Chapter One: Perfect Strangers
Meredith entered Seattle Grace Hospital dressed in her simple black dress, her hair hanging in waves along her slender shoulders. She was nervous about being back in the city that she had lived in as a child. She wondered if she had made the right decision coming to undertake her internship here, one thing she knew for sure was that she couldn't stay in New York any longer, not now that her whole world has crashed down around her.
"Hi I'm Izzie Stevens, are you starting as an intern?" a bubbly blonde broke Meredith from the thoughts swirling around her mind.
"Hi I'm ah Meredith" Meredith avoided using her surname. She didn't need people riding her back just because she was the daughter of the great Ellis Grey and they would find out soon enough.
"Nice to meet you. What program are you going into?" Izzie asked way too excited about being at the mixer being thrown for the new interns.
"Surgery" Meredith answered simply scanning the room for surgeons she may have known from her mother's glory days.
"Wow me too" Izzie replied. "Well I'm going to mingle some more. Nice to meet you Meredith I'm sure I will see you around."
Meredith watched the bubbly blonde walk away not knowing what to think of her. She was nice but was way too happy for her own good.
"Meredith Grey!"
Meredith whipped her head around in the direction the booming voice had come from. She smiled when she realised who the voice belonged to.
"Richard!" she exclaimed hugging him quickly before pulling away realising that people were watching her hug the chief of surgery.
"When I saw your name on the intern acceptances I couldn't believe it" he said surprised with the beautiful young woman who was standing in front of him. "To think I used to change you diaper" he continued with a smirk.
"Shouldn't let the word of that get out chief" she replied with a giggle.
"How is your mother?" Richard then asked noticing Meredith tense up at the mention of her mother.
"Mom is taking time off" Meredith said the way she had rehearsed a million times.
"Writing another book about her genius theories I suppose" Richard probed.
"Yeah she is writing and travelling you know Ellis Grey if she isn't in surgery she is writing about it" Meredith answered with a small smile. She hated having to lie, especially to her new boss and mother's oldest friend.
Truth be told Ellis Grey was nothing. She had been diagnosed with early on set Alzheimer's and it was progressing quickly. Meredith was the only person who knew and Ellis had made Meredith promise that it would stay that way.
"I'm expecting great things from you Meredith" Richard said with a smile.
"Thanks" Meredith said sincerely avoiding his gaze. "It was good to see you chief but I think I'm going to go big day and all" Meredith lied; she needed to leave here and find somewhere to get a drink.
"This seat taken" asked a deep male voice from beside Meredith. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye as she knocked back her 2nd shot of tequila.
"No" Meredith replied having a closer look at him now. He had deep blue eyes that bore a whole right through her. His dark hair was perfectly gelled in a series of unruly waves as much as she tried to deny it he was good looking.
"Double scotch single malt thanks…and whatever the lady is drinking" the mysterious man asked the bartender. "Straight tequila. You'll be sorry in the morning" he commented.
"I'm always sorry in the morning" she replied with a sense of sincerity.
"So is this a good place to hang out?" he asked an intriguing look in his eyes.
Meredith shrugged at him before answering "I wouldn't know, never been here before."
"You know what? I haven't either. First time here. I'm new in town. Never been to Seattle. New job soon" The guy rambled at her unaware that she couldn't care less. "Ah, you're ignoring me" he finally realised.
"Trying to" she responded curtly.
"You shouldn't ignore me" he said with honesty. "I'm the kind of guy you have to get to know to love" he continued with a smirk spreading across his face.
"So you're saying if I get to know you, I'll love you?" Meredith asked with a high level of curiosity. The man was too arrogant for his own good.
"That's right" he said with a cocky grin.
"Wow, you really love yourself" Meredith said with a giggle.
"So what's your story?" he asked suddenly trying to take his mind off her infectious giggle.
"I don't have a story" she answered nervously hoping he hadn't noticed her almost stumble over her words.
"Everyone has a story" he probed. There was something amazing about this woman, he couldn't draw himself away from her even though he didn't even know her name.
"I'm just a girl in a bar" she said with a sigh, thinking back to everything that had happened in her life lately.
"I'm just a guy in a bar" he responded half with honesty and half mocking her.
Meredith turned and smiled at him and before she knew what was happening hot shivers were shooting through her body as he crashed his soft lips against hers.