Slow Manoeuvres...by lilscout
Chapter 3
"Come on, you can buy me lunch!" Callie said, pulling the slightly dazed blonde by the elbow.
"Uh...okay. Yeah," Arizona responded. "Wait, so I don't have to worry about my car? The mechanic will fix it now?"
Callie laughed, "It'll be done by the time we finish lunch...if you still want to, that is...have lunch." She had stopped and was looking back at Arizona.
"I do, I do. Okay, lead the way," Arizona said, then added, "You're amazing, Callie."
Joe's Diner was three blocks away from the garage, just off the main drag into town. Callie left her truck parked where it was, and they took a shortcut through an empty lot, getting them to the diner and sitting down at a booth inside of ten minutes.
"This place is great. I stop here almost every trip," Callie said.
Arizona picked up her menu and began to scan the large laminated pages. She noticed Callie hadn't opened hers yet. "Are you not getting anything?" Arizona asked, a little confused.
Callie smiled at the adorable blonde. "Addie knows what I want."
"Addie..." Arizona questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Calliope! Sweetie, I thought maybe we weren't going to see you today...my little heart was breaking in two!" came a loud female voice from across the room.
"Hi Addie," Callie called out to her. "Sorry I'm a little late." She looked at Arizona. "I was...helping a friend with car trouble."
The waitress glided across the floor, stopping directly in front of their table. She was tall, about thirty-five years old, slim, had what Arizona suspected was a mass of beautiful long red hair, though it was currently piled neatly on top of her head, and she was very pretty. Apparently Callie thought so too, since Arizona could see the brunette blushing hard from across the booth.
"A friend, huh..." Addie looked down at Arizona, giving her the once over, and ending it with an approving nod.
"Yeah, um Arizona, do you know what you'd like to order?" Callie asked, trying to sound casual.
"Well, no I..." Arizona suddenly put down the menu, and looked full on at the brunette. "Why don't I just have what you're having. I'm sure I'll like whatever you like."
Callie gulped. She looked up at the smirking waitress, and meekly said, "Two please, Addie."
The woman flashed a smile at Arizona, then replied, "Sure, Cal. Anything for my girl." Then she turned and glided away again to tend to the other tables.
Both women were silent for a long moment, until Arizona couldn't contain herself any longer.
"So...Calliope, huh? No wonder you come here almost every day. I would too if it meant getting that kind of attention," she nodded her head in Addie's direction, "from a woman like her!"
Callie tried to explain, "It's not what you think. She just...flirts with me, is all. She probably only does it for the tips, anyway."
"I've got news for you, Callie. A waitress as drop dead gorgeous as her doesn't have to work for tips. No, she's flirting with you because she wants to flirt with you." Arizona folded her arms and shrugged. "Really, I can't blame her. You're hot. I'd flirt with you, too."
Callie looked at Arizona, slightly baffled. "Wait, so you're...are you...I thought you were straight."
Arizona shook her head lightly at the charmingly confused woman. "Now what ever gave you that idea?"
"I guess I just assumed you were. I'm sorry. I'm an idiot," Callie apologized, giving Arizona a lopsided grin. Then looked up quickly, "Hey, that means you assumed that I was gay. Maybe I'm not, you know."
"The way you were checking out my ass earlier, uh...no, sorry. There's no way you're straight. Bi, maybe...but definitely not straight," Arizona responded.
Callie flashed a wide smile at the blonde. Okay, so she's gay. This could complicate things...
Their order arrived minutes later, plates heaped with gooey grilled cheese and crispy french fries, washed down with giant strawberry milkshakes. They sat in the booth and talked long after their plates had been cleared, neither woman wanting to put an end to their time together. But as the afternoon wore on, they both began to impulsively look at their watches.
"Time to go, I guess," Arizona said sadly.
Callie nodded silently at her, and reached in her pocket to fish out a few dollars.
Arizona reached across the table and laid a gentle hand on Callie's arm. "My treat, remember."
"Oh, right."
Arizona pulled out a twenty dollar bill and laid it on the table. "I don't need any change from this. I'm just going to go to the ladies room." She held Callie's dark eyes in hers for just a few seconds, then stood up and walked to the back of the diner.
Callie sat, hands jammed under her legs, unsure about how to proceed. What she wanted to do was follow Arizona into the bathroom and hold her in a long and fiery kiss. But what she wanted to do, and what she should do were two very different things. That is, until she caught sight of Addie standing behind the counter, looking at Callie with wide eyes and nodding her head in the direction of the washrooms.
The waitress mouthed one word at her.
"Go."
Callie slipped out of the booth and hurried to the ladies room. She hesitated briefly, then slowly pushed open the heavy bathroom door. "Arizona?"
"What took you so long?" asked a distinctly seductive voice. Arizona was standing with her back to the far brick wall, arms folded, bottom lip held in a mild pout.
Callie opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. The rush of blood to her head and crotch was impairing most coherent thought. She allowed the door to close softly behind her, then turned to lock it. She spun back to face Arizona who had let her hands fall to her sides and held her palms flat against the rough brick, one leg propped up against the wall.
"Do you have any idea how sexy you are, Calliope?"
"I could say the same thing to you." Callie breathed.
"I've been thinking about this since the moment I laid eyes on you."
"Oh yeah?" Callie responded, feigning surprise. "Way back then, huh?"
Arizona laughed. "Oh, please, don't tell me you weren't thinking the same thing. I saw you checking me out not two seconds after we met!"
Callie raised a flirtatious eyebrow as she moved in close to the blonde, wrapping her strong hands around Arizona's waist. "Busted."
