A great number of divorcés were lucky enough to avoid the friendship custody battle that ultimately came with the dissolution of a marriage. It was easy when you didn’t marry your college sweetheart, come from the same area, or run in the same circles. You kept the friends you had when you entered into matrimony, they kept theirs, and that was that. There were those few couple friends you made together as a couple, but for the most part, they were simply double date, couples’ outing friends and since you were now single, it wasn’t a concern. There was no worry about wedding invitations from these mutual friends where you both were likely to end up as a guest because they were already married. Callie and Arizona were lucky to fall –mostly- into this no mutual friends category. They shared mutual colleagues, but even with those friendships within work, they still never met in the middle. Colleague affairs brought them together, but it really ended there. Or so they had gone years ignorantly believing.
Then there was Clyde. They’d met her through a friend of friends and after their divorce when everyone else took sides, Clyde flipped them both the middle finger and said she wasn’t losing either of them in any bullshit friendship custody battle. Not that they made anyone else choose, it was just part the cycle of divorce, but Clyde never played by those rules or any really. There was no my way or the highway with her, just my way.
“So as I said in my last message. The one you never returned! My wedding is only weeks away. The wedding you promised to be present at? Remember? So your hotel room is already book. Your as in both you and Arizona. Separate beds in separate parts of the suite of course, so don’t start bitching. It’s the Magnolia suite. It sleeps up to fifteen comfortably because where else are we going to party without interruption? I also booked your airfare. Just a precaution.” Callie could swear she heard Clyde smile into the phone. “I don’t want my money back. I just want my friends, both of you, to be there for me. Seven full days all about me. That’s your gift to me. Arizona hasn’t called me back either, so I’m going to conference you both later tomorrow if I don’t hear back from you tonight. Tonight, Calliope Torres! It’s my wedding and if I have to drag you down to Mississippi myself, trust me, I’ll do it. You might break bones for a living, but I have fifteen years in the Marines and I will win. The...”
The line beeped and went dead as they both stared at Callie’s phone.
“Okay, I was cut off,” the next message started playing, “what was I saying? Oh yeah, the resort is twenty minutes from the plantation and the entire place is booked solely for my wedding guests. Jim has a big family. The night before the wedding, my bridal party will be staying on plantation grounds, so pack two bags because you’re gonna be going between the plantation and the resort.”
There was a long pause and both of them looked at each other with fear radiating in their eyes.
“Oh yeah, did I forget to mention you’re in the wedding party? Guess if you had called me back, you would have known. Anyway, the tailor has your approximate sizes and you’ll be completely fitted the first day you arrive. Everything will be great. Love you. See you soon. Call me!”
The message ended, leading to complete silence in the room for more than a few minutes.
“You ever traveled to Mississippi?” Arizona asked.
Callie shook her head.
“Me, neither. Does she really think we can’t get along for a week? We have a child together. That’s just …”
“Irresponsible? Ridiculous?” Callie finished Arizona’s thought. But the truth was that they hadn’t spent a week together … since before their divorce. Callie couldn’t even remember their last vacation together, it had been that long, and she was a little more than concerned about this trip.
“Yes!” Arizona agreed nervously. Maybe if they both kept saying it out loud, it’d become truth. Fake it ‘til they make it.
“Well, I guess we’re about to find out, huh?” Callie joked, but the nervousness in her own voice betrayed her with the truth. Her nervousness did nothing to comfort Arizona, but instead made hers sky rocket.
xxx
After dropping Sofia off with a close friend for the week, Callie and Arizona shared a cab to the airport. There was an uncomfortable silence between them. Both couldn’t get past the fact that they were about to spend a week together. In the same room. For the first time in years. They weren’t worried over the close quarters, per se, but it was going to be … different … difficult, and most likely uncomfortable at times. They hadn’t had this much alone time together since Sofia was a toddler and she was now a healthy ten year old girl. This was a very long time to share with an ex … especially ex-spouse.
Their trepidation wasn’t due to either of them being in a serious relationship. It had been over a year for both of them. So it wasn’t as if they had to worry over leaving a jealous partner behind. They were just … concerned. They both did have a go-to fuck buddy, for lack of better word, but that, for both, was purely a physical release kind of thing, no emotions attached, so that wasn’t an issue either, but fear still plagued them their entire plane ride to Mississippi.
And then the taxi journey from the airport was just as tense, leaving both women leaning against opposite sides of the vehicle, practically hugging their doors trying to keep the large gap between them.
Parallel sighs of relief escaped when they pulled into the driveway of the hotel. Imposing concrete carved letters spelling the hotel’s name erupted from the landscape, saving them from this tortured silence. They would soon be in their own rooms … well, their own spaces in their shared suite, but they could now avoid each other completely.
“We’re checking in for the Spangler wedding.” Callie handed the agent her identification. “Doctors Robbins and Torres.”
“Oh, yes, Doctors Callie and Arizona Robbins-Torres. Welcome, I’m Jordan, Clyde’s personal wedding assistant from the hotel. I’m all yours, so over the course of the next week so if you need anything, always ask for me.” He smiled at them sweetly.
