"Hey, Miranda!"
Miranda looked over and gasped. Holding a bloody towel wrapped around her finger was one of her good friends she went to high school with, church, and she was her college roommate.
"Paige, what are you doing out here?" Miranda asked, giving her a side hug, avoiding her finger.
"Oh, I moved out here with Tucker... we are engaged."
"Engaged? " Miranda asked, shocked. Her college roommate was with her ex-boyfriend....huh? "Here, let me take a look at your finger... you know we talk often, and not once did you mention you all were even seeing each other. " She ushered moving her to sit on one of the beds. This was a slap in the face. Did she not know anything about girl code.
"I hope there is no bad blood between us?"
"Why would there be bad blood?" Miranda questioned quickly. "Oh, maybe perhaps because you are dating the man I was with... yeah that would strike a little animosity, huh?" She thought.
"Because I'm engaged to your ex. Who was your first everything and I was your friend well am your friend. I'm hoping. Also, I start working here on Monday."
"Congratulations to both, but I'm fine. It's fine."
"Okay, great, I just didn't want it to be any animosity. Tucker told me that it was a hard breakup and that you didn't take it easy. He said that it would take a while before you get over him."
"Oh. He did now... Yes, I'm fine...I'm actually dating someone." Miranda lied.
"Oh, really, who?" Tucker asked, walking up to them.
" Tucker Jones." She greeted, rolling her eyes. "Well, He is uh..he is...a doctor." Miranda lied again, looking around the room. Avoiding their eyes.
"Good for you, what kind of doctor?" Paige asked.
"He's... Miranda looked and saw the anesthesiologist, who she fussed out two days ago.
"Why don't you ask him yourself? He's right there...Dr. Warren, can you come here for a second." Miranda called out, hoping this didn't blow up in her face. She just wanted this awkward conversation to be over with, and she definitely didn't want Tucker to think she was hooked up on him still. They broke up over 5 years ago. Yeah, she hasn't dated anyone, but still, she didn't look back after they broke up.
"Good morning, Doctor Bailey." Ben greeted, trying not to show his distaste for her in front of patients.
"You scooped up my ex." Tucker voiced amused.
"I did what now?" Ben asked, confused.
"Hon, he's referring to us." Miranda tried looking him in the eyes, hoping he would help her out.
Hon? Ben questioned, looking at her confused still.
"Referring to us doing what?"
"Mandy here told us that you all were dating?" Paige told him.
"Oh, she did." He stated, looking at the short woman who looked like a baby dear pleading for help.
"Sorry for being taken back. Normally, Miranda likes to keep our relationship private. You know how she hates for people to be in her business. But, yeah, these past few months have been the best of my life." Ben stated, pulling her into his side.
"Mine too." Miranda smiled up at him, and Ben swore his heart quickened. This was the first time he had seen her smile and to him. He couldn't help but give her a smile back.
Tucker looked at Ben and Miranda unconvinced. Miranda continued looking at Paige's finger.
"It doesn't need stitches. Ima clean it up and then wrap it up for you."
"So I guess you would want to come on the couples retreat with us?" Tucker asked to see just how the two would react. He knew when Miranda was lying.
"What couples retreat?"
"It's in June for a week in the Bahamas with our old college friends."
Miranda looked at Ben nervously. "Uh no, I have to work and
"We will be there." Ben voiced firmly. It was something about Tucker that rubbed Ben the wrong way. He didn't understand why he was really trying to catch Miranda in a lie. Like if you were an ex, what was your point to prove.
"Great and Miranda, you should consider bringing him to the barbecue in July that your family hosts."
"She already told me about that and of course I will be there." Ben gritted.
"You said you will be working here on Monday?" Miranda asked, wrapping her finger.
"Yeah, a nursing position became available, which was great because Tucker got his new job out here, and I had to follow him. I didn't want to do the long-distance thing."
"Sadly, he would never do the same for you." Miranda mumbled, remembering exactly how they broke up.
"We should catch up, Miranda. Come out to dinner with Tucker and I and you too." She voiced looking at Ben.
"That is not necessary." Miranda voiced now over this. This was turning into more than just a little lie.
Ben looked down at Miranda. It was her fault they were even in this mess. She just had to include him in on a lie. Why him? You just randomly pick a guy you were hella disrespectful to and decide to use him. That made no sense. You do a lie like this with people you like and are friends with. He didn't know anything about this woman other than her rudeness.
"I don't see the harm in dinner. We were planning to go out tonight anyway. It's Friday night." Ben smiled at Miranda.
"Yeah, I guess you are right." She relented sighing. This was turning out to be quite a mess.
"Okay than its settled tonight at bourbon steak house, 8 pm."
"Alright, see you guys later. Miranda, come find me when you are done." Ben said, walking off.
"A doctor and nice looking... he's a catch. You go, girl."
"You know what they say sometimes is just a must for an upgrade." Miranda smiled, taking a dig at Tucker. "Okay, you're all set with your finger. Take ibuprofen for the pain." Miranda instructed, taking her gloves off.
She then walked out of the pit and looked around for Ben. She sighed when she saw the man leaning against the nurses' station writing in a chart.
"Dr. Warren," she muttered, walking by him and into the conference room.
Ben followed her inside and shut the door.
"What the hell was that!" They both spat simultaneously.
"Me?!" Ben gritted.
"Yeah, why would you agree to all those dam events?"
"Why would you set me up like that?" He asked, crossing his arms.
"All you had to do was just say you were my boyfriend and be done."
"All you had to do was not include me in a childish ass lie." He snapped.
"Okay, I panicked, and you were right there." She admitted.
