Chapter Four
"Fancy seeing you here" the Arizona said taking a seat next to the woman who had a sour look on her face.
"Yeah, well." Callie said not even bothering to look at the other woman's direction.
That was all Callie could say, and quite frankly that was all she wanted to say. She wasn't in the mood to talk, especially to the person that fired her from a job she never wanted in the first place. So she was just going to sit here in silence and nurse her drink as well as her sorrows.
"Can I buy you a drink?" the blonde offered.
Or not.
Callie contemplated telling the woman off for two seconds, but decided otherwise. "Sure. Why not." She answered still not making eye contact.
The governor called the bartender over, ordering another glass of wine for the woman sitting next to her. The Latina didn't look like she wanted to talk to her and that was understandable.
"So Callie Torres, you're a big deal huh?" the blonde said trying to make light conversation, she needed a conversation opener to get her to talk to her. If she was going to grovel, she needed to at least get a foot in the door.
Callie after a couple of seconds decided to turn and look at the woman seated next to her. The blonde's whole body was seated facing her direction, her piercing blue eyes just staring at her, with a tiny playful glint. The shorter woman had a smirk on her face, one that Callie had studied and was very familiar with.
"My ex-boss might disagree with you there. You see she fired me, first day on the job."
The governor didn't have a fast enough come back for that reply. She hadn't expected the Latina to directly approach the subject of the dismissal so soon. But if she wanted her back, she had to say something. Soon. Problem was, nothing was coming out.
"Now you're thinking how to reply to that, I presume you hadn't planned that far ahead in your plan?" Callie said with a smirk. When Arizona didn't reply, Callie decided to continue.
"Look Governor Robbins, I know why you're here. You hate me, but at the very same time Teddy told you that you need me. So you are here to kiss my ass and grovel. To be honest, there is only so much that I personally can do for you. This is your campaign and you don't want me to be a part of it. I can recommend someone who is just as good as me." The brunette finished with a polite smile making sure that the blonde understood that there really was no bad blood.
"I don't hate you." Arizona simply replied. "I find you fascinating and bold."
Callie was taken aback by the blonde's words. She was surprised because she was a hundred percent certain that the governor was out to get her. Callie was a lawyer, and a very good one. She was trained on how to deal with the law, manipulate the facts and come out on top winning. This specialty had also taught her how to get a read of people's emotions and body language. Callie Torres was good at her job. She was confident, skilled and very disciplined, but in the presence of Governor Robbins all of it came crumbling down.
She felt a tingling something in her body, she was sure it wasn't her heart, because she doubted that her heart felt any emotion after years of shutting people out. It couldn't be her heart; she now needed to figure out where exactly the tingle was. She could do that later, for now she needed to leave because Arizona was looking at her right in the eye and those eyes were tearing every wall she had built. She was already saying yes to a question that hadn't been asked.
"Then why?" Callie surprised herself in asking that question, what she had wanted to say was thank you and goodbye, but here she was downstairs in the hotel bar asking the question that had been troubling her since Arizona fired her earlier. "Why did you fire me?"
Arizona's stare got even more intense than it already was, Callie couldn't understand how it was possible, she was drowning in those blue eyes, and she loved every single moment.
"Because I'm not sure how I'm supposed to work with you when I feel the way that I am feeling right now. I don't know how to explain it." Arizona explained. She didn't know how to answer that question without scaring the other woman, and making her run for her life.
"Okay." Callie answered in a voice just above a whisper. She turned and took a huge gulp and her now luke warm wine.
"Okay." Arizona said mirroring the brunette's earlier movements.
"Yeah well let's just say, I've seen enough naked Teddy to last me a life time" Callie finished almost spitting out her wine, because of the laughter, Arizona was holding her stomach from all the laughter trying to ease the pain from the continuous laugh riots that she had been having with the fixer.
After the intense conversation they had, had earlier, the two women had found a mutual standing, after a couple of bottles of wine, to not discuss any of the heavy emotional stuff. They were both a bit tipsy but neither cared. They were enjoying each other's company.
Callie had been sharing her and Teddy's wild college day's stories and how the dirty blonde had a hippy stage and where she had refused to wear any clothes around the shared apartment that they shared. Callie and Teddy had been friends since college but had a period where they both lost contact with the other.
Arizona for her part had also shared some army tales that she had with their mutual friend. She met the taller dirty haired blonde in the army training unit. They shared a bunk bed and have kind of been inseparable ever since.
"I'm sorry to disturb you Governor Robbins but the bar is now closed" the bartender whose name was Ted or Ned, Arizona wasn't too sure because she couldn't read the name tag properly, everything was blurry. "But if you would like us to stay open we would be-"
"Oh no that is not necessary" Callie interrupted, she jumped off the high bar stool, and gathered her coat. She checked the time on her watch and it was after three in the morning. Gasping at the realization that she had spent almost four hours chatting with Arizona.
