17.

                                    

                                          
Derek pulled up in front of Meredith's apartment. Her hand rested comfortably on his thigh and he was surprised at how right it felt to have it there. There was nothing sexual about it. Just a connection that he was coming to notice more if it wasn't there than if it was. As he turned the engine off, he placed his hand on top of hers, turning to her and asking. "I have to ask ... do you have any idea what that movie was about?"
"Only from what Izzie told me about it before we went." Meredith replied. "Something to do with someone robbing a casino?" she asked somewhat rhetorically, knowing that he had even less idea than she did.
Derek nodded. "Just thought I should know in case Mark asks." He explained. "Did we enjoy it?"
"I certainly did." Meredith replied. "Although it does seem that I was otherwise occupied during the actual movie." She replied smiling. "I'm not even sure that I saw any of the previews. What about you?"
"Hmm ... same here." he smiled. "You know we could have probably saved ourselves the admission price and simply sat here in the car and made out?"
"We'll have to keep that in mind for next time." Meredith suggested laughing.
By the time they'd finished dinner it seemed that it was all that either of them could do to keep their hands to themselves. The flirty chatter, the glances across the table ... made it patently obvious what both would rather be doing? So ... as soon as the lights went down in the cinema, it was as if a switch had been thrown and they went into make out mode. Even on the few occasions when they came up for air and to eat some popcorn, they were so busy looking at one another, that what was happening on the screen was irrelevant.
"Next time?" Derek asked surprised. "Does that mean that you don't mind hanging out with me? Even if we're not 'doing' anything?"
"I'm getting used to it." Meredith replied trying to snuggle in to his side as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her as close as he could given the bucket seats. But she couldn't get comfortable. "I think that we'd have to use the back seat if we were going to spend too much time in here." She suggested.
Derek smiled. "Want to try it out?" he asked mischievously.
Meredith looked at her watch. "I really should be going in. I have work in the morning." She said and then looking at Derek's playful pout she weakened and added. "But I guess that a few minutes wouldn't hurt."
"We're just doing research for next time." Derek said climbing in to the back seat of the car and then helping her to join him. "To know whether or not it's comfortable enough." he explained.
Meredith couldn't help but smile as she snuggled in to his side. He was so cute. Once they were settled she said. "You know ... you could have just come inside. I have a whole apartment that we could make ourselves comfortable in?"
"Yeah ... but ..." Derek started.
"You don't trust me." Meredith stated. "You think that I'll try to seduce you again."
"I don't trust myself." Derek replied. "Because I'd be hoping that you'd try to seduce me again."
Meredith looked at him surprised. "I'd be happy to try; if I thought that it would actually do any good."
Derek was weakening. If it was what she really wanted then maybe he should just give in. They certainly knew one another a lot better now than they had on Monday night ... even if it was only five days ago ... and the truth was that he wanted it just as much as she did. He couldn't believe that he'd just spent the better part of three hours making out with her in the back seat of the movie theatre. It was like a return to his teens. But he couldn't be happier. Whenever he was with her he felt like he couldn't stop smiling. "Don't you think that we can last a week?" he teased knowing that at this point in time, it was more likely that he would be the one to break not her.