After two weeks on the road, Meredith found herself back in D.C. She'd planned on spending her limited downtime relaxing, but instead she was roped into making an appearance at a party her parents had thrown. Her mother's friends had been asking her about marriage, and that was the last thing she wanted to think about.

Well, maybe the second to last thing she wanted to think about. Elijah Scott was actually the last thing she wanted to think about, as much as it pained her to admit that. She tried not to scowl when Mason, a guy she'd known in high school, approached her with a wide grin on his face.

He kissed her hand, and she resisted the urge to wipe it off on her dress.

“Lovely seeing you again, Mer,” he said.

Mason was gorgeous. With an Italian father and Russian mother, his good looks had ensured he'd never wanted for a date their entire time together in high school. He cleaned up nicely, too, she thought, looking at how he filled out his designer tux.

“Hi, Mason. It’s good to see you, too,” she replied coolly.

She didn't have anything against Mason per se. She just hated the idea of their parents conspiring to marry them off. She was well aware people had always assumed they'd end up together someday. Which was ridiculous, because they'd never gone on a date together, not even once.

Like her, Mason McGuire was practically American royalty. He was the heir to MG Holdings, the largest electric company in the country. His family's wealth rivaled that of hers. But she didn't care about any of that.

Mason McGuire held about as much attraction for her as a damp sponge. There was just something about his personality she'd always found off-putting.

“Would you care for a dance?” he asked.

She wanted to roll her eyes as she stared at his outstretched arm. As if she could possibly turn him down when he knew damn well both sets of their parents were watching them like hawks.

“Sure,” she said, plastering a huge fake smile on her face before setting her champagne flute down.

When they got to the dance floor, Mason pulled her close with his hands wrapped around her waist. She felt really awkward in his arms.

“Our parents are practically planning our wedding,” he whispered in her ear.

Meredith tensed. She didn’t know how to respond without sounding rude and conceited. She knew Mason had his pick of women. But she wasn't sure if he liked the idea of marrying for business and not love.She fervently hoped he was against it.

“I know,” she responded simply.

“So, what do you think about it?” he asked, his grasp on her waist tightening.

“What do you think about it?” she asked, staring into his chocolate brown eyes that seemed to be always smiling. Eyes that didn't do a damn thing for her. Not like a certain someone's grey eyes...

“I asked you first.”

She shrugged.

“I don’t know. I haven’t given it a lot of thought. You know… I still have a lot of things I want to do,” she murmured hopefully.

Mason smiled.

“Like?” he urged.

“Like enjoying the single life?” she asked sarcastically, earning herself a soft chuckle.

“Your reason should be more compelling than that. You know, to make it sound more convincing,” he teased with a smirk, exposing his deep dimples. “You like someone else, don’t you?”

She tensed. Did she?

As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew she was doomed.

Yes, she liked Elijah Scott. Like, a lot.

Like, a lot a lot.

But being together with him would be impossible.

“Yes,” she admitted, feeling a lump in her throat.

His smirk turned into a wide grin.

“I see.”

After that, Mason thankfully remained silent. He led her back to the table where she'd left her champagne and kissed her hand once more before saying goodbye. Looking in his eyes, she thought she saw a glint of regret. But she was probably just imagining things.

Mason had never expressed any serious interest in her in all the years she'd known him.

The moment Meredith settled back into her seat, she soon felt a nudge on her side. It was her little sister, Bonnie.

If Meredith was her mother’s carbon copy, Bonnie took after their father. Her hair was dark, as were her eyes.

“What did you talk about?” Bonnie asked.

She shrugged. “Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me, Mer. I saw you two,” her younger sister replied, rolling her eyes. “Now, come on. Spill the beans.”

Grabbing a crystal goblet filled with water on her right, she took a few sips to alleviate the sudden dryness of her throat. She was still surprised by how the conversation with Mason had gone.

“We talked about marriage,” she said dryly, looking across the room. It looked like their parents were having a cozy chat with the McGuires.

“What?!” Bonnie shrieked. “Are you saying that Mason McGuire is going to be my brother-in-law?” Meredith fought back the urge to chuckle when she saw the distressed look on Bonnie's face.

Bonnie had liked Mason for years. Meredith had assumed it was nothing more than a crush that Bonnie would eventually grow out of, but now she wasn't so sure judging by the bitter glare her sister was giving her. Bonnie was nineteen, so there was only a four year difference between her and Mason.

Her eyes widened when an idea crossed her mind.

“Why don’t you marry him?” she suggested.

“If only,” Bonnie huffed, lightly stomping her feet under the table.

A moment of silence passed, but when their eyes met they giggled playfully. They watched as their parents approached their table.

“Tell them,” her sister whispered, nudging her.

“You’re still nineteen, Bonnie. Let’s wait until you turn twenty-one, okay?” She added, “Don't you want to be able to drink and celebrate the toasts at your own wedding?”

“Whatever.,” the latter said stubbornly with a smile.

“Enjoying the night so far, girls?” Benedict Fields asked.

Meredith and Bonnie nodded their heads in response. Their mom eyed them suspiciously, but chose not to say a word.

Her parents turned away momentarily to greet more guests, but soon came back over to their table.

“May I please be excused? I haven't gotten much sleep lately while I've been on the road with the campaign,” Meredith said.

“Me too,” Bonnie stated.

“Bonnie, you too?” her father said with a slight frown.

“Please,” they chorused.

Their mom smiled.

“Just let them be, Benedict. They won’t be seeing each other often for the next few months,” Elizabeth pointed out, then smiled and nodded at the guests that passed by their table.

“Alright, alright.”

It didn't take long for Meredith and Bonnie to get ready for bed. Bonnie joined her in her room, something she'd done since she was a little girl and they'd held sleepover parties with just the two of them. They giggled and gossiped as they got caught up on what had been happening in each other's lives.

Bonnie soon passed out on Meredith's bed, and as she draped a soft cashmere throw over her slumbering sister, she realized that for the first time, she was truly glad she'd decided to accept her dad's offer for the summer. She really loved her little sister, and she was grateful to spend some time with her, brief as it was. Careful not to wake Bonnie up as she climbed into bed next to her, she soon fell into a dark, dreamless sleep.