Callie walked through the doors of the new Robbins-Herman Center and wasn't at all surprised by the flurry of activity going on around her. For the past three days, every time she passed through her lobby, there appeared to be a different type of delivery or work truck sitting in front of the building across the parking lot. Currently, there was a utility truck from a well-known company that provided phone, cable, and internet service which she assumed was being installed based on all the cords and wires hanging from the ceiling and being draped across the floor. She's seen delivery men, utility workers, construction workers, men and women in suits all enter and exit the building. What she hasn't seen or has seen very little of over the course of the week, however, was the petite blonde who was behind it all. Which was how she found herself here an hour before she had her first appointment this morning.
On a mission to find the fetal surgeon, Callie was prepared to tie her to a chair and force feed her the breakfast and coffee she brought if she had to. Other than a few quick encounters at work when one of them snuck away for a few minutes, it felt like she had barely seen her girlfriend since Monday morning at her center. She was called into back to back surgeries that afternoon and didn't get home until long after her family had gone to bed and for the past three days, she's either woken up alone or went to bed alone and she really missed her girlfriend. But more than that, she was worried Arizona wasn't taking care of herself. For someone who loved food as much as Arizona did, it always amazed her how she could forget to eat, which was why she always brought her snacks. It was bad enough as a surgeon, but she knew how all-consuming opening your own facility could be, she also knew how physically, mentally, and emotionally draining it was. She had gotten so worn down and tired while trying to get Fresh START up and running that she could barely stand and made herself sick, forcing her to take a few days off anyway. But Arizona has something she didn't have and that was a person to take care of her, make sure she ate, took breaks, and got enough rest and that was exactly what she was going to do, if she could find her elusive girlfriend, that is.
Making her way through the lobby, dodging wires and avoiding the stacks of boxes, she was surprised by how different the place looked since the last time she was here Tuesday morning when Arizona took her on the grand tour and excitedly shared all of her ideas. The walls were freshly painted from the white base coat to a welcoming pale green with dark green accents, there was a large oak reception desk with the same green accents, the lobby chairs were made of light oak with colorful cushions, and large canvases with abstract designs of bright colors sat on the floor in the corner waiting to be hung up. In essence, the room represented the perky fetal surgeon perfectly. It was warm and inviting, yet cheerful and uplifting. It was obvious a great deal of thought was put into the color combinations and overall design of the large room. She was honestly excited to see that Arizona's vision was coming to life.
Walking up to the reception desk, she smiled when she saw Kim tapping away at a laptop. After sharing Arizona's idea about hiring the young woman with Maria and Lorraine, who were both on board and immediately came up with a list of responsibilities, Arizona discussed it with Nicole who surprisingly also agreed without any fuss, except a bogus interview she insisted on. Kim was over the moon excited and has actually proven to be a good hire. She shared her time between the two facilities and today she was here to help direct foot traffic and act as the receptionist until one was hired. Kim looked up, smiled at her and greeted, "Good morning Dr. Torres, how may I help you?" Callie held up the tray of coffee and small bag she held in one hand and replied, "I was hoping to see Arizona for a few minutes." The young girl bit her lip nervously and glanced down the hall before saying, "Umm, she asked me not to disturb her, but…uh, I think you would be an exception." Callie nodded and appreciated that the girl was taking the directive so seriously. She smiled reassuringly, winked and offered, "If she gets upset I'll say you tried to stop me but I made a run for it." Kim smiled and pointed down the hall and explained, "Down there, last door on your right." Callie thanked the young woman and proceeded down the hall.
XXXX
Putting her phone back down on her desk, Arizona let out a huff of frustration, she had been trying to call Nicole for the past hour and kept getting sent to voicemail. They had several interviews set up back to back that were supposed to begin in less than an hour and the former fetal surgeon was nowhere to be found. She sat back in her chair, rubbed at her temples, and tried to calm herself down, but it was no use. She was tired, cranky, and hungry. She took a drink of her now cold coffee and tried to remember the last time she had eaten something of substance. She vaguely remembered Callie warming up dinner for her when she got home last night, though she wasn't sure what she ate if she ate it at all since she was so exhausted. She smiled brightly just thinking about Callie, her sweet amazing Calliope who had been nothing but supportive and understanding this past week. Looking up, her attention was drawn to the corner of her desk where a huge colorful arrangement of flowers sat. Somehow, they were sitting in the middle of the empty lobby when she walked in Tuesday morning. Reaching up, she pulled out the tiny pink envelope and read the elegant handwriting on the small card for what must have been the hundredth time this week, 'Welcome to the neighborhood Dr. Robbins, I hope your day is as incredible as your smile. I love you – Calliope'. Instead of putting the card back this time, she dropped it in her bag so she could add it to her collection at home.
She sighed softly as she thought about how wonderful Callie had been this week. Though they didn't see much of each other, they still found other ways to connect, whether it be through text, leaving little notes, or sending each other coffee or treats. But still, it wasn't the same. She missed her girlfriend and daughter; she missed her family. Not spending quality time with them was starting to wear on her. Callie was encouraging and incredible, but they couldn't do this for the foreseeable future and not have some arguments along the way. The memories of her fellowship, of their final days were never far from her mind and while she knew this was different, they were different, the guilt was still there. She could never regret taking the fellowship, but she will always regret what it did to their marriage. The fear that history would repeat itself was always lingering and she was determined not to let that happen this time. But as she sat here and thought about how much time she actually gave to her family this week; she knew she had to correct that. She had to find a balance between work and home and her schedule these past few days wasn't it. She knew Nicole might not like it, but she was going to set some boundaries and one of them was going to be her schedule. She loved being a fetal surgeon and this clinic was important to her, but not as important as her family, or her health. Both things she neglected horribly.
