Sights of Seattle, Stars in the Sky

Chapter 4: In Which Meredith Makes Good Choices

Chapter 4: In Which Meredith Makes Good Choices

"So you're sure you know where you're going" Addison asks as Meredith opens the door to her car in a dramatic gesture in parody to Addison opening hers the other night.

"Super duper sure" Meredith smiles cheerfully as she buckles herself in and starts driving towards the centre of the city without switching on the G.P.S because she's at least ninety percent sure she knows where she's going and she's at least a hundred percent sure she doesn't want Addison to figure out the surprise.

Somehow it's peaceful, Meredith playing the radio on the stereo system and Addison tapping her fingers on the dashboard as they both hum along to the tunes.

"So It's still a surprise where we're going to my favourite diner but I cannot guarantee it's your first time going there but it's the first time you'll get to be there with me so that can be special enough" she says as she turns the corner on the green light.

This time Addison has been asked to dress in just her normal work clothes and Meredith has on what she usually wears and it's just as exciting as the other evening but even better almost because the casual attire has steered away some of the "seeing someone new for the second day today" jitters.

Addison has to bite down on her lip, kinda hard to contain any sort of amused laughter she might have had once Meredith points directly at the neon sign of the destination that has finally been reached for their date.

"Pizza Delight is your most favourite diner you've ever had" Addison asks but in a curious type way not in a teasing way at all.

"Sure is!" she shares. "So have you been here before?" Meredith looks up sincerely.

"Can't say I ever had" Addison says, looking Meredith right in the eye. "Cross my heart and hope to die. My parents would have rather starved to death than by being caught dead in a chain restaurant" Addison explains with a chuckle.

"Oh. My. God. You've been totally sheltered and deprived your whole entire life!" Meredith says with her utmost concern.

So she grabs the redhead's hand and leads her right into the restaurant to the booth that's the closest to the corner on the far side. It's the only one that has two windows and it's clearly somewhere this woman has been before.

"So I used to come here for the free wifi before mine got set up and I would always sit by this side because you can see the street from all these different angles at once" she said.

And Addison is slightly ashamed at how relieved she is when Meredith revealed that she only used to come here alone.

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"So let me guess, I think you're going to order the Macaroni and Cheese combo?" Addison questions with a lilt in her voice like a tease.

"Nope!" Meredith giggles at Addison's incorrect guess.

"But I thought it's your favourite?" Questions Addison, dismayed at her less than diligent guessing.

"The Macaroni and Cheese here sucks. I had it once and it was the kind that comes from a box. Like it was the even I can make it better at home comes from a box kind" Meredith explains.

"Wow who knew Meredith Grey could be such a stellar chef" Addison amuses.

"No teasing about my Macaroni and Cheese skills I make a mean Macaroni and Cheese and you'd be lucky to experience it yourself one day" she insists sternly.

"Okay okay no more teasing I'm sure Meredith's Magical Macaroni and Cheese is better than the box kind any day" Addison puts up her hands in defense.

"I never said that my Macaroni and Cheese wasn't from a box I said that it was. I said that my Macaroni and Cheese IS in fact, Magical and still does come from a box but the way that I make it is still - Much. Better. Than. Pizza. Delight's. Macaroni. And. Cheese" she shout-whispers this last part into Addison's ear so she doesn't offend the servers in the restaurant.

"Point proven Dr. Grey, guess I'll take that as a sign that I won't pick the Macaroni and Cheese Combo for myself" Addison laughs.

"Somehow I don't feel like you would have in the first place" Meredith says bluntly.

"Also true" Addison adds with a chuckle. "So what IS good here, Miss Expert" she asks earnestly.

"My favorite is on the very last page" Meredith takes Addison's menu and flips it to the correct one before handing it back.

"Is it the bad dog pizza?" Addison guesses again, seeing as she remembers having shared Meredith's dog Doc with her. Then she realizes that might not have been the right thing for her to say because it might make Meredith sad all over again.

"N-no it isn't" Meredith stutters, remembering her beloved pet and leaning into Addison to hide her tears. "That pizza doesn't have as much pepperoni" she says both honestly and with a sad expression that says she really does miss Doc more than she cares to mention.

"I'm sorry" Addison says with genuine compassion. "I miss Doc too. I'm glad you were there with him at the end" she says simply.

"You really ought to try the Kitty Cat pizza" Meredith brightens again looking up at Addison's glistening eyes, politely ignoring the older woman's tears because that's what she knows Addison would want her to do.

"It's tasty and besides, it's just weird to feel like you're eating a pizza shaped like your pet" she explains. And Addison is impressed by Meredith's absolutely flawless logic.

"Sounds good to me, order me what you wish, you're the expert after all" Addison surrenders and smiles inwardly at her technical move here, because she knew that Meredith would be treating her tonight and she'd read all the prices for the entrees and they were all more than she'd like to burden the young intern with on their second date together and this would be a convenient excuse to save them both the trouble of fighting over the cheque.

"Alright we're ready" she starts as the server approaches them and Meredith has to redirect his attention to her because he also wrongly assumes at first that it would be Addison ordering for them both. "Two Kitty Cat Pizzas with one blue-raspberry slushie and one cherry-berry slushie and one with a side salad and one with a side of sweet potato fries - oh and with dipping sauce!" Meredith finishes with flair.

"We can share the side dishes" Meredith explains to Addison, then adds "I never got the chance to ask you what kind of slushie you like best so I thought it would be better if we got to try them all" she explains.

"You've never had them before either?" asks Addison, puzzled at this.

"No. I've only ever had the food at a Pizza Delight in Boston before because my mother would never let me have anything with that much sugar and no nutrients" she said. "And when I came here by myself she was still alive and if I ordered one I would feel like I was lying to her every time I visited" she admits.

"Well it's good to see that at least someone in the pair of us has a strong moral compass" Addison muses.

"Hey you're just older so you've had more time to do the wrong thing than I have" Meredith says with no malice intended but eyes widening as Addison flinches back at her.

"N-not that you're like old or anything I mean you're really not that old at all I mean you're like glowing-" Meredith struggles to regain her footing but Addison softens immediately and tells her "just kidding" at the frown and pout she's putting on in an overly exaggerated fashion before they both burst out into laughter.

*****