New, you're so new
And I've never had this taste in my mouth
My normal hesitation is gone
And I gravitate to your will
Are you here to fetch me out?
'Cause I've never had this taste in my mouth
Oh, you're not old
And you're not familiar
Recently discovered and I'm learning about you
You, you're new
And you're consuming me violently
And your reverence shamelessly tempting me
Who sent this maniac?
'Cause I've never had this taste in the past
Don't let it go away
This feeling has got to stay
Don't let it go away
This feeling has got to stay
And I can't believe I've had this chance now
Don't let it go away
"So--nothing happened?" Cristina asked Callie from where she sat at the nurses station, her feet propped up on the desktop, turkey sandwich in hand.
"Nothing happened," Callie answered, sifting through a stack of files sitting in front of her.
"Okay…why not?"
"He's Mark Sloan," Callie answered with a shrug, "He's…I'm just not going there."
"I would."
Callie laughed.
"I'm serious! What's stopping you? Your cervix is getting dusty. I say go for it."
Callie glared back, "Ew." She shook her head, "No. It's just--all…charm and pick up lines and no real-ness to him. You know?"
"Forget real-ness, he's McSteamy. McJump his bones already." She was suddenly distracted by an intern, a few feet away, who seemed to be reading through a handbook, "Hey! Jenkins! You're not going to find the pit in there!"
"Yes ma'am." He stuttered and skittered away.
Cristina rolled her eyes in his direction, then turned back to Callie, "All I'm saying is--oh, he's coming."
"What?" Before she knew it, Cristina had ran off and as she turned around, she was greeted with Mark's ever glowing smile. "Hey."
"Hello." He greeted her and proceeded to lean against the tall desktop. "How was your night? Mine was--uneventful and--quite sad--was left in a--desert like state if you would. AND I had to pay the bill. That wasn't very nice."
"Oh." She said in mock empathy, "I'm willing to bet you didn't go home alone."
He smiled and averted his eyes, "Why won't you have drinks with me?"
"We had drinks. What you want to know is, why won't I sleep with you again."
"Some might wonder."
She thought for a second before speaking up, "I'm a lady. I need to be courted." She could barely hold the laughter in as she walked off, leaving him in a state of shock, "You're kidding." He called after her, but she simply kept on walking.
XXX
Derek looked up from his hospital bed as his room door burst open and Mark Sloan stepped inside, and without a word, flopped down on the chair near his bead. He eyed him curiously for a while, then finally turned off the television, "What do you want?"
"Huh? Oh--here--" Mark pulled a cold juice box from his coat pocket and tossed it on Derek's lap, "Your girlfriend said to bring you this."
"Yes." He grinned as he popped a straw into the box and sipped from it.
"People don't actually court people now, do they?" Mark asked, perplexed.
"What?"
"Courting. Flowers, restaurants--"
"Dating? Yeah. People do that."
"I don't need your sarcasm, alright? It was just a question. It just seems a little pointless. You spend all that time and money on flowers that are eventually going to end up in the garbage. Small talk during dinner, when everybody knows where it will eventually end up. You can get that done over a couple of drinks--why not cut to the chase?"
Derek glared at Mark disgustingly, "It's not all about sex, Mark. You'd be surprised how many productive human beings are actually in it for the companionship rather than the one night lay."
"Hey, I'm all for the companionship, all I'm saying is--it seems to be a lot of work. That's all. I don't' have time for all of that. Who does nowadays?"
"You need to grow up. You're forty-years old."
"Thirty-nine."
"Stop playing around or you're going to end up alone. Some one like you will not make it on his own, that's a fact. Just--grow up and do it out of my room. What are you doing here anyway?"
"Nothing. But apparently, you are recovering from a testicular removal of some kind. What happened to you, man?"
"I grew up." The door opened and they shifted their attention towards it, "Doctor Torres. Can I leave now?"
She Smiled at Derek and stopped shortly to acknowledge Mark, who sat up straight in his chair, "Uh--well, let's see…" She examined his chest and vitals, "How's the cast?"
"Still itchy, but I'll live." He looked at Mark, and smiled amusingly noticing the way he shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"Well--" She began, closing his chart, "--I'll have someone finish the paper work and you can be off in a couple of hours."
"Great. Thanks."
