As the two walked into the bakery, a bell tinkled overhead. The brown-haired woman, who Miranda assumed was the owner, looked over at the sound. "Welcome!" She greeted them warmly.
"Hi." Miranda smiled before looking around the bakery and taking in the sweet delicious smells.
"Hello." Ben said politely, closing the door behind them.
"Are you two here for the baking class?" The woman asked walking over and Miranda looked the woman up and down.
Ben nodded. "We are, I called last week to sign up. Should be under Warren."
"Oh! Yeah I remember your voice from the phone." The woman gestured further into the shop, where some other couples milled around some tables. "You two can head on back, your name is on a card on the table and we'll be starting in about ten minutes."
"Thank you." Ben smiled and Miranda rolled her eyes.
"She remembered your voice from the phone." She repeated. That was a little odd to her seeing as though this is a bakery and people probably call all day long to order.
The door bell dinged again, so the woman went to greet the newcomer as they walked trying to find their table. Finding their spot they looked at the Ingredients that were already laid out on the table. Under the table there were black aprons.
Ben grabbed the two and handed Miranda one. He watched as she inspected it before pulling it over her head. He quickly reached over and removed her hair from under the strap around the neck.
Miranda let Ben tie the apron behind her before glancing over the recipes that they would be making. Classic chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake.
"I'm excited." Miranda smiled thinking about the sweets they would be making.
"Me too. We get to leave with a lot of dessert."
"You and your sweet tooth."
"Says the woman who called me to bring her some brownies in the middle of the night."
"You were supposed to drop them off before you went to work. I just happen to call you when you got off your shift."
"We're going to get started, everyone please wash your hands before we begin!" The shop owner called from the front of the café, instigating movement, there were about fourteen people there to participate.
Ben watched Miranda scrub her hands and he laughed she was truly a surgeon.
"This isn't surgery Dr. Bailey a minute is good enough."
Miranda looked up at him and down at her hands. "Sorry creature of habit. Hand me a paper towel."
Once everyone returned to their tables, the woman spoke again. "Thank you all for coming. My name is Courtney and I will be your instructor today. Today we will be making two basic and classic desserts. Chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake. The recipes that we will be creating you will be able to take home."
"The ingredients are laid out in the order that you will use them. In the small bowl mix 2 1/4 cup of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt."
Miranda carefully measured the flour while Ben did the baking soda and salt.
"Next In the larger bowl we are going to beat 1 cup of softened butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and 3/4 cup of brown sugar."
"Here stir this because this is hurting my arm. All this thick mess." Miranda stressed. She licked her lips and looked back at Ben when he stood directly behind her and reached his arms around her to stir the bowl. The heat of his body, the smell of his cologne and her being pushed into the counter was a complete turn on. She hadn't felt that way in a long time.
"Now added in the egg and a teaspoon of vanilla." Miranda added in the next steps while Ben stirred before they added the flour mix they made prior.
Ben stirred hard spilling the flour out and some got onto Miranda's apron.
"Uh Ben Warren. I want to leave looking the way I came." She chastised.
"Sorry." Ben laughed, and then gasped when Miranda got flour on his face and into his beard.
"I'm sorry. I did not mean that." She laughed.
"Yeah what ever." He stressed getting flour onto her face too.
"You play too much." Miranda laughed. "Now everyone is looking at us, lets continue."
"You started it."
They then stirred it until everything was blended all the way. Courtney walked around during this part, checking in with the participants.
"Yours looks good." She complimented their mixture.
"Thank you." Ben continued stirring. Miranda looked up seeing the woman still standing there looking at Ben as he mixed. She was confused as to why she didn't immediately move on to the next person.
"What brings you to baking class?" Courtney asked cheerfully with a glint in her eye.
"My girlfriend tried to bake some muffins and they didn't turn out to good." Ben laughed and Miranda gasped elbowing him.
"Did you have to say that." She rolled her eyes, but smiled up at him.
"Its the truth."
The woman laughed before looking them over "you two are a beautiful couple."
"Thanks." Miranda smiled and then watched Courtney walk away.
She reached into her purse and pulled out wipes. Grabbing one she turned in his embrace and wiped the flour off his cheek and got it out of his beard.
