Dontchange
Miranda stood in the kitchen and called out to her children: "Destiny and William, grab your lunches, book bags and meet me in the car in five minutes or I will leave you!"
"You won't leave our kids," Ben, said coming into the kitchen. He tightened his robe. "G'morning, babe."
"You think I won't leave your children, but I will." He hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek. "Good morning, sweetie."
The twins strolled into the room, moving leisurely. Miranda noticed how much Destiny was starting to look like her. At thirteen, she was already starting to get curves. Her brother was the spitting image of his father at the same age. And they each had the same brown eyes that their parents had. "Good morning," they grumbled. Ben hugged both of them, eyeing them carefully. She watched three of the most important people in her life with pure fascination.
"Okay, offspring, let's go," she said. They walked toward the door. She tossed the keys to William as she was pulled back by Ben.
"Are we still on for tonight?"
"What's tonight?" Miranda asked absentmindedly. Her mind was filled with two million different things. She didn't even know how she got anything done.
"It's Wednesday. Date night," he said shaking his head.
"Y-yeah, I knew that. Yeah, we are."
"Mmmhmm." He rolled his eyes, not at all convinced. "And the kids are going…"
"To my mom's," she finished.
"Good. Because we haven't had a proper night together in a long time," he said running his hand along her butt and tapping it gently.
She squealed. "Stop before you start something you can't possibly finish." He raised his eyebrows, daring her. She waved him off. "Uh, I'm leaving."
"Ma, do we have to go to Grandma's tonight?" Destiny asked. She was sitting in the front seat. Miranda wondered briefly about the fight that her children probably had before she got into the car about who would get to sit in the front this time. She didn't ask.
"Yeah, do we? Can we go and visit Ari?" Her son asked referring to Miranda's goddaughter who was living off-campus at the same college her godparents had attended.
"You can call her, but your grandmother really wants to see you," she answered, hoping that her guilt trip would work. They were great kids, well-mannered and smart, but as they got older, it got harder to convince them to do certain things; especially when there was no reason to strong arm them. She heard them sigh in sync. They were giving in.
"Fine. We'll go," Destiny conceded.
"Good," Miranda said. "So you guys will take the bus over there right at three."
"I have to stay after school," they said together.
"Who has what?"
"Basketball," Destiny said.
"Debate," William said.
Miranda twisted her lips to the side. "Maybe daddy should pick you guys up?"
"We can take the bus," William said. He was older by two minutes and took the chance to make decisions for them whenever the time came. They pulled up to the school. "Des, I'll meet you by the art room after practice."
The girl nodded and leaned over to kiss her mother. "Have a great day, you two!" Miranda called after her twins. She watched them separate and catch up with their different groups.
After work, Miranda stood in her bedroom and got dressed. She heard the shower stop and Ben came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. She looked at him and smiled. "You can just go out like that," she smirked. He walked over to her and put his arms around her. She melted. A part of her didn't even want to go out. She'd liked to have stayed inside and spend some quality time with her husband. They were finally back to having sex multiple times a week. They'd cut it down to once a week since the twins were old enough to what they were doing, but recently, they'd gotten into a groove and had been making love often. "Maybe we shouldn't go out at all?"
Ben turned to her and put his hands on his hips. "Miranda." Even after all this time, just the way he said her name made heart race. "We owe it to ourselves to do this. We deserve to have a night where the twins… where they don't exist." The two of them cracked up.
She nodded. "Okay." He had a point. The night was about getting reacquainted with the man she'd married. And she needed to make sure that he was still as happy as the day they were married, that she still kept him coming back for more. When they were dressed, he asked if she was ready. Miranda took one last glance in the mirror. "Yep."
Ben held her hand as he drove to the restaurant. "You look good, baby."
"I know."
"Damn, it's like that." He gasped. "I spoil you with too many compliments."
"No, you don't. My boyfriend does though." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Kidding."
"I know."
Miranda laughed. "Ha ha."
"We're here."
"This place looks unnecessarily expensive, Ben."
He touched her chin, "Don't worry about it."
"I have to be. Destiny needs braces and William's club is taking a trip to—"
Her husband leaned in quickly as she spoke and kissed her slowly. "Are you finished?" She nodded. "It's fine."
"You're sure?" He cocked his head to the side and looked at her, uninterested in her worries. "Fine. I'm just going to enjoy the night."
"Thank you."
At the table, they ordered drinks and appetizers. "Don't drink too much."
"Jesus, Miranda. I'm a grown ass man," he laughed. She sucked her teeth. He smiled. "Plus, I got us a hotel room which is right next door. If we get drunk, we can walk over there."
Miranda pulled her lips in and grinned. "Ass."
"But you still love me."
"In spite of your ass-ness not because of it."
"Half a dozen." The two of them laughed again. The night was going so well. They fell back into their rhythm of being Ben and Miranda instead of Destiny and William's parents. Miranda touched her husband's hand.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," a voice boomed through the speakers. "We're going to jumpstart the night with this great band, Wally and the Bees." Miranda and Ben clapped along with the rest of the room.
