"Response papers on the importance of having a library disaster plan are due next Wednesday. Have a good week people, and please check the new readings online which should be up later today."
Arizona Robbins closed her new spiral-bound notebook and started putting away her things. She'd been worried about being the older student in her graduate classes, but it seemed that Library Science attracted all kinds of students at all kinds of stages in life. She took comfort in the fact that her fellow students had different backgrounds and experiences.
Owen, one of the other students, had just gotten out of the Air Force after several combat tours overseas, including Iraq and Afghanistan; Miranda had come right out of a history bachelor's degree with a minor in ASL. Those were just two examples. It was one of the most non-traditional batch of classmates Arizona had ever had the good fortune to learn alongside. After spending ten years in a soul-crushing corporate job, Arizona was excited, and, to be honest, a little nervous about going back to school.
She'd sacrificed enough of her life to running the marketing department of a global consumer goods company; she'd been beyond ready or a change two years ago, but lacked the gumption to quit her respectable, salaried – albeit incredibly stressful – job, and go back to school full time. Sure, it was going to drain her savings, and she'd had to trade her two-bedroom condo for a studio apartment instead, but it was worth it. She felt more and more certain about her decision every day.
Arizona was thirty-five years old, and she was ready to start doing what she loved – which seemed to be a part-time work study internship with the university library. Blonde, blue-eyed, and bubbly with an infectious laugh, Arizona lived alone, which was fine by her especially given her current living quarters. "Oh honey, you could just move back in with your pops and I and go to university here," her mother had exclaimed when she had made her announcement about having enrolled in her graduate course and needing to find a smaller apartment within walking distance of campus in order to make more savings. But of course she declined. She'd become very used to having her own space, and besides, it would be tricky indeed living under her parents' roof, given her propensity for one night stands with the ladies in recent years.
Oh yeah. Arizona was thirty-five years old, blonde, blue-eyed, and bubbly with an infectious laugh. Arizona also loved the ladies. Deep down, Arizona had always known that she preferred girls over boys – she certainly didn't put up a poster of Cindy Crawford by her bed to admire her mole. Sure, she'd tried going out with boys, the first one being her brother Tim's best friend Nick, but after several dates she just didn't feel for the boys what she felt for girls. Though, to give the boys credit, they were nice, and gentlemanly, and funny, and respectful – maybe they were just intimidated by her dad, The Colonel, but, the problem remained. Arizona just didn't feel for the boys what she felt for girls.
And the girls. There were more than a few of them. Her parents had gotten used to the idea that she was gay by now – in fact, when Arizona had come out to her parents while still in high school, she was prepared for one question, which was "How fast can you get the hell out of my house?" But instead, her father had leveled his gaze at her, and, as one pair of nervous striking blue eyes held the gaze of an older, albeit identical, pair, he had asked in his gravelly, United States Marine Corps commander voice – "Are you still who I raised you to be?" Arizona had cried in relief. She wasn't sure how they'd respond. And later that night, as she sat her brother Timothy down on the back porch to tell him her news, he'd been ever so supportive and declared in his goofy way that he would dance so hard at her wedding when the time came for her to marry another chick. Boys will be boys.
But Tim had held her as she cried her heart out after her first major break up in college. Karli was a bitch anyway, he'd said, and he'd never really liked her. And he'd teased her endlessly after Joanne – the first girl she'd ever brought home to meet her parents – had left after having dinner with them. Yes the girls had come and gone, and while Arizona was very certain that she liked women, she was just as certain that she hadn't met the right one yet.
Tim jokingly referred to her graduate studies as her midlife crisis. "Not everyone marries their high school sweetheart, has their life all planned out including having three kids in five years like you!" she'd retorted. Arizona had made her decision to quit her job and focus on earning the coveted MLS degree so she could go on to become a crazy cat lady who hoarded books. Or chickens. She'd always had a thing for chickens. But that would mean living in a house with some sort of a yard. But Arizona was a ways from that still. She had more immediate priorities.
Early on in the semester, Arizona had found the perfect place to study in the university library. It was on the top floor, just behind the microfilm cases. No one used microfilm anymore, so no one bothered here. There was just one solitary desk, wedged behind a giant micro reader. It was quiet enough to get work done. There was even a little window that looked out over the courtyard, and on sunny days, she could lift her gaze from her books and watch people would laze about on the grassy patch - reading, napping, making out, whatever – whenever she needed a distraction. The remoteness of her study spot was also a draw… a lot of students liked to study on the balcony, but Arizona found it too loud, and too distracting. Still, it was conveniently located near the café, which was located right off the balcony, as a service to the students who were usually camped out at the library so they wouldn't have to go too far for sustenance and could get back to their books quicker.