Just as she opened her laptop to pull up her calendar and set a schedule for herself, she heard a knock on the door. Though she told Kim not to disturb her, she knew that wouldn't stop her business partner and called out, "Come in." Without looking up, she continued, "Nicole, you had better have a damn good reason for being so late. I could still be at home in bed with my girlfriend or having breakfast with my family but…" She cut herself off as she finally looked up and saw that her visitor was not the cantankerous former fetal surgeon, but the hot, sexy ortho goddess who was just occupying her thoughts. Her whole body tingled and her heart flipped just at the sight of the other woman, who, until that very moment, she didn't realize exactly how much she needed to see. Jumping from her chair, she nearly flew across the room and threw herself into the other woman's arms and let out a sob.
When Callie opened the door after being prompted, she smiled as she heard her girlfriend giving who she thought was her business partner a piece of her mind. She felt the warmth spread through her body at Arizona's words but it was nothing compared to the racing of her heart as the blonde realized she was the one standing at the door and immediately hopped up to greet her. She had to brace herself when Arizona practically fell into her arms. As she heard the smaller woman sob, her heart started racing for completely different reasons. Wrapping her free hand around the trim waist, she pulled the small body closer and soothed, "Shh, honey what is it? What happened?" When Arizona only sniffled, shook her head, and tightened her grip around her neck, Callie moved them further into the room, kicked the door closed with her foot, deposited the items in her hand on the small table in the center of the room and took a seat on the sofa pulling her into her lap. She had no idea what could have happened to upset her girlfriend so much. Lifting her hand to brush through soft blonde curls, she asked quietly, "Can you tell me what happened?" Arizona kept her head tucked under Callie's chin, brought her hand up to release the first few buttons of her shirt, slipped it inside the silky fabric and sighed in relief as she finally felt the soft warm skin and the steady beat of the other woman's heart.
Arizona knew she was probably being ridiculous, but in that moment, she didn't care. All that mattered was that Callie was holding her and she was exactly where she wanted to be. Taking a deep breath she whispered, "I can't do this." The hair on the back of Callie's neck stood up in alarm as she wondered what Arizona was talking about. Trying to remain calm, she asked, "Do what honey?" Arizona sighed again and explained, "This…" She waved her arm around the room then slipped it back inside Callie's shirt as she continued, "This week…I can't…it's not the same Callie, I promise, I neglected you and Sofia and I promise it's not the same as last time. It can't stay like this; I was just creating a schedule for myself when you came in. I'm going to tell Nicole I am only working 9 to 5 Monday through Friday until we get up and running. I'm not going to…I can't lose you…I won't lose you again because of this…I…" She broke off into another sob as the hot tears ran down her cheeks. Finally understanding what was happening, Callie kissed Arizona's forehead, ran her hand up and down her back soothingly and assured, "Oh baby, I'm not going anywhere. I know it's not the same."
Hearing this, Arizona looked up and asked, "You do?" Callie nodded and confirmed, "I do. When you thought I was Nicole, you started scolding her and do you remember what you said?" Arizona furrowed her brow in concentration trying to remember her rant then answered, "I told her I could be with you, but…how…I don't understand." Callie kissed her softly and explained, "You weren't mad at her because you have interviews soon, or you have business to take care of, you were upset because being here was taking away from time you could be spending with me and Sofia. You were upset because you'd rather be with your family. That's how I know it's not the same. But more than that, I know it's not the same because you aren't the same, I'm not the same, we aren't the same. I'm not angry about this, we aren't fighting all the time, you aren't avoiding anything." Arizona continued to caress Callie's chest as she thought about her words. She knew everything was different now and she had to let go of the guilt and the fear, but she also knew she couldn't and didn't want to continue the way things had been this week. She opened her mouth to explain just that when Callie continued, "But, I don't disagree with you creating a schedule for yourself and trying to stick to it. We both know once you get patients coming in, your time is not your own, so for now, it wouldn't hurt to have that structure, draw those boundaries. I worked myself sick when I was trying to open my place, but I had nothing to come home to, no one to remind me of my limits."
Arizona felt a sadness wash over her thinking about how alone Callie must have felt. She didn't know what she'd do if she didn't have her family to go home to. But she did and that was what mattered to her now. Smiling up at her girlfriend, she said, "But I have you." Callie kissed her nose and confirmed, "You do. Which is why I am here actually, I know you didn't eat and have a long day of meetings ahead of you, so I am going to sit here while you eat this breakfast sandwich and drink your coffee to make sure you get something into your stomach. You barely touched your pasta last night before you fell asleep at the table." Arizona blushed slightly and apologized, "Sorry about that. Thank you for taking such good care of me." Callie kissed her again, this time lingering for just a moment before pulling back and saying, "I'll always take care of you, you're my wi…woman." She knew from the slight curve of Arizona's lips that she heard her little slip and was relieved when she didn't comment on it. Instead, she just leaned forward and brushed their lips together and whispered, "I love you Calliope," before connecting their lips again in a longer more passionate kiss.
Before they got carried away, Callie pulled back, tapped Arizona's hip and requested, "Go eat your breakfast please." The blonde nodded and reluctantly slid off her lap, sat at the table, opened the small bag and pulled out the breakfast her thoughtful girlfriend got her. Taking the first bite, she groaned in appreciation of finally getting something in her stomach. Picking up her coffee, she moaned, "Oh man, this is really good, I didn't realize how hungry I was." Callie smiled, moved from her seat on the sofa to sit next to her girlfriend at the table, took her free hand, and asked, "So what's your schedule for the day?" Arizona swallowed and answered, "Starting at 9 o'clock, we have back to back interviews scheduled every thirty minutes until 1 o'clock, then I am meeting with that drug rep you recommended. What about you?" Callie looked at the calendar on her phone and replied, "I have a consult at 9 o'clock with the pitcher from the Yankees, just from looking at his scans, I'm pretty sure he needs a Tommy Johns procedure, but I want to look at it myself first. This could lead to a contract with the Yankees, so I plan to be very thorough." Arizona filled with pride at her girlfriend's talent and humility. If it were any other surgeon, they'd be bragging all over the place at the prospect of getting a Major League Baseball team to even consider them as a team physician. Leaning forward, she kissed her softly and stated, "I'm so proud of you. What's after that?" Callie smiled, lifted the coffee she brought herself from the holder, took a long drink, and replied, "After that, I have rounds, then a meeting with the representative from the grant to set up my one year review, then…" She looked down and smiled as she realized, "Wow, nothing. Looks like I am done at around 2 o'clock today." Arizona finished her sandwich, took a drink of her coffee, then looked at the clock and asked, "Will you come see me before you leave?"
