"And the winner of the two night Paris trip for two is... Carlos Torres, for a whopping 10 million dollars" the announer's eyes widened in shock as he opened the envelope and read It's contents.
Callie smiled sweetly at her father and raised her champagne in toast as he glared at her, so far her father had won a week long wine tasting experience in the South of France for five million, a two week Mediterranean cruise for two million, a luxury RV for two million, a Lotus Elise for three million, a year's membership to a luxury spa for four million and the night was still young, they were only halfway through the silent auction results and so far Carlos Torres had won every item, and the other attendees were starting to throw dirty looks in his direction for hogging the prizes.
"Calliope what the hell did you do?" Carlos muttered angrily as he took the chair next to his daughter, throwing fake smiles at the people glaring at him.
"What did I do Mr Torres? I didn't do anything, yet somehow I am to blame for everything!" Callie shrugged numbly. Since her argument with Arizona, the anger had diminished and all she felt was empty, alone, betrayed and numb.
"So your telling me you didn't make all those silent bids in my name?" Carlos scoffed challengingly.
"Oh no, of course that was me. Next time you want to force me to go back on a promise perhaps you will remember this night and remember that it cost you my respect as well as all of that money and you will think again" Callie rose from her chair, offered her father a sad smile and moved off to find Mark. She hadn't seen him since just after her argument with Arizona when she had screamed at him to stay the fuck away from her, and he had, much to her annoyance, she needed her best friend right now.
-oOo-
"What the hell is going on with Carlos Torres tonight, the bar staff told me that he took care of the bar tab despite the Trumps having committed to it and now he is taking everything in the silent auction for far more money than they are worth!" Teddy glanced at her friend who had been silent since they had arrived and she had gone off to apologize to Callie for something that had happened earlier in the day in the office.
"Who knows, who cares? Probably just the Torres' throwing all their money around as usual... after all it's all they have, they certainly don't have any morals or integrity!" Arizona spat as she found Callie in the crowd and scowled at the back of her head.
"Ok! Enough now... I want to know what the hells going on with you right now?" Teddy demanded as she grabbed two fresh champagnes from a passing waiter and thrust one in Arizona's hand before waiting with a pointed look.
"What, nothing... I'm fine, I've already told you!" Arizona at least attempted to sound sincere.
"Bull shit... I know you Arizona Michelle Robbins and this passive aggressive crap you're trying to pull right now may work with a lot of people, but it won't work on me... so how about we start again and you tell me what's got your panties in such a twist" Teddy raised her eyebrow in a don't even try and lie to me again' way and Arizona couldn't help but smirk at her.
"I hate you" Arizona scoffed.
"Good... now tell me what happened and don't miss anything juicy out" Teddy grinned.
"So I was trying to apologize to Callie when Erica 'stupid bitch' Hahn..."
"Woah, woah, woah!.. What's with the stupid bitch middle name? What's she ever done to you?" Teddy interrupted with amusement, it was very unlike Arizona be name call.
"What nothing... I just don't like her" Arizona attempted but Teddy raised her eyebrow again.
"Fine! She just rubs me up the wrong way... and tonight Callie and I were meant to be going out to dinner before the benefit and she blew me off to invite Erica 'stuck up cow' Hahn... oh and that stupid woman does nothing but be rude and abrupt until Callie is in the room and then she practically drools and foams at the mouth. All she does is stare and smile at her with this sickening fake smile and act like this really nice person, then the second Calliope isn't looking she turns into a mega bitch!" Arizona whined.
"Ok... why exactly does it bother you so much, you know that Callie enjoys playing the field, you've been around her long enough by now" Teddy asked in confusion.
"Because she deserves better than some shallow two faced bitch who only cares about getting her into bed and that is all Erica ' gold digger' Hahn wants... sex and money, she is practically a damn hooker!" Arizona scoffed.
"Oh my god... holy SHIT!" Teddy shrieked loud enough to garner the attention of everyone in proximity of them.
"What?" Arizona frowned as she eyed her friend questioningly after her sudden loud outburst.
"How did I not see this until now?" Teddy asked herself but Arizona answered.
"See what?"
"I mean come on... you went from hating her and calling her the she devil and spending every moment bitching about her... and then all of a sudden your telling me about how funny she is, and how smart she is, and how sweet she is, and how she has... oh god! How did I not see it when you told me about her secret side that no one see's but is really geeky and silly and sweet.. You love her!" Teddy grinned as she studied her best friend to gauge her reaction.
