The rest of the night progressed like any other. Luke began flirting with one of the girls from the group at the next pool table over and, at his behest, their group stayed at the Rec Room for most of the night. Eventually, the two groups seemed to merge, teaming up against one another on the pool tables, even going so far as to put money on their games. Mer was sitting back, slightly bored as she watched Vince and their friend James take on two guys from the other group while Nicole yammered drunkenly in her ear about Dean.
"I just don't get it," she was complaining. "He seemed so into me at the beginning of the night. I mean, he bought me that drink…" The rum was thick on her breath and Mer was feeling glad that she had offered to drive her home that night; she had an inkling she might need some taking care of.
"Hey, Mer," Dean's voice cut across Nicole's continued babbling. He was standing at the next pool table, chalking his cue. "You in?"
It took Mer a second to register what he was asking. "You want me to play?" she questioned. She noticed he was standing across the table from the two guys who had been cleaning up all night, their pockets already full of her friends' money.
"Yeah, come on," Dean beckoned, tossing the chalk to the guys across the table. "Why not?"
Mer could think of about a million reasons why not, but she found herself enticed at the idea of not having to stand on the sidelines of all of Vince's games. She untangled herself from Nicole and once again offered her the cup of ice water she had gotten her from the bar. "Drink," she instructed before turning to go.
"Hey, where you going?" Vince asked, snaking an arm around her midsection.
"I'm gonna go embarrass myself at the other table," she joked half-heartedly, the trapped feeling coming back as he held her there.
"Hang on just a little longer," Vince persuaded. "You can play next game with me."
"Vince, you just started a game," Mer reminded him, realizing he may be drunker than she thought.
"You're my good luck charm," he murmured to her, leaning in and attempting to kiss her. When she averted her face, he put his lips to her neck.
"Vince, stop," she insisted, frustration mounting. "I'm playing, okay? Let me go." She grabbed his hand firmly and pried it off of her waist, wriggling the rest of her out of his grasp and hurrying toward the other table.
"You okay?" Dean asked, looking at her with what might have been concern.
"Yeah, fine," Mer practically snapped back at him. "He's just drunk."
Dean wordlessly handed her a pool cue.
"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but pool isn't exactly my game," Mer said, trying to lighten up the situation.
"I'm not too worried about it," Dean said, with an air of assurance.
"It's your money," Mer said, with a 'here goes nothing' type of look.
Fifteen minutes later, Dean was sinking the eight ball to win them the game. Mer had avoided scratching and actually made two balls in, a better showing than she had anticipated, but nothing compared to Dean's performance.
"So…did I just help you hustle these guys?" she murmured to Dean, pulling balls from the nearest pocket. By the way the two guys on the other side of the table were swearing, she guessed they had put good money on the game.
Dean couldn't suppress a grin. "Hey, it's not my fault they underestimated us," he joked.
"You mean you," Mer joked, smiling slightly. "I think they estimated me just fine."
She heard Dean's laugh at her back as she turned to check on Nicole, only to find her seat vacant. Her eyes darted around the bar, seeking out Nicole's sheet of dark brown hair, but not catching sight of her.
"Hey, Vince?" she called, walking back toward the other table.
"Oh, now you're talking to me?" he accused, slurring his words slightly.
Mer ignored him. "Have you seen Nicole?"
Vince shrugged carelessly, turning back to the table.
"Brown hair?" one of the guys on the opposing team asked.
Mer nodded. "Yeah, she was sitting right here," she informed him, gesturing at the now empty chair.
"Yeah, I think she just left with our friend, Isaac. Like five seconds ago. You just missed them," he told her. He and his buddy exchanged looks that confirmed Mer's worst fears.
"Shit," she swore under her breath, alarm bells ringing. She quickly gathered up her purse and jacket, searching for anything Nicole had left behind.
When she tried to rush toward the exit, Vince blocked her way. "Hey, where you going?" he asked, now all ears.
"Vince, we can't let that guy take Nicole home," Mer explained. "She's hammered—probably blacked out. We have to go now if we wanna catch them."
"Meredith," Vince entreated, putting his hands on her shoulders. "She was all over him. It's not like he dragged her out."
"Yeah, but—"
"All we'd be doing is ruining their good time," Vince tried to persuade her, his tone indicating she had no idea what she was talking about. "I'm not a cock block."
"Well, I guess I am," Mer returned, trying to wriggle away from him. "Let me go, Vince."
"Ah, come on…"
"Let. Me. Go." Mer was fuming, meeting his eyes angrily. She shoved away from him hard, and turned in a flourish to leave. She was surprised to see Dean all the way across the bar and out the door ahead of her.
By the time she elbowed her way through and was out on the sidewalk, she had lost sight of Dean and had no trace on Nicole whatsoever. Swinging her head from side to side, she picked a direction and began pushing her way through the other pedestrians, many of them too drunk to have much spatial awareness.
She did a full perimeter of the surrounding blocks, with no success. When she rounded the corner of the side street where she had parked her car, her heart leapt at the sight of two silhouettes standing against the hood. "Nicole?" she questioned, jogging to reach them more quickly. "Dean?"
