The Sake of the Show

It was a Wednesday morning, which meant a ladies-only brunch for Blair, Abby, Niklas Hjalmarsson’s fiancee Elina, and Blair’s best friend, Dina. It was nearly November, so they braved the Midwest weather with thick sweaters and knit scarves. They met at a quaint cafe, a low-key place that Abby had read about in a magazine. Once they ordered their meals, the conversation began.

“So how was Champs for Charity?” Elina asked. “I was going to come, but I have to finish packing up so I can head out to Sweden. Since Nik’s in Italy, I figured I’d visit some family first.”

“It was fun,” Blair shrugged, feeling a little glum as yet another friend began discussing leaving the country. It had been hard enough for her to leave her friends back home when she moved to America about six years ago, and now that she had actually found another group to belong to, they were all leaving. In fact, tomorrow Patrick would be heading to Switzerland to play in the Swiss league during the remainder of the lockout. With the way things were headed, no one was sure how long he’d be gone.

“Don’t worry, Miss Bee. I’m not going to leave, neither is my Pat. Jonathan isn’t going to play, and we all know Corey won’t leave as long as you’re in the city.” Abby teased lightly, sharing a smirk with the ladies at the table. Dina leaned forward, her chin resting in her palms.

“Yeah, Corey would never leave you alone.” Dina chimed in, a full-blown grin spreading onto her olive-toned face as Blair shook her head profusely.

As of late, her friends had been badgering her relentlessly about the idea of her and Corey. She couldn’t lie; she’d found the dark-haired goaltender attractive from the moment she met him, but they were strictly friends. She had entertained the idea of what it would be like to date him but she knew nothing would ever come of it. He’d made no implication that he thought of her as more than a friend.

“You guys have gone mad.” She insisted, rolling her eyes as the three women shot her exasperated looks. “Corey does not like me!”

“So you like him?” Elina giggled, batting her eyelashes when Blair focused her glare on her. “You so like him! Abby showed me the pictures from-”

“Abby!” Blair groaned. “We’re just friends, I’m a cuddly person! Don’t add a false story, I feel creepy!”

“Yeah, you feel creepy because you like him! Look, she’s totally blushing!” Dina reached over with her slender fingers and pinched one of Blair’s fair-skinned cheeks, letting out a laugh at the dangerous glint that flashed in her steel grey eyes. While Blair was one for a good joke, she hated being the butt of the group’s amusement.

“Do not,” Blair growled, swatting at Dina’s offending fingers. They continued to laugh and giggle at her expense as they chattered away about the potential couple. “Could you not? I’m sitting right here!”

“And you still don’t deny that you like him. Blair, don’t be so snippy! We all think it’s cute. Everyone’s pulling for you guys. Corey’s a great guy.” Abby placed a hand on Blair’s wrist, reassuring her.

Blair huffed, feeling an utmost level of defeat as her friends sat around and planned her future love story over drinks.



Corey sat back in the plush recliner of Patrick’s obvious bachelor pad, watching the blonde hockey player fret too and fro and toss stuff into his suitcases. He had to admit, the scene was depressing. Yet another one of his teammates had decided to pack up, leaving the country to play overseas. The lockout was becoming downright depressing. If it wasn’t for Blair and the rest of the guys making sure they were keeping him busy, he was sure he’d be sulking right now.

“So,” Patrick walked out with a pile of shirts, setting them all on the floor and spreading them out. He began to sift through them, deciding which would be worthy for an across-the-sea expedition. “On Mondays, you should go to lunch with Blair.”

“What?” Corey snapped out of his reverie with a raised eyebrow. “Why Mondays?”


“I don’t know.” Patrick shrugged. “On her lunch hour, we always go to the cafe down the street and have lunch. It’s our little best friend tradition. I figured you’d take her. I feel bad that I’m leaving her and ditching our Mondays.”

“Feeling bad? That’s unlike you.” Corey teased as Patrick glared at him.

“Shut up, Crow. I know you won’t mind taking her to lunch one bit, as I was saying. Maybe you can finally man up and-”

“Please shut up about that. Seriously. I’ve heard it enough from Adam and the rest of the guys. There’s nothing going on between between me and Blair.” He snapped, hiding his face as he groaned dejectedly. “Let it go!”

“Dude, come on. You can’t fool me. I seriously think you should go for it. Blair’s my friend first, but I’m willing to share.”

“How is she yours first?” Corey eyed him.

“Because I met her first, duh. Besides, blondes share a bond.”

“You’re so fucking weird, Kaner.” He informed him, unable to hold back his chuckle as Patrick laughed.

“Weird, but you know I’m right.” Patrick got back down to business. “I guarantee she feels the same way. The rest of us are all sick of you two hanging on each other and pining like puppies. It’s sickening.”