Arizona was quick to correct him. “No, we’re not married. It’s just Dr. Torres and Dr. Robbins.”
Jordan pursed his lips, typing into his computer, before he looked up with a distant wickedness in his eyes. “Sorry about that. Clyde must have been distracted when she booked the room.”
Both Callie and Arizona eyed him suspiciously. There was something not right about how easily he dismissed the mistake. Callie swore there was an evil twinkle in his eyes.
“Well, we have a few more non-wedding guests left in the hotel, but they’ll all be gone when the rest of Clyde’s friends and family arrive in a few days. Your room is…”
“A few days?” Callie spat, her turn to interrupt this time.
“Yes, the hotel will be limited with guests until then. I was told you two were arriving early to settle things and for your fittings. Which, speaking of fittings, our in-house tailor will be around in about two hours. We do all alterations right here on the premises. Is there a problem, Dr. Robbins-Torres?” He grinned wickedly again.
Before Callie could erupt in a fit of rage that Arizona could see it coming, she answered with a forced chirp. “No problem.” She grabbed the keys from his outreached hand. “Thank you.” Reaching for Callie’s hand, Arizona pulled her away from the counter toward the elevators before she could cause a scene. She could have sworn she felt Callie’s body shudder at the physical contact, but she wrote it off as her ex’s body vibrating with rage.
xxxx
That day and the next couple ran rather smoothly between constant dress fittings and the spa appointments Clyde had arranged for them. Separately. At first they were both rather suspicious of their friend’s motivations for putting them together, but their single massages, pedicures, manicures, and facials put them both at ease. There was no other intention other than simply being there for their friend’s big day. Had they both been better friends, maybe they would have been able to take care of their bridesmaid’s duties weeks ago, but both knew they were purposely avoiding Clyde. The idea of going to a wedding was not something either of them had on their list of things to do as a single woman. Actually, all of the divorced people Callie knew felt the same way. Who the hell wanted to go celebrate a wedding when they themselves couldn’t get it right? Apparently Arizona was of the same mind.
On day three, things went downhill and rather quickly. There was a hurricane brewing in the air. Originally, Mississippi was not in its path, but early in the day, that changed drastically. By nightfall, the hurricane predictions of it changing course and heading straight for them was on point and now instead of it missing Mississippi entirely, they were directly in Hurricane Jen’s path. Everything in town closed down and boarded up, the airport included. There were maybe twenty people left in the hotel, those who didn’t get out in time, and a few locals who chose to ride out the storm in a safer, higher-elevated part of town.
“Who the hell plans a wedding in the south during hurricane season?” Callie huffed.
“Clyde!” Arizona answered even though Callie hadn’t expected one.
“They’re serving drinks and mozzarella sticks in the bar if you’re interested.” There was a storm outside for certain but it didn’t compare to the storm brewing in there and Callie really didn’t have it in her to fight anymore. They’d been at each other’s throats since the weather reports started coming in about Hurricane Jen’s new forecast.
“Because fried food is such a brilliant idea when drinking.” Arizona snapped, biting Callie’s head off.
Callie rolled her eyes. She wasn’t certain what was going on with Arizona, but they both needed some space. Lots of space. Space they wouldn’t get in a shared suite even if they both did have their own bedrooms complete with closing doors.
Throwing her hands up in defeat, Callie fired back with just as much attitude. “Fine, I’m gonna go. I can’t handle any more of your bullshit blame.”
“Blame for what?” Arizona looked up at Callie with equal confusion and anger mixing in her eyes.
“You’re treating me like crap, Arizona. I didn’t plan on a hurricane, but you’re sure as hell acting like I did. Like I can control the weather or something. And like being stuck in Mississippi with me is the worst thing ever. I just …” Callie shook her head, biting of tongue before she said something she’d regret. Taking a deep breath, she centered herself. “I just can’t deal with you.” Which was much better than her intended response that she couldn’t understand why Arizona was being such a bitch. That wouldn’t go over well at all. Before Arizona could answer and bite her head off once again, Callie disappeared behind the door. She wanted to slam it. To make a point. Any point. She wanted to show Arizona that her behaviors were not only unacceptable but hurtful. Except slamming the door would only encourage Arizona to come after her, to continue whatever fight they were having, and probably start more, and Callie didn’t want to continue it. Something crawled up Arizona’s ass and Callie didn’t want to be the victim of her rage anymore.
Callie had been gone for just under an hour when Arizona heard her singing merrily down the hall. She recognized the somewhat giddy tone in her ex’s voice and braced herself for a very long night. Callie’s absence hadn’t brightened her mood any. In fact, Callie walking out on her made her feel even worse. Not angry, really, ashamed of her actions maybe, but mostly just confusion. She didn’t know why she’d been acting like a brat and she hadn’t yet figured it out either.
As she heard Callie’s singing getting closer, Arizona had to laugh out loud. That tune told her that Callie was drunk or at the very least, tipsy and even though a drunken Callie meant she was way more easily set off, and in this case, Arizona couldn’t blame her, not with her own actions earlier in the night, it still made her just a little bit less moody. Drunk Callie was fun.
