Must Be Doin' Something Right

Miranda followed him up the stairs and sat down on her bed. She thought about what to wear. She wanted to be casual, but she also wanted to look sexy. Miranda went to her closet and browsed around. Her phone was ringing. It was Tucker. "Tucker Jones."

"Miranda Bailey."

"What's up?"

"I'm going to come and pick our son up in about half an hour."

"Alright. He should be ready."

"He's staying with me the entire weekend, right?" Tucker asked her.

"Is he?"

"Well, I'd like to have him all weekend, if that's okay," Tucker asked. "And I'll take him to school on Monday."

"That's perfectly fine, Tucker. Any time you want to spend time with your son is perfectly fine."

"Thanks. You know, you're the best ex-wife a man can have."

"Ha ha ha, Dump Tucker," Miranda laughed loudly using the nickname that she knew he hated.

"Ooh, you went there?" He asked laughing. "Mandy."

"Very funny. Alright. I'll see you in a bit." She ended the call and went across the hall and checked on her son. He was asleep on his bed. "William George Tuck Jones!" He lifted his head and smiled. "C'mon, get up. Your dad will be here soon."

"Mmkay, just a few more minutes, mommy?"

Miranda pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. "Five minutes."

"Thank you," he said and his face fell back into his pillow. She watched him for a second before going back to her room. Damn, her phone was ringing again. She smiled widely when she saw it was Ben.

"Hello, Ben," she said. She hoped that she didn't sound too perky.

"Miranda."

"Are we still on for tonight?" She asked him, expecting him to say no.

"Of course. I was calling to see if you were still available."

"Yes, I am."

"Cool. Cool. It's 15 minutes to seven. I'll be there in about forty-five minutes. Is that good?" Miranda nodded. "I'll take your silence as a yes."

"That's fine," she said softly.

"Are you excited?"

"I am, but I'm trying to be cool."

"You don't have to be cool around me, Miranda."

"Okay, then, yes, I am excited, especially since I haven't seen you in a couple of days."

"I know. That's why I'm excited, too. Okay. So, I'll be there in forty minutes," he said and she agreed and disconnected the call.

"Tuck! It's time to get up!" Tucker walked, much like a zombie, out of his room and into hers.

"Can I take my game?" He asked.

"Don't you have a PlayStation over there?" He nodded. "Well, you'll be there all weekend, so if you want to take it, you can."

"No, I won't take it. I'll leave it here in case you want to play." He left her room and went to pack. She heard the music playing in his room loudly. It sounded like the CD that Tucker made for Tuck. She listened to the classical music and while she picked out the perfect outfit for her second date with Ben. Miranda still didn't know where they were going, but she wanted an outfit that would work well outdoors as well as indoors. She decided to put on a pair of white pants and a sleeveless, white shirt. She put on a mint green blazer and a pair of white heels. She looked at herself in the mirror. "Wow, mommy, you look pretty," Tuck said coming into her room.

"Thanks, Tuck. Are you all ready?"

"Yes. Daddy's downstairs."

"Say what now? When'd he get here?"

"Like five minutes ago. And Ben's here, too."

"WHAT? Tuck! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm telling you now," he said snickering.

"Oh, you! Did you take your bags downstairs?" Her son nodded. "So everyone's waiting for me?" He nodded again. "I'm coming down now. Let me grab my bag." Miranda grabbed her black and white pocketbook, throwing her wallet, extra makeup, phone, phone charger and her bedside novel inside.

Tuck shook his head and left her room. Miranda took another glance at herself in the mirror. And then she walked towards the stairs, stopping at the top. She could hear Tucker and Ben talking. She heard Tuck ask: "What are you kids up to tonight?"

"I call it D, D and D. Drinking, Dinner and Dancing," Ben responded.

They slapped hands and laughed. "Sounds good. And don't forget about the last D."

"What's that?"

"Desert, my brother. Enjoy." They laughed again.

Miranda walked slowly down the stairs, making a dramatic entrance. Tucker had his back to the stairs, so Ben was the first to see her. He walked to the bottom and helped her down the last couple of steps.

