Nights Like This

Miranda woke up to Ben staring at her. "Good morning," he said smiling and kissing her cheek.

"Yeah, well, for someone, I suppose, but I hardly got any sleep," she said checking her alarm clock. It was really early. She groaned. She was still tired. She had tossed and turned all night. She told Ben this.

"I know. I'm sleeping right next to you," he said with a smile. Miranda returned it with a weak one of her own. "Thinking about Tami?" He asked pushing hair out of her face.

Miranda nodded. "I feel so bad and so responsible, Ben."

He reached for her hand under the covers. "Don't, okay? It was an accident. You couldn't have stopped it."

"We could have just come back to the house like I told Francine we would."

"Yeah, but she still could have gotten injured," Ben said talking softly.

"If it were Tuck, I would be fuming. I would be furious."

"You would be, but I would remind you that it was an accident." He squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek one more time. He started to get out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" She asked with wide eyes.

"Well, I figured that you wouldn't—what if Tuck…?" He stopped talking and stared at her. She was smiling. "Do you...want me to go?"

She shook her head. "It wouldn't be the first time that he's seen us in bed together." Ben looked confused. "Baltimore."

"Oh, but that was under mitigating circumstances."

"I don't mind," she said putting a hand on his chest. Ben winked at her and threw back the covers. "But you're still leaving?" She couldn't hide her disappointment.

Ben slipped on his shirt. "No, I'm just going to the bathroom, sweetheart." She giggled and once he was out of sight, she sighed, full of relief. She definitely didn't want him to go, but she wouldn't have begged him to stay.

When he was back in the bed, she snuggled up next to him. In his arms, she fell asleep again. When she woke up for the second time, Tuck was an inch from her face. She jumped. "Hi!" He said brightly.

"Hey," she said slowly, looking over her shoulder to see Ben with his back to her, still snoring. Tuck was jittery. "What's up?"

"I have boxing. Daddy's coming to get me, right?" Miranda nodded. "But I want to go and see Tami."

She cracked her neck. "I'm sure your father wouldn't mind stopping by the hospital before and after your lesson." Miranda got out of the bed. She hugged her son and kissed the top of his head.

"Can you tell him?"

"Okay. But for now, go and get dressed and packed." Tuck danced out of her room. "Good morning, Ben!" He screamed before closing the door to her room. Miranda could hear her son laughing as her boyfriend was roused out of his sleep.

"Whaa?" He said squinting over his shoulder.

"Nothing," she said smiling at him. He dropped his head back on the pillow. Miranda showered and brushed her teeth. She wrapped a towel around her body. When she emerged from the bathroom, Ben was sitting up in the bed, watching TV.

He stared at her and licked his lips. She sat on the edge of her bed. "Dreams do come true," he said to the ceiling. Ben closed in on her and kissed her neck and her back which were still speckled with water. Chills ran up and down her spine. "What are you wearing under that towel?" He asked in her ear. She shook her head. "Can I take a look?' Miranda swallowed as Ben touched her towel gently.

She jumped up. "No, no, no!"

Ben dropped his head and grinned. "I almost had you."

"You are a sneaky thing."

"I wouldn't have gone any further, but I was testing you." Miranda waved him off as he got off of the bed. "I'll go downstairs and fix some breakfast while you get dressed."

"Aw, thanks, baby," she said putting her arms around his neck. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you, too," he replied, kissing her on the lips. "Mmm. Minty. Let me go and make mine a match." Ben went into the bathroom. He came out a minute later. "Alright, kiss me again."

Miranda closed her eyes and met Ben's lips with her own. "That's much better."

Ben went downstairs while Miranda got dressed. She decided on a pair of grey yoga pants and a black t-shirt. Strolling into the kitchen, she saw that Tuck was helping Ben at the stove. She smiled at the sight. Her phone rang in her hand, making them turn around. It was Tucker. She backed out of the kitchen. "Hello?"

"Hey, Mandy. Is my boy ready? I'm almost at your house."

"Yeah, he is. He's making breakfast."

"Good! Because I am starved."

"You have a house, sir. And aren't you married? Why didn't you or your wife make breakfast?" Miranda said shaking her head. She went to the front door and opened it as Tuck pulled up behind Ben. She hung up the phone.

"Don't come for my wife or me, Miranda Bailey." Tucker laughed through the open car window. "I just had to get up early and she was still asleep. She is pregnant, you know," he slid out of his car. "And as I recall, the only thing you wanted to do when you were pregnant was cut people open and sleep." Tucker met her at the door and gave her a hug and kissed her cheek just as Ben and Tuck came out of the kitchen. "There's my boy!"

