Stammering into The Rustic Lantern, Arizona directed Callie to a small, quite booth in the back of the establishment. The décor in the bar was charming, quaint. Lanterns filled with candles sat in the middle of each table providing a glowing ambiance that was both peaceful and sexy at the same time. The way the light beamed off of Arizona's dimples caused Callie to become mesmerized by the blonde woman across from her.
"A bottle of your finest Cabernet Winston." Arizona spoke directly and confidently. Laughing as she watched Callie's face in horror of how much she must of spent on the bottle of wine. "Relax" she giggled. "Their finest wine here is only twenty three dollars a bottle." She laughed at the sheer look of panic began to fade away. "I come here a lot to think. Mostly by myself. Occasionally with my mom when she visits. I've never brought a date here before." She smiled softly at the brunette across from her. Date was a word that continued to come up in their discussions throughout the night. Just as Arizona was going to ask Callie about the situation in the elevator, Winston brought over the most expensive bottle of Cabernet in the place.
"This is actually really good wine" Callie expressed as she took a fairly large sip. Now that they were outside of 500 millionaires and colleagues alike, she could finally relax, knowing that Arizona had been the star of a successful evening and they raised millions of dollars for the new center. She watched Arizona played with the rim of her glass. She had wanted to talk to Arizona all night about what she was feeling but she was too nervous so she started a conversation about the gala. All night, they laughed and told stories about what they experienced when they weren't with each other. Dr. Weber was usually the center of their conversation. He had been the chief of surgery for many years and decided it was best to step down to practice general surgery again after his was wife became ill. This was one if his first time out since her illness and he was quite a show during the event, doing magic and telling jokes.
Opening a second bottle of expensive wine, a sudden wave of anxiety came over her from so many mixed emotions she experienced throughout the night. What was supposed to be a fun, carefree, no strings attached date to the gala turned out to spark an attraction between two women that had never dated women before. Callie knew they were both in this together. All signs throughout the night pointed in that direction. She finally had enough liquid courage to ask Arizona about something that happened during the night. "On the balcony earlier…what were you scared of? The speech…" Callie paused slightly, "…or me?" Callie stared at Arizona, dark eyes meeting deep blue. She noticed they changed colors slightly as Arizona became more and more nervous.
Liquid courage ran through Arizona's veins as well, knowing that she wasn't the only one feeling the way she was feeling. "A little bit of both…actually." She paused before continuing to see a sign of relief flash before Callie's loving eyes. "You scare me Calliope." Slightly embarrassed by her admission she searched Callie's warm face to see if she should continue or not. Her admission of interest in not only a woman but Callie really did scare her and she wasn't sure if she was ready to take the next step in the conversation.
Saved by Callie's words, "In the elevator earlier…" She now paused looking for Arizona's reaction. When she saw her head nod in agreement, she continued. "I felt it too." She shyly admitted. "I've felt it all night, Arizona. And that scares the hell out of me." Her gaze falling from Arizona's she looked down at the napkin that she had been twirling around in her long, slender fingers.
Both women remained silent for a few moment still shocked of what they were admitting to each other. Several drinks through the night and halfway through their second bottle of wine gave both women enough courage to admit their feelings, but both wanted to be careful to not do anything they would regret in the morning. Arizona was the first one to react and reach over to Callie's hands playing with now shards of napkin, stopping them from continuing. "Calliope? Talk to me. What are you thinking?" Arizona's tone was soft yet sexy.
"I'm scared." She admitted glancing up to once again meet the blonde's gaze. "I have dated a lot of guys in the past. All which were jerks." She laughed to herself. "And I know this was not a real date but this has been the best date I have ever been on." She admitted.
Arizona looked up and laughed. "Well this was a real date to me." She gently squeezed Callie's hand. "Maybe not in the traditional sense of a romantic dinner or a moonlight stroll through the park but I really did enjoy my time with you." Her eyes remained locked on Callie, looking to see her reaction. She found nothing but agreement and love in the brunette's eyes. "I'm scared too..." her voice trailed off in almost a whisper.
Winston cleared his throat. "I'm sorry ladies but it is last call."
Glancing up at the clock on the wall, it was already 1:45 am. "One more bottle?" Arizona snickered as she laughed at how late it was. She was already drunk but she didn't want this night with Callie to end for fear there would never be a night quite like this in their near future.
Glancing over at Arizona "Well it is already pretty late. If we get another bottle we will be here way past closing and I'm sure your friend Winston would like to go home at some point." Callie giggled. She glanced over and saw the disappointment on Arizona's face. "But I'm not really that tired and not quite ready for our date to end." She smirked at Arizona. Callie knew that still had a lot to talk about and wanted nothing more than to stay in this booth all night and talk but some fresh air would do them both some good.
"I think we still have half of the bottle you brought over earlier at my place" Arizona hinted. She, too, didn't want this night to end. Making eye contact with Callie, Arizona knew she was ready to go. "We will take the check Winston." Arizona smiled politely at the young waiter.