“I won’t miss you when you’re gone.” Corey decided loudly as he ignored Patrick, glancing at his watch and getting up from the couch. “I actually should be heading to Blair’s, we’re doing take-out before your going away party.”

Corey wasn’t sure why he was explaining himself, or digging himself further into the hole it seemed he was already in. Patrick grinned deviously as he looked up from his clothes, his eyes twinkling.

“Oh? Take out? Since I’m not invited, why don’t you just eat out instead, Corey?” He suggested innocently, sloppily folding a shirt and setting it on top of a suitcase.

“I want to hit you. You're an idiot.” Corey announced, putting on his best dark look as he exited the apartment. He was almost positive he could hear Patrick’s taunting laughter at his back, the little shit.

He didn’t know why he was so irked. It wasn’t Patrick’s comment that offset him, because he was used to hearing those sorts of things from him. It was the fact that his friends all (there was literally no exception to this) hammered him relentlessly about something he couldn’t even understand.

When Corey waltzed into Blair’s apartment, he found her in a usual scene- standing in front of a mannequin with her hands on her hips and her blonde hair piled into a bun. He took in the dress hanging in front of her. “Wow, Blair. That looks really good.”

She turned around to look at him, strands of her hair falling into her narrowed eyes. “Are you sure? I kind of wanted to wear it to Patrick’s party tonight, but I don’t know. I think the jewels on the collar are a bit much.” 


“No, no. I think it looks really nice.” Corey insisted. “I uh, obviously don’t know much about fashion but I think that pink color would look pretty on you.”

“Oh Corey,” Blair giggled, easing the dress off of the mannequin with a smirk. “It’s peach, not pink.”

“I’m a guy, same difference.” He shot back. She rolled her eyes, fetching the takeout menu from a stack of papers on her coffee table and tossing it at him. He caught it with expertise- it was the menu for the Chinese place a few blocks away that they always ordered from.

“Since you’re such a manly man, you can order while I find something to wear with my new dress.” She flashed him another view of her pearly whites before she practically skipped out of the room. Corey shook his head as he grinned to himself. He didn’t even need to look a the menu to know what to order for Blair and himself; they got Chinese so often that he knew she loved the large order shrimp fried rice and orange chicken. Once he hung up, he made himself comfortable on the couch and turned on the television.

“How do I look?” Blair’s approach was marked by the piercing sound of stilettos against hardwood flooring that cut Corey’s attention from the episode of “The Office” he’d chosen to watch.

“You look-” Corey stopped for a second to gather his thoughts as he took her in, all five-feet and four inches of her in that dress she’d made to hug her curves perfectly and the nude heels on her feet. He blinked for a few moments as Blair stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for his reaction. “Blair, you look... breathtaking.”

“Thanks love, I feel silly for changing so early but I couldn’t resist. I love this so much.” Blair sighed. She did a little twirl before prancing over to the couch, kicking off her heels as she curled up beside him. She immediately tucked her feet underneath her, scooting close enough that their knees were touching.

“So how was your day?” Corey lowered the volume on the television as he turned toward her and rest his arm on the back of the couch.

“My day was... good. I went to brunch with the girls, Dina, Abby, and Elina. It was...” Blair shook her head as she blushed lightly. “They were being obnoxious today.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, they kept teasing me about you.” Blair mentioned lightly as she looked at him through her eyelashes. Her heart felt strange in her chest as she gazed at him, gauging his reaction to her words.

“The guys always give me shit about you, honestly. They really want us to date.”

Blair watched as Corey laughed at the notion, something in her heart settling in the pit of her stomach. Something tasted bitter on her tongue as her smile became strained, and she wasn’t sure why. “Really? That’s funny. The girls always say the same. I’m pretty sure they’re betting on it. Dina harasses me every day.”

“That’s so funny,” Corey remarked, although he wasn’t really laughing much. Blair shrugged as she looked away from him, her fingers occupying themselves with the finely stitched hem of her dress. “You know, it’d be really hilarious if we pretended to date to shut them up. Since they’re so invested, and everything.”

“Go on,” Blair arched an eyebrow.

“It’d be funny to mess with them. And it’d be nice for them to stop nagging for once. Plus, you’d make the perfect fake-date for all the charity dinners I have to go to.”

“Would I get to make my own dresses?”

“Of course Blair.”

“This sounds like a win-win to me. Why not?” She let out a playfully evil laugh as she nudged Corey’s side with her elbow. “Well hello, fake boyfriend.”

“You’re such a dork, fake girlfriend.” Corey grinned, tickling the back of her neck lightly as he watched her recoil in giggles.

It was perhaps the worst idea he’d ever had, but something selfish inside of him hoped that maybe something good could come of it. Maybe Patrick wasn’t the the idiotic one; maybe it was him. Either way, Corey wasn't complaining. He'd take any chance he could to get closer to Blair... even if it wasn't real.