Tuck ran to his father as Ben put an arm around his girlfriend's waist. He shook hands with Tucker. "What's up, my brother?"

"Nothing much. Can't complain. You?"

Ben shook his head slightly. "Just doing me, you know how it is," Ben squeezed Miranda's hip and she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. Tucker nodded.

"So what's on the breakfast menu?" Tucker asked making everyone laugh.

"Daddy, Ben showed me how to make pancakes. And eggs with cheese," Tuck said leading the way to the kitchen.

"Tucker, I, uh… need to—Can I talk to you for a second?" Miranda asked grabbing his arm lightly.

"Sure," Tucker said.

"Outside," she told him jerking her head towards the door. Ben went with Tuck while they Tucker and Miranda talked. She told him about Tami.

"Damn. Is she okay?"

"She was stable and making a good recovery when we left. But Tuck really wants to see her, so can you guys stop there before and after the lesson?"

"Of course, Mandy. That's crazy. I know that lady is going crazy." She imagined that they were both remembering Tuck's incident with the bookcase. She nodded. "Yeah, we'll definitely stop by and take her a teddy bear or candy or something."

"Thanks, Tuck." They went inside to see that her boyfriend and their son hadn't waited for them and were halfway through their food.

Once the four of them finished eating, Tuck and Tucker took off. "Practice is still on, yeah?" Ben smiled and nodded. She sighed. She was excited, feeling a little bouncy, but she was also a little nervous. She hadn't been on a basketball team since high school.

"Yep. In about an hour. I still have to go home and change." She nodded while clearing off the table. "I'll meet you there?"

"Sure thing," she answered. He brought some silverware to the sink and moved behind her.

"We're all alone," he whispered in her ear.

She played with the dishes below the water, trying to keep her hands busy because she felt an urge to wrap them around Ben lovingly and pull him in for a long, sensual kiss. "Yeah, we are." Ben put his hands on her waist, grazing her butt.

"And damn those pants. They'll be the death of me," he said laughing.

Miranda whipped around suddenly, shocking him; water dripped from her hands and onto his shirt. "That's why I wear them," she said softly, standing on her toes and kissing him. Ben grabbed her butt, making her squeal; he picked her up and put her on the counter. Her heart was racing. She leaned down and kissed him again. She allowed his tongue to enter her mouth and pulled him in. Miranda heard her heart beating in her ears. He was driving her crazy. She pulled both of his shirts off and tossed them on the floor. He continued to kiss her, moving his lips from her lips to her neck. She heard the beating again, but it wasn't in her chest. It sounded like a knocking on her door. "Hold on, hold on," she told him hopping off of the counter. She listened again, closely, as Ben hugged her from behind, lifting up her shirt a little. "Ben," she whined. "I think someone's at the door." They walked to the front of the house and she looked through the peephole. It was Maggie. She looked stressed. Behind her was Callie who was wearing a shocked expression. "It's Maggie and Callie," she whispered before opening the door.

"Hey, Miranda," Maggie said as Miranda stepped to the side to let them in. "Oh, um… D-Dr. Warren." Maggie blushed.

"Dr. Pierce, Callie," Ben answered. Callie strolled in and raised an eyebrow, smiling. Miranda looked at Ben who was shirtless. "Oh damn." They laughed as he jogged back into the kitchen to get his shirts. "Do you guys want something to drink?" He asked when he came back, Miranda's guests giggled and shook their heads. Ben left them and went up the stairs. She smiled and gestured them towards the living room.

Maggie was the first to speak. "Miranda, I hope I' m not, I mean, I hope we're not interrupting anything." Miranda glanced quickly towards the stairs and shook her head. "Okay, well, I'm sorry to show up so unexpectedly. It's kind of inappropriate, but very important. Plus, Callie insisted."

"Just throw me under the bus why don't you?" Callie said smiling. She winked at Miranda, no doubt remembering George, her ex-husband.

They heard Ben's footsteps thundering down the stairs. "Ladies," he said looking from Callie to Maggie. They waved and smiled. He turned his attention to Miranda: "Baby, I'm going to get going. I'll see you at the park in a little bit, yeah?" Miranda nodded. He kissed the top of her head and he left, leaving Miranda blushing.

They watched him leave. Miranda spoke: "So, Maggie, what—what's so important?" She pulled her legs up underneath her body.

