Story premise: Well, the premise of this story came to me after reading an article about Patrick Dempsey, where he talked about seeing Jillian for the first time at a party. Found out who she was and subsequently made an appointment to have her cut his hair. However, he was involved with someone at the time, and she was engaged, so nothing came of it for awhile. Eventually, their other relationships fizzled, and the rest is history. I thought it would make for a good AU MerDer tale, and so this story begins in a similar fashion, with Derek Shepherd as the struggling actor, and Meredith Grey as the successful salon owner. Intrigued and attracted to her, he books an appointment with her, only to discover she is engaged to someone. He is also involved with someone else, but he can't help flirting with Meredith, feeling the immediate attraction between them.
The discovery of her fiancé's identity is a total twist of fate, and then what about his own relationship, which is inevitably headed for breakup. There will be more angst than I have explored in previous stories, but eventually there will be happiness...and well, the hot sensual pleasure you've come to expect from my stories. So the rating is Mature, due to the explicit sensuality, therefore please read responsibility!
The title comes from the song Love Lift Me by Amanda Marshall, a wonderfully talented Canadian artist. Here are the lyrics…
Love Lift Me
Somebody told me, once in a lifetime
Destiny finds you and blows you away
Spins you in circles, pulls you in pieces
Bleeds you like Jesus, and goes on it's way
But it's oh so simple sometimes
Just to lay your heart on the line
If you wanna get to heaven, the you gotta take the ride
Love lift me, wherever you are
Convince me, I'm safe in your arms
Love lift me, make sense of it all
Teach me to fly, and don't let me fall
Somebody told me, love makes you stupid
Makes you go crazy, makes you go blind
Comes uninvited, and leaves when it wants to
Calls you at midnight and ties up your line
But it's oh so sweet when it's right (there's nothing better)
And you swear you won't, but you might (you're gonna try)
Gotta fumble in the dark if you wanna see the light
And when it's all said and done
It's just the same for everyone
You're busy making your plans
Love's like a baby bird
Flyin' out of your hands
And it's oh so hard to explain (we don't know nothin')
And your heart gets hold of your brain (but still we try)
Better batten down the hatches baby
Here we go again
Love lift me, wherever you are
Convince me, I'm safe in your arms
Love lift me, I'm waitin' on you
Cause nothing can lift me
The way that you do
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Grey's Anatomy, or any characters therein, and this is just a complete work of fiction for your entertainment. Sadly, Ms. Rhimes owns the characters, and seems to have lost focus on what to do with them. But we won't go there, will we?
Chapter One - Across a Crowded Room
The life of a struggling actor in Hollywood isn't everything it's cracked up to be, Derek thought to himself, watching the groups of people move around him at the party. Sure there's times like this, where the drinks flow freely, the drugs of choice were easily obtained, and the women were ready and willing. It all went with the territory, but more so if you're rich and famous. Being underpaid and unwanted sucked, big time. He should know - having seen both ends of the spectrum. And seriously, being at the low end really wasn't glamorous. If only he had known how quickly it would all slip away from him, leaving him searching for work and getting crappy parts, he might have hung on a little more securely to what he had.
He took another drink of the very excellent single malt Scotch the bartender poured him, letting the rich aroma swirl through his senses. For the moment, life was good, and he caught a glimpse of his girlfriend, Morgan, circulating through the clumps of chattering people. She was good at that, working the room, making contacts, getting names for future reference. It was her doing that they were even here, getting an invitation from a friend of a friend of the girl who was fucking the producer that was hosting this party.
Before he could join her, his attention was caught by the sight of another woman that was close to the doors leading to the pool. This one was petite, her slender frame silhouetted in the setting sun slanting in through the windows. Wearing a silky white blouse, dangerously unbuttoned, with several delicate gold chains pulling his eyes to her cleavage, and a short black skirt, her bare legs looking tanned and taut. Long, ash blonde hair spilled down her back, and framed her face, and she was laughing at something her companion was saying. Derek was unable to tear his eyes off her, watching her gesture with the glass in her hand, the sound of her musical giggles making him smile.
"Would you look at her…"
Derek's head jerked towards the male voice next to him, and he realized it was Mark Sloan, his long time friend, also staring at the woman by the door.
"Who is that?" Derek asked, finishing his drink in a gulp, unable to tear his eyes from her. Mark was usually the one who knew the starlets, the beach bunnies, and the generally available young women around town.
"I'm not sure, but she's fucking gorgeous," Mark murmured.
"Yeah," Derek agreed. "She's gotta be an actress – someone with her looks can't be anything else in this town."
"If she is, I haven't seen her before. Maybe I need to find out her name."
"She looks too good for you, Sloan," Derek grumbled, taking another drink from the bartender. "Like she might actually have an intelligent thought in her mind."
"I'm willing to trade up. And you're taken, so there's no point in you even trying to make a move on her, Mr. Monogamous."
"I can still look." Derek found himself staring at her again, wondering who she was. And what it would be like to kiss her, he realized with a start. Where had that come from?
At that point, Morgan appeared beside Derek, and kissed him on the cheek. "Sweetheart, come with me. You have to meet this producer – he's got a part in the next movie that is perfect for you." Her lithe, athletic body was shown to advantage in a clinging green halter dress, her short black hair sculpted close to her head, making her green eyes look wide and inviting. She totally ignored Mark, as she took Derek's hand.
