Vicious Cycle

16

"Hey Miranda I gotta go to Portland to meet with this list of investors. I'm going to be gone for 5 days or more."

"Aww I wish I would have known earlier. I would have took off."

"No its okay Miranda. It just came up."

"You're gonna be gone for new years." Miranda pouted.

"I know I hate that." Ben sighed pulling her into a hug as they stood in their room.

"When do you leave?" She questioned.

"Tonight." He responded and she pouted again.

"Don't look like that I already feel bad enough." Ben told her as he put his finger under her chin.

Ben left and Miranda was still sad, she laid in bed and looked up at the ceiling until she fell asleep.

3 days passed, Miranda was in the car and she finally could reach Ben on the phone.

"Hey." Miranda chimed.

"Hey baby." Ben smiled as he greeted her happily on the other end.

"How is everything?"

"It's going good. I have a meeting tomorrow morning with the other investors, so hopefully that will go well. How was work?" Ben asked curiously.

"Work was good. I didn't do a lot of surgery today. I had a medical mystery that I am trying to solve. I think I want to open up a genome lab." Miranda told him.

"That would be awesome because it could help so many people without them having to get surgery. It's proactive, informative and still life saving."

"Exactly." Miranda cheesed.
" I miss you." Miranda then said.

"I miss you too baby." Ben sighed wanting to be wrapped up in her arms.

"Just a few more days." She encouraged the both of them.

Two days passed and Miranda was waiting for the car to pull up. She jumped up from the couch excitedly when she heard the front door open.

Miranda got up and walked to the front door practically jumping into Ben's arms when she saw him.

"Hey" Ben greeted delighted as they hugged.

"Hey....I missed you so much." Miranda told him kissing his lips.

Ben's hands were under butt as he walked with her to his office.

"I missed you too." He replied with a smile.

"I tried to call you yesterday." Ben added.

"I know I’m sorry. I was on call and I didn't get a chance to call you back? How was the trip?" Miranda asked.

"It was good...I met with the bunch of investors and updated them with the plans. I want to expand the hotel chains to the east coast so I've been meeting with them all. I'm also thinking about opening up a hotel resort in the Bahamas...I have to meet with them in a month and a half which puts it right at valentine's day.

Miranda tried to refrain from clicking her teeth, she didn't like all this leaving for the holidays. She wanted him here with her.

"So I was thinking we could spend valentine's day weekend there. I can do business and we can celebrate the holiday." Ben enlightened and Miranda's face twisted up into a smile.

"Yes, I would love that." She chimed kissing his lips again.

"You can put me down." She told Ben and he shook his head no.

"No, I've missed you woman and I want to hold you." Ben responded sitting down with her at his desk. Miranda laid her head in his neck happily.

The weekend of valentine's day was here and Ben and Miranda got off the plane into the Bahamas for a weekend of paradise.

They arrived at the resort exhausted and eagerly fell into their bed. The next morning, they awoke refreshed and eager to go out and experience all they could. Ben had to work a little, so she was going to explore some and he would catch up with her later.

Just before lunch Ben was back and he was itching to get his fingers on a jet ski, while Miranda surprisingly wanted to try parasailing.

They were both more interested in being under the water than above it, so they agreed and planned to spend the afternoon snorkeling. After their expansive lunch at the buffet, they walked down to the beach.

The beach was absolutely beautiful, with the sun sparkling off of both the waves and the sand, so Ben and Miranda ended up walking along it for awhile, just taking in the scenery.

They weren't the only ones enjoying the scenery however. Ben noticed an unsettling number of guys watching Miranda walk by. He himself could admit that she filled out her swim suit so good but still, was it that hard for them to keep theirs eyes and tongues inside their damn heads? They were acting like dogs.

When they finally got around to renting their snorkeling gear, they were given a quick lesson in a small pool, and a last second warning that people have been spotting a Tiger shark in the snorkeling area.

Ben's reaction was a wide eyed, "Really?"

"Yes. You'll need to keep your eyes out for it."

"That is so awesome!" Ben smiled.

Miranda, while not scared off by the news, wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about it. Like of all things a shark.
“Loose the smile Benjamin. It’s a dam shark.” Miranda scolded.
“Don’t be scared honey, I will protect you.” Ben teased.

