Three Words - merzona

Chapter 11 - And She Left

She kissed me. Arizona thought.

Meredith stared at her for a moment after she pulled away. The general surgeon bite her lip while doing so. Shying away from Arizona's gaze, she formed a stutter.

"I- I'm sorry." she sighed. Then, Dr. Grey ran away.

The staff saw the whole thing, Arizona knew. Yet she stand there contemplating and biting her lip just like Meredith had just now. 

That meant Meredith liked her.

That meant Meredith was not straight.

Right?

"No, no, no." she shook her head, confused by the kissed. "But she ran away... she was flustered. That must mean something," 

Arizona gulped. 

"But I have a date with Carina."

"But I have a date with Carina," Arizona said into the phone. Now away from the nurses' lounge and from the general public in one of the on-call rooms, she immediately called Alex.

She bit her lip again, waiting for a response. She just told Alex what happened.

He sighed on the other end. Arizona straightened.

"It's up to you. Do what makes you happy." he said. 

"So you're okay if Mer likes me? And I like her back? I mean- it's just THEORITICALLY-"

"It's fine. I don't care. All I care about is whether you're happy." the man on the line said. Arizona smiled inwardly.

She sighed and closed her eyes. "I'll get going then. I have a date."

Alex blinked twice on his end. He really thought he had Arizona there. He opened his mouth and said, "Hey- dude, wait. Wait!"

But he was met with the ended call tone.

"No," he muttered to himself, not believing his sister. "Carina? Over Meredith? No, never."

Arizona dressed nicely to the date. She wore a black blouse. Nothing out of the ordinary but still more charming than hospital scrubs. 

She sighed before entering Joe's.

"I'm going to do this. Alex and... Meredith can wait." she said under her breathe. "Tonight, it's about Carina."

Arizona quickly scanned the room and she laid eyes on familiar brown hair. Bingo. Carina was over there stirring her drink, looking bored. 

Arizona made her way to the table and pulled out the chair in front of the OB. 

I can do this. She thought.

Carina's head rose and she caught Arizona just about to sit down. She pulled a smile, "Hey, glad both of us could make it tonight."

Arizona chuckled catching the joke, "Don't worry last night is all good. Besides, the quadruplets are a cute lot."

Smiling, Carina nodded. She pushed a drink towards the blond in front and said, "Here. I figured you needed a drink once you got here. How was work?"

Arizona quickly took a sip. She ended up delighted by the different flavors in the drink, though she did not know what it was; it definitely seemed like something Carina would like. The drink started to taste a little bit like regret too.

No, wait. That's wrong.

"Is there anything bothering you?" Carina said while leaning in. She noticed Arizona not having the best of times.

"Ah, no. I'm sorry. I'm just off work, a little tired here and there." she laughed it off. "Thank you though, for my drink. Really thoughtful of you to think ahead. I like thoughtful. I like you."

Carina smiled, intrigued. 

"Mm, and I should say the same to you. You practically saved me from new workplace anxiety when you smiled at me. It was my first day and then you greeted me and then..."

"I said, good morning,"

"And then you stopped for a second. Only to say,"

"Oh, I don't know your name. But good morning to you, awfully gorgeous human!"

Carina chuckled. "Yes, exactly."

"That was embarrassing, really." Arizona laughed too.

But Carina gasped. She put her arms and hands into a cross shape against her chest, "Embarrassing? No! It was cute, Arizona. Cute."

Arizona felt light hearing the compliment. "Oh," she smiled.

Everything was going well. Great, even. Yet something inside her stirred to get out of here.

"Sorry, did I say something wrong? You seem like your head is some place else." Carina noticed Arizona's disinterest the second time around. She could not help but feel lacking. She tried her best not to think about how Arizona could be thinking about a certain blond right now.

"No. Uh. I'm sorry, I must look like a jerk for being occupied in my thoughts."

"It's okay,"

"No, please. I- I need to go. Maybe we can do this another time?" Arizona said.

She got up her seat in an instant. This alarmed the brunette. She grabbed Arizona's hand, helpless.

"Please stay," she said. "Whatever it is I've said I'm sorry just stay with me tonight, please?"

Confused, Arizona shook her head.

"It's nothing about you; it's me. I'm the problem." she smiled sadly.

Hurt in her eyes, Carina blinked strongly for a second. And when they opened again, she locked a gaze with the ocean-eyed blonde; she sighed.

"Is there someone else?" she asked. It was the last thing Carina wanted from Arizona.

The blond peds surgeon bit her lip before saying, "I'm sorry."

And she left.