"Well, I know that Richard is my father," Maggie said casually, cutting to the chase. They were each seated in different spots around the room. Callie kicked off her shoes and pulled her feet up on the chair.

"Oh? I think it's best that you… uh, start from the beginning," Miranda said slowly.

"Like I told you guys at Joe's, I came here to find out about my mother. I mean, it's not why I'm here, but it's why I interviewed. There was no father on my birth certificate, so I had no idea who he was. What I did know was that he was Black… I-I mean, I assumed he was Black." Miranda nodded. "Ellis being my mother, I figured that I would use Meredith and anyone who might know her to learn about who she was, Ellis, not Dr. Grey." Maggie used finger quotes around "Dr. Grey" and she started to tear up. She cleared her throat as Callie and Miranda shared a look, unsure if they should interject, but Maggie kept going. "So imagine my surprise when I see a picture of her in an old magazine, after she'd won the Harper Avery, standing next to the guy who I've admired since moving out here. The same guy who told me that he didn't know anything about my mother or who my father was… is my father. The Chief is… he's my father, biologically, right? Miranda's heart started to race. "I won't bore you with my amateur detective work, but I found out that Richard and Ellis had an affair. I just put two and two together and—" Maggie sucked her teeth. A few tears fell down her face and she ignored them. "Is that, uh… is that one of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital's secrets? That Ellis had an affair with Richard and there was a love child that no one knew about or cared to know about."

Maggie looked from Miranda to Callie. "Mandy, she asked me and I could not lie about what we knew!" Callie said stared at her best friend with wide eyes.

Miranda shook her head. "Nobody said you should lie, Calliope." She looked to Maggie. "I didn't know. I suspected, uhh, I deduced and speculated that maybe he was. But I didn't know. We still don't know. We're all just… we're all just assuming." She shook her head slowly. "I didn't know, okay, but I was going to bring it up to you."

"You were?" Callie and Maggie said at the same time.

"Yeah," Miranda responded with a laugh. "I was." She sighed. "I talked to The Chief. He knows what we all know." She gestured to between herself and her guests. Maggie's tears were coming fast now. "He wants to talk to—"

"Oh no! I don't want to talk to him!" Maggie said wiping away her tears angrily. Callie looked at Miranda.

"Pierce, look," Callie moved next to Maggie on the long sofa. "I know you're mad, but shutting him out guarantees that you won't learn everything about your mother, from the one person who knew her best."

"I just… he said… all this time! He had every chance, so many chances." Maggie covered her face. They were all quiet for a while.

"He wasn't certain," Miranda countered. "None of us are, Pierce. We're just assuming," she repeated.

"DNA test?" Callie said pointing at Miranda. "DNA test?" She said pointing at Maggie. "DNA test?" She asked pointing at herself. The three ladies laughed hysterically, breaking the tension.

Miranda got them something to drink and they talked longer. "So, I was talking to Richard and if you wouldn't be opposed…" She spoke slowly, Maggie was smiling now and asking the question on her lips could undo all of the progress. "…we could do a dinner where you two can talk privately. Amongst friends. Without any real pressure."

Miranda watched Maggie's face as she thought about the proposal. Callie went into the kitchen and popped some waffles into the toaster, bringing out a plate. Miranda refused. As Maggie munched on her waffle, she began to nod: "Okay. Okay. I'm down. I don't have to like him—"

"But you do, right?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah. He's kind of great and nice," Maggie admitted.

Callie nodded. "He can be scary though." Maggie asked why and Callie told Maggie about the time The Chief had fired her and about the time The Chief made her wife cry. Maggie and Miranda laughed and giggled.

"Wow. I do have a lot to learn." They nodded. "I'm glad I have you guys. And glad that I can call you friends?"

"Of course, girl," Miranda told her.

"And Richard is like Miranda's second dad, so she can tell anything you need to know about him and about how to handle him." Hearing Callie say this made Miranda feel really good. They decided that they'd have the dinner next weekend, giving everyone a chance to calm down a little. The three women put the event in their various devices.

Miranda took a sip of her lemonade. "Soo…" Callie said suddenly.

"Sooo?" Miranda and Maggie asked at the same time mimicking her tone.

"Hmm… let's see," Callie put a finger to her chin. "Dr. Warren—in the kitchen—with no shirt on."

Miranda's cheek grew hot as Maggie smiled. "Yeah. Uh, so he kinda slept over." Maggie raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"Ooohhh," Maggie responded and she high-fived Callie.

"Um, no, nasties! We just slept. That's it." They shook their heads. "Seriously."

