Meredith had worked every night that first week and was just thankful that this Friday she'd have off. Time to just sit at home and lounge in we pajamas was all she really wanted. Maybe she'd reread Pride & Prejudice again. Meredith stretched as she got out of bed and dragged herself to the shower.
After making herself looks from a tried and messy bear with bad bed hair, she finally looked like an actual human and went off to the kitchen, to her surprise Jaime was already up and ready and making breakfast surprisingly.
"Hey Jaime, you sure are up early," Meredith commented.
"Of course I am! It's a special day today! I just had to make my friend breakfast!" Jaime had replied cheerfully placing a stack of pancakes on a plate and sliding it I front of Meredith.
"Special day?"
"Your date tonight! And you're not skipping out!" Jaime said noticing that groan about to come out of Meredith as she sat down at the counter. "Look Meredith, it's been what, 4 months since Darren? You've gotta get back out there! I'm not telling you have to marry him! Just one date! Besides Brian's a really nice guy." Jaime said pleading with her roommate.
"Fine," Meredith said and sighed. "I'll do it," she knew if she didn't just accept Jaime would just keep pestering her until she broke finally. Meredith started in on the pancakes. "Thank you for the pancakes, by the way."
"It was my pleasure," Jaime replied with a smile.
Meredith was pushed out of the can by her friends later that night, much to her displeasure.
"Have fun!" Jaime said out the window.
"Use protection!" Lauren added behind Jaime. Meredith gave an obverse gesture, fixed her dress then watched as they drove off. She really did not want to be doing this tonight. She only hoped that her roommates would also hold up their end of the agreement by not spying on her.
Meredith entered the restaurant feeling terribly uncomfortable and told the hostess that she was meeting someone. Much to her pleasure, he was already there, and for the life of her Meredith could not remember her dates name.
She put on a smile however and thought happy thoughts as she walks towards the unknown with the waitress. She had no idea about this guy, and her anxiety was slowly spiking. Upon, arriving at their destination however, her smile quickly was whipped from her face.
"Uhm you're sure this is right?" Meredith whispered, looking at her new date who was reading the menu.
"Positive." The lady had said with a smile, with that she left.
Meredith turned around guessing she could skip out quick when he looked up. Staring up at her was none other than Brian, who had the biggest grin on his face. "Oh this is great. I was not expecting this," Brian had said laughing to himself softly.
"This is ridiculous, did you really set all of this up? " Meredith said shaking her head biting her lip. She didn't quiet understand what was with Brian and him not knowing the word no.
"You think I set this up?" Brian had asked surprised. "Hey, I was told about this on Sunday, I met you on Monday. Besides, my friends set me up on this thing. I had no idea what to expect."
Meredith rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Whatever, I can't do this anyway." Meredith said and she started to leave.
Brian had stood up quickly and grabbed her hand, "Just give me one chance," he pleaded. "I mean, it's one dinner. It's not gonna kill you, besides, I'm paying," he said with a small smirk and let go of her.
It was hard for her to resist a paid Dinner, especially at a nice place like this. Meredith sighed then sat down.
"See you're fine!" Brian said with a smile, surprisingly getting a small laugh out of his new table mate.
It wasn't actually too far away until many more laughs were coming from the two together. Surprisingly enough Meredith was having a great time. Better than he thought, and had found out loads about Brian.
Brian on the other hand, was still amazed she was sitting there. He was absolutely having the time of his life. It wasn't often he actually went out on dates, and hope Meredith was having a good time. She certainly looked that way at least.
"Does it look like they're having fun?" Lauren whispered to Jaime from behind a menu about 6 tables away from the two.
Jaime had peaked around hers to look at them, then leaned back over at Lauren. "Yes. In fact I think they're having a great time." Jamie added.
"That's wonderful," Joey had spoken up from next to her at the table. "Are you going to eat your food?" He asked grabbing and taking the menus from his girlfriend's hands and smiling at her.
"Oh yeah!" Jaime said looking down at her burger. "Sorry, it's just exciting you know?"
"No I get it," Joey said still smiling. "I mean I guess it's cool seeing Brian out on a date, I mean he tries so hard most of the time but never gets them."
"They were kind of weird in the beginning though, did you see that?" Joe pointed out from next to Lauren.
"Yeah, it was like they knew each other or something," Lauren mused.
