Hey I am sorry for not posting regularly. Life has been busy but I try to write whenever I can. I will try to post next chapter sooner. Since it's been long since I last posted, I would recommend reading last chapter once, but if you dont want to here is a quick recap.
To win Derek's heart Addison took her old nanny's advice of not doing household chores, not nagging and most importantly winning her man by cooking for him. Derek assured her that he is not looking for a medieval times wife and if she wants to consult anyone for impressing him, he would prefer that she consults Cosmopolitan or Playboy.
Addison was relieved that her husband was more interested in her skills in bedroom than in kitchen. She was confident of her kamasutra abilities.
She pushed Derek on bed and climbed on top of him, determined to show him a good time. At first Derek was startled by Addison's unexpected advance but a large grin formed on his face when he realized what his wife was up to. His hands automatically advanced to unzip her dress but she swiftly caught them in air and tied them behind his head with her scarf.
Clothes were ripped, chocolate sauce was fetched, adrenaline was rushing high, they were about to break their one month's dry spell….and Derek's pager started beeping.
Addison groaned, cursing the unknown biker for riding a motorcycle on a rainy night. She was not a big fan of celibacy or delayed gratification, especially in middle of what could have been an awesome sex.
Before Addison could complain, Derek casually pointing out how she ran out on him on his birthday and how graciously he reacted. Addison not so graciously settled for a rain check. She considered quitting surgery for a job that doesn't interrupt sex and Derek promptly offered to look for teaching positions in nearby Universities.
….
Derek didn't return home that night or the night after that. Nothing new there. What was new was he wasn't ignoring her in hallways. That was a step ahead.
As the elevator doors opened, Addison came face to face with the person she wanted to see and someone she wouldn't mind not seeing.
"Derek! Meredith!" She looked from one to the other. They were standing at an arm's length, Derek's hands buried in his pockets, Meredith's hair looked messy like someone had just ran a hand through them. But her hair always looked messy so Addison decided to give them a benefit of doubt.
"Are you coming?" Derek held the door when it started closing.
"Oh yes." Addison stepped in and offered her cheek to Derek for an obligatory marital peck.
From corner of her eye she saw Meredith suppressing an eye roll. She smirked, subtly like a Forbes Montgomery.
"Great job with that Corpectomy. You were a rockstar in the OR!" She straightened Derek's already straight collar.
"I know." He smirked. Derek Shepherd had lot of qualities, being humble wasn't one of them. "I saw you in the gallery."
"Richard was paying $10 to fill up the seats." She retorted. His already inflated ego didn't need any more boosting.
"Is it really that bad in Gyne squad? Are you really accepting $10 an hour to make ends meet?" He leaned back against a wall, giving her an amused look.
"My department is overflowing with patients."
"If you say so. But honey if you have any money problems don't hesitate to ask." He reached into his pocket to fetch some change.
Their banter was interrupted by ding of the elevator. Derek gave Addison a friendly pat on her back and stepped out, Meredith on his toes. Addison didn't like Meredith invading her husband's personal space. She thought about how she always maintained respectable distance with Richard at hospital even after years of friendship. These new generation of interns needed a lesson on professionalism.
When elevator doors started closing on her again, she remembered she was there to talk to Derek.
"Derek!" She called him catching them with her long strides.
He turned around and so did his intern.
"Do you have a minute? I wanted to...talk." She hated herself for sounding so sheepish. In past few years her requests to talk were always followed by Derek grimacing. Her guilt hormones were automatically triggered whenever the thought of stealing Derek's precious time came to her mind.
Derek and Meredith exchanged a glance and then Meredith glanced at her watch.
Addison suppressed an urge to pull the young intern's messy hair. She wished she could point out that she and Derek were married and Meredith was an outsider, not the other way around, like they were making her feel.
"Dr. Grey this doesn't concern you. Why don't you go ahead?" Addison asked politely but with a pointed look.