Callie gathered the trash from Arizona's breakfast, stood and threw it away then smiled and assured, "Absolutely, I wouldn't think of leaving without seeing you again." Arizona stood as well, walked over to Callie, wrapped her arms around her neck, snaking one hand into the soft bristles on the back of her head and said, "Thank you for coming to see me. I really needed that. I've missed you." Callie leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on soft pink lips and responded, "I've missed you too. What you're doing here is amazing Arizona and I am so proud of you. Don't ever doubt that okay?" Feeling a lump in her throat, Arizona nodded and returned, "I love you so much, you and Sofia are the most important people in my life, my family comes first, I need you to know that." Callie lifted her hands to Arizona's cheeks and brushed her thumbs across the dark circles that were thinly veiled by foundation and soothed, "I do know that; I feel it in my heart, I see it in your actions. I know honey. I love you so so much." She bent her head, sucked on Arizona's top lip and slid her tongue along her bottom instantly gaining access to the mouth she'd missed so much. She moaned as her tongue touched Arizona's and electricity coursed through her veins. They'd barely kissed since their encounter in her conference room and the need, the desire she always felt, rose quickly and she was close to laying the smaller woman down on the sofa and showing her exactly how much she missed her. Pulling back, both women were breathing heavily, lust evident in their eyes, Callie rested their foreheads together and whispered, "I better go before I have my way with you on that couch." Arizona lowered her hands and caressed the strong biceps covered by the deep purple silk shirt and responded, "Yeah, because right now, there's not much keeping me from ripping this shirt off you and taking those perfect breasts into my mouth and…" "Okay, we…uh…yeah…I gotta go." Callie stammered then stepped back only to step in and capture Arizona's lips once again.
They were interrupted when the door opened, bumping into Callie's foot. Jumping apart, the two women yelped and looked at the intruder who grumbled, "I swear Robbins, you must have a thing for doors. Hey Torres, can you finish up? We have interviews to conduct." Before either woman could say anything, the older fetal surgeon shut the door and disappeared. Shaking her head to clear it, Callie asked, "How did she…I thought she couldn't…YOU TOLD HER ABOUT THE DOOR?" Arizona giggled and explained, "She was giving me a hard time about you being across the street and I thought it would shut her up if I uh…overshared a little. Apparently she saw it as something to hold over my head." Callie laughed, reached for the door and asked, "But how did she know I was in here?" Arizona shook her head and answered, "I have no idea how she does what she does. Sometimes I think she's just pretending, she told me to stop rolling my eyes at her yesterday." Callie tilted her head and asked, "Were you rolling your eyes at her?" Arizona blushed and admitted, "Yes, she was being ridiculous about something and it was irritating." Callie smiled at her proudly, she remembered watching how mean the older woman was to her ex-wife and wanting to go defend her, but it wasn't her place. She was happy they seemed to have developed a much stronger bond and one in which Arizona felt as though she were an equal and didn't have to take the abuse. Apparently she had been staring too long because Arizona tilted her head and asked, "What's with the look?" Callie took her hands and tried to explain, "I'm just…you're amazing Arizona." Arizona smiled though she was still a little confused and leaned forward to brush their lips together then said, "Come on, I'll walk you out."
Just before they reached the end of the hall, Arizona turned her head and got a full on look at Callie's bra covered left breast. Giggling she pulled the other woman to a stop by their entwined hands and commanded, "Wait! There's no way I'm letting you walk around like that all day." Callie looked down as Arizona raised her hands to her shirt and saw that it was nearly half undone and her breasts were out for the world to see. Shaking her head she suggested, "I think we might need to start doing wardrobe checks, I didn't even realize you unbuttoned my shirt." Before hooking the last button, Arizona leaned forward and kissed the notch at the bottom of Callie's neck and made a trail of open mouth kisses up her neck and along her jawline before stopping at her lips. Kissing her softly, she finished the last button and reminded, "Don't forget to come see me." Callie kissed her nose and whispered, "Never. I love you. Have a good day Dr. Robbins." Arizona smiled and responded, "You too Dr. Torres. I love you." As the two parted ways, they heard gagging coming from behind them. Arizona rolled her eyes and called out, "Suck it Nicole!" Callie chuckled and backed toward the door mouthing "Good one" as she walked away.
XXXX
After seeing the last candidate out, Arizona closed the door of the conference room, slouched against it and asked her business partner, "Was that as painful for you as it was for me?" Nicole looked in the direction of the voice and assumed the younger fetal surgeon was still standing near the door, smirking she replied, "If you're expecting me to take you up against that door to make it all better, you can forget it Robbins." Arizona pushed herself off the door quickly and gasped, "Ew no! Oh my God I should have never told you that." The older woman laughed and turned as she heard the chair next to her move indicating the blonde had taken her seat once again and responded, "But you did, so suck it up and deal with the consequences." Tilting her head, Nicole thought for a minute then continued, "To answer your question, yes, that last interview was awful. That kid you brought in was even better than that." Arizona shook her head at the reminder that her business partner made the young woman go through the interview process even though she already agreed to hire her. She smiled as she remembered how Kim answered every one of Nicole's ridiculous questions without flinching. Arizona replied, "I still can't believe you made her go through that interview." Nicole scoffed, batted her hand in front of her face and answered, "It was good for her, she needed the experience, besides, she got the job." Arizona softened and replied, "Thank you for that by the way. She's a good kid and has had it rough." The other woman nodded and groused, "Well that was my one and only bleeding heart hire, the rest have to earn it." Arizona rolled her eyes knowing her mentor was softer than she let on. But she was also right, the teenager would benefit from the interview experience.
