So, I'm going to be switching between POV for the next few chapters whilst our Ladies are in Cuba.
I own nothing. All characters/storylines belong to Shonda. I'm simply 'borrowing' them.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
ARIZONA'S POV
Okay, I never thought she'd go for it. I never thought she would change her mind and come to Cuba with me, but she did, and we have just checked into the most amazing hotel. Well, not as amazing as my own, but it's still pretty great. I know the guy who owns it and once he realized I was coming to stay, he upgraded our room to the honeymoon suite. One day, I will have the honeymoon suite for exactly that, but right now I'm not complaining and neither is Eliza judging by the look on her face. Chilled and prepared cocktails waiting on the balcony for us, she's not messing around this time. She's already out there and testing both of them to see if there is any difference. Considering she didn't want to come, she didn't stop talking for the entire flight and right now she looks more than happy to be here. "Arizona, taste this. It's to actually die for."
"Really?" I raise an eyebrow. "Let's not forget that every hotel we stay at that doesn't belong to me is competition."
"Wait, you have a hotel here in Cuba?" Her mouth falling open, I shake my head and laugh.
"Not yet, no." Throwing her a wink, I take the cocktail from her hand and sip on it. "Mm, it's good but it's not as good as Manuel's."
"Yeah, I've no idea who that is." She shrugs.
"Oh, he's my cocktail guy." I smile. "London."
"You have a place in London?" She raises an eyebrow.
"Two, actually." Taking her hand in my own, I guide us both out onto the balcony and the view is pretty amazing. Not Hawaii amazing, but it's still pretty damn good. "Did you want to spend the day up here, or down there?" Pointing down to the beach in front of us, Eliza narrows her eyes and glances back at me.
"Wherever you want to be." She smiles. "This is your business trip, after all."
"Okay, what does that even mean?" I furrow my brow.
"Well, I was under the impression that you would be working your ass off here, yet you are already talking about relaxing for the day."
"I can totally get to work if you'd prefer that." Walking away from her, she grips my wrist and tugs me back.
"No, don't go." She gives me a sad smile. "I just don't want to get in your way here."
"You could never get in my way." Pressing my lips to her own, she moans as I force her back against the balcony and slip a leg between her thighs. "You are more than welcome here, baby."
"Well, look who finally arrived…" A familiar voice pulling us apart, I glance back inside our suite but find nobody there. A clearing of the throat to my right and I find Alexis on the balcony next to ours. "Glad you made it, Ari."
Giving her an awkward smile, I tighten my grip on Eliza's hand and throw Alexis a wave. "Got stuff to do. Catch you later." Stepping inside and closing the doors to the balcony, I turn back to face my girlfriend and she is still sipping on her cocktail. "Did you want me to get a room change?"
"Nope." She smiles. "No need."
"Are you sure? I don't mind."
"Everything is fine as it is, Ari." Snorting, she removes her straw from her lips and waves her hand. "Sorry. Couldn't help myself."
"Please don't call me that. I hate it."
"So, tell her that then." She shrugs as she moves into the small kitchen we have. "Refill?"
"You don't even know what's in them." I laugh. I love fun and relaxed Eliza but I'm not sure how long it will last. It's only a matter of time before Alexis pisses her off and brings her mood down. I know it.
"Probably Vodka, so I'll just add a little more." She smirks.
"Are you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me before midday?" Stepping a little closer to me, she takes my drink from my hand and sets it down. Her lips grazing my ear, she breathes out against it before lowering her tone.
"Baby, I fucked you against your window just the other week. Then you came harder than ever in your office. I can take advantage of you anytime I like." My body shuddering and responding as her words sink in, this woman turns me on like no other. "Don't ever forget that." A light knocking on our hotel room door, I pull away from my unbelievably hot girlfriend and open it. "Ugh." A low groan from Eliza makes me almost laugh out loud, but I manage to contain myself.