"Trauma team is waiting for us in the ER. Can it wait till I get home?" Derek answered on Meredith's behalf.
She didn't mind waiting for him to get home and have the personal conversation within privacy of their home. But the problem was, her husband hardly came home. And an even bigger problem was they didn't have a home, they lived in a tin can. But that problem was not relevant at that moment. she had to focus on the battle at hand. "I thought you weren't coming home tonight." She asked lowly.
"Yeah. Richard wants me on standby for Anderson's case." he gave her his usual 'I hope you understand' look.
She did understand. What other option she had. She gave him a nod and turned to leave.
"Addie" Derek touched her arm, making her stop. "Why don't you find me after your shift? I should be free after 5." He offered as a consolation, smiling down at her like she was 4 years old.
She noticed the look on Meredith's face, pure admiration for being such a perfect husband to a completely imperfect wife.
Addison felt embarrassed as she walked away from Derek and Meredith. She regretted approaching Derek in front of Meredith. How does one save face after their husband turns them down in front of his girlfriend, ex to be prefixed.
….
After Derek's less than enthused response, Addison decided against asking what she intended to. If he couldn't spare few minutes to talk, it was foolish to expect him to spare whole evening doing something he completely disliked. Even though he had offered to talk after her shift, she didn't bother him again. But they literally bumped into each other while Addison was leaving the attendings lounge.
"Done for the day?" Derek asked grabbing her shoulder to help her balance.
"Yeah. I hope you get some rest tonight." Addison stroked Derek's cheek worried that he had been in hospital for straight 72 hours. After an awkward pause of polite smiling Derek offered to walk with her to her car.
"You wanted to talk in the afternoon..." He asked referring to their encounter in the afternoon.
A small smile spread on Addison's lips seeing her husband's curiosity. In her previous experiences 'we will talk later' had rarely followed by an actual conversation, so Derek asking about what she wanted to talk was another positive improvement in their relationship.
"A patient gave me two tickets of Opera for this Saturday. She had bought them for herself but I put her on bedrest. I happened to mention my love for Opera... So she gave her tickets to me." Addison rambled, trying to get it all out before she lost her chance to ask.
"Nice! So I suppose you will be out on girls' night with Adele this Saturday?" Adele and Addison often discussed about plays, artists and performances so Derek assumed Addison would be going with her.
"Adele has other plans. I was hoping... you could come with me?" She asked him nervously.
"Me? You know I am not a good company for Opera." After Derek dozed off in his first play, they mutually agreed that it was better that Addison pursued her interest in art with her like minded friends.
"Miranda and Richard are not into Opera. I don't have a fourth friend in the city and I don't want to go alone." Addison summed up her situation.
"Addie.. I ..." Derek shivered as cold air whipped against his face when they stepped out of the hospital.
"I know you didn't like Opera…"She shifted her laptop bag from one shoulder to another, trying to hide her nervousness. "But I thought... since you have changed...I should at least ask..I wasn't really expecting you to come. It's okay… You can say No."
"Thanks." Derek's relief was clearly visible. "I had a long week. I don't want to spend my Saturday evening staring at a lady-"
"I said it's fine. You don't have to come. I will return the tickets." Addison interjected him and accelerated her strides as she spotted her red Mercedes at the end of the aisle.
"You can ask Burke. He seems like an Opera guy." Derek suggested picking up his speed to match Addison's.
"I could. I could also go with my patient's husband. He wasn't very happy to give away his ticket. But I don't want to." That was a slippery road which she wanted to avoid. That was how she ended up in bed with Mark.
"Why?" Derek asked rubbing his cheek.
"I don't want to go with people I barely know." There was a hint of irritation in Addison's voice. "I want to go with you. We haven't gone out since I came here."
Derek wanted to point out that they went for fishing and cycling. But he knew Addison's idea of going out involved dressing up, fancy places and a sizable dent in bank balance.
"What time is the show?" He scrolled through his calendar to check his schedule.