Arizona placed her arms around Callie's neck and they pulled each other in for a long unhurried kiss, tongues exploring softly and slowly, both women emitting muffled sounds of extreme arousal.
"Mmm, you taste like strawberry milkshake," Callie murmured.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Could you hurry up in there, my kid's gotta use the washroom!" The random male voice outside the bathroom was not very happy.
"Dammit," they both remarked quietly.
"We'd better go," Arizona said, reluctantly pulling her arms away from the brunette.
Callie unlocked the door and both women exited to the unfriendly glare of a man and his pre-teen daughter.
They gave a quick apology as the girl rushed past them into the small room and shut the door.
They scooped up their belongings as they hurried past their table, Callie giving a brief nod and smile to Addie on their way outside.
"I guess my car's ready by now," Arizona stated, mostly because she didn't know what else to say.
"Yeah, probably," Callie responded. "We should go check it out, and you can be on your way." Her tone was a little defensive. She didn't know what to say either.
Arizona stepped in front of the brunette, stopping her.
"That wasn't what I meant, Callie. It's just..." she smiled, recalling the moment, "Kissing you was incredible...and you are an amazing woman...but, circumstances being what they are...I just don't see how this could work." She looked at Callie, her eyes imploring understanding from the brunette. "We don't even live in the same city...and I don't believe in long distance relationships."
"Me either, you're right. They don't work."
"So, where does that leave us?" Arizona enquired.
Callie thought for a moment. "I guess that leaves us sharing a great afternoon together, and a really, really hot kiss," she responded, with all the casual cheeriness she could muster.
"Okay, then," Arizona said brightly, linking her arm in Callie's as they walked back to the garage.
When they arrived, Arizona's car was still in the shop, except it was no longer being worked on by the same guy from earlier.
"Torres!" the man called out when he saw them approach.
She greeted him with a friendly hug. "Hi Mark, how's the car?"
"It's good...almost done here." He turned to Arizona. "Ma'am, is this your car?"
She nodded at him.
Callie made brief introductions. "Arizona...Mark. Mark...Arizona."
"Forgive me if I don't shake your hand," he said, holding up dirty palms. "And please, let me apologize for anything my employee may have said to you earlier. He's a talented mechanic, he just needs an attitude adjustment. Which he'll get, believe me, if he wants to continue working here."
"Thanks, I appreciate you saying that," Arizona responded. "So what ended up being the problem with the car after all?"
"Damaged fan belt, initially. But I put in a new battery too. When it dies completely it's wise to always get a new one. I'm just about finished, and you can be on your way," he smiled.
Arizona looked over at Callie, admiration in her eyes. "You were right!" she said laughing as she gave the brunette a gentle nudge in the shoulder with her fist.
Callie looked sheepishly at Mark. "Speaking of being on your way...I really should get going if I'm going to try and find a spot at Flying J tonight. Mark, we'll catch up next time I'm in town, okay?"
She turned back to Arizona, "Do you have a sec?"
"Oh...of course," Arizona responded quietly, already knowing what Callie was going to say.
Mark, suddenly sensing the need for privacy, nodded at his friend and walked back inside.
They stood looking down at the ground for a long moment, then Callie spoke up. "I don't really know what to say here. I guess, just...goodbye, right?"
"I guess so..." Arizona responded, sadness in her eyes once again.
Callie took her hand. "We shouldn't draw this out. Listen, Mark will take good care of you. And I really have to get back on the road, otherwise all the parking spots will be gone soon." She leaned forward, hesitated, then kissed Arizona lightly on the cheek.
Before she pulled away, she whispered softly in her ear, "Take care of yourself, Arizona."
Without another word, Callie turned and walked away, crossed the street and hopped back up into her truck. The engine came to life with a mighty roar, and she shifted the transmission roughly into first and released the parking brakes. She looked back across the street to find that Arizona hadn't moved from her spot, hadn't taken her eyes off the bewitching brunette she was somehow going to let just slip right through her fingers. Callie flashed her one last sweet smile, then pulled away down the street.
Arizona quickly wiped at the single tear that had rolled down her cheek, and sighing, turned back to retrieve her vehicle from Mark. She found him in the office.
"Car's set. Are you ready to go?" he asked.
"Yeah, I guess so," Arizona replied softly, her normally cheery voice cracking. "How much do I owe you?"
"Oh, no charge. Really. It wasn't much, and I'm sorry again about my idiot employee."
"You have to let me pay you something," she said, pulling out her wallet.
"Nope, sorry. Your money's no good here." His voice was firm, yet kind. Then he asked, "It's none of my business, but...are you okay?"
Arizona gave him a crooked smile. "Is it that obvious?"
Mark was silent for a few seconds. He looked out the window to the street, then grabbed a piece of paper and began to scribble directions on it.
"Here's how you get back onto the main road," he began. "The Flying J is a very large truck stop about two hundred miles from here, on the interstate, at exit number 299. You can't miss it." He looked up and smiled at her. "She'll be parked somewhere in there, though you'll likely catch her in the restaurant around dinnertime."
Arizona was stunned. "How did you know?"
He shrugged. "I know Callie, and I haven't seen her that sad in a long time." He added, "You want to pay me...go make her happy again. Then we'll be even."
"Thanks alot...and thanks for my car!" she said, quickly making her way outside.
"Arizona..." Mark called, "She's one in a million. Don't forget that!"
"I won't!" Arizona yelled, running off as the glass door slammed shut loudly behind her.
A/N - I know I made Mark uncharacteristically nice to Arizona, but I figure he owes her, what with the baby daddy thing and all :) also, one order of hot truck stop sex, coming up ;)