"Now I'm going to be stuck being around you for months."
"We don't have to go for any of them."
"How and that woman is going to start here on monday."
"I mean, it's fine, Ben. I'll just tell her we broke up." She said seriously. "I just didn't want anyone pittying me or hassling me about a failed relationship at the moment.
Ben understood where she was coming from. He didn't want anyone to do that with him either. Tis was another reason he hated going around his family. All the questions about settling down and children. He hated being set up by his mother as well.
"I'll pretend to be your fake boyfriend if you come to my cousin's wedding with me as a fake date. I just need to get my family off of my back. We go to the Bahamas, your family's barbecue, and then we can be out of each others hair."
"Okay, agreed."
Ben reached into her coat pocket. "What are you?-
"I'm about to text myself. I need your number and you need mine. Send me your address, and I will pick you up tonight."
"Is that really necessary?"
"Why would we drive separate cars?" That will look funny."
"Right." She dragged as she took her phone and walked to the door. She left out and shook her head. Wracking her brain as she entered the attending's lounge.
Her phone chimed, and she saw Ben's text message.
She typed in her address and contemplated on if she should say more. "See you tonight." Miranda repeated the phrased as she typed it.
"Who are you seeing tonight?" Callie asked.
"Dr. Warren."
"Wait, the anesthesiologist?" Callie questioned, balling her face up.
"Yeah."
"Well, how did that happen?"
"My ex and his fiance whom I went to school with and was my college roommate came into the E.r. I helped her with the nasty cut she had on her finger, and she proceeded to ask if we had any bad blood because she was dating my ex. I told her no, then she mentioned how bad our breakup was, and Tucker basically got this girl thinking I'm hooked up on him. I lied and said that Dr. Warren was my boyfriend, and now we are going on a double date."
"Dam Miranda."
"I know, and he also just signed up for a couples retreat in the Bahamas next month." Miranda added, shaking her head.
"Well, that doesn't seem so bad."
"Torres, why would I want to go on vacation with my Ex and his new Fiancé whom was my friend and I consider a best friend, and on top of that with a man I dislike and do not know anything about?"
"I'm just saying that a vacation would be nice and you can get to know the man." Callie suggested.
Miranda rolled her eyes and groaned. "What are you wearing tonight?"
"Um, I honestly don't know... a double date...I haven't ever been on a date, period."
"You can never go wrong with a nice black dress and heels."
"Right, okay, I will do that." Miranda voiced. She was going to have to go to the store because she didn't have anything to wear other than professional clothes. She never went out anywhere, and if she did, it was to Joe's bar for a drink with her coworkers, so jeans were just fine for that.
At 3, Miranda got off of work early, and she went to the mall. She looked around for a store where she could buy a dress from.
Miranda walked into a store, and she looked at dresses. "Hi, is there anything I can help you with?" A young woman asked with a bright smile.
"I need a couple of dresses that would be date appropriate." Miranda answered.
"Okay, let me take a look through these racks. Is it a special date tonight like an anniversary?" She questioned, trying to get a feel.
"No, nothing like that. It's actually a double date with my ex boyfriend...something I didn't even want to go to." She mumbled the last part.
"Okay, I see, so let's find you a dress that shows your ex what he's missing and what your new man has gained. What's your size?"
Miranda blushed but ultimately liked the sound of where this was going. She told her her size dress and pants.
"Okay, this is our Surplice Neck Batwing Sleeve Wrap Hem Dress. I think this is cute. It's not too much but just enough."
"Okay, I'll take that."
"I'm going to look around for a couple more that you could just wear on a date."
"That would be great, I'm also attending a wedding with my boyfriend and would need something for that as well."
"Okay, I got you. Take a look at our heels, clutches, and accessories."
Miranda walked over to that section. She grabbed a pair of black scrappy heels with small rhinestones on the straps. Then, a pair of brown wedge heels before picking a pair of silver heels. She grabbed different clutches and was satisfied.
When she reached the counter, she saw that the young woman had several outfits picked out. "These all look great. Thank you so much for your help." Miranda praised taking her card out and tipping her 40 dollars for helping her.
"It was my pleasure. Come back if you need anything."
"I will, and I will make sure to ask for you, Ashleigh."
Driving home, Miranda took her clothes and shoes inside. She took a long, relaxing bath and listened to music. She shaved her legs and made sure they were smooth before drying off and lotioning down.
Miranda put on her black dress, and she looked at herself in the mirror. This really was a cute dress. It showed enough cleavage and was figure flattering, clinging to and outlining all her curves.
She did her makeup, sprayed perfume on before sliding on her heels. The doorbell brought her out of her thoughts, and she made a beeline for the door.
Blowing out a breath, she opened the door and looked at Ben standing there. He had on black slacks and a navy blue button-down shirt. She could see his muscles bulging out from his arms, and his silver watch that she knew was expensive as hell.
"Wow." Ben spoke, looking at Miranda. His eyes cast up from her feet to her smooth legs, up to her hourglass frame and then to her gorgeous face. Dr. Bailey was a beautiful woman.
"You can come in, I just have to grab my clutch and switch some stuff over into it, and then I'm done."
"Okay." Ben replied, walking in as Miranda shut the door.
"You have a nice apartment." He complimented, taking a seat at the counter.
"Thank you." Miranda responded, walking to the back of her house to her bedroom. Ben eyes traveled down her back side, and he bit his lip. "Dam." He groaned softly.
She switched everything she needed over from her purse to her clutch and closed it up.
"I'm ready." She announced walking to the counter.
Ben stood and followed her to the door.