Arizona liked the café. They served up some really good smoothies – you could even order these little booster thingies like chia seeds and wheatgrass to add on to your drink. Arizona's favourite was the number seven smoothie – the Strawberry Sensation, with an added chia seeds booster. It had become her routine: get up, walk the fifteen minutes to campus, go to class, lunch break on the courtyard – sometimes on her own, sometimes with Owen, Miranda, and maybe a couple of others from her class like Alex, head to another round of classes, head to the library, pick up a smoothie, and study behind the micro readers until it was time to go home.
She was looking forward to her smoothie today as she stepped into the café alcove and joined the queue. She needed a pick-me-up to get through some of the readings they'd been assigned that day. Arizona lazily checked her emails, texts and social media notifications while she waited in line, only half registering the shouts of the baristas as they took and fulfilled the orders of others ahead of her in the queue… most were ordering coffee. It was a long queue; it looked like she had caught the tail end of a wave of students from the 4pm class changeover.
"Arizona, right? Strawberry Sensation, with chia seeds?"
Arizona looked up from her phone as the barista behind the counter smiled at her.
"I'm sorry?"
The barista smiled shyly, raising one perfectly plucked eyebrow. "That's your usual drink, right? Strawberry Sensation, with chia seeds?"
Arizona nodded, smiling back, her dimples popping. "It is. I guess I'm rather predictable, aren't I?" She laughed.
The brunette laughed, relieved, her pearly whites on full displays. "Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? You know what you like. It's a popular combination, too. I just made one accidentally, actually. Someone wanted a Strawberry Banana Blast with chia seeds instead. I'd just be throwing this one away. Would you like it? On the house, of course?"
Arizona had been nursing a little crush on Callie, the café manager who also doubled up as barista when the crowd came in, ever since she'd started classes. But she'd never worked up the courage to say anything more than a hello or thank you or number seven with chia seeds please. She only knew her name was Callie from the name tag she wore pinned to her left breast.
Callie had long, wavy brown hair that tumbled halfway down her back, which she usually wore in a ponytail. Her caramel skin glowed with a healthy tan, and she favoured a bright red lipstick which made her plump lips pop, and dangly earrings. Today she wore a pair of large silver hoop earrings. In short, Callie was breathtakingly stunning. Arizona always had a thing for brunettes.
Arizona found herself at a loss for words. She knows my name! And my drink order! She opened her mouth to answer, but then just smiled nervously and nodded. Arizona felt a flush in her cheeks. Swallowing, and finding her voice, "Wow, thanks. That would be really awesome! My lucky day, I guess."
Mentally, Arizona slapped herself. Awesome? Who says awesome? She's going to think I'm like, five. She groaned internally.
Callie passed her the smoothie and a bendy straw wrapped in paper across the counter. "I'm just glad it won't go to waste! I just hate tossing things out. Starving kids in Africa and all."
Arizona took the smoothie and was glad to have something to do with her hands. She suddenly felt really self-conscious of what she was wearing. Truth be told, it wasn't that she was wearing hobo clothes, she just hoped that she didn't have any stains on her shirt or toilet paper stuck to her shoe or something. And, of all days, today was the day she ran out of the door in a hurry because she didn't hear her alarm go off, and therefore didn't bother with any makeup.
"Well, thank you so much. Again. That's really nice of you."
Another brilliant smile.
"You're welcome. Enjoy your drink!"
Arizona racked her brain in an attempt to come up with something intelligent as parting words, but came up empty, leaving her no choice but to stick with safe. "Well, I should probably stop holding up the line, and go er, study, you know? Thanks. Again." She waved awkwardly to Callie as she made her way out of the café, pausing at the door to look back and wave again.
The rest of the afternoon, Arizona couldn't seem to bring herself to concentrate on her readings. Sod library disaster plans. Her mind kept drifting back to dark, wavy hair and caramel skin, that killer smile, and plump red lips which Arizona was certain would be heaven to kiss. She felt her cheeks flush again. Arizona doodled on her notebook. How does she know my name? Oh, right. They always ask for a name with your drink order so they can write it on the cup. Duh. But Callie and her team of baristas must make hundreds of drinks every day. And she still remembers my name! And my order! Arizona smiled to herself like an idiot. Fortunately, in her secluded corner, no one could see her and wonder what she was smiling so idiotically about. She glanced around though, but there was no one nearby to see her grinning like a silly schoolgirl. She tried to focus on her notes again, but again, her mind wandered.