"Seven in the evening." She unlocked her car using the remote key.
"I have a surgery scheduled at 4 that day. Even without any complications it would run over 3 hours." He gave her an apologetic smile. Addison gave him an understanding nod, appreciating the fact that at least he considered her request before refusing.
Derek stood on the pavement observing Addison as she dropped her bags on the back seat, got behind the wheel, buckled her seatbelt, her hand hovered near the stack of CDs but she decided against playing music. She put the car in reverse gear looking for any obstacle through rear view mirror. She looked tired but that didn't worry him. Addison was a great driver, she could drive even in sleep with her muscle memory.
What bothered him was the constant look of loneliness in her eyes. She hardly complaint anymore, that was a relief at first but then he realized that was also a sign of Addison shutting him out. When they first met, he had to put in great deal of efforts to bring Addison out of her shell. He could feel the walls were building up again.
Addison was an extremely social person. She worked hard and celebrated even harder. Back at home, she had a huge circle of friends. In spite of her busy schedule she always managed to squeeze out time for everyone. It appeared like she had vowed not to sit idle for a minute. As per Kathleen's psychoanalysis Addison was trying to make up for the years of silence in Montgomery Mansion.
Derek had to admit Addison hadn't yet found her footing in Seattle. She missed her friends and her life in New York. If he wanted her to accept this city, he needed to give her a life outside the hospital and trailer.
"Addie wait!" He called her when she was about to start driving. "Don't return the tickets. I will see if I can adjust my schedule."
….
Derek reshuffled his schedule to clear his Saturday evening. On Saturday he brought a suit to hospital so he could directly go after work. Addison had a post duty off that day so they decided to meet directly at the theater.
Addison was cautious not to freak Derek out by pronouncing the D word but it was their first 'date' in Seattle. She bought a new dress, new shoes and new lingerie for the night. After investing an hour in long shower, great blow-dry and mirror cracking makeup she reached the theater at 6.30, half an hour early, just to be safe.
She killed time reading posters of upcoming shows, retouching her hair and makeup and glancing at her watch every two minutes. She waited for Derek in the lobby. When she last spoke to him an hour ago, he had finished his evening rounds and was about to hit the attendings lounge for a shower. The theater was just at fifteen minutes' drive from hospital. So he had sufficient time.
She glanced at her watch again. 6.45 PM. She had asked Derek to inform her when he leaves the hospital but hadn't heard from him yet. She tried calling him again but the calls went straight to his voicemail. Even when their marriage was strong, Derek wasn't very prompt in updating Addison so there was no way of knowing if he was still at the hospital or he was in the theater's parking lot. Addison didn't want to call at the hospital to spur new gossip.
At 6.50 PM she called the Six Seven restaurant to confirm her booking. She had taken a liberty to make a dinner reservation for them. They had to eat somewhere, she hoped the Seattle version of Derek had no objection to fine dining.
It was almost 7 but Derek was nowhere in sight. Addison felt foolish to believe that this evening would be any different than most of their failed dates in New York. She considered attending the show alone, she was an independent woman who needed to stop relying on other people. Before going in she took her phone out and redialed the restaurant's number to cancel her reservation. She was about to respond to the hostess' overly polite greeting of how she may help her, then she felt a warm hand on her bare back.
"Sorry they pulled me in on a consult and then my phone's battery died…." He gave her his 'I hope you understand' smile.
"You are here!" There was a mixture of relief and surprise in her tone. She turned and took a step back, admiring her incredibly handsome husband and his perfectly fitting suit.
A responding smile tugged at his lips. "Shall we?" He offered her his hand which she gracefully accepted as they started walking to the gallery.
…..
"Looks nice!" Addison commented as they approached their table by the window.
Derek nodded, taking in the view of serene water and illuminated city in the background. Addison always managed to get best spot wherever she went.
