After Afterall

12

When I wake a few hours later, I'm exhausted. In movies and TV shows, it seems like people wake up after a night of sleeping with someone and they forget, but I don't. I remember every moment. I could spend the day in bed just reveling, but I have things to do, even on my day off.

First, I shower. I could also spend all day beneath the running water, but I don't. The longer I stand still, the more I think about Derek. I find myself smiling like some lust-filled girl. That idea doesn't stop me from smiling. I get dressed and think about washing my sheets, because I'm doing laundry today, but I decide to leave them for just one more night.

Downstairs, I'm heading to make coffee when I notice Alex in the living room. He's sitting on the couch with the cake box open in front of him. He glances at me. "Oh good, you're wearing a bra. I was worried the one on the stairs was the only one you had."

I walk into the living room. I see my bra sitting next to him on the couch. "I had sex. So sue me."

Alex points to his plate of cake with a fork. "Chocolate cake? Coffee? Really rousing night, then. I didn't realize the President was such a square."

I sit down next to him on the couch. "Cut me a piece."

He grins and leans forward to slice me some cake. "So you both finally gave in? Months of talking on the phone finally hit its end mark?"

"How'd you know about the phone?" I take the plate from him. "Plus, it wasn't months. Just a month."

"Yeah, but you guys have been doing this song and dance for months."

I have no quip, so I focus on eating my cake, which is just as good as it was last night.

"So what, he showed up with cake and you took off your pants?"

I glare at Alex. "Not exactly. And besides, it's none of your business."

He nods and sets down his plate. "True. I don't need the details. But are you his mistress now?"

"Mistress implies we're doing something we shouldn't be doing. Like he's married or engaged. He's not. He's single and I'm single and we're just two single people who happened to have sex last night. There's nothing to it. We don't need to read into it."

Alex laughs and stands up. "Oh of course, I can see you're definitely not reading into it." He grins at me and I feel exasperated at him. "I have to get ready for work. You might want to turn to CNN. Your boyfriend is about to give a speech."

"On what?" I ask.

He shrugs. "I don't know."

Alex heads upstairs and I don't want to give in, but I do because I'm weak. Maybe not weak, but curious. I turn on the TV and change the channel, keeping the volume down low so that when Alex comes back downstairs, I can pretend I wasn't watching TV at all.

Derek isn't on the screen, but CNN is reporting a bombing in India. The ticker at the bottom reads hundreds are dead or injured and they expect the number to increase as more information comes in. I realize this is exactly why I never watch the news, so I turn off the TV. My job is depressing enough on occasion and I need some safe space that doesn't always include death or dying.

I pick up Alex's empty plate and carry the dishes and mugs into the kitchen. I put the rest of the cake in the refrigerator because it's too good to give up.

As I collect the dish towels and toss them into the laundry room, the phone rings. I can only assume one person is on the other end. "Hello?"

"Is this Doctor Meredith Grey?" A man says on the other end of the phone. Not who I was expecting.