fic: euro trippin' (5/?)
Title: Euro Trippin' (5/?)
Author: crazygorgeous13
Fandom: Grey's Anatomy
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Beta: Unbeta'd. All concrit welcome.
Summary: AU. Callie and Arizona meet on their breaks before college while backpacking through Europe. C/A for sure, and other characters will show up somewhere down the line.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Grey's Anatomy, nor do I make any money from this. I am just playing with Shonda's characters and will return them in almost new condition when I'm done.
A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews and kind words of encouragement, you guys are awesome. Apologies for the delay in this chapter, I had my life taken over by work, and the awesomeness that is The Good Wife and Kalinda. To make up for it, I stayed up until now (2.52am) in order to post and I made this chapter a bit longer, and as promised, our girls finally meet :)
Chapter 5: Tempted by Fate
Callie.
Ay dios mio, I internally chanted. There she was. The girl from Miami. The one I couldn’t stop thinking about.
This was fucking crazy. Seriously, what are the chances that out of the hundreds, if not thousands, of hostels in London, that she would be here? Fate, that pesky little voice in my head whispered.
I dismissed it immediately; I don’t believe in fate, that everything is predestined. I like to believe that I have a choice in life, in deciding the outcome. I’ve always been of the mind that if you want good things to happen to you, you have to earn them, or demand them. I think people use the concept of “fate” as an excuse way too often. Like, “what’s meant to be will be”; people rely on God or the universe or whatever to just give you good things, because you deserve them.
My opinion? The universe or God or whatever presents you with opportunities and it up to you what you make of them. And you only get so many chances.
That’s why when I walked into the common room of the hostel and saw her standing there, I knew that this was an opportunity; one I’d be a moron not to take.
“Holy shit…” Mark had realized I wasn’t listening to him anymore, and that my attentions were focused elsewhere, “Is that-”
“Yes, Mark. It is.” I replied, not able to tear my eyes away from the blonde, who was currently talking to the two Australian girls we’d met a couple hours earlier, Robyn and Lily.
I could feel that my jaw was slack, but I was powerless to control myself. I still couldn’t believe that she was here… I didn’t even have time to properly process the enormity of the situation, when the brunette, Robyn, I think, gestured at us, and the girls from Miami looked directly at me… or, well, us, technically, I guess. But in that instance, the world around me faded away, and Mark was just a ghost. Not faded away like a cheesy romantic movie, but more like the sounds around me dulled, and I wouldn’t have been able to rip my eyes from the blue ones 30 feet away even if I’d wanted to.
She was looking at me with her own look of disbelief, and outside of my control, I could feel a huge grin break out on my face. I made a decision in that moment, to take the opportunity that life was giving me, and see what could happen.
I turned to Mark, tilting my head towards the bar, “Hey, get us a couple drinks? I’m gonna go over there-ish…”
He didn’t even reply, knowing exactly where I was going; he headed to the bar to get us a beverage and with a determined stride, I walked towards the blonde who had consumed my thoughts for the past two days.
“Hey, Robyn, Lily. Sorry to interrupt,” I started, shooting a bright smile at the girl-- I mean, group, “I just wanted to say thanks for this afternoon. It was so nice of you to help us out, I’ll admit, I was possibly a teensy bit intimidated by all the people around,” We shared a laugh at that, thinking back to how we’d met earlier that day.
Mark and I had been standing, probably looking a little lost, just inside the main doors to “Hillspring Lodge” surrounded by more than a few people, when two girls had had been walking past. They slowed with bright, enquiring smiles, and one of them, a tall brunette, had asked us, “First night here?” gesturing at our bags.
“Yeah, it is. We spent last night in a hotel, and wow this place is different.” I’d responded, my own exuberance growing to mirror theirs.
“Well, check in is just around that corner,” The other, a shorter redhead, pointed behind her.
“Oh, thanks! Do you work here?” I asked; most people back home weren’t this helpful or friendly unless they were paid to be.
“Nah, we’ve just been here for so long that I know pretty much everything, and everyone. I’m Robyn, by the way. And this is my best friend, Lily.” They held out their hands, and Mark and I had grasped them in turns, introducing ourselves.
“Nice to meet you both. Where abouts are you guys from?” Lily queried, starting to walk us towards the check-in desk, “America, or Canada?”
“The States, Miami. Where are you from?” Mark had replied, I could practically feel him eyeing the girls; I didn’t really blame him, they were pretty hot.