He accepted the lather clad menu from their waitress and smiled at her kindly. Addison could see the young girl melting under his charm. She started recommending him restaurant's best dishes with totally unwarranted enthusiasm. Addison cleared her throat to make her presence known but the sweet young waitress seemed oblivious to anyone beyond Derek. It was easier to establish her territory when there used to be a gold band on his long slick finger. But now she wasn't so confident of her own claim on the man.
"So how was the show? Did it manage to live up to your expectations?" Derek asked when the waitress left, promising to come back in few minutes to take their order.
Addison looked up from her menu card and thought over Derek's question. "It wasn't bad."
"So you expected it to be bad but it wasn't." Derek smirked.
She used to get annoyed when Derek mocked her with her own words. But now it was assuring to see that Derek remembered what she had said.
"It was different. I liked the fresh approach."
"I am glad you liked it." He gave her a casual smile, one that used to make her heart flutter.
After they ordered their food, Derek pulled an envelope from his breast pocket and placed it on the table. "Addie, I have a gift for you."
"A gift? What for?" Addison eyed it curiously. Derek was 6 months late for her birthday present and their anniversary was 3 months away.
"For no reason. Just like that. I thought you deserve some pampering." He took a sip of his scotch and sat back, waiting for her to open the gift.
Addison picked up the white envelope. Her heart started beating faster with excitement. It had been a while since Derek gifted her anything. She held the envelope against the light, trying to guess its content. She could see an outline of neatly folded paper. She figured it was a print out, may be a booking confirmation of a flight or hotel. She had hinted about wanting a vacation. She tore the seal carefully and pulled out the paper, her multifunction mind had already started making the list of things to buy for the vacation. She unfolded the paper quickly, eager to see where Derek was taking her.
'Annual Membership Certificate of Penelope & The Beauty Bar.' Read the paper.
"Oh..." her voice trailed off but she quickly pushed her lips upwards to mask her disappointment. "Thanks." She exclaimed with added enthusiasm.
"You don't like this spa?" Derek asked recognizing Addison's forced smile. A patient's wife had suggested this spa to Derek. She was rich, lived in New York before Seattle and her taste in dresses and handbags matched Addison's so he assumed her suggestion would live up to Addison's standards. "It is quite expensive." He added knowing Addison's tendency of associating high price with high quality.
"It's good. Adele also suggested it to me. I was planning to check it out." She squeezed his hand to assure him.
"Then what's wrong? You are smiling like you do when mom gifts you jewelry from Costco. I can cancel the membership if you don't want it." Derek said with a slight hint of annoyance.
"I want it. Don't cancel. I was looking for a masseuse. Your timing couldn't be any better." Addison worked for long hours, her work was physically exhausting and then she had to bear an hour long commute. All of it was taking a toll on her body. Days around her PMS were even more difficult with severe ache throughout body and abdominal cramping. She knew some of the ache was because of her abortion, partly anatomical and partly psychological. She had never mentioned her discomfort to Derek but being an observant doctor he had noticed the subtle physical signs.
"Thanks a lot. I really needed this." Addison repeated.
Derek wasn't fully convinced, he thought Addison's apprehension to his gift came from her reluctance to starting a life in Seattle. Even after staying in Seattle for almost a year, her primary physician, dentist, cleaning lady, beautician, lawyer everyone was still in New York. She hadn't even committed to a newsstand yet. She bought her coffee and newspaper from a different place every day.
"Addie" He leaned forward and held her gaze "I am done with New York." His tone was calm but firm. "I am not gonna return to that city. Seattle is where I live. This is my home now. This is our home now. I want you to accept that."
Addison went quiet. Derek's stance was definitive, there was no scope for discussion. When she first agreed to move to Seattle, she presumed the move to be temporary. Derek was as much a city guy as she was. She didn't think Derek would want to be away from his family permanently. But her hopes of returning home were fading with each passing day. She tried to adjust to this new city but she never felt like she belonged there. Seattle wasn't bad per se but she was finding it hard to make any connections with people or places.
