Secrets only keep so long... || Patrick, Anyone

Now he caught her off guard and she blushed once again. Oh my... I'm setting a record on blushing today.
"Well... how would I know?" she countered after a few moments had passed.

There had been many times back in High School when she had felt like this. But why did she never act on those feelings? Why did nothing ever happen back then, when she wanted it to happen? When she had been waiting for her first kiss, her first love. Maybe she was too afraid to make the first move back then. And now, she felt herself waiting for that first move again. But this time it was different.

Patrick nodded a bit in reply when Helena said that to him. "Point taken" he replied. After getting in the driver's side, he took her to the diner. As he drove, Patrick reached over and gently took Helena's hand in his.

Over at the diner, a 5'9", athletically built, brunette haired, Australian woman was sitting in a booth. She had her back to the wall so she could see the whole diner. At the same time, an outlaw biker guy saw her and walked over.

She gave Patrick a smile and got into the car, since he had opened the door for her, she thanked him, like always. Well, maybe it would happen... one day.
But as she put her seatbelt on, Helena began to wonder how Patrick would react if he would meet Nicole. After all, it was possible that she came to Las Vegas somehow and they would meet.
Sighing a little, Helena shook her head, pushing that thought out of her mind.
I can worry about that if that ever happens.

Patrick had the same thought in his head as he drove to the diner. He had to admit it would be nice to see her again and catch up on things. Patrick had no idea that she was at the diner they where going to.

Meanwhile, the biker guy walked up to Nicole and started to hit on her in a rather rude way. Nicole glanced up at him as he spoke to her. "Didn't your mum teach you not to be galah to a woman?" she said in her Australian accented voice.

The biker gave her a quite perplex look. He didn't expect her to say a word against him. But he did hear her accent. Maybe people were different where she came from, but this was Vegas and in this diner, he used to get any woman he wanted. Much to the dislike of it's owner, but he didn't dare saying anything. He was too scared to ruin his business.
"You're a brave one, huh?" he said, with a hint of sarcasm in his deep voice.

Nicole watched him, "Yes I am" she replied, keeping her cool. "Why do you turn and walk off before you get hurt?" she said to him in a dead serious tone. Along with her training from the Australian Army, Nicole was an advanced practitioner in the freestyle martial art system of Zen Do Kai.

Outside, Patrick pulled up to the diner, unaware that Nicole was inside and about to teach the biker a lesson.

The biker wasn't very impressed. He was too dumb to realize that he was messing with the wrong woman. A woman way out of his league. But all he ever cared about was marking his territory so to speak. He didn't care much for words.
So, after she said that, he sneered. That was basically all he was good at. Sneering, dominating, rudeness and causing trouble.
"Me, getting hurt?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Don't make me laugh!"


Helena looked up at the diner, lost in thoughts for a moment. Somehow this place gave her a strange feeling. One she couldn't quite explain.
"There we are..." she said quietly, simply to break the silence.

Back inside, Nicole kept her cool as the guy said that to her. His "sneering, dominating, rudeness causing trouble" attitude was very clear to her. The next thing she knew, the biker put his hand on her. Nicole grabbed his hand with her left hand and pulled forward, causing the guy's head to hit the table. At the same time, Nicole wrapped the guy's arm around his throat and used her free arm and all her body weight to pin the guy to the table. All the activity in the diner came to a dead stop when Nicole did that to the biker.

"Yep" Patrick said to her as he parked. He got out, then walked around and opened the door for her. As he did, he noticed what happened inside and walked over to the door.

With a small sigh Helena got out of the car. For some weird reason she just had the feeling that something was going to happen. She didn't know what it was, but there was something in the air, that told her to stay on her toes. But she kept quiet. What good was it to say something, when it was just a feeling?

Patrick watched the scene inside the diner. "I'll be right back" he said to Helena. He then walked in and saw a woman pinning a man to the table she was sitting at. "Nicole?" he called out to her when he saw who it was. Nicole looked back when she heard Patrick's voice, locking eyes with him at the same time.