"Morgan, nice to see you too," Mark said, saluting with his glass, with a mocking grin. It was no secret the two of them didn't like each other, and he loved to irritate the hell out of her whenever he could.
"Mark, go find your little fuck friend - I'm sure you came with one," Morgan retorted sweetly as she dragged Derek away.
"Always a pleasure, Morgan…" he replied mockingly. He couldn't quite understand what Derek saw in that woman, but he wasn't going to say anything. She did have a nice ass, though, he thought, watching them disappear into the crowd. His own acting career was on hold, as he was more in demand as a model these days. An underwear model, specifically, and it was proving more lucrative than any movie role. His sculpted physique was just what the women were drooling over, and the marketing executives were quick to promote him. He was just as happy not to have to chase after elusive parts, the way Derek seemed to be lately. With a shrug, he finished his drink and wandered outside in search of the girl he had come with.
As the evening progressed, the noise level increased, and the intoxication of the guests rose. More people ended up in the pool, either naked or with half their clothes on – most of the young starlets eagerly bare breasted, desperate to be noticed. The haze of cigarette smoke clouded the room, mingled with the scents of other kinds of smoke. Derek shook his head, standing by the bar again, watching the insanity around him. He'd walked into a threesome in the bathroom, begging off when they tried to pull him into their game, and he knew there were drugs readily available if you were into that sort of thing. Which he wasn't. Scotch was his only vice, well, that and driving too fast, which the pile of speeding tickets in his glove box could attest to.
He had made a few inquiries about the mystery woman, and discovered that she wasn't an actress, after all. She was a successful businesswoman, Meredith Grey, the owner of Salon Dolce. She was one of the top stylists in Los Angeles, very much in demand these days, both at the salon and as makeup and hair specialist to the stars. It was strange that he hadn't run into her at some point, but then, they probably didn't run in the same circles.
Derek raked a hand through his own hair, thinking maybe he needed to make an appointment with her. If nothing else, maybe she could work some magic on his tangle of curls. Cursed his whole life with thick, unruly, hair, he was often at a loss what to do with it. The movies he had been in, the hair stylists had usually been at odds with it as well, either parting it on the wrong side, or making it look like a deranged mop on his head. And don't even get him started on those feathered bangs he'd worn for a few months. Maybe he should just shave it all off and go for the tough look, he mused with a wry grin. It worked for Bruce Willis, after all.
He set his glass down, and wandered away again in search of Morgan, getting squeezed on several sides by the crowd. He eased past a rather portly actor that was talking loudly about the last role he had, trying to avoid getting dragged into the conversation. Just as he turned suddenly, he came face to face with the object of his earlier interest. "Oh, god, I'm sorry..." she murmured, nearly spilling her drink on him, as they were crushed together by the shifting crowd.
Catching her arm to steady her, Derek felt his mouth go dry. He had spent enough time in Hollywood to become used to the presence of glamorous women, but there was something about this one that made him catch his breath. Again, his eyes traveled down the length of her body, realizing she wasn't wearing a bra under the white silk blouse. The little chains sparkled against her creamy skin, and he could see the clear outline of her nipples beneath the fabric. His gut tightened in instant heat. Then he lifted his eyes to meet hers, finding the wide grey-green eyes fringed with silky lashes meeting his gaze steadily.
"Are you okay?" he managed to ask. "I don't think you got any on me." He gave her his best charming smile, reluctantly releasing her arm. She smelled delicious, and felt even better next to him.
"I'm fine..." Meredith flashed him a quick smile, assessing his good looks with a practiced eye. "Crazy party, huh?" The deep blue of his eyes looked a little haunted, but there was a latent sexuality about him that made her pause. His black hair was just a little long, a little messy, and he had a hint of stubble along his jaw.
"Ready to go, babe?" Morgan asked, appearing beside Derek, linking her arm through his then.
"Sure..." Derek turned to look back at other woman, but she had disappeared back into the throng of bodies, leaving only a wisp of fragrance lingering in the air.
"Who was that?"
"Just someone I bumped into."
Morgan looked at him speculatively, but he flashed her a smile, as he slipped his arm around her waist. "Let's go."
"Can you drive? How much did you drink tonight?" Morgan asked as the valet brought his Corvette up to them.
"I'm fine, Morgan. Don't worry," he assured her, as he tipped the valet and slid in behind the wheel. He revved the motor, and gunned the powerful car down the driveway so quickly her head snapped back against the seat. Laughing at her expression, Derek maneuvered into traffic easily, and headed for their house, the hot wind whipping through the open windows. The vintage Corvette was his only indulgence, and he loved to drive it as fast as he could, whenever he could.
"You're in a good mood now," she observed, trying not to clutch at the armrest. She hated his penchant for driving too fast.
Derek flashed her a sexy grin, and her heart jumped. That was all it took to melt away any little annoyances between them. "Why shouldn't I be? I'm with my favorite lady, I'm up for an audition next week, and the bar tonight was stocked with very good, very old Scotch. So yeah, I'm in a damn good mood right now…"
Morgan grinned back at him, her hair spiking even more wildly in the wind, letting her hand rest on his thigh. "I know what I can do to make it even better, babe," she said suggestively, as they neared their street. Derek swung into their driveway, and shut the car off. He turned to her in the darkened interior, pulling her close as he could with the stick shift in the way.
"You read my mind," he muttered against her lips, kissing her hard. But somehow, the thought of the other slim green eyed woman caught up in his arms instead invaded his mind. What was wrong with him…?