The Race

by AMM1112

Arizona is the 1st female golfer to get a chance to play in the PGA. She is playing in the biggest competition of the year. The competition is being held at The Calliope. Callie is running the competition and trying to propel her family business into the spotlight. Callie & AZ run into each other during the biggest 2 weeks of their life. Will this be the beginning of something? AU!

40. Chapter 38

A/N: Back againnnn. Also, I golfed for the first time in forever. I couldn't super pregnant and recovering from having him. 😊

Chapter 38

Arizona's POV

"Calliope, don't do this. He didn't even want anything to do with you and Sofia! Don't walk away from this…from us!" Arizona watches as Callie packs up the last of her things. She hands Arizona her suitcase and opens the front door, motioning for her to leave. "He is Sofia's father. I have to at least try. For her." Callie replies in a cold detached tone. Arizona can feel her heart breaking. "No! He is not. Sofia is ours."

Arizona shoots up out of bed with a start. Drenched in sweat, she realizes that it was a dream. Callie was not leaving her for Eric. Eric was not back in Sofia's life. Looking over at the clock she sees it is only 6am. Callie should be just waking up. Rolling over to grab her phone she hits Callie's contact.

*Ring…..ring….ring*

"Heoo"

Arizona can't help the smile that crosses her face at the sound of Callie's muffled morning voice.

"Hello. This is the personal wake up call for Calliope Torres." Arizona sweetly replies.

"5 more minadkl" Callie mumbles.

"I am going to assume you mean minutes. To that, I say nope. Rise and shine beautiful. You have work today and Sof has an Abuelo day!" Arizona laughed at the groan that greeted her when her chipper voice was ringing in her girlfriend's ear.

"Bye!" Callie huffed.

"Ouch. Fine. Goodbye. Calliope." 3…2….1….

"No! Wait! I'm up!" Callie's voice still thick with sleep Arizona laughs, no way she would actually ever hang up on her.

"That's what I thought." Arizona laughed.

"Ha. Ha" Arizona heard Callie huff and the sound of her shuffling out of bed. Looking over at the clock she realized that she needed to go get ready for the final media event of the year.

"Babe, I have to run. Are you good? I don't have to worry about you going back to bed?" Arizona joked as she went through her dresser to find her outfit for the day.

"I'm up and good to go. Kick ass today Arizona. I can't wait to see you in a few weeks." The sincerity in Callie's voice warmed Arizona. "I love you." Callie added.

"I love you too, Calliope. See you soon." Arizona replied just as she heard the other line disconnect.

When Arizona put her phone down she headed straight to the shower. Ready to get this day started. This was her last day of competitive golf for 4 months. Knowing that, she felt mixed emotions brewing. On one hand, she was excited for her break with Callie and Sofia. On the other, there was nothing that made her happier than golf. Yeah, she could go anytime she wants but there is nothing like the competition. The sweaty palms, heart racing, fans watching. Nothing beats that.

As she showered, she mentally ran through her to do list for the next few weeks. She still had to get a dress for the end of the year gala. She considered not even going, but then she learned they would be honoring Richard Webber and that changed her mind. She was never a fan of big fancy parties, but she now considered Richard a friend so she would slip into a dress, eat a delicious dinner, and drink for free. Now that she thought of it, it didn't sound so bad.

Callie's POV

"Alright Mija, be good for Abuelo. I will be back this afternoon to pick you up." Callie kissed Sofia as she grabbed her bag and headed out the door. Today was a budget meeting at The Calliope. Callie made it a point to almost never work the weekends. The time she got with Sofia was never enough. But since she will be heading to Disney for Sofia's birthday next month, she bumped the meeting up so all the necessary people could attend. This would normally be something her father did, but The Calliope was 100% her responsibility. It was booming ever since The Race and her father had in so many words, given her the reigns. He traveled to the other properties both foreign and domestic, so she took care of "home base". This allowed her time with Sofia, and time to learn all that goes into managing these properties for when her father eventually retires.

Pulling into her designated parking spot, she notices two familiar faces a few cars over. Penny and Colleen seem to be getting along very well. Normally Callie wouldn't mind, but when someone wearing The Calliope uniform is making out with another person in her car, for all to see…she has to step in. Walking up to Penny's SUV Callie gently knocks on the passenger window. She chuckles as Penny and Colleen jump apart like two teenagers who were just busted by their parents. She motions for Colleen to roll her window down and waits patiently as both women right their clothing.

