a/n: This chapter is just to wrap up Boston. I still tried to make it somewhat entertaining, so I hope that you enjoy it! Thanks again for all the Reviews, favorites and follows. Please continue if you enjoy the story.
Derek pulled the pink phone out of his pocket and bounced it around in his hand for a moment. The caller ID read Dev. He tried to suppress his urge to pick up the phone, but he wasn't great at denying his instincts.
"Yeah" he said over aggressively.
"Who is this and why are you answering my girlfriend's phone?" Dev spat back on the other end.
"Oh c'mon mate you know who this is. No need for pleasantries. Just save us both the time, and hassle. Stop calling this phone!" Derek smirked as he was sure he got under the young man's skin. He hung up the phone before Dev even had a chance to respond.
Derek was pleased with himself for the moment. But the splendor was short lived. Derek had only just begun his night by telling a woman that he had no intentions of being with, that they could "work on things". He had no idea what Karen would think if she knew about this. He was sure that she had to recognize their chemistry too. Or maybe it was all in his head. Of course it was. How could Karen a young, beautiful, blossoming starlet fall for her older womanizing director. Sure plenty of other women did, but Karen was not like other women. And she would never degrade herself for anyone.
Unexpectedly Derek found himself missing Karen's presence. The way she smiled, her laughter, and that adorable confused look she did whenever someone was talking to her about a foreign subject. Derek had to see her. He knew that she would be in the hotel bar with the ensemble. They had big plans to celebrate Karen's successful preview, especially since the last performance was overshadowed by Ivy.
Derek went back into his room to change out of his hospital visiting gear and into something more reasonable. He chose a pair black slacks and a gray Georgio Armani button up shirt. He looked smooth, he grabbed the matching suit coat for added style. He looked himself over in the mirror; he didn't want to appear frumpy, as Karen would put it.
He walked into the bar expecting it to be a quite intimate scene, but he was wrong. Anywhere that had a musical ensemble and drinks would be rowdy. At that it was. Jessica was standing on the bar singing, horribly off key with a margarita in one hand, and attempting to pull Karen up with the other. Karen looked amazing. She was wear a skin tight purple mini dress that cut low in her cleavage, yet left much for the eyes to desire. Her hair was lying soft against her bare back, and her skin seemed to be glowing. She was beautiful.
Eventually Karen was persuade to join Jessica on the makeshift stage. She began singing a rendition of Shania Twain Man! I Feel Like a Woman. From the moment she said let's go girls Derek's eyes were locked on to her.
The girls need a break-tonight we're gonna take
The chance to get out on the town
We don't need romance-we only wanna dance
We're gonna let our hair hang down
The best thing about being a woman
Is the prerogative to have a little fun
Derek cuddled a scotch that he gotten from the bar, while watching Karen sway her hips on the bar. Men were throwing rather large tips on the stage for the girls as the performed sexual nuances in routine form. Karen had to have had quadruple as many drinks as the last time she was in the bar with Derek. The influence of the ensemble couldn't have help much either.
Karen locked eyes with Derek in time to sing the final words of the Karaoke tune. She sang directly to him, and it seemed as if everyone in the bar disappeared.
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a woman!
I get totally crazy
Can you feel it
Come, come, come on baby
I feel like a woman
Derek devoured every word she sung in her sweet and sassy seduction. Karen was dancing on a bar and singing to him about her inhibitions and finally feeling like a woman. What could be a better way to see Karen? He wanted to carry her across his chest bridal style back to his room and make love to her all night. She looked as if she longed for him too, but her smile abruptly turned into a frown. Derek couldn't understand what he did wrong. The he felt a small hand on his shoulder. He turned to his side to see Ivy standing very close beside him, marking her territory. She was smiling but he could feel the venom seeping from her eyes, shooting darts at Karen.
"I thought you were going home Ivy, you shouldn't be in a bar." Derek responded dryly he wasn't at all happy to see her.
"I am not an addict Derek. I can be in a bar. Besides….Tom and Sam thought it would be a good idea if I came down to say goodbye to everyone." She responded cheerfully.
"Go home Ivy, now." Derek scolded at her. He didn't want anything to do with her at the moment. He now realized that what said to her was a big mistake.
"Okay. Okay." She said throwing her hands up in defense.
"Look who finally decided to come to the party!" Bobby yelled to Derek in passing.
"Very well" Derek responded with a nod.
He tried to look back at Ivy, but he noticed that Karen was hastily exiting the bar. Derek looked back at Ivy, and then the trail that Karen was blazing.
"Ivy I'll talk to you later." Derek said barely brazing her cheek with a kiss.
He followed Karen's trail out of the small bar making his way through the crowd. When he got to the elevator she was nowhere to be found. He figured he would just got to her room, there weren't many other places to go in Boston at one in the morning.
When he reached her room he knocked softly expecting her to open the door in her purple dress and her body to be calling out to his. But when she opened the door she had on pink pajama pants and a black tank top. Derek didn't know how she could've changed so fast.
"Hey" she said softly. He could imagine that she was tired.
"Ms. Cartwright. You move quite fast don't you?" Derek attempted to make small talk.
Karen leaned against her door frame and starred at him.
"Anyways….I just want to give you back your phone." He said handing over her phone.
"Thanks, I had forgotten all about it." Karen said dryly.
"You were really good tonight. You take notes very well." Derek joked with her.
"I am just doing what you tell me." Karen replied shortly.
"Are you okay?" Derek inquired noting her short tone.
"Fine" Karen said snappy.
They stood in silence for a moment until Karen said "So you and Ivy are okay now?"
Her words caught Derek off guard; he didn't know what to say. "Um….yeah. Well have a goodnight Karen."
Derek leaned in to kiss her on the forehead, but she avoided his attempt and began to close her door. Derek wasn't even able to flash a smile.
He turned away from Karen's door feeling empty, and somewhat upset. Had she given him the cold shoulder because of Ivy? But that would mean that she was feeling something between them too.
Now Derek was stuck in a dilemma because of the choices that he made thus far.
He began to walk down the hallway when he heard Karen call out behind him.
"Do you think you want to come in for a while." She said with a smile. She was obviously as drunk as he originally believed she was.
"Are you sure that is a good idea Ms. Cartwright." Derek responded.
"I just want to talk you perv!" she laughed at him.
Derek was fascinated at how fast her anger seemed to fall from her features.
"Karen if I come in that room with you flaunting all of your curves in that skimpy tank top, I might not make it to the conversation." Derek was being very forward.
"So are you saying that you are not capable of having a conversation with woman without a fawning over her." She teased.
"A woman yes. You, not at all." He began rubbing his forehead at the thought.
"So does that mean I am not a woman?" She questioned.
"Oh bloody hell Karen, you know how much of a woman I think you are. I just don't want to do anything that would ever hurt you. And sleeping with you at this point would hurt you." Derek was being as honest as he knew how to be.
"I am giving you permission Derek. I am a big girl, I know exactly what I am saying. So, are you coming or not?" Karen smiled at him.
"Darling, I am going to have to pass." Derek said and turned down the hallway immediately. His resolve wasn't as strong as he pretended. Karen was inviting him into a no strings attach night of fantasies and ecstasy, and he had to turn her down. She was offering what he'd dreamed so many nights, for the second time, and he had to say no. It seemed like suddenly his life was filled with intense choices.