Things Aren't Always What They Seem

****Flashback****

"So, speaking of beautiful girls," Pat said as he reclined back in his chair, beer in hand. They were at the bar celebrating a win before a two day break.

"No one was talking about any type of lady," Jon said with a smirk. His friend had just completely changed the topic and he could only imagine what was going to come out of his mouth next.

"What's the deal with you and Charlotte?" Jon wasn't prepared for that question and it threw him for a loop. Whether it was obvious or not, the rest of the guys looked a little more interested at Jon too.

"C'mon," he shrugged. "That's what you're asking me?"

"Yeah," Pat nodded with overconfidence. "She's normally out with us or with you after a game. Hell she comes to almost every game. Meets you down by the locker room. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were dating."

"Well I guess the good thing is that you do know better. You know there's nothing going on between us. You've met her, she's been around for years--"

"Yeah for as long as I've known you."

"Okay, so why now are you asking me this question, especially when you already know the answer to it."

"So there's nothing going on between you two? Never fucked her? No drunken nights. Nothing."

"Better watch it," Jon warned as he took a sip of his beer. "You already know we're just friends. Stop being an asshole."

"Okay," Pat said a little defensive. "So where is she tonight?"

"She's not feeling good, pretty sick actually. I'm going to check up on her before I go home since she's on the way and all."

"She's sick?" It was a question but he said it as a statement and Jon could see the wheels in his sick mind turning.

"Yes. Why?" Jon asked cynically giving his a side-eye glare.

"You're a thousand percent positive there's nothing going on with you guys," Pat asked again.

"Fuck, yes would you just drop it," Jon answered more annoyed this time.

"So you won't mind if I ask her out then?" Pat raised his eyebrows and gave a devious grin.

"You?" Jon asked wide-eyed. "You want to go out with Charlotte?" Pat nodded. "You're serious?" He realized that everyone else's eyes were drilling into him and he sat back in his chair again and relaxed his shoulders. "Sure. That's fine with me. I'm just not sure she'd go for you." Jon knew Charlotte in and out and they she wasn't exactly the perfect match for Pat. She was too good for him but he wasn't about to say that out loud.

"Alright. Good." Pat took a sip of his beer victoriously.

"I'm a little curious," Jon wasn't ready to entirely drop it. It was a pretty big deal to him. "Why now? She's been around since I met you, so why...I don't know even how many years it's been but why after so long? Are you bored of the conquests you currently get? Because if you're just trying to fuck her and never call her again, then I'm going to have a huge problem with that. Besides, she wouldn't go for that anyway so you'd be wasting your time."

"I've always been interested in her," Pat responded simply. "I just thought she was spoken for." As he said that he glanced up at Jon clearly making some type of dig. There was definitely tension at the table and the rest of the guys could feel it too. "Don't worry Jonny Boy. I'm not gonna fuck her and never call her again. I give you my word I'll be a gentleman."

"You better," Jon warned. He didn't need to say much else. Pat already knew if he fucked with Charlotte the wrong way that Jon would have his ass.

Later that night Jon couldn't shake the idea of his friend making a play for Charlotte. As he drove to her place to check in on her he found his heart pounding like it was going to explode out of his chest. It wasn't because he didn't want Charlotte to be happy or anything like that. Of course he did. But Pat? No. He was all wrong for her. Jon knew things about Charlotte that Patrick would never go for but it wasn't his place to tell. Plus Charlotte could handle herself. She'd put him in his place if need be. All he had to do was sit back and wait for it.

He knocked on the door with some chicken soup in his hands and smiled to himself when Charlotte opened the door and her face lit up. "Hey champ. You don't look so good."

"Thanks," she said borderline embarrassed by how crappy she looked. "You sharing that with me?" She nodded to the bag.

"Nah," he shook his head as he walked through the door and closed it behind him. "I'm good."

"Went out with the guys?" she asked as she got a spoon and Jon took the soup out and got it ready for her on the table.

"I did actually." He didn't look at her. "Um, I have a question for you. It's not a big deal or anything so, just ya know. Curious."

"Okay," she laughed uneasily feeling his awkwardness. "What's up?"

"What do you think about Kane?"

"Patrick?" she asked surprised. "Um, I don't know he seems nice. He's kind of a whore I think, right?" she looked at him with skepticism.

