A/N: Just as a heads up, Callie/other character get a little frisky in this chapter but it's not very bad. I would love to hear people's opinion about this chapter as hopefully my SL interests enough people. This wasn't the story I was initially going to write but this idea just got stuck in my head so the other one is put on the back-burner.
Sitting at Joe's Bar, Callie nurses a beer as she partakes in another night of people watching. Not wanting to be called a stalker, Callie keeps her eyes roving as she watches her friends and colleagues happily socialise in this relaxed setting. Seeing her gang sitting in a corner booth, Callie half considers heading over but the occupants of the twisted sisters and their respective partners stops her in her tracks. Not wanting to be the fifth wheel to what is no doubt a lovely conversation; Callie decides to wait for her manwhore of a best friend to arrive so they can sulk in their singleness together.
After what seems like an eternity, Mark finally arrives and slips onto the stool next to Callie. Signalling to Joe, Mark orders them another round as he turns to his best friend. "As much as I enjoy your company, why are we sitting by ourselves at the bar as you cramp my style?"
"And hello to you too," Callie replies in a sarcasm laced voice. "And what are you, twelve, as who past that age says cramp my style? Would you like to plait my hair and talk about girls while we wait for our soda pops?" Callie says as she twirls a strand of her hair around her finger to accentuate how childish she finds Mark's choice of saying.
Pouting slightly at Callie's attack, Mark tries to turn this argument around. "People say that when they are looking to score but don't stand a chance as the most beautiful person in the room is sitting at his side."
"Oh, can't take a little competition from me." Callie chuckles out. "The dark, mysterious Latina with curves to die for has become the better option than the greying old man who is a couple of years away from senility." The smirk on Callie's face makes Mark's smile falter as the touché subject of age is raised.
"Hey, be nice. I was giving you a compliment. And what's with you anyway? You're always so bitchy these days," Mark rebukes. "And my hair is not greying, it's got a nice touch of salt and pepper which gives me an air of sophistication. I'm the George Clooney of Seattle Grace," Mark adds as he self-consciously touches his hair.
"You just keep telling yourself that," Callie cuts in as she tousles Mark's hair. "I guess you'll say anything to ease your mind as McSteamy becomes a thing of the past."
"Hey, I've got a reputation to uphold as I'm a hard-core person who has sex wherever and whenever…," Mark voice trails off as he watches Lexie Grey enter the bar and join the twisted sisters' booth.
"Because all hard-core people have sex in an attic on a camp bed behind their best friend's back surrounded by Christmas decorations," Callie sarcastically replies as she watches Mark become a gigantic pile of goo as he shoots doe eyes at the younger Grey which she returns with interest.
"You do if you want to avoid your Shepherd's anger when he explicitly told me that she's forbidden fruit of the Seattle Grace. My face is too pretty to be punched again. He has a mean right hook," Mark whines as he drags his eyes away from his secret girlfriend.
"Maybe you should stop soiling the forbidden fruit with your…well...snake." Callie says as she gestures at Mark's groin. "Shepherd probably has the right idea because you're just going to corrupt her sweet, innocent mind with your perverted dirtiness. Although since she broke your penis, who's corrupting who is debatable. In your old age, you are already starting to fall apart." Callie replies as she starts to laugh into her beer as Mark's misfortune as the story had already become a legend in SGH. A minute of pleasure had become a lifetime of ridicule for the Head of Plastics. Owen still couldn't look Mark in the face after he'd been forced to do the procedure on a piece of anatomy he really hadn't wanted to see.
"I'm not old. I'm a mature specimen which has become a highly sought after commodity in the age of frat boys and metrosexual, megging wearing guys who take longer to get ready than you."
"I did treat a guy today who was wearing more eyeliner than I was and his pants were so tight that I did write low circulation to his nether region on his chart," Callie muses. "Back to Lexie, I still don't understand why you use her room in the attic instead of your hotel room?" Callie questions, showing more interest than she probably should in Mark's sex life. "Wait, do you have to go to the Grey's residence because she's too young to drive?" Callie adds as she tries and fails to hold in a snort of laughter.