The governor could see the panicked look on the brunettes face, it was kind of cute. Noticing movement from the woman on her right side, Arizona immediately paid for the drinks and followed Callie out of the bar.
After Callie had quit on her the previous day, Arizona got the worst mouth lashing from Teddy that she had ever received. Teddy had ultimately given her an ultimatum, if Callie walks then so would Teddy. The blue eyed blonde knew what she had to do, fortunately for her Callie was still in Iowa and to the best of her luck she was downstairs at the hotel bar.
Arizona had tracked the other woman down solely to beg, grovel and offer her the job back. What she never expected was to be in the company of such an amazing woman who would bring her smile back, she couldn't remember anything that they had talked about for the past couple of hours, but what she did remember was hearing herself laugh.
It was so good to genuinely laugh again.
The two women had reached the elevator, and had both seemed to have sobered up really fast at the realization that their night had to end. Unfortunately. Arizona peeked a look at the woman standing next to her, she was sure that she had heard the brunette sigh. Was it possible that Callie was feeling the same way that she was? Was she also sad at the thought that the night had ended?
"Thank you Governor Robbins for the drinks." Callie said in her polite emotionless voice.
"Back to professionalism I see." Arizona said in a disappointed tone. She really didn't understand why Callie was acting like this. The elevator opened and they both entered.
Callie was sad. Genuinely sad. She didn't want to leave this bubble that she and Arizona had created for themselves. The tingly feeling that she felt a couple of hours ago was back. She definitely knew that those were butterflies in her stomach. Butterflies that were unwelcome. Butterflies that had no place to be there. But they were butterflies nonetheless.
Callie was a fixer. She fixed problems. That was her job. It was something she did on a daily basis, there would be a client who had a problem, she would find a solution and everyone would be happy. She worked for the greater good. She didn't just take any clients, she fought for the unspoken for, for the silenced and for those who do the greater good.
When Teddy had called her in a panic she had agreed in a heartbeat. Not only because Teddy her friend was asking for a favor but because she knew Arizona. She didn't know the blonde personally, but she had followed the woman's career through the media and close reliable sources. She could see how sad and lonely those eyes were through the TV screen.
The governor was gorgeous, that fact never passed Callie. Everything about her was absolutely stunning. Callie blushed just thinking about the two year old magazine article about the governor that sat on her office desk, in the picture Arizona has on a bright red tight fitting knee high dress which shows off her beautiful legs. Of course Callie would never admit to keeping the magazine just to see those legs, she rather liked to keep it for art and decorative purposes.
She knew so much about the blonde but also at the same time knew absolutely nothing about her. The governor was standing behind her, and Callie was at this point staring straight ahead at the elevator doors just hoping the other woman doesn't say anything, so they can part ways and never see each other again. The said woman interrupted her thoughts, "About the job." Arizona asked in a small voice.
"Please don't ask me to accept the job Governor Robbins." The brunette said in a whisper.
"Why?"
"Because you know they answer to that question."
Arizona pushed herself off the wall, and went on to press the emergency stop button. She heard a small gasp from the brunette when she purposefully brushed her hand the small of her back. The blonde stood in front of the woman who was now looking at everywhere other than her.
She took both of the brunette's hands into her own, and dropped to both of her knees.
"Uh what are you doing?" Callie said with a little giggle and arched eyebrow.
"What's your full name? Is Callie short for something" Arizona asked ignoring the question.
"Yes." The brunette answered with a tiny smile gracing her face. The blonde in turn arched her eyebrow saying 'well' to that reply.
"Calliope." The taller woman answered not being able to even argue with the crazy person asking the question.
"Calliope Torres. I am on my knees asking you to forgive me, for being a spoilt brat. Would you please do me the honor of being my fixer….pretty please" the governor pleaded with the best suck up smile she had.
"You have dimples." Callie said distractedly.
"Well yes but what's your answer" Arizona scowled trying not roll her eyes at the dimples comment.
"They look…cute on you!" Callie said giggling, knowing very well that she was annoying the woman that was looking up at her and rolling her eyes.
"Calliope could you answer the question….this floor is not the most comfortable you know" she whined.
Callie instead of answering tugged at their hands and helping the other woman to stand up. The blonde jumped at the movement, and was now standing chest to chest with the brunette. They both just took a few minutes to look at each other. It was a cycle, a never ending cycle of making eye contact and not wanting to look away.
"Yes." Callie whispered just an inch apart from Arizona's lips.
"Yes." Arizona replied.
"Yes." The brunette answered.
Neither of them wanted to make the move of bringing their lips together, and just as Callie was about to make the move, the elevator speaker with a service center agent asking if they were ok sounded off. Callie jumped back and Arizona pressed the emergency button, signaling the elevator to commence movement.
The doors opened to Callie's floor and the brunette stepped out. "I'll see you tomorrow, Governor Robbins." She said turning to face the blonde from outside.
"Calliope."
"mmh?" she answered absentmindedly
"That's a beautiful name." the last thing the blonde saw before the doors closed was the brunettes smile.