"Miranda," he said. "You look so beautiful."

"Thank you, Ben," she said taking him in. He looked good. He was wearing a dark blue sweater, blue jeans and brown boots. He'd pushed the sleeves of the sweater up and his forearm muscles were showing. He took a few steps in her direction and gave her a hug and kissed her cheek.

"What's up, Miranda?" Tuck said and he gave her a hug as well. "You do look good."

"Thanks, Jonesy. And nothing much. I'm wondering whether or not you know how to tell time."

"What do you talk?" Miranda waved him off. "Tuck, are you ready to go?"

Tuck nodded. "See you later, mommy. Bye, Ben," he said giving Ben a high-five. He gave his mother a tight hug and followed his father outside.

"So, Mr. Warren… that sounds weird. Dr. Warren. Where are we going?" She asked him.

Ben grabbed her hand and kissed it. Blood rushed to her cheeks. "Are you blushing?" He asked. They smiled at each other. She nodded. "No need to blush," he said touching her chin lightly.

"I hope it wasn't awkward waiting downstairs with Tucker."

"No, it's fine. Tucker and I are friends. He's cool with us dating."

"Speaking of dating, did you know that my son has a girlfriend?" Ben nodded. "Thanks for telling me."

"Well, he came to me and I figured that if I told you, I'd be breaking a bond that LT and I have."

"I know. I know, but I didn't want to be the last to know."

"Sorry, Miranda."

"That's okay. I'm glad that you and Tuck have a friendship," she said and she pulled grabbed her keys and walked to the door. Ben walked out of it and she locked up. Ben was holding the door open for her and she got in the car. He got in on the other side and they drove off. "So, you're really not going to tell me where we're going."

"Sweetheart, you'll see soon enough," he said checking his side-view mirrors.

"I like that. Sweetheart," she said.

"I'm just trying stuff out. Next up, sugar and honey."

"Sounds… sweet," she said laughing.

"How's your dad doing?"

"He's good. I talked to him yesterday."

"That's great, Miranda. That's really great," he picked up her hand while he continued to drive. He pulled into the parking lot of a huge apartment building.

"Is this where you live?" She asked looking around. He nodded. "Our date… is in… your apartment?" She was kind of disappointed.

"Are you disappointed?"

"No," she lied.

"I can see that you are. I figured that it would be nice if I cooked you dinner and we got a chance to talk, uninterrupted with no time restraint." Miranda nodded as she saw things from his point of view. "You feel me?"

"Yes."

"Okay," he said smiling at her.

Ben held her hand as they got in the elevator and rode up to his apartment. "This is a nice building. How long have you been living here?"

"I moved here a couple of years ago."

They walked inside and Miranda took a quick look around. It was a very spacious apartment. It was extremely nice and dark, manly. One wall of the room was actually a panel of windows and a door that led to a balcony that overlooked Seattle's finest. There were several candles lit all over the room, there were three on the large table that was set with two places. It definitely had a sexy vibe. "Your apartment is lovely. Did you decorate it yourself?"

"Would I get points if I did or if I hired an interior designer?" Ben licked his lips.

Miranda felt the corners of her turn up and she responded quickly, "Well, give me your answer and I'll let you know."

"I had a little help," he started and Miranda shot him a look. "Okay, a lot of help from Angela, but the concept, the feel… that came all from my head," he said tapping his head.

"Points," Miranda said and she sauntered over to the window and looked at the view. Ben walked into the kitchen and poured two glasses of wine, bringing one to Miranda who was still at the window. "Where are you from originally?" She asked suddenly realizing that she hardly knew anything about his past.

He cleared his throat. "I'm from Chicago."

"That's nice. So, how'd you get to Seattle?" She asked taking a sip and continuing to gaze at the view.

"My mentors were out here and one of them, Dr. Steve Gallen, chose me for his fellowship position at Mercy West."

"Okay. Okay. So, he flew you out here and did he come over to Seattle Grace with you during the merger?" Ben just nodded. "Gallen, the name sounds familiar, but I don't remember a Dr. Gallen, is he still active at Grey Sloan? Gallen. Gallen."