Getting back to the task at hand, Nicole stated, "So obviously the last one was a definite no. Do you have any candidates that stood out to you? I was really impressed by the first woman, uh…Delores, the one who works at NYU. She sounded older, more mature and has a great deal of experience in a hospital setting. Her voice is calm, soothing, she seems to do well under pressure. How did she look?" Arizona furrowed her brow and sat up straighter as she scolded, "Nicole! You can't hire a person based on her looks." The older woman shook her head and corrected, "That's not what I mean Robbins. These women who come in here are already going to be scared, nervous, excitable, the administrative assistant is going to be the first person they see. So I need you to be my eyes here. Does she have a kind face? Does she smile? What do her eyes look like? How does she carry herself? Does she sit with her arms crossed? Is she closed off or does she seem open and friendly?" To the former fetal surgeon, this was one of the hardest things about not being able to see. She was always extremely good at reading people, looking at them and just getting this gut feeling about them. Now she had to rely on their voice, the strength of it, if there was hesitation in answering questions, if their breathing was labored. She was learning, but she needed Robbins to help her figure it out now.
Finally understanding what her mentor was asking, Arizona explained, "She's a little older, so she looks motherly, grandmotherly, her smile is soft but genuine, her eyes are this green color and they kind of sparkle when she talks about something she's truly interested in. She sat with her hands folded in front of her on the table, leaned into us when we asked a question." Nicole nodded and declared, "Then it's her, she's my pick…and get that smirk off your face, I know she was one of yours." Arizona shook her head, she had no idea how the other woman did that, but she was indeed smirking and very pleased that Nicole liked the older woman as well. She was the person Lorraine recommended and from the minute she met her, she had this feeling she would fit in well here. The blonde huffed and asked, "What makes you think I was smirking?" The auburn haired woman responded, "Because I could almost feel the self-satisfied vibrations coming off you, so if you are in agreement, I say we give her a call and offer her the contract." Arizona nodded then realized she couldn't be seen and confirmed, "Yes, she was my first pick too. I'll give her a call this afternoon when I am finished with the drug rep." The older woman nodded and asked, "Okay, how about the head nurse?" After a thirty minute debate, the two women decided on a head nurse and considering they were impressed with all four of the candidates, chose to extend a contract to the other three as well, offering them supervisory positions and a boost in pay.
As they walked toward Nicole's office, Arizona tried to figure out how to bring up her schedule to the other woman. She knew Nicole wasn't her boss and they were equals, but she was still intimidated by her gruff persona at times. Clearing her throat, she started to speak when she was cut off by the impatient, "Out with it Robbins, we don't have all day." Arizona straightened her shoulders and prepared herself for a battle which she was determined not to lose, clearing her throat once again, she declared, "Beginning Monday, I'll be working 8 hour shifts, preferably 9 to 5, but I know that won't always be possible with the construction crew or what have you, but this week was too much. Today was the first time I saw Callie for longer than 10 minutes since Monday and I haven't seen my daughter since I took her to camp yesterday." Nicole stood in the hallway looking in the direction of her business partner and former mentee. She swelled with pride hearing how strong and determined the younger woman had become when fighting for what she wanted, not just in this case, but in everything involving this center. Maybe she was getting soft in her old age, but the perky blonde had grown on her, become her family and she loved hearing the joy and happiness in her voice even though she would never admit it. She didn't have a family of her own; never wanted one, she was married to her work and that ruined any relationship she ever had. Now she was forced into retirement, blind, and…alone. She loved her life, but it wasn't for everybody, especially the perky woman standing next to her who enjoyed being a mom and a wife. Nodding her head once, she smiled and said, "Understood," then turned toward her office door and felt for the doorknob.
Arizona bit her lip, nervous that she had now upset the other woman, she continued, "I know it will change once we open, but…" Nicole held up her hand, sighed and explained, "Look Arizona, I know taking the fellowship with me pushed your already precarious marriage off the cliff. You have another chance to have a happy life with your family. I don't want or expect you to mess that up because of the center. We aren't on any deadlines here, no one is dying this time. Sure, we have an opening date in mind, but if we don't make it, we don't make it. You are of no use to me, or our patients, or your family, if you are worn out and tired. I may be blind and it may take me longer, but I can do the ordering and phone calls just as well as you can, or my assistant Jeremy can do them. I don't expect you to do this alone. So you set the schedule that works best for you and your family." Arizona swallowed the lump in her throat, she couldn't remember if her mentor had ever called her by her first name and the things she said, they were the type of things a real friend would say and she knew she wouldn't hear often from the normally closed off woman. Clearing her throat, Arizona responded, "Thank you for knowing and understanding what I need to do. This center is important to me, but my family is everything and I just can't…" Arizona cut herself off before she started crying. Just the thought of losing Callie again scared her to death.
Deciding to change the subject, she confirmed, "After I meet with the drug rep., I'll give these candidates a call, then I'll see to the supply order and make sure the contracts are…" "Robbins, you've been here non-stop for three days. When you're done with the drug rep., you will walk straight out of this building, go get your hot girlfriend from across the street, pick up your beautiful kid and have a perfect family weekend. I do not want to see or hear from you until Monday morning." Nicole ordered leaving no room for argument. Arizona smiled and asked, "You're really okay with this?" The older woman snorted and replied, "Okay? I'm relieved! I was trying to figure out how the hell I was going to keep this pace up for the next few weeks or months or whatever. You're fine Robbins. I'm not your boss. I'm your business partner. Now I've reached my limit on sappiness for the day, so go deal with the drug pusher and then get the hell out of here." Arizona started backing away and said, "Thank you for understanding." Nicole turned and opened her office door, hearing the shuffling of feet get further down the hall, she called out, "I picked the right horse Robbins; I don't want to have to take you out back and shoot you before the big race even begins." Arizona burst into laughter and scolded, "You really need to quit calling me a horse."
