Chapter 1

"Mark, remind me again exactly why I need to come with you tonight?" Derek asked his best friend as they made their way down the bustling New York street towards the bar that Mark had insisted that the two of them go to tonight.

"Because Casey, the hot blonde from Anatomy last semester, told me she would be hanging out here tonight, and I told her I would stop by," Mark replied, knowing full well that he planned to do more than just 'stop by'.

"Okay, so that gives you a reason to be here, but why me? I just got off a thirty six hour shift, and I could be sleeping right now," Derek questioned.

"Dude, it's the end of August. That means you've been an intern for almost two months, and it has been hell. You finally have tonight off, and then two days off in a row, and I think you should try to enjoy them before you're the bottom of the surgical food chain again. So just come on!" Mark reasoned with Derek, walking faster down the street.

"As you said, I have two days off from the hellish internship, so one night of staying in and sleeping won't kill me," Derek fired back, even though he knew it was a lost cause. He didn't mind going out for a beer, he needed to unwind anyway. But, he knew that Mark was going to go all man whore on some girl, which would inevitably leave him alone at the bar, and then probably make for a sleepless night back at their apartment.

"You're coming because you need a break. And because Casey's friend Jamie is most likely going to be there, and I need you to be my wingman," Mark admitted as they reached the entrance of the bar.

"Oh, so the truth finally comes out," Derek chuckled. "Well, I'll stay for a little while for you, but if you're successful, go back to her place tonight, I really want to be able to get some sleep."

"Alright man, I'll try my best," Mark patted Derek on the back as he followed Derek inside.

The bar was crowded, as usual. It was a popular spot for college and medical school students, since it was just blocks from the campuses of both NYU and Columbia. Derek and Mark had discovered it their freshman year, and continued to frequent it throughout their college years and during med school at Columbia. Though Derek thought that they were getting too old for the place, it was still convenient because it was close to their apartment as well as NYU Medical Center, where both men were doing their residencies.

Music was coming from somewhere, and all the college kids scattered in different groups. Mark and Derek went and sat at the bar, chatting about their days and the surgeries they observed. Three scotches later, Derek was feeling a little buzzed, and Mark had just spotted Casey.

"Alright man, Casey didn't bring her friend, so I gotta go make my move. Are you gonna be alright if I leave you alone?" Mark asked as he stood up.

"Yeah sure, I'll probably head home in a few anyway. See you later," Derek responded as Mark turned and walked to a table. Derek ordered one last drink, scanning the room as he took a sip.

He locked eyes with a girl sitting at a table a few feet away, however, she looked away quickly as soon as their eyes met. She was beautiful; small and thin, with blonde hair and eyes that seemed to draw him in, even though he couldn't tell what color they were. She looked younger than him; Derek guessed that she was probably a senior in college. She sat with a friend, laughing and smiling as they talked. He was immediately intrigued by her, and he wasn't exactly sure why. He just knew he had to talk to her. Derek stared at the girl for a minute before finally seeing his opportunity; the Asian girl she was with got up and headed to the back of the bar, presumably to the bathroom. Derek grabbed his drink, stood up, and made his way towards her table.