"Well that doesn't seem to matter anymore, they're having a great time, Jaime pointed out.
"Yeah," Joey nodded in agreement. "But for now, how about we just drop it, and enjoy our meal, huh?" Joey suggested with a smile.
"That works perfectly for me," Jaime agreed then started in on her food.
Back at the table Brian just couldn't seem to get enough of Meredith's smile, her laugh, just her everything. The dinner came out soon and went and they were still talking.
Things did get quiet for a moment, that's when Brian decided to ask her the question that was burning in him. "Can I just ask you, why you didn't go out with me when I asked before?"
"That's a whole different story, that-that I don't think I'd like to get in I right now," she said politely as she could. Not on the first date was she about to go in to her relationship issues. "It's got nothing to do with you though," She reassured him. Okay, well maybe that was a lie, but she wasn't about to tell him that. "Why'd you ask me out if you knew you'd have a date tonight?" She then added quickly countering his question, and took a drink from her wine glass.
Brian wasn't sure he totally believed that, but still was intrigued nonetheless about why it was she said no still. "Because, I had no idea what I was walking in to here. If I you had said yes, then I knew I would've been going out with a beautiful girl." He said and gave her a smile.
Meredith nodded, trying not to blush, "I see," she said then bit her lip. She clicked on her phone under the table and glanced at the time. "Shit," she muttered.
"What's wrong?" Brian asked immediately hoping it wasn't something he did.
"Nothing," Meredith said shaking her head. "My friends just told me they'd pick me up at 9:30 and I have about 5 minutes." She said and twisted to grab her purse, "I really am sor-" she said looking up and spotting two giggling girls, and their boyfriends. "Unbelievable." She said, shaking hear head laughing slightly.
"Okay, what's wrong this time?" Brian said leaning forward.
"I told Lauren and Jaime not to spy, and there they are." She said jerking her thumb over at the table. "What a great pair of roommates."
"I guess that goes double," Brian said looking over at the table as well.
"Wait, do you live with Joe and Joey?" She asked cocking her head to the side. She had no idea. She thought it was just the two of them.
"As of two months ago I do. They needed a bigger place, I had know them from theatre, so they moved in with me." Brian said then quickly had payed the check when it arrived.
Meredith nodded, "Well they're definitely getting their asses whipped tonight, they promised me they wouldn't be here," she said standing up.
"Woah you're not really going to do that, are you? What's so bad about it anyway?"
"Brian, calm down, I wasn't serious," she said then laughed. "But I am thinking of scaring them a little." She sad and winked at him.
Meredith prowled towards the table where he friends sat and crouched down besides the two girls. "Is the target enjoying herself?" She whispered to Which both of the girls responded yes, taking only a brief moment from their desperate conversations to answer. After a second they both realized then turned and looked over at Meredith in horror. "Hi there," she said with a smile. "You guys aren't very good spies." She commented before standing up.
Before her roommates could give an explanation she walked over to Brian and grabbed his hand, "I don't think I'll be needing a ride home," She said with a mischievous smile before walking off and pulling Brian along with her. Only glancing back to give a wink and catching the sight of them with their mouths open.
Brian honestly was surprised at the whole thing but just went along with it the whole thing and waved goodbye to his friends who obviously were as stunned as their girlfriends.
Brian followed as Meredith dragged him outside and on to the breezy and busy streets of Chicago in the evening who the released his hand right away. "Sorry about that," She breathed out. "Uhm, I guess I'm kind of dumping this on you now, and probably should've run this by, but do you think you could give me a ride home?" She asked going back to awkwardness and scratched the back of her neck.
"Oh uh yeah sure," Brian said delayed and nodded slightly. He wasn't sure why but already he was missing her holding his hand. "Can I ask what that was all about?" He said still confused about everything.
"Just dumb playing around," and bushed the question out of the way. "Really I'm sure they expected me to hate tonight, and then they'll get home be all cocky and then that's when the truth will come out," she said and shrugged.
Brian nodded then froze, was she saying she didn't actually have a good time? He didn't bother to ask her, Brian devices it would be better to push it away. "Alright, I see," he said as he started walking with her to where he had parked that night.
The drive to Meredith's was just and enjoyable as the dinner. There was something about her, when she wasn't actually ignoring her, they were laughing and having a good time. Something Brian hadn't had in awhile.
