Captured - Chapter 1

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"Mer, wait!" Cristina shouted as she hurried down the hall of the Seattle Metropolitan magazine after Meredith.

"Oh, Cristina, hi," Meredith greeted her with a smile, looking up from the papers she was holding in her hand. "What are you doing here? I thought it's your day off today."

"It is, but I had to grab something I left here yesterday." She handed Meredith the black paper she had been carrying with her. "And I also had to invite my person to my big exhibition this Saturday, right?" She said as a big genuine smile appeared on her face.

In bold, golden letters, the card read: Cristina Yang invites you to her first photography exhibition this Saturday at Seattle's Art Gallery.Meredith read the text from the invitation card and smiled when she saw how excited her friend was. Cristina had been working as a photographer in a popular magazine for almost three years, but this was her first big exhibition. She had been preparing for it for a very long time and the closer it got, the more nervous she became. "This looks amazing. I'm pretty sure it will be a big success," Meredith said with a huge smile. If they both weren't the totally anti-hugging types, they probably would've hugged. But since they were, they only smiled at each other.

"I hope so. I'm getting more and more nervous every minute," Cristina admitted, biting her lower lip while shifting from one foot to another. She never used to be the type of woman who would get anxious easily, but this was the first time she could show her photos to so many people, including other famous photographers. Well, if they decided to come.

"You don't have to worry about anything. People love your photos." Meredith tried to calm down her best friend, slightly stroking her arm, but it apparently wasn't working.

"I know. I know. I'm just so uneasy. Anything can go wrong. I only invited you and Derek, Mark and Lexie and Alex and Izzie. What if nobody else comes? I mean… I invited some other photographers, but it doesn't mean they'll come. And what if it ends up being a total fiasco? It'll be so embarrassing." Cristina's breath was getting more and more erratic as she thought about everything that could go wrong. Shehad put a lot of effort into it, but now, just a few days before it was supposed to happen, she was becoming insecure about the whole thing.

"Of course others will come. You're an amazing photographer. People love you. Just stop freaking out," Meredith said as she grabbed her best friend's shoulders, shaking her a little. "There will be a lot of famous photographers and you have to be confident. You don't wanna embarrass yourself, right?" Meredith asked, knowing that mocking her friend a little could only help.

"Okay, okay. It's gonna be fine," Cristina tried to calm herself, taking a few deep breaths.

"What about Owen? Aren't you going to invite him?" Meredith asked suddenly, when she remembered their colleague and editor in chief of Seattle Metropolitan.

"I... I don't know. Probably no." Cristina shook her head a little hesitantly. She already considered inviting him a few times, but still wasn't really sure about it. Things between them were a little strange and she didn't want them to feel awkward if she invited him.

"Why? I thought your first date went quite well," Meredith said, not understanding why Cristina decided not to invite their colleague to her exhibition.

"It wasn't bad. We just... didn't click. He is a really nice guy, but the sparkle wasn't there. And I think it would be awkward if I invited him." She shrugged dismissively. "I don't wanna give him false hope when I know there probably won't be a second date."

"So you're looking for a 'sparkle guy'?" Meredith laughed a little. She never thought Cristina would be a looking for a 'sparkle kind of guy', but she always managed to surprise her. Meredith also knew how picky Cristina was when it came to men. Many men were interested in her, but few actually got a chance to go on date with her. And even less got a second date. But Meredith couldn't blame her friend. Cristina knew what she wanted and she wouldn't be satisfied until she found it. And this sentiment didn't only apply to men.

"I just want someone who makes me laugh, who isn't afraid to make inappropriate jokes on our first date and who won't be able to take his eyes off me. Do I want too much?" Cristina asked and let out a deep sigh. She didn't want to give up on her demands, but the closer she got to her thirties, the more afraid she was. What if she was never going tofind the right guy? What if she was too picky? Those were the questions that kept her mind occupied more often than they should.

"Maybe not. If I found my guy, so can you. One day you'll meet him," she tried to reassure her as she thought of her husband Derek. It took her a long time to find someone like him, but it was definitely worth the wait.

"But what if I already met him but rejected him? What if I was too picky and threw away my last chance to be happy?"

"Are you talking about Owen?"

"Maybe. I don't know." Cristina shrugged, looking rather glum. She always told herself that she didn't need a guy to be happy, but the fact was it would be nice to have someone by her side."Maybe I just didn't give him a chance. He might be a really nice guy. He's just... not perfect. But who is?"

"I thought you didn't want to ease up from your demands." Meredith grinned.

"I don't. But maybe I have to," she sighed and pulled out another invitation card she had with her. "And if the exhibition ends in a fiasco, he'll run away on his own."

They both started to laugh when Meredith noticed the time on the big clock that hung at the end of the hall. "Oh, no. I gotta go," she said, rather irked about having to end the conversation. "I still have to finish my article about dangerous toys." Meredith rolled her eyes as she remembered the boring work she had yet to do. "See you later. And don't scare him," she laughed and then walked away.

This might be your last chance, Cristina. Don't screw it up, Cristina thought to herself, ready to find Owen.