The First Time

4.

Time was passing slowly for Meredith. She must have looked at her watch five times in the last hour but she still had two more hours until she was due at the gym. She wondered if he would even be there tonight. Maybe he only went once a week. It wasn't as if he needed it. From what she could remember his body was perfect.

But then maybe the perfect body was a result of him being a gym junkie. If so then he'd be sure to be there tonight. She hoped so. Not that anything was going to happen but she just wanted to see him again.

She knew that he was way out of her league but that didn't mean that she couldn't admire him from afar. Who knows? She thought to herself. Maybe if she could just rid herself of her little problem and gain a bit of experience of her own then maybe ... eventually ... she'd be able to get someone like him. Although she had a feeling that there weren't too many like him out there and that he was one of a kind.

Just the thought of it sent her into a mood of dejection and hopelessness. She quickly gathered up her books, knowing that any more studying was a lost cause. She hadn't been able to concentrate on anything else but blue blue eyes for most of the day. May as well have a shower and wash her hair and get ready for work. Surely it wouldn't hurt to try to look her best.

Or at least as good as she could in the uniform that she had to wear.

GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA

Derek was having trouble trying to contain his eagerness. He was supposed to be cool calm and collected. Nothing should faze him. But that wasn't how he felt at all. And to top of it all off he had to try to appear calm otherwise Mark was going to pick up on it. But he couldn't remember being this excited since .... He shook his head. Maybe he'd never been this excited.

But then part of him reasoned that he was going to be disappointed. Surely she couldn't be as good as his dreams had made her out to be. Somehow or other she had taken on the shape of the perfect woman ... and he was old enough and wise enough to know that the perfect woman didn't exist.

But from what he could remember, Meredith came awfully close.

Mark was fussing around the apartment picking up bits and pieces for his gym bag trying to delay the inevitable whereas Derek couldn't get to the gym fast enough.

"Are you ready yet?" Derek asked for what seemed like the tenth time.

"Hold your horses. What's the rush?" Mark asked. "You've never been this keen to get to the gym before in your life. I'm usually the one pushing you."

Derek knew that he had to calm down or Mark would know that something was up.

"The sooner we get there, the sooner we get home." Derek explained hoping that the excuse sounded believable. "And I've got some stuff to finish off." He informed Mark hoping that he'd not ask anymore questions.

"All right, all right." Mark said picking up his shoes. "Let's go get it over with. Who knows maybe tonight Izzie will finally give in to my charms?"

Derek just smiled. He couldn't tell Mark that he already knew that Izzie was away for the week. Otherwise Mark would want to know how Derek knew that and Derek wasn't about to reveal his little visit to the gym last night to Mark. That would lead to too many awkward questions. "What about Callie?" Derek asked feigning complete ignorance.

"What about Callie?" Mark asked nonchalantly.

"You can't still be interested in Izzie now that you've finally gotten Callie to agree to go out with you?" Derek stated.

Mark frowned. "I'm not following your reasoning." He laughed. "I can't see why I should deny myself the charms of one over the other. Not if they are both interested. I'd hate for either of them to miss out."