Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, I just borrowed the name of the characters for entertaining, no intention to violate any copyrights.
A/N : I didn't think I'd continue with this story because *cough I really like what I did in the first chapter and I am afraid I'll ruin it. I changed my mind because some ideas came in my head after a bad date I had. Please let me know what do you think about this chapter and should I continue (although another chapter has finished but I haven't sent it to my wonderful and amazing beta calzonaforever35 yet). If you don't like it, I can take this down and pretend the second chapter has never happened, ok?
Another thing, since the first chapter had nearly 10k, I made this and the following chapter with the similar length. Would it be too long to read? When I read back the story I found myself kinda like with bipolar disorder (it won't be that obvious when the chapter is shorter).
Once again, thanks to my best gal calzonaforever35, you did an amazing job to help me with this. You are the best ;-)
Chapter 2
"Arizona." Teddy flopped down on the chair next to her best friend who was sitting alone in the corner of the cafeteria with a medical journal in her hand. "Do you know I have a medical degree? I'm a board certified cardiothoracic surgeon?"
"What are you talking about?" Arizona tilted her head at the long haired blonde doctor. "Someone judged your medical opinion?"
"No, just someone seems to be forgetting that I'm a surgeon, not a messenger." Teddy cast a hard glance to Arizona before picking up a baby carrot from her plate. "By someone, I mean the woman you are avoiding."
"Who?" The PEDS fellow squinted at her friend.
"Callie!" Teddy rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and sighed heavily. "You haven't called her. She was talking to Mark and Mark keeps bugging me to see what your problem is."
"I don't have a problem. I'll call her when I have time. You know how hectic it's been at work lately." Arizona picked up the journal again, intending to end this conversation but Teddy snatched it from her hand.
"Yeah right, so busy that you can't even pick up the phone to answer her texts. Seriously, you said you had a good time the other night and you like her, why are you avoiding her?"
"I am not avoiding her. I am busy." The blonde tried to get the book back, but Teddy held it further away from her.
"Call her."
"Teddy... I just... ugh!" Arizona tipped her head back and groaned. "Ok, I like her, a lot. But she has never been with a woman and I was her first since she was heart broken over a guy. Do you know how much trouble I could get myself into?"
"Enlighten me." Teddy threw the journal on the table, crossed her arms against her chest, and looked at her best friend in amusement.
"She was lonely and I was there, and drunk, ok? It's new and exciting for her. Yay!" Arizona feigned an excitement, but her face fell in a split second. "But soon she's gonna realize being with a woman means... being with a woman. There has a lot of pressures, you know? I grew up gay, I know how hard it is and it took me years to put the staring behind me. I don't want to be the one left heartbroken when she wakes up and decides that she prefers someone with a penis, someone that she can hold hands and kiss on the lips in public."
Teddy looked at the usually confident PEDS surgeon in silence. This was a side of this woman that she had never seen. They knew each other for 2 years and even before they became best friends, she had known that Arizona was gay, and happy. She couldn't imagine the difficulty she must have faced over the years. Of course, people are more accepting nowadays, but still there is a lot of homophobia around the world and they could be unbelievably harsh.
"Shouldn't you let her decide? You didn't call her back and you didn't tell her the things you just said, you just bailed." The cardio surgeon softened her voice and landed a hand on Arizona's shoulder. "If it was just any other women, I wouldn't bother having this talk with you. But you said it yourself, you like her, a lot. When was the last time you went out with someone and felt that way? Give her a chance and talk to her. Mark arranged a dinner with me and Callie tonight, come and join us?"
"No I can't. I have a date with Sharon... no, Cheryl from dermatology tonight." The blonde shook her head slightly and picked up her soda for a sip. "She asked me out a couple times and I can't say no anymore."
"Arizona, why would you do that to yourself?" Teddy dropped her hand and sighed again. "You don't even like her. You said she's... talkative and the way she laughed through her teeth gave you chill."
"Well, I said a lot of things." Arizona shrugged. She checked her watch and rose up from the chair. "I have rounds. Anyway, I can't go with you and your man candy tonight. You have fun."
"We'll be in the bar & restaurant across from Seattle Grace, come find us if you change your mind." Teddy called to her friend, who was already striding toward the exit of the cafeteria.
"No Mark, I don't think she'll come." Callie walked beside the tall man with her head hung low. "I called her. She said she was working and will call me back, but she didn't. I called her the second time that night and she told me she had to rush to a surgery but I could hear American Bake Off in the background. I think the message is pretty loud and clear."
"Maybe she was just really busy..." Mark tried to comfort the devastated woman, but she cut him off.
"Yes, we're surgeons and we're busy, but so busy that we can't have a 5 minute phone call? I don't think so." Callie cast him a side glance. "I'm a 5th year, remember?"
"Teddy is going to bring her here and then you two can talk it out, ok?" Mark put a hand on Callie's shoulder as they walked across the street. "I told her to come with that woman or I'm gonna withhold sex. I'm sure Teddy will do everything, even if she has to knock her out dragging the body across town."
Callie chuckled and leaned her head on her best friend's shoulder. She didn't believe Mark was really going to withhold sex for her benefit, but the thought did ease the anxiety in her stomach slightly.
After Mark left her apartment that morning, the two women didn't continue where the left off but got up for some food. They sat in the kitchen through a cozy breakfast. It was awkward for a while but soon they started to chat like old friends. Callie hadn't laughed that hard in a long time and she just couldn't get over the feeling that she wanted to know more about this woman. And she thought the feeling was mutual because Arizona wouldn't stop her dimpled smile.
But apparently she was wrong.
They exchanged phone numbers and shared a goodbye kiss by the door. Even though they both had a day off on that day, Arizona said that she had an appointment and needed to leave. They didn't set up another date but it was definitely on the table, otherwise why bother exchanging phone numbers, right?
