Arizona was walking through the ER when she heard a strangely familiar voice say:
"Sit down and let the doctor examine you, you dumbass."
"Calliope Torres that is no way to speak to your best friend and business partner!"
Without thinking, the blonde pulled back the curtain to reveal Callie stood next to the bed which was occupying a man with equally black hair but much paler skin. When the Latina lifted her head she got locked in a gaze with blue eyes.
"Hey." She offered with the same flirty smile as a few days ago.
Crap. It had been three days and Arizona had only just got the woman out of her mind.
"Hi," She replied meekly.
Callie could recognise the shyness and thought it strange. In the bar the blonde had come off confident but now she was acting like she had never flirted before. Like it hadn't happened. Callie sighed and resigned herself to the fact that now Arizona knew about her injury she wasn't going to look at her the same way. Exactly why she didn't want to tell her.
"You wanna get a cup of coffee?" She asked, sure to be refused.
"Yes." Arizona responded too quickly.
10 minutes later they were sat a table in the cafeteria staring down at their drinks.
"I... I have to be somewhere at six."
"Where's your girlfriend taking you?"
"How do you do that?"
"What?"
"Get in my head."
"I got good at watching people. Okay that sounds creepy. I mean I got good at paying attention. Listening, watching and remembering when I could because a lot of the time I couldn't so I got good at reading people."
"Because of your..."
"Injury, Arizona. It's okay to say it."
"Dinner."
"What?"
"My girlfriend is taking me to dinner tonight."
"She got a name or is it just girlfriend." Arizona couldn't help the giggle that followed.
"Why did I let you buy me coffee?" She asked the brunette.
"What? I thought you paid." She tried to keep a straight face this time,
"I'm being serious!"
"So am I, I'm glad I wore flats today if I'm gonna have to make a run for it."
This time Arizona cracked and began laughing again. Dam it!
"I can't really answer that question though can I?" Callie said seriously.
"What happened to your friend, Calliope?" She asked trying again to avoid her own question.
"He was drunk and screwing some guy when said guys wife turned up. He ran down the fire escape, tripped and hit his head."
"Dumbass."
"My point exactly."
"So he's your business partner?"
"Yeah, we met at college studying business then we went to my Dad for a loan to buy our first bar with. Didn't mention to the oh so catholic man that it was gonna be full of gay men though. We were successful and now eight years later, we've paid my Dad back and we own twelve establishments across the city."
"Instead of being a doctor?"
"Yeah, it's not a bad life so don't pity me." Callie warned.
"I wouldn't dare."
"You let me buy you coffee for the same reason you let me buy you wine, I think you're looking for a way out."
"She cheated on me." Arizona hadn't meant to blurt it out.
"Then you've ignored your way out."
"Sorry nobody really knows that and I sure as hell shouldn't have told you."
"Why? What's so special about me?"
The blonde shifted her gaze and was happy when her pager bleeped loudly to cut through the tension.
"You've got to go."
"Yeah, it's an emergency." Despite herself, Arizona sounded disappointed to have to leave.
"Enjoy your dinner." Callie's smile was sadder than usual but she did mean it.
"Thank you. I hope your friend is okay."
"What Jonathon? Yeah that dumbass will be fine. Do me a favour?"
"What?"
"Don't be a stranger." Arizona's heart skipped a beat at the request and felt herself unable to respond. She just turned and walked away. "Should have done that three days ago." She thought to herself.
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"Hey, your back."
"Very observant Jonathon." Callie walked back into her friend's cubicle.
"How's your hot blonde?"
"Still in a relationship."
"So?"
"So, I am not you and don't intend on falling down any fire escapes any time soon."
"Very funny, you use that wit on your doctor?"
"I guess you're ready to go home then." The Latina watched him stand up from the bed.
"Yes, I'm perfectly healthy and there was no lasting damage." He said proudly.
"How would we know?"
"Again, you're hysterical."
The pair made their way outside but the man felt a strong hand on his shoulder when they were half way to the car.
"Hold on a sec."
"Why?" But as soon as he turned around he knew. Jonathon watched as Callie walked over to a nurse who was stood outside the main entrance. After a few minutes and some flirtatious laughter, she returned with a phone number.
"Unbelievable."
"Thank you." Callie replied without the slightest hint of shame. "You know I used to hate hospitals but what with all these cute nurses I should spend more time here."
"Nurses and doctors." Jonathon elaborated with a devilish grin.
"Shut up."
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Later that night Callie was in an empty bedroom, searching for her clothes, when the nurse from earlier walked in.
"Don't worry, I didn't have you down as the type who stayed after to cuddle."
"Oh good. This was fun though Jane." She smiled as she pulled her top back on.
"Should I be grateful you remembered my name?" The grin on her face told Callie she was joking. "So, what's going on with you and Doctor Robbins?"
"Who?"
"I saw you in the cafeteria earlier."
"Oh, Arizona."
"Yeah, you know she has a girlfriend right?"
"Yes." The Latina responded flatly.
"Well you might want to remind her, seemed like you two were awfully close."
Callie was now fully dressed and was looking for an easy way out of this conversation.
"I'll let you out."
"Thanks."
"We should do this again."
"I'm sure we will." And with one more kiss Callie was gone. She drove home, took a shower and went to bed alone.
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Across town, Arizona was in bed hurriedly pulling the covers up and over herself before lying back down next to her girlfriend. The brunette beside her was still trying to catch her breath.
"You... okay babe?"
"Yeah I'm fine." Arizona's response was distant as she rolled on her side to face away from her partner.
"Are you sure, I mean you barely touched your meal and now you don't want to take your turn. I kind of feel bad."
"Don't Jas, I'm just tired." She felt Jasmine spoon her from behind and wrap an arm around her naked body.
"I love you Arizona."
"I love you to."
It was a lie but how could she tell the truth. "I don't love you and I can't really forgive you for what you did but I only really realised this when a miraculous women bought me a drink." That wasn't fair.
They were trying to make this work and giving up what she had for a stranger who slept around unashamedly was just stupid.