A/N: Thank you all for your comments! They really do give me inspiration to keep going. I'm glad you're all enjoying it so far! Sorry it's taken me so long to post another chapter - holidays are always a bit hectic. Happy 4th, by the way. Just a quick note: there's a text conversation near the beginning of the chapter. That's in single quotes, as opposed to regular conversation which is in double quotes. As always, please R&R!

"Mer, where were you last night?"

"I was at Joe's. We went together, remember?"

"Yeah, but you disappeared with McDreamy. So, how was he?"

"McDreamy?" Meredith asked confusedly.

"The one with the hair and the eyebrows. Sex on legs."

"Oh, Derek."

"Derek, McDreamy, whatever. His name isn't important. How was he?"

"Um…I don't know."

"You slept with him, right? Was he good? Because he looks like he'd be good."

"I didn't sleep with him, Cristina."

"That's a first," Cristina laughed. "What did you do? I heard some pretty weird noises coming from the bar."

"It's not important."

"It sounded important."

"Well, it wasn't, okay?"

"Okay, fine. So what's actually going on between you and McDreamy?" Cristina prodded. She had always been a nosy person, but she was good at keeping her own secrets.

"We're…um…I….we…"

"You're sure you didn't sleep with him? Because it really seems like you did."

"I didn't sleep with him, but, he…"

"He's seen you naked, hasn't he?" Cristina asked smugly.

"So has half of New York. I don't know why it's bugging me so much. I -"

Meredith was interrupted by three loud beeps from her phone. She sighed when she picked it up and saw who it was.

"It's him, isn't it?" Cristina asked. She sighed when a blush spread across Meredith's face. "What did he say?" she sighed.

"It's none of your business."

Cristina reached over and snatched the phone away from Meredith. "You gave me an idea," she read. She paused. "What the hell?"

"It's nothing."

"Everything's nothing. If it's nothing, it's not important. And if it's not important, it won't matter if you tell me. So, what the hell did you give him an idea about?"

"Give me my phone."

"Whatever it is, you must be pretty embarrassed. I've never seen you like this before."

"Just give me my phone." Meredith grabbed her phone back and looked at the message Derek sent her. 'You gave me an idea.'

'What is it?' Meredith texted back.

'You'll see. I'll pick you up at 8.'

'You don't know where I live.'

'Good point. Where do you live?'

Meredith laughed at Derek's comment. 'Stalker.'

'Stripper.'

'Good point.'

'So, where do you live?'

'Central Park,' she replied.

'In the park? I thought you were rich.'

'Yes, in the park. I like to get in touch with nature.'

'Really?'

'No. Near Central Park. I thought lawyers were supposed to be smart.'

'I'm very smart.'

'Whatever.'

'So, I'll meet you in Central Park at 8. Come alone.'

'That's not creepy.'

'I was kidding.'

'Whatever. Bye ." Meredith worried about putting the smiley face in. Was it too juvenile? Too immature?

'Bye.'

Meredith sighed a little at Derek's last message. She had been stupid to leave in the smiley. He probably just wanted to screw her. And now, he probably didn't even want to do that.

';-)'

A wide grin spread across Meredith's face as the wink popped up on her screen.

"Stop smiling. It's making me want to vomit," Cristina said.

"I, uh, wasn't smiling," Meredith responded quickly.

"You must really like this guy. I mean, he is sex on legs. But you're, like, happy and stuff."

"No, I'm not. He just, um, said something funny."

"Can I see?"

"No. I mean, it's not important. Inside joke, that sort of thing."

"I'm good at inside jokes."

"Really, it's not important. Don't you have to get to work?"

"You're just jealous because some of us have purposes in life. Like, working and stuff."

"Working? You spend five hours every Tuesday and Friday looking at gorgeous men."

"Yeah, but they're all obnoxious or gay. I swear, if I weren't such an amazing photographer, I'd stop working all together. I'd just come live with you and bask in your wealth."

"That's a lie. We both know it."

"I can dream, can't I?"