After the second call, Callie stopped trying. But that didn't mean she already put the blue eyed blonde beauty behind her. 2 weeks since the two women hooked up, 1 week since she stopped calling Arizona, Callie came to work with a pair of bags under her eyes everyday. And more than once, she almost bit the head off the poor interns or residents who just made a minor mistake.
Mark had had enough of it. That was why he set up this dinner hoping to put his friend out of her misery. This was more than a simple dinner and he thought it was a good idea. The two women may or may not work it out, but at least they can break it off face to face. And the plan he had for Callie tonight most certainly could put a smile on her face. He thought.
The two friends approached Joe's, just in time to see a taxi pull up and a flash of blonde hair got out of it. Callie's heart skipped a beat when she realized it was Teddy. And the poor heart skipped another beat when the tall blonde closed the door behind her. She came alone.
"I guess you'll have to play with yourself tonight." Callie mocked her friend before she strode toward the new arrival. They shared a quick kiss on the cheek before Teddy apologized timidly.
"Arizona had an emergency."
"I understand." The brunette nodded her head lightly and stepped aside, giving room to the man standing next to her to kiss his lady friend on the lips.
"Let's go inside." Mark titled his head toward Joe's, gave a little push on Callie's shoulder nudging her to get in the pub while his free arm wrapped around Teddy's shoulder. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "You failed."
Teddy was about to answer, but the loud cheer coming from the pub made her jump.
"Surprise!"
As soon as Callie entered the pub, people standing around the entrance shouted at her. She looked around with her wide eyes. There were her co-workers, friends and a couple of friends from Mark standing there with a drink in hand and a big smile on their faces. A large banner with bright neon sign saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY hanging high above the bar and a full skeleton attached next to it.
"Happy birthday, Callie." Mark walked up to the stunned brunette and planted a wet sloppy kiss on the olive cheek.
"My birthday is after tomorrow." Callie turned to face the man with her mouth agape. She didn't even think he'd remember it.
"That's what the surprise is for." Mark winked at her and pushed her toward the group of friends, Cristina already handed over a glass of tequila to the birthday girl.
Birthday greetings, kisses and drinks were exchanged around the grinning woman. Teddy shifted to the quieter corner and pulled her cellphone out quickly.
"Pick up pick up pick up." She murmured to herself, and groaned when the call had diverted to the voicemail after a couple of rings. She said hurriedly after the beep.
"Dammit, Arizona! Why don't you answer your phone? It's Callie's birthday party. Call me back or just ditch that... Sharon or Cheryl and come over here."
Arizona felt the vibration in her purse when she walked in the restaurant next to Cheryl. She knew it has to be Teddy so she tried to ignore it. As soon as they sat down on the table in a quiet corner, the phone vibrated again and this time, even Cheryl could hear the faint sound.
"Your phone?" Cheryl asked. The blonde smiled sheepishly toward her red haired dinner date. She was about to say that she wasn't going to answer it, but Cheryl smiled at her. "Surgeons never go off the clock, right?"
Arizona pulled up a tight smile and reached into her purse. There was a missed call, a voicemail and a text message from Teddy. She just clicked open the text, the voicemail can wait. Her smile froze when she read the message.
'It's a surprise party. Callie's birthday party. Come over here! RIGHT NOW!'
"Something wrong?" Cheryl's voice pulled the blue eyes away from the small screen. "You look serious."
"Oh, just a test result of a patient." Arizona quickly muted the phone and shoved it back in the purse. She had made a decision. She was not going to pull herself back to that gorgeous, amazing and interesting goddess. She had to.
The blonde breathed out slowly and put the purse behind her back. She turned her attention to the date she had tonight.
"Wine, you prefer red or white?" Arizona asked, her eyes were scanning the rich choice of wine listed on the menu.
"Do you know a glass of wine could contain up to 160 calories? It's similar to a slice of Madeira Cake." The redhead made a grimace. She added quickly after met with the raised up eyebrows. "I don't mind if you want one, but just not for me. I almost had a heartattack this morning when I stepped on the scale."
"Why? You look good." Arizona smiled constrainedly. She did a double take on the skinny woman sitting next to her.
"I'm supposed to shake the last 2kgs of holiday weight this week, but between the meeting yesterday and this dinner with you, no time to jog at all." Cheryl sighed frustratingly. She ran a hand across her flat stomach. "If I'm not careful, I won't be able to fit in the size 0 anymore."
The blonde blinked and forced a smile. Cheryl was tall and slim with long silklike red hair, her collarbones stuck out above her V-neck silk top gracefully. She was pretty, and elegant. But Arizona's mind couldn't help to drift to that night when she snuggled up against the soft and curvy body. It felt...
Arizona cleared her throat. No, she shouldn't think about Callie.
"Are you ready to order? They make the best gnocchi here."
"Hmm... I can't. I don't eat carbs, especially those made from a potato. The 2kgs, remember?" Cheryl winked at the blonde and closed the menu. "I'm going for the salmon. You can never have too much of omega-3."
Their waiter came to the table. Arizona wanted to order the lobster bisque but afraid the redhead was going to talk about calories and diet again, she settled on a Cesar salad as for starter, but she wasn't going to pass on the gnocchi & tomato bake.
"How about you, ma'am?" The waiter asked Cheryl.
"I'll also have a Cesar salad, dressing on the side; And I'll take the grilled salmon, well done, no salt, no butter, and lemon dressing also on the side."
Arizona listened quietly. She had no problem with people eating healthy, but sometimes you gotta loose up a little. Like the last time she had that delicious lobster with Callie in that Italian restaurant, it was cooked with a thick layer of cheese on top with a rich flavored butter sauce. She could still hear Callie's sexy moan after she put a forkful of white meat between those pair of plump lips...