"No, not anymore, but he was an anesthesiologist and I know how you forget that we're even in the room," Ben said winking at her. Miranda blushed and put her head down slightly. Ben kept talking. "Both Steve and I came to Seattle Grace with the merger, his wife, Deanna, was already a nurse there." Miranda turned to him and watched as his eyes began to water. Deanna. Miranda knew where this story was going. She decided not to speak and let Ben tell it. "Deanna was killed by Gary Clark. I-I'm s-sorry," he said excusing him out of the room. Watching him go, Miranda held her own chest remembering her own pain from that day. And Charles'. The worst day. When he came back, he looked fresh-faced. He smiled and apologized for causing a scene. She assured him that he had no reason to apologize, no need to leave the room if he felt like crying. She gave him a weak smile. She urged him to keep going, sensing he needed to talk about it. "I wasn't there. It was a Tuesday, I was golfing. I used to golf on Tuesday and the best course is 30 miles away. Where you there?" She nodded. "Well, you remember… people were traumatized." Miranda told him about hopping a plane with her son to see her parents and staying there for weeks. He grabbed her hands and they walked to the sofa. "Yeah. Right, Steve, uh, couldn't bring himself to come back and he hasn't practiced since. Deanna and Steve were like my de facto parents in Seattle. They took me in when I first got here and had nowhere to stay. They were my friends. Deanna made the best banana pudding. When she… died, Steve gave me the recipe. He moved to New Jersey a few months after it happened. And I, don't golf anymore. I tried. I just feel guilty every time I step on the course."

"Ben…"

"It's fine. I wasn't the best golfer," he said and they laughed. "Annnd and I'm putting a damper on the evening."

"No, you're not," she told him. "I like getting to know you."

"I also saw this night going differently."

"Yeah. Drinking, Dinner and Dancing."

"You heard that?" He asked and she nodded her head. He lifted her hands to his lips.

"We've done some drinking and so dinner is next?" Ben nodded and he walked to the kitchen area. Miranda followed him. She watched him work. He seasoned a pot that had streams of deliciousness stemming from it. She heard the faint sounds of something bubbling. It was starting to get a little warm, so she took off her blazer and put it over the back of the sofa. "What about your ex?"

"Wow, we're going to jump right into that, huh?"

"W-well, you mentioned that you were in love with her, so…" Miranda's voice trailed off. Maybe she'd gone too far and asked the wrong question. She took a sip of her wine and put it down on the counter. "I'm sorry; it's none of my business.

"No, it's fine. I mean, I know about your past," he told her picking up a remote and pointing it towards the radio. Soft music filled the apartment. "My last serious girlfriend was Eunice Harpes. I met her three years ago, she's a baker. She owns a truck called, 'Nice Cakes'."

"They have the best chocolate chip cookie dough cookies!" Miranda exclaimed.

"Yeah, I loved those. I haven't had them since we broke up."

"So what happened to you and Eunice?" Miranda asked sitting down on a stool.

"Well, I went to pick her up one night at her apartment for dinner, right. The door was open and I thought it was because she knew I was coming. But, I walked in and saw clothes everywhere, a trail leading to her bedroom and I see her and her assistant manager having sex on her floor. It took a lot for me to peel my eyes away. I mean, they were really going at it." Ben laughed. "It's funny now, but it wasn't funny back then. Then, I left, but not before I broke a couple of her things which I thought would make me feel better, but—"

"It didn't." Ben shook his head. They were quiet for a while. "So, what are we having?"

"Well, you can wash your hands right here," he said pointing to the sink behind him. "Or in the bathroom, second door to the right." Miranda excused herself and went to the bathroom. She took the time to observe his bathroom. It was clean which was a definite plus in her book. He had a magazine rack and towels. Score, she thought, and she chuckled to herself. Miranda washed her hands and looked at her makeup, making sure that everything still looked good. She walked out of the bathroom and fought the urge to look at the other rooms in the house. She went back to the kitchen area and saw that Ben had put their plates on the table and he was standing next to it waiting for her.