"Seriously?" The best friend asked. Miranda nodded. She told them about what happened to Tami. "Oh! Wow! That's the little girl Arizona was working on last night."

"Probably. It was terrible. Anyway, so, there was no session in bed for us."

"But tonight…?" Callie asked prodding her best friend.

"You know what? I'm not answering that, but I have to go. Karev and Ben have convinced me to join their basketball team, so there's practice in like 10 minutes." Miranda stood up and stretched. She was surprised that she wasn't stiff from all of the sitting.

"Good because I need to get to the hospital anyway," Callie said standing up and sliding into her shoes.

"If you don't mind, Miranda, I'd like to join you at the park. My day is free. And just between the three of us, I'm tired of sitting in the house alone or wandering around my neighborhood."

"Yes! Please. Come. So, I won't be the only woman there," Miranda said. The three of them laughed.

Miranda pulled up to the Brookden Park and Maggie parked two spaces away. She took a deep breath. This was her first time back to the park since the incident and she wanted to be ready. She looked to the court and saw that there were a lot of people, but Alex and Ben had half of a court to themselves. Alex probably had to get there early to secure a spot. She smiled to herself and climbed out of her car. Maggie walked with Miranda over to the court. "Karev," Miranda said. He gave her a high-five. Ben held out his hand and she slid her hand on top of it. Then, he gave her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Uh, Pierce, what are you doing here?" Alex said noticing Maggie.

"Karev. Oh, I just came to ch-check out what's going on," Maggie said not looking at Alex.

"You play?" Ben asked the cardiologist.

"Not for a long while. And I wasn't even good then. I was a distance runner in HS and college."

"Cool," Alex said giving her a half-smile. "Can you stand in until our 4th shows up?"

"4th? As in a fourth teammate?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah, we'll definitely need a sub. We are doctors after all," Ben said and everyone chuckled.

Miranda, Ben and Alex practiced a few plays with Maggie watching studiously, as if she were going to get quizzed. Then, the three of them took a break. Ben went to look for one last player to get a scrimmage and Miranda went back to her car to get some water. She was really comfortable and not looking over her shoulder anymore. She felt safe. Pulling out two bottles of water for Maggie and herself, she saw a familiar face buzz by her. She followed them. It was one of her residents, Shane Ross. "Yo, Alex! Sorry I'm late." Alex shook hands with the resident. "No other attending is trying to hear about how I'm about to go pro with the help of this 3-on-3 league, so I couldn't get out of scut in the ER." Maggie and Alex laughed. "Hello, Dr. Pierce."

"Oh, please, call me Maggie," she said smiling.

"Can I call you Maggie?" Alex asked turning to her. He gave her a half-smile.

Maggie shook her head. "I like it when you call me 'Pierce'." Miranda raised her eyebrows as Maggie blushed and Alex sputtered for a response.

"And you know the woman behind you, right?" Alex asked Shane gesturing to Miranda. "She's our third."

"Hello, Shane," Miranda said bending down to tie her sneakers.

"Dr. Bailey," he said straightening his spine.

"At ease, Ross," she told him and Maggie giggled.

Ben rushed back over. "Hey, Shane." They shook hands. "Okay, so I've found a 6th. His name is Tommy. He's on his way over now. Should we just go me, Karev and Bailey. And Ross, Pierce and Tommy?" Everyone nodded. "And we can switch Ross from one side to the next." He looked at Miranda and winked. It was the most intimate thing that he'd done since the hug and kiss when she'd first arrived. Her heart swelled.

"Alright, people, let's go," Tommy said coming over. He was a thick and very muscular white guy with long, boyishly blonde hair that was pulled into a ponytail. "Whose team am I on?" Miranda pointed out his teammates and the game started. Maggie was basically terrible, Miranda felt badly for her and so did Alex; he played Tuck tougher than he did Maggie. Tommy was okay, but he was really just a bruiser, roughing up everyone, like a 1980s NBA player. Shane was pretty good, very good actually. It turned out that Miranda and Shane had great on-court chemistry. When they were on the same team, they'd score several times, easily. She wasn't surprised because they worked well together inside of the hospital.

After the games ended, Miranda sat on the bench, exhausted. She didn't know how and where she'd get the strength for the scrimmage that would be happening in a few hours. Looking up into the sun, she saw a figure walking over to her. Ben. She smiled and wiped sweat off of her brow. "Hello, good-looking," he said sitting next to her and kissing her cheek.

"No, Ben Warren, please, eww. You're sweaty. And I'm dirty and filthy and sweaty and I do not even want you to see me like this much less kiss me." She pushed him away and slid away from him.

