Say when

7

"Shit." She heard cookie say hanging up her phone as they sat alone in the dressing room the next day...

"You ok?" Meredith asked...

"No." she said collapsing into a near by chair and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers and let out a sniffle "My son is running a fever and I... there's no one to... he needs."

She started to cry... Meredith got up and walked over kneeling down next to her chair and started rubbing her back...

"You need to take your baby to the doctor?" she asked...

"Yes." Cookie nodded "But I cant, I mean... I cant miss a shift... I have to work."

"Oh sweetie don't worry about that." Meredith said softly...

"I don't have a choice, I am a single mom, I barely have enough a month to make my rent... I cant miss a shift."

"Why don't you take your baby to the doctor... I'll cover your shift, and I'll give you the money I make for both."

"What!?" she gasped "I cant ask you to do that."

"You're not asking me, I'm offering and you're going to take it, you have a little guy to take care of and you're willing and wanting, you're a good mother, not everyone out there can have one." She said with a little pain in her voice...

"But Mer, how... you know how boss is about the schedule."

"You let me worry about boss." She said..

"Thank you." She smiled...

Meredith nodded and stood up... she turned and walked out of the room and down the hall puffing up her chest blinking back her tears that the previous conversation stirred up...

She turned on her tough new york attitude she'd acquired the past three years... walking up to the office door seeing it partially opened... she started to knock but decided to just walk in... she saw him sitting behind the desk hunched over writing things down...

He heard the door creak and looked up, his breath almost stolen from him and startled to see the figure in the doorway, wearing a stringy black lingerie teddy, her hair down in golden waves around her shoulders, he shook the thoughts that automatically entered his mind and cleared his throat...

"What?" he asked finally regaining his usual composure...

"Cookie needed the day off so I told her to go." She said walking towards the desk...

"Oh, you told her to go!?" he said in disbelief "And what the hell were you thinking when you did that!?"

"I was thinking that I am going to work her shift and mine." She replied "And you're going to pay her for both."

"I don't think so." He frowned "I don't pay people unless they work, and work on time."

"Oh come on Derek." She hissed... "Its for her kid."

"I don't care."

"I realize that." She said narrowing her eyes "But I do and I'm willing to forfeit my wages and what I earn on her shift to her."

"No." he replied coldly...

She pressed her lips together seeing that he was holding back, being a hard ass, but was almost as if it were forced... like he was fighting it... she walked around the desk slipping between him and his chair... his eyes followed her the entire way..

She sat on top of his desk spreading her legs apart looking down at him seductively... he continued the fight to keep composure despite the fact that his body was reacting to her...

"I know you want me." She said seductively "I can see it in your eyes... I see that you watch me out there... and everyone else says you usually don't even walk the floor... I'm not stupid, I notice... so have me, take me.. do what you want with me... just let Cookie off the hook."

She reached down running her hand down his cheek to his jaw and then running her thumb over his stubbly lips... he felt himself gasp internally at the trembling feeling her touch against his lips left him... the strong desire for her was overwhelming... he wanted her and badly, but not like this... not with so much uncertain, so much hidden...

"You're right... I do want you." He said...

A nervous smile curled at the corner of her mouth as she leaned into him, he could feel the heat of her breath fanning across his cheek.. she closed her eyes ready to nibble on his lips taking them in her own when she felt his hand placed on her chest stopping her... she opened her eyes looking directly into his deep blue ones...

"I want you to get off my desk." he whispered against her lips..

"What?" she asked confused as she sat up straight...

He stood up and put his hands on her hips picking her up with ease and moved her over, off the desk placing her feet on the ground...

"I want you.... off my desk." He replied...

She looked at him a little shocked, her ego a tad bruised... he felt a little guilty somehow, something he usually didn't feel especially when it came to a woman throwing herself at him... he let out a sigh and glanced at his desk

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked...

"Yeah, I do." She replied "Its not easy for kids to be sick without a mother and... I'm not doing anything."

He looked over at her as he sat back down behind his desk and sighed...

"Ok." He sighed... she nodded and turned starting to walk out of the room "You'll need to come back later to fill out W4's and other employee files." He called out... she stopped and turned around eyes a little wide...

"Wow." She said surprised..

"What, you didn't think I would hire you?" he asked...

"No I did, I just didn't realize I would be so right." She replied... he furrowed his brow in confusion...

"Right about what?" he asked...

She smirked as she walked towards the door flashing him a smile as she hung onto the door frame...

"Told you it wouldn't take me a week to prove to you that you cant live without me."

She flirted before disappearing into the hallway... he sighed and shook his head but felt a small smile curl on his lips...