Crossing Borderlines - 3/?
A/N: Just wanted to let you know that for a variety of reasons (the main being that I will be without internet access for 2 weeks), it will take me a while to get Chapter 4 up, but after that, chapters should be fairly regular again. Oh, and obviously, I made up these email addresses, but I think it goes without saying that you should not try them. I wouldn't be surprised if there were an arobbins somewhere and that would be super annoying.
Chapter 3
November 2012
“Callie, it’s Arizona. I am SO sorry I missed you when you were in London. I hope you weren’t waiting for me at the Cumberland all night. I could just see you sitting there drinking my martini and wondering if I’d show up. I would have if I’d been in the country. I was in Malawi for the month with Doctors Without Borders. You know me, I can’t stay in one place for very long. I just…I don’t want you to think that I stood you up. I wouldn’t have done that. I want to catch up with you, Callie. Really, I do. I’m going to send you an e-mail just as soon as I get off the phone. Maybe next time we can coordinate better so that I’m not halfway around the world when you’re in my neighborhood. Anyway, I’ve rambled enough. Bye, Calliope.”
November 2002
"Mmm, where are you going?" Arizona asked through her stretch.
Momentarily distracted by Arizona's breasts protruding as her back arched, Callie stumbled to her overnight bag. They had tried really hard to take things slowly, as Callie had promised, but after just two dates, they had wound up, once again, in Arizona’s bed.
“It’s Saturday morning and I have big plans for you,”
"I volunteer at the local homeless shelter on Saturdays," Callie said with a shrug. She knew it surprised people to know how dedicated she was to giving back and she didn't like to draw attention to it. She couldn't figure out why it always had to be a big deal.
Sensing Callie's reservations, Arizona refrained from asking any prying questions, even though she was insanely curious; there were very few college seniors who would willingly give up their precious Saturday mornings (usually spent sleeping in and nursing a hangover). Instead, she merely threw back the covers, and asked, "Can I come?"
"You want to come with me?" Callie asked with wide eyes, a grin already spreading across her face.
"Um...yes?" Arizona realized that her response was far from convincing. She herself was conflicted. She knew without a doubt that she wanted, needed, to spend more time with Callie and to learn more about her apart from her unparalleled skills in the bedroom (and sometimes outside the bedroom). But she also knew that this is exactly what she told herself she would not do during her study abroad trip: become attached.
"Well, I should warn you, I usually stay there all day."
Arizona cocked her head. Of course Callie stayed all day. "Well, just more time I get to spend with you, then!" Arizona chirped as she rummaged through her dresser to find something to wear. "I can't believe you get the grades you do and you dedicate so much time to this," Arizona mused.
"What can I say? I'm a genius," Callie replied with a grin. She was generally humble about her charity work but had no problem boasting about her intelligence.
Arizona chuckled with a shake of her head as she pulled a fitted tee out of a drawer.
"Ooh, no, don't wear white. I spend most of the day in the kitchen, preparing the meals for the whole week."
"Are you telling me that you're ridiculously good in bed, have a generous heart, are a genius, and can cook?" Arizona asked as she ticked off the list with her fingers.
Callie pretended to think over the list of attributes for a moment. "Yep. Aren't you lucky?"
"I am," Arizona murmured softly.
o0o0o
"Callie!" a gruff man called from the corner.
"Hey, Ron! How's it going?" Callie asked warmly, pulling the man into a hug.
"Oh, you know, same old, same old. You better be making your famous lasagna this week! You know it's the only thing that keeps me going," he responded jovially.
Callie looked around comically, checking to see if anyone was watching. When she decided the coast was clear, she pulled a tub from her grocery bag, showing Ron the label conspiratorially.
"Ricotta! My favorite!" Rob exclaimed gleefully. Truth be told, Callie put ricotta cheese in her lasagnas nine out of every ten times, but the rich cheese never failed to excite Ron, and he was sure to notice if it wasn't there.
Arizona watched the exchange with both amusement and adoration. She did not mind being ignored one bit. But when Ron's eyes finally glanced over to her, she gave a small smile.
"Callie, who is this gorgeous friend of yours?"
"This is Arizona. Arizona, this is Ron, my favorite," Callie grinned.
"You must be pretty special. Callie never brings anyone here. We're her dirty little secret."
Both Ron and Arizona laughed when Callie rolled her eyes. "Okay, enough trying to embarrass me, Ron. Arizona and I have lots of cooking to do," Callie said as she started heading towards the kitchen.
"Come see me before you leave!"
"Always do!" Callie shouted back without turning around as she walked through the swinging door to the kitchen.
Arizona practically trotted along behind Callie to keep up. "So, volunteering at a homeless shelter every Saturday is hardly inconspicuous, and yet no one else has come here. Why is that? I mean it can't be that you've never dated anyone for longer than a week, because...look at you." Arizona paused to catch the apron Callie threw at her. "And you have plenty of friends, so you'd think they'd want to come help you out sometimes. And I don't think it's that you don't want people to come, because you seemed very willing to have me tag along."