“Oh, nice. I’ve always wanted to go. We’re from Australia, Adelaide. Don’t worry, no-one’s ever heard of it.” She’d added off our confused expressions as we reached our destination. “Well, here’s your stop. We’ll be down in the bar later tonight if you wanna come for a few drinks later? There’s also a knock-out pool tournament happening if you’re interested. It’s just through those doors back there. I’ll leave you in Jonah’s very capable hands here,” She directed the comment at the young boy behind the desk with a smile, and the two friends had subsequently flitted off with a wave.
“Oh, it was no problem. You guys just looked a bit dazed and confused, so I had to help.” She replied simply, bringing me out of my memory. “Do you want to join us?” She asked, indicating to the empty seat to her left, directly across from the blue-eyed bombshell I thought I’d never see again.
“I would love to. Mark’s just over at the bar, getting us a drink” I tried to keep my eyes trained on Robyn, but I couldn’t help but glance towards the blonde. She was looking directly at me, a near perfect poker face in place; only her eyes betrayed her, they were so expressive, nerves, astonishment and what I hoped was lust, although that could have been my own feelings reflected back.
“Awesome! Did you guys sign up for the pool knock-out? Should be a good one this week.” Lily asked.
“Yeah, we’re definitely in!” There was something about these two girls that made me want to be as excited and happy as they were. The energy buzzing through my veins was totally due to them. It had nothing to do with the blonde sitting comfortably three feet away. Nothing at all.
“What are we ‘in’?” Mark had joined us just in time to hear the last words from my mouth, he handed me a large bottle with “Bulmers” marked on the label.
“Pool knock-out.” I responded, taking an experimental sniff, looking down at the bottle was a convenient way of keeping my eyes off of the girl opposite me, lest I become a crazy person who just stares.
“Oh yeah, I signed us up while I was up there. It’s apple cider. Bartender recommended it, it’s pretty nice actually.” He responded, taking a healthy swig of his own bottle.
I shrugged, taking a sip of my own. I’d try just about anything once, and this was surprisingly good.
Tilting my head to take a bigger mouthful, I allowed my eyes to rake up the reclining blonde’s form. She was wearing light blue jeans and a dark green shirt with some kind of writing on the front. Jeans and a t-shirt, and I was already feeling that familiar warmth of attraction coursing through my veins. Jeans and freakin’ T-shirt. God I had it bad.
Mark was never one to enjoy a silence “So… Hi!” He offered his hand to the companion of my current obsession, “I’m Mark.”
“Oh, my god!” Robyn’s hand flew to her mouth. “I’m so rude; I didn’t even introduce you guys!”
“Ah that’s cool, Robyn. I’m Teddy,” the willowy blonde took Mark’s hand.
“Arizona. Nice to meet you,” Oh, sweet Jesus. The way her name rolled from her lips was melodic, a slight southern twang over the sweet voice of an angel. You’ll have to excuse me, when I get excited, I tend towards hyperbole. You get my point though; I felt I could listen to her speak every day and never get tired of it. So consumed with my thoughts was I, that I didn’t realize that the entire group was looking at me expectantly. Shit! This is the part where you introduce yourself, crazy lady!
“Callie. Is me. Mine. My name, I mean.” Oh yeah, real smooth, Callie, I mentally, groaned and chastised myself.
“Callie… It’s super nice to meet you,” If I’d thought her voice sounded beautiful around her own name, I was blown away by how mine rolled off her tongue, as though she’d been saying my name for years. I couldn’t help but imagine how my name would sound falling from those pink lips in a breathy moan; or how she would scream my name in ecstasy as-Fuck, Callie. Slow down, would you?
Despite the twinkle of amusement dancing in bright blue eyes and Mark’s stifled chuckle, I held out my hand, thankful that it didn’t seem to be shaking. I was prepared for her touch; everything about our non-existent relationship so far had been intense, inspiring feelings in me I’d never gotten from a simple look before. Or at least, I thought I was prepared. When she leant forward to clasp my hand, the warmth that had spread through my body earlier became a prickly heat, and I thanked the gods for my tanned complexion for it hid the blush I was positive I had.
I can’t decide if we held, I mean, shook hands for too long or not long enough. I kind of lost track of time, that tiny bit of skin-to-skin contact in combination with her deep blue eyes had sent me reeling.
“Callie?!” Mark’s voice broke me out of my reverie.