"You carry wipes?" He asked amused.
"I have a tiny human." She reminded. "You would be amazed by the things he gets into."
Ben took the wipe and wiped her face as well.
"Thank you."
"No problem and about earlier I know we are not together I just said that because I didn't want her to assume that..."
"Its fine." Miranda spoke cutting him off. She was glad he did say that. She didn't want to gained an attitude with that overly attentive woman.
The two turned back around and added the chocolate chips to the mix. "This looks good." Miranda complimented their dough.
"Right I hope it taste good." Ben added.
"It better. That's what you paid her for." She huffed and he laughed. "You are crazy, you know that."
"I may have heard something like that."
Once the dough was completely finished, it was time to put it on the tray. They made simple chocolate chip cookies so the dough just needed to be balled and placed far enough apart.
After making their balls Miranda was measuring the distance between two of her dough balls.
"It's okay if it's not exact." Ben whispered. "They just need to be far enough apart so that they don't meld together in the oven."
"That’s what I’m trying to avoid. Baking isn't really my strong suit." Miranda replied and moved the balls slightly closer together.
Once that was done, they went in the oven. Ben set the oven timer for ten minutes as instructed, and then they started on the devil's food cake.
They both split the list and switched turns with stirring.
"I didn't know that sour cream went in this recipe."
"Me either. Who would have thought coffee was in there either." Miranda said pouring it in to the bowl while Ben added the vanilla.
The timer went off for the cookies and they took them out, sitting it on the counter space beside them to cool down.
"Look at us. Its looks like we really know what we are doing." She cheesed.
Once the batter was made they poured it into the heart shaped pan, then placed it into the oven on 325.
"Now the icing." Courtney instructed telling them the ingredients and how much of each. "You can taste this part." She told the class and Ben held the chocolate to Miranda's lips and she ate it off the spoon.
"Mmm." She moaned lightly and Ben studied her face.
"Good?" He questioned.
"Amazing. Try it." She exclaimed.
Ben smirked and look at the chocolate on the side of her lips. He wanted to try it alright.
Ben leaned down and touched their lips together. He softly sucked and tasted the chocolate. It was a simple move. Not exactly a kiss but just the pressing of their mouths together. Miranda whimpered lightly feeling her knees get weak. Ben captured her lips pulling her in for a deeper kiss that she responded to quickly.
This man continuously made her step out of her comfort zone. She didn't do PDA, but here she was jelly in his capable hands. Ever since their kiss 2 weeks ago, that was all she thought about. She couldn't sleep the entire night after. She laid in the bed and cheesed all night long.
"Yeah that's good." He groaned letting go of her lips.
Miranda blushed at his statement and pushed her face into his chest.
"How long have you two been together?" The couple beside them asked.
"a year." Miranda lied looking up at him.
"How did you meet?"
"We met at Mercy West Hospital. We both are doctors and I bumped into her spilling my coffee on her outfit. She wasn't to happy about that."
"He caused me to be late for my meeting."
"I apologized and then I came baring gifts to her hospital the next day. She was in surgery, but I was willing to wait. After 2 hours of waiting in the lobby I got called in, so I left a note with the gifts asking if she would go out with me."
"That is so sweet." The woman grinned listening to them
"But I never heard back from her so I figured she wasn't interested."
"I was interested. I was just nervous." Miranda clarified. "He still makes me nervous." She laughed.
"We ran into each other some weeks later and we talked. She agreed to be my friend first and the rest is history."
"Wow we wish you both love and happiness ahead."
"You too." Ben smiled before they began cleaning up their station. Putting away the bowl and utensils they used.
When the cake came out the oven they let it sit for a while before cutting it into layers and icing it.
"I think this is our best work. We need our own cooking show."
"Two doctors who cook." She laughed.
"We can call it "Doctor it up!"."
"That is clever and corny...I'm going to go wash these bowls and spoons." Miranda informed, walking off.
Ben packed their cookies into the white cookie box and tied the bow around it like the instructor said. Before putting the cake into its box he took a knife and started writing.
"What are you doing?" Miranda questioned.