"Ben everything smells so good," she said as he helped her sit down. "You're spoiling me."

"I don't mind," he answered unfolding his hands. He reached for hers and he said a prayer. "Pasta is definitely one of my fortes. It's Cajun Chicken Pasta. I hope it's spicy enough." Ben stared at her. Miranda did her best not to look away. She took another sip of her wine. "I don't know if you like shrimp or not," he lifted a top off of a small bowl. "But here are some if you want to put some in your pasta. It's so good."

Miranda sprinkled some shrimp on her dish and took a bite. "Ben, mmm, this is fantastic. My God!"

"Thank you, Miranda." He smiled at her as he took a sip of wine. "You, uh, you look really beautiful tonight. I mean, you always look good, sweetheart, especially in your scrubs, but you're killing tonight."

"Benjamin Warren, you're making me blush," she told him. "And by the way, you're looking sexy yourself." Ben tipped an imaginary hat. "I'm really enjoying myself."

"So, tell me about your domino surgery? I'm actually going to be sitting in on one of them."

Miranda's face lit up as she described the patients and the procedures. She got a small rush while talking about the surgeries. She'd never done something this big in her career and this could definitely put her in the books. Ben commented that he was proud of her and hoped that everything would turn out fine.

They'd finished dinner and were clearing off the table. Ben told Miranda that she didn't have to help, but she refused to listen. It was the least she could do. "And for desert, I thought we could take a walk to a late-night frozen yogurt spot in my neighborhood, if you don't mind."

"That sounds nice," Miranda said grabbing her purse and her blazer. Ben helped her into it. "How do I look?"

"Perfect," he said. "Ready to go?" He asked into her ear. She shivered and nodded. He blew out the candles, turned off the lights and they left.

Miranda held his hand as they walked and made small talk. Miranda looked ahead and she could see the lights of the yogurt shop. Ben stopped in his tracks and Miranda stopped walking as well. "What's up?" She asked turning around and smiling at him. He leaned into kiss her. Miranda gasped softly and kissed him back. She put her hands around his neck and held him tight. He touched her waist and gently pulled him into his body. When she pulled away, she was breathless and her heart was being quickly. "Wow."

"Miranda… I've been waiting to do that all evening," he told her in a husky voice.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. I love kissing you. I can't believe I held out for two hours." Ben chuckled.

"Me either," she told him and she pulled him down so she could kiss his cheek. "Let's go. Desert time."

They ordered their desert and decided to continue walking instead of staying in the restaurant. "There's a park right up the street." Miranda nodded. She couldn't speak; she was still thinking about that kiss. It electrified her. She hadn't realized how much she had wanted to kiss Ben and to hold him. Getting to the park, they sat on a bench. Miranda pulled one leg up and tasted the yogurt. It was pretty good. Ben agreed: "Yeah, I get some at least once a week. What kind did you get again?" He asked her looking up from his cup.

"Chocolate with gummy bears and sprinkles," she said smiling. "Do you want some?" Ben bit the corner of his bottom lip and nodded slowly. She scooped a little up and put it to his mouth. He closed his eyes and ate it.

"I love it," he said winking at her. "Do you want to try some of mine?"

"Sure. What'd you get?"

"Strawberry and Raspberry with a chocolate drizzle," he said speaking slowly and he scooped some up and put it to her lip. She ate it. He let go of the spoon and it was still in her mouth. He put his head back and laughed.

"Ehh, it's alright," she told him. She stuck her finger in her ice cream and put some on his cheek. He stopped laughing and she thought she'd gone too far. When a grin broke out over his face, she relaxed. "You have a little something on your face."

"Do I?" He asked and he turned his face and pointed to his cheek. "Can you, uh, get that for me?" Miranda could only nod. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, getting off the ice cream. Ben pointed to his other cheek and Miranda feigned annoyance and kissed his other cheek. "What about right here?" He asked touching his lips. Miranda turned around and put her cup of yogurt down. She looked back at Ben to see his lips poked out comically and his eyes were shut tight. Miranda laughed. She grabbed his face and pulled him in a kiss. "Miranda," Ben said when they finally came up for air after a few minutes of intense kissing. His hands caressed her waist. Miranda shivered.

