I watched with a broad smile as she left her townhouse, followed her down the road. She paused by her neighbours rose trellis, breathing their scent in deeply as she smiled at the girls, who were walking beside her, hand in hand. Stalking them up the street, I clipped another rose from the bush and overtook them on the way to Starbucks, ordering Miranda her coffee and giving the barista a set of instructions he understood to follow.
I watched from the back of the room as she stalked in, the crowd parting for her as she made her way up to the counter. The boy smiled at her and handed her coffee over to her without ordering it, along with a single rose and directions to follow to where my surprise was waiting. She smiled genuinely as she smelled the rose, taking a deep breath, closing her eyes. It took all my training not to go over and kiss her right then.
She took the girls outside to where Roy, her driver was waiting. She knelt down in front of the girls and hugged them tightly, kissing each on the forehead, only to have them squeal in delight once they were in the car. Miranda looked around shocked as they emerged from the car with custom-made Harry Potter backpacks, each with their names on them and a custom built Harry Potter DS each.
During my time away I researched everything I could about Miranda and her family, properly this time. I called in favours and searched in places no-one else would think to look. I loved having money. You could ask for anything in the world and generally, people would give it to you. I could see the twins begging to stay but she refused and once again placed them in the car, nodding her thanks to Roy, who smiled back.
I was glad she trusted him a little better, smiling my approval. I'd researched him (and every single one of her staff), finding him to be, by all accounts, a genuinely lovely man. I followed her from the coffee shop, almost laughing as I heard her on the phone.
"Emily cancel everything until further notice, tell Lagerfeld I'll see him at the ball and tell Jocelyn that if she shows me one more cerulean blue shirt she will be looking for another job," I smiled as she paused for a moment, looking around like she could sense I was there. I leant in the shadows and waited for her to continue, knowing that there was no real hurry. A smile tugged at her lips as she continued.
"Find me a Chanel gown for the ball, size three, shoes, bag, bore someone else with the details," she said crisply, before pausing again.
"Oh, and Emily?" she asked, raising an eyebrow under her sunglasses. "Thank you," she said quietly, hanging up straight away.
I laughed quietly at the changes this woman had brought about. Both our lives were changing for the better today, I thought ironically.
She followed the directions to the Rose exhibit in the Central Park Zoo, pausing here and there to smell the roses. She stopped in front of the pond and sat regally on a bench. I couldn't stop the smile from creeping across my face as I made my way towards her. I was so close I could smell her perfume and the thought made me dizzy.
"I knew you were there," she whispered as if she wasn't really talking and I laughed out loud, making her turn.
"I know you did," I said, still smiling as I looked at her. I took her hand and gently helped her off the bench, taking her arm in mine as we wandered the gardens in a comfortable silence.
"Is it over?" she asked quietly as we completed the walk through the roses. I sat on the same bench I had found her on and she joined me, the sides of our bodies pressing together almost the entire length.
"Yes," I whispered as I looked at her out of the corner of my eye. She sighed and closed her eyes, and without looking took my hand intertwining her fingers in mine.
"Thank god," She breathed, leaning her head on my shoulder. I kissed the crown of her head.
"I do know how much you love people moving at a glacial pace," I said with a giggle, making her laugh. I stared at her, realising that the whole time I had been watching her, researching her, I had never once heard her laugh.
"What?" she asked a little defensively, pulling away as I looked at her. I rolled my eyes and placed my arm around her shoulders, pulling her back towards me.
"I've never heard you laugh," I said simply, quietly. She hummed her pleasure as she snuggled into my shoulder.
"If you stick around maybe I'll do it more often now," She said gently pulling my hand tighter around her, but not releasing my hand. I grinned mischievously.
"If I stick around maybe I'll make you laugh more often," I said kissing her temple softly, delighting in her reaction, watching her close her eyes. "Maybe I'll make you utter other noises you wouldn't normally utter too," I whispered evilly, laughing as a blush coloured her features.
"I am older than you," she said. It wasn't a question. It was obvious I was younger than her, she just wasn't sure by how much.
"Yes, but that doesn't matter to me," I kissed her hair again, inhaling her perfect scent.
"I have children," I kissed the knuckles on her left hand.
"I'm sure we'll get along fine," I kissed the other hand, not letting go of either as I shifted slightly, resting my forehead on hers as I removed her sunglasses, making her look into my eyes.
"I have done things I am ashamed of," I said simply, not breaking my gaze. She smiled and nodded.
"You saved my job, my career, my old passion," she said kissing my nose making me giggle.
"There are things about me that you might never be able to know," I said apologetically. She kissed my forehead, before resting hers back again, once more looking deep into my very soul.
"I know all I need to know right now," she whispered. "You saved my life, my family, my divorce proceedings," she added with a little smirk.
"I couldn't help that, he is an arsehole," I said breaking eye contact and pulling back. I frowned as I thought about what she'd just said.
"What do you mean your old passion?" I said looking at her sideways. She took my cheek in her hand, turning it with a little pressure from her palm, making me face her again.
"I was thinking maybe I need a new passion," she said quietly once again getting lost in my eyes as I got lost in hers.
"Yeah?" I asked, smirking. She licked her lips and glanced down at my lips.
I tilted my head and captured my lips with mine, moaning as my life suddenly seemed to make sense. I could feel fireworks in my brain and in my chest, and I pulled her impossibly closer; the kiss deepening as I ran my tongue gently over her bottom lip, pushing it forward gently, making love to her mouth with her tongue. The world disappeared as I got lost in her taste, her smell, her feel. Our hands started to wander, Miranda, finding skin first as she moved under my Chloé singlet. I moaned again, breaking off the kiss, sucking in air like there was no tomorrow.
She opened her eyes and looked into mine, smiling fully, her eyes dancing with the happiness I knew my eyes were reflecting right back.
"Take me home," she whispered against my lips as she moved to kiss me again. I smiled against hers and nodded extending my hand, helping her off the bench.