Ch. 8
"What do you think?"
"50 says Meredith gets tossed out on her ass and Burke walks away without helping."
The more malice Cristina infused into her tone, the less she wanted her words to come true. Behind the sarcasm, Cristina was worrying about Meredith and one other individual. Indeed, she cared more about the action of the other individual than her best friend's future.
When Meredith walked out of the room looking happy, everyone let loose the tension on his or her shoulders, all except Cristina. She had to know whether Burke acted like a man worthy of her respect or nothing more than a jerk. iWhy should I even care/i Cristina did not have enough time to process that question before Meredith told them Burke helped her.
George thought he caught a glimpse of flickering lights of hope in Cristina's eyes, but he did not know what to make of it. He did not realize how Cristina wished she could drill Meredith for the details of the proceeding. Did he tell the Chief about the towel as well or did he not? Why couldn't Meredith say more?
It was Bailey who rescuedl Cristina from the midst of uncertainties. "He was always going to tell him about the towel. Just wanted to wait for the right time. Information is power."
To that, Cristina was satisfied. Looking at the back of Burke from the catwalk, Cristina also realized something else. She exchanges looks with Burke on the catwalk without saying a word, then turned and glided away.
Why didn't you say something? Cristina didn't want to be rude, so she turned back and looked at Burke, trying to tell the man through her eyes something that words could not fully capture. Then she turned again, flew over the mop like a dancer late for her first show, and ran away feeling giddy. There was so much she wanted to thank him for, not just coffee, but also the fact that he didn't disappoint.
Burke was looking at her. He hoped she understood. Although he disappeared into thick layers of people without uttering a word on the catwalk, the way how she looked back warmed his heart. He felt like he had done the right thing and his effort was appreciated.
He didn't know if he should be on the offense or defense now, but either way he knew he would likely score.
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