"Arizona, are you alright?" Cheryl's voice pulled the blonde away from her memory. "You have your deep in your thought face on."
"My what?" A blushed found a way on the delicate face made the redhead chuckled.
"Like you're thinking of something interesting, care to share?"
Arizona felt her face getting even warmer. She was indeed thinking of something interesting, but she couldn't tell her date what and who it was about.
"Nothing important," The blonde cleared her throat again. "So, how was your day?"
The conversation continued, but from time to time, Arizona could feel the vibrations coming from the purse behind her back. Each time, she pushed down the urge to take it out and check the incoming messages. She needed not to think about Callie.
Half of the staff from the hospital were there at the party. Partly because Callie was a well loved surgeon in Seattle Grace, the other because Mark promised to pick up the whole bill when he invited his co-workers to the party. Not that the guests were so cheap that didn't want to pay for their drinks, but free beverages, free food, and a guaranteed fun party was always welcomed to unwind their busy day at work.
Soon after the birthday girl arrived, the party started and people spread around. Some were shaking their bodies on the dance floor, some were engaging in heated games around the foosball table, pool table and the dart boards, and some were occupying tables chatting away.
Teddy was sitting by the long table between Bailey and Owen. It was the first time they met, but as they all were experienced surgeons in there fields, the conversation went on in full flow.
"Has she mentioned me?" An intruder stood by the table interrupting the heated discussion between the new friends. All eyes looked up, there was Callie biting her lips staring at the cellphone in Teddy's hand nervously.
"What?" Teddy asked, playing innocent.
Callie sat down on the empty stool clumsily. Two hours in the party, she already lost track of how much of alcohol intake she had.
"I know you've been texting her the whole night. So I'm asking you if she's mentioned me."
Bailey and Owen looked between the two women, they didn't know what was happening but by the expression on Callie's face, they knew she was upset.
"Well, you know... she um... busy..." The straight forward question had totally caught Teddy off guard, adding to the couple glasses of Scotch in her head, she couldn't form a coherent reply. "She's been... um... she's been busy and um... just..."
"Right, busy." Callie sneered and took a big sip of the rum and coke in her hand. "I bet she's busy watching television on her couch instead of coming to my party."
"No, she didn't know it was your birthday party. Even I just found out after I arrived here." Teddy said quickly. "She had this date planned before I asked her to come to the dinner."
"She's on a date, huh?" The brunette shook her head in a sense of disbelieve. "Busy, my ass."
"Mind to fill me in?" The short woman on the other side of the table asked. Bailey always claimed that she wouldn't give a rat's ass of other people's business, the truth was that she was the biggest gossip in the whole hospital.
"I went on a date with Teddy's friend 2 weeks ago. I thought she was a nice person and I thought we were going somewhere. Turned out, she is no different than any other man." Callie finished her drink in one gulp and put it on the table heavily. "I can't believe this. I can't believe that I'm here again. Stupidly falling for another delusive promise, telling me I'm special and sweet and lovable. You know what? Apparently I'm not worth being loved."
No one on the table dared to say anything but stared at the devastated woman. Finally Callie stood up on her shaking feet. She patted on Owen's shoulder forcefully.
"You're a clever man, Owen. Now I understand why you're falling for Cristina. She's not that pretty and she's absolutely not all sunshine and rainbows, but you know what? At least she won't blind you with her perky personality and her dimples and sparkling blue eyes. She won't look at you like you're the most important person in the world and then just take it away the next day like you worth nothing. Nothing!"
The trio watched the brunette flung her arms in the air and staggered away.
"Um... should someone stop her? I think she's drunk." The long hair blonde watched the birthday girl walk straight to the bar, she asked the other two at the table as the same time her hand was working on her phone again.
"Nope, she's just warming up." Bailey turned around to give the new friend a brittle laugh. "When she starts shaking her hips like a sasha dancer on the dance floor, that's the time to stop her."
Teddy ended the call after it was sent to voicemail again. Not going to leave another voicemail, she redialed, and redialed.
"What's the deal with her and your friend?" Bailey leaned closer to Teddy wanting to pry. She shot a hard glare to the trauma surgeon when the man was trying to stop her.
"Mark and I set them up for a blind date. According to what we have heard, they hit it off and apparently they like each other, a lot." Teddy sighed and pressed redial on her cellphone again. "But my idiotic friend is going to throw it away for some stupid reason."
"So this friend of yours, is a she, right? No wonder Callie came to me talked about something like south of border and northern mountains." The general surgery resident glared at the only man on the table who had his face flushed like a red light. "What? Women talk. You don't want to know the things I knew about you that I wish I wouldn't."
"So Callie talked to you about Arizona?" Teddy's eyebrow rose up to her forehead, but it quickly turned to a frown when the phone finally got connected.
"I'm telling you, that is the best resort you can imagine. They serve the freshest raspberry water that you have ever tasted." Cheryl said enthusiastically before putting another bite of salmon in her mouth. Arizona couldn't help but reach for her water when she saw the redhead chewing that piece of dry looking seafood in her mouth.
"I don't even know what raspberry water tastes like." The blonde put her glass down. She started to regret not ordering a glass of wine for herself.
"Oh my god, you have to come with me next weekend. And the spa, I promise, you'd feel like you don't have any bones in your body after the massage. You have to tell them to use the sandal wood massage oil, the best massage oil in the world. And we made the whole floor switch to the coconut lotion after the nurse manager went there two months ago. She couldn't stop talking about the coconut lotion." Cheryl's face lit up while talking about the spa, like a little kid remembering their best birthday party. Arizona pulled her lips up to a forced smile.