"At least I have someone," Mark retorts, missing the pained look on Callie's face. "What's the flavour this week, Paulie or Pippa or something?"
"Piper," Callie replies as she cringes at the change in topic as her sex life is something Mark has been dredging up for weeks. "And it's been way more than a week. Since you are usually a walking stereotype of the commitment-phobic lifestyle, I don't think you should be lecturing me. You're secretly dating the sexed-up stalker intern who's young enough to be your daughter." Callie's tone of voice indicates that if Mark has half a brain cell in his head, he should drop the topic. Callie has developed an unhealthy hatred of of happy, shiny people who are in relationships as they unintentionally show how unfulfilling her own life is. "My relationship with Piper is easy, uncomplicated and most importantly – no one gets hurt." Callie adds as she refuses to meet Mark's look.
"The lady doth protest too much, me thinks. It almost sounds as if you are trying to convince yourself as much as me." Mark replies as he tries to get a reading on his best friend's mood. For months, Callie had moved from bed to bed as she took part in multiple friends with benefits relationships with this trend showing no sign of abating.
A buzzing from Callie's jean pocket stops the conversation as Callie holds her hand over Mark's mouth to prevent whatever else he wants to lecture her about. Reading the message, Callie lets out a small smirk as this small sentence has brightened her day. "Well, this has been fun but the doe eyes at Little Grey are getting a little old. I've got places to go and people to do."
"Torres, I think…" Mark starts to say but is immediately cut off.
"I didn't ask you to think and if I wanted that, I'd be best friends with Izzie Stevens because she is such a moral compass." Callie angrily replies as she collects her bag. "I'm not hurting anyone with this relationship. I'm not cutting LVAD wires, I'm not having an affair and I'm not having sex behind my best friend's back. So get the hell off your high horse and start living in the real world," Callie snaps out and immediately regrets her attack on Mark as he again adopts a wounded expression. The silence stretches between the usually chatty best friends as both digest Callie's rant.
In a sincere voice, Callie continues. "Look, I'm happy for you and Lexie. Really I am. But as a single person, I really don't want to hear about a together person. It makes me puke a little bit in my mouth with all the yay and happiness. So let me have this one."
Nodding his head in agreement, Mark concedes that Callie is an adult and can make her own decisions. Changing topics, Callie continues to speak, "But how serious are you about Lexie because you're hiding the relationship. If you really like her and want this to go somewhere more than a small bed in an attic - then tell Derek. Let her into your life because for you, she's worth the risk." Callie then slides off her bar stool and gulps down the remanets of her beer as she prepares to leave.
"You think so?" Mark questions, silently agreeing with Callie but is still lacking the courage to tell Derek the truth. "And is Piper worth the risk?"
"For me, no one is worth the risk," Callie sadly replies as she heads out of the bar as she pulls her coat tightly around her body.
XXXX
Knocking on the front door, it is quickly thrown open and Callie is pulled into the apartment without a preamble or greeting. Lips are slammed onto Callie's as the Latina struggles to get her bearings as she is romantically attacked by the occupant of this apartment. Never wanting to be topped, Callie pushes Piper against a wall and takes charge. Slipping her leg between red head's legs, Callie allows her to grind down as tongues tangle and teeth clash. Entangling her hands in Callie's hair, Piper lets out a guttered moan as she succumbs to being trapped against her apartment wall as Callie's hands and mouth take her to new heights.
"Hey Piper, how was work?" Callie cheerfully asks, leaning back slightly from the breathless woman in front of her. Piper props her head to the side as Callie begins to place a line of wet kisses down her neck. Callie knows that by changing nothing in her life, she will remain the perpetual third wheel in all situations. And there's only so many times Callie can listen to Lexie talk about her lovely boyfriend before she snaps and throttles the young intern. Even though she could easily pled provocation, Callie doesn't want to turn to the dark side of the force. Considering Mark's advice, Callie begins to wonder if Piper is worth getting to know outside the four walls of her bedroom. They've been doing this for months now and it's shown no sign of abating so maybe there is more to them than a physical connection. "Anything exciting happen?"