Hearing Callie’s keycard fumbling to swipe through the lock, Arizona decided it best to go help before she hurt herself. She pasted on her best fake smile being proactive in trying to avoid any confrontation that might be waiting behind the closed door. As Arizona opened the door, Callie stumbled forward into the room, falling directly into Arizona, the hand once holding the keycard, which was now on the floor, had a nice grip on Arizona’s breast.
“I come bearing gifts!” Callie’s hand flexed once with Arizona’s breast in it before she realized their positions. Shock covered her face as a blush climbed up her chest. “Um,” she released her hand and waved backward toward the room service cart behind her.
Arizona looked at her with furrowed brows, slightly embarrassed, but more amused.
“Hurricanes!” Callie’s brain kicked in and she again motioned to the cart full of pitchers of colorful liquid. “Morbidly, these are tonight’s special. The bartender made them without ice so they wouldn’t get watered down but ta dah,” uncovering the bucket in the middle of the tray, Callie proudly picked it up. “I got ice.”
The super cheesy grin on Callie’s face told Arizona she’d already had enjoyed one, maybe two, herself.
“Look, no more fighting, okay? This isn’t either of our faults so we might as well just enjoy these and each other’s company.” Callie offered, hoping Arizona took her olive branch. The look on her face was one of hope and Arizona couldn’t bear to crush her spirits. A truce was a good idea especially because she had no idea what they were fighting over.
“Why don’t you go get in something more comfortable,” Arizona motioned down at her own change of clothes into pajamas, “and I’ll set us up in the sitting room?
Callie’s grin spread as she nodded, moving forward. She stumbled just a bit toward her part of the suite and the tune she’d been singing down the hall was now a low hum. Arizona found a sense of relief with Callie’s return.
xxx
Arizona laughed hysterically as Callie mimicked parts of how she lost her virginity. Or more specifically, how the guy she was with lost his virginity because technically by science, medical, and physical standards, really all standards, that was not the day Callie lost her virginity. Callie joined in laughing as she finished, “I mean even with a strap-on, I know if it’s in there or not.”
It had been about an hour since Callie returned and they were a few drinks in with all anger seeming to vanish more and more with each passing drink. Somewhere along the way, they started a game of Never-Ever-Have-I. Sort of. It was one question asked, which required an answer from both of them with the best answer winning. The loser had to take long drinks as punishment. It did start off rather clean, mostly something to pass the time, but not far in, it devolved into a Rated-R, very closely bordering on Rated-X, version. Both knew it was a very bad idea, but thanks to the alcohol, neither seemed to care.
“Okay, number of women you’ve slept with?” Arizona clapped her hands in a drunkenly wild manner. She already knew she had this one in the bag. She had years on Callie in this department.
“Seven.”
“I win. I win. Drink, drink!” She sang gleefully. There was no need to answer herself. They both were well aware that Callie, while having her bed-hopping moments, couldn’t have spent the past five years catching up. Not when she was in a relationship for two of them.
Callie smirked wickedly, taking a large drink before she eyed Arizona with a matching wicked look. “Okay…” She pursed her lips, “how many men have you slept with?”
A frown formed on Arizona’s face as she answered. “None.”
Now Callie gleefully laughed. “I win. Drink up, Arizona.” She spoke in a sing-songy voice as Arizona realized she put herself directly in the center of this particular situation. Callie’s answer wasn’t needed here for obvious reasons. Those names Arizona knew well as Alex, Mark, and George. She didn’t want to know any more than that so she didn’t push the envelope for Callie’s answer.
“Most awkward sex-anything?” Arizona muttered.
“Huh?” Callie took another drink. They were getting into this deep and she didn’t think staying sober was a good idea.
“Getting caught. Something gone wrong during sex. Wrong hole or really no hole.” Arizona sent Callie a teasing grin. It probably wasn’t best that Callie told her about the virginity fiasco because Arizona was never going to let her live that down. How does a guy not know he doesn’t have it in the damn hole?
Callie laughed, sticking her tongue out at Arizona. “Okay,” she bit her lip suppressing the smile forming, “remember that time in the on-call room after my surgery with the hand transplants?” Callie asked. When Arizona responded with a blushing nod, Callie continued, her own blush crawling up her cheeks. “Remember the emergency page to the pit in the middle of it?”
Of course she did. Callie was running high off of adrenaline and took her so hard that Arizona could still feel the after effects days later. Callie was rough and wild, fucking Arizona hard and fast. Arizona came three times before they were interrupted, halfway to the fourth when Callie had to race out on her, leaving Arizona to finish herself up.
“Well, I had no idea, I mean, I never took my scrubs off because, ya know…” Callie’s lips formed into a sexy smile, her shoulders shrugged ever so slightly. “I was in a hurry. I wanted you and my own nudity wasn’t a priority.”
“Okay?” Arizona eyed Callie suspiciously. She was unsure what possibly could be so embarrassing about that. It wasn’t as if they were caught.