The lead singer of the band grabbed the microphone. Miranda thought she recognized him, but she couldn't place him. She chalked it up to a case of mistaken identity or a random colleague that she'd seen at a meeting. "Thank you, Hank. I'm Wally and these are the Bees." More clapping. "Ladies and Gentlemen, if the spirit moves you, please get up and dance. It lets our band know we're playing the right stuff." The room laughed. "Ready?" He addressed his band. Wally turned back to the audience. "Ready?" They confirmed that they were.
Miranda and Ben ate their food through the first few songs, talking and watching the other couples on the floor before joining them for a few songs. They returned to their table for a quick spell. When Ben got up to use the bathroom, Miranda took in the atmosphere—she was expecting a fun night with her husband, but nothing quite like this. "So, y'all. I have a friend in the audience tonight, a lady friend." Everyone aww-ed. "She's here with her husband and we don't often take requests this early, but she was such a good friend of mine and they're such a beautiful couple that when he came to me and asked me to play a song. I had to accept." Miranda glanced to her left and right around to see if she could spot the couple. Ben came back from the bathroom and kissed her cheek making her blush. "I see her looking around. She doesn't even realize who I am." Everyone laughed. Miranda looked at Wally. And instead of seeing the older man with a graying goatee who stood in the front of the band, she saw an eighteen year old Steve that she spent so much time with in her youth. Her hands went to her mouth. "I think she's finally spotted me, ya'll." He pointed and a spotlight followed. Miranda waved Steve and the light off and looked at Ben who was leaning back in his chair taking it all in.
"How did you know?" She asked. Ben shrugged. "Weirdo!"
"So, we're going to play a song just for them." The room seemed to be spinning and everyone seemed to be looking in their direction. "Y'all don't mind, do you?" They clapped. "Good. One, two, three." When the music started playing, Miranda found that she almost couldn't hold back the tears in her eyes. "Lately you've been questioning if I still see you the same way."
Ben walked around the table and took her hand; the entire room seemed to be staring at them. "Dance with me?" He asked.
"Yes," she said looking him right in the eye.
Their chests were pressed together and she was unaware of anyone else on the dance floor except for them. "Now don't you know you'll always be the most beautiful woman I know."
Miranda looked into her husband's teary eyes. "You are something else," she told him.
"You make me so emotional," he told her.
Steve continued to sing. "See, I'll love you when your hair turns gray, girl."
"You? I can barely see with all of the tears in my eyes." They kept dancing. "Why didn't you have him sing your song for me?"
"He didn't know it," Ben said rolling his eyes. "Who doesn't know Anita Baker's 'You Bring Me Joy'?"
"Amateurs," she said agreeing.
"I was meant for you and you were meant for me, yeah…"
"This dress is smoking. And those heels—damn!" He caressed her back. She shivered, his touch turning her into putty.
"Thank you, baby."
"And I'll make sure that I'll be everything you need," Steve sang beautifully.
He held her tighter. "And let me add that you look so sexy."
"And you are so handsome and so perfect," she told him kissing his chin.
"Girl, the way we are is how it's gonna be, just as long as your love don't change."
Miranda caught Steve's eye and he winked, walking in her direction. He turned off his microphone and another singer picked up the song. "Steve's coming over," she whispered.
"Good," Ben asked kissing her cheek.
"Mand—Miranda," Steve said touching her shoulder.
She turned around. "Steve." They hugged. "And you can call me Mandy. I don't mind."
"It has been too long," he commented.
"Way too long," she echoed. "I guess I don't have to introduce this guy."
The two men shook hands. They'd each turned into very good-looking and decent men, a far cry from the knuckleheads her father deemed them to be. She smiled to herself thinking about her dad. "Thanks for playing that song," Ben said.
"No problem. It's a crowd-pleaser."
"Babe, I'm going to get us something to drink." He looked at Steve: "You need anything?"
"I'm good. Thanks, bro." Ben kissed her cheek again and walked away.
"Mandy, you look so good, girl! Shit!" He said laughing.
"Thank you."
"How are you? And your feller?"
"We're great. Married."
"Beautiful. Any… kids?"
"Yes. We have two children. They're thirteen years old." Steve's eyes widened. "Twins," she added.
"You don't." She nodded. "Cool." Scratched his forehead. "So is this an anniversary or something?"
Miranda shook her head. "Nope. Just Ben." She looked over her shoulder in the direction of her husband.
"I hear that."
"So, uh, how are you? You're in a band? What? And why are they calling you 'Wally'? Is that a frat thing?"
He followed her to her table. "Uh, I'm really good. Excellent even. And I got the name 'Wally' from when I traveled to Australia. It's a long story. I'll spare you the details for now." Miranda chuckled. Steve smiled and a part of her remembered when his smile used to be all she ever wanted. He silently asked if he could have some of her water. He picked up the glass and took a sip. "And I started playing and singing in college. Never looked back."
