AN: Thank you all for the fine, fine feedback. Here's next chapter. Enjoy!
"For crying out loud, Arizona. Stop obsessing," Teddy sighs. "I've never seen you like this before."
"Oh, but she's always like that..." Alex smirks while sweeping the floor.
"Really? I've never seen her acting so weird…zooming out now and then, and I've known her for a couple of years now."
"Has she ever dated?"
"Yeah…quite the handful actually."
"But has she been in love?" Alex smirks once again. "Because that's what's happening right now."
"Wha… that's what's happening? Her being all weird and-"
"Love-struck? Yep, that's exactly what's happening," he grins. "I've seen her like that once or twice before, but that's a very long time ago."
"But…I'm confused," Teddy looks like one big question mark, shaking her head as she helps Alex with the dustpan. "She's not seeing anyone…that I know of that is. Do you know something I don't?"
"Blue roses," he shrugs while stating the obvious.
"You two have got to stop with those blue roses," Teddy exclaims. "What's the matter with you?"
I've been able to hear everything that's been going on the last couple of minutes. It's actually been very hard to miss anything because the conversation is taking place right in front of me. I just couldn't care less right now because I'm in the middle of finishing my very special order. To one very special customer. And I know it's just like drizzling salt in my open wound, but getting this order home means that I'll have to stand before the most beautiful woman I've ever seen again. It's been one hell of a hurdle but I've succeeded in getting the most spectacular blue roses home. They were quite expensive but they are all the money well spent. The mere thought of why Callie Torres needs to buy flowers to someone rather than me is giving me the chills. And I'm not even in any kind of right to feel like that…because being realistic and all, I really don't know this Callie Torres. All I know is her beauty, the intoxicating scent and the twinkle in her eyes. And the exceptional pull her existence has got on me. It's undeniable and unexplainable.
I haven't talked to her since last week where she suddenly appeared in my store, but that has only gotten my lonely heart to beat harder and faster than ever before. I try not to think of the receiver of this beautiful bouquet from this captivating woman. And I really shouldn't be thinking about Callie Torres the way I do, I just can't help it. She should be a customer like any other customer, but she just isn't. She's so much more than just that. I get the feeling that she should be appreciated in a way not many people gets appreciated, and therefore I intend on finding out why I all of a sudden feel this strongly about a person I've only exchanged a couple of sentences with. At least I owe it to my awaken heart.
"So…Are you? Are you in love?" Teddy asks, dragging me out of my monologue.
"In love?" I laugh because that's the funniest thing I've heard in ages. "I haven't been in love since-"
"Since Cindy," Alex finishes my trail of thoughts.
"Yeah, it has to be Cindy," I nod while checking every fern and every rose in the harmoniously made bouquet to be sure it doesn't lack anything. Accepting my own work, I whistle one soft tune as I tie the dark blue bow around the stems. The blue heart situated at the left side makes out the simple but gracious look, one thing I cherish very much when it comes to creating bouquets of flowers.
"Who's Cindy then?" Teddy asks while tidying up due to rosebuds and pieces of ribbon creating an almost wedding like look on the counter.
"She's just someone I used to date," I deadpan, filling a vase with lukewarm water and placing the new bouquet in it.
"As if," Alex snorts. "Cindy was this one girl Robbins knew from back home. They were neighbors and all…And one day they got the hots for each other."
"How romantic," Teddy chuckles. "Is that true?"
"Kind of. We were each other's first love, and I suppose you never really forget about your first love," I say with a warm smile while reminiscing back to when Cindy and I shared our first kiss…in her little brother's treehouse. We were 15 and sure, I had kissed girls before but she was just different than all the others.
"You're thinking about your first time, aren't you?" Alex laughs. "You're such a mushroom."
"And you're disgusting," I swat him in his neck as I round the counter. "Aren't there anything useful you could be doing instead of irritating me?" Alex is quick to find somewhere else to stand, fidgeting with some leaves and sprinkling water on everything in reach, still with a smirk on his face.
"So…if you aren't in love why are you acting so weird then? Is it the woman with the blue roses that's gotten into you?" Teddy asks as she places herself on the counter, her legs moving back and forward.
"I'm definitely not in love-"
"Liar!" Alex rebukes from somewhere amongst the flowers.
"You better be working!" I snap back with a smirk. "And why do you think I'm acting weird? I've been acting like I usually do, haven't I?
"No, you haven't, Arizona. You've been zooming in and out of conversations and stuff like that. You've also been eating odd things…what's with the frozen banana dipped in peanut butter and coconut sprinkle? That's just not healthy and a bit yikes."