The snorkeling area turned out to be a buoyed off section of reef about the size of a football field. The buoys meant that they should be free from worrying about boats, and the shark sighting seemed to have scarred off all but the most adventurous of vacationers, so the rather large area was practically vacant.

They went under holding has as they looked around. Getting lost in the fish and a whole nother world under there.

At one point, Ben lost track of Miranda, but only for a moment. She'd chased a sea turtle up the side of one of the reef, and floated a few dozen feet above him. Looking up at her, the sun piecing the water from behind her, turning her hair into a brown halo, he couldn't deny that he was a lucky man.

When they finally emerged from the water, they talked excitedly about what they'd done and what they wanted to do, "I have to get back in the water," Miranda said.

"Yeah," Ben added, "We only saw about half the reef."

"Well, don't spend all day down there. There's plenty to see here," The host told them.

"In fact, I think we are going to go check out the hiking trails after this. They are supposed to be some really amazing waterfalls." Ben told her and Miranda nodded.

They walked to the hiking trials and walked up the mountain to get to the water fall.

Valentine's day was amazing Ben surprised Miranda with dinner on the beach, where they also had a whole lot of sex on that beach.

Back home Miranda decided to meet up with Curt. He reached out and she thought it was a good Idea he seemed like such a nice guy. She didn't tell Ben she was meeting with him because she didn't want him to talk her out of it or ask a lot of who, what, when, where, and why's.

"Hey I'm glad we could meet." Curt said taking a seat.

"I'm glad you invited me for lunch. I wanted to talk to you one on one after Thanksgiving." Miranda replied sitting down.

"Hello, I am your waiter and what can I start you two off to drink with."

"Hi, um I would like a sea breeze and a glass of water." Miranda ordered.

'I'll have a mimosas." Curt said and the women wrote that down.

"Okay I will put that in at the bar. Do you all need a few minutes for you to decide on your order."

Miranda looked at Curt and he shook his head no. "I'll have the omelet all the way and grits." Miranda ordered.

"I'll have the same thank you." Curt added.

"Ben told me that you actually reminded him a little bit of our mother and I can see what he means."

Miranda looked at him questionably. Ben never told her that.

"My mom was a spit fire, the way you and Ben met is also similar to how my mom and dad met. My mom was very reserved but she saved my dad's life. She came and made my dad's life better and he couldn't be without her." Curt explained eating.

"I love your brother so much." Miranda informed with a big smile.

"And there is no question that he loves you too." Curt responded. "I know you had to be a little reserved about dating someone with this life style and business."

"I was actually a lot. I met him in chaos as you know."

"Yeah I bet it was hard too and then to process that you were dating the leader of a mafia." Curt stated chuckling.

In that instance Miranda's eyes widen. "The what? He's what?" Miranda asked quickly her voice lace with confusion.

Curt then realized that Miranda did not know. "Oh I meant-

"No I heard you loud and clear. Ben is the leader of the Mafia. You and your family is a Mafia?" Miranda whispered yelled not wanting to draw attention to themselves in the restaurant.

"I thought you knew that. I would have never said anything. That is not my story to tell." Curt stumbled.

"No thank you. Thank you for revealing that your brother is a liar and has lied to me for months. He was never going to tell me." Miranda said angry and she felt her angry tears pooling as she stood.

"Lunch was great but I have to go." She voiced throwing two 20s on the table.

Miranda walked outside and she saw Kyle get out to open the car door. "Ma'am what's wrong?" he asked quickly.

"Why would you all stand by and let me be deceived. You knew that I didn't not know what business he was in and you all went along with this."

"M-

"Take me home now Kyle." Miranda growled as she got in the car slamming the door.

Tears were sliding out of her eyes and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

She felt silly. This man was a criminal. She was in bed a criminal. The Mafia. The boss of the Mafia. It just didn't make sense. It was nothing like what she saw on TV.

Miranda stood in the kitchen as she drunk some bourbon. Her hands were shaking out of anger. She was furious and she never remembered being this upset with someone. Tucker never even made her this mad.

Ben came home after Kyle texted him saying that Miranda was upset but he didn't say why.

"Miranda?" Ben called out walking around before walking into the kitchen.

"Hey baby."

"Hello Boss or should I say Don." Miranda hissed.