"Alexis, I'm a little busy right now." Stepping around me, I shake my head and close the door. "Can I help you?"
"Just wanted to welcome you here." She smiles as she pulls me into a hug and places a kiss on both of my cheeks. Pulling back, she keeps her hands on my shoulders and I furrow my brow. "Good to finally have you on board."
"What am I…Chopped liver?" Glancing over my shoulder, I give Eliza a dimpled smile and she simply shrugs. "Am I not worthy of a welcome?" She asks.
"Of course." Alexis steps around me and holds out her hand. "Good to see you, uh…"
"Eliza." She rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to me. "So, if the welcomes and kisses are done, we have things to do." She gives Alexis a sarcastic smile and my ex raises an eyebrow. Oh, this isn't going to go well. "Problem?" My girlfriend asks.
"N-No." Alexis shakes her head and takes a step back.
"Good, so drop the whole motherly eyebrow-raising thing. Also, you may want to get that memory of yours checked out. Don't you know people are being diagnosed younger and younger these days?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Since you keep forgetting my name." She shrugs. "Either you have memory issues or you are just fucking rude." Okay, I think that cocktail has gone to her head, but I'm not complaining. It's good to see Alexis being taken down a notch.
"Anyway…" My ex smiles as she turns her attention back to me. "I was hoping I could get your attention today but I don't suppose that is going to happen. We have a business dinner on Wednesday evening. Down at the beach. I've booked us a table."
"Business meeting?" I ask. "What do we need a business meeting for?"
"Because it's what we do, Arizona. We are business people, so we have business meetings."
"Sure." I nod and give her a knowing look. "What time?"
"7 pm. Sunset." Okay, I don't like where this is going. "If you get there before me, it's under my name. Table for two."
"Yeah, you'll want to extend that to three," I state as I step away from her and move back towards my girlfriend.
"Oh, I thought she was here as your girlfriend." Alexis furrows her brow.
"Oh, she is." I agree.
"Then there is no reason for Eliza to be at the meeting. It's my private business and I don't wish people who are not connected to me to know of my plans. I hope you'll understand, Eliza."
"Sure." Eliza smiles. "I'm busy anyway."
"Great." The other brunette smiles. "I'll see you in the morning, Ari. Enjoy your day." Watching her walk away and out of the room, the door closes and I turn my attention back to my girlfriend.
"I don't know what you ever saw in her. She may be hotter than hell but she has one ugly attitude and a personality to match."
"Mmhmm." I give her a nod in agreement. "We can totally change rooms if we have to, Eliza. I want you to enjoy yourself while you are here, and I don't want her to make you feel uncomfortable at any point. You are my equal. You are my life. You are what matters to me. Not anything or anybody else."
"Arizona, this room is amazing. There is no way we are changing rooms." Stepping a little closer to me, she hooks her fingers around the waistband of my jeans and pulls me in close. "If she wants to hear you screaming my name all night, that is fine by me."
"Oh." I bite down on my lower lip. "Is that a promise?"
"You better believe it, beautiful."
ELIZA'S POV
That woman. I swear that woman is asking to be hurt by me. If she keeps up this little game, it's going to happen. All of the name forgetting and 'what is your job role this time around' is getting boring. Fast. Honestly, I expected Arizona to have something to say about the way I spoke to her, but she didn't and I appreciate that. I mean, I could have held back. You know, bit my tongue or whatever, but I couldn't. I'm tired of her seeing me as someone who is in the way. Sure, to her I may be in the way, but to Arizona…I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be and funnily enough, Arizona is the only one who matters. Unless she tells me she doesn't want me around, I'll be wherever she is.
I wasn't lying when I said that I was busy Wednesday night because I am. Jo is arriving early Wednesday morning so I'll kick back with her that night. We have a lot of catching up to do, so I don't need to sit in on Alexis' shitty business meeting. We all know it isn't a business meeting and she just wants Arizona alone, but I'm here now, and she is my woman. She is going to be exactly that for a long long time to come. If Alexis really thinks that she is taking her back, she is so very sadly mistaken. It's laughable, really. I can see the desperation in her eyes. In her voice and how she speaks to my Arizona. I can just smell it a mile off.
