Thanks for the reviews so far. I realize again I am testing some touchy waters with some of the subject matter here, so please hang in there!

Gotta love Alex though - seriously, I intended the character to be Cristina, but it just seemed to work better when I changed to Alex. I'm glad you like it too!

So this chapter picks up with the rest of Derek's appointment, and also introduces the nasty Jack...who will turn out to be someone from Derek's past. Let me know what you think!

Chapter Four - She's engaged to him...?

"I'm so sorry about that," Meredith apologized, returning to Derek's side after a few moments. "I hope you weren't too uncomfortable." She seemed a little breathless, a little shake in her voice as she started the water running again.

"It's no problem," Derek assured her. "Bad phone call?"

Meredith took a deep breath, calming herself. "No, it's nothing. Now, we were talking about your career - tell me the names of the movies you've done, maybe I've seen them on late night cable or something," Meredith urged, as she rinsed his hair clean, and started to dry it with a soft scented towel. Derek shifted back to a sitting position, enjoying the feel of her fingers kneading his scalp, as she leaned in against him.

"I'd rather not," he chuckled half-heartedly, moving easily to his feet and following her back to her station. Some of the movies he was doing lately were so bad, he winced every time he saw the titles on his resume. Too many nearly soft-core porn films, dressed up as action adventure. Not that he was a prude, and he worked hard to keep his body toned, but he would rather have something with more substance.

"Oh come on, Derek. I've been working in this city a long time now, and I know things aren't always Oscar-worthy, but you have to pay the bills. You can tell me," she said with a little wink, settling him in, and whipping a cape over his shoulders. She rested her hands on his shoulders and their eyes met in the mirror. Meredith felt an involuntarily shiver go down her spine, as they considered each other. Something in the deep blue of his eyes made her pause, seeing something there that she wasn't expecting. She jerked her hands away, sending her bracelets tinkling as she went to pick up her scissors, ignoring the twinge in her wrist as she did so.

"All right," Derek sighed. "I'll tell you – but promise not to laugh."

Meredith smirked, regaining her composure. "Cross my heart…"

"Funny you say that – the first movie was called 'Take my Heart', followed after that by 'Boys Love Girls'. Followed by several others I'm absolutely not willing to mention..."

Meredith paused in cutting his hair, considering. "Hmm…well, can't say that I caught those. I'll have to check at the video store next time…"

Derek felt oddly relieved she hadn't seen them. "Do yourself a favor, and don't. Besides, they probably don't even have them in stock, they're so bad."

"But you did well though, didn't you say?"

"At first, but I was too young to know what I was getting into, and I blew it. I was just having a good time."

"I bet you looked really cute," Meredith teased him, critically assessing her work as she talked. "All this hair…"

"Don't even go there. I shudder every time I look at any of those old movies. Seriously, Meredith, it was not pretty." Derek felt relaxed talking to her, giving himself over to her soft touch, and the sounds of the salon buzzing around them in the background. Continuing to talk easily, her words and her infectious little giggle punctuating their conversation, until she reached for the blow dryer. Derek suddenly realized she was nearly finished, and he didn't want the time to end.

Meredith found herself taking her time, drying his hair, having enjoyed their conversation as well. He was so charming, and self-deprecating, unlike the majority of men she met. A glance at his left hand indicated no wedding band, but then she chided herself for looking. Jack was her fiancé, she had no business checking out the marital status of her client – albeit a handsome, sexy, blue-eyed devil of a client, but still, it wasn't like her to be interested in someone she just met.

She studied her handiwork, and worked some styling product into his hair, instructing him on what she was doing, and what he could buy to get the same results. When she was finished, she spun him around to face the mirror, handing him a small mirror to check the back of his head. Derek grinned appreciatively, running a hand through his now shorter, more styled, locks. "You are magic, Meredith," he said, his eyes twinkling at her. "I'm never trusting my hair to anyone but you."

Meredith couldn't help but giggle, as she removed the cape and shook out the stray pieces of hair onto the floor, joining the little heaps of black curls already there. Derek stood up and turned to her happily. "Seriously, Meredith, you have no idea how happy this makes me."