"What! That's absurd, no I don't... are you crazy?" Arizona laughed.
"You. Love. Her" Teddy teased.
"I do not!" Arizona shrieked.
"You do"
"I don't"
"Do so"
"So don't"
"You do, you love her" Teddy mocked.
"Quit it butt munch! I don't even like her so how could I don't love her" Arizona scoffed in annoyance.
"Liar liar pants on fire!" Teddy sing songed and smirked when Arizona only seemed to get further annoyed.
"Shut up moron I do not love Callie Torres" Arizona spat adamanty before shaking her head in frustrated amusement that Teddy would even think such a thing.
"You do... Oh you so love Callie Torres" Teddy beamed which only served to wind Arizona up even more.
"No I don't, are you being serious right now? She is infuriating and selfish and untrustworthy and... and... and she's a pig!" Arizona screeched as her hands waved animatedly in Callie's direction as if trying to prove a point with each description.
"Sure, a pig that you love!" Teddy scoffed.
"I do NOT" Arizona shrieked, forgetting about the people around them as her voice carried even further.
"Ok... you don't love her... you just have feelings for her and find her attractive and you want to have lots and lots of sex with her and you want to marry her and have little babies with her and live happily ever after!" Teddy smirked as she saw Arizona falter at the accusation.
"Shut up! You love her!" Arizona accused and Teddy couldn't hold in the bark of laughter at Arizona Robbins, highly qualified lawyer and attorney, a woman who was literally paid to come up with good arguments, offer such a rebuttal.
"Hah... I love her? Right! Don't tell my husband!" Teddy held her hands out in mock surrender as she tried to calm down and settle her laughter.
"Well maybe he loves her too... everyone loves Callie damn Torres" Arizona pouted petulantly.
"Everyone loves Callie... including you, right?" Teddy offered slyly.
"Right" Arizona answered before her eyes widened and she glared at a very proud looking Teddy.
"So you admit it, you love her?" The honey blonde smirked
"No I don't, you tricked me" Arizona whined.
"Arizona and Callie sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G!" Teddy sang teasingly between her laughter.
"Shut up doofus! I do not love Calliope Torres!" Arizona pouted as she stamped her foot in annoyance of her bullying best friend.
-oOo-
"Oh, hey Callie... looks like you've been having fun with the company credit card" Mark smiled sheepishly.
"I'm an asshole, I'm sorry I snapped at you, you didn't deserve it" Callie didn't even bother to attempt small talk, Mark was owed an apology and she would be grown up enough to provide it with an offered an apologetic smile before passing over a top shelf scotch, knowing it was his weakness.
"You are an asshole... and no I didn't deserve it... but you're still my Torro... now sit your sorry ass down" Mark smirked.
"I love you Mark, thank you for not giving me a hard time, I'm having the day from hell" Callie confessed as she melted into the chair.
"From the vein about to pop on Mr T's head, I would say he is too" Mark laughed.
"Wait till he gets the bar tab invoice at the end of the night" Callie smirked as Mark laughed. "and he see's the notation I had written in the invoice comments box. 'Merry Christmas Mr. Trump, from your friends at Torres Industries"
"Jesus Cal, he is going to go nuclear" Mark choked on his drink as Callie just shrugged.
"He shouldn't have messed with me, he need's to learn a lesson and it's going to be a very expensive lesson that he won't forget. Every single dollar he made in profits when he decided to rip down Arizona's community center he has spent tonight. It will never give her the sentimentality back, or her actual center... but it's the least I could do considering I broke my promise to her" Callie sighed into her glass
"Cal you did what you could, just explain it to her" Mark nudged her with his shoulder in an attempt to break her from her depressive trance.
"I tried... she wasn't interested, she didn't even let me try to explain and just assumed that I was to blame and tore me a new asshole about it" Callie admitted before wiping angrily at the tear about to fall.
"Well try again" Mark scoffed as if it was obvious.
"What's the point... Mark every time I let a woman get close I'm the one that ends up with a broken heart, I'm done with women... all together... that's it no more women!" Claimed before raising her tequila up in salute to her decision before taking a long swig of it.
"Come on Cal you don't mean that" Mark eyed her worriedly.