"I don't know. My schedule is pretty packed. Dr. Stack is going on another holiday and I believe he is going to assign all the work to me." Arizona shrugged lightly. In the meantime, she felt another tremor coming from her purse.
The short and quick wobbles had signaled that incoming text messages came a couple times during the dinner. Arizona had fought hard to ignore it the whole night, but this time it was vibrating continuously and insistently, she couldn't help to reach to her back.
"I don't understand you surgeons. How can you live your life like this? Working hour after hour, chasing surgery after surgery for what? Life is more than cutting people open." Cheryl kept talking, smiling teasingly when the blonde pulled out her cellphone. "See, they wouldn't even leave you alone while you're on a date."
"I think it's the thrill of saving lives. And if we slow down, people might die." Arizona gave her date a tight smile before glancing at her phone. Of course it was coming from Teddy. She gave her date an apologetic smile before answered the call formally. "Dr. Robbins's speaking."
"Dr. Robbins? Dr. Robbins? You know you'd get fired if this was coming from the hospital, right? How can you ignore your phone the whole night?" Teddy was practically yelling at the phone. Arizona had to bite her lips from bantering back.
"I'm sorry. I'll have to take this." Arizona said to the redhead and excused herself to the back of the restaurant. She waited until she was out of the earshot from Cheryl. "I am sorry Teddy, but you know I'm on a date. It's kinda rude to answer your texts on the table, you know."
"So you're still on the date with Sharon? Going so well that you don't even want to leave her, huh?" Teddy sneered.
"It's Cheryl. But... ugh, to be honest, it's awful. Can you imagine having conversations around rabbit food, skin cares and holiday plans?" The PEDS surgeon rolled her eyes and hissed under her breath. "HER holiday plans because apparently, the folks in dermatology have holiday every other week and they go to resort or spa together, just to try their massage oils or lotions."
"They are dermatologists! They love lotions and rub lotions for a living, what do you expect?" The cardio surgeon said in a tone that wasn't appreciated by her friend. "Why are you doing this to yourself? Pay the dinner and come over here!"
"Teddy, are you drunk?" Arizona frowned. The frustration and aggression in Teddy's voice made her wonder.
"No I'm not, but Callie is!" Teddy looked over to the bar and found the brunette had just accepted another drink that was offered by one of Mark's friends. "Arizona, don't be a fool. You need to come over here, get over your stupid mind and tell Callie that you like her."
"No Teddy, I'm not coming..." Arizona sighed, her friend cut her off.
"You are annoyingly stubborn, do you know that?" Teddy groaned. "From the sound of it, you aren't having a good time on this date. And you are about to throw away the best chance you have at happiness."
"Teddy, I've told you..." The blonde tried again, but she got cut off again.
"Yeah, all your blah blah blah. Callie doesn't care you're a woman. She even talked about you to her colleague. She didn't even mind telling her colleague about..." Teddy looked over to Bailey, who prompted the words. "South of border and northern mountains."
"What?" Arizona was confused.
"She told Bailey she met an amazing person and had a wonderful time, and she went south of border and to the northern mountains..." Teddy made a grimace to Bailey showing that the other woman on the phone didn't get the insinuation. "Anyway, my point is, she wasn't embarrassed of being with you."
"She may not think that now, but..." Arizona trailed off in a small voice. She was fighting herself but the resolution was getting thinner and thinner by the second.
"Stop making excuses!" Teddy groaned again. She loved her friend but her patience was running out. "You're not here, you didn't see her face when she thought you were no different than anyone else, thinking that she's not worth loving and just don't care about her feelings."
"That's not true! I have never ever thought she's not worth loving!" Arizona yelled at the phone quickly. The last thing she would have thought was the woman that occupied her every thought was nothing but lovable. "It's for the best. For both of us."
"How does she know? You just bailed!" Teddy shouted back. There had a few seconds of silence between the phones. Sighing frustratingly, Teddy said solemnly. "Mark invited a couple of his friends to the party and they all have eyes on Callie. If you're really going to give up on this, suit yourself."
The phone ended with a tick.
Callie propped her head up with an elbow against the table, another hand absent-mindedly putting peanut after peanut into her mouth while listening to the guy next to her talking ceaselessly.
"Seriously, it's rare that under this economy, the stock of Torres Groups keeps going up." The guy had his expensive suit hanging on the back of the empty chair next to him, and his neck tie wrapped around his neck loosely. The clean cut good looks and the obsession over Callie's family business showed that he was coming from the finance world. "But I'd say that isn't a surprise, the few investment decisions they made this year were brilliant."
"Uh-ah." The brunette threw another peanut into her mouth, staring at the boastful man through her sleepy-eyes. Mark dragged her to sit with this boring friend of his, but excused himself to the bathroom after a few seconds and said that he'd come back. It felt like eternity ago, where the heck was Mark?
"I've heard that your father is still very active in the company. I can imagine he sits at the head of the dinner table and talks to you about his empire." The faceless man laughed out superficially. Callie rolled her eyes.
"I'm a surgeon, I don't have a dinner table. And I'm here in Seattle, my family is in Miami." Finally having enough, Callie got up from the chair and walked away without even saying goodbye to that guy.
Glancing around Joe's, Callie finally found the man who just abandoned her with that hideously dull and dry guy on earth was sitting by the table with his lady friend. She strode toward there, bumped into a couple of people on her way and then flopped down on one of the chairs around the table.
"Seems you and Gregory got along quite well, he's an interesting guy." Mark grinned to the brunette. In return, Callie gave him a cold stare.
"By interesting, you mean interestingly boring? I think he prefers to talk to my father." Callie rubbed her face with both hands before stood up from the chair. "I'm tired. I'm gonna go home now. Thanks for the party, Mark."