"I feel lonely in Seattle." She admitted tracing the elegant embroidery on the table cloth. Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"You made friends on subways and checkout lines. If you make an effort, I am sure you will soon have a large social circle." His tone was encouraging.
"Seattle hates me. Everyone keeps a distance from me."
"Maybe you could try being little less uptight. You give out a vibe that you don't belong here." Derek suggested refilling her wine glass.
"I don't feel like I belong here." She admitted.
"I know. That's my whole point. I want you to accept Seattle as your home." He reached across the table and held her hand.
"It would be easier for me to accept Seattle as my home if I had an actual home here." She stared at him suggestively.
Derek sighed, pulling away his hand. "Addie don't push. I am not ready for that yet."
"But Derek it's been months-"
"Addie please don't. I need to move at my own pace." He told her firmly.
She gave a reluctant nod. In last few weeks she had realized more she pushed, more he pulled away. She had no other option than to wait for him to get ready to move on.
"We need to schedule an appointment with Dr. Saltzman." She thought therapy could help him to get ready faster. They hadn't seen Dr. Saltzman since Mark's visit and her subsequent confession. Derek had shot daggers at her when she had reminded him of their appointment. She hoped he would be more willing to resume the sessions now.
"We need to schedule an appointment with a Vet. Dave gave me his Vet's number. I will call him tomorrow." Derek purposely ignored Addison's suggestion and changed the topic. Doc wasn't keeping well lately so they wanted to get him checked.
"Vet and Therapist aren't mutually exclusive. We can see them both." Addison gave him an amused look.
"I am busy. I have to prioritize." He smiled playfully.
"Honey please, our marriage should be our topmost priority." She said growing serious. "It isn't going to repair on its own. We need to do something."
"How is paying $ 500 an hour to a stranger going to fix us? He makes us more miserable. Tell me one session after which you felt better."
Addison thought about it. Derek was right. Dr. Saltzman asked difficult questions. Or maybe the questions were simple but the answers were quite difficult. He made them scratch the buried wounds and they ended up in sour mood for days.
"I can look for another therapist. We have to do something." She suggested weakly.
"We ride bicycles together, Dr. Saltzman should be proud of us for that. We discuss books and cases. That's progress for me."
"Yeah it is. But it's not enough. We need to talk more, have heart of heart conversations..."
"Do you also need us to paint each other's nails and pillow fight?" He mocked her for using cliche like 'heart to heart'.
"Derek I am serious. If you don't want to see Dr. Saltzman then you have to sit down with me for uninterrupted meaningful conversations at least thrice a week." She demanded crossing her arms across her chest.
Derek leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. Mischief simmered through his expression.
"If I commit to that, for each meaningful conversation I want sex in return. Three hours of conversations for at least three hours of sex per week." He counter offered in a husky voice that drove his wife crazy.
"I have no objection to that." Addison beamed at the prospect of getting laid thrice a week.
"Derek you know, we have been talking for over an hour now. If you want to encash today's sex coupon you can." Addison stretched her leg beneath the table and ran her foot up to his thigh.
"Now?" Derek gulped in, enjoying the sensation of her thumb over his inner thigh.
"They have rooms up here." Addison suggested ascending her foot towards her target.
Derek needed no more encouragement. He quickly motioned the waitress for check, cleared the bill and rushed to the hotel's booking desk. He was willing to accept any room with four walls. He wouldn't have minded getting into a store room but Addison insisted on a room with good view and jacuzzi.
As soon as they boarded the elevator, Derek pinned Addie to the wall and captured her lips. They had to break apart when an elderly lady announced her presence with a loud thump of her walking stick. They stood at separate corners while the lady glared at them, clearly judging the shining rings on Addison's finger and lack of it on Derek's.
Three of them shared an awkward ride for 20 floors. As soon as the lady exited the elevator, Derek launched back at Addison. By the time they reached 25th floor, Derek had already freed Addison from her panties and complicated hairdo. Rest of their clothing was discarded quickly after getting in their presidential suit.
