-1Chapter 9
I can't believe I'm doing this, sure it's not like I haven't been inside the ladies room at Joe's before but this is for a completely different reason. I push open the stall doors one by one looking for her. Of course she would be in the last one, she is crouched down with her head leaning against the wall; her eyes closed.
"I must admit, this is surprisingly pretty hot." She looks up at me, clearly not amused. "Come on, lets get you home Cinderella." I say to her trying not to smirk.
"You're such an asshole."
Before I knew what I was saying, it was already flying out of my mouth.
"Yeah, but that's what you love about me."
I am an asshole. I'm sure by the way she is looking at me she is thinking about the last words she said to me before I left. 'I can't believe I ever loved you, you're the biggest ass I have ever met in my life!' It's all I can hear in my head.
"Yang and Grey are waiting for us."
"Where are Lexie and Olivia?" She asks me as I hold her hair back.
"They left about two hours ago, you know back when I said we should go home."
I watch as she reaches into the steady stream of water to splash her face.
"I've got to lie down, I feel dizzy."
"I'll get us a cab back to the hotel."
"I'm not going to the hotel tonight, I'm going home."
Suddenly I'm not in such a hurry.
"We'll go back to Meredith's."
Who said that? Oh crap it was me.
What the hell am I doing? I can't go back there.
"Alex, are you coming?"
She turned back to me and the bathroom door flung open, a woman in her mid thirties hesitated as she saw me leaning on the sink.
"Oh, sorry….I didn't know it was uh…occupied."
I'm sure it's not everyday she walks in on a couple in the bathroom doing god knows what? I'll admit the thought did cross my mind, but can you blame me? Look at her, she's still hot. The only thing is we aren't a couple, not even close to it. Before I can correct the woman's mistake, she has already backed out of the room.
When we both walk back into the bar I notice Joe is coming around the corner heading to the bathrooms.
"Oh hey guys, did you just come from the bathrooms?" He asks us.
"Yeah, why?" I ask.
"Tina, the new waitress said she thought someone was having sex in the…."
Joe's eyes widen as he looks from Izzie to me, I swear I can almost see a light bulb appear above his head as it dawns on him that we have been to the bathroom, together.
"It's not what it looks like." I reassure him.
"Uh huh." He shakes his head and a smile creeps across his face. He told me once that he thought Izzie and I belonged together and that I was an idiot, he was right about me being an idiot.
He doesn't believe me. Why should he? Like I said it's not like I haven't been inside the ladies room at Joe's before tonight.
"Where are Meredith and Cristina?" Izzie asks Joe, while I pay my tab.
"I called them a cab, they left ten minutes ago."
"What? They left without us?" The annoyance in her voice is evident.
"It's okay Iz, I'll call us a cab to take you to Meredith's and I'll see if Shepard can give me a ride to the hotel."
"Oh, they didn't go to Meredith's, they went to Cristina's apartment."
"Thanks Joe."
After calling a cab, Izzie and I wait outside for our ride. We are both too drunk to drive home but she is far worse off than I am.
The ride to the place I used to call home was a long one, not because of the distance but because it was a very quiet ride. She starred out the window all the way home, it started to rain just before we got into the cab. The droplets of water drizzling down the glass seem to have her mesmerized.
When we arrive, I pay the driver as she climbed the front steps. As he drives off, I hear her swear under her breath.
"What's the matter?" I ask her as I leap up the steps.
"My key, I don't have it."
"Where is it?"
"In my jacket."
"Where is your jacket?" I ask.
"In my car."
"Let me guess, your car is at the hospital?"
"Mark has my car; I left his at the hospital."
"Maybe Shepard is here."
I descend down the steps, my feet hitting every other one and jog around to the side of the house. All the lights are off and the back door is locked.
"Shit." Now what? It's too goddamned cold to stand out here until someone happens to come home.
"Alex, I have my cell phone!" She is standing in the driveway, soaked. "I'll call George and see if he can bring my keys."
"Good idea."
She dials the number and holds the phone to her ear.
"George, its Izzie….no….wait…George. Damn it!"
I can only assume she is calling him again as she repeats her actions.
"No….no, come on! Not now!"
"What's the matter?"
"George muttered something about talking to me tomorrow and hung up."
"So call him back."
"I can't, I tried but I can't!' She was yelling at me now.
"Why not?" I yelled back.
"My battery just died! We're going to freeze to death out here!"
I could tell she was shivering, her shirt was soaked through and her nipples were straining against the wet materiel. Her hair clung to her face, much like the way it looked after she showered, but I would have to tuck those memories away for now and try to find a way to get her warm and dry.