"Hey hey hey, it's still early." Mark shot up and grabbed his best friend by the wrist. "It's your party and you haven't even had a dance yet. Let's go."
Ignoring her protest, the man pulled Callie toward the dance floor, but he stopped midway when he spotted another friend of his nearby.
"Hey Jeff, when did you arrive?" Mark punched the tall and dashing guy on the shoulder playful. All the while, his hand was still holding Callie's tightly. "You remember the birthday girl, Callie?"
"I just got here. Sorry about that my meeting went long. Happy birthday, Callie." Jeff leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on Callie's cheek, a little too close to her lips purposely. The brunette frowned when she smelled a hint of earthy scent from his breath.
"You know what? I'll give you a chance to make it up." Mark pulled up a wide grin and put Callie's hand in Jeff's. "Callie wants to dance."
"Mark!" Callie stared at her friend in amazement, but he already fled away.
"What are you doing, Mark?" Teddy scolded the man as soon as he returned to the table. "You've throwing men at Callie the whole night."
"I didn't!" Mark shrugged, but he didn't hide the naughty smile on his face.
"We saw that, Sloan." Bailey butted in, and she looked over to the dance floor. "That handsy guy? Number 5."
They all turned to the dance floor, seeing that Jeff had a hand on Callie's shoulder and the other on her hip, pulling her close to him despite it was an upbeat song that was playing in the air.
"I'm just looking out for my friend." Mark picked up his glass to take a sip. "She needs to let loose."
"This is your idea of helping her? You know she needs to talk to Arizona, not speed dating." Teddy was getting annoyed. She knew it wasn't her business and she knew Mark meant well, but still, she hated the idea of seeing Callie give up on her best friend.
"Then get her here!" Mark glanced at the long hair blonde with his jaw clenched. "Callie is my best friend and I stupidly put her together with your friend. For a week Callie was happy because she thought she had found her soul mate. She talked about this amazing, beautiful and genuine woman liked she was a goddess. And then this goddess didn't call her back. Callie went back to that miserable woman that thinks she doesn't deserve to be loved. I'm responsible and dammit I'm going to fix it!"
The plastic surgeon said every word with force. A pregnant silence around the table until a gasp left Teddy's lips.
"Arizona..."
Arizona stood not so far away staring at the dance floor emotionlessly. She couldn't believe what a fool she was to have let Teddy talk her coming over.
After she got hang up on, she stared at her phone with a battle in her head. Teddy was right. Callie deserved to know why she was holding back. Not because she didn't like Callie but her stupid insecurity. It was every lesbian's nightmare to fall for a straight woman, afraid to be an experiment and get their heart broken. The smart way was not to give that a chance to happen.
But Callie was... special. And tonight with Cheryl had proved that.
Not that she had never had a bad date before, the redhead wasn't terrible. But once you met the person that could make you laugh without trying, made your heart tingle with just a flip of hair, everyone else seemed... colorless.
Maybe she should give it a try. Maybe she should explain to Callie why she was avoiding her. Maybe she wouldn't feel that butterfly in her stomach when she saw the brunette again and they both are going to admit that that was just the alcohol induced fling. Maybe... Maybe...
Before she knew it, the taxi pulled up in front of the pub opposite to Seattle Grace Hospital. It took her a whole 5 minutes to get up the courage to enter the place. There was a lot of people inside and none of them that she knew. But looking up of the banner, she couldn't help to chuckle at the skeleton decoration, how appropriate it was for an ortho surgeon's birthday party.
Glancing around the pub, Arizona found her friend on one of the table having a heated conversation with a man. That was Mark. She just caught a glimpse of him that morning but she recognized the man well. But Callie wasn't there. On her way walked toward that direction, she found everyone on the table looked over to the crowded dance floor. Almost by reflex, she followed their gazes.
Callie was wriggling her body trying to get those aggressive groping hands of Jeff's off of her, but in Arizona's eyes, the brunette was passionately grinding against a man on the dance floor.
The air in the pub seemed getting thinner, Arizona found herself having trouble breathing. And in the same time, she couldn't move. She couldn't take her eyes away from the scene that was playing 20 feet away from her.
Even when a hand squeezed her shoulder, she couldn't look away.
"Arizona, it isn't what it seems like." Teddy said hurriedly. "It was Mark's idea. She was going to leave but Mark dragged her out there to dance and practically pushed her to that guy. They're just dancing."
"That doesn't seem like dancing to me, Teddy." The blonde turned to look at her friend, said stiffly. "It seems she's having a good time."
"No, she isn't. She didn't even want to be in here. She tried to leave but Mark made her stay." The long haired woman pleaded. Mark was doing what he thought was the best for his friend, and she felt that she needed to done the same for hers. "She misses you."
"Anyway. You wanted me to come over and I'm here and I've seen what I needed to see. I am leaving." Arizona waved her hand and turned around. She didn't need to be in here. She couldn't stay here.
"Arizona, don't just go away." Teddy grasped her wrist stopped her from leaving. Arizona swiveled around wanted to scold at her friend, but her gaze couldn't help to land on the dance floor.
Callie finally found the energy to push Jeff away from her. The man tumbled a few steps away. That was the moment she realized there had a pair of piercing eyes staring at her from afar. With a little hiss, she let out her breath. There was the woman that she couldn't shake from her mind.
Their eyes locked. For a second, Callie was thrilled to know the blonde actually came. A smile found a way on her face but it fell quickly when she remembered the hurt that she had been feeling because of this woman.
She couldn't look at those beautiful blue eyes that had drawn her toward this heartbreaker in the first place. Not right now. She turned on her heels running to the back of the pub before Jeff stepped closer to her again.
Arizona didn't miss the emotions on the brunette's face. Her heart clenched and she was frozen on the spot. She thought she could just walk away but she found herself drowned into the pair of soulful brown eyes again. The eyes that could tell her a millions things but right that moment, that split second, there was just one message - you've broken my heart.
