A/N: thank you for each and every follow/favorite/review.
Since I am quarantined I am more than willing to keep going.
Characters are borrowed and mistakes are mine (English being not my first language and all that jazz). Also I am lousy editor.
Seven months earlier
"This house is huge. There are five bedrooms and six bathrooms. The kitchen is to die for..." Lauren was talking nonstop about this property Arizona was driving them to.
"We are not looking for a new house, Lauren. And if we were, we wouldn't go for a place this big." The blonde chastised her wife.
Lauren smiled "What if the family grows bigger?"
"We are lesbians, that doesn't happen overnight! Tell me again, why are we going this time?"
"Because Kate needs more people taking part in her open house tour. This way she can say to the possible buyers that they need to make an offer quickly because too many people are interested."
"Without any shame Kate…"
Lauren shrugged "She is a friend and she is buying me drinks after this act. You should come with us, you'll get drunk for free. It'll be fun."
Arizona snorted thinking about the last night out with a drunken Kate and her passion for Japanese karaoke. "Thanks, I think I'll pass but you deserve a night out with your friend." She said smiling to her wife while parking a few meters before the above-mentioned house.
"Thanks God you are here!" Kate said through gritted teeth to not give away their friendship to the rest of the guests.
"There aren't showing up as many people as I thought. Lauren, I need you to make a comment on the elegance of the patio. Arizona, feel free to roam!"
That was not the first time Kate asked their help but Arizona was always exonerated from "the action". Maybe it was because she didn't like these kind of shows, the fake homey decor that at the end of the sell would go filling another empty house. Arizona preferred bare house, to be able to see the real potential of the structure and to project her own ideas and designs.
And frankly, as an interior designer herself, she could do better most of the time. Kate seemed worried that Arizona would let some improper comments slip and so invited her out of courtesy but preferred if she wasn't directly involved.
And that was fine with the blonde.
People were already gathering in a small group by the entrance to start the house tour and that was Arizona's clue to go upstairs and take a look undisturbed.
The blonde was surprise by the old beauty of the house. It was indeed fascinating and she had to remember to ask Kate who did the restoration. A good construction company was always a great connection.
She was lost in thoughts about the home studio when heard the front door opening and closing. Then greetings. Someone was late.
Took another twenty minutes to the group to reach the first floor too and it was Arizona's time to leave the scene.
She could hear people asking questions about master bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms. And then someone asked in which room there was a balcony and Arizona stopped herself dead in her tracks.
A memory hit her like a brick. The memory of a voice. The memory of a person.
Curiosity got the better of her. She tried to locate the group in that gigantic house and when she found it there it was her memory too, in flesh and blood.
Callie Torres was at the other end of the room staring at her.
They saw each other and nobody moved a single muscle. Petrified.
The people, the house, the world became just background noise. Until Arizona lost the staring contest, left the room and went downstairs.
"I need to use the restroom, I'll be right back." Callie said to Penny whom just acknowledged her with an hand wave, too mesmerized by the hot tub Kate was pointing out.
Callie was wandering in the hallway on the ground floor looking for the blonde when she could sense someone behind her.
"This doesn't look like one of your house." The brunette said turning around, arm crossed on her chest. She looked guarded but the head slightly bended on the side and a playful smile gave her away. She couldn't deny to be happy to see the blonde after all those years.
"Because it's not." Arizona answered flatly. And with that the staring contest started again.
Silence was thick. Arizona showed way more seriousness than what Callie had expected. It felt like she was figuring a complicate puzzle.
Then, like in a chess game, the blonde found her next move and the game was won.
Arizona started walking toward the brunette and only when she was inches away from her face she whispered an emotional "Hi".
Callie's breath was caught in her throat. Her smile grew bigger but she looked at floor, she already didn't trust herself and those blue eyes. Little she knew, she was right to be worried.
Arizona showed such a confident self. She took Callie's chin and lifted her head. She moved a strand of black hair behind the latina's ear and kept looking at her. Callie felt almost studied by Arizona. Then, out of the blue, blue eyes fixed browns again and Arizona leaned in for a kiss. Just a flash. A lightning of familiarity. It was a chaste kiss, yet too close to Callie's lips. It was innocent and it was not. Above all, it wasn't enough for the both of them.
"Grab a coffee with me." Said the blonde with an hand still on Callie's face.
The brunette was disoriented, she managed a weak "I'm…" pointing past Arizona. She meant the house tour, maybe her wife, her life.
It really didn't matter though. Whatever was the end of that sentence, and Arizona herself could easily complete it, nothing seemed to make the blonde falter.
"Breka, the coffee shop on Robson. I'll be waiting."
And with that Arizona took some steps backwards smiling away.
Callie should have known better. The lightning is always followed by the thunder.
Blonde lightning and thundering lies.
"Where have you been? You didn't see the whole first floor."
"I am sorry. Addison called from work… Apparently that new author we signed last month isn't happy with my editing. I have to go in and meet with him". She met her ex five minutes ago and already said three lies: a phone call, a new author, a meeting. What next? A Pulitzer nomination?
"Why doesn't Addison take care of it? She is already there" Penny was annoyed, this was supposed to be some couple's time.
"Because I am his editor and it's up to me making him happy" She was on autopilot, spilling false alternatives of the truth.
Can lying be so easy? Or is the adrenaline that makes you reckless and arrogant? Or is the trust that other, like your wife for instance, put in you that makes it easy? Or…
"Oh come on, this should have been your afternoon off."
"You know how these authors are, so protective of every coma." Lies lies lies, at this point Callie could almost hear a judgemental chorus in the background. Do you become paranoid so quickly when you start lying?
"There is a woman in love with the patio who seems ready to make an offer. We are going to miss our chance with this place." Penny was pouting, more for the house than for Callie's leaving.
"Penny is too much for us anyway…" How are you supposed to keep an unaware wife happy? Buying a house you don't need is too much too soon, isn't it? A bit suspicious at least.
"Yeah… but at least come take a look at the master bedroom you missed, it's worth every cent."
Callie smiled at her wife's enthusiasm. Yes, she could take a look. She could actually relax because Penny was used to her job and because she wasn't doing anything wrong. She wasn't lying either. She was just presenting a more understandable truth. What she was supposed to say, after all: "Hey sweetie, I am going to a coffee exchange with my ex? A rendezvous with a great love of mine? A past lovers' reunion?"
For Christ's sake, she was a senior editor and a fluent liar yet she struggled finding words and defining what she was doing.
Even so, Callie knew exactly what was happening to her. It was called the Arizona Robbins' effect and that meant she was excited and screwed.