“You came all over my scrub top.” Callie muttered under her breath as arousal shot through her system at the memory and threw her off course. When she heard Arizona gasp, she looked back up. “I didn’t know. It was dark when I ran out, but of course, Alex pointed it out. A big stain right across my chest with it extra white where you rubbed against me.”
Arizona’s hand covered her mouth, her eyes big in shock and surprise. “No!” Came out muffled by her hand.
Callie relaxed a bit with Arizona’s easy response. She finally smiled and nodded.
“Oh God, why didn’t you tell me?”
Callie shrugged. “You didn’t need to know Alex knew. I threatened him to keep it to himself. I was already mortified, but I knew it would be much worse for you since you worked so closely with him.” She suddenly felt weird. Arizona was looking at her with so much gratitude and it made her feel things she was trying hard to blame on the alcohol. “Um, your turn.”
“Okay, remember that sexy night I had all set up for us, but then that high school football team bus accident happened and I was paged in before you could get home?”
“But we didn’t have sex. You were exhausted by the time you got home two days later.”
“I know but I was still … prepared. I was uh, I was strapped on waiting for you and then I was paged.” Arizona’s cheeks rose, her lips pursed, and the look in her eyes told Callie she was reliving it, which left them both feeling hot. “So there was a knot in the harness and I couldn’t get it out. Not by myself at least. You always did that for me.” Arizona bit her lip as she watched realization and horror wash over Callie’s face.
“Did you cut it off?” Callie asked slowly with one eyebrow raised, biting her cheek hard to keep from laughing.
“It was the leather harness. No way!” Arizona scolded. “I was … I mean …” She sighed. “I was still strapped when I got to the hospital and the rest of the time there. I had to put on three pairs of panties to keep it from completely bulging out and peeing, holding it to one side was no picnic either.”
Callie chuckled at the thought of Arizona being stuck at work with a strap-on in her pants. She chuckled because it’s all the sound she could garner. Especially when she was so turned on at the thought that her pants were starting to soak. Again, she blamed the alcohol.
“Oh, I haven’t even arrived at the good part, Calliope.” Arizona smiled. “So I’m in the middle of surgery with Alex and when he opened up, there were several bleeders. He needed an extra pair of hands and as I moved behind him, our bodies were flush …” Arizona choked a bit as she remembered Alex, loudly, asking what the hell was rubbing against his leg.
“Oh, no!” Callie gasped mid-laugh.
“Oh, yes! It took him several minutes. He at least waited until the bleeders were under control before in a five year old stage whisper, he asked if I was packing.”
“How does a straight man know what the hell packing means?” Callie asked somewhat seriously, somewhat trying to change the subject off the mental picture of Arizona wearing their favorite strap-on during surgery. The idea of it soaked whatever was left dry between Callie’s legs, which wasn’t much to begin with.
“You win!” Callie laughed awkwardly before taking a huge gulp of her drink. Arizona nodded in agreement. Embarrassment was fresh on her face as Callie went from one drink to downing the entire contents of her glass.
“Um, okay. So most inappropriate person you’ve slept with?” As the question fell from her lips, Callie realized Arizona’s answer was possibly Lauren or Leah and she wished she never opened her big fat mouth. It wasn’t until Arizona let out a loud laugh that Callie released the breath she’d been holding.
“Okay, so you can’t get upset. It only happened a handful of times, maybe a dozen. I was horny and lonely and I know it was so-so-so wrong. Just promise me you won’t yell.”
Callie slowly nodded with a furrowed brow. Her mouth suddenly grew dry. Arizona didn’t look ashamed, well ... not the kind of shame that came with affairs or whatever else you called sleeping with another woman while you were still married, but on a “break.” Even so, Arizona looked like she did something wrong and was about to get caught. Or lectured. Or judged for it.
“Sofia’s first grade teacher,” Arizona mumbled with an awkward sideways smile on her face.
“Suzy?” Callie threw her head back, barking in laughter.
Arizona could only nod as Callie’s entire body shook with laughter.
“What? She was hot!” Arizona argued, trying to justify her actions. It was the truth even if it was so inappropriate.
“I know!” Callie said, fixing her gaze on Arizona’s. “I slept with her, too.”
“What?” Arizona’s voice cracked, her mouth dropping open in disbelief.
“She asked me out after Parent’s Back-to-School Night in September. I finally put a stop to it after Spring Break.” Callie shrugged, her chin pointed down as she looked away in shame.
“That’s almost all year, Callie!” Arizona chastised her bringing more shame to Callie’s cheek.
“Hey, no judging. Like you said, I was lonely and horny and she was hot.” Callie’s mouth fell open as something occurred to her. “Oh my God, Arizona, we were sleeping with the same person at the same time? When did you …” she couldn’t finish the question.
Arizona chuckled uncomfortably. “We started after the Halloween party and stopped around New Year’s.” Arizona felt slightly dirty, a bit used, and just a teeny bit ashamed. “How many other moms do you think she was screwing?” She asked, horrified at the thought there might be more of them sharing this mutual sexual partner at the same time.
“Since we were the only lady lovin’ moms, I think it’s safe to say just us.”
