AN: Thank you for your supportive reviews and PMs. Here's the next chapter!


I didn't exactly ask her out. Actually, I didn't even try to. I suddenly felt nervous because I don't really know her, and I don't know if she's even gay. I think she is, though. She blushed pretty hard when we talked yesterday, and I'm pretty sure she returned my flirting. But I did buy her ice-cream, that's a start, right? I know, I didn't exactly buy her the ice-cream more like I just offered her a piece of my livelihood. And the smile I got in return... wow! Seriously, I could look at her forever. She's so beautiful, even though she looks like she's so sad. Actually, when I come to think about it, she's always got some sort of a membrane of sadness hanging around her entire being. The only time I've seen her seeming almost completely happy has been when I've watched her interact with the animals. She's truly amazing working those beasts and creatures. Like she's got some special power, some secret language. She's just so in sync with them, and it's really taking my breath away.

Because yeah, I've watched her. Of course, I have. I've been watching from afar as she's fed the sea lions, mucked out the elephant cage or even played around with the zebras. I've seen her because I've somehow felt drawn to her. Alex calls me a stalker, Amelia says I've completely lost my mind and that's saying something because she's usually the one losing her mind. I don't know, though. There's something about Eliza Minnick that my mind craves, that tugs at my heart. It's odd, and frankly I do feel like a stalker. I just can't help myself. And that's the first sign, right? I'm being a stalker. God, that's embarrassing. And illegal, too. Christ, Robbins. Get a grip! But I can't stop wondering what she's doing... where she is... how she's dressed and even how she wears her hair. And I know, I know it's braided and tucked away under her kaki-cap. I know. But I always wonder if maybe this day could be the day she would let her hair down. I've got an idea in my head telling me she's even more beautiful with her hair hanging freely. And that's why, you see, that's why I need to know her. That's why I need to see her. What if I lose the opportunity to see Eliza with her hair down? Something tells me it's going to blow my mind. And I really need my mind to be blown. I need to feel something... and right now, she's making me feel all these emotions I can't quite define. She makes me do all these things I didn't imagine I would ever do... like sneaking into a crowd, watching a woman do her magic tricks with penguins. I'm such a sab. And I'm also kind of a creep, I know.

"Robbins!"

I turn my head to find my best supply delivery guy, his smug face approaching me. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" I play. He comes to stand in front of the ice-cream counter, looking up at me.

"Hey. Fresh supplies," he tells me, cracking a grin.

"Oooh. Awesome! You got the good one?" I exclaim excitedly.

"You mean the dull one?" Alex screws up his face, scratching his raw beard.

"Lemon aren't dull, Karev. It's perfect."

"It's no salty toffee swirl with chocolate chip and cherry, that's for sure," he shrugs, rounding the shed and entering, placing the large coolers with the ice-cream boxes inside on the table. "What's up with the dirty animal lady?" Alex quizzes, placing himself on the counter.

"She's not dirty!" I hit him on the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"And nothing's up," I snort.

"Liar!" Amelia quips. "Hey Jude."

"Yo-da," Alex high-fives Amelia, both of them snickering.

"She gave her free ice-cream yesterday," Amelia states, wagging her eyebrows. "That's what's up!"

"Dude, that's not how you get laid," Alex shakes his head disappointed.

"Um, can we please not talk about this around the customers?" I snap, my cheeks suddenly feeling hot as I gesture out to the non-existing crowd of customers. Oh, bummer.

"Yeah. It's 9am, Robbins. There's no one here," Alex scoffs.

"Caught!" Amelia chuckles, going about placing the new boxes of ice-cream into the cold counter, neatly decorating a handful of strawberries on top of the strawberry cheesecake ice-cream, two Oreos atop the Oreo and caramel swirled ice-cream and so on.

"I don't want to discuss it with you," I shrug, trying to hide the fact that I'm all giddy inside.

