Say You, Say Me

"So he comes back into town and you're gonna have dinner with him—and then what?" Ben asked.

"Nothing. That's it. We're just catching up with each other," Miranda said for what seemed like the 100th time. "We asked if you wanted to come. You said no." She applied some lipstick in the mirror, not bothering to look at her boyfriend.

"And what else?"

"Nothing else on my end."

"You do know he's going to try and make a move, right? He wants you back," Ben said picking up a shirt off of his dorm floor and putting it on.

"How do you figure?"

"I just know," he mumbled.

Miranda walked over to him and moved behind him. She put her arms around his body. "He can want me all he wants. He can tell me he loves me and that he can treat me better, but you know what I'll be thinking about?" She asked. She felt his body move under his sigh.

"What?"

"You."

"Then why go at all?" He responded turning around in her arms.

"Because he's an old friend and I agreed before I knew that you were so against me going."

"I'm not against—"

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not."

"You're jealous," Miranda volleyed with a smile in her eyes. He started to speak and she cut him off. "And it's so sexy that I can't wait to get back."

Ben laughed. His first one in hours. "My bad. I need to get my head back on straight. I shouldn't be jealous of that chump."

She sucked her teeth. "That's not nice. Don't call him that."

"He punches like one."

"Oh, yeah, y'all did fight." She shook her head. "So embarrassing."

"So fighting for your honor is embarrassing?"

Miranda shrugged," Yes."

He looked at the time. "Shouldn't you be getting out of here?"

"Now you're trying to kick me out?" He nodded. "Got someone coming over?" He shrugged. "Don't play with me, Ben Warren."

He leaned in to kiss her. "Now who's the jealous one?"

"Don't nobody want you," she said, moving away from his kiss. Ben chuckled as they walked out of his bedroom to the common room.

"Santana still does."

Miranda gritted her teeth. Hearing the name of the girl who had worked double time trying to get Ben's attention ticked her off. "You know what? I might not come back tonight. I'll sleep at my place."

"Stop. Stop. Stop. I'm kidding." She cut her eyes at him. "Poor joke?"

She continued to look at him. "Yes. And rude. Weirdo."

"Now that was rude," he laughed. Ben touched her waist and guided her to the door. "Go. Have fun. I will be here, alone, waiting for you to get back. Alone." He kissed her again before he walked her down to the front. Steve was waiting in the front of the building. "What's going on, sir?"

"Nothing much, young fella," Steve said as he was getting out of the car. Miranda felt Ben's arm drape around her. The men shook hands, amicably.

"What am I?" Miranda asked turning the attention back to her.

"Beautiful as ever," Steve answered. Ben's arm tightened. Steve held out his arms and she walked into them. "Hey, Mandy."

She laughed. "No one around here calls me that."

Steve laughed, too. "Well, that just goes to show how far we go back."

She pushed him. "Let's go."

"Okay." Steve waved to Ben.

"Take care of my girl," Ben told him, tipping an imaginary hat.

"Of course," Steve responded. He walked around his car and got under the wheel.

Miranda turned around and kissed Ben. "See, nothing."

Ben stomped around loudly. "You told me nothing would happen."

"Benjamin, nothing did."

"I watched him kiss you Miranda—on the lips."

"It was a peck, Ben. And, if it makes you feel better, his aim was shoddy and it was more on my cheek than my lips."

"Don't make fun."

"Sorry," she said looking at his angered face. "He apologized after."

"He did?"

"Yeah, after I told him about himself," she said. Ben laughed as Miranda shook her head remembering the event: After dinner, the she and Steve headed back her school. The car stopped and he walked around it and opened her door. "Dinner was great," she told Steve.

"Yes, it was," he agreed.

"Thanks," she said hugging him. He leaned in to kiss her and before she could stop him, his lips landed on the corner of her mouth. She put her hands on his chest and moved him back. "What are you doing?" She was pissed.

"Kissing a very beautiful woman." His response had her heart race and her palms sweat. She touched her stomach. "You feel it, don't you? The butterflies in your stomach."

She shook her head. "Those aren't butterflies; that is me distracting myself so I don't slap you." He took a step back and brushed against the car. "Steve, what…"

"I'm sorry… I thought…"

"You thought what?"

"You came to dinner with me." He looked at his watch and smiled quickly. "We talked all night. I still love you. No other girl has compared to you—the relationship that we had."

"I don't even know how to respond to that." He smiled and stood in front of her. "But I agreed to dinner because I haven't seen you in a long time and I wanted to see how you were doing." He nodded slowly, his realization evident on his face. "And because we're friends. I am in love with my boyfriend," Miranda said smiling genuinely. She really was.

Steve apologized profusely, "Mandy, I am so sorry. That was terrible."

"Not that terrible," she said making them laugh and breaking the tension.

He apologized again and she waved him off. "No… problem. Just don't do it again."

"Scout's honor," he responded holding up three fingers. "Please don't tell Ben. I could already tell that he was wary of us having dinner."

She laughed. "I have to."

"But he might fight me again."

"He's passionate about me," she told him. They laughed again. They really were friends. And that was enough for her. "And I'll make sure he won't."

"Good. Thanks See you around, Mandy." Steve hugged her again and then he was gone.

"Miranda…," Ben said bringing her back to reality.

"Don't. Don't finish that sentence." He sighed loudly. Miranda ignored it and continued: "Where am I?"

"What?"

"Where am I?" She asked again.

"In my room?" He said, confused.

"And why is that?" He shook his head, shrugging. He was so annoyed and it was turning her on so much. "Because this is where I want to be."

"But…"

"I want to be with you. I am with you."

"I love you."

"I love you, too," she said.

"Did you kiss him back?" He asked, half-joking.

"Yes, all night long. I'm actually back at his place doing him right now. Hard."

"Shut up," he laughed squeezing her hips. Ben kissed her neck. He moved her back to the bed and pushed her down. He kissed her inner thigh, taking control of the night. "Is he doing you like this?"

Miranda grabbed his head. "No, he most certainly is not," she whispered.