I'm sorry it took so long. Life, as usual, got in the way. But, I've got to say: It's good to be back! Anyway, on with show!
*****
Ashley turned back around to her friends and she subconsciously shifted a little closer to Mark. He immediately noticed the change in her behavior and wrapped a protective arm around her, never looking at the man by the bar.
"You want to get out of here?", Mark whispered into her ear.
She nodded, her face a whiter shade of pale, her fingers gripping his thigh tightly.
Both Meredith and Derek noticed something was off, but decided not to bring it up. Seconds later, Mark spoke up.
"Okay guys, we're getting out of here".
Both Meredith and Derek nodded. "We'll come with you", Meredith added.
Together they stood up and walked towards the exit.
"Ashley, wait!", the guy from the bar called out as he ran up to them.
Before Mark could led her out of Joe's, Ashley spun around, eyes blazing with anger.
"What the hell do you want?", she asked him, sounding anything but nice.
"To talk. You could have known if you would have read any of my e-mails.", he replied.
She rolled her eyes.
"There's nothing to talk about. I told you before, the only time I want to see your face is when you bring me the papers. Signed!", she told him, before turning her attention back to her friends. "Let's get the hell out of here".
"But we need to try to work this out. Make a fresh start with a clean slate", he tried.
"Look, jackass", Mark interrupted, "she doesn't want to talk to you. Be a man, suck it up and just stay the hell away from her". The last part came out rather violently. Without another word Mark wrapped his arm around Ashley and signaled to his friends to walk through the exit. When they reached the parking lot, the four of them said their goodbyes before getting into two separate cars and driving to their own destination.
*****
30 minutes later Derek and Meredith arrived home. They stepped out of the car, locked the doors and made their way into the dark house. While Meredith lit some of the lights, Derek grabbed a bottle of white wine from the fridge and took two glasses from the cabinet before making his way back to the living room.
"So, who do you think that guy back at Joe's was?", Meredith asked Derek.
He shrugged. "I have no idea, he certainly looked like a New Yorker, but I haven't seen him around".
"Well," Meredith replied, "she'll tell us when she's ready. I just hope she's okay".
"Mark's with her, he'll make sure she's fine", Derek assured her.
*****
When Mark and Ashley left the parking lot of Joe's both of them knew they weren't going home just yet. Instead Mark drove his car towards the docks. When he arrived at the designated spot, he put the car in park and turned off the engine. The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, before Mark spoke up.
"Who was that guy, Ash?", he asked her gently.
She turned her head to look at him. There was a lot of sadness in her eyes and something that could only be described as completely and utterly lost.
She cleared her throat, before speaking softly.
"His name's Jason. Jason Winters. I met him not long after you left New York. He's a son of one of the associates that works with my father. We met at a business diner, one of the few I just had to attend".
She paused for a few moments, before continuing.
"We started talking and actually hit it off perfectly. So we decided to meet for diner the next evening. Everything went fine, we saw each other quite often and he really made me feel special. But now, all of that's changed. He really isn't the man I thought he was", she finished, all the while fidgeting with the buttons on her shirt, playing with her hands like she was incredibly nervous.
"Well, he really sounds like a jackass", he told her as he tried to lighten her spirit.
She tried to smile, but it didn't look to convincing. Mark instantly felt there was something she hadn't told him yet.
"Ash, anything else you'd like to share?", he asked her lightly.
Her eyes widened in shock and her breathing hitched.
"Come on, you know you can tell me anything", Mark pushed gently, knowing she would feel a lot better after she told him.
She looked down, kept her gaze at her hands. She then took a deep breath before speaking up.
"We're married".
TBC!