Who Would Have Thought

Chapter 14

One shot. He had been watching her all night, well not watching her, just glancing at her and she had taken one shot. He had watched her take it and then she switched to a beer. A beer she had been nursing ever since. She wasn't drunk. She probably wasn't even buzzed. Meredith Grey was in a bar and she was sober. Derek wasn't sure what world he had entered.

Twelve years ago, Meredith Grey walked into a bar and barely managed to walk out. Twelve years ago, his ex girlfriend had been practically comatose after drinking entire bottles of tequila. Twelve years ago...but apparently that was in the past. Because she had had one shot. Despite all of Dr. Yang's invitations to have a drinking contest, Meredith had had one shot.

And she looked like she was having fun. She was giggling and talking to her friends and looked like she was enjoying herself. It was fun to watch, fun to see her like this because even when things had been this good he wasn't sure he had ever seen her like this. She had been giggly and happy around him but still, there had been drinking and a little dark and twistiness.

Of course, what he hadn't been banking on was the swarms of guys who seemed to be flocking around her. At first, she had looked a little shocked by it, and then completely flattered, and then amused, but she was now starting to move towards uncomfortable. She couldn't be left alone for two minutes before a guy walked up to her and offered to buy her a drink.

Which was weird. Not that it was weird that guys were interested in her. She was gorgeous, he had thought that from the first second he had seen her. And tonight she looked stunning. But it was definitely weird that it seemed like every guy in the bar wanted to talk to her. She wasn't that hot, no one was. He was pretty sure some guys were coming in just to talk to her.

"Looks like Grey's popular tonight," Mark smirked as he sipped at his Scotch, his arm thrown loosely over Addison's shoulders.

"Yeah, it does," Derek nodded.

"Poor sap never had a chance," Mark laughed as Meredith turned down yet another guy, her brow furrowed in confusion as she turned back to Alex and Cristina.

"None of them do," Derek shrugged. "She's not looking."

"Lookin'," Mark corrected. "Sounds dirtier without the g, Shep."

"Fine, she's not lookin'."

"She will be after tonight," Mark laughed as another guy leaned over Meredith, whispering something in her ear.

"No, she won't," Derek shook his head. "She just ended a serious relationship."

"Rebound, Shep," Mark shrugged, shaking his head as Meredith pushed the guy off of her.

"She's not rebounding."

"Everyone rebounds."

"It's been months, Mark."

"So then she's lookin'."

"No, she's not," Derek rolled his eyes. "She's taking time off dating."

"Who said anything about dating?" Mark grinned. "Speaking of, Shep, high time you started lookin' again."

"Oh god," Derek groaned.

"So real estate girl didn't work out," Mark shrugged.

"Kind of an understatement."

"Doesn't mean we can't find some other hot chick," Mark laughed. "What do you say, Addie? Your pick?"

"I think Derek can do fine on his own," Addison laughed.

"You're the one who always says I do a crap job of it," he shrugged, nuzzling her neck. "Let's see you do better."

"I think Derek can take care of himself," Addison sighed. "That why you do a crap job."