"You have some voice."
"That's why I was such an outstanding kisser," he said nudging her.
"Stop. You were alright." They laughed, accidentally shaking the table. "Are you married? Any kids?"
"I was married for a few years. Not my type of hype. I'm a wild thing."
"I remember," she said picking up Ben's glass of wine and drinking some.
Steve chuckled and clapped his hands. "I have one daughter. She's fifteen. And, let me just tell you when they get in the mid-teens, they are two handfuls." He picked up a piece of bread off of the table and ate it. "So, in your case, you'll have four handfuls."
They laughed again. "It is so good to see you again, Steve. And I really mean that."
Steve hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek. "It's so good to see you, too, Mandy." Ben walked back to the table, waving to Steve who was returning to the stage.
In the hotel, Miranda pulled on a robe and turned on some music. "I just can't believe you did all this for a Wednesday date night."
"Don't you deserve it?"
"Of course," she said flipping her hair. He smiled and slid one arm around her body and kissed her neck, untying her robe. Underneath she was wearing nothing but her underwear. She pulled away from him, walked to the nightstand and picked up the phone.
He snatched it from her hand. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Um, calling my children."
"They are fine, Miranda."
"But I still want to make sure." He exhaled deeply and dropped the phone into her hand. He eyed her hard. "Fine. Damn."
Victorious, Ben put his lips on her neck again without any other part of his body touching hers. "Why'd you go through all this trouble when you know that us going to Taco Bell and eating tacos over the sink would have sufficed. It's so random and extravagant." She walked away from him and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Don't think that tonight was an afterthought. I always want to have special nights with you." He sat next to her. "You're my lady."
She looked over at him. "Do you want to have sex?"
"Wow. So romantic," Ben said inhaling deeply.
"What do you want me to say?" She said putting her head on his shoulder. He didn't respond. "Do you want me to say how happy I am right now? And how special I feel every day that I'm around you? " He nodded as she touched the belt on his robe. "And what about how much I absolutely adore you." She squeezed his thighs and his body jumped. "Are you turned on? Because I am turned on." She lowered her voice and opened his robe exposing his nearly naked body. "I kind of want you right now."
"Kind of?"
"Yes," she breathed. They moved further up on the bed. Miranda climbed on top of her husband, straddling him. He moaned and sat up, putting his face in her chest. His hands unhooked her bra and he was finally able to get to her nipples, biting them. She threw her head back and whined. "Shhh!"
"You're the one," he told her laughing. "And you don't have to be quiet. I don't care who hears up tonight." He pushed down her panties and touched her gently. "Do you want another kid?"
"Do you want a black eye?" She said sweetly.
"Point taken. I'll just… pull out," he responded quickly kissing her lips and cheek.
"That's how the twins got here," Miranda laughed. "Get some protection."
He huffed. He went into the bathroom. She pulled off her robe and underwear and slipped under the covers. He lifted the comforter and peeked underneath it. He bit his lip and closed his eyes. "Yes. This is how I want to see you every damn day." A giggle escaped her lips. This most definitely wasn't her first time with Ben, but he still excited her, still made her giddy. Like when he used to get her attention while she was in class and they would rush to the bathroom for a quickie. Or when they would make a date to have sex and wore the twins out throughout the day so that they would sleep long and hard, unable to interrupt their parents who'd been thinking about each other all day. She hadn't told him recently, but he still made her heart skip whenever he smiled at her. He turned off the music and lay next to her. "You are so gorgeous, Miranda," he told her sliding his hand along her body. She shivered and she was quiet as he moved inside of her. Everything was so silent. She didn't know that digging her nails into his back had a sound. Didn't remember what it felt to have uninhibited sex. She moaned underneath her breath. "Let it out, baby." She licked her lips and shook her head. He rotated his hips and she couldn't help but to scream.
"BENNNNN!" He laughed on her cheek. "Shut up." He kept making love to her, her screams getting louder with each pump.
"My, my, my," Ben said when Miranda finally rolled off of him.
"What?" She answered, a little hoarse.
He lowered his eyes. "I married a real sexual tigress, didn't I?"
His wife nodded. "You're not so bad yourself."
"Burn!" He touched her breast and she slapped away his hand. "You're still a damn good lay, baby."
"You're still a weirdo."
"So I've been told."
"I feel like calling off of work."
"You can't."
"Why not?"
"Uh, because you're the boss."
Miranda made a face. "Have I mentioned what a great night this has been?"
"Maybe once."
"I'm a lucky woman."
"I keep telling you that."
She turned over and Ben positioned himself behind her. "I love when you do that." He kissed between her shoulder blades and she sighed. "You make me feel good," she told him softly.
"Never change from the amazing woman, wife and mother that you are, okay?" He said in her ear.
"I promise," she whispered passionately. "As long as you continue to be the most supporting man, husband and father that you've been."
"Of course," he answered with enough fervor that send chills up and down her spine. "I promise."