XXXX
Hearing her perky boss round the corner, Kim turned, smiled and asked, "Who called you a horse?" Arizona chuckled, looked down at her iPad to send all the candidate information to Nicole and responded, "It's something Dr. Herman always said to me. She picked me for this fellowship to take her spot, so to speak. She always said she picked the right horse and now I think she says it just to get a rise out of me." The brunette scrunched up her nose in distaste and condemned, "Well that's not very nice." Arizona smiled and explained, "Dr. Herman can be gruff, but she's really a softy." Taking the messages she was handed, Arizona asked, "Did you get lunch yet? Would you like me to order something for you?" The young girl blushed slightly, she couldn't believe how nice everyone was to her and Julie. Nodding she explained, "Yes ma'am, Ms. Lorraine sent over some leftovers from her dinner last night. I tell her she doesn't have to, but she insists." Arizona smiled and responded, "She's a really sweet lady and I know she enjoys having you around. We all do." Kim nodded and offered, "Thank you."
Seeing how embarrassed the young girl had become, Arizona diverted, "I am expecting a representative from a pharmaceutical company in just a few minutes, can you bring her to my office when she arrives please?" Kim nodded and responded, "Yes Dr. Robbins, would you like some coffee? Dr. Torres brought one of the coffee makers from her center over and taught me how to use it. She said you could keep it until you were able to get one." Arizona smiled at her girlfriend's thoughtfulness and nodded saying, "That would be wonderful, she didn't happen to…" She trailed off when she saw the young woman reach into a box and hold up a container of her favorite creamer and a small baggie of what she assumed to be sugar. Kim laughed and stated, "She even made a pot and showed me how you like your coffee prepared." Arizona laughed with her saying, "Wow, she thought of everything huh?" The petite brunette laughed and replied, "I think it's cool how you take care of each other; she loved the lunch you sent her the other day. She was so happy by something so simple." Arizona smiled and admitted, "The little things are just as important as the big things. Remember that." She then turned and walked toward her office. The teenager smiled after her boss. She couldn't remember how her parents were with each other, but she hoped they had something like the two surgeons shared.
XXXX
While she was waiting for her next appointment, Arizona decided to take one more look at the list of medications and supplies she and Nicole had been working on over the past few weeks to make sure there were no duplicates and nothing was forgotten before her meeting with the pharmaceutical rep. While this wasn't the only company they would use, this one provided the most variety, was well known, and offered the best prices, so she would try to knock off as much as she could from her list before looking elsewhere. It was times like this that she was happy her girlfriend had just gone through this process because she still had all her contacts on hand and did her the favor of setting up some of these meetings.
Focused on her task, Arizona was startled when she heard a knock on her opened door. Looking up, she smiled as she saw Kim standing in the doorway with a tall, slim woman dressed in a dark suit who she assumed was the drug rep. also holding what appeared to be a fresh cup of coffee. The teenager smiled and announced in a professional tone, "Dr. Robbins, this is Cheryl Hawthorne, she was scheduled to meet with you at 1 o'clock. I also brought you a fresh cup of coffee." Standing and walking to the door, Arizona extended her hand to the taller blonde and introduced herself, "Good afternoon, I'm Arizona Robbins the co-director of the Robbins-Herman Center for Women's Health." She then looked to Kim, took the offered cup and said, "Thank you Kim, if anyone has any questions or concerns, can you direct them to Dr. Herman please?" Kim smiled and answered, "Yes, Dr. Robbins." She then pulled the door closed behind her. Arizona extended her hand toward the table in the center of the room and offered, "Please take a seat, let me just grab my laptop and we can get started." The saleswoman smiled politely then looked at the door hopefully, asking, "Will Dr. Torres be joining us?" Slightly confused, Arizona replied, "No, this account will be separate from Fresh START. Dr. Torres contacted you on my behalf to help me out since I am new to the area." Seeing the slightly disappointed look on the other woman's face, Arizona wondered briefly what that was about then walked toward her desk to get her laptop and the notes she had taken.
Pushing past her disappointment at not seeing the orthopedic surgeon, Cheryl decided to try to get to know her potential new client and asked, "So you aren't from this area? Where are you from?" Arizona sat next to the other woman, and explained, "My business partner and I have both moved here from the West Coast. She was my mentor during my fellowship and when she received the grant to open a new medical center, she asked me to join her." The taller blonde smiled and asked, "What made you move out here?" Not being one to divulge a great deal of personal information, Arizona responded simply, "My family is here." Opening her laptop, the sales rep waited for it to boot up, and asked, "So, did you meet Dr. Torres when you moved into this building?" Arizona furrowed her brow at the question and felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. This woman was just a little too interested in Callie for her liking. Pushing down the feeling of unease, she responded, "No, I've known Dr. Torres for several years." Arizona watched the woman closely trying to read her expression. Maybe she was just trying to find a common ground for the two of them to discuss. Deciding to give the other woman the benefit of the doubt, Arizona pushed the feeling aside once again and turned her attention to the presentation that was now being displayed in front of her. Once she opened the presentation she used for all new clientele, Cheryl began her professional spiel putting the blonde at ease and allowing her to focus upon the task at hand.
After the fifteen minute presentation during which the saleswoman pointed out specific points Dr. Torres appreciated or questioned and another hour of going through her own list of needed supplies where the blonde must have mentioned Callie at least five times, talking about this or that being a preference of the ortho surgeon, the fetal surgeon was nearly seething and grinding her teeth to get through the remainder of the meeting. As time went on however, she noticed the other woman was watching the clock and seemed impatient to finish the meeting. Arizona assumed Cheryl had another meeting to get to and decided to wrap it up by saying, "I won't keep you any longer, if we think of anything else, I will give you a call. You have all of my information if you have any questions." Looking relieved, the taller blonde quickly packed up her materials and extended her hand saying, "Thank you Dr. Robbins. I will submit your order as soon as I get back to the office. It was a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to working with you." Arizona smiled tightly, shook the woman's hand and responded, "I'll walk you out."