She nodded politely and soon stepped out of the room. Derek then turned and stared gleefully at Mark, "Oh THAT'S why."
"That's why what?" Mark asked, annoyed. Derek only laughed and picked up his juice again.
XXX
He watched her perform surgery. He actually sat there, in the back, like a pervert in a sex theater and watched her--slouching so she wouldn't notice him. Now, as he stood in the elevator that would take him up to his room, Derek's words echoed in his head. Maybe he did need to grow up--and then Callie's face would appear-- He pushed himself off the wall and paced around a bit, finally stopping and placing his hands on his waist, he looked up and glared at the numbers slowly lighting up, almost blaming them for his surging thoughts of monogamy. He tapped his foot and his eyes narrowed as he mentally cursed Derek to hell for even daring to mention he should grow up.
The doors finally opened and he casually made his way to his room. He slipped the car key in and the door easily opened, but standing in the doorframe, he found himself frozen, and his shoes were glued to that spot and he stared into the empty hotel room. Before any thoughts or images of domesticity and aprons as he stood over the grill while a family dog of some kind ran around a large yard with a bunch of kids, he turned on his heel and shut the door behind him, "I need a drink."
XXX
Callie stopped with a forkful of fruit halfway to her mouth as a chunky bouquet of daisies were slid in front of her. She dropped her fork in her plate and slowly looked up at Mark, who stood, watching her with his food tray in hand. She sighed and grabbed the tiny card sticking out from in between the flowers. "Get well soon." She read aloud, then tilted her head sideways in question at Mark, "I'm not sick."
"It was the quickest thing I could think of.'
"Okay." She nodded and paused, "But, why?"
"You want to be courted, This is me courting you. Now what do we do? Dinner? You like French food?"
She stared up at him with her brow furrowed, and a few choked sounds escaped her throat, but no actual words were formed, "Hmm…" She finally uttered, then covered her mouth with her palm and closed her eyes pensively before letting out a chuckle as her eyes fluttered open again, "I--" She spoke softly but clearly, "--don't have time to--do the dinner out thing."
He smiled widely and dropped his tray on the table before flopping down on the chair across from her, "That's what I said. It's a waste of time, isn't it? SO what should we do? Got time for a drink tonight? Or even a movie. Do you want to just call it a date and--"
"WAIT." She interrupted his ranting, leaning forward in her chair, "You're serious?"
He sighed, and challengingly leaned forward as well, and he spoke in a lower tone, "I spent twenty minutes listening to some girl with a negative seventeen point IQ last night at the bar--"
"Wow, twenty WHOLE minutes?"
"--I'm not going to lie…" he continued, "She was hot. I took her back to my room. I wanted to get laid."
She nodded calmly, "Good for you."
"But as son as we were done, I wanted her gone. And I mean, as SOON as we were done. I didn't even want her to spend the night. I called her a cab and I hopped in the shower--"
"Well, that was very kind of you. You're quite the Prince."
"She had nothing interesting to say. I was bored."
"Well, I am so sorry." She said sarcastically and rolled her eyes.
"You don't bore me." he finally finished and smiled at the surprised look on her face, "You're snaky in the most entertaining way possible--"
She gripped the armrest tightly and bit her cheek to suppress anything letting on that she was even remotely affected by his words.
"--and you call me on it whenever I'm being a douche." he continued, "I want to try the dating one person thing. And I want to try it with you. Because if I start to screw up, you're not afraid to smack me upside the head--"
She stared at him in silence for a long time, and he had to clear his throat nervously to keep his stomach from dropping to his feet in disappointment. Great, he thought, he felt like giving the commitment thing a test drive once in a blue moon, and every time, he gets knocked on his ass, "Callie, you should really say something before this phase passes."
"I, um--" Her heart was racing. She was pretty sure she had never been that attracted to Mark Sloan. So much so, she was beginning to forget this was the reigning king of manwhores sitting across her, asking her out on a date, "--you can cook for me tonight at my place."
He masked his surprise and relief with another charming smile, "Is eight fine?"
"Seven."
"I'll be there at seven-thirty." he winked and bit into his apple, then chuckled at Callie's obvious annoyance at his calling the shots.