"Ben?" She answered. She was starting to get a little chilly.

"Are you okay? You're shivering?"

"Am I? I thought my heart was just racing extra fast."

"Same here. Let's go," he said and they walked back to his apartment. Miranda looked at her watch and saw that it was almost 10:30. Inside, Miranda heard the soft jazz music still playing. "I think it's time for the last 'D'. Would you like to dance, Miranda?" He held out his hand and pulled her in. They moved back and forth. Ben put her arms around his neck and allowed his hands to settle on her hips. "I love this song," he whispered in her ear. "Turn around." Miranda closed her eyes and did as she was told. Miranda's back rested against Ben's chest and he put his hands around her stomach. "Are you having a good time?"

"I am," she said as his hands lifted up her shirt slightly. Miranda gasped and walked away.

"Miranda? Is everything alright?"

"No, no. I mean, y-yeah. Everything's fine, Ben." Miranda sat down on the sofa. "I don't know what I'm doing."

He laughed. "What do you mean? We're just dancing."

"Now you and I both know it's not 'just dancing'," she said using quotation marks. "Something's happening between us."

"I should hope so," he said sitting next to her. "I'm into you, Miranda." He chuckled weakly.

"I know. I'm into you, too. I just didn't know how much," she told him.

"You like me a lot?" Ben asked her smiling widely.

"Ben Warren. I'm being serious. I can barely speak properly around you. I can barely keep my thoughts straight around you. You make me nervous. I like you, th-that's all. I'm glad you convinced me to date you," she said that last part with a smile.

"You already know how I feel about you, Miranda. My feelings haven't changed," he told her putting an arm around her shoulders. Miranda allowed her head to rest on his chest.

"You know, I haven't seen your room," she said slowly. She hoped that she wasn't being too fast or being too suggestive. Maybe she should retract the statement.

He said just as slowly: "I haven't seen your bedroom either." They laughed. "But if you want to see my room first, let's go." He got up and led her to his room. "Now, before you go in, don't mind the mess. I, honestly, had no intentions on bringing you in here and I changed several—" Ben's rant was cut off by Miranda bursting into the room. It was huge, a little bigger than hers. His bed was made up, but there were clothes everywhere. His bedspread was black with about four large pillows on his queen-sized bed.

"Woah, sir. This looks like Tuck's room before he leaves for his dad's house." Miranda took off her blazer and put it on the back of a chair sitting in the corner.

"I'm usually a lot cleaner. It just took me a while to find something to wear," he said gesturing to his outfit. Miranda nodded as he zipped around the room picking up clothes and shoes. When he was finished he said: "Welcome to my boudoir." Miranda made a face. "Make yourself at home." Miranda sat on the edge of his bed. He sat down next to her. "It's about 11 o'clock, I can take you home if you want."

"I'm fine right here," she said. Miranda kicked off her heels and slid back on the bed.

"You are fine," he said to her and he slid beside her. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Sure. Why not?" She said and she turned on her back. He reached over her and grabbed the remote. Her heart was beating swiftly.

"What do you want to watch?" Ben asked her. He was on his back and put arm behind her head pulling her close.

She definitely felt safe. This is what she really wanted. "I don't really want to watch a movie," she admitted.

"Good, me either." Ben kissed her softly. "I actually just wanted to do that." He kissed her neck and she took a deep breath. "I think you were on top last time. It's my turn." With that statement, Ben moved on top of Mirnada and held her hands above her head. She felt her shirt rising up a little. He smashed his lips into hers. His tongue slid into her mouth and she moaned. Every inch of her was going crazy, she wanted to slow down, to stop, but she couldn't find the words. And as Ben slid down her body, kissing every place he could find, she whined.

"Ben. Hold up," she said. He stopped instantly and rolled off of her.

"Something wrong?"

"No, something's too good," she said laughing. He laughed as well.

"If you want to stop, we stop. That's easy." She told him that she didn't want to, but she didn't want him to think that she was some kind of hoe. "I could never think that about you, sweetheart." He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Never."