They were about to jumped into the insanely soft bed when shrieks coming from their pagers broke the peaceful silence in the room.
..
"It may sound crazy but just hear me out." Addison buckled her seat belt and turned to Derek to share her latest theory. "I think we are being watched."
"What?" Over the years Derek had heard a lot of crazy things from Addison but his wife never stopped surprising him.
"I think the hospital is watching or following us. There seems to be some conspiracy to prevent us from having sex." She explained seriously.
"You are watching too much detective shows." Derek chuckled without taking his eyes off the road.
"How else do you explain getting paged everytime we are about to have sex." She challenged him.
"Coincidence." He gave her the simple and most logical explanation but knew well that such non dramatic reasoning wouldn't appeal his wife.
"Three times in a row Derek. That is not coincidence. Three times!"
"When you put it that way it does make sense." He looked towards her for a brief moment, his expression was deadpan. "Our esteemed colleagues at the hospital must have a high vested interest in our sex life to induce labor, make a motorcyclist skid and crash cars."
"You don't believe me? Then prove I am wrong. After we are done with the patients, meet me in third floor's last oncall room. If we can do it, I will admit I am wrong, if we get interrupted my point will be proved." Addison challenged him for a win-win outcome.
"We are too old to have sex in on call rooms." He sighed tirely.
"Speak for yourself. I am not old." She corrected him immediately. "You remember the Horny Cornies? They were much older than we are now. They had sex in the hospital whenever they were on call together."
"And if you remember their given name was Cornell. We..to be precise you and Naomi named them Horny Corny. I don't want interns calling us horny Shepherds."
Addison just rolled her eyes. Back at home Derek never had any problem in having a quickie in an on call room. Rather in their last year in New York they had done it more in hospital than at home. But things were different in Seattle. He preferred to pretend he wasn't married to the Ruler of All That is Evil.
Against Derek's wish Addison dragged him in an on call room after their surgery. But before she could even shut the door, Stevens walked in and claimed the upper bunk of the bed.
"Say I am right." Addison whispered, giving him a triumph look.
"Just another coincidence." Derek insisted and walked out to find a vacant bed to rest.
...
After few days on a fine Wednesday morning they managed to break their dry spell with what could be called as the most boring sex ever. To add to their troubles Addison accidentally told Meredith that they were trying to have some decent sex. Addison blamed Derek for not telling her who was on the line but Derek refused to take any responsibility for Addison's over chattiness.
"I thought we were doing it until we get it right." Addison reminded Derek when she saw him putting on his boxers.
"Some other time." He got out of bed and started looking for his clothes.
"Derek.. do you.."Addison sat up, holding the blanket firmly around her chest. She didn't feel comfortable exposing her breasts to her husband who barely paid any attention to them few minutes ago. When she looked up, Derek was staring at her with a raised eyebrow, waiting for her to finish her sentence.
"Do you still find me attractive?" She asked without biting around the bush.
"What question is that?" He was taken aback by her bluntness.
"You are deflecting."
"You are over thinking."
"We used to be like Olympians. We have never had bad sex." she exhaled audibly.
"Come on. It was just one time. It happens. Addie, please don't make a big deal out of this." He requested her wearily.
"I don't want us to be one of those boring couples who treat sex like a chore. I think we should-"
"No. We are not seeing a sexologist." Derek interjected defensively.
"I wasn't suggesting that. I was just saying we should talk about it." She wrapped her robe around her and got out of bed.
"Why do you always have to talk about everything? Let it go." Derek snapped at her and went to kitchen to brew some fresh coffee.
Derek had always considered himself to be a giver, so failing to satisfy his partner was bothering him. On top of that his wife advertising it to his ex-girlfriend was utterly humiliating. According to him the best way to move forward was to pretend it never happened, not to sit down and analyze his performance.