"Are you really going to throw that away? She likes you and you like her, does the rest of it really matter? You haven't even given it a try. Don't you see..." Teddy was talking, but none of it got into the blonde's head. Slowly, she pushed through the crowd and moved toward where Callie vanished.
The narrow hallway led to the kitchen. Before the double door, there were 2 doors indicated man's room and ladies room. It didn't need to take a wild guess to know Callie must be in the ladies room, but it was the clamor coming from the room gave it away.
"No! Go away!" That was Callie's shouting.
"Come on! I know you want it!" A man's voice was panting heavily.
"No! Stop it!" Another desperate shout came from Callie.
Flinging open the door quickly, the sight inside the room made Arizona's blood boil. Callie was pinned against the wall, fighting hard to get a man off of her. That was the same irritating guy that had Callie ground against on the dance floor a moment ago. He was trying to kiss the brunette on the lips but failed when the dark head kept twisting and writhing. Instead, he buried his face in the caramel neck started sucking, while one of his hands savagely grasped the brunette's wrist and pulled it above their heads, his other hand running up and down the curvy body crassly.
"Hey! Let go of her!" Despite the man was at least a half feet taller and absolutely stronger than her, Arizona pounced on the guy and grappled his shoulders as hard as she could, but Jeff didn't even flinch.
Rapidly gazed around the room, Arizona grabbed the ceramic hand lotion dispenser from the counter and smacked it across the attacker's head without mercy.
A wail came out from the man before he bent to a squat and held his head with both hands.
"What the fuck? Bitch!" Jeff yelled at the blonde, who was staring him down with fire in those blue eyes.
"When a woman says no, it means no!" She raised her weapon holding hand high affectedly. "Go away before I hit you again!"
Fear appeared in the bloodshot eyes. It took Jeff two tries to stand up on his feet and stumbled out of the ladies room. All the while, his mouth didn't stop cursing the furious woman who attacked him.
Callie was still in shock. Her mouth opened wide trying to catch her breath. Everything happened so fast. She rushed into the bathroom trying to get away from the blue eyes, to clear her mind but someone snuck in before she could even turn around. A rough hand grabbed her arm and pushed her up against the wall. She was crying for help and next she knew, Arizona was standing there in front of her.
"Are you alright?" The voice came out of the blonde seemed aloof and distant. Callie felt a chill up her spine that didn't know it was coming from the trails of the wet kisses on her neck or the coldness from the blonde.
"Yeah." The brunette swallowed hard and nodded slowly. She took a paper towel from the wall and ran it under the water, using it to wipe her neck with shaking hand. She hissed when a sensation of tingle experienced in her wrist. Looked down at her hand, it was red and swollen with a set of fingerprint wrapped around the wrist.
Arizona saw it too.
Callie hitched in her breath when the blonde stepped closer from behind, slim fingers run along the reddened skin. She turned around slightly as Arizona reached out both hands started to examine her wrist gently.
"Does it hurt?" Arizona asked, not making eye contact with the owner of the hand. But from the corner of her eyes, she could see Callie was shaking her head.
Caressing the injured hand gently, Arizona had to bite the inside of her mouth to swallow down the word in her head. Awkward silence flew between them and finally, she took a deep breath and let go of the hand. Mixed feelings in her stomach and there had a biggest one that she didn't want to admit, she had to run away from the woman that made her having this feeling. She turned around and about to twist the handle of the door to flee away, but a smoky voice stopped her.
"Why are you here?" Callie asked. "Weren't you on a date?"
Arizona didn't answer. She sighed silently and pressed her forehead against the door.
"Is it just a game to you? Going on dates, dazzling the women with your sweet words, get what you want and then move on to the next one?" Callie blurt out bitterly. So many questions in her head, this would be her only chance to get an answer because she knew as soon as Arizona walked out of the door, she might not see her again.
"It's not a game." Arizona breathed out with her eyes closed, still couldn't turn around to face the woman.
"Then am I just a joke to you? A pathetic woman who desperately wants to be loved? Or you wanted to see if you may charm a straight woman's pants off? Congratulations! You succeeded!" Callie threw the wet paper towel in the trash forcefully. She turned her head away from Arizona. The alcohol in her head made her even more emotional than ever. She didn't want the blonde to see her eyes were already filling with tears.
"You were ever a joke, Callie!" Arizona spun around in an instant. "But you are straight."
Callie's lips twisted in a contemptuous sneer. She wiped her eyes with her fingertips.
"Great. Now I have another item to add to the list of why I'm being rejected. That's just great."
"No Callie, that's not what I meant. It just... you are an amazing woman. You're attractive and you're intelligent and funny and..." Arizona took a step forward, trying to find the words to explain better.
"Stop it!" Tanned hand held up and quickly dropped to grab on the edge of the sink. Callie braced herself against the counter and looked into the mirror. "I don't need your pity words to make me feel better, or make you feel better. Your action said it all. I througth I wanted an answer but... Can you just... leave?"
Arizona stared at the reflection in the mirror. She hated herself for bringing this kind of hurt to those brown eyes. She was raised to be a good man in the storm, to protect the things that she loved and not to hurt anyone. But right now, she was hurting this amazing woman even before anything has started.
"You are straight." Arizona pulled her lips to a bitter smile. "You date men and I'm not one. You don't know how it feels to be a lesbian, or be with a lesbian. You don't see the problem because right now, it's just between you and me."
"Of course it's between you and me!" Callie turned to roar. "I thought I made it pretty clear that morning that I didn't mind if you're a woman or a man. I like you. Yes, I've said it. And I thought that meant something to you!"