He followed her. "I like it when you're dirty and sweaty," he whispered into her damp hair. She shivered. He put his arm around her waist.

Shane walked over to them. He smiled. "So, the rumors are true. You two are like… a thing?" Ben chuckled. She stared at her resident and raised an eyebrow. Miranda rolled her eyes as he began to stammer: "No, uh, I just m-meant that—what I heard, w-well, I heard that..." He looked around. "Yeah, Karev?" He shouted across the park, running away to the imaginary sound of Alex's voice.

"How are you feeling?" Ben asked. She shook her head and took her hair out of the ponytail holder and let it free, it was soaking wet.

"I'm alright and will definitely be sore later on."

He nodded. "I've been there," he said squeezing her waist.

"So, where's the scrimmage?"

"Oh, yeah, that's cancelled. That's what I was just talking to Karev about. That's why we went so hard today." Miranda pumped her fist in victory.

"So, I can go home and rest?" She asked getting to her feet.

"Or," he said standing up and taking her hand in his. "You can go home, get changed, put on something sexy and let your boyfriend take you out for the night," Ben suggested.

"Out where?" She walked in the direction of her car, passing Maggie and Alex who were sitting on swings in the playground, rocking back and forth. Maggie saw her and ran over, leaving Alex behind her.

"Dr. Bailey! Are you leaving?"

"Game's over, Pierce. Everyone's leaving," Miranda answered. They were at her trunk. She let go of Ben's hand and pulled off her wet t-shirt and quickly put on another one.

"I know. I just wanted to ask you something. About… something," she said looking at Ben and quickly looking away.

Ben took the hint and walked off. "What's up?" Miranda said taking a long gulp of water.

"Well, I know the dinner is supposed to be no-pressure. So, I'd like to bring someone."

"Oh? I didn't know you were seeing anyone."

"I'm not. I'm not," Maggie insisted shaking her head full of curly hair.

"So, who is it? Or is it a surprise guest?" Miranda prodded.

"Alex Karev?" Maggie bit her bottom lip.

"Yeah, he's over there," Miranda said jerking her in the direction of her former student who was sitting on the hood of his car talking with Shane and Ben.

"No, he's going to be my guest." Miranda made a noise. "Is Alex not a good option, Dr. Bailey?"

Maggie stared at her. Miranda chose her words carefully. "If you want Karev to accompany you, I think it's what you should do. But, just so you know… Karev is not known for his subtly." Maggie nodded. "But the more the merrier, right?"

Maggie smiled. "Thanks, Miranda." Maggie looked back at Alex.

"Do you like him? Karev?"

"Well, sure. Of course." Miranda gave her face that said: you know exactly what I mean. "Yeah, I do. Okay? He's cute and funny and he just has this thing about him."

Miranda nodded and sighed. She waved the young doctor off which stopped her from talking. She didn't want to hear about how adorable her former student was. "Well, I'm off," she said loud enough for Ben to hear. He ended the conversation with Shane and Alex. Shane hustled to his car and sped off. Alex caught up with Maggie who was getting into her car. Miranda shook her head and laughed.

Ben walked over and asked: "You were going to leave without saying 'bye'?" He took a long step towards Miranda and put his hands on her waist. He kissed her, pushing her against her car. He ran his hands up her body and grabbed her hands, pulling them above their heads. Still kissing her, Ben leaned into her, pushing his body against hers.

Miranda moaned and smiled as Ben pulled away, gently running his fingers through her hair. "What was that for?" Miranda looked around and was glad that they were the only ones in the parking area. She was so turned on and she knew her face was flushed.

"I have been aching to do that all day."

She blushed. "I need to… go."

"Home?"

"No, I'm going to go and check on Tami and then head home."

"You want some company?"

"No, I'll see you later. For our sexy night out." Miranda put her hands on his chest and stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. She got into her car and pulled off. She could see him in her rearview mirror watching her.

Miranda pulled into a space in the hospital parking lot. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and went inside. She found Tami's room and took a deep breath and crossed over the threshold. She was greeted by Eli who was chatting, closely and quietly, with Francine. He had his hand on her shoulder. Seeing him interacting with Francine, made Miranda realize that she did want him to find his happiness. "Oh! Hey, Eli. Francine." They greeted her. "How is she?"

"She's pretty good. She just had a follow-up CT scan, so she's a little exhausted," Francine answered.

Seeing the little girl in the bed, tugged at Miranda's heart. "Ariz—Dr. Robbins is the doctor on this case, right?" They nodded. "What did she say?"