"You promise?" She asked searching his eyes for the truth. She felt so vulnerable. And Miranda hated to feel vulnerable. Vulnerable. That's how she felt during her marriage to Tucker. She felt too open. Like, it could all disappear and it did. And she was left out of luck and out of love. Like her father, Tucker blamed her for it, for everything. So being there with Ben was making her feel vulnerable to falling in love and getting hurt and hadn't she had her fair share of pain for the year?

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "I promise," he said seriously.

She reached out and touched his face gently. "Alright. Now, where were we?"

"Right here," he said grabbing the remote and pulling her close. He turned on the TV and found the movie, "Life" starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.

"I love this movie," she told him. They watched the movie for a while. "You don't want to kiss me anymore?"

"There's nothing I want to do more," he said kissing the top of her head. "Why? You miss my lips?" Miranda giggled and didn't answer.

"I have something to ask you."

He looked down at her, "You can ask me anything. I already cried in front of you." Ben smiled. Miranda was suddenly mesmerized by it. He made her feel so special and wanted. Had Eli made her feel like this? She couldn't remember.

"What did you mean by you wanting to marry me? Like, did you just use it as a shock factor? Because I was definitely shocked. Or did you mean it at all? Was it something that you just said?" She asked spitting out the questions.

No one spoke for a while. It was dark and kind of hard to see. Miranda hoped that she hadn't been reckless with her questions. She opened her mouth to speak and he put a finger to her lips. His voice was quiet when he spoke. "If I told you that I knew I loved you at first sight, would you believe me?" She didn't answer. Miranda didn't trust herself to speak. "Well, I did. If it's in the cards or in God's will, I want to marry you and I want us to be happy." She still didn't answer. "When I'm not around you, I'm thinking about you. Every month that you were with Eli, I knew that it should have been us." They laughed.

"Wait a happy second… did you just say that you love me?" Ben shook his head wildly. Then, he nodded slowly. "I cannot with you. You'll have to give me time. Plus, I have to see how good the sex is. Actually, truth be told, I'll know if I love you when I see how good it is." Ben ran a finger down her side making her squirm a little.

"Well, you know the sex will be good. I'm a great kisser." Miranda made a face and grunted. "Let's just watch the movie." They turned their attention back to the screen.

"Wait, I have one more, teeny, tiny question."

"What's up?"

"The first day in the park, when I thought Tuck was gone, when you hugged me, did you kiss the top of my head?"

"Yes. But it was out of habit. Nothing freaky."

"It was… comforting. Thanks for helping me that day. I was going crazy."

"Yeah, I know," he said turning on his side and she did the same thing. They faced each other.

"I'm tired," she said.

"Do you want to go home?"

"Do you want me to say no or do you want me to say yes?"

"I want you to say whatever you want, whatever makes you comfortable."

"Good answer," she said kissing him. "Very good answer. But I still don't know what you want."

"Spend the night with me, Miranda Bailey. I'm cold, let me keep you warm. Keep me company."

"Don't you mean let me keep you warm?" She asked him. He nodded.

"Whaddaya say?" He said kissing her lips.

I would love to," she said quickly.

There was a knock on the door. "Who in the world is that?" He asked getting off of the bed. Miranda followed him to the door. She hung back in the hallway and listened. "Ah, what do you want?"

"Is that how a doctor talks to people?" The visitor said. It was guy. Miranda could tell by the deep voice and the fact that Ben hadn't let him in. He'd never leave a woman out in the hallway.

"You're not people," Ben responded.

"Bro, can I come in?"

"I have a visitor," Ben told the guy through gritted teeth.

"Benji. Benji. Benji! Please," the guy pleaded.

Miranda emerged from the hallway. "Ben, let him in." Ben rolled his eyes and stepped aside. The guy was about the same height as Ben. And the same complexion. "Ben, is this Curtis?" She asked looking at a younger version of Ben. He was just as handsome. He was a shade lighter and had a head full of curly hair that gave him an extra inch.

