Hooked on You

The next morning, he spent five minutes debating whether or not he should send a "good morning" text to Miranda. Then, he spent another five minutes staring at the phone waiting for her to respond. When she didn't, he just got ready for work. Stopping at a coffee cart, he brought two coffees, one for himself and one for Miranda. He didn't know how she liked hers, so he grabbed a handful of sugars, sugar substitutes and creamers and stuffed them into his pocket. Ben found her in the first place he checked, in front of the OR board. She was studying it and he held back a second, studying her, observing the way her head moved a little as she scanned the long lists for her name. When a small smile hit her face, he walked over to her. "Good morning," he said, making his voice lower so that only she could hear.

"Oh, I did, uh, get your message, but I, um… I had to get Tuck ready and I was running a little late. Sorry I wasn't able to text you back."

He waved her off. "It's okay."

Her shoulders relaxed. "One of those for me?" She asked. He nodded and held out one, pulling it back and watching her face change to pissed immediately. "It is too early for games," she told him shooting him a deathly stare. Ben smiled and handed her a cup. "How do you know how I like my coffee?"

"Uh, I don't. But I got you these." He emptied his pocket. "Bam."

"Thank you." She grabbed two creamers and two sugars. "Are you taking notes?"

"I am."

"Thank you for the coffee," she said with a molasses-like smile.

He couldn't hold in the grin that grew on his face. "You're welcome."

She started to walk away. "Oh, and good morning, by the way," she told him over her shoulder. He moved to catch up with her. Ben didn't know where she was headed, but he wanted to go. "Don't you have work to do?"

Miranda shrugged. "Probably, but… uh, how was your night? How'd you sleep?"

"Just fine."

"And how's your morning going?"

She shot him a look and he just waited. One tap at a time and, eventually, she'd crack. "What's with all the questions?"

"Well, that's how this goes."

"This?"

He nodded as they stood in front of the elevators. "Yeah, our friendship. I ask you questions because I care. And you answer because you like that I care."

The doors opened and everyone except a nurse exited. Inside, Miranda took a sip of her coffee. He did the same. "Fine, Ben Warren. I slept well. How about you?"

"Good. I am well-rested."

The elevator stopped and the nurse left, waving goodbye to Miranda. He was glad they were alone. She looked at him over the top of her cup. "That's good."

"Are you, uh, free this Saturday?"

"Who's asking?"

"You are. Since, you know, you asked me out," he said moving next to her, so that their lab coats were touching. "I'm just confirming. For me. For you."

The elevators dinged and the doors opened again. "Then, yes." More people came in and the two of them backed up into a corner. "I might, uh, have surgery though."

Ben leaned over. "I might join you," he told her. She sighed and slipped out of the elevator car before he could get another word out. The doors closed and he took a big gulp of his coffee, not even caring that it was still hot and burned his tongue. Once the day was finished, he headed toward the entrance. Knox called out his name and he kept walking, pretending like he didn't hear him.

His friend ran up to him and grabbed both of his shoulders and they laughed. "You're an ass," Knox told him. Ben shrugged. "So, I saw you talking with Bailey this morning."

He couldn't hold it in any longer. "We're going out this weekend," he blurted out.

"I told you she wasn't the 'hit it and quit it' kind."

"Shhh. Do you have to be so damn loud?" Knox made a face. "And I know that. You said I wasn't either."

The older man nodded. "And I was right. Look at you," he continued as they headed toward their cars, "diving into another relationship."

"I am not diving. I am sitting on the edge and sticking my feet in," Ben laughed at the analogy.

They both stopped moving. "I just want you to take your time. You seem really, really smitten."

Ben raised both brows. "What do you want me to say?"

"Nothing. Just thank me at the wedding."

The men shook hands and went their separate ways. In the parking lot of his building, Ben decided to call Miranda. He hoped that it wasn't too late. He hoped that she answered. The phone rang on her end for a long time and he was about to end the call when she picked up. "Hello?" His brain decided to take a little vacation and suddenly couldn't remember what to say. "Helloo?"

Her tone made his brain return immediately. "Hi." There was quiet on both ends. "Um, did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No," Miranda said.

Ben went into his apartment. "Oh? What are you doing?"

It took a while for her answer and when she did—"Just straightening up a little"—a loud sigh followed.

"Did I do something wrong?" When she didn't respond right away, he waited.