"She said that the gash was deep, but she was positive that Tami would be alright."

"Thank, God," Miranda said. The girl rustled in the bed and her eyes opened. Always a decision-maker, Miranda wasn't sure she should speak. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if Tami blamed her.

"Hi, Dr. Bailey," the girl said quietly. There was a lump in her throat. Miranda waved. "Is Tuck here?"

Miranda shook her head. "No. He's not."

"He was here earlier. He said he'd be back," the girl sputtered out.

"He should be back after his boxing lesson," she told the girl. The girl looked at Eli. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel okay. I want to play laser tag again," she said with a smile. Miranda smiled and saw Francine and Eli do the same thing.

"Maybe one day," Miranda answered. Tami smiled again. "Well, I just came to check on you. You get some rest." Tami nodded and closed her eyes. "Francine, if you need anything, please… call me." Francine nodded. Miranda walked out of the room, Eli followed her.

"So?"

"So."

"You know Tami and Francine."

"Yeah, I do." Miranda explained that Tuck and Tami attended the same school.

He nodded and she stopped a tear from falling. Eli pulled her in. "Miranda, she's going to be fine."

"I know, but—"

He cut her off. "I heard the story. It was an accident, Miranda. Plus, I'm her nurse and my patients do very well if you recall." She nodded and looked up at him. Someone cleared their throat. Miranda turned around to see Tucker. Tuck blew by her, waving. Eli shook Tucker's hand. "Nice to see you again."

"Yeah, it is," Tucker said drawing his hand back. "Hey, Mandy, how's Tami?"

"She's alright," Miranda responded.

"That's good," Tucker commented and the conversation fell silent.

Ben was good friends with Tucker, whereas Tucker and Eli hadn't seen each other often even when she and Eli were dating; and so they didn't know each other well at all. She smiled. "Well, I have to get going," Miranda said looking from one tall gentleman to the other. She nodded and walked away.

After her shower, she moved rather slowly. Ben hadn't told her what time and she'd rather have him waiting than for her to be the one doing the waiting. She was standing in her underwear when her house phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hello, Miranda Bailey," Ben said into her ear, making her smile widely. "I'm outside."

Her eyes got big: "I'm not even close to being ready."

"Miranda!"

"Well, you didn't give me a time to be ready, did you, Ben Warren?" She asked holding the phone steady between her ear and shoulder while putting her hands on her hips.

He sighed and started to laugh. "Do you want me to wait in the car or are you going to open the door?"

"I'll come and open the door. Give me a minute." She hung up the phone and threw on her robe.

She opened the door to see Ben standing there with a bouquet of purple flowers. "Hellooo, gorgeous," he said leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "These are for you." He handed her the flowers and she blushed, speechless.

"These are… beautiful. Thank you, Ben." She said giving him a kiss. "And for the record, dandelions are my favorite, but these are very nice. Uh, irises, right?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he answered coming into the house. She noticed that he was wearing a pair of khakis with a dark blue shirt that went very well with his skin tone. The top button was undone and he had on a pair of brown shoes. Miranda admired his style; he was always looking good.

"So, where are we going? I don't know what to wear."

"Just put on something fly and sexy and let's go. We have a reservation."

"Okay!" She sighed and turned on her heels. "Let me put these in water first." She headed for the kitchen. "You look good… by the way," she called over her shoulder.

"Thanks, baby. You look good, too," she heard him say.

She laughed. "And why won't you tell me where we're going?"

"Because." His voice was close. His hands were gliding over her body. She was sure that he knew that she was practically naked underneath her robe and that he could feel the outline of her panties. "You always get your way. And most times, with me, you will, but you'll know when you get there." He kissed her on the neck.

"Don't you start." Miranda slithered out of his grasp and went upstairs. She got dressed as quickly as she could. She was really excited about tonight. She didn't have a clue as to where they were going. Ben appeared in the threshold of her bedroom just as she was putting on her last earring and slipping on a gold bracelet.

"Wow. Just wow," he said crossing his hands.

"What? What 'wow'?" She asked going into her closet to find shoes.

"You 'wow'. You look smokin'." Blood rushed to her cheeks and she smiled widely inside of the closet.

"Thanks." She sat on her bed and put on her gold, strappy peep toe high heels. She stood up. "Could you turn around for a second?"

He nodded. "You know I've seen you naked several times already," he said as he turned around.