Winston could feel the sexual tension between the two women so he politely put the check on Arizona's make-shift tab before telling the two apparent love birds to get out of there to continue their night.
Stepping outside into the crisp air, Arizona grabbed Callie's hand, leading her across the street back to her apartment. She never would have guessed that she would be taking her date home with her after the gala but she was certainly glad Callie was the one she was spending her evening with. The attraction between the pair was evident as butterflies continued to circle between them.
The walk over from the bar back to Arizona's house was quiet. They had only scratched the surface of their feelings towards each other but it was all new and awkward. Neither knew how to restart the conversation and so silence continued until they reached Arizona's kitchen. "Wine?" was the only words out of Arizona's lips.
Knowing that she was already drunk but sobering up at the thought of her admission to Arizona, Callie knew that another glass would be needed for them to continue down this path. "Sure" was all she could manage to get out.
Arizona poured the rest of the bottle into two stemless glasses and made her way over to the window that Callie had been looking out of. Stopping just before reaching Callie, Arizona paused to admire the flowing dark locks and shimmering dress that caught the moonlight. The dress was cut low in the back so that most of Callie's back was exposed, leading a trail to the small of her back. Arizona could feel blood rush to every sensitive part of her body, letting her know that the sight before her aroused her in a way that she had never felt before. Trying to suppress her thoughts, she made her way closer to Callie and handed her a glass of deep red wine. "Beautiful view, isn't it." Her window overlooked the city, similar to the view from the gala balcony.
Callie took a small sip of wine and turned to face Arizona and smiled. "It certainly is a beautiful view."
Not knowing if Callie meant the view from her window or if she was calling her beautiful, she still blushed. It was a result of both the compliment and the alcohol. "Would you like a change of clothes so that we don't have to stay in these dresses all night?" Thoughts in Arizona's head hoped that Callie would just want to take off her clothes, but again, she wasn't sure if that was the alcohol talking or what she was really feeling inside. Seeing Callie nod in agreement, she disappeared into her bedroom and returned with a pair of soft, flannel shorts and a patterned shirt. "Bathroom is down the hall first door on the right or my bedroom is at the end of the hall." She gestured toward the hallway. The thought of Callie taking off her dress was running through her mind and nothing seemed sexier right now to have Callie, half naked in her bedroom. "Before you change, would you mind helping with my zipper? It's hard to get it started." Arizona blushed at the thought of Callie touching her.
Callie's eyes grew dark, full of lust. She nodded, still unable to say anything as she watched Arizona spin around and pull her shiny blonde hair on top of her head so that Callie could reach the zipper. She took this moment to stare at the silhouette standing in front of her. Her body was perfect, not a single flaw Callie thought to herself. Making her way over towards Arizona, Callie's heart began to pound. She wanted to just rip the dress off the sexy figure that stood in front of her but she resisted. Instead, she placed one hand softly on Arizona's should so it grasped the material of her dress and two fingers pinching the tiny zipper. The contact with Arizona's skin caused a warm pool of arousal between her folds. She slowly pulled the zipper down her smooth back, gently grazing the soft skin below as her finger trailed behind her. She heard a slight gasp escape Arizona's lips and a brief whimper. "Are you okay?" She asked hoarsely and slightly seductively. "Is…is this okay?" She wanted to ensure she wasn't doing anything Arizona didn't want her to. Seeing a slight nod, Callie continued to pull the zipper all the way down until she could barely see the top of Arizona's black, lacy panties. "You are breathtaking, Arizona." She husked. Neither moved for what seemed like hours until Callie trailed the hand that had been pulling at the zipper back up to match her other hand on the opposite shoulder. She swallowed hard at the thought of Arizona standing in front of her, half exposed. She felt two warm hands, palm the tops of her caramel hands that were still situated on Arizona's shoulders. She figured the hands would direct her away so that she could continue getting undressed in the darkness of her own room, but instead, these warm hands directed Callie's to slide the entire length of the sides of Arizona's body, slowly and firmly bringing the silver dress with them. As she made her way down her sides, she could feel the sides of Arizona's full and perky breasts barely against the pads of her fingertips. She continued down, making a mental note of each inch of her toned body, finally resting at the tight hips of the beautiful woman that stood before her. Stopping at her hips, she looked up for permission as she let the material of the satin gown pool around her bare feet.
Feeling Callie's hands glide over her body was the most erotic feel she had ever felt. Due to the awkward walk over to her apartment earlier, Arizona wasn't sure if it was the alcohol talking that made her think that Callie was interested in her or if they were actually exploring that path, but after feeling Callie's hands against her skin, she knew it wasn't just the alcohol. Callie was gentle and kind, unlike what any man would have been in this situation. She asked for permission and was patient. She knew she wanted, no, needed more. Slowly turning around so that she could capture Callie's face she made herself vulnerable. Standing in front of Callie wearing nothing but a matching black lace bra and panty set, she glanced up to find Callie staring directly back into her deep blue eyes. Her eyes never glancing down, just straight into hers. Slowly, Callie leaned closer towards Arizona's lips, her eyes searching for permission. Arizona shut her eyes, indicating that she, too, wanted this. She felt soft, tender lips brush gently against hers. It wasn't rushed, it wasn't forceful. It was loving. Arizona reached up with one hand to cup Callie's glowing cheek and strengthen the kiss while she moved her other hand to rest on Callie's hip, thumbing at the material of her black gown.
