officailly yours

Part 3

8 weeks later...

The piped music of the elevator did nothing to change his mood, it was doing exactly the opposite. Derek was even more nervous and anxious than when he stepped foot into the Big Apple that same morning.

The ride on the metallic box was the longest ride of his life, it was just a 5 floor ride but he could swear an hour passed since the second he stepped foot on the electric machine. The conversation the other occupants on the elevator trapped his attention. Those 2 young boys were heading the same floor, he knew it for the familiar name one of them pronounced, and also for the fact that the 5th floor button was already lighted when he entered the metallic box.

The doors opened and the two young men's conversation ended, only making him more anxious at the idea of facing his fear "Good morning" people greeted him here and there with a broad smile.

Derek stopped before the crystal doors of the entrance and took a good look inside. The office felt really warm to him, the red tone of the walls, despite what anyone else would think were somehow calming, and the crystal walls separating the different offices around the big space made it look really modern, yet homey. You couldn't see exactly what was going on inside of the room for the white and opaque squares adorning the crystal walls, but you could actually see shades of things and persons. The bright Christmas lights and all the black, silver and white ornaments adorning the walls and ceilings, even the Christmas tree on the left corner made him smile, it reminded him of Meredith. She loved Christmas and she specially loved decorating until the last door, wall or table.

"Good morning, this is Yang, Grey and Cole. How may I help you?" he heard a perky blonde say cheerfully to the small receiver on her hand as Derek pushed the crystal door open and headed towards the U-shaped high table of the cheery receptionist. She saw him the same second he stepped foot outside of the elevator, she recognized the scared look on his face and his desperation. Many, for not saying every person that set foot on that office were nervous and desperate for legal counsel. And he was no exception, his eyes weren't focused in one place, he was looking here and there, looking for someone, and by the way he kept fidgeting with the cuffs of his brown leather jacket she could tell that he was nervous, she could almost say he was scared.

"Hi, I am here to see Meredith Grey" he told the blonde receptionist, his eyes focused on her for just a second, the second he needed to tell the girl why he was there. After voicing his reason his eyes continued moving around the room and across the hall on the left, searching for a pair of light green eyes or a glimpse of her dirty blonde hair.

Nothing.

"I'm sorry sir, Miss Grey is not here at the moment" the receptionist told him with a smile, she opened her mouth to offer him a different lawyer but the sound of the phone interrupted her. Putting a finger up she motioned for Derek to wait a second while she attended the call just as cheerfully as before. After a very short conversation she looked up to talk to Derek and found him just as the second he arrived at their office, looking around.

The office was very spacious, it had two wide hallways that joined, making it look more like some kind of an O-shaped hallway. On the left corridor there were at least 5 different offices. They looked just fine, but compared to the ones on the right hallway they looked small. He guessed those were partner's offices, he could make out the name on the crystal nameplate on the office closer to him, 'Robin Cole'. It was definitely the partner's offices. Right in between both corridors there was also offices. Right behind the receptionist's desk there was what he guessed were the assistant's office. Behind that there was the conference room and right behind that was something that could be considered a small kitchen. These 'offices' in the middle were connected with both hallways by 2 doors, one on each side of the room.