I may look stupid, but I'm really not. She may think that she has the upper hand because she is of the same lifestyle as my girlfriend, but if that's how she really thinks, she doesn't know Arizona at all. She doesn't know anything about her.
As if the world was just laughing at me, I hear Alexis calling out Arizona's name. Standing from my lounger, I place my magazine down and peak my head over the balcony. "Can I help you, Alexis?"
"Well, unless you've suddenly changed your name to Arizona, I don't think you can." She gives me an incredulous look and shakes her head.
"Where exactly do you get off speaking to me like that? Huh?"
"Why are you here, Eliza?" She asks. "Do you not trust your boss?"
"I trust my girlfriend with my life. So, when she asked me to join her on this trip, I trusted that she wanted me here. Why is it any concern of yours if I'm here or not?"
"Oh, none at all."
"Really? Because you've got a funny way of showing it. Do I threaten you, Alexis?" I've had a few cocktails now and maybe I'm feeling a little braver than usual, but I really am tired of this woman. "Do I threaten your chances of you getting Arizona back?"
"No, honey." She smiles. "Arizona will come straight to me if and when she wants me back."
"Sure she will." I laugh. "I wouldn't hold your breath."
"You know nothing about this life, Eliza. I suggest you stick to what you do know."
"And what exactly is that?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Nothing." She smiles. "Nothing whatsoever."
"Right…" I nod. "Did you want Arizona, or?"
"Have her come by when she isn't busy."
"Sure. She's just showering." I shrug. "Things got a little wet and wild here a little while ago. I'll have her text you or email you, whatever."
"Have her come by." She states. Anger evident in her voice.
"Like I said, I'll have her text you." Disappearing from view, I settle back down on my lounger and the sound of Alexis slamming her balcony door shut makes me giggle. I know how to get to people when I really need to. I may seem quiet and nonconfrontational, but when I want to be…that couldn't be further from the truth. I can play with the best of them, and if that's what Alexis wants, I'm happy to be a player in her game. It's no skin off my nose.
"Hey, what was that?" Arizona asks as she comes into view, nothing but a towel covering her body.
"Why don't you come sit here with me and I'll tell you?" I smirk. Tugging the edge of her towel, she moves a little closer and settles down between my legs.
"So, what was that bang?" She asks. "Are you okay?"
"Me?" I ask. "Oh, I'm fine, beautiful. Alexis?... not so much."
"Eliza, what did you do!" Her eyes widen and I can't help but laugh. "It's not funny. What did you do? Or say?"
"Does it matter what I said, or did?"
"Well, yeah." She scoffs. "I have to have dinner with her tomorrow and I need to prepare myself."
"Oh, she was asking for it, Arizona." Picking up my magazine, I turn the page. "I'm done with this conversation if you are going to assume I did something."
"Hey…" She takes my magazine from my hand. "I didn't say that."
"You didn't need to." Giving her a sarcastic smile, she furrows her brow and I take the magazine from her hands. "If she thinks for one minute that she is going to intimidate me, she's wrong, Arizona. I'm done with her and her feelings. I'm not tiptoeing around that bitch any longer."
"Why? What happened?"
"She was calling your name." I smile. "You know because she thinks she can just do that. Which, by the way, she totally can't so I'd appreciate it if you ran that by her at her shitty meeting tomorrow."
"Okay." She nods.
"Then she felt the need to speak to me like crap and talk to me like I was fucking stupid."
"Okay, I'm done with this." Throwing up her hands, she removes herself from my lounger and moves towards the door.
"Leave it, Arizona. You going there is exactly what she wants. She's already told me to ask you to come by."
"What for?" She asks.