Turning to face him, I was about ready to scold him for interrupting, when I realized that the rest of the group was now staring at me. Evidently, I had zoned out for longer than usual, and he had been trying to get my attention. God bless Mark, for at that stage he discreetly cleared his throat and flicked his eyes towards my hand, which was still gripping Arizona’s, we had definitely been “shaking hands” for longer than was socially acceptable.
As if on cue, we each retracted our hands, and I’d like to believe that she, like me, did so reluctantly.
“Sorry, what’s up?” I aimed for nonchalance, taking a long swig from my cider for effect, and I think I hit somewhere in the general vicinity.
“Robyn and Lily were just asking if we knew each other, since we’re all from Miami. And I was saying about how big Miami is, and I asked you how many people there are in Miami…” He spoke almost as though he were speaking to someone who had an IQ of fifty.
“Oh! Um, I think from memory the metro population sits around five and a half million.” Off the group’s impressed faces, I modestly added, “I have a head for numbers, and information and random stuff like that.” It was true, not to sound up myself, but I was pretty smart.
“Alright! Arizona! And… Will!” The bartender was shouting to be heard over the din, “You guys are up first!”
“Guess that’s me then. Watch,” I don’t know if it was it just my imagination but she seemed to look pointedly at that, “And learn. Since I’m gonna be kicking all of your butts soon.” She finished confidently, strutting over to the pool table. The confidence? It was sexy as all hell.
I was soon to learn that her self-assurance of her skills was well deserved. She didn’t look like a threat, all blonde curls, blue eyes and dimples, but man… that girl could wield a pool cue. Her opponent, Will, was a twenty something, good looking guy with a swagger that clearly announced that he thought he was awesome at pool.
If one were inclined to watch him, they would see that that confidence diminished with every ball that Arizona put down. Of course, I could not tear my eyes away from the blonde, and the delicious view I was presented with, every time she leaned over the table to take a shot. One of the hottest things in the world, in my opinion, was watching a beautiful girl kicking a boy’s ass at pool. And she was amazing. It was over in less than five minutes, Arizona beating the poor guy with five of his balls still on the table.
After shaking Will’s hand, Arizona went to the bar and ordered a drink before leaning back on it and shooting me a triumphant smile. This girl was going to be the death of me. That simple expression had my pulse racing. Somehow though, I managed to keep my cool, and returned the smile. That was a normal response, right? Luckily I didn’t have time to dwell, as the bartender made his next announcement.
“Mark and Robyn! You guys are next!” Mark and Robyn sauntered up to the table, shaking hands and joking around like they’d been friends for years, not hours. I knew Mark was good, we’d play against each other quite often, and he always put up a challenge, even if I did usually beat him. He was, at least, better than Robyn, and beat her eight to three. A few more games passed, and I busied myself talking to Lily, Teddy and Mark (except for when the girls played, Teddy winning narrowly), while Robyn joined Arizona at the bar.
“Callie! Cary! You’re up!”
Arizona was still at the bar as I approached the table, about five or six feet away, and as I began to rack the balls, Mark joined Arizona bending down to speak to her. As Cary, a shortish blonde guy, lined up his shot to break the triangle, I watched as Mark and Arizona lined up very different shots and tossed them back like pros.
I was so distracted that Cary had to nudge me to prompt me to take my shot; I couldn’t help it, she had turned to watch the game, and her tongue had shot out of her mouth to swipe at a rivulet of alcohol that was at the side of her mouth.
Shaking myself out of my daze with great effort, I analyzed the table, deciding that solids would be the better choice. If there was one thing that could keep my mind off the blonde, it was a good game of pool. I lined up, certain to lean over the table towards Arizona, knowing full well that with the top I was wearing, there would be an ample view of my cleavage. I made sure to lean over the table in ways that would afford the blonde at the bar the best views of my body.
Unsurprisingly, I won the game; I mean, I am awesome at pool. I was on my way to the bar to talk to Arizona - and Mark, of course- when she was called in the next game, against Teddy. I still had one of the cue’s in my hand, so I slowed my walk, making Arizona meet me halfway. As she grasped the stick from my hand, whether by design or accident, her fingers trailed over mine. The unexpected contact made her exhale sharply, and we were close enough that I could feel her breath ghost across my lips, the faint smell of vodka, and something that I think must just be pure Arizona. My eyes closed involuntarily, and when I opened them she was gone.
Letting out a quiet sigh, I paced the extra three steps to where Mark was at the bar.