"I think I can tell," Meredith grinned back at him, as they headed towards the front of the salon. "Just do what I told you, and use the products, and you'll do great." She handed over a selection of bottles, as the receptionist tallied up the charges. Derek tried not to wince at the final total, handing over his credit card. Hopefully this wouldn't send his card into critical overload, but at that point, he didn't care how much it cost. It was worth every penny.

Meredith held out her hand. "Will I see you again?" she asked softly, feeling his hand tighten around hers, like he didn't want to let her go. "I mean, you should rebook now…"

"Of course, Meredith. I told you, my hair is in your hands from now on." He flashed her a grin that seemed so innately sensual, as if he had no idea the effect on women. Even the receptionist seemed a little under his spell, as she flipped through the book, setting up the next appointment for Derek quickly, handing over his reminder card with a wink.

"Good…I look forward to seeing you then, Derek. Good luck with the auditions." Meredith leaned forward, intending to kiss his cheek, as she often did with her clients when they left. "Oh, you have a bit of hair…" she murmured, noticing a strand of black caught at the corner of his mouth. She reached over to brush it away, just as Derek put his hand up to do the same thing. Their fingers collided and she ended up sliding her finger along his bottom lip.

"Sorry…" he mumbled, shocked at the light touch that sent another arc of desire through him. Meredith flushed, and dropped her hand quickly, her eyes darting to someone entering the salon behind Derek. A little waver in her expression made Derek turn as well, wondering what caused the anxiety in her face.

"Jack…you're early," she said, as the other man took her into a hug.

"I wrapped up my meeting faster than I thought, and I hoped you would be ready," he said solicitously, touching her cheek possessively. Then Derek sucked his breath in – that voice, he knew that voice. And with a sick feeling, he realized he knew the man who was so possessive of Meredith. It was none other than his estranged half-brother, Jack Archer. Their eyes met and cold recognition flared between them, as Jack slowly released Meredith. He kept one hand at the small of her back, as if holding her in place beside him.

"Well, look who's in town," Jack drawled, sweeping his cool gaze over Derek, making him feel insignificant.

"Jack," Derek muttered tersely, eyeing the man he hadn't seen in ten years. There was a touch of gray at the temples, and a few more wrinkles fanning from his eyes, but otherwise Jack looked the same – arrogant, cocksure, and cool. His designer suit was perfect, the shirt crisp, his tie muted. The black hair that was similar to Derek's was cropped close to his head to control the curls, and he had grown a small moustache and goatee. He was a harder, more polished version of Derek, his blue eyes lighter and cooler.

Meredith eyed Jack and then Derek, confused. "You know each other?"

"Derek is my brother."

"Half-brother," Derek corrected automatically. "My mother married his father after his first wife died..."

"What?" she choked out finally. "I didn't realize you had any family…" Looking at Jack in confusion.

Jack smiled thinly. "Oh, we're not close, are we Derek? It's been what…ten years since you took off after our parents died?"

"Yeah," Derek murmured, feeling like a slob next to his older brother's impeccable appearance. He should have known that Meredith would be involved with someone – he just never expected it to be his own brother. And he had no right to be jealous either, thinking guiltily of Morgan for the first time since he'd walked through the doors.

"Well, don't let us keep you…" Jack murmured snidely. "I'm sure you have important things to do - movie star that you are and all..."

"Yeah, sure," Derek said, as Jack turned without another word and led Meredith away, her elbow firmly in his grasp.

"Isn't he great?" the receptionist purred. "He owns 'Moonglow' – the new hot place to eat in Malibu," she replied, happy to keep talking to Derek. "He's crazy about Meredith. They got engaged on her birthday last month – you should just see the rock he gave her. It's huge…" she confided. Then the phone beside her trilled and she turned away from him reluctantly. Derek backed away, the bag with the hair products clutched in his hand.

She's engaged, you idiot, he thought angrily, as he made it to his car and threw himself in behind the wheel. Off limits, taken…just your hair stylist, nothing more…any connection you may have thought was happening was just her job. Still, the feel of her fingers against his lips had seemed to be a shock to her as well, before the arrival of his brother. His fucking brother…how ironic, Derek snorted to himself. Trust Jack to get the perfect woman. Derek gunned the car and leaped into traffic, unmindful of the irritated glares and blaring horns he was receiving from the other drivers on the road.