Strangers in the night

4

Derek stared at the beer bottle in front of him. Just beer tonight, his head was actually still a little fuzzy from the night before, so just beer. And maybe switching to coke soon. Because he had planned to stay away from the bars tonight, away from the drinks and any chance of an awkward meeting with the tiny blonde named Meredith. That was before he realized how empty his house was.

It was a huge house, one of the most recent purchases he and Addison had made since their careers had really taken off. They had been coming to Greece for years, Mark sometimes joining them, and Addison had thought a house would make sense. He had never been in it completely by himself, and now that he was, he couldn't believe just how big it was.

He wasn't exactly sure why he had fought so hard to keep it. In the divorce settlement it had been the one thing he had insisted on needing to keep. He had always liked Greece more than Addison had. And in recent years him and Mark had spent more time here than Addison had probably even dreamed of. It seemed right that he kept it. Now he was just wishing he had dragged Mark with him for the summer or something.

Because being alone in Santorini made no sense. It was a great island, a romantic island, but also an island with a great night life. He and Mark had always appreciated that, the bars and the tavernas and the music. From the first time they had come here, they had loved the night life. And now he was here alone, and the only night life he wanted to be around was Dimitri and his crowded bar.

And last night he had wanted Meredith. In a way that he couldn't actually remember wanting anyone before. Which either meant he had been married too long or he had had just had far too much to drink. He figured it was a combination. But he had wanted and he had got. And now he was dreading bumping into her again because he had no clue how to treat a one night stand the next day.

He hadn't had a one night stand in years. Over thirteen years ago and he wasn't sure how you were even supposed to treat them the next day. He assumed kindness would have to work. But she was a tourist. She would probably move on to a different bar tonight, most tourists did. He stuck with Dimitri, if only because Dimitri was a great bartender and a great listener, who had predicted his divorce a few years earlier.

At the time Derek had denied it, he had told Dimitri that no matter how bad it got him and Addison were going to be one of those couples that stuck it out. And Dimitri had let it drop. When he had come back in, this time without a ring Dimitri hadn't even said much, he had handed him a beer and said he was sorry. That had been it. No smiling about being right, like Mark had done, just a beer.

He had been a little more excited tonight when he had walked in. Dimitri had asked about the pretty Americani and Derek had just shook his head. It was a one night stand, that was it. The chances of him seeing her again were slim to none. "Yasou, koukla!" he heard Dimitri call out suddenly.

Apparently slim to none wasn't as rare as it seemed, because she was there. Her blonde hair all long and flowey and wearing some summery kind of dress that you could only actually pull off properly on a Greek island. She was there and looking just a gorgeous as she had when she rolled out of his bed earlier in the day. Possibly more beautiful than the night before. But he would leave her alone.

They were a one night stand, that was it. They weren't supposed to talk the day afterward, and he wasn't even sure he wanted to. They had gotten drunk the night before, had some pretty out of this world sex, and now that was it. He would leave her alone and let her enjoy her vacation. "More Ouzo, koukla?" Dimitri grinned to her.

"No, definitely not," she giggled softly, and he felt his mouth stretch into a smile at the giggle.

"Beera then?" Dimitri nodded. "And souvlaki, yes?"