

"Prove it."

"What did you say?" Patrick asked.

"I said, 'prove it'. Get her to like you and be your date to the Golden Ball." This year, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the hospital was having a special event to honor all of the past Chief's of Staff and current department heads (including him). Although it would not be as large of scale as the Nurses' Ball, which was held in June, everyone who is anyone in Port Charles would be there.

"You're kidding." Patrick scoffed. Showing up to the Golden Ball with a date like Sabrina would give everyone the wrong idea. First, considering he never took dates to hospital functions, let alone one as wholesome as Sabrina, it would make everyone question whether he, the confirmed bachelor, was settling down. More importantly, it would detract from his professional accomplishments by taking the spotlight off of his career and putting it on his personal life.

Steve looked between the brothers and said, "No, I don't think he is, Patrick. I think he means it."

Matt banged his fist on the counter. "Damn straight, I do."

"Why do you care, Matt?"

"Because, bro, you've worked hard for your career and I can appreciate that. But, I think you take for granted that every woman you ever met has fallen at your feet because you're a handsome neurosurgeon. You've never had to sweat and toil like the rest of us lowly doctors to get a woman to notice you." Matt paused. "Wait, except that one woman. What was her name?"

"Robin." Patrick murmured.

"Right….that's it! What ever happened to her."

"We had a thing. It didn't work out. She moved to Paris. Last I heard from Mac, she's married with a kid now. That Jason Morgan guy apparently gave up his life of crime and followed her to the land of croissants shortly after we broke up."

"Bummer. But anyway, she was the only woman, until now, that you've ever had to put any effort into conquering…. And, I'll bet the spoils of victory were much sweeter, weren't they?"

"I guess." Patrick grudgingly admitted. The truth of the matter was that he liked not having to make an effort. Without effort, there were no expectations. Without expectations, no one got their heart broken and Patrick could focus on his work.

"So, put in a little effort. Woo Sabrina and get her to let you take her to the Golden Ball."

"And what do I get if I do?"

"Lucky." Matt answered as if the answer were obvious.

When Patrick eyed him funny, he said, "Or, you get the satisfaction of knowing you are badass as well as three months of vacation from cleaning our apartment."

"And if I lose?" Patrick added just for the sake of argument. Losing wasn't an option. He hated cleaning, especially since Matt was a pig.

"If you lose, you do all the cleaning for six months and perform with Milo and the 'Magic Wands' at the Nurses' Ball."

Patrick looked from Matt to Steve to Sabrina and her friend and back again. "Alright," he said as he took a drink, "It's a bet...If you agree to clean for six months and perform with Milo when I win."

"Deal" Matt said, as he looked on like a cat who'd just eaten all the cream.

Now all Patrick had to do was figure out a way to get Sabrina to give him the time of day, let alone a date. What had he gotten himself into?