"So, I don't really care about your personal business. I actually like both of you and hope this thing, whatever it is, works out. But I can't have you both making out like a couple of teenagers in the parking lot for all to see. Especially since you have your uniform on, Colleen." Callie is sure to make it clear she has no problem with their relationship, just the setting. After assuring them it is okay about 50 times and listening to Colleen apologize more than Sofia did when she broke the bedroom window with her baseball, Callie heads inside to start her hopefully short day.

As she enters she is approached by her best friend, and it seems like future brother-in-law. "Torres! Lookin good boss. Meeting is in conference room B and the bagels, coffee, and such should be here in about 10." Mark is in full business mode, which is pretty refreshing to see. Callie was a bit worried when she took over The Calliope that Mark would treat it as a permanent vacation. But she has been pleasantly surprised to see how he has stepped up the last few months. With a quick thank you and a promise to catch up later, Callie heads for her office. She has just 45 minutes before the meeting and she needs to make sure everything is perfect. This is her first solo budget meeting, and she is going to make sure it is not her last….

Arizona's POV

Arizona walks over to the media tent and takes a deep breath. If there is one part of this job that she hates, it is dealing with the media. After so many "leaks" and surprises, she just doesn't trust anyone. As she steps up to her seat she can't help but roll her eyes when she sees she is sitting next to Preston Burke. She settles in with her coffee and is quickly joined by Alex Karev on her left, while Preston Burke joins her on her right.

"Ms. Robbins. I see you had a nice day on the course yesterday. Congratulations." Burke says in the most sickly-sweet tone.

"Um. Thanks?" Arizona clearly confused by this nicety

"Of course. Wouldn't want to mistreat you and be suspended. That is what happens these days isn't it?" Burke puffs his chest out, trying to intimidate the blonde.

"Ahhh. There it is. The smart ass comment. I am not doing this right now Burke. Have a nice round." Arizona quickly cuts him off before he tries to engage further with her. She turns to Karev and they chat about Miami and all the things they plan to do when she gets down there.

Quickly the media tent is filled, and the questions start shooting off almost rapid fire. It seems that Richard Webber's retirement has leaked so 90% of the questions are being directed at him. Not that Arizona is complaining, at all. The less questions, the quicker they can all get on the course. As she starts to relax and sip her coffee, the next reporter is called on. She recognizes this reporter from The Race. He is obsessed with the fact she is a woman, a gay woman, playing with the big boys. It comes up in every single question he asks her. Setting her coffee down, preparing for battle, she is surprised when the reporter calls to Preston Burke.

"Preston, how do you feel about George O'Malley being suspended the remainder of the year? We all know the two of you are really great friends. How is he handling it?"

Burke seems to chew on the question for a bit. Wondering how to answer. When he finally opens his mouth his response surprises everyone, especially Arizona. "George is of course upset. He is actually here in Boston and thankfully the PGA will let him attend the gala. But actions have consequences and George's suspension is warranted." Silence. It seems the reporter wasn't expecting that response either. What the hell is he up to?

As quick as the silence comes, it is over. Next up, a brunette reporter Arizona had never seen before. The brunette's green eyes are piercing, and Arizona has to admit, she is good looking. She is quickly snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of her name. "Ms. Robbins. Eliza Minick here with the Golf Channel. You hold the lead going into today. Are you confident you can finish it out, show these guys who's boss?" Arizona doesn't miss the wink that comes with the question, but choses to ignore it. "Well, Ms. Minick, I never bet against myself. I felt good yesterday and I feel good today. I am liking my chances." Arizona confidently responds. Arizona sits back and isn't asked another question the rest of the media day. She can however feel those green eyes on her throughout the event. As flattering as it is, that isn't the brunette she wants.

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Arizona settles into a rhythm. She is currently on the 5th hole and her partner, Atticus Lincoln, is having one of the worst days she has seen in a while. Rumor has it he proposed to his girlfriend and she turned him down. He has said exactly 10 words all 5 holes. Not that Arizona is a chatty golfer, but dang…talk about awkward. Watching him shank another drive, Arizona walks up and pushes her tee in the ground. She squares up and connects with the ball in a decent drive. The length just hasn't been there today, and she can't figure out why. But it lands right on the fairway which is more than she can say for Linc. She watches the heart broken golfer walk into the trees to find his ball. Sensing a free moment, she turns to her brother.

