Karen woke up and looked at her phone...It was 6:25 pm. She hadn't realized she had slept so long. But she was so comfortable. The warmth of the arm wrapped around her body felt so comforting and safe. She knew that it had to be Dev, and the past 2 days were all a dream. She turned around to look at the man behind her. When she did, she took a big gasp. She had forgotten that she laid in Derek's bed. Oh my gosh. This is so crazy, she thought to remembered her afternoon and rage filled rant at Ivy. She also remembered all the tears she cried during her break down. She pulled out her phone to check her messages. She had five messages, four of which where from her group of friends Bobby, Sue, Jessica and Dennis. The general consensus of their messages were making sure she was ok. They heard about her cat fight with Ivy, and wanted to know if she disappeared with Derek. Karen chuckled at the rowdy bunch and how much she loved them. The last message was Dev. Karen thanks for agreeing to meet with me. I promise you wont regret it. See ya 7.

"Shit" she spoke too loudly and woke Derek.

"What's wrong darling?" You could hear the sleep deep in his throat.

"I am supposed to meet Dev in 30 minutes." she turned to look at Derek.

"For what?" Derek asked. She could tell no answer that she gave him would be acceptable.

"I can't go on pretending that what happened, never happened." she simply said searching his eyes for any emotions.

"Karen, I want you to be careful, I don't trust him." Derek was shocked that he was saying this to her. But for some reason he thought he was the only person she had now. The only person that really cared.

"I've know Dev for a long time Derek, I don't think he will do anything." Karen was excited that Derek cared that much about her.

"I'm just giving you a warning from the outside looking in. Dev has always been so possessive over you. He may not handle you leaving him so well." Derek sounded concerned when he spoke.

"Did I say I was leaving him?" Karen was thrown off by the comment.

"No, you didn't but I hope you will, because if you don't I'll never have my chance with you. " Derek blushed when the words left his lips.

"Derek,I have to go." Karen panicked. Did she hear him correctly?

"I am sorry, but I wanted to put it out there before you left and took that Sod back. I know you loved him and shared a life with him, but..."

Karen kissed Derek as he spoke, stopping him mid sentence. It was surprising to both of them. It wasn't a sensual kiss, it wasn't meant to cause arousal. Simply a kiss. Her lips were soft, supple and had a slightly sweet taste. Derek thought about taking full advantage of the situation. But before he could even process the thought. It was over.

"Well that is certainly one way to make me be quiet."

"If you want a hit be quiet and I'll give you a hit... and afterwards you can thank me!" Karen said slyly quoting Derek's speech to Eileen Just yesterday.

"You never cease to baffle me Ms. Cartwright." Derek laughed at her.

"Do you want to see me tonight?" Karen asked, hoping he would say yes.

"I expect you back here as soon as you are done with that duffer. But you always have trouble listening to me. "

"I would love to come back" Karen said as she hurried towards the door.

"What's that you said you loved me" Derek arrogantly said.

Karen chuckled at Derek's words when she left. But the words did make her think, did she have feelings for Derek? She had so much to think about she couldn't dwell on the thought. But she knew there was something there. Right now she had to pray that Sue was in the room they shared, so she could change her clothes and meet up Dev. Meeting up with Dev sounded so weird to her. They were always together. They did everything together. Karen picked up her phone as she walked towards the elevator.

"Hello,"

"Hey Karen, are you okay hun?" Jessica said with concern. She sounded much more serious than usually.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't text back, I just need time. Are you guys in the hotel?"

"We're in your room, don't worry about it. We just wanted to make sure you were ok."

"Yea I am fine. Can you open the door for me, I left my key in there." Karen was relieved she didn't want to meet dev in this.

"Iowa you are alive, I was starting to think Ivy found you and killed you with some of her pills," Bobby was always so dramatic.

"I have to go meet Dev guys, I don't know what to do." Karen said, it was a half truth she knew what she was going to do, and she needed their help.

"We are going to make you look like a slutty movie star. he won't know what to do with himself. Then you get him all hot and horny...and BAM! you dump that piece of shit." Dennis yelled. At the same time Sue, who was about the same size as Karen, searched through he bad for a dress. She pulled one out, a short black halter style mini, low cut in the front and lower in the back.

"I think I've got the slutty part," Sue called from her bag while she held up the dress.

"Perfect!" Called Bobby.

"Is that a dress, or an lingerie.' Karen said worried about showing that skin.

"Don't worry the more skin the better" Jessica said.

They attacked her with make up brushes, body bronzer, perfume and hair brushes. In twenty minutes, their transformation was complete.

