"You pull my strings and push my soul
You fool my heart with every note
You drop a beat and kiss my face
You make me move then cut the base"
I really had a roller coaster day today. Right now all I want is to crash into bed. But, Just then my front door bell rings… I open the door only to find a cake is sitting on the front porch. Is that Arizona? Leaving the porch on the front door, I start running towards the entrance of the building. As I am about to reach the front gate, suddenly a pair of strong hands hugs me from back. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart." George whispers in my ear. Once I turn, he pulls me in a tender kiss and almost unconsciously I respond to that kiss, but just for few seconds. I quickly pull back, "Please …no."
"But, didn't you like that?" George makes a naughty face. "You used to enjoy these…"
His question makes me realize that I actually have not felt that bad while kissing him, but it just did not feel right.
"George, can we just stop doing this?"
"Okay, aren't you going to call me inside too?"
"You have a hotel, I believe. Why are you here, by the way?" I am super annoyed and I know that it is my dad's plan.
"Yes, I do have. I came here because Mr. Carlos wanted me to visit you when I am touring Europe to meet few potential business partners."
"Thank you for popping by." Saying this as I try to turn, suddenly I notice Arizona's red car. Oh, no, she was here. Nothing could be worse than this.
"George, thank you for coming by. But, I have class in the morning, so please... I will talk to you over phone. We may meet for coffee, maybe." I try to grovel a bit so that he leaves early.
He shrugs his shoulders. "Okay. By the way, why were running like this?"
This guy will never stop annoying me. Now I don't want to mention that cake thing, he definitely wants this to come up. "Goodnight."
"Can you eat the cake all by yourself?" George smiles sheepishly.
I wait till the point George leaves. Slowly I start walking towards the red car and find Arizona sitting on the car stamping on her knees with her fingers. I know her this nature. Either she is nervous or angry.
"Hey, are you still here?" "So, you kissed him…." "George?" "Hmm… so, he is the great Gorge? Which one was better? Mine or his?" Arizona laughs sarcastically. "Means?" "Whose kiss did you enjoy most?" Arizona asks looking at the sky. "Arizona?" "Thank God that I didn't ask for commitment. And you are the one that was dying for a commitment." My temper starts boiling like anything now. I start thinking a tough answer, but out of nowhere, my mom's advice pops in my head. Now, I can ruin everything or try to rebuild everything. I slowly go near to the bonnet where she is sitting on. Keeping my hands on her knees I lift myself on my toes to reach her lips. Instead of backing off, she leans a little and I just catch her lips in mine. This is maybe the gentlest kiss I ever had had in my life. I pull back a little after a while and hug her softly. She hesitates a little, but then gently responds in the hug wrapping me softly while resting her chin on the top of my head. She starts combing my hair with her fingers. Nothing in this world could be nicer than this moment and nothing could be warmer more than to be in her arms like this. We stay like this for few minutes, while I listen to her heartbeats. I feel so good having her soft body pressed against me like this. I don't know what is happening right now. It seems so right- nothing I want more than to be in her arms like this…forever. I know she is it, she is the one, with whom I want to see the world, I want to see the sunrise, I want to go for kayaking, I want to explore the mountains and I want to come back to her only- she is my HOME. "Arizona, the kiss with him was a good kiss…but I don't want to kiss him." "So… ?" "Let's start from beginning." "Beginning…?" I feel Arizona locks her hands tightly around me. I straight up myself unlocking her hands. "Yes, from the beginning. I want to know you and I want you to know me." "Why this sudden change?" Arizona smiles goofily. I laugh. "Now come in…I have a big cake which needs to be eaten" I pull her down gripping her wrists. "Ohh yeah…Happy birthday, Dr. Calliope Torres. Is it red velvet though? I know that you like only red velvet or vanilla… " Arizona says while jumping down from the car. "Is it? Who told you?!" "You told me… remember when we were having cake in that big hotel?" She tries to remind me. "When? I don't remember," I push a little although I exactly know what she is referring to. "Because you talk so much so that you don't remember everything." "Stop pissing me off." Saying this I start walking. "Eh! You are pissed off at everything." she starts walking by my side and holds my hand softly. "By the way, you are in you pjs." Arizona starts giggling. This giggling is a rare sight of Arizona. "STOP laughing… ah! One thing, I told you something years back and you remember that?" I stop walking and turn towards her. Arizona does not make any eye contact, "not that always, I remember. I just suddenly remember. Not a big deal." She waves her hands in the air. "So, you came in the evening because of my birthday?" "Callie, don't dramatize everything. Okay?" I see that annoyance in her tone. This is the Arizona, I know, who would be upset if she is unable to hide her feelings. I decide not to push her anymore. Maybe, mom is right that I need to try to understand her. "So, how old are you, now?" She asks me while walking towards my building. "34." "You are an oldie." Arizona giggles a bit. "Yes, so be respectful to me…ki.." I restrain myself from saying kiddo, which I used to call her. I say or I don't say, she will always be my kiddo. Arizona quickly shots her head towards my direction- she also has noticed how I have stopped myself from saying that word. "You are just older than me, not an elder." She rolls her eyes. By this time, we are the entrance of my building. I again hold her hand to step up, "for you, I am both, elder as well as older." "Whatever. Let's cut that stupid cake!" She says. "How do you know that there is a cake?" "I saw your stupid boyfriend bringing that cake. He went up and came back quickly and he started doing something on his phone but before that you came running like those heroines in Asian movies… AND fell in his arms. It was a nice view though!" Arizona says mockingly. "He is not my boyfriend." I reply sternly. "But, aren't you going to marry him?" I can sense her annoyance. "Who told you?" "Please Callie. STOP doing this. It's all over the news that how much Carlos Torres is eager to have Gorge as his son in law with his eldest daughter." "Why did you research about me….so much?" "Research? I just did a little googling…Ms. Torres. AND aren't I right?" "No." I say quietly. I know that it's almost in all over the places that how dad wants me to marry Gorge. "It does not matter." "Then why are you talking about this?" "You asked me, what am I scared of? I am scared of this. That you will just leave everything to set off a new life, not remembering…" Arizona pauses. I can see all her insecurities are coming out. I slowly go near to her and remove her bangs from her forehead and tuck them behind her ears. At this moment, all I want is to say that how much I really love her and am not going to leave her for anything in my life. She is everything for me. I will not remember anything except her. Instead I end up saying, "Arizona, let's go inside." "It's too late." I see her hesitating. "Then why did you stay after dropping me off." "I don't know… to be honest. I should have not, I guess." Arizona says as if she is talking more to herself. I don't know what has happened to me, but I know that I want her to stay with me, tonight and if possible rest of the nights of my life too. "Arizona, stay tonight." She quickly looks up, "what?" "Stay with me." I give my best smile to her and somehow I know that she is not going to say no. "Well…" Arizona slowly gives me a full smile, "only if you could control yourself." "I did control myself four years back, cannot promise about this time when I have a full woman in front of me, instead of teen." I wink at her at the end of the sentence. "Aha…so… ? She gives me another smile, while leaning on me. "So, come inside and…" I stop her leaning body with my both hand… "I need someone to cut the cake." I like this playfulness with her. does not matter, how much fight we have, we will end up together as old buddies, poking each other, teaching each other and now kissing each other. We step into the building holding hands like some old buddies. Maybe, I need to take a step back to step together with her.