Because I am... I really am all giddy inside and I long to talk to her again. I desperately need her to want to talk to me again. I can't really explain it. It's just something about her eyes. Even though they're sad looking, they're still so very deep blue and beautiful, almost green like. It's something about the way her plump lips drag me in. Something about the way she always looks so deep in thought, and I really want to know what's constantly on her mind. Something tells me she's a wise-ass, I don't know why. And then there's her body, don't even get me started on that. It's just so taut and alluring. Her calves, her ass, her thighs. Her flat stomach, her round breasts, her strong arms. What I wouldn't give to touch her, just touch her... running a finger over every inch of skin.

"You only wanna discuss it inside your own head, don't you?" Amelia huffs, shaking her head and handing me bunch of lemon slices.

"That's no fun," Alex sighs. "You're no fun, Robbins."

"Would you guys please stay out my head!" I shriek, placing the lemons atop the new box of ice-cream as I make room for the container in the cold counter.

"We would if you had something going on in your pants," Alex shrugs, making Amelia laugh.

"Why is it so important to you that I get laid?" I narrow my eyes at my presumingly best friends, slumping my shoulders.

"Because you're hot!" Alex deadpans. "And hot women don't let themselves get dusty."

"And frankly, it's been awhile," Amelia says, tapping her chin with a finger as she thinks. "What was her name? Mary? Molly?"

"Megan!" Alex adds.

"Her name was Maya," I clarify, sighing. These two are clearly not letting me off the hook today. I really need a line of customers… like right now. "And it hasn't been that long," I crinkle my nose.

"Arizona, it's been four months."

"Four months isn't bad, Alex!" I snap.

"It is, though. So you banged Maya four months ago. Now it's time to go out and-"

My friend's words are cut off by a clearing of a throat. All heads turn in the direction of where the sound came from. My heart stops and I think I could just go and kill myself. No, I know for a fact that I could. Because there she is. The object of my affection. Eliza Minnick in all her glorious glory. Hair braided, a little dirt on the shirt. Just as beautiful as always.

She could've not heard the conversation about me getting laid, right? She could've just entered. Yeah, she didn't hear anything. But judging by the look on her face, something tells me that she in fact did. Her eyes kind of lit up just a bit, her lower lip drawn behind her perfect white teeth. Just wow!

"Eliza, hi," I blush.

"You're Eliza?!" Alex exclaims. "Nice!" he nudges me, wagging his eyebrows.

"Told ya!" Amelia rasps, cupping her mouth towards Alex.

Eliza just smiles, a small look of surprise on her face. "Hey."

"You wanna buy something or what?" Alex asks. I snap my head in his direction, screwing up my face.

"Alex!" I hiss under my breath. Eliza and Amelia both chuckle, Alex shrugs and scratches his beard.

"Actually..." Eliza trails off, a blush forming on her cheeks. Wow, she's cute. Her olive skin turning a shade darker than usual. Okay, so she's cute and incredibly hot when she's being nervous or what it is she's being right now. I'll never be able to forget her now, that is the mere truth.

"Yeah?" I smile while I really hate the fact that my friends are present.

"I came to talk to you..."

Something inside me stopped. Something inside me just stopped and exploded and that all at the same time. That something being my very fragile heart. Eliza's eyes are someway fixated on me like she's sucking out every cell of my being, every ounce of life... and I let her. It spikes on my need to take a breath and keep breathing. It's a commonplace remark, but that's just how I feel. Now. And it's frightening but also maddening good.

I give Eliza a dimpled smile and nod, turning to my friends. "I'll take a break."

"It's not even 10," Amelia states. When I squint my eyes at her, she clearly gets the message and shrugs. "Of course you will," Amelia says, smirking.

"I'll take a break, too," Alex jumps down from the counter.

"Oh, no you won't," I shake my head no. "Decorate the ice-cream. See you later," nodding at my friends, I take the few steps and reach the pavement.