"If I wanted to talk about work, I'd be in a relationship," Piper replies. Obviously, idle chitchat isn't something Piper is interested in as she grabs the back of Callie's head and slams their lips back together. Callie and Piper had been hooking-up like this for several months after meeting one night at a local bar. The physical connection between the two of them was and still is electric – but that's as far as the relationship went. Piper claimed she didn't have time to maintain an emotional connection with a woman due to her time consuming and stressful job. As a litigation lawyer at one of the biggest law firms in the city, Piper prefers the uncomplicated sex-driven relationships. And Callie can't fault her logic.
Needing to breath, the two women split as Piper leads them in the direction of the bedroom. "Sorry, just being polite. I don't know what I was thinking," Callie responds with a metaphorical slap to the forehead as the door to a real relationship is well and truly slammed shut.
"Less polite, more nakedness," Piper says as she crawls onto the bed and gestures for Callie to join her. It's become crystal clear that Piper has a one tracked mind tonight as one particular itch needs to be scratched.
"That's something I can always go along with," Callie drawls out as she tries to get into the right mind frame to screw this woman into oblivion. Crawling on top of Piper, Callie makes quick work of her clothes in a routine that she has perfected over the previous months. Latching onto one of Piper's breasts Callie feels a shot of arousal pass through her body at the moans that falling from the red head's mouth. Since making this lifestyle choice, Callie has found she that she needed to be in control at all times to prevent her falling for the women gracing her bed.
As well as Callie kept her badass façade in place, Mark's comments about her continuous singleness had stung the Latina. But after the tumultuously failure of her relationship with both Erica and George, Callie had taken a page out of her best friend's book. Relationships were overrated and fraught with the risk of heartbreak. And since Callie's heart had been broken, crushed and destroyed in the last several years, relationships had become a thing of fairy tales and children's dreams.
Piper becomes increasingly aroused by Callie's ministrations while Callie struggles to keep her concentration on the task at hand as she finds her mind beginning to wonder. Entering Piper, Callie's mind inadvertently brings up the Hokey Pokey as her fingers move in and out of the woman beneath her. Musing to herself, Callie figures that next she'll be writing her shopping list – which reminds her that she needs to buy milk. Physically shaking her head to re-focus her mind, Callie passionately kisses Piper as lust becomes her dominant emotion - again. Looking down at the blissed out woman beneath her, Callie decides she is overcomplicating matters because everyone gets what they want out of this relationship. The feeling of Piper's nails digging into her back pushes the last remnants of doubt out of Callie's mind as she remembers why this type of relationship is preferred – no one gets hurt.
As Piper gets closer and closer to her orgasm, Callie swears she hears a door open and close in the apartment. For the briefest second, Callie mind conjures up imagines of a cheating spouse who push their mistress into their wardrobe to hide the evidence of the indiscretion. And then the mistress, hiking up their pants, would run into wardrobe making Callie smirk at this hilarious image. Not that such a solution would be much help because Piper's wardrobe is a walk-in and would be as useful as a Band-Aid on an amputation. Figuring that she is imagining the noise, Callie plunges her tongue back into Piper's mouth and Callie's drifts back into the world of this woman's body.
Mere seconds pass before Callie gets a tingling sensation up her spine that someone else is in the room. Callie's rhythm falters as she wonders if she has finally cracked as there is no logical reason other than supernatural for Callie to have this suspicion. Rolling off Piper's body, Callie turns to see a striking blonde standing at the foot of the bed and Callie gasps loudly in shock. Obviously this woman isn't a murderer as she has a key to the apartment but Callie is at a loss to who she is.
The blonde' eyes are open wide in shock as she surveys the scene before her of two very naked women who are clearly doing the horizontal tango. The only noise in the room is the heavy breathing of the two naked women as Callie's chocolate eyes clash with the brilliant blue of the blonde's. Still obvious to their audience, Piper flaps her hand around trying to drag Callie's fingers back down to where she needs it most. But Callie is having none of this continuation and swats Piper's hand away. As Piper is still coming down from the high and is in no condition to speak, Callie feels that she should say something to the intruder.
