Lexie called me shortly after I left the prison and invited me to Joe's with the group for a celebration of me returning to work the next day. I told her that it wasn't such a good idea to drink myself silly the night before returning but she wouldn't take no for an answer. I left Deacon a message to join us and went to the salon, I was craving a new look.
I was starting over and this was a new beginning of sorts. So why not refresh my appearance a little. My stylist Sophie took a few inches off but I loved it. My hair was so light and easy to deal with now. It would be nice when I worked those long hours again...the long hours that Deacon asked me not to work. I didn't know what to say. I mean, I want to work on my marriage but I'm a doctor more than anything, wife included. I wish that he would just understand that. He seemed a little bitter this morning so I hoped that by the time we saw each other at the bar his mood had lifted.
I walked in and he was the only one I recognized, I approached the bar and slid into the stool next to his as he sipped on his large beer.
"Hey." I smiled.
"Hey." He mumbled without glancing at me.
"So you got my message."
"Obviously." He muttered, I felt a sinking sensation in my chest. He was obviously upset over something.
"Is something wrong?"
"I'm fine."
"Right." I attempted another smile "But is something wrong."
Silence.
"Ok." I nodded and dropped it for the moment "I got my hair done today."
"Great." He said unenthusiastically
"What do you think?"
He glanced over for a second and made a silent scoff. "It's short."
"It's not short." I giggled "It's short-er."
"Whatever." He sighed and looked over his shoulder "I'm going to go say hi to Tim from work."
I nodded as a knot formed in my throat "Ok."
I didn't understand his attitude or where it was coming from. And why he came if he was just going to pout all the time. It was his damn idea to give our marriage a second chance but ever since I said I was going back to work he's had his moody moments. And if he's so unhappy with who I am why did he want to try again...Jesus Christ I'd rather be alone if this was going to continue....I felt a body slide into the stool on the other side of me and looked over to see a smiling pair of blue eyes grinning at me.
"Hello friend."
"Hi." I couldn't stop myself from giggling "You're here too?"
"Yeah." He smiled "They sent me to tell you that they were running behind."
"That was nice of them."
"You cut your hair." He stated with a smile, his eyes glistened as they looked me over.
"Yeah," I smiled "Thanks for noticing."
"It looks nice, very you."
"It's lighter." I said "I needed a little lightness in my life." He nodded softly as if he agreed.
"So Deacon is here." He made the observation.
"Yeah." I sighed with obvious irritation in my eyes.
"Is something wrong?" He asked with honest concern.
"No...nothing." I lied "I just..I don't want to talk about it."
"Ok." He nodded with acceptance.
"So I was surprised to see you at the..." I stopped in fear of someone overhearing me I glanced around and leaned into him to whisper, he smirked and leaned in too "Prison today."
"Oh, we're being sneaky about it are we?" he chuckled, I giggled in response "Well I can be sneaky...and tricky."
"Tricky?" I laughed "You don't strike me as tricky, what tricks can you do."
"Oh I can do all kinds of tricks." He smirked and waggled his brow in a way that made my flush, He reached for the basket of bar peanuts and cracked a few open into his hand "Like this."
He tossed one up in the air and opened his mouth, moving his head to catch it in his mouth. He smiled at me as he chewed it.
"Pfft!" I giggled "That's easy."
"Oh?" he asked "If it's so easy lets see you do it."
"Alright." I smirked as I grabbed a handful of the peanuts and tossed on up in the air and caught it with my mouth, I grinned as I chewed it "See."
"Ok." He smirked "You have some talent, but can you do more than one at a time?"
I watched as he threw three up in the air and caught them one by one with his mouth. I giggled and cracked open some more peanuts as I copied his previous actions. He chuckled and shook his head.
"Ok, ok you're good."
"I know I am." I smirked, it was my turn to make him blush. "So you can catch them with yourself throwing them, but what about someone else?"
"Is that challenge Meredith Grey?" I asked with a slight chuckle.
"Are you up for it?"
"I never back down from a challenge."
"Well then, prepare yourself doctor." I smirked as I cracked open a handful of nuts. "Ready?"
He cracked his knuckles and twisted his neck as if he were getting ready for a long run. It made me giggle which caused a smile to spread across his face. For some reason I felt so adored in his presence...like the world could crash around us and he'd still be focused intently on me. He nodded his head signaling he was ready and I started tossing them.. he surprisingly caught them all one by one.
"Ok your turn." He smirked.
I smiled and took a sip of my beer before nodding that I was ready. He laughed at my 'pre-game' ritual and started tossing peanuts my way, I moved and caught them, well all but one, it bounced off my cheek and hit the floor causing us both the erupt in laughter.
"Wait, wait." He laughed "Hold still, you have salt all over your face."
I giggled and held still as he reached up and brushed the side of my cheek. I felt a boiling heat under my skin where he was softly grazing his fingertips. Our eyes locked on each other for a second as our laughter died and I felt the warmth in my cheek spread throughout my body. But with that feeling came guilt, I had a husband. And I loved that husband, I made a commitment and Meredith Grey doesn't back away from commitments. I looked to the floor as my giggling returned.
"Ok do over!" I challenged.
"No!" he laughed "No do-over, you lost."
"I did not lose!" I scoffed "You were just a bad shot."
"That's not the game...you don't get do-overs."
"Meredith!" I heard hissed from behind me, I turned to see Deacon staring at me with a glare "What are you doing."
"Hey, come play with us, it's really fun." I said still halfway giggling.
"Seriously!" he muttered "How can you be so immature."
Both our laughter died and my smile fell on the floor as I saw the rage in his eyes.
"Deacon." I said softly "Seriously, what's wrong?"
"You're acting like a teenager is what's wrong!" he sputtered out, "And you invited me here to celebrate you leaving me!"
"I'm not leaving you I'm going back to work."
"You're not kidding anyone Meredith! I know how long you have to work, how many hours I'll have to spend alone in our large house! I KNOW!"
"Deacon." I gasped "Calm down."
"I won't calm down!" he yelled "I don't even want to be here! We could be spending the evening alone but no, I have to sit here with a bunch of know it all doctors staring at me like I'm the fly on the wall who doesn't know shit for sense. And I have to look at your stupid short hair! I hate short hair and you know that!"
"Ok." I choked out with a gulp, feeling absolutely humiliated as half the bar stared at us. I could see Derek out of the corner of my eye sitting straight in his chair as if he were on the defense "Well we'll just...we'll just go then."
"Thank you." He said sarcastically and started for the door.
"Sorry." I mumbled to Derek as I slid off the stool.
"You have nothing to apologize for." He said in a serious tone.
I nodded and followed Deacon to the door. Just as we got to it the door opened and Mark and Lexie walked in. She saw my purse around my shoulder and my flight stride and put it together in a second.
"What!" she gasped as she grabbed my arm to stop me "You're leaving? No! No I just got here you can't leave."
"Sorry Lex." I mumbled "I have to, I'll explain later."
"Meredith!" Deacon said as he grabbed my other elbow "Lets go!"
He tugged at me, and it wasn't a hard tug but I was light and Lexie's shoe was in front of my boot so I started to trip. Deacon yanked me back up and I heard a gasp from Lexie and a glass crash against the floor a few feet away. I whipped my head around to see Derek standing up at the bar staring Deacon down like a death hawk.
I shook my head softly before I was ushered out the door. I knew that this wasn't Deacon, not my Deacon. Something had to be wrong and I was certainly going to get to the bottom of it.
Mer's haircut