"It does, Callie! But..." Arizona took another step closer to the taller woman, but Callie's raging voice cut her off.
"I don't need your commiserative explanation!" Callie backed away to extend the distance between her and the blonde. All the while, her furious brown eyes locked right into the pool of blues. "I'm just another hook up in your life, another notch on your bed post. I get it! I'm just the stupid one that fell for your sweet words. Those were your moves and I fell right into your trap. I kissed you. I invited you into my bed. I'm the fool that thought you truly liked me. You don't need to make up more excuses. It just makes me feel more stupid than I already am!"
"Let me get the word in, Callie! I'm scared, ok?" Arizona flung herself forward to grab on the brunette's upper arms, making the tall woman speechless with shock. "I'm scared because I have feelings for you that I didn't expect I would have. When I held you in my arms I felt my world stop. I didn't plan on sleeping with you but when it happened, it was the best I have ever had because we connected not just physically but emotionally. And then I freaked out! I freaked out while we were having breakfast in your kitchen because I wanted to be with you like that every morning! I wanted to wake up next to you and see the big smile on your face when I opened my eyes! And then I realized... we can do all those things within our bubble. This pretty pink bubble that wrapped around us, when there's only you and me."
Callie stared at the blonde with her brows knitted close together. The mixed signals coming from Arizona just made her puzzled.
"Then... I visualized me taking you out on a date, a real date. I want to kiss you but you pull your chair away because a friend of yours is in the same restaurant. We walking down the street and you shake off my hand because someone from work is walking toward us. I'd have to spend thanksgiving and Christmas alone while you're dining with your family, the family that doesn't know I exist..." Glassy blue eyes gazed pass the brunette staring at the dirty spot on the wall, deep in her own imagination until a warm hand palmed her cheek, pulled her out of the vision.
"What are you talking about?" Callie asked in a whisper.
"I have never been in a closet. I've been openly gay since high school. I can't let you put me in one just because I like you." Arizona glanced at the brunette for a brief second, then quickly looked away. "I can see you breaking my heart because you can't stand the stares from those homophobic jerks."
"Who says that I'm gonna shove you in the closet?" The brunette chuckled lightly in the ridiculous hypothesis - at least in her mind those were ridiculous.
"You will! You just don't see that yet. And... and... One day, we go out dancing but you don't want people to see us being too intimate in public, so I'd be sitting by the table watching you grinding against someone, like what just happened out there." Arizona dropped her head, small voice came thought the trembling lips. "I was jealous. When I saw you and that guy out there, when I saw he pushed you up against the wall and had his hands on you... I had never been jealous of anyone, but you made me jealous. And angry, because I know I am only your secret lover and I can never stop you from being with a man because you are straight."
"Arizona, please look at me." Callie pleaded, and used both of her hands to lift up the pale face and waited, until she held the gaze of the watery blue eyes. "You're being crazy. I don't know where all these ideas came from but I have no intention of hiding you. Mark knows about you, I talked to Bailey about you and I'm pretty sure Mark made everyone around me know that I spent the night with you and I didn't deny it, nor regret it. Mark made me dance with that guy but I didn't enjoy it. I wasn't grinding against him. I was trying to get away from him because all I could think about was how I wish you were there."
"Callie, you don't understand..." Arizona breathed out, but her voice was lost when she gazed into the affectionate brown eyes and the plump lips inches away from hers. She wanted to feel those soft lips on hers desperately. She wanted to hold Callie in her arms and forget about the rest of the world, her stupid insecurity, her crazy imagination...
The suddenly burst open door broke the spell.
"Hey Cal, a guy said there was a crazy woman that attacked him in here, Owen sent me to check on you." Cristina held the door opened and poked her head inside. She stopped momentarily to stare between Callie and the stranger who just jumped to the other side of the bathroom. "Is this the psycho bitch the guy was shouting about? Is she the blondie you slept with the other night? Are you two doing the nasty in here? Are you a lesbian now?"
Drunken Cristina deluged her friend with questions. Arizona didn't know the Asian, she didn't know the sullenness was her usual facial expression, and she had no idea that the flat and emotionless voice held no judgment or disgust.
"Cristina, I'm fine. Can you just... get out?" Callie waved her hand to her friend bashfully. Her cheeks flushed because of the questions and almost got caught kissing someone in a dirty bar bathroom.
She didn't know the fidgeted blonde standing in front of her took it in the wrong way and the insecurity found its way back in her head.
"You better come quick... no pun intended." Cristina laughed out sarcastically, pulled the door open fully and tilted her head to the side. "Mark is arguing with that guy who just got beaten up it here and I don't know what's going on."
Sounds of furniture knocking and people howling came from the outside. Callie bolted for the door with the other two women followed closely. They were shocked by the scene in the middle of the pub.
Mark was yelling at a man on the floor few feet away from him. His shoulder was held by Derek and Owen on the other side of him was grasping his clenching fist in the air, stopping him from throwing another punch.
"You're a piece of shit! You come to my party stoned?"
It was Jeff moaning on the ground. His cheek was red and swollen, apparently already took a punch from the angry man. Two of his friends rushed over and helped him to get up on his feet.
"Mark!" Callie exclaimed, with Arizona and Cristina on her side.
All eyes turned to the voice. Jeff's unfocused eyes fleshed when he saw the blonde woman in sight.
"That's the bitch attacked me! I'm bleeding! What the fuck, Mark!" The beaten man pointed a finger toward Arizona.
"You're luck it wasn't me caught you in there, or you'll have more than a knock on your stupid head!" Mark lunged forward wanted to hit the stoned man again, but Callie stepped in and blocked his way.
"Mark, stop it!"
The tall man stared at his best friend for seconds, and then flung his arm down.