“Christ, Callie. You two need to have sex.” Off my affronted look, he added, “Hey, don’t even act like you haven’t been thinking about ripping those clothes off her body and having your way with her on top of the pool table.” I didn’t even bother to reply considering he was pretty close to the truth. Four more rounds of pool, as many shots of tequila for Mark and I each, another cider, and it was down to the final round.
Me versus Arizona.
By now, I was feeling pretty beyond tipsy, and I had lost track of how many drinks Arizona had consumed. Not that I’d know this until later, but we’d gotten a lot less subtle with our not-so-subtle flirting.
As she began to clumsily rack up the balls, I leant on the edge of the table to her left, arms grazing as I helped place the balls in the triangle.
My cue was leaning on the table on her right, and I took that as an opportunity to lightly press my front against her back to grab it with my right hand. I watched her knuckles go white as she gripped the edge of the cushioning.
“Let’s make this interesting, shall we?” I murmured in her ear, taking care to make sure my mouth was right next to her ear, delighting in the shiver I felt run through her body.
She turned her head, making my lips graze her earlobe, and I had to resist the urge to take it in between my teeth, “Okay. If I win, you’re buying my drinks for the rest of the night.”
“Easy done,” I acquiesced.
“And what do you want if you win?” she asked.
“When I win, I’ll let you know.” I moved to her right, raising my left eyebrow with a smile, daring her to make me clarify.
She seemed unperturbed by my confidence, simply replying, “Game on, Callie.”
And so began possibly the dirtiest game of pool I’ve ever played, and possibly the worst game I’ve ever played.
We were distracting each other any opportunity we had, when she was taking a shot, I’d stand on the other side of the table, and lean over. When I was getting ready to take mine, I’d screw up when I felt a well timed hand graze my ass.
Despite the cheating, we were evenly matched. The game went on until we were both playing on the black.
“Alright,” she began, slightly swaying, “Top corner.” She called the pocket she was to pot the black in.
“Let’s see what you’ve got, Ar-zona.” Did I mention I was definitely feeling the effects of alcohol?
She aligned herself, sliding the cue back and forth on the cradle of her fingers before taking the shot and missing, putting the black ball about two inches from the centre pocket. I watched with just a little smugness, knowing I could hit this shot, regardless of my intoxication level.
“Centre pocket,” I called, watching a trace of apprehension cross her features.
With one swift crack of the pool cue, the game was over. The crowd watching erupted in cheers and applause, and I was suddenly very aware of exactly how many people had been watching Arizona and I tease each other to breaking point.
Ignoring that, I accepted the drink card the bartender handed to me, and let a huge smile take over my face.
The crowd began to disperse, and I went to the bar to use my shiny new card to get another drink (one I probably didn’t need, but whatever). I sensed, rather than saw, Arizona come up behind me as I signaled James, the bartender, for two shots of tequila. Mark and the rest of our group were thankfully nowhere to be seen.
“So… Since you won, I guess I’ll have to do what you tell me.” At this point, I was positive I wasn’t imagining the suggestiveness in her tone.
Looking into deep pools of blue, I ran my tongue along the back of my hand, taking pleasure in the way her eyes watched my mouth intently, hungrily, before shaking salt over the moistened flesh and handing her the salt shaker.
She mimicked my actions and I could not help but stare, possibly slack-jawed, at the path her tongue traced across the back of her hand, a thousand filthy thoughts about the tongue tracing patterns on my skin running through my mind.
Wordlessly, I placed a shot with a lemon wedge on top in front of her.
“A shot of Tequila? That’s what I have to do?” she asked, and I shook my head, a small smile playing around my lips as I looked up at her through my eyelashes.
“The tequila’s just a celebratory drink between the two finalists of the pool tourney.” Accepting that, we clinked glasses and licked, sipped and sucked, wincing just a little as the liquid burned down our throats.
“So, Callie.” She leaned closer, her face mere inches away from mine, “What exactly am I doing for you?” Again, I didn’t miss the way she spoke those words.
People may say that there’s a higher power that has a hand in our lives, call it Fate, or God, or whatever. Me? I believe in identifying the opportunities the universe presents me with and making sure I don’t let them pass me by.
And I could already tell that Arizona could turn out to be the most important opportunity in my life, and I would be damned if I was going to let her pass me by.
“For that,” I whispered seductively, “We’ll definitely have to go somewhere more private.”