Arizona’s forehead scrunched up, her lips pursed, and the look in her eyes was contemplative. “So, do we both drink?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Callie nodded.
“So, who do you think about when you masturbate?” Arizona asked with a smirk. Callie hadn’t finished drinking and the abrupt personal level of Arizona’s question had hurricane spewing from her mouth. Putting her hand on her stomach, Arizona tried to stop laughing. Her ribs were aching by this point. As Callie went to answer, Arizona flew across the space between them, covering Callie’s mouth with her hand. “Wait, no!” She yelled before pulling back and situating herself now closer to Callie. “Which celebrity do you think about when you masturbate? I’m not sure if it’s someone I know that I can handle seeing them without thinking about you and what you do with them on your mind … oh God, can you please answer so I can just shut up?
Now Callie was laughing almost hysterically as Arizona tried to hang her head in shame. Except she had no shame even with what was currently on her mind.
“Ruby Rose,” she answered easily. There were others, non-celebrities, or specifically one non-celebrity, but that was the safe answer. The only answer Callie was going to give. “Yours?”
“J.Lo.”
Callie laughed again. “Jennifer Lopez? Really? She’s old and … plastic.
Arizona shrugged with a bit of pride on her face. “We aren’t exactly spring chickens, Callie.
“Oh my god, you have a type!” Callie winked at Arizona. It was an accident. Maybe. Or maybe it was Callie being flirty. Either way, it caused a nice shade of red to climb up Arizona’s neck. She couldn’t deny it. She did have a type, but it was obvious Callie didn’t. Or at least her type had changed drastically since their time together.
Arizona let out a high-pitched, nervous laugh. “I’m pretty sure we can’t pick a winner because we both have drastically different tastes here and unless you have some story about meeting Ruby Rose and having a wild affair with her which is what you get off to now, and since I can’t provide anything similar, it’s really in the eye of the beholder.
“Okay, then, worst date…” Callie asked seriously
Arizona laughed. She knew she had this one in the bag. “Richard and Catherine, double date on a first date.”
Callie rolled in laughter and the image of having a date with Richard and Catherine. “That sounds absolutely terrible, but you’re going to have to do better than that.”
“Richard thought telling stories about you was a good idea. I was already nervous, so I drank too much and cooperated a little too much, too. My date didn’t find it … fun. She excused herself to the restroom before dessert and disappeared completely, never to be seen or heard from again. Sometimes I think he sabotaged it purposely, but I can’t prove it.
Callie rubbed her hands together. “I can still beat you.”
“Try me,” Arizona dared with a look of mischief in her eyes.
“Sloan set me up on a blind date. Halfway through, the girl asked me if it was weird screwing my daughter’s sister’s ex-girlfriend; my daughter’s father’s daughter’s ex-girlfriend. I mean she used both of those exact descriptions.”
“What? You went on a date with Mark’s daughter’s ex-girlfriend? I didn’t even know she was gay ...” Arizona screeched.
“She’s bi.” Callie shrugged.
“Wait, halfway through what?” She asked seriously.
“Halfway through when my fingers were already deep inside her, she busted out with that.” Callie finished, slightly embarrassed for disclosing so much detail.
“How old was she?”
“Sloan’s age. I was horny. It didn't matter at the time,” Callie stammered, nervously running her fingers through her hair and avoiding eye contact with Arizona
“You win. You most definitely win!” Arizona laughed taking a huge gulp of her punishment.
“Okay, best sex?”
“Arizona!” Callie whined as the room filled with awkward discomfort
“You opened that door when you started in with the virginity question, so answer!” Arizona demanded playfully
“You first.” Callie mumbled
“No-no-no, those aren’t the rules, Calliope. My question, you first.
Callie grew silent, looking everywhere but at Arizona.
“I don’t want to play this game anymore,” Callie huffed.
Arizona’s mouth fell open in shock. “Oh my God, please say it wasn’t Heather.”
“God, no, Arizona. We didn’t even have sex. God, no.” Callie rolled her eyes at Arizona.
“Okay, no need to be rude, I wasn’t sure how long you two were seeing each other. So come on, Callie, answer. Please?” Arizona begged. For some reason, she now needed to know Callie’s answer.
“Calliope Iphegenia Torres, answer!” Arizona demanded when silence followed her plea.
“You! Okay?” Callie snapped. “It’s always been you.”
An awkward silence followed with both women expertly avoiding eye contact. If Callie’s cheeks weren’t already heated from her consumption, possibly excessive consumption, of alcohol, she was quite certain her cheeks would be burning red hot.
“Drink,” Arizona mumbled motioning toward Callie’s beverage as she brought her own to her lips.
Callie looked up just in time to watch the half of a glass of colorful orange beverage drain quickly, disappearing behind wet lips. She just sat there staring at Arizona. She hadn’t even tried to argue her own point or embarrass Callie. Arizona simply conceded. Except why was Arizona drinking, too?
Reaching over to the tray, Arizona filled herself another glass, downing half of it before she bothered to add in the ice.
Callie still said nothing, sitting motionless.
