A/N: Happy women's day to all of you. Actually, I think all the days are women's day only! Although there is no direct Callie Arizona interaction in this chapter, but this is a very crucial chapter to make "it" happen. And end of the chapter you would know what is that "it"!

Chapter 3

After Arizona leaves with her mom, Lucia goes to the pool area to look for Callie.

"Callie?"

Callie is sitting on a pool chair still in wet dress. She has a can of beer in her hand.

"Mom, now please don't start again. I didn't do anything. Your would be bride in law ran pushed me to the pool." Callie states in such a plain language, as if nothing has happened.

Lucia takes a chair next to her and open another can of beer for herself.

"Calliope?" Lucia calls very softly. "She is a good woman."

"I'll marry her." Callie replies in a flat tone.

"What?" Lucia stops drinking.

"Yes." Now Callie gives her million-dollar smile to her mom.

"Why sudden change of mind?" Lucia asks carefully. She certainly has not expected this answer from her headstrong daughter.

"She is the one, mom." And internally she tells herself, she is the one with whom I want to play one to one match.

"Are you sure?" Lucia's smile gets bigger.

"Mom, she will not agree, you know. She thinks I'm a bad person." Callie makes her puppy face as she knows that it always works with her parents. Callie knows Lucia's abilities- Lucia is the one who can do anything for her family.

"Just answer me one question. Why is there a sudden change in you?" Lucia still doesn't trust Callie.

Callie takes a momentary pause and decides to spill out a little truth in her lies. "Mom, I have met Arizona months back and things went wrong between us. But, I could not forget her. No other girl made me to feel, the way she had done that…" Callie again makes an innocent face and looks at Lucia with sincerity. "But, I know she would never agree to marry me."

"You don't have to worry about this." Lucia stands up and says in a total professional voice. "I know what I have to do." Saying this Lucia starts walking towards exit of the pool area.

Callie carefully releases her breath which she has been holding for a while. "Mom, I know that I don't have to worry." Callie leans back on the pool chair and opens the second can of beer. "Arizona, now get ready to deal with Lucia Torres- the head behind Torres empire." She takes a long sip from her bear and satisfactorily smiles thinking about Arizona. "But, she has something, which nobody has," she thinks loudly. On the one hand, Arizona has slapped her, pushed her to the pool, insulted her to the best, but then also somehow Callie is not feeling any hatred towards that stubborn woman; but, Callie wants to teach her a lesson because she has to maintain her badass image. Callie quickly shakes her head in an attempt to remove any kind of logical thought that might come in. She is the Callie Torres and she has to do justice to her name.

"I am not interested in doing any conversation with you." Arizona even does not care to ask Lucia to sit. "Pease finish your business."

"You passed from Harvard with distinction and then joined the family business." Lucia slowly speaks as if she is talking to herself, while seating on a chair without caring Arizona's rude attitude. Her profession of being a lawyer has taught her one thing that you must get the attention with the first line if you want to win the conversation. Lucia looks at Arizona to understand if she has won the first rule or no! When she notices the confused look on her face, Lucia continues, "just after being one year in the business field, you have won the best business woman award last year."

"Why are you informing me about myself. I know this Ms. Torres. If you wanted to gain my attention, you have that already. Please start the business talk." Arizona leans back on her chair making an attentive face. Arizona knows that Lucia has some game in her head, but her experience in the field has taught her that sometimes it's better to fight openly instead of beating around the bushes.

Lucia seems to be an epitome of patience. she does not hurry, "and you are losing your business!"

"What?" Arizona jumps out of her chair.

"Calm down honey." Lucia laughs like a winner. "See, I know that your company is going to crash very soon due to lack of enough capital. All the board members have backed off and now if this piece of information reaches to the shareholders, you are doomed."

"Where did you get this information?" Arizona is getting angry. She knows that Lucia is right.

"Honey…. That does not matter…"

"Then what matters?"

"I can help you…"

"Why?"

"Because I need your help too." Now Lucia seems to be very serious.

"If by help you mean to marry your pervert daughter, I am not going to do that. This is insane." Arizona throws her hands in the air in frustration.

"it's not only about marriage. Under our chain of hotels and companies, we have gay bars all around the States and nowadays we are not making enough business because our other competitor has been spreading the rumors in the market that we are against gay marriage and that is why Calliope is not marrying anybody. Moreover, because of her womanizer attitude, we are losing our shareholders." Now Lucia is interrupted quickly by Arizona, "so, why me? You could have asked anyone." Arizona finds it hard to believe.