She narrowed her eyes and pulled her pager from her waistband as it went off. She stood up as she silence it and leaned in close to Mark, "I don't eat red meat, and I don't like Pork. I'll provide the wine. Oh, and if you could take care of that for me--" She nodded at her unfinished meal and drink, "--that would earn you bonus points." She licked her lips and chuckled a bit as she walked past him. She loved having the upper hand.
XXX
Callie sat at the far end of the gallery, staring out of the corner of her eye and waiting patiently for Izzie, Meredith and Cristina to finish whatever they were talking about. They bickered and giggled on for another few minutes before Izzie's pager finally went off and she scurried off, but not without sending a indescribable look at Callie. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the surgery in process.
A few more people stood up and left the gallery, leaving Cristina's view to Callie wide open. She sighed used Meredith's leg for support as she stood and walked over to her. "This segregation thing never works out. Can't you and Barbie just kiss and make up?"
"No." She answered, not bothering to look away from the show ahead, "I'm going out with Mark tonight."
Cristina sighed and remained silent for a second, letting the recently received information fully sink in, "What?" She finally asked, turning her head towards Callie.
"He's coming over tonight. He wants to…court me. Or something." She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest.
Cristina glared at her with a smile on her face and without taking her eyes off her, snapped her fingers for Meredith's attention, "Meredith, come here."
"Oh, God, don't call people over…"
"What's up?" Meredith asked, taking a seat a row higher than them.
"Callie's taming the beast." Cristina offered and Callie scoffed, feeling a bit embarrassed now.
Meredith giggled quietly, keeping they're conversation private from the few other people around, "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing." Callie answered.
"Boss Lady is going out on a date with McSteamy." Cristina interrupted.
Meredith raised an amused eyebrow at Callie and playfully nudged her shoulder, "Seriously? Like a DATE date?"
"He's throwing in the towel. He wants to DATE." Cristina added, placing particular emphasis in the last word.
"No." Meredith exclaimed, "Wow. So what does it take to tame a manwhore?" She teased.
"I'm NOT taming…shut up." Callie snapped and Meredith laughed.
"You're so getting laid tonight. It's so not fair." Cristina pouted.
"I am NOT going to have sex with him. Not tonight anyway. I've got morals to uphold." Callie answered quickly.
"Yeah, right."
"I'm not." There was a long pause before she turned to look at Cristina, almost afraid, then at Meredith, "Right? I can control myself."
"Don't ask me, ask your libido." Cristina shot back, then laughed.
"You can control yourself." Meredith reassured her, "Just remember to wear a belt. Maybe it will give you more time to back out just in case."
"Shut up." Callie shook her head before they all burst into a giggle fit.
XXX
"Alright. Last bite." Mark held up the last of the contents of the plate sitting between he and Callie on the counter, "Open up."
She shook her head, but before she could protest that she was full, he reached across the counter top and shoved the piece of chicken in her mouth, "Thanks." She mumbled sarcastically as he wiped smeared sauce from the corner of her mouth, then licked his thumb clean.
He smirked and winked at her as he gathered the now empty dishes and walked over to the sink with them, "Pretty good, right?"
"Yeah." She nodded and swallowed the last of the chicken in her mouth, her eyebrow raised as her eyes followed his ass across her kitchen, "Impressing." She reached for her wine glass and gulped down the remains of it to pull her gaze from him, "I didn't know you could turn on a stove, let alone cook."
He finished rinsing the last dish, then turned around, drying his hands with a towel, then tossing it on the edge of the sink, "You underestimate this man about town. I can also clean and do laundry."
"Ooo." She mocked him, then giggled.
"Dessert is NOT home made, though--" He looked around the counter, but couldn't spot it, "--I put it--"
"Oh, I put it in the fridge." She said, hopping off the counter and walking around the counter to his side, then opening the fridge door and taking out a small, blue container and handing it to him, "I'm not eating whatever's in there though. I'm stuffed."
He chuckled, "You will eat this--" He grabbed a clean fork from a drawer and proceeded to open the plastic container.
She peaked into it, "It's cheesecake." She said, unimpressed.
He squinted and leaned in close as she attempted to seem unaffected by his nearness, "It's not just cheesecake. It's the best cheesecake ever made. And you will have at least one bite of it, and if you want to apologize for your presumptions after you've tasted it, I would appreciate it if you were naked while doing so."
She rolled her eyes.