"You don't dream," Meredith laughed. Christina laughed too, almost spilling her drink on the couch.

"I probably should go. They can't pose themselves, God knows. Good luck with McDreamy." Christina picked up her camera bag and left Meredith's apartment.

Meredith sighed and flipped on a movie. 8 o'clock was a long way away.

x.x.x.x.x

"You're late."

"By two minutes!"

"You're late."

"Two minutes, Meredith."

"I'm standing in the middle of Central freaking Park in a minidress! I feel like an idiot!"

"I'll make it up to you."

"How?"

"You'll see." Derek grabbed Meredith's hand and walked her out of the park. "You look beautiful, by the way."

"Whatever."

They walked a short distance to a red brick building with a large blue neon sign hanging on it.

"Derek, this is a, um, gentleman's club."

"I dare you to dance here tonight," Derek said as he led her inside.

"What? Do you come here often?"

"I have to take my girls somewhere. Besides, this is amateur night."

"Your girls?"

"This is where I decide whether they're date worthy or not."

"Seriously?"

"No." They both laughed.

"So, do you agree or not?" Derek asked. As much as he wanted to win, he also really hoped that Meredith would say yes.

"I guess I have to. But I've never…well, that's a lie."

"You've pole danced before? I'm intrigued."

"In college, I wasn't exactly on good terms with my mom."

"Oooh…running out of mommy's money. But really. You were a pole dancer? That was your job? Then I take back my dare…amateur night is too easy."

"No! I mean, please don't. I broke my ankle during my first week on the job, so I never actually got a chance to practice. Amateur night is…good."

"Ouch. So my dare still stands."

"Do I get to refresh my memory? Or is it total guesswork?"

"I think you get to go backstage for a few minutes. You can't dance in…that."

Meredith looked down at her outfit. As much as she hated to admit it, Derek was probably right. "I thought I dressed appropriately, seeing as I had no idea I was going to be pole dancing!"

"Appropriate? Now you want to talk appropriate? If I recall correctly, you were naked, and on my lap, twelve hours ago."

Meredith laughed. "I guess anything they give me will be more appropriate than that. That wasn't too great."

"No, no. That was great. More of that, I say. But I think there are rules against that here. Quick, go sign up! If you don't get in, I might have to count that as not completing a dare. And you know what that would mean."

"Fine, fine. I'm going. Don't get your panties in a twist!"

"I'd rather get your panties in a twist," Derek murmured into Meredith's ear.

"That's too bad…I'm not wearing any," Meredith whispered back. She giggled at the intrigued look on Derek's face. Still laughing, she walked over to the sign up sheet. A heavily made-up woman grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her backstage.

Derek smiled to himself as he watched Meredith disappear. He was surprised with himself – he wasn't thinking about other girls. Every girl he was with, he would always notice other girls. But when he was with Meredith, he thought about her and her only. And that scared him.

x.x.x.x.x

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of the month again!"

The DJ paused for laughter, but only a few chuckles could be heard from the audience. "First, we'd like to welcome back a naughty little girl. She left us, ladies and gentlemen. But now she's back! Gentlemen, you know you haven't forgotten her. Give it up for Meredith!"

Meredith slunk slowly onto the stage, wearing a pair of lacy black panties and a matching bra. She also had a tiny bowtie around her neck, shirt cuffs around her wrists, and a pair of satiny black high heels.

Derek watched in amazement as she grabbed the pole and twisted herself around it, licking her lips and smiling. It looked like it was the most natural thing in the world to her. He found himself staring, jaw dropped, as she danced, twisted, and turned up, down, and around the pole, all the time with a wicked smile on her face. She arched herself back, twirling to make eye contact with Derek. She winked and lifted herself up again, pressing close to the pole. Slowly, she pulled herself up and down, keeping her eyes locked on Derek's. He was completely dumbfounded as he watched her. She was mesmerizing.