***
Reviews are better than beating boys at pool, and I really love winning.
Author: crazygorgeous13
Fandom: Grey's Anatomy
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Beta: Unbeta'd. All concrit welcome.
Summary: AU. Callie and Arizona meet on their breaks before college while backpacking through Europe. C/A for sure, and other characters will show up somewhere down the line.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Grey's Anatomy, nor do I make any money from this. I am just playing with Shonda's characters and will return them in almost new condition when I'm done.
A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews and kind words of encouragement, you guys are awesome. Apologies for the delay in this chapter, I had my life taken over by work, and the awesomeness that is The Good Wife and Kalinda. To make up for it, I stayed up until now (2.52am) in order to post and I made this chapter a bit longer, and as promised, our girls finally meet :)
Chapter 5: Tempted by Fate
Callie.
Ay dios mio, I internally chanted. There she was. The girl from Miami. The one I couldn’t stop thinking about.
This was fucking crazy. Seriously, what are the chances that out of the hundreds, if not thousands, of hostels in London, that she would be here? Fate, that pesky little voice in my head whispered.
I dismissed it immediately; I don’t believe in fate, that everything is predestined. I like to believe that I have a choice in life, in deciding the outcome. I’ve always been of the mind that if you want good things to happen to you, you have to earn them, or demand them. I think people use the concept of “fate” as an excuse way too often. Like, “what’s meant to be will be”; people rely on God or the universe or whatever to just give you good things, because you deserve them.
My opinion? The universe or God or whatever presents you with opportunities and it up to you what you make of them. And you only get so many chances.
That’s why when I walked into the common room of the hostel and saw her standing there, I knew that this was an opportunity; one I’d be a moron not to take.
“Holy shit…” Mark had realized I wasn’t listening to him anymore, and that my attentions were focused elsewhere, “Is that-”
“Yes, Mark. It is.” I replied, not able to tear my eyes away from the blonde, who was currently talking to the two Australian girls we’d met a couple hours earlier, Robyn and Lily.
I could feel that my jaw was slack, but I was powerless to control myself. I still couldn’t believe that she was here… I didn’t even have time to properly process the enormity of the situation, when the brunette, Robyn, I think, gestured at us, and the girls from Miami looked directly at me… or, well, us, technically, I guess. But in that instance, the world around me faded away, and Mark was just a ghost. Not faded away like a cheesy romantic movie, but more like the sounds around me dulled, and I wouldn’t have been able to rip my eyes from the blue ones 30 feet away even if I’d wanted to.
She was looking at me with her own look of disbelief, and outside of my control, I could feel a huge grin break out on my face. I made a decision in that moment, to take the opportunity that life was giving me, and see what could happen.
I turned to Mark, tilting my head towards the bar, “Hey, get us a couple drinks? I’m gonna go over there-ish…”
He didn’t even reply, knowing exactly where I was going; he headed to the bar to get us a beverage and with a determined stride, I walked towards the blonde who had consumed my thoughts for the past two days.
“Hey, Robyn, Lily. Sorry to interrupt,” I started, shooting a bright smile at the girl-- I mean, group, “I just wanted to say thanks for this afternoon. It was so nice of you to help us out, I’ll admit, I was possibly a teensy bit intimidated by all the people around,” We shared a laugh at that, thinking back to how we’d met earlier that day.
Mark and I had been standing, probably looking a little lost, just inside the main doors to “Hillspring Lodge” surrounded by more than a few people, when two girls had had been walking past. They slowed with bright, enquiring smiles, and one of them, a tall brunette, had asked us, “First night here?” gesturing at our bags.
“Yeah, it is. We spent last night in a hotel, and wow this place is different.” I’d responded, my own exuberance growing to mirror theirs.
“Well, check in is just around that corner,” The other, a shorter redhead, pointed behind her.
“Oh, thanks! Do you work here?” I asked; most people back home weren’t this helpful or friendly unless they were paid to be.
“Nah, we’ve just been here for so long that I know pretty much everything, and everyone. I’m Robyn, by the way. And this is my best friend, Lily.” They held out their hands, and Mark and I had grasped them in turns, introducing ourselves.
“Nice to meet you both. Where abouts are you guys from?” Lily queried, starting to walk us towards the check-in desk, “America, or Canada?”
“The States, Miami. Where are you from?” Mark had replied, I could practically feel him eyeing the girls; I didn’t really blame him, they were pretty hot.
