They returned from the beach. She got ready for dinner without hearing a peep from the guys. Brushing it off, she picked up the phone and called next door.
"Hello?" Nina's voice came.
"Nina? It's Mer."
"Oh, hey Mer. Have they driven you up a wall?"
She rolled her eyes. "If I say yes, can they move out?"
She laughed. "No."
Meredith sighed. "You know, what you're doing is torture. They hate me and you're torturing me."
She laughed again. "Oh, you'll live. What can I do for you Mer?"
"I need to know where we're going for dinner."
"Dress nice. It's a surprise."
"Nice as it…"
"Guys wear suits, Gals wear dresses. You have a dress there right?"
"Yep." She sighed. "Why are we going somewhere fancy?"
"You'll see…"
"So it's a secret."
"Of course. See you soon, Mer."
"Uh-huh." She hung up and sighed. "Tons of fun."
She threw the door to her closet open and began looking through the clothes. She decided on a simple black spaghetti strap dress that had a little diamond rhinestone design near the top. Grabbing her black heels with diamond rhinestone on one of the straps, she threw her things on the bed and went to get ready.
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They were watching a woman's volleyball match on TV. Each looking less than thrilled to be going out to dinner in suits.
"I feel like a geek." Derek said undoing his jacket for the sixth time.
"Ugh." Preston groaned. "Must you two complain constantly?"
They looked at each other and nodded. "Yeah pretty much." They said in unison.
"You can't say you're not having high school prom flashbacks." Mark said. "Strike that. I got laid that night. Today we're going out with out families, the Webbers, and Meredith Grey."
"Do you think faking a heart attack will get us out of this?" Derek asked.
"Trust me. I would try if I didn't think we would be revived to come back to this hell they're calling a trip." Mark said.
The tapping of her heel against the wooden stairs barely stalled their conversation. She was on her cell phone talking to Christina in her dress and heels. Her hair was in soft curls and her make-up was done softly.
"These shoes are going to kill me by the end of tonight."
"You think you have it rough?" She snapped back. "Daddy Thompson wants me and Mother-Dearest to go to some stupid ass charity function. I mean, I'm all for charity and everything, but why the hell do I have to go listen to some old guys standing around fake-laughing at crap ass jokes in hopes to impress my stupid step-father."
"Daddy Thompson? Seriously?"
"You expect me to call him Daddy. Let's get one thing straight. He might be my mother's new play thing in bed and he might send me shit, but that man is no way my father."
"But Thompson?"
"It's better than Melvin."
Meredith laughed as she crossed the living room not noticing the guys' shocked stares.