Callie had finished for the day and came over to see Arizona, hoping maybe she could steal her for a late lunch at least, but she was going to try to talk her into leaving early since she worked so hard all week. Walking up to the receptionist's desk, she was about to ask Kim if the other surgeon had finished her meetings when she looked up to see her beautiful blonde coming down the hallway with the woman she recognized as the pharmaceutical rep. Smiling brightly she started toward Arizona and exclaimed excitedly, "There you are, I'm finished for the day and stopped by to see you before I headed home." Arizona instantly perked up at the sight of her girlfriend then scowled when her own reply was cut off by the annoying woman behind her saying, "Dr. Torres, it's so good to see you too. I was actually on my way over to your center; I have some things for you." Callie furrowed her brow and frowned as Arizona stomped past her muttering, "I bet you do Cheryl." and went to stand beside Kim behind the desk pretending to look through the file of work orders.
Before she could ask her girlfriend what was wrong, Callie was surprised by a hand, clearly not Arizona's covering hers. Looking over at the other woman who was standing just a little too closely for her liking, Callie slid her hand away and took a step to the side saying, "Um…Hi, Ms. Hawkins right?" Arizona put her head down and bit her bottom lip trying not to laugh. At first she thought maybe Callie and this woman had gone out or at least shared flirty banter, but she remembered Callie saying she hadn't dated and based upon her reaction just now, she never even gave the other blonde the time of day. She nearly drew blood when the infuriating woman grabbed Callie's bicep with one hand and caressed the back of a tan hand, her girlfriend's tan hand, with the other, as she giggled and corrected, "Hawthorne, but I told you to call me Cheryl. Would you like to come out to my car and get your samples? There's something I'd like to ask you." Clearly uncomfortable, Callie stepped away once again trying to break contact only to realize the other woman wasn't getting the hint nor letting go. Glancing at Arizona, she could see her nearly trembling with anger. This was not going to be good. Trying to get away one more time, she cleared her throat and explained, "Actually, I came to see Arizona, we have…" The other woman waved her hand as if to dismiss that fact and cajoled, "I'm sure Dr. Robbins wouldn't mind letting me steal you for a moment, would you Arizona?"
Hearing the patronizing tone and the way this woman said her name, Arizona finally snapped. Slamming the folder down on the countertop just a little harder than necessary, Arizona rounded the desk, stood between the two women, effectively breaking physical contact and bit out, "As a matter of fact, I do mind. I would appreciate it if you kept your hands off my wife and basically took the hints she was politely trying to give you. For the sake of professionalism, I sat through an hour long meeting where you brought up my wife's name no less than ten times then watched the clock and rushed me along, apparently so you could leave here and go across the street to flirt with my wife. Your behavior is completely unprofessional and unacceptable and while I have no choice but to do business with your company, I would prefer to deal with another representative from this point forward. There's the door. Please see your way out." With that, she took Callie's hand and dragged her down the hallway to her office and slammed the door leaving the stunned woman standing frozen in place with several people now staring at her.
She looked to Kim who was scowling at her then turned to see a very pissed off Nicole Herman standing with her arms crossed glaring at her. The older woman finally commanded, "You heard her, take yourself out of here and transfer our account, both accounts, to a different representative. If it's not done by 5:00 pm today, I will send an email to your supervisor at 5:01 pm." The young woman nodded and quickly walked out the door. Waiting a minute until she heard the automatic doors, Nicole asked, "Is she gone?" The teenager nodded then stuttered out, "Yes…um yes ma'am." The older woman burst into laughter and declared, "Damn Robbins grew a pair in the last few years." She then turned around and made her way to her office.
XXXX
The moment the door was closed behind them, Arizona clicked the lock and Callie tried to explain, "Arizona I…mmmph." Whatever she was about to say was muffled by the blonde's lips covering hers in a hard demanding kiss. When Arizona pulled her head back, Callie tried again, "Honey, I didn't…" Arizona captured her lips once more and mumbled, "No talking Calliope." She then deepened the kiss, tangling their tongues together leaving no question about who was in charge at the moment. Breaking the kiss, Arizona lifted her hands and began unbuttoning Callie's shirt as she explained, "You are mine Calliope Torres." Callie nodded and watched as small pale fingers quickly unbuttoned her shirt and untucked it from her pants. Slipping her hands underneath the smooth silk, Arizona ran her hands from Callie's taut abdomen, up over her heaving breasts, and across her strong tan shoulders, pushing the shirt off as she went. Gripping her now bare biceps, Arizona continued, "No one touches this body but me Calliope." Callie swallowed thickly and nodded again, just a tiny bit nervous by the predatory look in her girlfriend's eyes.
Arizona pushed the shirt all the way down Callie's arms stopping at the wrists binding her arms at her sides loosely. She then lifted her finger to Callie's chin and brought her head up so their eyes connected and asked, "Do you understand Calliope?" Callie gulped and nodded her head, then gasped at the feeling of pleasure that shot through her as her nipples were pinched roughly and Arizona commanded, "Use your words Calliope." Callie nodded again and husked out a shaky, "Ye…yes, I understand." Arizona smiled a devious smile then began unbuttoning Callie's black trousers. The room was silent save Callie's now labored breathing and the sound of the zipper that Arizona was painstakingly lowering. Letting the pants fall to the floor, Arizona grabbed the waistband of Callie's lacy black boy shorts and tugged her closer demanding, "Say it!" Feeling her girlfriend's hand so close to her core had every last ounce of moisture pooling between her legs. Dominant Arizona was hot and seeing the lust in her eyes made Callie's mouth go dry. Licking her lips she assured, "I'm yours Arizona." Arizona nodded and whispered, "Good girl." The blonde was still blind with jealousy, the only thing she could see was that woman's hands on Callie's body and she needed to claim what was hers, touch every inch of her lover's skin to erase the memory of any touch but hers.