“Oh, nice. I’ve always wanted to go. We’re from Australia, Adelaide. Don’t worry, no-one’s ever heard of it.” She’d added off our confused expressions as we reached our destination. “Well, here’s your stop. We’ll be down in the bar later tonight if you wanna come for a few drinks later? There’s also a knock-out pool tournament happening if you’re interested. It’s just through those doors back there. I’ll leave you in Jonah’s very capable hands here,” She directed the comment at the young boy behind the desk with a smile, and the two friends had subsequently flitted off with a wave.
“Oh, it was no problem. You guys just looked a bit dazed and confused, so I had to help.” She replied simply, bringing me out of my memory. “Do you want to join us?” She asked, indicating to the empty seat to her left, directly across from the blue-eyed bombshell I thought I’d never see again.
“I would love to. Mark’s just over at the bar, getting us a drink” I tried to keep my eyes trained on Robyn, but I couldn’t help but glance towards the blonde. She was looking directly at me, a near perfect poker face in place; only her eyes betrayed her, they were so expressive, nerves, astonishment and what I hoped was lust, although that could have been my own feelings reflected back.
“Awesome! Did you guys sign up for the pool knock-out? Should be a good one this week.” Lily asked.
“Yeah, we’re definitely in!” There was something about these two girls that made me want to be as excited and happy as they were. The energy buzzing through my veins was totally due to them. It had nothing to do with the blonde sitting comfortably three feet away. Nothing at all.
“What are we ‘in’?” Mark had joined us just in time to hear the last words from my mouth, he handed me a large bottle with “Bulmers” marked on the label.
“Pool knock-out.” I responded, taking an experimental sniff, looking down at the bottle was a convenient way of keeping my eyes off of the girl opposite me, lest I become a crazy person who just stares.
“Oh yeah, I signed us up while I was up there. It’s apple cider. Bartender recommended it, it’s pretty nice actually.” He responded, taking a healthy swig of his own bottle.
I shrugged, taking a sip of my own. I’d try just about anything once, and this was surprisingly good.
Tilting my head to take a bigger mouthful, I allowed my eyes to rake up the reclining blonde’s form. She was wearing light blue jeans and a dark green shirt with some kind of writing on the front. Jeans and a t-shirt, and I was already feeling that familiar warmth of attraction coursing through my veins. Jeans and freakin’ T-shirt. God I had it bad.
Mark was never one to enjoy a silence “So… Hi!” He offered his hand to the companion of my current obsession, “I’m Mark.”
“Oh, my god!” Robyn’s hand flew to her mouth. “I’m so rude; I didn’t even introduce you guys!”
“Ah that’s cool, Robyn. I’m Teddy,” the willowy blonde took Mark’s hand.
“Arizona. Nice to meet you,” Oh, sweet Jesus. The way her name rolled from her lips was melodic, a slight southern twang over the sweet voice of an angel. You’ll have to excuse me, when I get excited, I tend towards hyperbole. You get my point though; I felt I could listen to her speak every day and never get tired of it. So consumed with my thoughts was I, that I didn’t realize that the entire group was looking at me expectantly. Shit! This is the part where you introduce yourself, crazy lady!
“Callie. Is me. Mine. My name, I mean.” Oh yeah, real smooth, Callie, I mentally, groaned and chastised myself.
“Callie… It’s super nice to meet you,” If I’d thought her voice sounded beautiful around her own name, I was blown away by how mine rolled off her tongue, as though she’d been saying my name for years. I couldn’t help but imagine how my name would sound falling from those pink lips in a breathy moan; or how she would scream my name in ecstasy as-Fuck, Callie. Slow down, would you?
Despite the twinkle of amusement dancing in bright blue eyes and Mark’s stifled chuckle, I held out my hand, thankful that it didn’t seem to be shaking. I was prepared for her touch; everything about our non-existent relationship so far had been intense, inspiring feelings in me I’d never gotten from a simple look before. Or at least, I thought I was prepared. When she leant forward to clasp my hand, the warmth that had spread through my body earlier became a prickly heat, and I thanked the gods for my tanned complexion for it hid the blush I was positive I had.
I can’t decide if we held, I mean, shook hands for too long or not long enough. I kind of lost track of time, that tiny bit of skin-to-skin contact in combination with her deep blue eyes had sent me reeling.
“Callie?!” Mark’s voice broke me out of my reverie.
