Chapter 27: Painting
Derek frowned and asked, "What? You want me to date other people? What in the hell for?"
"Well… you know. When you break up with someone and the first person that comes along… they are the rebound person. I don't want to be your rebound girl before you find the person you were meant to be with."
Derek sighed when he realized she was serious. "Meredith. Where did you get this crazy idea? From some internet poll or questionnaire in some trashy woman's magazine? You're a doctor Meredith. Where is your logic? Your logic is flawed!"
She huffed a little and asked, "Do you know anybody who stayed with the rebound person?"
Derek said impatiently, "You're speaking some crazy chick language that I don't even understand."
"Yeah. I think you can't say you know anybody. It doesn't happen!"
"Meredith. Be reasonable. I only want to date you. Or… maybe you want to date other guys and play the field? I'm sure you're not lacking for offers!" The thought of her dating other guys was making him crazier than this rebound crap!
Meredith chewed her lower lip a little and said softly, "There's no one else Derek. I just…I don't do casual. I'd like you to be the… I don't want to be your rebound. I can't."
Derek looked longingly at her and sighed and knew he couldn't change her mind. He said resigned, "How many dates are we talking about?"
"A couple. I mean at least two different people."
"Does meeting someone for drinks count as a date?" Someone was forever harassing him to buy her drinks. This would kill two birds with one stone.
"Um… I don't…"
"Come on Meredith. You're killing me here."
She giggled and said, "Okay."
Derek shook his head and said, "I hope you know what you're doing."
She giggled and said, "Me too!"
Derek glanced at his watch and said, "Shit! I've got to get going. I've got to take a shower before I go in." He stood up reluctantly and pulled her up with him. They walked quickly down the stairs together.
"Derek. Thanks again for helping me paint. You're the best neighbor!"
"Don't you forget it! And I'm holding you to that dinner." He gently ran his thumb over her bottom lip as he stared into her sparkling eyes. He didn't trust himself to do more or he'd be using a sick day for the first time in Seattle.
She watched him as he jogged across the street to his house. She needed to calm her racing heart and it wasn't from the paint fumes. Could she really start something with him? She closed the door and thought about getting a glass of wine. After she changed her wet panties.
Derek slammed the door and rushed up the stairs to jump in the shower. Another cold one as he threw his clothes off. Rebound girl! What the fuck!
Ten minutes later he walked into the kitchen. Mark was fixing himself a sandwich.
"Well, there you are. Where have you been? I was wondering since your car has been here all day, but you haven't."
Derek grabbed some water, yogurt, cereal, apples and breakfast bars. "I was helping Meredith paint most of the day."
Mark scoffed, "You're kidding me, right? Let me guess. You and Meredith are together, and you've been doing the horizontal salsa all day."
Derek relayed, "No. I really was painting. And it would be the mambo. If I was. The horizontal mambo. And Meredith and I, we're just friends.
"Sexy friends? I get what you see in her. Is the sex hot? Is she an animal? Is she a bobcat?"
Derek warned, "Mark…"
"Come on. Tell uncle Markie… Lady in the street and tramp in the sheets? Am I right? "
"Yeah. She's amazing. Hot sweaty, very dirty, hot sweaty sex."
Mark threw back up head and laughed, "You haven't slept with her yet!"
"You know what's better than sex? Anticipation my friend. You're the worst, most juvenile human being I've ever met in my life."
"Well, that's just wrong! Sex is so much better than anticipation! I must call bullshit on that one."
Derek grumbled and admitted, "Yeah. Fuck… You're right." He had a permanent hard on ever since Meredith Grey came to town.
"You know the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem?"
"How many nurses have you slept with this week?"
"That's not a problem man. That's an adventure."
They both laughed as Derek went into the garage.
Mark thought, Oh my god. He has it bad! Painting!
Meredith spent the next day doing laundry, paying bills, and waiting for the moving van. They came and delivered her things intact. She surrounded herself with the things she loved, especially from her travels and for the first time, it felt like her home and not her mother's. Especially her bedroom.
The lawyer wasn't available to see her until the following week. She met Cristina for a quick dinner at a Thai restaurant and went to bed early. They started at 5:30 a.m. the following day. She finally got around to making flyers for roommates. Meredith would start by putting the flyers up at the hospital.