Jon couldn't contain his laughter. "Yeah I guess you could say that."

"I mean, you're a whore but I wouldn't put you in the same league as him," she said playfully.

"Thanks Char."

"Seriously. I don't know. I never really thought about it. Why?"

"Nothing," he shrugged. "He just was asking about you tonight. I think he wants to ask you out or something."

"Really?" she didn't believe him. "Now? Why?"

"I asked the same thing. I guess he likes you or has had a thing for you or whatever."

"That's flattering," she said as she took a bite of soup from her spoon. "I can't answer that. I barely know him. Maybe. I don't know, I really don't."

Jon's shoulders relaxed for the second time in an hour and he sat down next to her. She was curled up in her seat, her legs both up on the chair in her sweats as she ate her soup. "Let him down easy then," he said with a smirk.

"Well I guess we'll see if he even makes a move."

After a little while Jon went home and promised he'd stop over in the morning on his way to the arena for practice. When Charlotte opened the door she had a huge smile and Jon swallowed hard. Something was up.

"Look," she squealed when he walked through the door. His head turned and he saw the huge display of flowers she had sitting on the middle of the table. He thought his heart got caught in his throat. He pursed his lips and nodded his head. "Kaner?" though he didn't need to ask, he already knew.

"Yeah!" she was smitten. "They're so beautiful, right? I mean I was kind of rolling my eyes at the idea of us but then I read the card." She bent down and picked it up to read to him. "A little bird told me you weren't feeling well. I hope you get better soon so I can take you out for dinner. It's been a work in progress for a while." As she read it, clearly flattered, Jon rolled his eyes. He knew his friend's plays and this was definitely one of them. But Charlotte was smart. She knew what she wanted and what she wouldn't tolerate and eventually she would make the right decision.

Jon kept waiting for that moment, but it was two years later, and it never came.

****Present Day****

Pat went to crawl out of bed naked as the day he was born. He had just put his feet on the ground and was about to stand up to get in the shower when he felt her arms wrap around his abdomen. "No," she moaned out. "Stay in bed with me."

He smiled and turned around to look at her. She was naked as he was. Her hair was everywhere and it made him proud. He'd left his mark on her, he'd made her into a mess. "Rose. I gotta shower. I have practice."

"I know, I know. I'm used to that." She rolled her eyes. "So...you're engaged now," she said uncomfortably, acknowledging the thing they both tried to ignore.

Pat swallowed hard. "I am. I'm betrothed." He was slightly sarcastic but there was a dead seriousness between them now.

"Is this..." she asked hesitantly. "Are we going to continue?"

He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "This has gone on much longer than either of us had planned. What, six months now?" he asked knowing the answer. She nodded her agreement.

"How much longer do you think we can go without anyone finding out?" she looked up into his eyes. I mean we're lying to both of them. They're going to figure it out eventually."

"Well we've done remarkably well this far," he said with a smirk. "I don't know about you but I'm not ready to cut it off just yet."

She shook her head and went to cover her naked breasts with the bed sheets. "Me either."

"Maybe by the time you get engaged," he said sheepishly. "At that point we'll have to reconsider this little arrangement we have going on. Or," he said more optimistic. "We could just keep lying to everyone and do this forever. If you marry Jon we'll be in each other's lives all the time. They'd never even question us."

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes. "I don't think I'll be getting a marriage proposal anytime soon. He's not as into commitment as you are."

"Who would ever thought there would be a day where I'd be more into commitment than him," he laughed. "Look," he turned and looked at her more seriously placing his hand on her cheek.

"I love Charlotte. I do. But I love being with you too. I don't want to end it. I don't want out, unless you do."

She looked him in the eyes. The tension between them could be cut with a knife. After a few moments she smiled and slowly shook her head. "No. I mean I love being with Jon and I like Charlotte but I don't want to end this either. We'll figure it out."

"We'll figure it out," he agreed before leaning down and kissing her. He pushed her back on the bed and kissed down her neck, grabbing at her exposed breast. It took all of thirty seconds for him to get hard and he wasted no time crawling between her legs and pushing himself inside her, relishing in how fucking hot it was when she screamed out for more of him and hoping she didn't respond this much when she was in bed with Jon.

For just a second Charlotte's face flashed across Pat's mind but when Rose's lips found his again, he let it go and fucked her until he came so hard he saw spots.