Slipping her hand further into the black lace, she cupped the dripping mound, feeling her own clit throb as she asked, "And who's is this?" Callie shivered and confirmed, "Yours, all yours." Her breath hitched when two fingers slipped between her lower lips and swiped at the moisture then watched as those fingers were brought up between them. Holding her drenched fingers up, Arizona studied them then asked, "Who is this for Calliope? Who makes you this wet?" Opening her mouth to answer, Callie stood frozen as the pale fingers touched her lips painting her own arousal on them like lipstick. She could smell her own spicy scent and was tempted to swipe her tongue across her bottom lip to taste herself when Arizona leaned forward and caught it between her teeth then swiped her tongue across her top lip before finally slipping it into her mouth. Callie hummed in delight while tasting herself on her tongue. She whimpered when she tried to wrap her arms around her girlfriend's back and was reminded she was restrained. Before she could struggle out of her shirt, she squealed as her nipples were pinched once again, a little harder this time and Arizona growled out, "You didn't answer me Calliope. Who makes you this wet?" As if to prove her point, Arizona pushed Callie's boy shorts down her legs, slipped her fingers through her slit and circled her opening. Dropping her head back on her neck and rolling it from side to side Callie nearly cried, "You Arizona, only you make me this wet baby. Only you can do this to my body." Arizona smiled and affirmed, "Right answer, Calliope."
Stepping back, Arizona's breath hitched at the sight before her. Callie stood in front of her bare except for her sexy black lace bra, the deep purple silk shirt binding her wrists, and the black panties and trousers pooling around her ankles. Slowly lifting her gaze back up her girlfriend's body, she noticed her legs were trembling from need, her taut abdomen rippling with want, breasts were heaving from the deep labored breaths, her sexy mouth was slightly open, heavy-lidded eyes filled with lust, and her brow dotted with sweat. She stared in awe knowing this beautiful creature was hers. Barely able to control her own desires, Arizona reached forward and yanked the silk fabric from Callie's wrists, ran her fingers up her arms to her shoulders, then around her back and with a flick of the wrist unhooked her bra, then walked her fingers up her strong back slipped them beneath the satin straps, and pulled forward until the lacy fabric fell to the floor between them. She reached out, cupped the full breasts then rolled the hardened nipples between her fingers before lightly brushing her fingertips down both sides and wrapping around to grab two handfuls of that glorious tight ass. She then began lowering her body, sliding her hands down the backs of Callie's legs until she reached her ankles, then removed first one shoe and pulled off her sock while freeing her from her pantleg as well. She repeated her actions on the other leg, then slowly caressed her way up the front of strong tan legs until she reached the apex of muscular thighs where she used both thumbs to spread glistening lips, leaned forward and swiped her tongue across the swollen red bundle of nerves eliciting a low moan from above. Callie was shaking with need, she put her hand on the top of Arizona's head gently tugging at her hair and begged, "Arizona please."
Arizona stood slowly, dragging her tongue up over the small patch of hair, dipping it into the cute navel, and up between full breasts lapping up the salty moisture along the way. She continued her path up Callie's neck to her pulse point biting down and sucking hard making sure to leave her mark. Pulling back, she smiled at her handy work then looked into nearly black eyes as she asked, "You know what I want don't you Calliope?" Callie nodded her head as a thrill shot through her. This may be one of Arizona's favorite things, but she was the one who got the most pleasure from it. She'll never forget the first time she walked into Arizona's office and tried to tease her by sitting on her desk in front of her in her tight short skirt and no panties. By the time Arizona was done with her, she could barely walk straight. She thought it was just an office thing but realized over the years that it was any tall surface, really, as she often found herself on the dining room table, the kitchen counter, even once on top of the washer as Arizona sat or kneeled in front of her with her head between her legs claiming her over and over again. She was broken from her revery as she felt herself being pulled toward Arizona's desk. As she rounded the other side, Arizona smirked and removed the large vase of flowers saying, "Just to be safe." Callie wanted to smile, to laugh, but she felt nothing but the electricity shooting through her body, the moisture running down her thighs, and the slight fear from the look that was still in Arizona's eyes. She wasn't afraid exactly, more…full of suspense wondering what that look meant and what it meant for her specifically. She could sense her girlfriend had calmed down some, and knew she wasn't mad at her, still, jealous Arizona was a force to be reckoned with.
Sitting on the cool wood surface, Callie started to scoot back when Arizona sat in her office chair, wheeled herself between her legs and lifted them over her shoulders. She quirked an eyebrow in interest wondering exactly what she was in for as the blonde had never done this before. Usually she was laid out spread eagle with her knees bent and feet flat on the desk. When Arizona continued to scoot forward, her hips shifted upward giving the blonde a better angle, as creamy white hands covered her breasts she realized this position also meant they were closer and Arizona could better explore her body. Looking down at the blonde, seeing how she was eying her mound as if she were about to devour it, Callie suddenly felt self-conscious and whispered, "Arizona?" Looking up, Arizona could see the concern swimming in dark brown eyes. Realizing her girlfriend needed reassurance, Arizona lowered Callie's legs, stood from her chair, softly connected their lips together, brought her hand up to caress her girlfriend's flushed cheek and spoke gently as she explained, "I love you Calliope, seeing that woman's hands on you, how she looked at you…I just…I need to make love to you, I want to make love to you, to show you…" She shook her head trying to find the words, she didn't know how to explain what she was feeling. Seeing past the jealousy now, Callie saw the hint of fear, of worry, and finally understood that Arizona still had bouts of insecurity, concern that she wasn't enough. Leaning forward, Callie connected their lips together and assured, "I love you too, just you, only you. Arizona Robbins, you are everything to me. I am yours, but show me, I need you to take me, make me yours Arizona." The blonde sighed in relief that her lover understood what she was saying, what she wasn't saying rather, and leaned forward to connect their lips once again.