"Yeah, it's us," Dean confirmed.
When Mer got closer, she saw that he had his arm around Nicole, helping her stand as she lolled against his shoulder.
"Oh my God, thank you," Mer exhaled, meeting Dean's eye for a split second before she rushed forward to clasp her friend's forearms. "Nicole, are you okay?" she wondered.
"Meredith?" Nicole slurred, lazily opening one eye.
Mer let out a dizzy laugh. "Let's get you in the car," she suggested, looping Nicole's other arm around her shoulders and pulling her keys from her purse.
Only once Nicole was sitting in the back seat, half-asleep with the seatbelt secured across her chest to keep her upright, did Mer look fully at Dean. "Thank you," she told him.
"You said that already," Dean replied. "It's no big deal."
"It's huge," Mer contradicted. She leaned against the side of her car and looked up toward the sky, willing the onrush of tears she felt to evaporate.
"You okay?" Dean questioned, sounding awkward.
Mer crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes," she said up toward the stars. "I was just super worried, you know?" She drew in a big breath and let it out. "Let's just get in the car. Let's go."
"I'll drive," Dean volunteered. "I only had a couple beers, and that was an hour ago, at least."
Mer was grateful for this reprieve and tossed him the keys, walking around to the passenger side. She slumped in her seat, all too aware that her eyes were still wet with tears. "God, this is so embarrassing," she joked, letting out a self-conscious laugh.
"It's fine," Dean reassured her.
"I'm not a cryer," Mer told him, implying if he contradicted her she might sock him.
"Noted," Dean responded, nodding curtly.
"So, did you punch him?" Mer wondered.
Dean let out a surprised chuckle. "Did I punch him?" he questioned right back.
"I don't know, you seem like the type of guy who talks with his fists," Mer said.
"Did you want me to punch him?" Dean asked, glancing over at her curiously.
Mer thought this over. "No, I guess not," she responded. "Actually, I don't know. Maybe?"
"Well, I didn't," Dean confessed. "But we didn't exactly sit around singing kumbaya, either."
"That's good, I guess," Mer admitted, feeling satisfied with the answer.
"Did you punch Vince?" Dean asked.
"No," Mer replied sullenly, thinking maybe she should have.
"Did he lay hands on you?" Dean asked, more invasively.
"No, of course not," Mer snapped.
"Sorry," Dean grunted. "I just…I know the type."
"He's not any type, okay? He was just drunk," Mer defended, though there wasn't much effort behind it.
"Don't give me that crap," Dean countered, surprising both of them with his directness. "Don't make excuses for him. The guy was being a Grade A douche all night."
Mer shifted uncomfortably in her seat, finding it difficult to argue with what he was saying.
"Look," Dean said, reining in his tone. "I get drunk too—more than I'd like to admit. But I would never treat a woman like he was treating you tonight."
"So, you're saying you don't get jealous?" Mer prodded, giving him a look of disbelief.
"Honey, if you're out with me and you're looking at anything else, I just boil it down to bad taste," Dean quipped, smirking to himself.
Mer hated the smile that fought its way through her pouting exterior. She snorted softly, eventually allowing herself to laugh. "You're a Grade A douche yourself, you know that?" she teased.
"Hey, look, you called me out and gave me the chance to redeem myself," Dean leveled. "I'm just repaying the favor. You're damn smart enough to know you don't have to put up with guys like Vince—even to prove a point."
"Oh, and what point was I trying to prove, exactly?" Mer pressed.
"That you can size a guy up in no time, flat," Dean answered succinctly. "But, hey, sometimes people aren't who we think they are when we first meet them."
"Why does this sound like you're campaigning to get back into my good graces?" Mer replied slyly. Then, suddenly: "Oh, wait! Turn here!"
Dean quickly took the street she had indicated. "What is it?" he asked, looking around him as if they were being pursued.
"I'm hungry," Mer explained easily. "And this place has the best burgers." She pointed ahead to a neon sign.
Dean let out a breath, relaxing back into his seat. "Jesus, woman," he commented, turning into the parking lot.
"What do you want?" Mer wondered, undoing her seat belt. "I'll just run in and get it to go. You can stay here with Nicole."
"Two bacon cheeseburgers," Dean replied without skipping a beat. "Large fry."
"Shake?" Mer asked, cocking her head to the side.
"I could be persuaded," Dean answered, smiling. "Chocolate."
"You got it," Mer chirped, opening the door and getting out.
Dean was reaching into his back pocket. "Here, let me…"
Mer put her hand up. "Dean, you saved my best friend from a truly regrettable night," she insisted. "It's the least I can do."
Minutes later, Mer was walking back toward the car, arms laden with food. She whisked open the passenger door and plopped the takeout bags on the seat. Then, she opened the back door and brought an extra large cup of ice water to Nicole, sitting beside her in the back seat and helping her drink it in small gulps.
"How's she doing?" Dean asked, turning in his seat to look back at them.
