Wake Me Up

Meredith's friends had gone to Toronto for the day to pick up frat boys, beer, and new bikinis. She had sent her credit card with Lindsay, the friend she trusted most, to buy her this bikini she had seen on a website. Not that she needed anymore, but after Meredith had literally worked her ass off for two years, she thought she deserved as many as she wanted.

She had stayed behind, at the lake house Meredith and her friends had borrowed from Lindsay's parents for the summer. In sunny Whitby, Ontario, Meredith was soaking it all in; in a chaise on the back porch that faced the lake. She had lied and said she just didn't feel like going into the city, but really she just wanted to watch an NHL update on the Network that was scheduled for right now. She listened, with eyes closed, about the Maple Leafs having a "come back season" which everyone knows is total shit-Meredith thought. For thrity minutes, she sat relaxed. She drank a beer and swam for fifteen minutes, before heading out of the water when Meredith heard that the Pens update was coming up.

"And the big question is, is James Neal worth all the hype?" The pain-in-the-ass anchor started. The "specialist" they have on now is accusing Neal of being a surface player, with not much depth behind a "pretty face and average hands". Meredith sat up straight, in the chaise she had returned to, and hollered "Bullshit!" In defense of one of her favorite players. What she wasn't expecting, was to hear her same words yelled at the same time from someone at the neighboring lake house. Meredith's head snapped in the direction of the mysteriously familiar voice, pieces of damp brown hair sticking to her neck.

A head was peering out from the huge deck a few feet away back at Meredith. She stood up and walked off her deck, giving the stranger a little wave. "Are we yelling 'bullshit' about the same thing?" She asked. The stranger stepped down from his deck, it was a he, Meredith now noticed. "NHL?" He asked. "Yeah," Meredith responded. "Well come on over, you seem to have some sense. I'll get you a chair and a beer." He disappeared from sight back into the large shadow of the deck, and Meredith led herself up the deck's big, wooden steps.

She stood, waiting for her new friend. Meredith noticed his tall frame, muscles cutting from all angles, and dark brown curls poking from underneath his ears. He turned around, a beer in each hand. "Hi," he smiled. "Hi," Meredith squeaked, quickly placing the familiar voice and body. "I'm James." James smiled. "Meredith," she managed. "My name is Meredith." "Are you sure?" James smirked and handed her a beer and gestured to the empty chairs behind them.

"Pretty sure, for a while I thought I was Lizzie McGuire." Meredith was slowly coming back around to her normal, smart ass self. "Ha, no way, you're way too pretty to be her." James smiled and took a sip from his bottle. "I bet you say that a lot." Meredith snapped back, drawing her feet into the chair with the rest of her body. James snorted and glanced up at the TV. They had moved on to the LA Kings. "Why don't you stay around and find out?" He challenged. "If you have food and more beer, I just might." Meredith retorted, liking the ballsy attitude that matched her own.

James grinned and scratched the red stubble on his face. "What about your friends over there? I've seen them party..looks like a good time." He chuckled to himself. They both knew how parties with her friends ended up, sloppy and drunken. "Oh, so you have been watching me? Planned this from the beginning,probably." Meredith tilted back her beer and drained the remaining half. "No, but the noises are fun to listen to when I'm trying to sleep." He polished off his own beer as well. Meredith cringed, "Sorry. I tell them not to let the whole damn frat house come, but who listens to me?" It was no secret that frat boys were lightweights. Meredith never understood what her friends saw in them. "I would." James said, looking down. "You don't even know me." She giggled. "First impressions say a lot." His trademark smile returned and James made eye contact with Meredith. "I'll make sure to keep that in mind. Yell bullshit and see who says it at the same time." She said. He laughed. It was a deep, healthy laugh.

Just then Lauren, another friend, rolled up in her SUV with the rest of the crew. Meredith stood up and two Jeeps filled with frat boys pulled up behind the SUV. "Ooh, the fun has arrived." James joked. Meredith looked down, realizing she was still in a bikini. She has decided a long time ago to not wear bikinis in front of frat boys. They got handsy. "Shit! Um, do you have something a could borrow?" She smiled sheepishly at James. "What, you're not going to let some hammered kid cop a feel?" He smiled widely at his own joke. She rolled her eyes at him. "Come with me."

James led her inside. "I'll go grab a t shirt." He said and took off for upstairs. "Ok," Meredith said. She eyed the kitchen. Typical bachelor, the bare minimum was all that was in sight. She did notice something, a big duffel bag was setting on the hard wood floor. The name MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO was printed across the front. As if he was reading her mind, a big shirtless body rounded the corner yelling "Hey Neal a bunch of ass hats are next door! Wanna go catch a few fu-" Michael Del Zotto stopped short when he saw Meredith standing in the kitchen, trying to hide a smile. "Um, hi..I uh..um," He stuttered. Luckily, James came jogging down the stairs. "Hey, Michael, this is Meredith. She lives next door." "Hi," Michael sheepishly stuck out his muscular hand. "Hey," Meredith smiled and shook the large hand.

James handed Meredith a big t shirt with Pittsburgh Penguins printed across the front. "This is all I have." He smiled. "Thanks," Meredith returned the smile and slipped the t shirt over her head. It floated right below her butt and covered her front.

Both James and Michael silently prayed to God Meredith didn't noticed their bulging shorts from this seemingly innocent act. This girl was hot. Toned muscle from head to toe, with a perfectly round rack, and a tight ass. "Well it was nice meeting you boys, and if you don't mind, I need to be the chaperone at this party." Meredith nodded towards the lake house. James smiled and walked her out. "I'll get the shirt to you soon." Meredith said. "No rush," James took another glance at her perfect body. He watched her walk back across the grass to her lake house. James went back inside and was greeted with, "We've gotta get her back over here."

Notes