Bright and Shiny

Chapter 54

"I may have been chasing a waitress around, but I remember it like yesterday. Meredith wanted me, but since I was occupied she settled on Derek." Mark joked while getting a glare from the married couple at the table.

"That's not quite how I remember it." Meredith fired back.

Meredith in her midnight indigo halter Gucci dress sat at her corner table staring at the good looking blue eyed, dark haired man in the red shirt sitting alone at the bar. Nursing a drink while waiting for his friend who had just ran off behind a waitress.

"Hello? Meredith? Earth to Meredith." A friend of hers giggled.

"What? I'm here." Meredith rolled her eyes while still staring at the man. Waiting to see if a girlfriend, fiancée, wife or anyone would come and greet him. A man that looks like had to have a significant other.

"You've been staring at the bar or that guy at the bar shall I say for 10 minutes. Go over there."

"No, no I can't." Meredith shook her head. "He has to be taken right? Every waitress here has been hitting on him and he's turned them all down. And even if he wasn't taken, what would he want with me? Look at me, I'm in high school, I live with my mother who's barely around. He's all gorgeous and dreamy and handsome and older in college I guess and probably has a life plan and a gorgeous leggy girlfriend. He wouldn't want some stupid teenager still with a curfew." She rambled and rambled on.

"Are you sure you haven't drank anything? Cause you sound drunk." Another friend asked.

"No! I'm not drunk. I didn't drink anything. I just don't want to go over there to make a fool of myself okay?"

"See, that is how it happened. At no part in that did I ever consider you at all. Your ego just refuses to let you tell this story truthfully." Meredith smirked to Mark while Derek laughed right along side her.

"Wait." Alex halted them, "That was just how Meredith saw Dr. Shepherd, what happens next?"

"Well..." Derek started off.

"Can I have a coke please." Came the soft feminine voice from a few seats down from him. He looked up from his drink and was floored when he saw the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. The green eyes and the long dark blonde hair curled, and she looked breathtaking in a dark blue dress that showed off all her curves. Derek forgot to breathe and was pretty sure he was making a fool of himself by just sitting here staring at her like this.

"Ummm hi." Came the whispery voice again addressing Derek as he still couldn't speak. She was scared to talk to him, she felt the butterflies in her stomach, like this moment was life changing big and he was just staring at her with a lost look on his face.

"Coke? You look like fruity cocktail girl. Taking it easy tonight?" He finally stuttered to address her as he stared at her glass the bartender sat down in front of her.

"Something like that." She smiled embarrasingly. Derek knew when he saw her smile that this was it, watching her face light up and sparkle from that simple gesture just warned him all over and clicked in his heart.

"Ah, you have a story." He flirted while watching her blush.

"I don't have a story. I'm just a girl at a bar."

"Well I'm just a guy at a bar. Who would he honored if you let him buy your coke."

"You don't have to. I mean you're here and probably with someone and I have friends I..."

"I want to…" He smiled interrupting her cute rambling and sticking out his hand for her to shake. "I'm Derek."

"Meredith." She said as she connected her hand in his and felt instantly that this was it. The way her hand fit in his was just perfect.

"Hi Meredith." He repeated breathily.

"Hi Derek." She shyly blushed suddenly embarrassed. Derek pulled his stool closer to her and examined her longingly before leaning over and whispering to her. "You're not legal are you?" he smirked.

"You're good. Now you know my story." She giggled.

"See. I knew you had one." He winked.

"It doesn't bother you that I'm not old enough to be here?" She suddenly asked her face growing somber. Thinking that the one guy she has ever got goosebumps over would think she's just some stupid New York partygirl trying to act older than her age risking jail just for some partying.

"It doesn't bother me all. I'm not the owner." He reassured her with a smile. She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding as she smiled back.

Just then Mark descended upon the twosome at the bar.

"Hey, I got her number but then her boyfriend showed up and saw so we need to bail. Who's the jailbait?" Mark rapidly said to Derek all in one sentence while staring at Derek's close proximity to the young girl drinking a plain coke. Derek just rolled his eyes while looking at Meredith, while she laughed at how true the term was coming from Derek's friend.

"If I know anything, its women and how to figure out their ages. I knew she was a youngin' from first glance." Mark proudly said to Alex as Derek finished telling his part of their first meeting.

"Underage clubbing and an older man. Nice Shepherd and don't worry my lips are sealed" Alex said before getting up and having to get back to his service for the day.

Before he turned to go he looked at Derek, with his arm draped over Meredith's chair and the way she leaned into him. They were like 2 magnets attracting each other. "What you guys have is pretty special. I hope I'm lucky enough to find it someday." He said as departed the trio and the cafeteria to head back to work.