"I'm…fffffinnnnne," Nicole slurred, dribbling water down her chin and nodding off in the same breath.
"She's fine," Mer reiterated, bobbing her eyebrows. "Believe it or not, I've seen her worse—and she's seen me worse. She just needs some water and rest. She'll have a hell of a hangover tomorrow, but I can't really help her there."
"Do you wanna take her home?" Dean wondered.
Mer thought about this for a moment. "Are you ready to call it a night?" she asked. "Because I'll want to stay at her place—just to make sure everything's okay."
Dean shook his head. "What do you say we go park somewhere and eat this food?" he suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Mer agreed.
Once they were both back inside, the smell of fast food wafting through the small sedan, Mer directed Dean to a favorite overlook on the outskirts of town.
"Wow," Dean commented as he got out of the car, looking down at the city lights glinting below them. "This is actually pretty cool."
"She's pretty, isn't she?" Mer mused, carrying the bags out of the car and taking a seat on the hood. "I gotta say, even though Denver's not my future, I'll always have a soft spot for this city." She handed him his foil-wrapped burgers and withdrew her own from the bag.
"Did you grow up here?" Dean asked.
"Born and raised," Mer confirmed, nodding as she bit into her burger. "You?"
"Lawrence, Kansas," Dean answered.
"Go Jayhawks," Mer replied, smiling jokingly as he caught her eye. "So, is that home for you?"
"No," Dean responded, shaking his head. "Hasn't been since I was a kid."
"Then where is?" Mer asked.
It was an innocent enough question, but she noticed the shift in Dean's demeanor when she asked it. He acted like he was completely engrossed in his burger as the seconds ticked by.
"Sorry, that was a dumb question," she said after a while.
"It wasn't a dumb question," Dean reassured her. "I guess I'm just never sure how to answer it."
"Well, maybe it was a limiting question," Mer amended. "Home doesn't have to be a geographical location, technically."
"How do you mean?" Dean asked curiously, pausing over his fries.
"I mean, you travel around with your dad and brother, right? So maybe home for you is with them," Mer explained. "Sometimes 'home' is more of a sense, rather than a concrete thing."
"I never thought about it that way," Dean admitted, popping a fry in his mouth.
"It's like I was saying earlier," Mer went on. "How this is supposed to be 'home' for me, but it doesn't feel that way. Actually, it feels like hell most of the time."
Dean looked at her, surprised by this revelation. "Really?" he asked.
"Yeah," Mer responded baldly, looking down at her shoes on the front bumper. "I love seeing my mom when I come back for summers, but I really hate living under the same roof as my dad."
"Why?" Dean wondered openly.
Mer gave him a sidelong glance. "A conversation for another time," she told him, banking on the likelihood that 'another time' would never come. She could feel his eyes on her as she picked up her shake and drank some.
"So, what are you gonna do about Vince?" Dean asked, switching the subject.
"You've really got an axe to grind, don't you?" Mer questioned, smiling at him amusedly. "He's not such a bad guy. You just saw an ugly side of him tonight."
"Maybe," Dean relented.
"And how do you know I'm not some raving bitch?" Mer queried. "You've known me, what? A couple hours."
"You're not," Dean replied assuredly. "Believe me, I know a raving bitch when I see one."
Mer laughed. "Okay, there have got to be some stories behind that," she fished.
Dean grinned boyishly, clearing his throat. "Mer, you're a cool girl. Cool girls don't need to waste their time with deadbeat guys. And don't tell the other deadbeats I told you this, or they'll revoke my membership."
Mer laughed, covering her mouth so no shake escaped. "Cross my heart, I won't," she assured him. "And as for Vince…if he comes to me wanting to know what I think, I'll let him know. But…I'm happy just to let it fizzle. There's only a few weeks of summer left, anyway."
"Good," Dean grunted. "That guy doesn't deserve a second more of your time."
Mer glanced at him thoughtfully. "For what it's worth, I think you've got yourself all wrong, Dean," she told him, catching his eye for a second before he looked away bashfully. "And so did I."
They stayed out for another few hours, the conversation flowing between them. At some point Mer checked her phone to see that it was past 4am, and they decided to call it a night.
Dean drove them back to the Sunrise Motel, leaving the car on as he unbuckled and got out. Mer popped out of the passenger door, closing it behind her. They crossed paths in front of the car, headlights illuminating them.
"Well, uh…" Dean began awkwardly, not knowing quite what to do or say.
"I'm glad you came out tonight, Dean," Mer told him genuinely.
"Thanks for inviting me," Dean replied quickly. "I…" He cleared his throat. "I had fun, believe it or not." A smile hid in the corner of his mouth.
Mer grinned up at him. "And you totally saved the day, don't forget," she added, pointing at him as she walked around to the driver's side. She opened the door and crossed her arms over the top, leaning against it. "I don't know if I'll see you before you go," she mentioned. "Where are you off to next?"
Dean shrugged.
"Well, good luck," Mer said. "Maybe I'll see you around here next summer."
"Yeah," Dean replied weakly, waving as she got into the car and closed the door.