Still Waters

No one was on the schedule and no one was called in to work. So, the next evening, he drove to Miranda's house to pick her up. He passed her car in the driveway and rang the doorbell, his heart thumping. She opened the door looking so gorgeous. Blue jeans hugged her curves and a nice blue top allowed his imagination to run wild with the tiniest view at her breasts through a deep v-cut. "You look beautiful, Miranda."

"Thank you." She scanned his body her eyes landing on his black jeans for a millisecond longer than she'd probably meant to. "You're very handsome yourself." They walked to his car and he opened the passenger door for her. "Oh, a gentleman."

He started the car and his music blared. "Sorry about that," Ben said turning it down. "So, where are we going tonight?"

"There's a Portuguese restaurant that I've been wanting to check out," she responded not looking at him. "Callie is going to, uh, meet us there, with her girlfriend."

"A double date?"

"Yeah, do you mind?"

"No, I mean, it's a little soon. I barely know you." Her face showed shock and he smiled to let her know that he was only joking.

At the red light, she finally looked at him. "I get nervous sometimes. And wanted a buffer." He met her eyes with his own. "The first time there was Tuck. That was fun and easy, so I figured that... it would just as fun if I invited my best friend and her girlfriend." She wiped her hands on her jeans.

"So, I make you nervous?"

"I didn't say that you, specifically, made me nervous." He pulled off the road and into the parking lot of a grocery store. "What are you doing?"

"Call your friends. Tell them that you can't make it. And we'll go someplace else. We'll try the restaurant a different day. We'll try the double date a different time," he said hoping to God that there would be other times.

Miranda stared at him for a second before making the call as he drove to their new destination. "A jazz club?"

He nodded and got out of the car and moved around it, opening her door. "Yes, a jazz club."

"Like it's the 40s and I'm Dinah Washington and you're Charlie Parker?"

Ben chuckled. "I love that you know those names." He held her hand as they walked toward the entrance.

The club was crowded and smoky. He turned to Miranda to tell her something and saw that she was reading a plaque on the wall. He paid the entry fees and took her by the hand again. It impressed him that she let him do it—without warning and having no idea where there were going, she just followed. They found a table in the back and he expected her to shake his hand away, but she held on, rubbing his knuckles. The music was loud and delightful. They ordered a few drinks and some appetizers, watching the artists perform. Later, Ben would admit to her that he spent majority of the time watching her face and reactions than the people on stage. He really couldn't stop looking at her, completely in awe of the fact that the surgeon had said "yes," had chosen him.

"You're not even paying attention to the poet," she said out of the corner of her mouth.

Ben blushed, thankful that it was dark enough so she didn't see. "Okay, folks, we're going to slow this down. Grab that special someone and groove to this cover of Benson's 'Still Waters'."

The guitarist started up and Ben found the courage to ask Miranda to dance. Before he could pray that she said yes, she had his hand and was dragging him onto the dance floor.

I tried to run, I tried to hide my feelings from myself

Trying to find a place on her body that didn't seem too sexual was a task, but he settled his hand on the slope of her curvy body as they moved glacially.

Still waters run deep, my love will never leave

Ben swallowed hard as she rested her head against his chest. He pushed his hands into her body, raising her shirt accidentally. She didn't say anything and he kept his hand there, her thumb on her bare skin.

Is it true love comes once in your life?

The song faded and everyone clapped. "That's a great song," Miranda said pushing some hair from her face. They caught a waitress and ordered more food and drinks.

"Yeah, years from now, I'll tell our grandkids that that was the first song we ever danced to." He chuckled and looked over at his date to see that her face was a big question mark. "Not that we'll have grandkids or even kids or… or… or even that we'll… Wow, where is the waiter? I am parched. It is hot in here, no?"

Miranda smiled. "I'm starting to think that I make you nervous, Benjamin Warren."

"You have no idea," he acknowledged.

The date continued and they enjoyed themselves. They even danced with other people, always finding one another mid-song, moving their bodies together. Ben couldn't stop thinking if sex with Miranda was as good as dancing with her. Because if it was, he was in trouble.

Walking out of the club, Miranda held her boots in her hand. "Sorry, I hadn't planned on dancing tonight, so my feet are killing me."

He waved her off. Truth be told, his own feet were throbbing. In the car, she turned on the radio, but lowered the volume. "I'm somewhat of a musician myself." He raised a brow. "I, uh, used to play… the oboe in high school," she said.

