Another Heart Calls
What Would You Do
Charlotte sat in her living room reading a magazine while Marty and Patrick were watching a hockey game. “Wait a minute,” Charlotte said all of a sudden.
Both men looked over at her. “What?” they asked at the same time.
“What did you just say Patrick?” she questioned.
“I said I’m apparently going on a date with Janelle,” he repeated.
“Okay, if you don’t explain in the next two seconds,” Charlotte began, and Patrick didn’t let her finish the sentence.
“Don’t get mad at me,” he interrupted. “This was all Meredith’s idea.”
“What?” Charlotte asked, not believing what he was telling her. “Why would Meredith tell you to go on a date with Janelle?”
“She said something about making sure that I wasn’t supposed to be with Janelle. I don’t know. She wasn’t making much sense. All I figured out was that she thinks I’m in love with Janelle. I told her I wasn’t and that I only love her, and she told me to go on a date with Janelle to prove it,” Patrick explained.
“And you really are going to go out with her?” Charlotte questioned.
“What else am I supposed to do?” Patrick asked. “I mean Meredith is practically forcing me, and if this gets her to stop being so insecure, then fine!”
“You think that by you going out with Janelle, it will help Meredith stop being so insecure?” Charlotte asked. “Do you think before you speak? Patrick, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard!”
“Char, leave him alone,” Marty spoke up. “If Meredith is the one that wants this, then let him go out with her.”
“You seriously think this is a good idea?” Charlotte asked him.
“Let’s just stay out of it,” Marty told her, not wanting to get into a fight with his fiancée. “This is their life. They’ll get through it.”
“Fine,” Charlotte sighed, letting it go for now.
Two days later, Charlotte and Meredith were out shopping. “So,” Meredith told Charlotte as they began looking at shoes. “Patrick’s going out with Janelle tomorrow night.”
“I still don’t understand why you’re doing this to yourself. You have to know that Patrick loves you,” Charlotte told her as she picked up a pair of gold heels.
“I need to make sure that he feels nothing for Janelle,” Meredith told her. “But, can I tell you something and you promise not to tell anyone, even Marty?”
“What?” Charlotte asked, nervous that something bad had happened.
“Part of me is a little bit sad that Patrick even agreed to go out with her,” Meredith admitted.
“Mer!” Charlotte yelled. When she remembered that they were in a shop, she lowered her voice. “Sorry, but Mer, that makes no sense! You told him to go out with her. You told him multiple times!”
“I know, but I guess a part of me was hoping that he would say no.”
“Meredith, you are my best friend, but sometimes, you are a complete idiot! Patrick kept telling you that he didn’t want to go out with Janelle, but you kept pushing him to do it.”
“You’re on Patrick’s side?” Meredith asked. When she heard Charlotte exhale loudly, she added, “Don’t worry. I’m not mad at you or anything. In fact, I kind of understand.”
“Meredith, as I said before, you are my best friend, and I will always be on your side, even when I think you are totally and completely wrong, like I do now,” she said with a laugh. “Besides, there shouldn’t even be any sides right now. Patrick loves you, and only you. There’s no other way of looking at it.”
“I just want to be sure,” Meredith said.
The next night, Patrick sat in his living room talking to Marty. “Why am I doing this again?” Patrick asked as he flipped through channels, trying to find something interesting to watch.
“Because you have a crazy girlfriend that you love,” Marty said laughing.
“Yeah,” Patrick sighed. “Damn it. Why the hell is she doing this?” he asked getting angrier by the second. “Why can’t she just believe me when I say that I have no feelings for Janelle?”
“Hey, she’s just worried. I mean her boyfriend’s old best friend who’s been in love with him for the past decade just came back, and she says she still loves him. She just wants to make sure you love her,” Marty told him.
“I do love her!” Patrick yelled. “Besides, are you on her side?” he questioned.
“Hell no!” Marty said. “I think what she’s doing is stupid, and she needs to believe you when you tell her that you love her.”
“What would you do if you were in my situation?” Patrick asked.
“I’m not in your situation,” Marty reminded him.
“Okay, let’s say that Charlotte tells you to go on a date with one of your best friends. What would you do?” Patrick asked.
“First of all, I’d be pissed that she would ever do that to me. And, I’d probably do something to piss her off on the date,” Marty said honestly.
“Like what?” Patrick asked.
“I don’t know. Like kiss my best friend or something,” Marty replied offhandedly. “But, it doesn’t matter because you’re not me.”
“Right,” Patrick said. He looked over at the clock to see that it was 6:45. “Well, I better be going,” he told Marty. “I’m supposed to pick up Janelle at seven.”
“Okay,” Marty said, getting up and walking towards the door. “But remember, you’re not me,” he reminded him, afraid that he had put a bad idea into Patrick’s head.