"Yes. Curtis, meet Miranda. Miranda, meet Curt, my little brother." Miranda shook Curt's hand.

"Ben, I can go. Actually, no I can't. My car is at home," Miranda said chuckling. "So you can drop me off."

"Miranda, don't go. Please. Curt, what do you need?" Ben looked from Miranda to his brother.

"Damn, Ben. Can I get a 'hi, Curt'? Or a 'I haven't seen or heard from you in a minute, how are you, Curt?'" Curtis said going into the kitchen area and he took a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

Ben closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Hi, Curt. I haven't seen or heard from you in a minute, how are you, Curt?"

"I'm good, brother. How are you?"

"I was doing a lot better 15 minutes ago." Ben was furious. He looked almost as mad as when Miranda accused him of trying to get something out of her at Rogelio's.

"Did I interrupt something?" Curtis asked looking from his brother to Miranda. His eyes traveled from her feet up to her chest. When she caught him checking her out, he smiled. The same smile that Ben had, a wide smile with his pearly white teeth showing.

Miranda walked to Ben and grabbed his hand. "No, you're not interrupting at all." Miranda told him. "But can I just speak to Ben, alone for a minute please? Thanks." She pulled Ben back into his bedroom. "Well, first, I want to do this." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him hard. She let her hands travel up the front of his sweater. When she heard him groan into her mouth, she pulled away quickly and said: "Okay. Now that I've said that—clearly, he's here for a reason. Talk to him. If you could just take me home, I have a lot of work to do in the morning and I need to be extremely well rested. "

"Miranda. You don't have to go. You can stay here."

"That's very tempting, Ben Warren, but I really should be going," Miranda sat on the bed and began putting on her shoes. She didn't look at him because she feared that his eyes would convince her to kick off her heels and lie back on his very comfortable bed. She stood up. "Can you hand me my blazer?" Ben helped her put it on again. "A girl could get used to this kind of treatment." She said.

"Well, get used to it, sweetheart," Ben said hugging her. They walked back to the front room. "Curt, stay here while I take Miranda back home. Help yourself to the food, but don't touch my stuff."

"Okay. Okay. Miranda, nice meeting you," Curtis said shaking Miranda's hand and bringing it to his lips.

"All right," Miranda said pulling her hand away. "Nice to meet you as well, Curtis."

Ben got out of the car and opened Miranda's. He walked her to the door. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Miranda shook her head slowly and smiled. "No, you have a guest at your apartment waiting for you."

"My brother is such a pain. He's going to ask me for money and he's going to want to crash on my couch for forever."

"Maybe he just wants to spend time with you."

"Or he already went to Angela and she turned him down."

"Maybe, but go and talk to him. Please. For me."

"Shit. I'd do anything for you," Ben said touching her chin making her smile. He lifted her face gently and kissed her.

"I had a great time tonight, Ben."

"I'm glad you did. I'm sorry it was cut short."

"That's okay, just as long as you, uh… make it up to me?" She said and she moved in for another kiss; their bodies swayed in the cool night air. Miranda put one arm around his neck and the other on his chest, playing with the fabric of his sweater.

"I can do that," he said kissing her again. His arms were wrapped around her body. He put his forehead against hers and chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I just didn't imagine that I'd be holding you and kissing you."

"Really?"

"Don't get me wrong, of course I wanted to, but it just seemed like it was never going to come together, that we were never going to get together, that I was never going to get a chance."

"Well, you got it. Don't. Blow. It." She told him seriously.

"I won't," he said kissing the top of her head.

"Okay, now. Go ahead home. Your brother's waiting."

"Knowing that doesn't make me want to run home." Miranda made a noise and laughed. "But alright. I'll text you in the morning."

"Yeah, I'll hold my breath," she said turning on her heels and waving him off.

"Goodnight, Miranda Bailey!" He shouted.

"Ben Warren! Do not wake up my neighbors. Go home," she told him going into her house laughing.

Miranda didn't have to work the next day, Richard texted her a while ago telling her that because she came in on her day off, she didn't have to come in on Sunday. Miranda fell into her bed and was fast asleep.