Turning to face him, I was about ready to scold him for interrupting, when I realized that the rest of the group was now staring at me. Evidently, I had zoned out for longer than usual, and he had been trying to get my attention. God bless Mark, for at that stage he discreetly cleared his throat and flicked his eyes towards my hand, which was still gripping Arizona’s, we had definitely been “shaking hands” for longer than was socially acceptable.
As if on cue, we each retracted our hands, and I’d like to believe that she, like me, did so reluctantly.
“Sorry, what’s up?” I aimed for nonchalance, taking a long swig from my cider for effect, and I think I hit somewhere in the general vicinity.
“Robyn and Lily were just asking if we knew each other, since we’re all from Miami. And I was saying about how big Miami is, and I asked you how many people there are in Miami…” He spoke almost as though he were speaking to someone who had an IQ of fifty.
“Oh! Um, I think from memory the metro population sits around five and a half million.” Off the group’s impressed faces, I modestly added, “I have a head for numbers, and information and random stuff like that.” It was true, not to sound up myself, but I was pretty smart.
“Alright! Arizona! And… Will!” The bartender was shouting to be heard over the din, “You guys are up first!”
“Guess that’s me then. Watch,” I don’t know if it was it just my imagination but she seemed to look pointedly at that, “And learn. Since I’m gonna be kicking all of your butts soon.” She finished confidently, strutting over to the pool table. The confidence? It was sexy as all hell.
I was soon to learn that her self-assurance of her skills was well deserved. She didn’t look like a threat, all blonde curls, blue eyes and dimples, but man… that girl could wield a pool cue. Her opponent, Will, was a twenty something, good looking guy with a swagger that clearly announced that he thought he was awesome at pool.
If one were inclined to watch him, they would see that that confidence diminished with every ball that Arizona put down. Of course, I could not tear my eyes away from the blonde, and the delicious view I was presented with, every time she leaned over the table to take a shot. One of the hottest things in the world, in my opinion, was watching a beautiful girl kicking a boy’s ass at pool. And she was amazing. It was over in less than five minutes, Arizona beating the poor guy with five of his balls still on the table.
After shaking Will’s hand, Arizona went to the bar and ordered a drink before leaning back on it and shooting me a triumphant smile. This girl was going to be the death of me. That simple expression had my pulse racing. Somehow though, I managed to keep my cool, and returned the smile. That was a normal response, right? Luckily I didn’t have time to dwell, as the bartender made his next announcement.
“Mark and Robyn! You guys are next!” Mark and Robyn sauntered up to the table, shaking hands and joking around like they’d been friends for years, not hours. I knew Mark was good, we’d play against each other quite often, and he always put up a challenge, even if I did usually beat him. He was, at least, better than Robyn, and beat her eight to three. A few more games passed, and I busied myself talking to Lily, Teddy and Mark (except for when the girls played, Teddy winning narrowly), while Robyn joined Arizona at the bar.
“Callie! Cary! You’re up!”
Arizona was still at the bar as I approached the table, about five or six feet away, and as I began to rack the balls, Mark joined Arizona bending down to speak to her. As Cary, a shortish blonde guy, lined up his shot to break the triangle, I watched as Mark and Arizona lined up very different shots and tossed them back like pros.
I was so distracted that Cary had to nudge me to prompt me to take my shot; I couldn’t help it, she had turned to watch the game, and her tongue had shot out of her mouth to swipe at a rivulet of alcohol that was at the side of her mouth.
Shaking myself out of my daze with great effort, I analyzed the table, deciding that solids would be the better choice. If there was one thing that could keep my mind off the blonde, it was a good game of pool. I lined up, certain to lean over the table towards Arizona, knowing full well that with the top I was wearing, there would be an ample view of my cleavage. I made sure to lean over the table in ways that would afford the blonde at the bar the best views of my body.
Unsurprisingly, I won the game; I mean, I am awesome at pool. I was on my way to the bar to talk to Arizona - and Mark, of course- when she was called in the next game, against Teddy. I still had one of the cue’s in my hand, so I slowed my walk, making Arizona meet me halfway. As she grasped the stick from my hand, whether by design or accident, her fingers trailed over mine. The unexpected contact made her exhale sharply, and we were close enough that I could feel her breath ghost across my lips, the faint smell of vodka, and something that I think must just be pure Arizona. My eyes closed involuntarily, and when I opened them she was gone.
Letting out a quiet sigh, I paced the extra three steps to where Mark was at the bar.
