"Tequila, please," Meredith sat down in the chair with a huff. "Actually, make it a double, please."
"Rough day, buttercup?" Cristina looked over at her best friend, and roommate, with a smirk. "First one is always the worst."
Meredith tossed back the two shots almost immediately. "I think I'm in over my head here, Cris. I'm taking on fifty eight patients all at once and none of them even want to talk to me."
Cristina leaned back in her chair. "You're just going to have to give it some time. Or make them talk to you. Tell the coach they can't play until you evaluate each and every one of them."
Meredith shook her head, then looked at her surroundings. Since Cristina and Meredith had moved to Philadelphia, this was their local watering hole. It was an old tavern; a dive bar. It looked like there hadn't been any remodeling since prohibition ended. It was the perfect little hole in the wall and it was very convenient that their apartment happened to be right upstairs.
The pair tossed back another two shots before switch to something a tad lighter. "How's the residency going?"
Cristina shifted in her chair, awkwardly. "It's fine."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing! It's great. I did my first solo surgery and the attendings are actually helpful," Cristina started rambling. She never rambled, but Meredith knew her well enough that if she were going to push the issue, Cristina would get pissed and probably leave.
"That's pretty-" Meredith eyes travelled along the other end of the bar to a small table seating four men. Four men she had met today. Derek. "Fuck." She moved her chair so her back was more towards them now.
"What?" Cristina's looked around, happy the attention was no longer on herself anymore. "What is it?"
"Nothing. It's… nothing."
"Bullshit," She smirked. "Who'd you sleep with that's here?"
Meredith shot her a death glare, quickly ordering another shot. "Why is that your first assumption?"
Cristina shrugged her shoulder. "Ooh, hot guy in the corner is eyeing you up right now. Damn."
Of course she felt eyes on her. Meredith pulled her cellphone from her pocket in hopes that she could tell who it was by the reflection. Shit. "Why? Why is this my life." Shot. "You're seriously telling me you don't know who that is?"
Cristina had raised an eyebrow at her.
"Nevermind," She shook her head, quickly.
"Well, whoever he is? He's walking over here. I'm going to the bathroom," She laughed, quickly walking away.
"Cristina!"
"I thought that was you," Derek Shepherd strode up in his elegant fashion, leaning against the chair that was to the left of her. "Small world, isn't it?" Meredith let out a fake laugh that sounded just like that: fake. She had no idea what to say, or why she was so extremely flustered right now. "Ralph, can I get two shots of whatever she's taking, please?"
"You got it, Mr. Shepherd." The kind bartender laid out two shot glasses and poured the Jose Cuervo into both. "These are on the house tonight."
"Tequila?" Derek shook his head quickly, "I don't know how well this is going to mix with my scotch."
"Well," Meredith finally conjured up the confidence to say anything to this man standing dangerously close to her. "You're the one who technically ordered them, so you can only blame yourself."
He looked at her with a chuckle. "Well, I can't fight you on that one." He held his shot glass up as Meredith tapped her against his, hit the bar top with the bottom of the glass, and tossed the liquor back.
"I never understood that. Why do people hit the bar?"
Meredith shrugged her shoulders, "I have no idea, actually. Thank you for the shot, though, even though you technically didn't buy it." As soon as she said it, Meredith felt like an asshole. It came out a lot differently than she had imagined. Damn tequila.
He smiled anyway, "I guess I'll have to get you another one, then."
"Ralph! Another round for the good doctor here?" Derek called out, over his shoulder. "She's gonna fix me up if my shoulder starts acting up, again."
"Is that right?" The older gentleman smiled kindly. "Well, Miss Doctor it's a pleasure to have you on the squad, then."
"Thank you," She couldn't help but blush. She felt an elbow in her side with a snicker. "Oh! Mr. Shepherd, this is my roommate, Cristina Yang."
"It's a pleasure," He smiled, tilting his head to the side. "Although, your friend here had got to stop calling me by my father's name."
"Oh, good luck with that one."