In his defense he was distracted because of Addison's crazy conspiracy theory. Her words started playing in back of his mind when Addison pulled him on top of her. While his hands and lips were acting on their own, his brain was wondering if there were any hidden cameras in the trailer. He kept on looking out of the window to confirm nobody was watching. A couple of times he glanced at their pagers waiting for them to vibrate. So basically Addison had gotten into his head and not in a good way. But he didn't want to confess it and encourage Addison's crazy line of thinking.
"Derek, after weeks of inaction if my husband is so cold in bed, it is a big deal for me." She followed him in the kitchen demanding an explanation.
Derek took a deep breath. He knew she was expecting some assurance and high praise but he felt drained to provide any comfort.
"Was it because of Meredith? Did you think about her while you were doing me?" She persisted.
"I..umm.." he thought about potential consequences of telling the truth but on the other hand Addison was good at catching his lies. "You are getting crazier day by day." He thought a non-answer would be safest alternative.
"So you did think about her." Addison concluded making Derek realize she was always a step ahead especially when it came to arguing.
"I did..." He decided to come clean hoping that would put an end to this discussion. "...but that's your fault. I started thinking about your crazy conspiracy theory and someone watching us. The next logical thought was who would do that.. That lead me to think about hospital staff, the interns and then..Meredith. So yes I did think about her and few other people but not in any romantic way."
He glanced at Addison, she was deep into her thoughts. It seemed like he had managed to reasonably convince her. He finished his coffee in one large sip and went to the sink to wash the mugs.
"How was Meredith in bed?" When Addison followed him and stood at the Kitchen counter he hoped it was to pack their lunch but the gods in the heaven were determined to punish him for all his previous sins.
He dropped her favorite mug in the sink, wanting it to break but the mug was stronger just like his wife's determination. He washed his soapy hands, dried them with a hand towel and then calmly turned to face his impatiently waiting wife.
"Do you really think my ex-girlfriend is the best topic for post coital conversation?" He spoke to her in a tone he used with his slow learning interns.
"We had great sex for 16 years, then you slept with a younger woman for two months, claimed to have fallen in love with her and now you seem to have lost any passion for me. I am in my right to ask you about her."
"Aren't you missing an important link? We had great sex for 16 years, then you slept with my best friend. Are you willing to answer how he was in bed?"
"I will if that's going to help repair our marriage." She didn't like the way the conversation was heating up. She softened her tone. "Look honey, I don't want to fight. I am asking because I want to know what I am competing against. Where can I improve." She sat down at the dinner table, to support her unsteady legs and shaky voice.
"You don't need to. Perfection is hard to improve." He flashed her a fake sweet smile and recited the standard response from Gerald's marriage handbook. In his bachelor's party his brothers in law had gifted him a marriage guide prepared from their collective marriage experience. Though it was a joke, that handbook and the section of 'Only acceptable responses to trick questions' had saved him from sleeping on couch on countless occasions.
"So how was Meredith? Was she better than me?" Addison asked again, apparently not impressed by his robotic response.
The acceptable response to this question was a quick No or not to answer at all. But the handbook failed to take into consideration his wife's strong determination to torture him.
"She was different." He mumbled. After years of sleeping with the same person, the change was welcome. And a fifteen years younger body had its own allure. But he also liked the comfort and familiarity that came with 16 years of history. He couldn't compare the two.
"Was she better than me?" Addison prompted him again.
"Marriage handbook 101 - don't compare your wife with your girlfriend." He gave her a cheeky smile conveying he wasn't going to fall in her trap.
"You can tell me. I won't get mad." She assured him.
"We have a long history. We know each others' bodies, what we like, what we don't very well. That can't be compared with anything." He answered sincerely.
"Okay let me make this easier for you. Hypothetically, if we weren't married and If you have had a one night stand with both me and Meredith on separate occasion, who would you pick for a second night stand?" Addison wasn't going to rest till he picked one.