Callie deepened the kiss and begged for entry into Arizona's mouth, which she eagerly gave her. She felt Arizona reach behind Callie's back towards the short zipper that still held Callie's dress onto her form. Feeling a slight tug, she knew that she was about to lose her dress and become a mirror image of the woman standing in front of her. Pulling back slightly, both women broke their kiss and stared into each other's eyes. "What are we doing?" Callie whispered into Arizona's mouth that was still a few inches from her own. She placed another brief kiss on Arizona's lips to show her that she still wanted this but felt like they needed to talk. The heat between their bodies let her know that Arizona wanted this too but what she didn't want Arizona to wake up the next morning to regret what was about to happen. "I promised you an evening without having to worry about someone taking you home for sloppy sex and here we are, standing half naked in your living room, neither of us having done this before." Callie chuckled at the thought of how this evening had turned out. What had once started as two friends spending more time together grew into what both had been avoiding. "I'm scared, Arizona. Not of you, of this. Of turning this night into what neither of us wanted in the beginning." She continued to stare into the deep blue eyes opposite of hers.
Blushing, Arizona knew Callie was right. She was caught up in the moment and really wanted Callie but she had no idea what she was doing. She had never been with a woman and this was all happening so fast. "I'm sorry. I…I" Arizona began to back away. She began to pull away when Callie's soft grip touched her forearm. Arizona's eyes dropped to the floor, away from the mesmerizing brown ones that continued to try to stare back.
"Look at me Arizona." Callie was sure that by stopping what was happening she would certainly lose Arizona not only as a lover but as a friend. Arizona's eyes continued to stay glued to the floor, unwilling to look up. Callie softly brought her hand under the blonde's chin and gently pulled her eyes forward. Callie was so nervous of Arizona's reaction that she moved in close and placed a soft, gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm not sorry."
Arizona bit her lip. She wanted to tell her how she felt she just couldn't find the right words. Glancing back up into the comforting brown eyes staring back, she gave a shy smile. "I'm scared too. But I…what do we do?" She nervously searched her face for an answer.
Callie remained silent. She paused for quite some time before leaning in to place a soft, gentle kiss on petite pink lips. It was soft and gentle and full of love. "This is all new to me." She confessed.
"It's new to me too." She responded. "Do you want this?" Arizona was nervous at what Callie's response would be. The electricity that she felt when she was with Callie was like nothing she had ever experienced before. She was curious but also sure that she wanted to find out what it was like to make love to Callie Torres.
"I like you Arizona. This feeling that I am feeling. I don't want to scare you away." She said shyly.
Smiling and realizing that Callie had the same concern that she did she placed her hand on top of Callie's. "Let's take it slow." The suggestion just rolled off of her tongue like the decision had already been made between the two. She smiled and added "I would like to take you on a real date, Calliope. One with dinner and walking under the moonlight and all of that romantic stuff." She giggled. She rubbed the back of Callie's hand to let her know that it was okay and that she too felt the same way.
"I would like that." A grin plastered Callie's face in the realization that they were going to explore this new and exciting relationship. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She was going to go on a real date with the most beautiful blond in the world.
Arizona too shared the same smile to mirror the grin that Callie had. "Now in the essence of taking things slow, I think we should probably get dressed because if we don't I don't think I can keep my hands off you any longer." She laughed with a husky tone. She placed a quick kiss on the back of Callie's hand and disappeared into the back bedroom to change. She couldn't believe how this night had turned out but she felt nothing but happiness.
Appearing from the back room, she glanced over and saw Callie had already changed into the clothes Arizona had provided. She was sitting on the couch sipping the wine they had poured from earlier. "Want to find a movie to watch?" She knew it was late but she didn't want the brunette to leave.
"Sure." She smiled. She knew she didn't have to work all week because of her boards and tonight, she just wanted to cuddle with her new love interest on the sofa and enjoy whatever was going on between them tonight. She had never "taken it slow" with anyone else in the past. She had always rushed into things, especially sex. She was excited to finally be exploring a relationship in hopes to have it last longer than 2 minutes she sarcastically thought. Arizona was someone who really seemed to care.
Arizona brought over another bottle of wine "Just in case" she winked and sat down next to Callie on the sofa. She pulled a blanket from the end of the couch over enough to cover both of them. She felt an arm reach behind her back in a protective loving way, pulling her closer into Callie's warm body. "Is this okay?" She heard Callie whisper. She smiled up at Callie and nodded "It's perfect."