“Drink.” This time, Arizona ordered with a note of impatience behind her words.
Callie did as instructed, but not before asking, “So we both win?” She really wanted to ask who was yours, except she was terrified of the answer.
Arizona shrugged. Downing an entire Hurricane in 2.2 seconds made her head spin. “Seems like we both ended up losing,” she whispered mostly to herself.
Now Callie was staring at Arizona with a hurt expression. Arizona hadn’t meant to verbalize her thoughts, but what else was there here for them but a loss? Once you’ve had the best sex of your life and you lose it, that left a rather bleak outlook for any future endeavors.
“It’s you,” Arizona whispered, her voice betraying her as she averted her eyes and literally twiddled her thumbs. At the exact second she spoke, Callie sniffled, loudly drowning Arizona out completely. When Callie didn’t respond, Arizona finally looked up again. Silent tears of hurt were streaming down Callie’s cheeks, heartbreak in her eyes.
“Oh, Calliope,” Arizona gasped. She was damning herself and that question. She hadn’t meant to ask it and she sure as hell wasn’t going to answer it. But Callie’s refusal somehow egged on her curiosity and she couldn’t stop herself. Maybe she should have explained her less than graceful words, but when Callie admitted Arizona’s very own answer, one until that point she was going to avoid giving, Arizona’s entire existence kind of betrayed itself. Betrayal of the heart by her own very self. Arousal peaked in the blink of an eye, or in this case, in one word, you. Her skin flushed in deep crimson, her pulse raced, her hands grew clammy, her stomach clenched, she felt dizzy, and all of that was in addition to the growing wetness and constant pulsing between her legs. All in a matter of seconds. But still, she hadn’t meant to make Callie cry just because she couldn’t control herself.
“You’re my best,” Arizona repeated, trying for damage control, knowing it was probably too little, too late.
Callie shook her head and wiped at the tears. “You don’t need to do that, Arizona. I didn’t mean to cry. I’ve had too much to drink, but you still don’t need to lie and try to fix it. I’m fine. I’ll be fine”
The look on Arizona’s face mirrored the broken-hearted one Callie was sporting. “I’m not lying. You’ve always been my best. You are the best.”
Callie wanted to believe her and searched Arizona’s eyes, looking for the truth. They were clouded with emotion, but Callie couldn’t pinpoint which ones. She looked down at her drink and realized they probably needed to stop. Leaning forward, she placed her drink on the coffee table and grabbed a tissue on her way back. Dabbing at her eyes, she dared another look at Arizona. There was now a smoldering look in her eyes. Callie opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. With the uncomfortable silence in the room, Arizona decided to follow suit, putting her own drink down. She wanted something to do with her hands, but drinking was probably not the best idea any longer.
“Arizona…” There was a strained plea in Callie’s voice and Arizona took it as all the permission she needed.
Leaning forward, she cupped Callie’s cheeks, her thumbs brushing away stray tears. She waited until Callie looked up before she closed the space between them, her lips tentatively pressing against Callie’s. When a small moan escaped Callie’s mouth, Arizona deepened the kiss.
As Arizona sucked on Callie’s lip, her tongue tracing the outline of Callie’s mouth, Callie’s hands came up, circling around Arizona’s wrists. Arizona pulled back, fearful of a negative reaction, but the pressure of Callie’s grip tightened, keeping her in place. It was all the encouragement Arizona needed. Leaning forward again, Arizona pushed until Callie was flat against the couch with Arizona now on top. With one hand now holding Arizona up above Callie, she looked deep into Callie’s eyes, making certain Callie wanted this just as much. There was obvious turmoil there, but when Callie’s hands returned their hold onto Arizona’s hips, her head dipped down, the kiss this time more frantic and deeper.
As their lips explored each other, their hands roamed free over the other’s body. It was a familiar feeling, Callie’s body pressed tight against hers, but what really set her ablaze was Callie’s hands against her heated flesh, pushing her pajama pants down over her hips. When two strong hands cupped her ass, Arizona broke the kiss in a loud moan, her hips pushing down against Callie’s crotch for some kind, any kind of friction. It wasn’t until she felt Callie’s fingers trailing down her stomach, dipping between her legs that Arizona could focus again. Barely.
As two fingers moved through her wetness, Arizona’s body went into overdrive. She spread her legs as far as her pants would allow and she groaned in pure pleasure as those two fingers filled her deep inside. Arousal, passion, lust, and animalistic want exploded through Arizona. Tears were streaming down her face, her body vibrating in pleasure as Callie’s fingers filled her again and again. With each thrust, Callie reached farther into Arizona, garnering moans of approval and begs of more. It felt unreal to be here with Callie filling her up, literally making her beg and cry for more.
After letting Callie take the lead, be in full control for a change, Arizona’s need to fill Callie was uncontrollable, and with the spare hand not holding her up, she entered Callie’s pajama pants, pushing her panties aside, and immediately began circling Callie’s erect, pulsating clit. Callie’s body responded to the addition of Arizona’s hand between her legs with a long moan, her hips leaving the couch in search of more contact. For a brief moment, Arizona looked down to see concern in Callie’s eyes, but as her fingers slipped further down and then deep inside, arousal took full control, with Callie’s eyes darkening in pure lust.