Derek felt like he was getting sucked in a dark hole with no end to this conversation. He crossed the small distance between them and kneeled down in front of her. Addison's heart fluttered with anticipation.
"Meredith. Because after sex she wouldn't talk till my ears fall off." He gave a croocked grin and rushed to the bathroom before Addison could start bombarding next round of questions.
But his privacy was short lived, few minutes later Addison followed him even in the bathroom.
"I don't remember inviting you in." He said dryly.
"I am your wife. I don't need an invitation." She retorted, taking a sit on commode while he shaved.
He gave out a snort. Addison invaded Seattle and his trailer without any invitation, why would bathroom be any different?
"So we were talking about Meredith." She began causing him to cut his chin slightly. "Did she do that thing?"
"What thing?" He asked halfheartedly.
"That disgusting thing Brian told you." She met his eyes in the mirror. Derek didn't need anymore explanation. His former table tennis partner had shared something he had learnt in Thailand. Derek thought it was exotic, he was eager to try it but even after hours of persuasion he couldn't get Addison on board.
"Did you do that with Meredith?"
"No. That's not something you ask to a girl who you have just met."
"Do you want me to do that?"
"Do you still think its disgusting?"
Addison nodded apprehensively.
"Then I don't want to do that."
Addison gave him a greatful smile. Even though he acted like a total ass sometimes, he was still a gentleman.
"If you had asked Meredith, do you think she would have agreed?"
"I don't know. I thought you would but you didn't." He reminded her nonchalantly. He examined his face carefully to check if he had missed any patch. Out of habit he also turned to Addison for a second opinion. She quickly scanned his cheeks and jaw and nodded her approval.
"How experimental was she in bed?" Addison continued her investigation.
"I am a gentleman. I don't kiss and tell." He turned on the shower and started undressing.
"I don't want to intrude. I am worried that I am failing in comparison to her." Addison admitted her fear, hiding her face in her palms. "I am approaching forty. I know I am not as attractive as I was in my twenties... She is young and looks open to experiments. I don't know how to compete with …." her voice faded.
"Addie!" He pulled her hand making her stand up, but she kept her gaze fixated on the floor. He wondered how can someone be so confident and so insecure at the same time. He cupped her cheek and waited for her to look up.
"You are still the most attractive and experimental woman in my life." He assured her.
He was confused about his feelings for Meredith and Addison and whom he loved. But there was no doubt in his mind that his wife was the hotter one.
He gave her a sly smile and pulled her under the shower, she shivered as the lukewarm water touched her skin, Derek compensated that with a hot kiss. When they broke apart for fresh air, Addison leaned back against the cold wall trying to steady her breathing. In Spite of the water pounding around, her throat felt dry. She gulped nervously ready to protest that she didn't need his pity sex. But when she opened her eyes, she saw Derek's gaze sliding over her wet body with burning desire. She was still wearing her robe. But the spray made the white cotton almost transparent, perfectly outlining her curves and rosy nipples. All her apprehensions melted away when their eyes met, a bolt of arousal passed through her entire body. She pulled him closer, fervently attacking his lips. Her pulse spiked as his hand slid up her silky thigh. The feel of her soft breasts against his chest intensified his excitement. She smirked feeling his growing erection. He tightened his arms around her causing her blood to heat. She thread her fingers in his curls adjusting angle of his head to have better access to his mouth. Derek's hands slid down her body and reached her waist to untie her robe. The robe fell down in one swift motion and there was no obstacle left between their wild reunion.
Things started improving surprisingly fast after their earth cracking sex in the shower. Derek still worked for long hours, brushed her off when she stalked him in the hallways, he still detested their 'heart to heart' conversations but he lived upto his end of the bargain, giving her an hour of undivided attention whenever their schedules permitted. He still complaint about everything but she found an undertone of affection in their arguments. It definitely felt like they were starting to connect again.
If you are still reading this story I would love to hear your thoughts on how their relationship is progressing.