AN: As always, thank you to every person who follows, favorites, and reviews! I'm so glad that people are enjoying this story. :-)

Callie blinked slowly and stared at the front door of the bar that her sister and Cynthia had just disappeared out of, trying to keep up with this new turn of events. "What's going on?"

"We got set up." Arizona rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in frustration. "They figuratively locked us in the same on-call room, just like we were planning to do to them when they weren't talking."

"Can you please sit down? You're making me nervous."

Arizona wrapped her jacket around her body and sat in the chair across from Callie, looking uncomfortable.

"You don't want to be here, do you?"

Arizona closed her eyes, trying to catch up with the fact that she got played and now she was stuck in a bar with the gorgeous Callie Torres, who she had foolishly kissed just the night before. Aria's words stuck in her head—Callie had meant to flirt with her. Callie was interested. But could she really believe it?

"Was it that bad?" It may have been some drunken courage, or it may have been her long talk with Cynthia, but Callie was tired of running from what she wanted and she was determined to get the woman in front of her to talk to her.

Opening her eyes, Arizona asked, "Was what that bad?"

Callie sighed. "The kiss. Was kissing me that bad that you don't even want to sit in a bar with me?"

Arizona's eyes got big. "You…you thought I didn't like it?"

"What else am I supposed to think, Arizona? You ran. I may be out of practice, but I didn't think kissing me was so bad that it called for immediate fleeing."

Looking down at the table, Arizona picked at the edge of the wood while eying Cynthia's half-full bottle of Corona. "No, that's not why…" She sighed deeply. Obviously she wasn't getting out of having this conversation and Callie was staring at her expectantly. "Listen, I'm sorry for how I behaved last night."

Nodding, Callie asked, "Why did you leave?"

"I think I got scared."

"You got scared?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

Callie turned the idea over in her mind and let out a small laugh. "It honestly didn't occur to me. I was too busy being scared myself, I didn't even think you could be too."

"I thought…I thought I was reading things wrong. That I took your friendship and read too much into it."

Callie smiled ruefully. "I've been out of the game for a long time—my flirting skills are rusty. I didn't think they were that bad, but…"

"You're not rusty," she mumbled.

"What?"

"I said," Arizona cleared her throat. "You aren't rusty. You're…" She stopped herself.

A slow smile started to spread across Callie's face. "I'm what?"

Arizona couldn't help but smile back at the beautiful woman sitting across from her. She remembered the moment their lips touched and a shiver ran through her body at the memory. "You're a really good kisser," she admitted. Arizona grabbed Cynthia's discarded beer and took a long drink.

"So are you."

After a moment, Arizona broke the silence. "It's really weird talking about kissing and flirting. Instead of just…doing it."

"Well, maybe we don't. Why don't we just pretend last night didn't happen and since we're finally at a bar, just the two of us, we can have that celebratory drink for Riley and his artificial lung?"

Arizona thought about it and looked at the other woman. "Do we have to pretend all of last night didn't happen?"

Callie let her mind drift back to the kiss. How excited and scared and elated she was in that moment and how good it felt to be pressed up against the blonde. "There are definitely parts I don't want to forget."

"So…we do some selective editing of the night and move on from there?"

"I think that sounds fair." Callie caught the attention of the bartender and called her over to place an order for their celebration drinks.

Aria sat in a booth in a restaurant far from the hospital and looked over the menu. "Burgers and boozy milkshakes?" She glanced at Cynthia over her menu. "Good choice."

"It seemed like a place you would like. I was hoping you hadn't been here before."

"Nope, this is great." She looked around the restaurant and noticed the arcade in the corner. "Is that foosball?"

Cynthia nodded. "They've got a bunch of stuff over there. Foosball, skeeball, pinball…"

"I'm gonna get drunk on milkshakes and then kick your ass at foosball. Is that okay?"

Laughing, Cynthia shrugged. "You can certainly try."

"Ooh, fighting words from Dr. Cynthia Rogers."

"Can I ask you something?"

Aria put down her menu and nodded. "Of course."

"Is Dr. Mitchell in love with you?"

Laughing immediately, Aria shook her head. "No, he is not. He actually just bought a ring and is planning to propose to Shelly. Why do you ask?"

"He gave me a big speech today about my intentions…or he started to, at least. I just wasn't sure where it was coming from."

Aria nodded. "Full disclosure, he and I dated when I first moved to Seattle. We were only together for eight months or so. We're better off as friends and he and Shelly are the perfect couple. Trust me—you'll get sick of them soon. But he's like the big brother of the group—he tries to protect us all. Sorry about him."