"Teddy, my new discovering of a midnight snack has nothing to do with me feeling in love, as you put it," I grin. The midnight snack was just something I googled one night I couldn't sleep or stop thinking about one certain brown haired woman. So I had to get my mind off of that said woman, and then snacks were the first thing that popped into my mind; and what a snack. It's delicious and easy to make, and then a couple of minutes passed with me not thinking about Callie Torres and her flowers.
"But…it certainly has something to do with that Callie lady. Don't deny it."
"Why do you all of a sudden believe that?"
"Alex said some pretty helpful things just before. I'm sure you've got some past behind you, that's worth getting to know," she chuckles. "And frankly, I haven't seen you smile this much before, and you sure of a hell have been dating your share of the female population. So I'm guessing this is you being infatuated by some kind of feeling you haven't felt before. That could be love," Teddy explains as she hops down from the counter, giving me a soft stroke on the cheek. "But you need to find out why she's buying flowers before doing anything. No sticking your head where it shouldn't be, young lady!" she finishes with a pointing finger, leaving me at the counter as she retreats to do some paperwork.
I understand what she means, and I really haven't got any intention in being a home wrecker or cause any pain. But. But. But. There's just something that keeps captivating me about this woman and about what could be. And it's really stupid because who knows if she's even interested in women. I could call, I got her number the other day…that must mean something…No, the florist Arizona got the number and not the single Arizona. Okay, take a chill pill, Robbins. I need to find out if she's in a relationship, but firstly I need to find out who's gonna get those blue roses. That can't just be anyone. It's not a mother's bouquet and it's not a feel-better-bouquet, and since it's scheduled for the 14th it has to have something to do with love, right? Anyways, it's the 14th today, so she's actually on her way. I'm both thrilled and scared.
The bell sings as the front door opens.
"And just for the record, Altman. It's not that many women!" I call to the back. When I turn my head I face the face I've been dreaming about since last week, and I'm once again glued to the floor, cursing myself for having shouted those words with Callie Torres being around. On the bright side, now she knows I'm into women…
"How many then?" Callie smirks. Somewhere, hiding behind mountains of plants and bouquets, Alex is laughing his ass off, and it really pains me to know that he's able to witness my dignity slowly vanishing. I'm admitted to eternal mockery for this one, great.
"Umm… Not that many," I smile nervously.
"I got that," she smiles. "I'm here for-"
"Blue roses and ferns," I finish her sentence which sends a redly color to her cheeks.
"You remember," Callie smiles brightly, her smile reaching my soul immediately.
"Of course, you're not one to forget," Once again I'm cursing myself. This time for being so straight forward and obviously flirting with this gorgeous woman. And bad flirting nonetheless. It's awful and terrible, and I can't find a way to get out of this. But somehow I think Callie finds it okay because she's smiling even brighter, if possible.
"That's always nice to know," Callie smirks.
"Right?" I keep smiling, forgetting why she's here in the first place. I just get lost in time, staring into her beautiful, brown eyes.
"Did you…um…did you make the bouquet?"
The bell once again sings, finally making Alex earn his paycheck, something I'm very thrilled about right now. The bell keeps signaling the arrival of new customers which now also sets fire to Teddy's pants. I like when my store is buzzing, it keeps me breathing. But right now the only oxygen I need is the oxygen Callie Torres is providing.
"The bouquet?...Ohhh, the bouquet! Yes, of course. It's right here," I say as I turn to get the blue bouquet, handing it to the attractive woman on the other side of the counter.
"I hope you didn't get through too much trouble for me?" Callie politely asks as she admires the flowers with both hands and eyes. "It's very beautiful."
"Thank you," I smile and somewhere inside of me I take the last statement very personal. "And please, it was no trouble at all. I'm always happy to go through some special orders, that's also what makes my job interesting."
"I can see your passion for what you do, that's remarkable," Callie states with a warm smile. "It's not the last time I'm buying flowers from your shop, that's for sure," she hands me her credit card.
"That's awesome," I blurt out and then blushes. For the love of God, Arizona Robbins. Behave as an adult. "I mean, that's always amazing to hear. I hope you'll enjoy the bouquet," I hand Callie her card back when the sound signals the verified payment.
Callie chuckles. "I'm sure she'll love them just as much as I already do. See you around." And then she's out of my life again. And I'm still not sure of anything. If anything I'm even more confused than before. What did I expect anyway? The flowers couldn't be for a man, and of course she had a girlfriend. A woman like Callie Torres couldn't be single. I'm sure people would be lining up for her whenever a chance came along. And now I just blew it, not that there had ever been a chance. But I just sent the woman of my dreams out of my store…with a beautiful, specially made bouquet…for another woman…on Valentine's Day. It's like I can't keep up with life…
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Have a nice week-end :-)