“Yeah, yeah,” Patrick said. “Get out of here.”
Both men looked over at her. “What?” they asked at the same time.
“What did you just say Patrick?” she questioned.
“I said I’m apparently going on a date with Janelle,” he repeated.
“Okay, if you don’t explain in the next two seconds,” Charlotte began, and Patrick didn’t let her finish the sentence.
“Don’t get mad at me,” he interrupted. “This was all Meredith’s idea.”
“What?” Charlotte asked, not believing what he was telling her. “Why would Meredith tell you to go on a date with Janelle?”
“She said something about making sure that I wasn’t supposed to be with Janelle. I don’t know. She wasn’t making much sense. All I figured out was that she thinks I’m in love with Janelle. I told her I wasn’t and that I only love her, and she told me to go on a date with Janelle to prove it,” Patrick explained.
“And you really are going to go out with her?” Charlotte questioned.
“What else am I supposed to do?” Patrick asked. “I mean Meredith is practically forcing me, and if this gets her to stop being so insecure, then fine!”
“You think that by you going out with Janelle, it will help Meredith stop being so insecure?” Charlotte asked. “Do you think before you speak? Patrick, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard!”
“Char, leave him alone,” Marty spoke up. “If Meredith is the one that wants this, then let him go out with her.”
“You seriously think this is a good idea?” Charlotte asked him.
“Let’s just stay out of it,” Marty told her, not wanting to get into a fight with his fiancée. “This is their life. They’ll get through it.”
“Fine,” Charlotte sighed, letting it go for now.
Two days later, Charlotte and Meredith were out shopping. “So,” Meredith told Charlotte as they began looking at shoes. “Patrick’s going out with Janelle tomorrow night.”
“I still don’t understand why you’re doing this to yourself. You have to know that Patrick loves you,” Charlotte told her as she picked up a pair of gold heels.
“I need to make sure that he feels nothing for Janelle,” Meredith told her. “But, can I tell you something and you promise not to tell anyone, even Marty?”
“What?” Charlotte asked, nervous that something bad had happened.
“Part of me is a little bit sad that Patrick even agreed to go out with her,” Meredith admitted.
“Mer!” Charlotte yelled. When she remembered that they were in a shop, she lowered her voice. “Sorry, but Mer, that makes no sense! You told him to go out with her. You told him multiple times!”
“I know, but I guess a part of me was hoping that he would say no.”
“Meredith, you are my best friend, but sometimes, you are a complete idiot! Patrick kept telling you that he didn’t want to go out with Janelle, but you kept pushing him to do it.”
“You’re on Patrick’s side?” Meredith asked. When she heard Charlotte exhale loudly, she added, “Don’t worry. I’m not mad at you or anything. In fact, I kind of understand.”
“Meredith, as I said before, you are my best friend, and I will always be on your side, even when I think you are totally and completely wrong, like I do now,” she said with a laugh. “Besides, there shouldn’t even be any sides right now. Patrick loves you, and only you. There’s no other way of looking at it.”
“I just want to be sure,” Meredith said.
The next night, Patrick sat in his living room talking to Marty. “Why am I doing this again?” Patrick asked as he flipped through channels, trying to find something interesting to watch.
“Because you have a crazy girlfriend that you love,” Marty said laughing.
“Yeah,” Patrick sighed. “Damn it. Why the hell is she doing this?” he asked getting angrier by the second. “Why can’t she just believe me when I say that I have no feelings for Janelle?”
“Hey, she’s just worried. I mean her boyfriend’s old best friend who’s been in love with him for the past decade just came back, and she says she still loves him. She just wants to make sure you love her,” Marty told him.
“I do love her!” Patrick yelled. “Besides, are you on her side?” he questioned.
“Hell no!” Marty said. “I think what she’s doing is stupid, and she needs to believe you when you tell her that you love her.”
“What would you do if you were in my situation?” Patrick asked.
“I’m not in your situation,” Marty reminded him.
“Okay, let’s say that Charlotte tells you to go on a date with one of your best friends. What would you do?” Patrick asked.
“First of all, I’d be pissed that she would ever do that to me. And, I’d probably do something to piss her off on the date,” Marty said honestly.
“Like what?” Patrick asked.
“I don’t know. Like kiss my best friend or something,” Marty replied offhandedly. “But, it doesn’t matter because you’re not me.”
“Right,” Patrick said. He looked over at the clock to see that it was 6:45. “Well, I better be going,” he told Marty. “I’m supposed to pick up Janelle at seven.”
“Okay,” Marty said, getting up and walking towards the door. “But remember, you’re not me,” he reminded him, afraid that he had put a bad idea into Patrick’s head.
“Yeah, yeah,” Patrick said. “Get out of here.”
♠ ♠ ♠
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