"Ah, hello? Who are you?" Callie blushingly asks as she tries to cover her nakedness with a sheet. Callie is quite adventurous in the sheets – but a third party watching is just too far for her.
Pointing at Piper, the blonde says "Her fiancée," as her eyes fill with unshed tears. Callie's heart plummets to her feet and she feels physical sick as she glances between the two women. Her words to Mark about no one getting hurt in this relationship have well and truly bit her in the ass as her assumption had just be proven wrong. Suddenly, that walk-in wardrobe is looking mighty comfortable as a place to hide as Callie feels like she's just been dropped into the twilight zone. At those two little words, Callie's mouth becomes void of all moisture as she can only fathom the pain the blonde is experiencing. Callie is normally in the blonde's position; a woman who can do nothing but watch her relationship come crumbling down around her.
Hearing another voice, Piper slowly returns to the land of the living and opens her eyes. The air is ripped from her lungs as she comes face to face with her fiancée. "Arizona…" Piper quietly whispers as she is stunned into silence as her little something-something on the side is now out in the open for everyone to see. All movement in the room stops as the three women continue to stare to each other, unsure how to react to this awkward and unique situation.
Realising that she is the third wheel again, Callie lets out a snort of laughter at the irony which earns her a look of hatred from the blonde. Callie immediately bites her lip because truth be told, there's nothing funny about this situation. Callie has become the mistress in a relationship which is a title she's not comfortable having.
Having well and truly overstayed her welcome, Callie decides it's time to bid farewell to the happy couple. Callie doesn't want to be around when the shit hits the fan as the blonde looks like a scrappy player as anyone who grows up with the name Arizona knows how to play rough. Callie knows she shouldn't expect a wedding invitation in the mail for these nuptials. "I think I'm going to go," Callie says to the blonde as she tries and fails to locate her pants without exposing herself.
"You know what, you two stay and finish up because clearly I've interrupted. So please carry on," Arizona sharply replies as her eyes glisten with an ocean of unshed tears. Arizona shoots a death stare to the two women on the bed as anger is the only thing keeping her from crawling into foetal position and rocking herself to sleep.
True to her word, Arizona turns on her heels and storms out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. The loud noise spurs Piper into action as she makes move to chase after her fiancée. "You may want to put on pants," Callie calls out as for good measure, the front door is also slammed shut telling them the blonde has fled the apartment.
"Right…" Piper replies as she turns back to the naked woman who by right, shouldn't be here. "Look, I'm sorry about all this. I didn't mean to drag you into all this." Piper adds sheepishly, refusing to even look at Callie.
Callie has to physically bite her tongue to prevent an angry rant from falling from her lips. Callie has been in the same position as Arizona and knows a cheating partner is a crippling blow to any person. Piper is so far in the wrong that Callie can't even imagine how she gets up in the morning without being paralysed by guilt. "You didn't drag me into anything. It's not like I'm going to see either of you again. And if I had known you were engaged to be married, we would never have done this and you should never have done this," Callie replies as she gestures between the two of them. "So please don't ever contact me again. I'm a lot of things but I'm not someone's mistress," Callie adds as her voice hardens as she looks with unbridled disgust at Piper.
Piper doesn't even bother replying as she rushes out of the room, following in the footsteps of her fiancée. Even though Piper has a honey laced tongue, Callie can't see her talking her way out of this mess. Not that the Piper deserves a reprieve as anyone sane woman will throw her to the curb.
Left alone, Callie surveys the bedroom to see if missed something that indicates that Piper is engaged. Callie can't believe she'd been so naïve and trusted Piper. Coming up empty on evidence of a fiancée, Callie knows that she isn't at fault for end of another relationship but this knowledge does nothing to chase away the feeling of guilt.
Closing the apartment door behind her, Callie leaves the scene of the crime musing to herself she now know what it looks like to see a heart break. Luckily, Callie figures that she'll never see Piper or her fiancée ever again and this chapter of her life is closed.