There were no kind words to be said, only a compilation of broken pleas, long and loud moans, and the occasional grunt as each of their hands worked faster. As Arizona’s pulse picked up, her hips gyrated, seeking pleasure against Callie’s palm, her toes curled, her calf muscle tightened, and her sweat-laced forehead dropped onto Callie’s. When the muscles in her stomach clenched and she felt Callie’s body go rigid under hers, Arizona captured Callie’s swollen mouth, biting hard on Callie’s lower lip as she let herself go. A deep growl of pleasure escaped as she worked hard, pushing through her own climax. She kept filling Callie deep and hard, faster and faster, until the woman below her screamed out, completely taken by orgasm. It wasn’t long before Arizona’s body gave out and she dropped, melting into Callie.
Thirty seconds could have passed or thirty years, Arizona had no idea as they both stayed there, motionless except for the rapid rise and fall of their chests as they tried to steady their breathing. Were they both contemplating their next move? Regrets? How to explain this away? Arizona wondered, but before she could work up the courage to speak, Callie started moving under her, tearing the rest of her pants down before she started on her own.
“Take me to bed,” Callie ordered with an air of uncertainty in her voice as she shifted them both until she could rid them of their shirts as well.
Laying there naked, Arizona could help herself and her hands roamed freely down Callie’s heated flesh. She moaned at the feel of Callie’s body responding to her touch after so long. Cliché she didn’t care, but it was as if she’d been lost in a desert for years and Callie was the water she’d been so desperately searching for to quench her thirst.
“Please?” Callie begged.
Who was Arizona to deny such a request? She knew they were both glutton for punishment here, but neither of them seemed to care either.
Sitting them both up, Arizona took another moment to admire the naked woman she’d only been able to have in her dreams. She lifted her body until she was straddling Callie’s legs, cupped Callie’s face, and without trepidation, kissed her as if Arizona’s life depended on it. She never wanted to stop, but when Callie let out a quiet whine of pain, she realized her prosthetic was pinching into Callie’s thigh.
Climbing off, she offered Callie her hand and, with it tight in her grasp, made her way to Callie’s bed. Before she could guide Callie to sit down and scoot back, Callie turned them around, giving Arizona a little push backward onto the bed. Arizona let out an uncharacteristic giggle at the unexpected turn of events, but that was cut short as Callie dropped to her knees in front of Arizona, her lips roaming Arizona’s spread legs as she worked to remove the hardware. The relief of freedom from her leg was also cut short as Callie’s mouth switched thighs and began a trail up to her heated womanhood while her massaging hands followed, spreading Arizona even wider.
“Oh, fuck!” Arizona moaned in pleasure.
As Callie scooted her body to the edge of the bed, Arizona felt Callie smile into her thigh as she writhed under her lover, moaning and begging for more.
Tentatively, Callie spread Arizona’s lips, her own satisfied moan escaping as she leaned further in, her open mouth completely ravaging Arizona. Her eyes squeezed shut, her hand tangled in Callie’s hair, and Arizona completely let herself go.
xxx
They couldn’t have been asleep for more than a few hours when Arizona woke up to the hurricane warning alarms blaring throughout the streets. Her body was sore, good sore, multiple orgasm sore, but as Callie lay completely vulnerable in her arms, Arizona didn’t care. They’d made love three times before the alcohol combined with exhaustion took over. The last thing Arizona remembered was Callie curling into her body, making sure Arizona’s arms came to rest over her hips, before they both fell victim to sleep.
As something slammed into the veranda doors, Callie jolted straight up in fright. They both heard shattering glass a few stories below, violently popping any bubble they might have been in and spiraling them harshly into reality. Hurricane Jen made landfall. Callie’s eyes shot to Arizona and then down to her naked body. She grabbed for the sheet, pulling it up against her chest as quickly as she could.
Breathing heavily, Callie sat there in a panic as she remembered the events leading up to this point. She didn’t want to regret what just happened between them, but she also couldn’t help the shame spreading through her body.
Arizona watched in horror as Callie shut down, her own shame for Callie’s shame brought tears to her eyes. As she worked on the words to give Callie some kind of peace of mind, to relieve her of any responsibility, a window in Arizona’s part of the suite exploded, glass going everywhere, and causing both women to scream out in fear.
They both moved quickly to the center of the bed, Callie reaching down for Arizona’s prosthetic in case they had to run. After Arizona attached her leg, Callie tossed her a robe, wrapping her own self in the sheet before they turned toward each other. Another window exploded, this time in the sitting room, causing them to both shake in terror.
“What now?” Arizona asked, hoping Callie, having lived through enough hurricanes in her life, would take charge. Arizona had never been in one.
“I don’t regret last night.” Callie spoke quickly, her words laced in fear. “I don’t. What I regret is losing you. I regret giving up on us. I regret leaving Sofia and Seattle, but I do not regret last night.”