"You're all pretty close."

Squinting her eyes, Aria asked, "Are you fishing for information about my exes or are you asking about my friends?"

Cynthia held up her hands and shook her head. "I was asking about friends, but it sounds like maybe exes and friends are a little intertwined here?"

"It can get a little complicated."

"Got it."

"But everyone is partnered up now, except for me. Drew and Shelly, obviously. Frankie has been dating another Seattle Pres doctor for almost a year now. She'll come over to Seattle Grace soon, I hope. And Kelly…apparently she just started dating a woman from her building. We're all pretty good friends. We've been through a lot together."

"I'm glad you have them."

"So what about you? Any office romances?"

"Well, you can't really prove it by my actions with you the last few days, but I try to keep my romantic life out of the hospital. I've seen too much drama and I'd rather not."

"I'm the exception?"

"I couldn't resist you." Cynthia smiled when Aria started to blush at her honest answer. "Okay, so you dated Dr. Mitchell for a while." Cynthia waited for Aria's nod before continuing. "Anyone else I should know about? I'm assuming Jess at the Cottage."

"You know Jess?"

"That doesn't answer the question."

"Technically, you didn't ask a question. You just stated an assumption."

Cynthia laughed. "You're going to keep me on my toes, aren't you?"

"Okay, okay, Jess was a kind of, but not really ex."

"What does that mean?"

"We were more…nighttime friends. Blowing off steam."

"Hmph."

"Are you trying to tell me that Smooth-Talking Rogers has never had a friend with benefits?"

Cynthia held up her hands. "I didn't say that. But, I don't know…" She sighed and shrugged, "I'm not used to feeling this amount of jealousy with someone that I haven't even kissed yet."

Aria sat back in the booth and smiled incredulously. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You're so unguarded. You have no problem just saying exactly what you're feeling. I think I know exactly where I stand with you and it's very unusual."

With a shrug, Cynthia answered. "I don't see the point in hiding things."

"Ah, right, you grew up in a happy family."

"Does it bother you?"

"Not at all; I think it's one of the things that's drawing me to you."

"What are the other things?"

Aria nudged Cynthia's foot with her own under the table. "Fishing for compliments will get you nowhere with me, Rogers."

With drinks finally in hand, Callie lifted her glass in a toast. "To Riley and his incredible artificial lung."

"To Riley, and honestly, to you, Calliope. It never would have happened without you." The two women clinked their glasses and each took a sip of their drink.

"Why do you call me Calliope?"

"It's your name."

"Everyone else calls me Callie. It's been my nickname since I was a kid."

Arizona shrugged. "Calliope suits you. It's a beautiful name. It's appropriate too—'beautiful voiced.' I overheard you singing to Gus when you were trying to get him to sleep."

"Oh, that was just some silly lullaby."

"You're being humble."

"Wait…You looked up the meaning of my name?"

"I had never heard it before and I was curious where it came from."

Callie couldn't help but smile. "What about you? I assume you're named after the state?"

"No, actually I was named for the battleship. The U.S.S. Arizona. My grandfather was serving on the Arizona when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He saved 19 men before he drowned."

"That's an incredible story. And an amazing legacy."

"That's why I've always loved my name. It might be unusual and I may have had to learn to fight on the playground because of it, but it has a whole history behind it."

Callie giggled. "Is it bad that I'm enjoying the thought of little pig-tailed Arizona defending her family's honor in a playground fight? Poor little Johnny must have never seen it coming."

Squinting her eyes at the other woman, Arizona had to ask, "Are you drunk?"

Callie shrugged. "A little buzzed, but only because Cynthia and I were here for a while."

"I wish I had had some alcohol for my talk with Aria. She kind of read me the riot act. She called me a dope."

"Well…were you being a dope?"

Arizona grinned at the woman across from her, appreciating her goofy, buzzed smile and soft eyes. "Maybe I was."

"My sister is really smart. Maybe way smarter than me."

"I don't think we can ever let her know that. She'd be too powerful."

"You're very right."

Finishing up her burger and taking the last sip of her milkshake, Aria sat back in the booth and smiled at Cynthia who was signing the check. "Thanks for dinner and a really fun night. This definitely beats last night at the bar."

"There's definitely less Mark Sloan, which I'm a fan of."

Aria laughed and rolled her eyes. "I don't understand why you hate him so much."

"He's always looking at your boobs!"

"What?"

"Every time he talks to you, he's staring at your chest."

"Are you talking about, like, the royal 'you' or me and my boobs specifically?"

"You. Aria Torres. Your boobs."