"That is not the point, Ben Warren." She looked at herself in the mirror, pushing up her breasts and smoothing down the deep purple dress that stopped two inches above her knees with a plunging neckline and sleeves that came to her elbows. She did look smokin'. "Okay. So, I'm dressed. Now will—"

He turned to face her. "You trust me, right?" She nodded. "Then enjoy the suspense and the surprise."

"The only times that I like suspense and surprise are when I'm in the OR and while I'm watching scary movies."

"Well, add 'and when my boyfriend wants to make me happy' to your list, hunh?" He winked at her and she felt her stomach flutter. She walked over to him and kissed him. "Let's go."

In the car, Ben held Miranda's hand as he drove. She turned on the radio and scanned the stations. She heard a familiar melody and stopped. She sang softly to a slow song that she loved: Luther Vandross' "Wait for Love". Ben glanced at her quickly, smiled and asked if she liked the song. "Yeah… I'm a big Luther fan."

"Me, too," he said humming along. "Well, we're almost there. Are you excited?"

With a straight face, Miranda answered: "Yes, I am."

"You can do better than that."

She looked ahead and smiled. "Yes, Ben Warren, I am very excited."

"Good. You should be." They pulled into a large and crowded parking lot. Ben hopped out of the car with a grin on his face and opened her door. She took his hand and stepped out of the car. He kissed the tip of her nose and they walked hand in hand to the front of the club.

Miranda looked up at the neon sign: "Lounge 88". IDs were checked, Ben paid the cover charge and they went inside. The lounge was dark and the music was so loud that the walls thumped. Ben held her hand as they made their way through the building. They were walking up to a table with a "VIP" sign on it. Miranda didn't often go to clubs or lounges when she was of the party age when all of her friends would leave her alone in her dorm room studying, but tables with "VIP" on them were usually reserved for big shots and people with money and, as the acronym suggested, "Very Important People". They stopped short at the rope that surrounded the corner table. "Um, Ben… I think we should just find a regular—"

Ben cut her off by putting his finger to her lips and saying: "Shhh."

"Can I help you?" The guy at the rope asked.

"Ben Warren," Ben said confidently. Miranda wrapped her arm around his.

"Yes, Mr. Warren. I'm Felipe. Your table is waiting for you and your guest." Felipe smiled at her. "Ma'am."

"Miranda," Miranda told him.

"Of course, Miranda," Felipe said quickly and Miranda nodded.

They stepped up into the booth area. Miranda's mouth was open in shock. "Close your mouth, sweetheart," Ben said with a laugh. He kissed her cheek, moving closer to her.

"I'm just in awe," she admitted.

"Good."

A waitress came to their table. "Good evening. Can I get you two some drinks?"

"Yes, I'll have a whiskey neat. And, um… a peach Moscato for the lady." The waitress smiled quickly and walked away, leaving a menu on the table.

Ben leaned over and whispered in her ear: "You look phenomenal, baby."

Miranda blushed. "Thank you."

"Should we order a little something to eat?" He asked, stroking her arm.

"Y-yeah, sure," she said with a nod. They studied the menu for a bit before deciding on loaded waffle fries. The waitress dropped off their drinks and took their next order.

Miranda crossed her legs and took small sips of her drink. "How is it?"

"It's good. Really good. I'm going to have to get a bottle of this stuff." They laughed. "How often do you come here?"

"Umm, not often at all. I am a professional. But it is a special place and the perfect place for someone like you."

"Someone like me?"

"Yes, beautiful and amazing." The flashing lights landed on their table just in time for her to witness him winking at her.

Miranda inhaled the compliment and turned her attention to the view in front of her. She'd expected to see a bunch of kids on the dance floor and at the bar, but she could tell everyone in the club seemed to be of her generation. She was grateful. She bobbed her head to music that she'd never heard before. It sounded nice. Loud, but nice.

Felipe had walked away to give them some privacy. Miranda and Ben kissed for a second. Then, he looked up and saw someone he knew. He excused himself, but not before asking Miranda if she was okay with him leaving. She told him that it was perfectly fine.

A shadowy figure approached their booth. "Excuse me, miss?"

Miranda looked up to see a tall, white man with a drink in his hand. "Yes?"

"Is this seat taken?" He asked gesturing to an empty spot in the booth.

"Yeah, it is."

"By your girl friend or by your boyfriend?"

She smiled at the stranger. "By my boyfriend."

"Bummer."

"Not really," she told him.

"Well, have a good night," he told her and walked away, sipping his drink.

"Who was that?" Ben asked coming to the table, startling her.

"I don't know. Some guy."