"Are you just trying to 'hit it and quit it'?" Ben's heart stopped. "You're pausing."

"I'm not pausing," he said quickly. "I just… where did you hear that?" He took deep breaths, trying to restart his heart. "Miranda? Where did you—"

"You and Knox really should be quieter when you're gossiping."

He sat at the island. "We weren't gossiping." Ben bit his bottom lip trying not to laugh. "But just Knox being stupid."

"Is that right?"

"Yes," he said fervently. "I just got out of a relationship. He thought that maybe I was looking at you as a rebound or something. And I'm not. I wouldn't do that to any woman, but especially not to you." There was so much honesty in his words. He really hoped that she knew how much what they were starting meant to him.

"I didn't know that." The hostility from her voice was gone. "That you'd just gotten out of a relationship."

"I know," he chuckled.

"Who ended it?"

"Time." She made a soft noise. "We grew apart and couldn't do it anymore."

Miranda cleared her throat. "My ex-husband is the only person I've ever been with. And it feels… weird to be doing things with another man that I used to do with him."

"I understand. And we can go at your pace."

Silence. This time the quiet between them was a lot let tense. "What are you doing?" She asked.

The friendly-esque question sounded so foreign coming from her that he laughed loudly. "I'm just getting in. I haven't even had a chance to unwind."

"Then why'd you call me?" There was the sass he was used to.

He licked his lips wishing that he could see her face. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh."

"Yep," he said popping the "p". "I am excited for this weekend." As soon as he finished his sentence, he wanted to throw his phone across the room just so he wouldn't have to hear her response to juvenile statement that left his mouth.

"I am… too," she replied. Ben kicked off his shoes and made his way to his bedroom. "So, Knox thinks that I'm a 'hit it and quit it' kind of woman?"

"No, he doesn't. He has the utmost respect for you, Miranda. He was warning me that if I was thinking about jumping into bed with someone, that person wasn't you."

"I hope that's true and you're not just trying to save your friend from an eye gouging."

Ben chuckled. They talked a little longer about their respective days. He asked her questions just to hear her voice. "Do you have Tuck tonight?"

"I don't. He's at his father's house."

"Oh okay." Ben's stomach was rumbling; he was so hungry, but all he wanted to do was lay on his bed talking to Miranda Bailey. He put an arm beneath his head. "Where do you want to go for our date? Or what do you want to do?"

She sighed. "I don't know. Aren't you supposed to figure that out?"

"But you asked me out, remember?"

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Fine. Then, I will come up with something." He nodded. "Are you going to make me pay, too?"

"Depends on how the date goes."

"I'm hanging up now."

He laughed. "I'm kidding." Ben pushed another pillow beneath his head as they talked. He expected her to get bored, but the flow of their conversations was so easy. Like they'd been friends for years. When he couldn't take the pain in his stomach, he did get up to make a bowl of cereal.

"What are you eating over there?" She asked.

"Cereal," he said between bites. Her laugh hit his ear and he started laughing, too, not even know what was funny. "What?"

"I'm eating cereal, too."

Their laughter rang in his ears for a long time after their phone call. "I don't feel like cooking."

"Me either."

He shook his head at how much they had his common. "Are we best friends now?"

"Not hardly."

Ben was back in his bed, silencing yawns, but he'd be damned if he ended the call. He wanted to fall asleep listening to Miranda's voice in his ear. The conversation had turned serious and they were talking about past relationships. There was so much pain in Miranda's voice talking about Tucker, her ex-husband. Ben really wanted to fight the man that he'd never met. But he also wanted to thank him for screwing up so colossally. Because of his arrogance and infidelity, Ben and Miranda just might be on the verge of something special. "That is unbelievable, Miranda. I'm sorry that you had to go through that." He imagined the doctor shrugging nonchalantly.

"It's just something that I went through." Miranda yawned. "We all have stuff."

"Yeah." He forgot to turn away and yawned loudly. "Whew, sorry."

"No, that's okay. I am exhausted." He chuckled. "Can we call it a night?"

"Sure."

Miranda's voice was so sweet and slightly raspy when she said: "Goodnight."

"Wai—before you go. Good morning text."

"What about it?"

"Yes or no? Should I…?" If she were any other woman, he wouldn't even care to know the answer. In fact, he'd be the one getting "good morning" text messages.

"Yes. I liked it," she admitted.

"I knew it!"