"Damn, Iowa, make the light just right for sin tonight!" Sue teased.

Karen walked to the bathroom mirror, she was already late for meeting Dev, but this was worth it, she looked amazing. Her long legs were accessorize by do mean now pumps, at least that's what she called them. He slender frame accentuated by the dress sue gave her, a small white belt hugged her upper waste creating a very curvy hourglass shape. Her make up was a mixture of smokey eyes, glossy lips and wind kissed cheeks. She felt hot. surprisingly the thought on Karens mind wasn't how jealous Dev would be, but how much Derek would want her. How he would long for her. And that excited Karen. She grabbed her phone, room key and bag. And headed out the door.

"Go get rid of that man girl, and call us with the deets." Jessica sad as she bid her friend farewell.

"I am so happy you decided to come Karen." Dev said as she sled into the booth. "You look absolutely breath-taking. I never thought I would see you in anything like that." Karen rolled her eyes when he spoke.

"Dev, I am really here to get closure." She said before he had a chance to beg her for forgiveness.

"Is this it, you really just want to be done. After all we've been through, after all I have supported you through." Dev started to speak with venom in his words.

"Dev, I have to end this. You've shown the face of a man that I would never be with, a man you said you would never be. You hid it well,but you can't hide it forever." Karen was direct and calm when she spoke.

"You got to be kidding me. You spent so much time wrapped up in Marilyn, and with your bloody director, you never noticed I needed you. You mad because I have slept with one woman in five years...Grow up Karen. I take care of you. I refuse to let you go so you can run off with some womanizing bastard."

"This conversation isn't about Derek, it about you Dev. You the man that ran around with a journalist behind my back despite the questions, you couldn't be honest. You who ran off and slept with Ivy, hours after purposing me. You who couldn't even tell me about these indiscretions. You who I thought I loved. I was wrong about you Dev, I was comfortable and I didn't want to see it. But Derek was right you are possessive and over protecting because you can't handle the woman I might become, while you stay a nobody", Karen's rant was filled with anger, and she stood up looking at Dev.

"You love him, don't you." Dev said. His anger holding back his tears.

"Love who, Dev. I said this conversation wasn't about anyone but you" She was confused in her anger.

"You said Derek was right" Dev shook his head.

"Goodbye Dev, please have all your stuff out of the apartment when I get back in Friday." Karen was said but knew if she didn't end this now she may fall for his charms.

Karen left out of the restaurant trying to recall the conversation with Dev, did she really say Derek. She could have sworn she said Rebecca, why was Derek on her mind every second of the day. It seemed as if he was involved in every aspect of her life during the past few months. It had to be because he was her boss. She need to talk to Derek Immediately. She shuffled for her phone in her bag. When she founded it she searched through her phone for Derek's number. She had never called Derek. She hoped his offer of coming back was true.

"Hey love, I was expecting you so early. Did everything go alright?" Derek answered the phone in a cheerful manner.

"Derek, are you in your room" Karen nervously asked?

"No I am not, and who may I ask do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"Derek grinned as he spoke.

"Nevermind, I shouldn't have called." Karen was about to hang up when she heard him responded.

"Karen wait it was just a joke. I don't break all of my rules for a woman, and not have her number stored in my phone." Derek

"Oh, well it's not a good joke if no one laughs Derek. I need to see you." Karen was surprised at how blunt she was being.

"I left you something at the front desk, I'll be out for a while. I will call yu when I am back" Derek hung up the phone.

Karen felt her heart dropped, she really wanted to see Derek, but she didn't own him. He could do whatever he pleased. She walked into the hotel and to the front desk to see what Derek could have left for her.

"Good evening Ms Cartwright." the front desk agent smiled and handed her and envelope.

"How did you know, "he pulled a small cut out from the newspaper. Mr. wills said to give this to you as well.

Karen looked at the newspaper clipping first. The article entitled Give Them Tony's Now had a picture of Karen during howl. Karen the Bombshell...The newest star to heading towards broadway pictured above portraying Marilyn Monroe. Karen was so excited she squealed. Then she looked at her other hand and opened the envelope. she unfolded a letter and began to read.

The key to my room, the key to my heart...are they the same? Come up and see.

Derek

Karen laughed at the message. This was so not Derek like, or was it. Karen recalled Derek's eyes. She thought about the way he looked at her when Rebecca Duvall joined rehearsals, and how he looked at her the night he came to her house. She also thought about the dressing room last night, and the way he comforted her from her sadness. Maybe the real Derek was the person she was seeing now, not the tyrannical director who was in rehearsals. It was quite Ironic that the man she once hated, she may actually...She couldn't bring her self to think the words, because if she thought them, they would be true. And if they were true, he could hurt her. Karen was determined to let anyone hurt her again.