"Come on." He pressed on, lifting a piece of cheesecake with the fork up to her lips, "Here comes the airplane."
Ignoring his childish comment, she parted her lips and almost reluctantly took a mouthful of cake. Her eyes closed involuntarily and something between a hum and a moan surged from her throat as she savored the creamy, rich flavored pastry, "Oh--my GOD." She mumbled before swallowing. Her eyes fluttered open, and was met with a grinning Mark, "Okay. It IS good."
"I know." He nodded cockily, "Do you want to take your clothes off now or should I do it for you?"
She sighed, and started to turn around when he placed the container on the counter, then held her in place by the waist and slowly backed her up against the cool marble of the counter.
She swallowed a sigh and stared up at him in surprise, the lingering taste of the cheesecake still evident on her tongue. She couldn't find her voice, so naturally, the first thing she did, was lift her hands with the intention to push him away, but her hands wouldn't move or push. Instead, her fingertips lingered softly on his chest and she found herself breathing audibly through her mouth.
He had tried to keep his hands to himself. He forced his hands to remain where they belonged when she opened the door to her apartment all flirty and smiley. He refrained from touching her while she leaned against the counter as she watched him cook and her top was readjusted by the slightest of movements and showed him just enough of her cleavage to make him spill over the stove. He even managed to keep his wondering hands to himself as she giggled over dinner and beamed that huge smile of hers his way. But those noises she was making as she was chewing on that piece of cheesecake like she had never had a piece of pastry--that was enough for Mark.
He stared down at her lips and he let out a heavy breath as he leaned in slightly closer, his leg gently parting her knees as it slid slowly between them. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his neck as he allowed his palms to explore the curve of her waist more freely and a chill ran up and down the back of his neck.
She braced herself on the edge of the counter behind her with both hands and her knees felt weak when his lips finally landed on hers. Her lips parted easily, more so than she would have wished. She had hoped for a lot more self control, but before she could help it, she was kissing him back, and his tongue was on hers and she was pretty much melting under his touch. She lifted a hand to his cheek and felt the roughness of his stubble as one his hands slid around her waist and his arm was wrapped tightly around her.
He shifted his weight, pressing her tighter against the counter as he forced his lips from hers to leave a trail of wet kisses on her neck, down to her collar bone.
Once he reached her earlobe, some self assurance returned to her miraculously, and she found her voice, "You do know we're not having sex tonight, right?" She managed to breathe out, but Mark seemed to be on a mission. "Mark."
He heard her speaking to him until she pushed at his chest slightly and he lifted his head to look at her. Her lips looked swollen and her hair was slightly a mess. He smiled. "What?"
"We're not having sex tonight."
He started to laugh, but his groin literally started to throb once he realized she was dead serious, but it wasn't enough to just read her look, "You're serious?"
She sighed and looked at him apologetically, "Yeah."
He took a step backward and dropped his hands from her body immediately and turned around, bracing himself over the sink, "Okay." He said before letting out a long, heavy breath.
She watched him in silence, and pushed herself off the edge of the counter, placing her hands on her hips, then dropping them, not knowing exactly what to do with them, "Mark?" She called and placed a hand over his back, only to have him jerk away, "What?"
"Nothing." He answered reassuringly, turning to face her, "I just--need a minute. We're really not having sex?"
"You just had sex last night! Remember? No IQ girl you so thoughtfully paid a cab for? I'm sorry, but if you want to do this dating thing with me--we're going to do it right. And sex on the first date is--NOT right."
"Why not? People do it all the time." She gave him a condescending look and that was enough for him to start trying, "Okay. Fine. You're right."
"Okay. You want some more wine?"
"Wait!"
"What?" She asked, surprised at the tone of his voice.
"You're going to have to keep all body contact at a minimum if I can't see you naked."
"Okay." She laughed.
"I'm serious! Keep the hugs PG and your ass at least four inches away from me at all times."
She waited patiently for him to finish before smiling, "Is it okay to hold your hand?"
"Yes."
"Good." She grabbed the half empty bottle of wine from the kitchen counter and reached for his hand, "Come on, we'll drink out on the balcony--get some fresh air."
He smiled back at her as he took her hand in his and entwined his fingers with hers. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but he was going to have to try. Her kisses were too sweet and her skin was too warm to not wait.
XXX