CHAPTER 21

Tuesday rolled around fast. Arizona – true to the fact that she had locked away her feelings – hadn't thought much about the fact that Callie was coming over. So little in fact that when Tuesday afternoon arrived she had to do some panicked shopping because she had no food or drinks in her fridge.

Callie came at 7. She was dressed in tight black jeans and a purple sweater that was hanging off one of her shoulders. Very girl-next-doorsy. She looked amazing.

The first half an hour was a bit awkward, but they both downed a glass of wine pretty quickly and that helped loosen things up a bit.

Arizona was cutting vegetables and Callie was sitting at the breakfast bar.

"I like this interior design much better than your 'shell shock' one" Callie said.

Arizona chuckled "Thank you. I have so much crap I was worried it would fit in this small place"

Callie laughed.

"Speaking of space, you and I must make more or less the same. How come you get to live in the palace upstairs while I'm here in a shoe box?" Arizona asked curiously.

Callie didn't answer so Arizona stopped chopping and turned around to look at the latina. Callie looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Oh sorry, you don't have to answer that" Arizona said nervously.

"No, it's okay" Callie then said "I'm just not really used to people asking me personal questions so flat out". She smiled and looked down.

Arizona took a chance and said "Well, if you've earned the money working as a high end prostitute, I won't judge".

Callie nearly spit her wine all over the table laughing.

"Oh no, no no no, I don't think I'd be cut out for a job like that"

Arizona also laughed. The image she had in her head of Callie in a lace bra suggested otherwise.

When the laughter died down Callie took a deep breath.

"I come from money" She was touching the rim of her wine glass and avoiding eye contact.

"Well duh" Arizona said. She had guessed that a long time ago. Callie's apartment. Callie's car.

"No, I mean, REAL money" Callie said and made eye contact.

"What kind of money are we talking about?" Arizona asked. She was intrigued.

"Piles of cash, live-in staff, private jet kind of money" Callie just said.

"Oh" Arizona said. She was surprised. Callie didn't seem like she held back with her money, but on the other hand didn't seem to be an over spender or casual about finances either "You grew up in Miami, so I'm guessing…drugs? Trafficking?"

Callie laughed again. Arizona smiled at her. She was glad the mood was light.

"No no, no drugs or illegal immigrants" Callie chuckled "My father is Carlos Torres, owner of Torres Enterprises" She studied Arizona's face.

It took a second, but then Arizona said "Oh. OH! Really?"

"Yes"

"Well, that is REAL money" Arizona said.

There was silence between them for a second. Callie got nervous. She didn't like talking about the money. They had always been a huge obstacle in her previous relationships. Both with friends and boyfriends. She never talked about her wealth.

"Well, I'm kind of bummed you don't have any great prostitution or drug related stories to tell" Arizona said and returned to the vegetables like Callie's wealth couldn't matter less to her.

Callie took a breath of relief and laughed "Who says I don't have stories like that?"

They both laughed. The mood was light. While Arizona cooked they joked and told funny stories from their past.

And then they ate and had some more wine.

Halfway through dinner there was a long silence. Arizona could tell that Callie wanted to say something.

She smiled at the brunette, put her utensils down, and leaned back in her chair as to prepare herself.

"Go ahead" she said to Callie "Just ask"

Callie chuckled and looked down. She felt suddenly shy.

Arizona decided to just go ahead and answer Callie's unspoken question.

"Okay, well, I think I've always known that I liked girls. There aren't a lot of non-closeted lesbian OR gay bars in the Midwest though so it wasn't till I got to college that I really realized. I fell in love with my roommate – a classic tale – and we were together for a bit"

Callie was listening intensely.

"I got an internship in Boston and right after I moved there I fell head over heels in love with one of the other interns"

"Keeping it in the hospital, huh?" Callie winked at Arizona.

"Yeah, well, it makes it easier to actually make time to see each other. As you probably remember, being an intern doesn't leave you much time outside of the hospital"

"Good point"

"We were together for a couple of years and it was great and I was very much in love with her, and then…uh…then uhm…"

"Then what?" Callie asked.

"She cheated" Arizona was looking down at her plate.

"Oh. I'm sorry" Callie said.

"It's okay. We were young, and maybe we were moving too fast. And she probably wasn't in it as much as I was. Looking back I think both of us were better off without it"

"And then you came here?"

"Uh…no…that all happened a few years back"

"So since then nothing?"

"Uh, yeah, I…uh…I've seen other women, but I haven't had any long relationships if that's what you refer to?"

"Why do I get the feeling that you've seen a LOT of women?" Callie pried with a smile.

Arizona looked down again.

"Uh…well…uh…"

"Relax" Callie laughed "You know Mark and I talk about stuff like that all the time"

"I know" Arizona laughed "but I'm not sharing any more until you start spilling the beans about yourself a little" She crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow at Callie.

Callie laughed again "Okay. What do you want to know?"

Arizona asked a bunch of questions about Callie's childhood in Miami and learned that English was actually Callie's second language.

"So you had a nanny?"

"Yeah, I barely ever saw my parents those first few years of my life" Callie said. Arizona could sense that there was some sort of sadness in Callie's way of broaching the subject of her relationship with her family. She decided to push it a little.

"Are you close with them today?" Arizona knew the answer. She always talked about her own family a lot, but had only on very few occasions heard Callie mention the relatives in Miami.

Callie was silent for a few seconds. She took a sip of wine.

"I'd rather not talk about that tonight" she then said.

"That's fine" Arizona said "We can go back to my favorite subject; me" She released her dimples.

"Okay, sounds good" Callie smiled.

They talked back and forth for a few more hours. Nothing too serious. It was all very cosy.

At around 11 Callie got up to leave and Arizona walked her to the door.

"This was very nice, Arizona. Thank you" Callie said, her voice very sincere.

"Yes it was – thanks for coming, Calliope" Arizona smiled.

Callie walked off and Arizona went into the kitchen and started doing dishes. She had a very "mission accomplished" feeling about the whole night. It had been effortless and fun.

And she had managed to keep the box in her mind closed tight. She was pretty proud of herself.