"Get out of here, you worthless wuss! Get lost before I get another chance to beat the shit out of you!" Mark snorted to Jeff. His escorts quickly helped him walked toward the front door in a heartbeat.
With Jeff ran out of the pub with his tail between his legs, the fight was over and the crowd dispersed and went back to their previous activities.
"Cal, I am so sorry. I didn't know that bastard was high as a kite and out of control. If I've known, I wouldn't have pushed you to him." Mark apologized to the brunette sincerely. "I just wanted you to have a good time and forget about..."
"Shut up Mark, let me take a look at your hand." Callie cut him off and grabbed his hand forcefully, made the man hissed. The knuckles were bruised and already swollen. "Damn! It might be broken. I need to get you to the hospital."
"Don't be so dramatic, it's just bruised." Mark took his hand back and tried to fling off the pain, but his face screwed up from the movement. "How are you? Did he hurt you?"
"Arizona stopped him." Callie turned around trying to look for the blonde, and she was standing in the back next to Teddy, biting her lips listening to her friend who was apparently asking what had happened back in the bathroom. Callie turned back to Mark, "Give me a second, I'll go talk to her and then I'll take you to the hospital."
"No, it's really not necessary..." Mark protested. He's a tough man and he wanted to act like one, but a tap on his shoulder stopped him from continue talking.
"Dr. Sloan, I'm sorry but I have to ask you to leave." Joe said timidly. Although Mark brought the whole pub for the night but still, engaging in a bar fight was reasoned enough to throw him out of the place.
"Come on, Joe! It's over and that guy has left! I promise you, it won't happen again."
"Dr. Sloan, you know the rule..." Joe tried again, looking at Callie asking for help.
"Mark, don't make it difficult." Callie looked to the side and she found Lexie was standing not too far away from them. "Hey Lexie, can you walk Mark out to the door and wait for me? It'll just take a minute."
Mark wanted to argue but the brunette had already walked away, and the other brunette came to his side. He followed willingly when Lexie held his good hand and led him to the door.
"Arizona, sorry about that..." Callie strode toward the blonde with a small smile, but it fell quickly when she found Arizona was avoiding her gaze again. "I- I'm going to the hospital with Mark, he might have broken his hand."
"I understand. You should go." Arizona glanced around. She couldn't help to feel uncomfortable when there were a few pairs of curious gaze throwing to her way.
"How is he? That was a really heavy punch. That guy flew away..." Teddy interjected, oblivious of the awkwardness between the two women.
"Probably a sprain. I have a resident walk him out and wait for me outside. You can go check on him." Callie pulled up a force smile. She was hoping Teddy could take the bait and give her and Arizona the space. She needed to talk to blonde and preferably without an audience on the front row seat.
"Nah, maybe I'll call him later. We had a big argument and I don't think it's a good idea for me to go near him for a while." She was referring to the discrepancy she had with Mark regarding the whole trying to fix up Callie with his friends matter. And she had a valid proof when Jeff came to them telling what had happened in the bathroom. "I'm leaving now. Arizona you wanna share a taxi with me?"
"Yeah." Arizona nodded eagerly, still avoiding the burning stare from the brown eyes. But a hand on her shoulder prevented her from moving along with her friend.
"Arizona, can you give me a moment?" Callie dropped her hand when the blonde finally looked at her, but there was a shade of coldness on the blue stare. Teddy looked between the two women knowingly and stepped back.
"I'll go say goodbye to Owen and Bailey." The long hair blonde ran to the table of her new friends, who were looking at Callie and Arizona intensely.
"Arizona, I..." Callie opened her mouth, but the frigidness coming out from the blonde made her sighed frustratingly. "Seriously? What I said in the bathroom meant nothing to you?"
"Callie, haven't you seen the looks from your friends?" Arizona flung her hand around.
"What look?" The Latina shook her head wearily. She just didn't have the energy to go through that discussion again.
"Can you just for one second admit that you know what is it I'm talking about?" The blonde said angrily. She took a step close giving a hard glare to Callie. "You were embarrassed when that woman... Cristina ran into the bathroom saw that you were together with me. How can you pretend that you wouldn't mind..."
Arizona couldn't finish the sentence because her lips were shut by another lips pressed hard against hers. She tried to pull away but the firm grips from Callie on her jaws held her in place. Her knees got weak when Callie tilted her head to the side and locked their lips tight together. Once again, she was lost in the softness of the plump lips from the brunette. She still remembered the first time when their lips locked together, it was as soft, as warm and as tender as what she was feeling now. She couldn't stop herself from reciprocating when the sweet tongue forced the way invading her mouth.
The kiss didn't last long. Soon enough everyone around them noticed the kissing couple and all manner of cheers and whistles were scattered through the pub. Callie pulled her lips away and hovered an inch from the flush face. She had made a point and she wanted Arizona to know it.
"I'm out of my element here. I break bones for a living. I dated an intern who was shorter than me. Most days I wear last night's eyeliner to work, and I don't give a crap about what other people think of me." Callie stared at the blue eyes without blinking. "I don't mind kissing you in a pub full of my friends and co-workers because I like you. It's you that I like, not your gender. It's not me that couldn't get over the fact that I am going to date a woman, Arizona. It's you. This is- this is heterophobia, or biphobia. You don't think that people can be attracted to both men and women."
Arizona was trying to form some words but her tongue was tied. She wanted to throw caution to the wind. However, this was too perfect to be true. She was still scared. So scared that she afraid any move could make her wake up from this dream. All she could do was standing there staring at the brown eyes and watching them slowly filled with tears. Finally, Callie let go of her hands and stepped away.
The stunned blonde watched the woman in her dream disappeared behind the front door of the pub, with the parting words ringing in her ears.
"I can't keep chasing after you, Arizona. Not when you can't get whatever it is out of your head."