Callie bit back her laugh. Arizona was just too damn cute when she was rambling and breathless. "You done?"
The blonde nodded with a grin.
"No one wants to come," Callie said with a shrug. When Arizona furrowed her brow, she sighed. "They think I'm just doing this out of guilt, so they're not interested in that part of my life. No one understands why I don't just throw money at the problem and be done with it." Callie continued to rant as she rummaged through the fridge for ingredients. "And sure, maybe it started out that way, maybe I started doing this because I was feeling guilty that I grew up in a mansion when some people don't even have a mattress, never mind a roof. But I love doing this. Everyone makes up stories in their heads about homeless people - that they're drunks or addicts or lazy - so that we think they deserve to be homeless and don't feel guilty ignoring them, but that's not true. Ron, for instance, lost his wife and daughter and all their worldly possessions when his house caught on fire because two dumb-ass kids couldn't be bothered making sure their joints had been extinguished before throwing them under the foundation of the house. Now he has nothing, no family, no insurance, no money. They're all just people, like you and I, who have gone through unimaginable hardships. No one deserves to live on the street."
When Callie finally stopped to breathe, Arizona stared at her, blinking rapidly as she processed the rant.
"So, turns out we're both good at the rambling speeches," Arizona said after a few moments, before mentally kicking herself for saying something so inane after Callie just poured her heart out.
Callie chuckled breathlessly. "Yeah, sorry."
"No, Callie. What you said...you're amazing."
"I just...thank you for coming today. Thank you for actually caring."
"One hundred percent my pleasure," Arizona replied sincerely.
The two fell into a comfortable silence as they prepared the meals, Arizona acting as Callie's sous-chef by slicing vegetables, mixing sauces, and of course, being the taste-tester.
"So mansion, huh?" Arizona asked after a while, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Yep. I'm Callie Torres of Torres Hotels." When that rang no bells for Arizona, Callie breathed a sigh of relief. "We own a luxury hotel and resort chain in the US and a few other countries, but we haven't reached Europe, so you probably haven't seen our hotels. Though I'm sure in the next ten years, we will have expanded to Europe."
"We? Does that mean you're taking over?"
Callie sighed and looked down into the simmering pot of marinara sauce. "That's the plan. My sister certainly doesn't have the brains or discipline to do it. And I don't hate it."
Arizona nodded once more, taking in all the new information. She smiled at Callie to assure that there was no judgment on her part. "Sooooo..." she began, her tone mischievous.
"Yes, I know Paris Hilton. Yes, she is as vapid and annoying as she appears."
Arizona released a howl of laughter, thrilled that Callie knew what she was going to ask and that they appeared to have a similar sense of humor. For the first time, Arizona's only thought was that she needed to be with this woman, that she craved her attention, and that she wanted to know everything there was to know about Callie Torres, hotel heiress and philanthropist.
Dropping the spatula into the pan of béchamel sauce she was currently stirring, Arizona crossed the short distance between her and Callie. She gently laid her hand over Callie's to get the taller woman to look up from the colorful couscous salad (Callie loved serving a variety of healthy options, even if it meant paying out-of-pocket for most of the ingredients) she was tossing. Arizona wormed her way in between Callie and the counter and snaked her arms around Callie's neck. She put enough pressure on Callie's neck to get her to lean down and meet her for a kiss. Arizona soon deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue between Callie's lips. As she pulled away again, she caught Callie's bottom lip in her teeth, before releasing it and walking back over to her former position.
"What was that for?" Callie asked, her wide grin belying her complaining tone.
"Mmm just wanted to thank you for being you. Today is...awesome," Arizona replied. “And also because you had tomato sauce on your lip.”
o0o0o
November 2012
To: ctorres@torreshotels.com
From: arobbins@gmail.com
Date: November 15, 2012
Subject: Hi
Dear Callie,
I know, it's kind of ridiculous of me to send a personal email to your work address, but I found it online (now I sound like a stalker) and wanted to get in touch with you.
Guess what was on BBC news tonight. I'm sure you know. A big plan for Torres Hotels to merge with Britannia Hotels. Well, I think that was the polite way of saying Torres is completely buying out Britannia and revamping them. I think it's nice that they're allowed to keep the Britannia name, I'm sure you had something to do with that. Their company really needs an overhaul. I stayed at one just a couple of weeks ago...I definitely saw a cockroach and the management was awful.
Anyway, I suppose this is why you've been in England on business quite a bit recently. I just wanted to reiterate that I wasn’t ignoring your phone calls. I really would like to see you. In fact, thinking about seeing you, really getting to speak to you after all these years, has me quite giddy. And maybe that’s unfair to you, to me…to Rachel, but I can’t help it. I’ve tried so hard to get you out of my mind, my heart, but with one chance encounter at the airport, I feel like you’ve already wormed your way back in.
And now I’ve said far too much, so before I realize what I’m doing, I’m pressing send.
Love always,
Arizona