Aria laughed and grabbed the other woman's hand. "You're ridiculous. He stares at everyone's chest, Cynthia. I promise. He does it to you too, you're just too busy policing him looking at me."

Eyebrows furrowed, Cynthia contemplated this information.

"Seriously. You can ask Callie or Arizona. He does it to them too. I'm not excusing it, but it's just where his eyes go. You can't judge him for being a bit of a neanderthal with his eye line."

Cynthia deflated and blew out a puff of air. "He's a really attractive guy, that's all. He's hot and he literally lives in your apartment while he stares at your boobs. Like I said, I apparently can get a little jealous."

"You think he's hot?"

"You don't?"

"I mean…I guess if you like your guys steamy he's attractive." Aria squeezed Cynthia's hand and smiled at her. "I've got someone else to focus on though. Way hotter. You don't need to worry about silly Mark Sloan. No contest."

"Now who's the smooth talker?"

Aria smiled and tugged on Cynthia's hand. "Can we go play foosball now?"

"Sure."

The two women slid out of their booth and made their way into the arcade hand in hand, finding a free foosball table. Just as Aria was about to drop Cynthia's hand to claim her players, she felt Cynthia's grip tighten on her as she pulled her in close.

"I can't wait another minute for this." She moved her free hand to Aria's waist and brushed her lips lightly against the other woman's. Aria gasped softly and tangled her free hand in Cynthia's hair, deepening the kiss. She shifted her body into Cynthia's and felt the other woman's hand tighten on her hip as Cynthia's tongue traced over her lips asking for entry. Groaning, Aria granted it and pressed Cynthia back against the foosball table, taking the opportunity to slide her hands under the hem of her shirt, tracing the skin she found there with her fingertips.

The two women broke apart, panting slightly. "Want to go back to my place?" Cynthia breathed.

Aria smirked, "What about foosball?"

"I'll bring you back here some other time."

A small thrill ran through Aria at the promise of another date and she nodded. "Let's get out of here."

"Ladies, I'm so sorry but we're actually closing out this section of the bar." Jess was at their table, clearing off the empty glasses. "I can move you over to the other side if you'd like to stay. We'll give you a round of drinks on the house for your troubles."

Callie looked at Arizona. "What do you think? One more round?"

Arizona looked at her watch, surprised by how much time had passed in the bar. "I didn't realize it was so late."

"Me either." Callie shrugged. "But I'm really enjoying myself."

Cracking a small smile, Arizona had to admit that she was having a great time too. After the initial bumpiness of their conversation, she and Callie had fallen into easy conversation and, if she was being honest, an easy flirtation. She didn't want the evening to end just yet. "Me too. We can move to another table."

They followed Jess across the bar and slid into the circular booth that she gestured too. "I'll be right back with your drinks, ladies."

"This is way more table than we need." Arizona contemplated where, exactly, to sit. The horseshoe shape meant that they could be as close or as far away as they wanted to be. Arizona was delighted as Callie scooted closer, their knees touching.

"I like it. It's cozy."

Arizona swallowed, realizing that this part of the bar was a little darker, a little more intimate, and the woman she was with was now right next to her. "It's private."

Callie glanced around and nodded. "Very private."

"Here you go!" Both women jumped as Jess set their drinks on the table. "Thanks again for moving."

"It's no problem." Callie reached for her drink and let her other hand fall to the booth between her and Arizona, lightly brushing the blonde woman's thigh. "Thanks, Jess."

Eyebrows raised, Arizona asked, "You two are on a first-name basis?"

"Apparently she knows Aria."

"Like, knows Aria or knows Aria?"

Callie shrugged. "How would I know?"

"You guys need to talk about stuff more."

"She's really private. I heard some of the doctors from Pres talking about how she dated a couple of them and the other ones didn't even know it."

"I can't imagine keeping things like that from everyone, but especially from my brother. I tell him everything."

Callie smirked. "Does he know about me?"

Arizona played coy and shrugged one shoulder. "What about you?"

Eyes darkening, Callie accepted the challenge and leaned in slowly, her mouth meeting Arizona's for the briefest moment before she pulled back.

Arizona's head swam and her body flushed. She could feel Callie's hand brushing her thigh and Callie's eyes looking right into her, daring her. She didn't know if it was the alcohol, the ambiance, or just the woman in front of her, but Arizona knew she was a goner. She smiled slowly and leaned in, grabbing Callie's shirt to pull her in closer as she kissed her. As their lips met again and again, Arizona finally made the decision to give in to what she had been thinking for weeks. She was falling for Callie Torres.