Karen rode the elevator to the 15th floor. She didn't know what to expect when she used the key to Derek's door. But she definitely wasn't expecting what she saw. She gasped a loud gasp and proceeded into the room. The room was completely dark, except for the candles that lined a rose petal path to the bedroom. Karen got nervous, and anxious. She never had anybody do this for her. She really thought it only happened in the movies.

Karen walked the pat to the Bedroom, and right before she got to the door frame Derek grabbed her from behind pulling her body into hers and kissing her on the neck.

"I thought you'd never come. did you wear this just for me?" He replied

"I thought you were gone" Karen said trying to mask the fear. Her heart was beating fast. She wanted to be around Derek, but she didn't know if she wanted to sleep with him.

"Don't worry darling, tonight is not about sex. " He whispered in her ear.

"This is amazing Derek, I've never seen anything like this." she let her head fallback against his shoulder.

When she opened the door to the bedroom she was blown away. He had Karen's favorite meal sitting in the middle of the bed. Two plates of steaks, sweet baked potatoes and asparagus. There was a gift bag sitting on the floor.

"After you love" Derek said feeling her breathing pattern change.

"Are you serious Derek?" Karen couldn't understand why he was doing this for her.

She walked in the room and sat on the bed. Derek handed her the gift bag. She looked inside and couldn't help but cry. She pulled out a framed picture of herself during her standing ovation at her very first performance of Bombshell. Tears ran down her face as she turned to look at Derek

"There's more," He said in his sexy tone.

She pulled out a necklace box and opened it to reveal a beautiful gold star charm with a 1/4 carat diamond in the middle. She was stunned.

"It's so you never forget, You're a star." Derek said smiling at Karen.

"It's beautiful Derek, Thank you so much, but I don't understand, why are you doing this for me?"

"Karen, I need to explain a few things to you. I don't understand myself why I am so drawn to you, but I am. I haven't felt this way in a long. I look at you and I get chills. It started from the day I saw you actually. Your audition. I must admit, after the scene at my apartment I was cruel to you. giving ou a hard time because you were being a lady. But I yearned for you, and it burned inside because I couldn't have you..." Derek paused to look at Karen's eyes. She was staring at him in awe, which gave him the courage to continue. "Each day I am amazed at how much more I like you. You're not afraid of me, you challenge me. You excite me. And I've never had that before. I have always notice an immense attraction to you, but when I seen you so hurt by the others actions, I wanted to run to your aide to save you from all the pain. So that's why I did this. I wanted to give you a reason to smile about this experience. I knew you must have had a hard time with Dev, that's why I wanted to be there for you. Now that's enough of me carrying on. How are you?"

"I am speechless actually" Karen spoke.

"Oh there is a first for everything" Derek joked.

"Be quiet" she said as she shoved him against the bed.

"And the meal, how did you know about the meal?"

"You told me last night, we were talking about all our favorites.

"You remembered that?" Karen was shocked. This must be why Ivy fell for you, she thought to herself.

"I've never done this for anyone else." Derek said. she wondered how he did that every time.

" I want to date you exclusively Karen. I know that it will take time, but I'm willing to give it a shot. That is if you let me" Derek was nervous, she could see it in his eyes.

"If you think that I would date my director, you are mistaken." Karen looked at Derek she swore he stopped breathing. "But you Mr. wills, I would be crazy to say no...I just need to take this slow." Karen said with a smile.

"I wouldn't have it any other way Karen. Thank you." He leaned in and kissed her sweetly on the cheek.

"Shall we eat?" He said in an upbeat town as to change the mood.

"I can't eat in front of you now." Karen joked, agreeing with his attempt to lighten up the mood. " I am really not hungry anymore, I just want to relax before tomorrows show."

"I will put this food in the cold box," Derek stood up to put the food away. He had a smile on his face he felt accomplished. He was glad that the night went so well.

When he came back in the room, Karen was curled up under the blankets asleep. Derek walked in Kissed her on the lips and climbed in the bed. He didn't want to invade her space, so he made sure to keep his pelvis inline with the rest of his body.

"Come closer, I need you to hold me" Karen yawned as she spoke. And Derek did just that.

"Sweet dreams love." He whispered in her ear.

Derek stayed up a little while knew that tomorrow would be the first day the cast came back together since the finale. A lot has changed since then, and he knew it would affect the dynamic of the crew. He also knew from his years of directing there would be no shortage of drama.