"I leave for a second and you've already found someone new?" Ben laughed and sat down, putting a cocktail in front of her.

"I can't help if I'm attractive."

"That you are," Ben told her, his eyes scanned her body. "How do you like '88' so far?"

"It's good. Cool. Hip."

"When was the last time you went to a club?"

"Oooh, it's been years!" She exclaimed drinking her wine. "What about you?'

"Um, it's been a while. I don't really have the time. And then I had the time, but no one to go with. I guess." He sighed. "I've been busy, so…"

"So… let's dance," she told him. She took a big gulp of her drink and stood up. "Drink as much as you can. We're not coming back for these." He nodded and finished off his whiskey.

Ben followed Miranda onto the dance floor. A slow song, dripped from the speakers as her hands rested around his neck and his slid around her waist. The same song that they heard while they were in the car was playing. She looked into his eyes as he said: "I guess this song loves us."

Knowing love the way I do, I can say for certain that it's true… There's a chance for me and you

Her heart was pounding, drowning out the sound of the song. "It does."

Ben sang in her ear as they rocked slowly to the music. "I remember not too long ago, I was just a lonely person with a lonely heart." Miranda pushed herself into his arms and body as the song played. His hands tightened on her waist. He continued to sing, melting Miranda: "Wait for love and you're gonna get the chance to love."

When the song ended, a faster song came on and Miranda's heart was grateful. Grateful. She was entirely grateful to have found herself in the arms in such a caring man. One who could surprise her and make her feel beautiful. She adored him and she found herself falling for him, every time he looked at her. When he held her. Every time he kissed her. They grooved to the next few songs before making their way back to their table. The waitress came by and they ordered waters and beers. She hurried back with their drinks. Miranda leaned towards Ben, she was more than a little tipsy, and said: "I like this place. Thanks. Thanks for bringing me here. It was definitely a surprise."

"A good one, though, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said nodding and drinking from her beer bottle.

"You know, I've been trying to keep my hands off of you all damn night. Trying to be a gentleman." She choked a little on her beer. "You're okay?" She nodded. "But," he said taking the drink from her hand. "I can't do it any longer."

"No one said you had to," Miranda told him as he hugged her and kissed her gently on her lips. Electricity flowed through her body. Ben deepened the kiss and her hands worked themselves up and down his back. When she pulled away, he stared at her. She matched his gaze. Quietly, they slid out of the booth again and hit the dance floor and Miranda had another drink, with Ben taking small sips. After last call, they walked out of the club, sweating and laughing happily. In the car, she said: "That was so fun!"

"I'm glad you had a good time, sweetheart."

"I did. But all that dancing has burned off those fries and now I'm extra hungry." Ben agreed. "Your place or mine?"

"Yours. I have no food." They laughed and blasted the radio as made their way back to her house with the clock reading 3:00 AM.

Getting to her place, Miranda went upstairs to change clothes while Ben pulled some extra shorts out of his trunk. When she came back downstairs, she saw him sitting in the kitchen, shirtless, with his eyes closed. There were two glasses on the table, one was filled and in the middle of the table, the other was half-filled and was in front of Ben. She plopped down in an empty chair. She was close to being drunk, but she sipped the wine anyway. They sat quietly, Ben's head dropped to the table. "Believe it or not," he said in a deep voice that made her wish that he was speaking directly into her ear. "I'm still hungry."

"I know, baby. Me, too. I was trying to work up energy. I'm wel—I was trying to make it to the stove, but I don't think I'm moving." Ben chuckled, shaking the table. "Am I moving?" He cracked up some more and waved her off. She cleared her throat. "How about we just go and sleep it off?"

"Just sleep?" Ben asked raising his head and giving her a half-smile.

"Even tired and buzzed, you're trying to get some," she said picking up her glass. She walked past him and bumped him with her hip. He looked. His sleepy looked strutting out of the kitchen.

"Wait for me," he called, catching up to her and throwing his arms around her waist. They went to her room and crawled into the bed, completely worn out. She sunk into her bed and melted into her sheets. "I'm going to kiss you and it will be sloppy because I am exhausted so forgive me." Miranda closed her eyes while he rambled. He moved closer to her and kissed her cheek and then her lips. She moaned. "Feels good?" She nodded. He kissed her neck, his hands wandering on her thighs, below the sheets.

"Ben Warren. You're heading into dangerous, dangerous, dangerous territory," she warned him softly.

"I know. That's where I want to go, though."

She pushed his hands away. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," he echoed with a chuckle. "Goodnight, baby."