"Dude is a buzz kill." Tim jokes.

"Be nice. I heard his proposal got turned down last night. I would be in a shitty mood too." Arizona replies while looking over her notes.

"Yikes…Speaking of yikes…. Your drives have kind of sucked today sis. Your hips are not following through." Tim comments. Knowing the response, he gets from his sister has a 50% chance of being accepting, and 50% chance of her telling him where to shove it…..Silence.

"Is it my hips? I have been wondering what the heck has been going on. The distance just is not there today. I feel like my hips are following through. Where are they stopping? Halfway? Three quarters?" She intently stares at Tim. Breathing a sigh of relief he walks up to her and puts his hand in front of her body. "You are only following through to about here. You are a little less than three quarters of the way through. I am kind of thinking it is the cold air. I think your back might be tight. Not to the point of pain, but you body is trying to compensate for it by not over exerting." Tim expertly responds. He walks over to Arizona's golf bag and pulls out her massage gun. He starts to run it over her back, having this exact process down to a science at this point. They watch as Linc's shot finally finds the fairway.

"Looser?" Tim asks. "Much." She responds with her dimpled smile. "Remind me to give you a raise." She winks as she walks up to her ball. Doing a few more stretches to loosen up, she pulls back with her iron and hits an almost perfect shot that falls right on the green.

"There it is!" she hears Tim yell. Hell yeah.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The massage gun was the ticket. Arizona has been on fire the last 8 holes. She birdied 3, pared 4, and even eagled the last. She knows that barring anything crazy, this tournament is hers to lose.

Stepping up to the 13th hole she watches as Linc finally hits a quality shot. He has opened up a bit more and made sure to tell her how terrible women are and recapped how his incredibly romantic proposal, that included 4 rings, was turned down by his girlfriend. Can you be her boyfriend if she turned you down? Who knows?

Arizona tees off on the 13th hole and her drive is caught in a gust of wind and heads a bit more to the right then intended. She watches as Linc tips his cap to her and they head off towards their respective shots. She makes time to say hi to the fans on her walk and even sneaks in an autograph to a brown eyes brunette little girl that reminds her so much of Sofia it makes her heart ache for the little girl. She heads into the tree line with Tim on her tail. She finally finds her ball and manages to get the ball back onto the fairway, narrowly missing nailing a tree branch that would have just sent her ball flying backwards. Looking ahead, she watches as Linc sinks a pretty beautiful putt. He smiles, the first smile that she has seen from the man all day.

As she steps up to her ball, she is handed her 9 iron and squares up to shoot. Pulling back, she chips the ball perfectly watching it soar through the air right onto the green. The ball continues to roll until it comes right to the lip of the hole. She holds her breath hoping it falls in, but no such luck. With Tim on her tail, she holds her hand out for her putter and hands off her 9. She walks right up to the ball and gently taps it in. Par. On to the next one….

Callie's POV

The budget meeting has been in progress for about 45 minutes now. To say it was going well would be the understatement of the year. The Calliope's profits since The Race have been booming. While their expenses are up, since they had to hire more staff, order more food, more liquor, etc. but they are all good costs. The Calliope is so far above the projections, Callie can't help but smile. When her father mentioned the idea of bringing The Race here, she was 100% on board immediately. Clearly they did a good job because they are booked solid, including all suites, for the next 6 months. The Calliope is the hotel to stay in while in Miami. Which is saying a lot because it is not ocean front. No, that is The Aria. The Aria is the party hotel. Spring breakers with no budget. Before Aria got pregnant with the twins she was the day-to-day manager there. Now, it is their cousin Miguel who does a fabulous job. With these numbers The Calliope is now the highest earning Torres Company entity. As the meeting ends Callie thanks the board members for being flexible and finishes up with a thank you for their support. She gets a round of applause and many murmurs of being the "next Torres business tycoon". She is on cloud nine and really just wants to call a certain blonde to share the good new with. Looking at her phone she sees Arizona should be almost done with her round. She heads to her office and turns on the TV. The sight she sees on the screen is enough to make her heart flutter. That dimpled smile, piercing blue eyes, blonde hair tucked up her signature pink hat, pumping her fists. That's her girl.