Nicole looked up when she heard Patrick's voice. "Hello" she replied while holding onto the guy. "I see you have a problem on your hands." Patrick said to her. Nicole smiled a bit, "Nothing that I can't handle." she said to him. She then let go of the biker, who quickly left the diner. Nicole watched him, then looked at Patrick as the rest of the people in the diner went back to their business. "Its good to see you again Patrick." Nicole said to him, Patrick nodded a bit. "Agreed" he said to her.

Helena had followed Patrick into the diner, although the moment Nicole let go of the biker, Helena was almost pushed off her feet as he walked past her, not caring if he hurt other people. That guy was angry that a woman overwhelmed him in 'his' diner.
"Whoa... someone's havin' a bad day." she said to herself, then stopped in her tracks, seeing Patrick talking to a woman with Australian accent. Was this for real?

Helena decided to stay a little aside and just watch them, but although she didn't know the woman, she was almost certain that it was Nicole, the woman he had told her about earlier. She didn't want to feel that way, but a slight bit of jealousy was now in her heart.

Nicole saw Helena as she talked with Patrick. "That your partner?" she asked. Patrick looked back and saw Helena after she got pushed over by the biker. "Yes she is" he replied before going to help her. Nicole followed him out at the same time, seeing if she could help.

Helena looked up at Patrick, after that biker almost knocked her out. She was upset about it and of course curious who that woman was, that Patrick obviously knew. She kind of figured that it was this woman from Australia.

Naturally she began thinking if there was a chance that Nicole could ruin her chance of having a future with Patrick, the man she had been in love with since High School.

Patrick ran after the biker, but he was long gone by the time he got outside. Nicole watched him do that, then looked at Helena. "How long have you known Patrick?" she asked while looking at Helena. It was not lost on her that Helena knew Patrick longer then she did. What she didn't know is that Helena thought she would ruin her chance of being with Patrick.

Helena looked at Nicole, instantly knowing that she must have been the woman Patrick told her about. But right now was not the time to feel jealous. She had to trust Patrick, there was no other way. If she couldn't trust him than she didn't deserve to be with him in the first place.
"I've known him since High School." she replied in a casual tone. "You must be Nicole."

Nicole nodded in reply when Helena said that to her. "Aye I am" she replied while watching her. "You're lucky to have Patrick as a friend." she said to Helena in an honest tone while watching them.

Helena smiled a little and held her hand out to Nicole. She was a friendly and well-raised young woman, so she would greet Nicole properly as she was taught. Although Helena knew that with Nicole around that old spark may light up again between her and Patrick, leaving Helena on her own. She hoped that wouldn't happen though.
"I know." she said honestly. "I'm Helena, by the way. Maybe he's mentioned me some time."

Nicole nodded in reply when Helena said that to her. "Its nice to meet you Helena and yes he has." she replied in a friendly tone. "Would you two care to sit with me?" Nicole asked while standing there with them. Patrick looked at Helena after she asked them that.

Helena looked back at Patrick after Nicole's invitation and then shrugged. Why not? Right now things weren't serious between Helena and Patrick anyway, Helena was just hoping they would. And besides... even though she felt a little uncomfortable, not knowing how well they still got along, she was his friend.
"Sure, why not." Helena said in a casual tone.

Patrick nodded in agreement, "I'm for it" he said to Nicole, who smiled a bit, then sat back down. Patrick stood back and let Helena sit down first. Everyone else in the diner had gotten back to their business after the little outburst she had with the biker.

Patrick nodded a bit when Helena said that to Nicole. He waited for Helena to take her seat before sitting next to her.

Helena sat down on an empty seat, actually glad that Patrick sat down next to her. She didn't know much about Nicole, nor how long she's been in the city and if Patrick even knew that she was. But on the other hand, she didn't care much, as long as Nicole wouldn't start trying to get their old feelings back.
While she was a little reserved toward Nicole for now, Helena would soon find herself liking the Aussie chick and eventually become friends with her. In some time from now.

Nicole looked at them after sitting back down. "So, you into martial arts?" she asked Helena out of the blue while sitting across from them. Patrick watched her as he held Helena's hand in his. Patrick wasn't surprised that Nicole asked that, knowing how observant the Aussie gal was.