It wasn't long until thy had arrived back at her apartment, "Thank you so much," Meredith said as Brian opened the door for her. "Really I had a great time," She said and smiled at Brian.
Brian relaxed a bit, knowing she had had good time. The apace between them seemed to get smaller. Brian leaned in about to go for the kiss when suddenly she had pulled away, "Well I had a great time," Meredith said and looked down and away from him. "I'll see you late then," She said and scooted away from him and headed back towards the entrance to her building. "Bye, Brian," she said giving him a wave before disappearing.
Brian smiled then waved back ," Yeah see you later!" She soon as she disappeared from sight however her kicked his tire and rubbed the back of his neck. He had really messed that one up.
Around an hour later Meredith headed the door open as her two best friends shuffled in whispering. Meredith who was seated on the couch, reason her book, looked up just as the girls had laid eyes on her. "Welcome home," she said looking up at her friends with a huge smile.
"Hi, Mere-" Lauren had started. She knew what was coming, anytime Meredith was mad it started out pleasant then quickly had turned ugly.
"You guys promised me you would spy!" Meredith quickly shouted as she stood up before Lauren could say another word.
"We weren't spying-!" Jaime tried butting in.
"Weren't spying? I asked you if the target was enjoying herself to which you both replied yes! When ever I'm out with the either of you, spying on the other you guys always insist on talking like that!" Meredith pointed out to which the girls seemed to have no sudden response.
"We just wanted to make sure you were having a good time!"
"I was having a good time," Meredith said sincerely, "You guys don't need to be there for me." She fumed. "I can take care of myself."
"I'm sorry we just thought after Darren-"
"Please, just enough with Darren. It happened, and it's over. Can we just stop talking about him."
"You're the one that keeps moping over him and bringing him up as an excuse!" Jaime had continued.
"Okay, girls let's just calm down," Lauren quickly interjected. "Yes it was wrong what Jaime and I did, after we promised we would."
"Everyone had promised," Meredith reminded Lauren. "After the incident with Joe and You."
"Oh yeah, well still, it wasn't all bad though, I mean we're still together." Lauren pointed out. "That not even what this is about, Meredith, we were just looking out for you." Lauren said.
"Looking out for me? You're the ones who set me up with Brian!" She said laughing softy.
"We know, but still, We didn't want you to leave, Plus we know Brian can come off a little strong sometimes," Lauren added.
"Yeah I know," Meredith mumbled and rolled her eyes with a slight smile.
Jaime raised her eyebrows, "I feel like there's something you're not telling us, Meredith. About you and Brian."
With that Lauren sprang in to the conversation as well, "Yeah! You nearly walked out on him in the beginning!"
"Oh that," Meredith said and rubbed the back of her neck. "I work with Brian you see. He'd just asked me out before and I said no."
"Meredith! Why didn't you say yes? You need to get back out there!"
"Unless you forgot I was on a date this evening I have been getting back out there!" Meredith counter stuck. "Besides I didn't say I was ready to start dating again."
"Did you enjoy the date anyways? You're not gonna have to quit your job are you?" Jaime quickly asked.
"Of course she did, did you see the look on their faces when they left, I only hoped they cleaned up after," Lauren said before Meredith could interject.
"Oh my god, I did not have sex with him on the first date! I didn't even let him kiss me!" Meredith defended herself.
"You didn't let him kiss you?" Jaime and Lauren said almost in unison.
"Meredith! He probably thinks you don't like him now. You do like him don't you?" Jaime questioned
Meredith bit her lip, "Well yeah, kinda. I mean I guess so. I don't know" she said with a shrug, there was no way she was about to admit it even to herself if she did like him.
"You don't know? How do you not know?"
"I-I'm not sure! I just don't!" Meredith said nearly stomping her foot. She knew that this would just continue back ad forth all night. Something she wasn't ready for nor wanted. She just wanted to sleep. In the morning the whole thing would blowover. "I'm just going to go to bed," she said and left before either of them could interject.
Meredith grabbed Spike from atop her bed then set the cat outside of her room. She wasn't in a cuddling mood either. Just a sleeping one.
A/N: read my others authors note in the chapter I your confused and I have terrible continually if you noticed, I am going to make it 4 months since Darren. I keep changing it everytime ah forgive me. And I've been on my phone for like past week and it'll continue so it'll be awhile until I can change the Denise over to Lauren and such. Thanks for reading!