Kissing a path down Callie's body, Arizona took her seat, lifted Callie's legs over her shoulders, and finally put her mouth where she wanted it most. Groaning at the heady scent, the spicy taste, the abundance of moisture, she nearly devoured the other woman's sex with her tongue. She was ravenous, hungry to taste, to take, to claim. Feeling Callie already on the edge, she slowed her movements, ran her tongue across Callie's clit then slowly teased it with her tongue. Callie leaned back on her arms which were shaking so badly she could barely hold herself up. Arizona had her so worked up and she knew she wouldn't last long, she groaned as she felt the ravenous tongue slow down and slide across her clit. She didn't want this to end so soon but she was sooooo close. She threw her head back and tried to focus on the tongue doing amazing things to her tight bundle of nerves and not her need to fall apart. As she felt the tongue slide back and forth across her clit, she realized the movements were deliberate, not the random patterns the blonde usually made to drive her crazy. She tried to focus as she felt the slick tongue make a zig-zag motion, then circle her clit, then what felt like a sideways zig-zag and an upside down triangle. She gasped and husked out, "Are you really spelling your name on my clit?" Arizona looked up from between her legs, chin dripping with arousal, and chirped, "Yup!" making sure to pop the 'p' at the end. She then returned to her ministrations as if she weren't interrupted. By the time she got to the 's' in Robbins, Callie was writhing once again, forgetting everything but her girlfriend's name that felt as if it were burned into her sex.
Looking up once again, Arizona could see the need for release all over Callie's face, feel it in the erratic movement of her hips, she lowered her head, bit down on Callie's clit and easily slipped two fingers into her girlfriend's soaked tight channel causing her hips to lift completely off the desk with the shock of the intrusion. Callie wasn't expecting the fingers that slipped inside her and immediately started thrusting, forgetting where they were she called out, "Fuck yes Arizona, harder." Not one to disappoint, Arizona swiveled her chair slightly and slammed into her girlfriend over and over again periodically adding a third finger only to remove it after a few thrusts. She repeated the pattern as she wrapped her tongue around Callie's clit and sucked it between her lips. Feeling the tight walls clench around her fingers, she knew Callie was close, as if she needed further proof, Callie reached between her legs and held Arizona's head to her center and begged, "Fuck Arizona, I'm close, make me come, please baby." Nodding her head, Arizona added her third finger on her next thrust, curled her fingers into the soft spongy g-spot and bit down on her clit at the same time forcing Callie over the edge. Unknowingly, Callie wrapped her legs around Arizona's shoulders and tightened her thighs trapping the smaller woman's head between her legs as she ground roughly onto her tongue prolonging her orgasm. Arizona felt lightheaded and struggled for air, concerned she was going to pass out from lack of oxygen, she briefly thought there's no better place to die than between Callie's legs before she finally felt the strong legs wrapped around her loosen and go limp on her shoulders. Looking up, she realized Callie had blacked out.
Sitting up quickly, she leaned over the prostrate woman and gently tapped her cheek saying, "Callie, Calliope baby, come on honey, wake up for me." She was relieved when those eyes she loved so much opened and immediately focused on her face. Smiling softly she greeted, "Well hello there, welcome back." Callie chuckled and tried to sit up only to fall back again when she realized she was still lightheaded. Groaning she asked, "I take it I blacked out?" Arizona leaned forward, kissed her lips and responded, "You did. Pretty intense huh?" Callie nodded and tried to sit up again. Leaning on her hands she admitted, "No one, and I mean no one has ever made me come as hard as you do or black out like that." She laughed as Arizona puffed up and got a proud smirk on her face. She'd let her have her moment because damn if that woman didn't know how to fuck her good. Wrapping her arms around the blonde's neck, she pulled her in for a long sensual kiss and whispered against her lips, "How about we go home and I give you a proper thank you?" Arizona looked up at the clock and asked, "What about Sofia?" Callie smiled and replied, "Maria offered to pick her up just in case I could talk you into leaving early, she said she'll have her home before dinner since she knows you'll want to spend some time with her before bed." Arizona nodded and replied, "Miraculously, I am done for the day and I'd love nothing more than to continue this at home." Callie started to stand up and groaned as her skin stuck to the wood of the desk. Looking down she smirked and suggested, "You might need to take care of that before we leave." Arizona chuckled and said, "Yeah, I think so."
Callie walked to the other side of the room and started getting dressed while Arizona cleaned and disinfected her desk. She laughed as she observed, "The desk didn't make it three days before we christened it." Callie chuckled and responded, "I think that's a new record for us, other than our bed that is." Arizona threw her head back and laughed as she remembered the day their new mattress was delivered to their house. Tilting her head she asked, "Did we even take the plastic off?" Callie pulled up her pants and looked up to the ceiling as she thought about it then shrugged as she answered, "I don't remember but I know we didn't even put sheets on it yet." Arizona crossed the room and helped Callie button her shirt and became serious as she admitted, "I got a little crazy with jealousy. I'm sorry." Callie dropped her hands to Arizona's hips and let her continue to button her shirt and replied, "I never did anything with her Arizona, I swear, I didn't even know she was interested in me. She kind of shocked me today." Finished with her task, Arizona wrapped her arms around the taller woman's neck and asked, "She didn't flirt with you before?" Callie furrowed her brow and answered honestly, "I don't remember, I mean, I was so stressed out at that time and that's also when I was working through my feelings for you, so…honestly, if she isn't you, I don't give any other woman the time of day or even look at them like that." Arizona could swear she was going to melt on the spot. She leaned in for another kiss and whispered, "I love you." Callie responded, "I love you too." As Arizona turned to gather her belongings, the brunette smirked and asked, "So are you going to drive your wife home or are we taking separate cars?" Arizona dropped her head and blushed asking, "Ya caught that did ya?" Callie nodded and teased, "Honey, I think the whole lobby caught that." Realizing she didn't regret it, she shrugged and said, "Close enough. Besides, now the whole lobby knows not to hit on the hot ortho surgeon." Callie laughed and threw her arm around her girlfriend, secretly thrilled at the little scene that just took place.
A/N: As always, thank you for the great reviews. I truly appreciate those of you who leave constructive suggestions and follow this story faithfully. You are the reason I continue to write.
As always, everything belongs to Shonda, I am only borrowing her characters for a while.