"Because you slapped Calliope." Lucia blurts out, but her face is solemn.

"What?"

"Yes, because you dared to slap her knowing who she was… you are the only woman who did that to her…" Lucia's face is still solemn.

"Ms. Torres, I am not following you."

"This is the other reason for what I want you to marry her. I know you are the only one who can bring her back to a normal life. My other daughter Aria has chosen medicine as her profession, I cannot ask her to leave that for our business. I sent Callie to the top business school in the US. She went to Stanford."

"What? She graduated from Stanford?" Arizona could not believe that Callie Torres- the top womanizer is a Stanford graduate. "O gosh! Stanford should commit suicide now".

"Yes, I need somebody to push her and to make her do things which she should do." Lucia takes a short pause before continuing, "I think…I have a gut feeling that you could do that."

"And why would I do that? Marriage is not a social service that I will just marry someone just to help them." Arizona says sarcastically.

"Yes!" Lucia smiles big, "here is the point- now you are talking like a true business woman." Lucia winks and continues, "I have done a little research on you…"

"That, I know by this time…" Arizona replies disgustedly.

"This would be a one year marriage contract. Right after marriage, I will hand over the power of attorney on your name for a year, but everything has to be signed by Carlos. So, for one year, you will be the director of one of the biggest chain of companies in the world."

"And what happens after a year?" Arizona seems to be little interested now.

"Your this broken company will be merged as a sister concern of Torres, so that you can rebuild the company however way you want. After the year, if you want you can still work with us and can be the face of the company."

"I still do not see a reason to marry your daughter for that… I can have a position like this even now."

"In that one year, you will work as the owner of the company. I have read your dissertation and project on leadership. I know your vision as a leader. I am giving you the biggest opportunity to be a leader for one of the largest group of companies for a year, which you can continue later also, if things work between us. Within that one year, you are allowed to make any decision on behalf of the company and this will drastically change your profile, if you can use those opportunities." Lucia stops for breathing.

"And in return…"

"two things…" Lucia cuts her in, "one, marry my daughter and prepare her to take over the company within a year.

"Why one year…I find this time frame creepy." Arizona's strong sense of business says that there is still something which Lucia is not telling her.

Lucia looks away, "you will know, when time will come, but I can promise you that it is not about you."

Arizona is not sure but she feels that Lucia is trying to control her emotions. However, at the moment, she is too overwhelmed. "Ms. Torres, I am not sure. Yes, true that I want to do all of these and you know that my career is my passion and I can do anything for that. BUT, marriage is such a big decision and that also with famous Callie…"

Lucia slowly gets up and brings out a folded paper from a folder. "Here is the contract for the year and clauses… read them and if you think that you want to take this challenge, you are welcome. This marriage will only be a showcase for all of us."

"I am still not convinced!" Arizona says angrily.

"You left your high-profile career to establish your brother's dream company, right? You cannot do that now if any parent company does not help you."

"You do not need to tell me that." Arizona almost yells at Lucia gripping the hand rest of the chair.

"Your brother did not go to school just because he sent you to Harvard." Lucia continues in a low voice because she is sure of the effect.

"How do you know this?" Arizona jumps out of her seat now, breathing high.

"Your brother had heart attack last year because of the extreme loss. That was the time, when you took over the company leaving your ambitious career." Lucia looks up sympathetically.

"Who told you all this?"

"You mom."

"What?"

"She worries about your brother."

"...leave… you are blackmailing me." Arizona flops back on her seat.

"I know…I didn't want to do this…but I need you… I am just showing you that you too need me." Lucia says sincerely. "

"This is insane…you know that?" Arizona muttered under her breath, helplessly.

"I know. But, Arizona?

When she looks up, Lucia states, "Arizona, I will help you even if you don't accept my deal, because I know that you deserve a fair chance."

"Ms. Torres, marriage needs love, not contracts and conditions." Arizona says in a broken voice.

"But, Arizona…love too is all about conditions." And Lucia leaves the office.

"No… I don't think so…" Arizona says in a low voice before closing her eyes tiredly. Arizona always has believed in a partnership where there will be no condition. She always has wanted a partner who will love her no matter what, will choose her over everyone, will protect her from everyone… "but, does it happen in really life?" She asks herself quietly.

A/N: I really didn't have any intention to update today, but writing always has been a relief whenever I'm restless…and I'll not be updating probably till the end of March or beginning of April as I'll be out of the country for a week. BUT, SHOOT YOUR THOUGHTS TO MOTIVATE ME FOR THE NEXT!