Arizona looked at her as if she was crazy. If Callie was confessing this, she had to think they weren’t going to make it.
“If I had to do it all over again, I would have fought harder. I love you, Arizona.”
“Are we going to die? I don’t know what to do here, Callie.” Arizona had too much to say and she didn’t want it to be the last thing she did in her life. She wanted it to be the beginning for them, not the end.
The fear in Arizona’s voice set something off in Callie. She jumped off the bed, grabbed the bottles of water from the fridge in her room, and motioned for Arizona to follow. Once inside the safety of the bathroom, they heard another crash that rocked the foundation of the walls between them and the bedroom. Jumping, they both crawled into each other’s arms, curled in the base of the bathtub.
“If we make it …” Arizona started only to be interrupted.
“When we make it.”
“When we make it, we’re going home to Seattle and we’re never leaving. We can’t let Sofia be an orphan.”
Callie chuckled nervously. “She won’t.”
“And I want to try again. Us. Life is too short to not live it to the fullest and my life is empty without you.” Arizona confessed.
Callie looked up, wide-eyed.
“Calliope, I don’t want to live without you and I sure as hell don’t want to die with you in a bathtub in Mississippi.”
“We’re not going to die,” Callie replied with conviction in her voice.
“We’re going to do it right this time. Take time for each other. Listen. Talk. Support each other. And family comes first. No more hiding in our work to avoid our problems.” Arizona tightened her hug around Callie’s body.
“Because we’re going to work through them, together.” Callie agreed, hugging back just as tightly.
xxx
They sat in complete silence at the wedding party table, staring at each other. Everyone was dancing but them. Little had been spoken since the end of the hurricane, mostly from shock. When they finally exited the bathroom, on Callie’s bed, where they had been sleeping, sat the large and heavy concrete “E” from the hotel sign welcoming guests onto the property from over two hundred yards away. It demolished the entire wall of Callie’s part of the suite and destroyed the bed. They would have been killed. They thought about leaving Mississippi entirely, but the damage had already been done and they had survived and the wedding was still on for those who could make it into town. Instead of returning home, they’d spent every second of their time on the plantation. They shared a room. Held each other every night. Spent every minute of every day together. But they didn’t dare talk about what had happened, what had been said. They rarely talked at all.
“So are we going to dance?” Arizona asked at the same time Callie asked, “So are we going to talk?”
Arizona’s face fell. She wasn’t ready for Callie to take it all back. That it was said facing death. Abruptly without sincerity.
“We leave tomorrow.”
Arizona nodded.
“What are we going home to?” Callie asked timidly.
“What do you want to go home to?”
“You,” Callie whispered. She’d been walking on eggshells since the end of the hurricane just waiting for Arizona’s regret to set in. But Callie had been serious. Honest. She wanted a chance to love Arizona again.
Bile filled Arizona’s stomach as nerves took full control of her entire being. Was Callie serious? Was she just placating Arizona? “Are you sure?”
“If life has taught me anything, it’s that it’s too short and I’ve lost enough time without you, Arizona. We promised each other a life together and a future and we keep fucking it up, but I’m done screwing up, at least where you’re concerned. I want to keep my promise to you. I want for better and for worse because nothing is worse than a life without you.” Callie’s eyes bore into Arizona’s with truth and love radiating from them. She was putting it all out on the table, her heart, her future, her entire world.
Arizona stood up and held out her hand. “Dance with me.”
Callie’s face fell, dropped just a bit, as Arizona didn’t respond to her appeal.
“Please dance with me, Calliope. I wore my dancing leg just for you.” She curled her finger at Callie with a big smile on her face.
Callie now stood up, taking Arizona’s outreached hand and let herself be led easily to the dance floor. Once in Arizona’s arms, Callie relaxed into the embrace. She didn’t feel foolish for exposing her heart. It was the truth and if anything, it was now out in the open. Yes, she was sad, it not being returned, but Arizona was here, proving even with it out there, they could still be friends even if nothing more.
“We should go dancing at least once a month. Make it a permanent date night, a reminder to take time for each other,” Arizona rambled.
Callie, unprepared for Arizona’s comment, pulled back, stopping their dance.
“And we should get away more. With and without Sofia.”
Callie just continued to stare.
“But not Mississippi. I think we’ve both had enough of Mississippi to last a lifetime, don’t you?” Arizona asked with a cheeky smile.
Callie nodded cautiously, still frozen in place.
“Dance …” Arizona said, pulling Callie back in close.
“We’re really going to try?” Callie whispered, her voice full of tears.
“We’re going to make it.” Arizona gave Callie a big smile before leaning in for a chaste kiss.
“Your plan worked.” Callie heard those words muttered from the man next to them as she deepened the kiss.
Then they both heard Clyde laugh in response before she replied. “Well, I didn’t plan on a hurricane, but I can’t say I’m disappointed in the end result.”
Both Callie and Arizona stopped kissing, smiles forming against the other’s mouth.
“Bitch!” They both spoke and turned to look at Clyde.
She winked at them with the most devious grin on her face.
“You can thank me by changing Sofia’s name to Clyde.” She laughed.
