Meredith and Derek both ended their work outs with showers. It was a relaxing way to start the day, and peaceful one too. Derek found it calming to wake up before everyone else. He liked to be able to start the day off early, especially when it involved swimming.
Meredith too, felt relaxed after her run; she ran about four miles as the music blasted in her ears. She liked having the music loud; it did a good job of drowning out the rest of the world.
Meredith had a cool shower and a change of clothing, followed by breakfast and then vegging out on the couch for a few moments before her door bell rang.
Meredith looked at the clock, as if it would provide an answer for who was at the door. She checked herself, she was wearing a faded tank top and old nearly acid washed faded jeans with holes on the back pocket and at the knees; she thought she could have a lazy day, she shrugged-nothing like dressing to impress, she joked with herself before getting up from the couch.
Please don't be Derek, she plead with herself. If there was any justice in this world it wouldn't be him. If it were, she would forget what had happened the night before and fall back into unconditionally wanting to be with him. She still was unsure if living with his friends was worth his company. Of course it is, she told herself, not sure if she could give Derek up, even if she wanted to.
Meredith made her way slowly to the front door, avoidance a routine by this point her life.
"Hurry your ass up!" she heard in a familiar female's tone of voice. Meredith smiled as she skipped to the door. It was Cristina, not Derek, she breathed a sigh of relief as she opened the door.
"Finally," Cristina said as she walked past Meredith and into her living room. Meredith smiled, it was great that she was here and although her entrance might have seemed to rude to some, Meredith liked it. Cristina was at home in her home and never felt uncomfortable. Meredith liked this.
Meredith eyed Cristina's attire- she was wearing a dress for once in her life.
"Cristina, what are you wearing?" Meredith asked as she sat down on the couch next to Cristina.
"Oh shut up," Cristina said with an eye roll.
"Not your doing I assume," Meredith said, stifling a laugh at the sight of Cristina in a dress. It wasn't floral or full of ruffles but it was more feminine than most of her attire. Her polo shirt dress was preppy and navy blue.
Cristina raised her eyebrows, in a face that suggested are you freaking kidding me?
"No, it was my mother's doing. Cristina, nice young ladies wear dresses out of the house," Cristina said, impersonating her mother's slight Korean accent perfectly.
"You wore a dress to see me?" Meredith asked, feigning excitement. "I feel under dressed," she said with a laugh.
"I'm leaving now," Cristina said, getting up.
Meredith jumped up, "I'm just kidding, Cristina. Stay."
Cristina shrugged, "Fine, but I'm borrowing something with pant legs," she said as she headed up the stairs to Meredith's room.
Meredith smiled, "Fine," she said as she followed Cristina upstairs. "So what are we doing today?" She asked as Cristina grabbed a pair of jeans from Meredith's closet and a tshirt from her drawer, heading into her bathroom across the hall.
"I don't know," Cristina said from the bathroom as Meredith leaned against the frame of her bedroom's door.
"You feel like going out?" She asked as she bit her lower lip.
"Not entirely," Cristina said.
"Watch movies and order pizza?" Meredith asked, much happier with that idea.
"Yeah, sure. You can tell me tales of preppy parties," Cristina joked as she opened the door, her dress in hand.
"Let's not go there," Meredith thought as the headed down t he stairs.
Cristina laughed, "That bad?"
"Not bad, just not great."
"Well those aren't great people, what's to like?" Cristina asked as they headed for the couch.
"I don't know," Meredith said. "How is it that the guys are okay and descent but all the girls treat me like crap?"
"The girls treat you like crap because the guys don't. You're a threat to them, Mer. That's all they see."
"Joy," Meredith said as she turned on the TV, "Can we talk about something else?" She asked as she handed the remote to Cristina, letting her control what they watched.
Cristina looked at Meredith, "Don't let them get to you," she said as she flipped the channels.
"I know," Meredith said as she got up to make popcorn for them. I grew up with Ellis Grey, I know rejection, she thought as she popped some popcorn in the microwave.
Meredith's cell phone vibrated in her back pocket as she watched the popcorn bag twirl in the microwave.
She pulled her phone out; it was a text message from Derek, Are you free today? It read. Meredith pursed her lips, No, she wrote back and flipped her phone closed. She needed a day with Cristina, no distractions. Cristina would help her put things into perspective and if nothing else provide good company.
::::
Derek entered the house after his swim, catching his dad as he was about to go out the door for work
"Morning," Derek said as he towel dried his hair.
"Derek," Derek's father, Michael, said as he put on his jacket. "I saw you printed some papers up for the 1954 Jaguar XK…" he said, wondering what his son was up to.
"Yeah, that's what the car is in the garage right?" Derek asked, wondering if he had printed out pages for the wrong model.
"No, that's it alright."
"Can we start working on it again?" Derek asked as he wound the towel around his shoulders.
Michael's eyes lit up at his son's words, "Absolutely," he said as he patted his son's shoulder, heading out the door, "How about this weekend?"
Derek nodded, "Yeah, this weekend."
"Good, don't let that girl steal all your time," his father joked.
Derek laughed, "Her name's Meredith."
Michael nodded, "Bring her around sometime."
Derek followed his father to the garage for a moment. "Dad, how'd you know about her?" Derek asked, truly curious.
"Your mother," Michael said as he hopped into his car.
Derek nodded once; mother's knew everything he decided. How did she know that he was seeing a girl? Derek asked himself as he closed the garage after his father pulled out.
Derek did want to bring Meredith around; he just didn't know when the right time was for that. He pulled out his phone to text Meredith, Want to meet my parents tonight?Derek typed, quickly erasing it and replacing it withAre you free tonight? He typed as he headed up the stairs to his shower.
His phone vibrated back almost instantly. No, her reply read. Derek shook his head, huh, he said. Crap, he thought, wondering what she was up to as he started the water for the shower.
Well if I was in your position
Id put down all my ammunition
I'd wondered why'd it taken me so long
But Lord knows that I'm not you
And If I was I wouldn't be so cruel
Cause waiting on love ain't so easy to do
::::
Enjoy.
Work was crazy this weekend. We had so many people at the restaurant- it was insane. My feet are dead.
-Viv