“Christ, Callie. You two need to have sex.” Off my affronted look, he added, “Hey, don’t even act like you haven’t been thinking about ripping those clothes off her body and having your way with her on top of the pool table.” I didn’t even bother to reply considering he was pretty close to the truth. Four more rounds of pool, as many shots of tequila for Mark and I each, another cider, and it was down to the final round.
Me versus Arizona.
By now, I was feeling pretty beyond tipsy, and I had lost track of how many drinks Arizona had consumed. Not that I’d know this until later, but we’d gotten a lot less subtle with our not-so-subtle flirting.
As she began to clumsily rack up the balls, I leant on the edge of the table to her left, arms grazing as I helped place the balls in the triangle.
My cue was leaning on the table on her right, and I took that as an opportunity to lightly press my front against her back to grab it with my right hand. I watched her knuckles go white as she gripped the edge of the cushioning.
“Let’s make this interesting, shall we?” I murmured in her ear, taking care to make sure my mouth was right next to her ear, delighting in the shiver I felt run through her body.
She turned her head, making my lips graze her earlobe, and I had to resist the urge to take it in between my teeth, “Okay. If I win, you’re buying my drinks for the rest of the night.”
“Easy done,” I acquiesced.
“And what do you want if you win?” she asked.
“When I win, I’ll let you know.” I moved to her right, raising my left eyebrow with a smile, daring her to make me clarify.
She seemed unperturbed by my confidence, simply replying, “Game on, Callie.”
And so began possibly the dirtiest game of pool I’ve ever played, and possibly the worst game I’ve ever played.
We were distracting each other any opportunity we had, when she was taking a shot, I’d stand on the other side of the table, and lean over. When I was getting ready to take mine, I’d screw up when I felt a well timed hand graze my ass.
Despite the cheating, we were evenly matched. The game went on until we were both playing on the black.
“Alright,” she began, slightly swaying, “Top corner.” She called the pocket she was to pot the black in.
“Let’s see what you’ve got, Ar-zona.” Did I mention I was definitely feeling the effects of alcohol?
She aligned herself, sliding the cue back and forth on the cradle of her fingers before taking the shot and missing, putting the black ball about two inches from the centre pocket. I watched with just a little smugness, knowing I could hit this shot, regardless of my intoxication level.
“Centre pocket,” I called, watching a trace of apprehension cross her features.
With one swift crack of the pool cue, the game was over. The crowd watching erupted in cheers and applause, and I was suddenly very aware of exactly how many people had been watching Arizona and I tease each other to breaking point.
Ignoring that, I accepted the drink card the bartender handed to me, and let a huge smile take over my face.
The crowd began to disperse, and I went to the bar to use my shiny new card to get another drink (one I probably didn’t need, but whatever). I sensed, rather than saw, Arizona come up behind me as I signaled James, the bartender, for two shots of tequila. Mark and the rest of our group were thankfully nowhere to be seen.
“So… Since you won, I guess I’ll have to do what you tell me.” At this point, I was positive I wasn’t imagining the suggestiveness in her tone.
Looking into deep pools of blue, I ran my tongue along the back of my hand, taking pleasure in the way her eyes watched my mouth intently, hungrily, before shaking salt over the moistened flesh and handing her the salt shaker.
She mimicked my actions and I could not help but stare, possibly slack-jawed, at the path her tongue traced across the back of her hand, a thousand filthy thoughts about the tongue tracing patterns on my skin running through my mind.
Wordlessly, I placed a shot with a lemon wedge on top in front of her.
“A shot of Tequila? That’s what I have to do?” she asked, and I shook my head, a small smile playing around my lips as I looked up at her through my eyelashes.
“The tequila’s just a celebratory drink between the two finalists of the pool tourney.” Accepting that, we clinked glasses and licked, sipped and sucked, wincing just a little as the liquid burned down our throats.
“So, Callie.” She leaned closer, her face mere inches away from mine, “What exactly am I doing for you?” Again, I didn’t miss the way she spoke those words.
People may say that there’s a higher power that has a hand in our lives, call it Fate, or God, or whatever. Me? I believe in identifying the opportunities the universe presents me with and making sure I don’t let them pass me by.
And I could already tell that Arizona could turn out to be the most important opportunity in my life, and I would be damned if I was going to let her pass me by.
“For that,” I whispered seductively, “We’ll definitely have to go somewhere more private.”
***
Reviews are better than beating boys at pool, and I really love winning.