"I don't know. I didn't ask." I shrug as I flick through the pages. "I told her you would call her, or text. You're not going by, though. I'm sorry, but you're not. She's one grade A bitch."
"You don't have to tell me that, Eliza. I already know." Giving me a sad smile, she takes a seat on the edge of her own lounger and sighs. "What do you want me to do?"
"I don't want you to do anything." I sigh. "A reaction is exactly what she wants. She wants me to mess up along the way so you can fall back into her arms. I'm not stupid."
"I doubt she wants that." Arizona laughs. "She is seeing someone else."
"Well, maybe that someone else ought to know that she is calling you to her room and taking you out to business dinners. I mean, on the fucking beach? Seriously? I'm sorry but you may not be able to see it, but I do. I can see right through her."
"Wow…" She breathes out. "I don't even know what to say to that." Standing, she takes my hand in her own and pulls me up from my lounger. "Whilst you look amazing and beautiful tanning there, can we go inside for five?"
"Sure." I furrow my brow. My heart sinking into my stomach, I get the impression that I've just totally overstepped the mark. Heading inside, I close the door behind me and grip her wrist before she has the chance to walk away. "Is everything okay? I'm sorry if I said something out of line just then…"
"No." She smiles. "Don't apologize for how you feel."
"Then why did you bring me inside?" I ask, a little worried for the response I will receive.
"I just don't want anyone else hearing our conversation." She shrugs. "Eliza, Alexis is forever trying to get inside people's heads. It's what she does. You have to block her out. Whatever she says, you have to block her out. She isn't worth the headspace. She isn't worth the time or the energy."
"She insulted my intelligence, Arizona, so forgive me if I find it hard to 'block her out'. She also referred to you as my boss and questioned my trust for you. Do you not see what she is doing? Are you really that kind to people that you cannot see how she is acting with me…and you?"
"I guess I just like to give people the benefit of the doubt." She sighs. "Maybe I should be a little more wary of people, I don't know."
"No." I shake my head. "Don't ever change, Arizona. You are perfect how you are. All I'm saying is…be careful around her. Know what she is doing and what she is about. It's only Alexis. I mean, if I found you dancing with someone else or having a drink with someone else, I wouldn't be worried. I wouldn't be offended. But her? No way. She knows what she is doing, and so do I. It's only a matter of time before she tries to get between us. It's only a matter of time before she causes a rift and I cannot have that. I cannot be around when that happens."
"She could never come between us, Eliza. Not unless we let her."
"And I'm trying really hard to not let her come between us. It's not easy, though, when she speaks to me like I'm a child. It's not easy when she is fucking everywhere. Like, shouldn't she be at the hotel she is renovating or something? Shouldn't she be working like she claimed she would be?"
"I'll be careful, okay?" Running her thumb across my cheek, I lean into her touch and give her a slight nod. "She won't come between us, though. I promise you."
"How do you know, Arizona?"
"Because my love for you trumps everything, Eliza. Absolutely everything."
Pulling back a little, her hand drops from my face and I give her a sad smile. "You should go and see what she wanted."
"Like hell, I should." She scoffs. "How about we get back in that bedroom and rattle that headboard like nobody's business. You know, show her where the love is at?" Her gorgeous blue eyes narrowing, she tugs at the string holding my bikini top together and it falls around my midsection. "Come on, pretty lady. I've told you how much I love you…now I just have to show you."
Pulling me into the bedroom, I kick the door shut and throw my girlfriend down on the bed. A squeal leaving her throat, her towel falls open and her slightly tanned naked body comes into view. "Mm, time to rattle that headboard for the world to hear." Climbing on top of my gorgeous blonde, she pulls me down into a heated kiss and my head is spinning faster than ever before. I'll stand my ground where Alexis is concerned…I have to.
Thanks for reading, guys. That's me done for the day… or night, depending on where you are in the world. It's been a fun day writing for you all. Your reviews are once again fantastic and I'll be back with you all tomorrow. Night! Xx