"Yeah?" She nodded. "I thought band was for geeks."

"It is."

"You're not a geek."

Miranda laughed and nodded again. "I was then and I am now."

He nodded. "Interesting."

"Lemme guess. You were on multiple sports teams?"

"No, love watching, can't play a lick. Thanks for stereotyping me though." Her eyes widened with embarrassment. "I'm kidding."

"Theatre?" He shook his head. "Art?"

"I was the kid in class who slept. And teachers always called on me."

"And you knew every answer?"

"Every single one," he bragged.

"I hated you," she said scrunching up her face. They looked at each other.

"Are you hungry? I know we had apps, but I am starving. We could get burgers or something."

"I'd like that."

In front of her house, Miranda asked if he wanted to come in. "Y-yeah, sure," he stuttered.

They sat at her table and attacked the food. "I'm glad you didn't listen to me," she said looking over at him.

"Huh?"

"About the double date."

"Oh, yeah," Ben smirked. "I'm sure it would have been enjoyable."

"Not as fun as the club though." He'd shrugged like that had been his plan all along when the truth was that he'd chosen it randomly. Thank God it turned out to be amazing. And the night was going so well. Only one thing could make it better.

"I'm sure the double date would have been... fun."

"Yeah, right," Miranda laughed. It would have been awkward and you know it."

"I would have tried my best to not make it so awkward."

When they finished eating, Miranda grabbed their plates and took them into the kitchen. He followed. "Yeah?" She asked without turning around.

He took a breath. "So, we're just not going to talk about it?"

Raising an eyebrow, she said: "Talk about what?" Miranda crossed her arms and leaned against her counter.

He glanced over the room, his eyes landing on her. "Our almost kiss."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"At my house. You and me." Ben gritted his teeth. "We were a second from sharing a kiss." He felt his cheeks redden.

Miranda chuckled. "I don't remember that."

Leaning his head 25 degrees, he said: "Mmm. That's not the way I saw it and I had a front row seat." They'd spent the whole night, dancing together, but in this moment, he thought better of touching her again. He wanted her to come to him this time.

She exhaled slowly. "I say stuff around you that I really don't mean to." He smirked. "And when you give me that look, I just want to slap it off your face." She laughed and it was such a beautiful sound, it mesmerized him. He downloaded it to his brain so that he could listen to it even when she wasn't around.

"There's something about you, Miranda Bailey."

"Yeah… like I'm a mess," she admitted.

He shrugged. "A beautiful mess." Ben licked his lips before revealing a secret of his own. "I know your heart is hurting and I'm not saying I can fix it, but I damn sure want to try."

Grabbing the front of his shirt, Miranda looked up at him. Her eyes made his heart flutter. Seconds seemed to turn to minutes before she answered. "Okay." Ben touched her hips and pulled her as close as he could. Closer than they'd been in his apartment, even closer than they'd been at the club. They both moved in eagerly, but unhurriedly. His first taste of Miranda launched him into another dimension. For a second, he forgot where he was and what he was doing. The small of her back bent just for him as he deepened it, pushing his tongue into her mouth, hoping that it wasn't too much too soon. She moaned softly, sending him over the edge. Ben wondered what other noises she could make—more moans, whispers, could he make her scream? Her fingers raked the back of his head and he groaned. Pulling away, they simply looked at each other, hungrily, not yet satisfied. Miranda touched the side of his face and pulled him in for another kiss. This one was softer than the previous one and more intimate as their lips slowly became acquainted. But the fact that she took control over it made him smile into her mouth. "What's so funny?"

"You," he said. "You're a pretty good kisser."

Her fingers softly tapped the back of his neck. "Not bad yourself."

Just as he was going in for another kiss, his phone rang on the table and he kissed her cheek before going to get it. "Hello?" He said cheerily, staring at Miranda. "Slow down, slow down. Slow down." Knox voice was shaking and it rattled Ben's body. He tried to process what he was hearing, but nothing would penetrate. "Okay, I'll be right." His heart tried to escape his chest. "I… I have to go."

"Is everything okay?"

"Y-no, no. Keys. I have to get to the hospital." Ben's eyes darted around his apartment looking for his keys. They had to be somewhere close. "Uh, Knox is there. He keeps saying 'she'. I don't know who... I have to, um, shit—Where are my fuckin' keys?"

Miranda rushed to him and reached into his pocket, pulling them out. "I'll drive."