"Yeah I do Mark... maybe I'm just not made for love" Callie scoffed at how pathetic she was.
"Oh shut up Callie. Stop this self deprecating crap! Get your head out of your ass and put it between a pair of thighs... what about that Erica chick, she looks into you" Mark suggested hoping he could convince his best friend to make a start on getting over her heartache with a round of rebound sex.
"Mark I'm serious! I'm done" Callie smiled sadly at her best friend before lowering her head to the table.
"No... no, no, no... after the whole Kara fiasco you did this same thing and I lost my best friend for months! I'm not doing it again... I will NOT allow you to write yourself off again, your better than this Callie!" Callie glanced at the pleading steel blue eyes staring her down and shook her head sadly.
"Mark... I'm tired, I'm beat and I'm done.. I thought Kara broke me, but what I feel right now... I didn't even know pain like this existed, and the worst thing is that I didn't even do anything wrong this time, I have done everything to try and stop this... yet somehow I'm the bad guy in all of this" Callie sighed as Mark wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed the side of her head affectionately.
"Welcome to heartbreaksville Kiddo, it sucks like shit, but it will get better I promise" Mark soothed as he remembered how he felt when Lexie had broken up with him.
"And that concludes the silent auction, a whopping 42 million was raised, and Carlos Torres was very generous to win every single bid... surely that's got to be a record" The announcer grinned into microphone as a half heated round of expected applause sounded.
"Look at your dad's face... he's about to explode!" Mark sniggered behind his hand.
"You may want to get your phone out and set it to record for this!" Callie smirked as she watched a member of staff approach the announcer with an envelope.
"Oh shit... what did you do Torro?" Marks eyes widened as he started looking for his phone.
"Just wait... Daddy is about to learn that you don't want to fuck with me" Callie grinned as the announcer opened the envelope before glancing at her father with wide eyes and a huge smile.
"Well it appears that Mr Torres has decided to be even more generous than he already has been. With the exception of the two nights in Paris, Torres Industries would like to donate all of their winning bids, and put all of the prizes back into the prize pool to be awarded to the people who were runner up in the bid, and has agreed to pay for their bid also" The room erupted into applause and Callie couldn't help but glance at her father and offer him a round of exaggerated applause and a wink. He did not look happy, in fact he looked like he was about to explode, she had probably cost him almost a hundred million tonight, and it was worth every single dollar.
"Paris however, Torres Industries would like to donate to Ms Altman, founder of New York Children's Legacy in recognition of the hard work she has put into the legacy to date. For those who aren't entirely sure of the legacy's history Teddy Altman has been working for the past three years to try and get the charity off the ground, in that time she hasn't taken a single day for herself apart from her wedding day, not even to take a honeymoon with her husband who she married earlier in the year. Torres Industries would like to wish Teddy and Henry their best wishes for their future and in their marriage and wish them a happy honeymoon" The room erupted again, louder this time as people forgot about their annoyance at the Torres' for being greedy and really began to cheer.
Callie glanced to where she knew Teddy was stood overseeing the events and smiled when she saw Arizona's best friend dancing in joy and she bounded into her husband's arms ecstatically. The exact reaction she had hoped for, Arizona had filled her in on the in's and out's of Teddy's exhausting life trying to run a charity with no history, publicity or funding. The woman was a saint for what she was trying to achieve and a two night holiday, which she fully planned to extend at her own cost, was the least she could do.
"Nicely done!" Mark grinned. "Now no one will be mentioning Carlos' monopoly over the silent bid, or him throwing his cash around tonight, and instead they will discussing how T.I. showed appreciation at a nobody's hard work!.. Perhaps you should be doing my job" Mark grinned.
"Despite what the general consensus is Mark, I'm actually not a complete idiot. And I didn't just do it for that. Arizona has told me all about what Teddy and Henry have gone through to get the Legacy off the ground, she deserves to take a few days for herself with her husband, and look how happy they are" Callie motioned towards the ecstatic couple.
Callie's eyes met Arizona's and despite how hurt she was and despite being angry at Arizona's behavior and words, the second Arizona offered a smile of gratitude for the beautiful thing Callie had done, the brunettes heart fluttered and she couldn't help but smile in return before the hurt overpowered her once more and she turned away. Nope, Callie Torres was done with Arizona Robbins, and all other women.