"What the hell? I don't work here..." I hear Alex scoff inside the shed. Amelia just laughs. I don't care, though. Right now Eliza's the only thing on my mind.

My palms sweat as I wring my hands, turning to find Eliza stood where I saw her seconds ago. Still as beautiful as ever.

"Hi," I give her a nervous smile. I know we've just said that but I don't know what else to do or say. Funny when you think about yesterday where I was the one approaching her. But now she's here and I don't know what she wants, and maybe that is what makes me nervous.

"Hello again," Eliza grins. "So... you wanna take a walk?"

"Yeah," I place my hands in the back pockets of my shorts, rolling on my heels but making sure I don't set off the tiny wheels below my soles.

Eliza just stares at me kindly. "You know, a walk usually means moving in a direction," she chuckles.

"Oh. Yes, yeah, of course. Where to?" I internally curse myself for being and sounding so stupid.

"The giraffes do their morning routine in 10 minutes, wanna watch?"

"Sounds awesome!" I smile. My stomach's filled with bubbly emotions now and I cannot control any of them.

Eliza gives me a large smile. "Well, let's go then. This way."

I follow her lead. We walk next to each other and it takes all I've got not to reach her hand and grab it. It's just hanging there, between us... almost begging me to lace my fingers with it. Shit. I cannot be doing this. This is stupid. Keep it cool, Arizona. Eyes straight forward, on the road... control your emotions, for crying out loud.

"So... thank you," Eliza says, a genuine sound in her voice.

"You're welcome... but what for?" I ask a little uncertain on why she thinks she needs to thank me.

"The ice-cream yesterday."

"Oh!" I breathe out. The ice-cream. Of course! "No worries."

"Left!" Eliza states, showing the way with her arm. Oh my god. If I could touch it... if I could just feel that hand again, feel her skin. "There. You see it?" Eliza asks, her voice laced with pure passion and excitement. "Aren't they beautiful?"… You're beautiful…We come to stand at a small fence. It's separating us from a moat and the giraffes' area. But I'm perfectly fine with being this close or far away from the big creatures. They are in fact beautiful, I can see that. A blind man could see that. They're just so enormously tall. I'm not afraid of animals or heights but seriously, look at those things. Beautiful, yes. And I can see that perfectly from where we're standing right now.

"Wow!" I exclaim stunned. I chance a glance at Eliza. And there it is again... that smile! It reaches her eyes, it's pure. I really love that smile. Even her eyes are smiling which makes her entire face smile and her body relaxes. She's just beautiful. The giraffes don't hold a candle to her.

A handful of giraffes are being let out of the giraffe-house. It's long legs and spaghetti-necks bolting out of the huge port and all. It looks awkwardly funny. The sunlight hits the beautiful, tall animals as they breathe in the morning breeze. It's such a beautiful sight and I'm actually not sure if that is what's causing my breath to be stolen or if it is because of the woman standing beside me. I'm pretty sure it's the latter but the giraffes surely help with the greater picture.

"You love this, don't you?" I ask in awe as we both look at the giraffes.

"It's the best thing in the world," Eliza lets out a big sigh… like she's letting go of something stressful, like she's letting the beautiful sight before her wash all over her.

"I can see that," I tell her softly, my eyes locked on the dark haired woman beside me. She looks so at peace now. Her arms resting on the wooden railing of the fence, her back slightly bend as she leans in. Her kaki-cap, her braided hair. She is a memorable sight. Eliza suddenly looks at me, her face turning and eyes locking with my own. She gives me a soft smile which immediately tickles inside of me. Is this it? Really? Is this what singer/songwriters write songs about? Is this what authors write stories based on? I know I for one could come up with hundredths and hundredths of metaphors trying to explain what Eliza Minnick does to me. One minute I'm cool and calm, the next I'm jelly and speechless. It's freaking me out but it's how it is.

"You like animals?" Eliza asks, her attention going back to the giraffes.