Arizona's POV

Stepping up to the 18th and final hole, Arizona can't help the giant smile on her face. She has had one of the best rounds of golf of her life today. She places her tee in the ground and grabs her driver from Tim. She squares up and sends her drive flying down the fairway. Ever since Tim mentioned tightness in her hips and they worked it out, her drives have been close to flawless. Yes, Arizona doesn't drive as hard or far as the men, but her accuracy makes up for it. While her drives don't go as far, they are straighter. This results in less complicated shots than most of the men. She plays her advantages perfectly. She plays calculated. She measures distance, works the landscape of the courses, and uses her brain as well as her body. That paired with her wiz kid of a caddy, she can be competitive at all times. She watches as her ball soars about 230 yards and lands dead center in the fairway. She hands her driver back to her brother with a cock grin and makes the trek towards her ball to finish off her day. She is greeted with the warm applause of the fans as she passes. Tipping her cap, waving, and smiling at them, she notices the TV cameras following her as well. She givers her best dimpled smile to the camera and takes the 5 iron her brother hands her. Waiting for Linc to finish his shot she approaches her ball. The wind is blowing pretty hard at her front, so she takes that into account and shifts her body to compensate. Pulling back, she takes a breath and lets her club go. Mind and body are one when she is in this element. She doesn't think, she just does. Feeling the club connect with the ball she knows it's a good one. She watches the ball leave the ground and fly towards the hole. In a perfect rainbow shape, it lands with a thud about two feet from the hole. Smiling she knows she has this in the bag. There is not one thing better than knowing you won. Her confident stride up to the hole is matched only by the caddy next to her. Tim's smile radiates pride. They have taken this ride together. Now after the most hectic month of their lives, they are about to get a well-deserved break.

"Finish strong, AZ." Tim says as he hands her the putter.

"Always." She replies. She takes the putter and walks up to her ball. A straight shot right to the hole for par. Taking a breath, she pulls back, with a gentle tap the ball rolls straight into the hole. Her round is over, the tournament is over. As soon as the ball hits the bottom of the hole deafening cheers come from the crowd. She turns to them and pumps her fists, Tiger woods style. Like every other tournament, the first thing she does is hug her brother. She doesn't notice the tears in his eyes. He has always been her biggest fan. Seeing her make this jump from the LPGA to the PGA and win two of three tournaments she has competed in, the pride is unmatched. His sister is a rock star, and he is just grateful he gets to take this ride with her.

"I love you, Timmy." She whispers.

"Love you too, Boss." He responds. Hugging her tighter.

As she makes her way to the trophy area she gives one final wave to the crowd. The applause has grown gradually the last 3 weeks. If you didn't know better, you would think she had been around forever. Everywhere you look there are pink and white polos. Arizona has herself a full blow set of fans at every tournament.

Being ushered to the front by the course workers she is quickly met with about 20 microphones in her face. "Arizona Robbins everyone!" Catherine Fox yells. "Arizona, winning two tournaments in three weeks is no small feat. Is it safe to say we will be hearing your name more in the future?" Catherine asks. "Well, I love this game and I love these fans. I have been fortunate to be given an opportunity that has not been afforded to other, equally deserving, women. So yeah…I'm not going anywhere." Arizona winks at Catherine. The chaos of the last tournament is something Arizona has never seen before. She is passed from reporter to reporter. Finally she breaks away and walks into the club house and is met with a round of applause from most of the other golfer. Sure, there are a few that are a little salty, but most have welcomed her. Alex Karev finished the season in first place after finishing in second this tournament. He is sure to run up and give Arizona a giant hug and promises of celebration later that night are had all around.

Finally finding a quiet spot, she pulls out her phone and dials the only number on her mind.

"Hey there, Champ" she hears her Latina purr on the other end.

"Calliope" Arizona smiles into the phone.

"Congratulations, Rockstar. I am so proud of you."

"Thanks, babe. How are you, how was your meeting?" Arizona asks.

"I rocked it. Seems like we are some sort of power couple or something." Callie jokes.

"Duh Calliope. Did you ever doubt us?"

"Never…I can't wait to see you."

"Me neither. Soon…so soon. The season is over and after all the formalities and packing up stuff around here, I am all yours"

"I like the sound of that." Callie says in a suggestive tone.