Men whistled and catcalled, throwing small bills onto the stage. Meredith crawled slowly to the front of the stage, giving them an ample view as she picked up the bills, one by one, and slid them into her tiny black bra. Making eye contact with Derek again, she silently urged him to throw some money onto the stage. Without letting his eyes leave Meredith's, he pulled out two bills from his wallet and placed them on the stage. Meredith took the first one and pushed it slowly into the top of her garter. She picked up the second one and ran it up and down her leg before slipping it into the front of her panties. Laughing to herself, she walked back to the pole and started dancing again. Derek found himself getting angrier and angrier with each catcall and whistle that came from the rest of the audience. His blood boiled as he realized that Meredith wasn't only dancing for him. There was a whole roomful of other men, all wanting her almost as much as he did. He watched, gritting his teeth, as other men walked up to the stage and placed more money in her garter and her bra. He silently clenched his fists as one man ran his hand up Meredith's thigh when he put a ten-dollar bill in her fishnet stockings.

x.x.x.x.x

Finishing her routine, Meredith licked her lips one more time before gradually letting go of the pole and slipping backstage again. She giggled to herself. This was just as easy as she remembered it to be. And she had made almost fifty dollars - not that she really needed it. When she walked back out, Derek quickly grabbed her arm.

"We're leaving," he said gruffly.

"What? Why?"

Suddenly, a man ran up to Meredith and grabbed her away from Derek. He was middle-aged, balding, and smelled like whiskey. "Hey, dollface," he slurred. "That was a greeaaat dance. You can practish on my pole any time you want." He reached out and tried to grope her breasts, but before Meredith could react, Derek punched the man straight in the nose. The man reeled back, clutching his hand to his nose. "Asshole," Derek grumbled before punching the man again. "Son of a bitch!" he yelled. The man was lying on the floor, still holding onto his nose.

"Let's go," Derek muttered to Meredith. She nodded, following him outside. "That's why we're leaving," Derek said.

"I, uh, thanks," Meredith said softly. They walked in silence, slowly heading back to Central Park. Meredith looked at Derek's hand, which was swelling from the punches he'd thrown earlier. She reached for his hand, but he withdrew it quickly. "Are you okay? I mean, your hand and all."

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Derek winced as he rubbed his knuckles.

"You're not fine. We're practically at my house already. I can get you some ice."

"No, really. I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Look, we're already here." Meredith walked up the stairs of a lavish apartment building. Reluctantly, Derek followed her inside. Meredith examined his hand as they waited in the elevator.

"You know, you don't have to do this," Derek said as the elevator dinged and they walked out. There was only one room on the whole floor.

"Yes, I do. You're my knight in shining whatever."

Meredith unlocked the door and walked in, leaving it open for Derek. He went in after her, admiring the lush furnishings inside. This was the apartment of an heiress – no mistake.

"Sorry about all of the stuff," Meredith yelled from the kitchen. "My friend Christina, she likes to make me buy stuff. Anything expensive. You can sit on the couch; I'll be there in a second."

Derek sat down on the leather couch, moving about ten throw pillows out of the way.

"So, did you have to borrow those panties?" he called to her.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased. She emerged from the kitchen, carrying a bag filled with ice cubes. "Does your hand still hurt?" she asked softly.

"Only here," Derek responded as he pointed to his knuckles. Meredith leaned down and kissed them, lightly sucking each individually. "Actually, I think it hurts a little here too," Derek said and pointed to his forehead. Meredith kissed his forehead, laughing a little. She laughed even more when Derek pointed to his cheek and said, "Here, too." She kissed his cheek gently. "And all along here," Derek whispered as he touched his finger to his lips. Meredith lightly licked across his lips, drawing a soft line with her tongue. Seizing the opportunity, Derek ran his fingers through Meredith's hair as he captured her lips in a searing kiss that left them both breathless.

"Any better?" Meredith whispered.

"Much," Derek whispered back. His lips found Meredith's again; softly prying them open with his tongue. A low moan escaped Meredith's lips when she felt Derek's hands roam up and down her body. This contest could turn out to be more fun than she thought.