"Y-yeah," I reply. I'm not an animal person per say, but I don't not like them. They're just animals, I guess.

"You've never touched a giraffe, have you?"

"Um, no. I don't think many people have," I chuckle. "They're not the common pet, you know."

"Come with me," Eliza says, suddenly grasping my hand. And just as the last time our hands connected something inside of me ignites.

I follow her, I let her guide me. And within minutes we're standing on the other side of the large area, the moat ending. The fence is a lot taller here and now it's not wood but made out of metal. There's a small door in the fence which Eliza sticks a silver key into and unlocks. She gestures for me to go in but I hesitate.

"Go on...," Eliza grins. "Are you scared?"

"No. I'm not scared!" I state, shrugging. I pass her and enter.

"Didn't pick you out as a chicken either," Eliza smirks.

"Hey!" I turn around and raise my eyebrow. "No more free ice-cream for you," pointing my finger at her, she just winks. Seriously, where did this confidence come from? I love it!

Suddenly a forceful snort pierces through the air, and I somehow find myself in the arms of Eliza. The hairs on my neck stand, my heart beating like crazy and a pair of arms holding me tight. This is all too much to handle. I feel like I'm about to crumble... but I can't. Because I'm being held by this amazing woman, her fingers stroking my back as her chin rests atop my head. I can feel her heart beating. It could become my favourite melody in the whole wide world, I'm sure of it.

"You okay there?" Eliza carefully asks, her arms still keeping me safe from whatever just happened.

I'm torn. I want to be here forever. I want to disappear into the embrace of Eliza. I want to stay like this; our bodies flushed and hearts beating together. I want this so much. But still... I can't. I choose the awkward way out as always, removing myself from Eliza, looking around trying to find out what made that alarmingly high sound. "Yeah, yeah. I'm good. I'm good."

Eliza smirks. I think she knows I almost had a heart-attack. "O-kay," she grins, knowingly.

"What was that? And where exactly are we?"

"We're in the giraffe cage and that..." Eliza points at something behind me. I turn around and watch as a gigantic giraffe is just centimetres away from me. "That is Cloud Dancing."

I take a few steps back but come to a stop when my back hits the front of Eliza. She lightly grasps my shoulders, her hot breath tickling my neck. "He's a friend. Don't be scared."

"I'm... I'm not scared."

"Sure!" she clicks her tongue, the sound shooting shivers down my spine. "Say hello. You've just entered his house. Be polite," Eliza suggests gently.

I'm frozen. I don't know how to speak to animals. I barely even know how to talk to Eliza right now. How the hell does she think I can do this?

"Cloud Dancing, this is Arizona. She's our friend," Eliza tells the animal as it's bowing the neck. Eliza reaches out her hand when the giraffe's head is in same level as us. It's unbelievable and it's incredible. I can't say or do anything. Eliza touches the animal, patting and fondling it, the giraffe's clearly loving it. The eyes as big as avocados or the stones inside the avocados or I don't know... this is all new to me. It's huge. "Hi buddy. Hi Cloudy," Eliza gushes, her voice laced with joy and affection. "Say hi, Arizona," she whispers.

"H-hi..." I try, my throat dry. "Hey... you."

Eliza stifles a chuckle. "Cloud Dancing."

"Cloud Dancing," I repeat hesitantly. "That's an unusual name, don't you think?"

Eliza scoffs, grabbing my hand and guiding it to the giraffe's head. She leads my stroking, my hand touching the skin of the animal. It's… amazing. It's like anything I haven't felt before. It's awesome.

"You can't tell people or animals that they have unusual names when your own name is unusual, Arizona. That's just not nice," Eliza speaks softly, every breath washing over my skin, my neck and down into my stomach and all the emotions twirling around there.

"But Eliza... that's exactly why I can," I defend my words, smirking and knowing very well that we in fact are on the same page. Both on the sense of humour but also in the flirting department. She's definitely into women... or me. That much I've picked up on today.