"You and me both, Calliope…you and me both. I have to run though. I have a few things to wrap up and then Tim and I are having dinner. Call you tonight? I have that gala tomorrow. So, I will be getting ready and stuff tomorrow. I don't know how long that will take." Arizona rambles

"Just call me when you are free. I will talk to you soon. I love you."

"I love you too!" hanging up the phone, Arizona just smiles. She is head over heels and not afraid to admit it.

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The next day passes in a flash. Before she knows it she is finishing up her make up and putting her shoes on to head to the end of the year gala. The dress she chose is a deep maroon. It compliments her skin tone and honestly, makes her look gorgeous. Her blonde hair is hanging in natural waves that go past her shoulders. The subtle make up, complimenting her outfit perfectly. Grabbing her silver clutch, she heads to her apartment door. As she is about to open it, she is met with the sound of knocking coming from the other side. Weird. Tim and Teddy are meeting me there. As she opens the door her heart stops, her mouth goes dry, and her knees turn to Jell-O…." Calliope."

Callie's POV

Callie laid awake the night Arizona won her second tournament tossing and turning. Sofia's Abuelo day, turned into an Abuelo weekend. Her father insisted. He was supposed to go to the end of the year gala but decided against it. Flying up to Boston and walking around in a tux was not his idea of fun anymore. Spending the weekend with his grandchildren, that was what appealed to him now. So, while Callie couldn't sleep she started to think about what to do with her child free weekend. Then the thought hit her. It was so obvious. No kid meant a free trip to Boston to surprise a certain blonde. Shooting out of bed she called for the jet to be fueled. She threw some clothes in a bag, grabbed one of her formal gowns, and left a message for her father. She was going to Boston.

She touched down in Boston at about 3am. Heading to The Lucia, she checked in and got some much-needed sleep. She spent the next day second guessing her decision. What if Arizona didn't want to see her? She hadn't heard from her all day. Maybe she should just head home. Finally, she called Tim. He was more than happy to assist with her surprise. He told the Latina how his sister had been missing her. When she received word from Tim that Arizona would be heading out at 6pm, and that she was successfully added as the golfer's plus one, she started to get ready. Finally, at 5:30 she sat in the limo as it headed to Arizona's apartment. Her hands were shaking, and her knees wouldn't stop bouncing. She couldn't wait to see her girlfriend. Not only that, but she also couldn't wait to see her girlfriend dressed in what would sure be the most gorgeous gown. Her daydreaming came to a screeching halt as her door was opened and she was assisted out of the limo.

Walking up to the apartment door she took a deep breath and gently knocked. Not even two seconds later the door was opened. There in front of her stood the most gorgeous sight. The maroon dress, the long wavy blonde hair. Callie was sure her heart was about to beat out of her chest. But then, the whisper of her name set her whole body a blaze. She closed the gap between her and Arizona with one big stride and kissed her blonde with such hunger and passion it is a miracle the two were still standing. The kiss was strong, passionate, tongues battling for dominance. Finally, when her lungs were burning Callie pulled away.

"Hi…." She breathlessly whispered.

"Hi…" Arizona responded with that dimpled smile that made Callie's heart soar.

"I-I hope it is okay. I wanted to surprise you." Callie was sure that with the reciprocation of the kiss, the blonde was happy to see her.

"It is more than okay. You look stunning." Arizona's eyes raked up and down the Latina's body.

"Arizona. Speak for yourself. You look absolutely amazing. Gorgeous. Perfect. Pick a word baby, you are it." Callie leaned back in and pecked her girlfriend's lips.

She watched as a pout began to form on painted red lips.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I don't want to go anymore! I have much better ideas as to how we can spend this evening." The blonde seductively whispered. Her finger tracing the curve of the cleavage sticking out of the Latina's black dress.

Callie shivered at the blonde's touch. By some miracle, she composed herself. "All in due time, my love. But I have a hot blonde to show off." Callie winked and grabbed Arizona's hand.

"I'll go on one condition." The lust in Arizona's eyes apparent.

"And that condition would be….?" Callie questioned, in a sexy husky tone.

"I get to take that dress off of you tonight." She replied, her dark blue eyes never leaving brown ones.

"There was never any other option." Callie responded.

She lead the blonde out the door counting down the minutes until they returned.