"You'll see." He answered finishing up. Ben slid the cake over to her and Miranda gushed looking at Ben + Miranda in cursive.
"Ok everyone that concludes this class. We have other classes that you can sign up for on a list by the front counter."
"Do you want to do another one?" Miranda asked.
"Yeah I want to learn how make croissants"
"I love a good croissant. We just need to see when our schedule permits."
"Pottery making class in next." He added.
"Pottery making, I've always wanted to do that." Miranda clapped. "I want to make a coffee mug."
"I remembered." He laughed at her excitement while opening the door for them to leave.
Ben opened the car door and she slid inside, clicking her seatbelt. "Benjamin we need Ice cream to go with these desserts." Miranda told him not quite ready to go home yet.
"Uh. I got ice cream at my place, its not too far from here."
"What kind of Ice cream?"
"Vanilla, butter pecan, cookies and cream, and Neapolitan."
"Ok great." Miranda said nervously. She had never been to his place before. “Do you want to order Chinese or something we can't just eat sweets."
"Chinese sounds good. We can stop at the place not to far from my apartment. The food is pretty good."
"What do you want from there?"
"You want to get a variety, so we can eat different things."
"Let's do it." He answered driving to New China.
Miranda ordered shrimp and chicken lo mein, General Tso's chicken with fried rice, and pancit. While Ben ordered Shrimp and broccoli, and pepper steak with onions.
Getting to his place Ben parked and opened her door before getting the food. They rode the elevator up to the top floor and Ben opened the door to his apartment and let Miranda inside before closing the door.
"Welcome to my humble abode. The bathroom is down the hall on the right. Make yourself at home."
"Anything you want you can have." Ben informed referring to the snacks in his kitchen as he sat the bags down.
"Thank you. Your apartment is beautiful... and this view." She smiled looking out the patio at the space needle. "You have to be paying a fortune."
"Not really."
"Oh yeah, that’s that anesthesiologist money." She joked.
"Yep and the view is what sold me on this place."
"I bet. Do you ever just sit outside on the patio or eat out there?"
"When I first moved in yes, but now not so much."
"Can we eat out there tonight?"
"Of course. Just let me set it up."
Miranda excused her self to the bathroom and washed her hands before coming back out. She could see illuminated candles and twinkle lights outside from the glass. She watched as he cleaned the chairs off and put the pillows in place.
"You have a fire pit table." She awed looking at it through the door when he came back inside.
"Yeah it was a gift for my birthday last year."
"I don’t think I ever asked when's your birthday?"
"November 7th."
"You're a Scorpio." She stated wrinkling her nose.
"Yeah what about you?"
"Virgo September 15th."
"I can definitely see that. It all makes sense now." He nodded grabbing plates and their containers to take outside.
"What makes since?" She questioned turning her head to the side.
"Your character."
"What about my character."
"I'll tell you outside." Ben responded licking his lips. "Can you do me a favor?...the hall closet by the bathroom, Can you grab a blanket? Outdoor ones are on the bottom shelf."
"Ok." Miranda replied going to get them, she grabbed a grey one and a navy blue blanket.
Walking outside she sat them on the couch and sat down.
Ben brought wine glasses and forks outside as he sat down beside her.
"Now continue what you were saying Dr. Warren."
"I was saying that it fits with your character. Virgos are ambitious, intelligent, and practical. Virgos are organized, critical thinkers, who strive to achieve perfection in all that they do. Natural born problem solvers who work well alone and in groups. Most Virgos work in health care. I think that sums you up pretty good."
"It does, doesn’t it? Are you into astrology?"
"Yeah I find it interesting. It goes hand and hand with greek and roman mythology."
"Me too. Anything that has to do with space has my attention. I used to love going to the planetarium as I child. I want to take Tuck but he's too young to get the stories of the constellations."
"My favorite is the big dipper Castillo's story."
"Really that was sad." Miranda grimaced thinking about it as she opened the containers of food.
"I know, but it was sweet that they get to be together forever."
"That may be so, but if Hera would control her temper. Everything would be fine."
"She is very temperamental, probably a Virgo." He laughed and she hit him.
"We are not temperamental." She huffed.
Ben pursed his lips to insinuate that she was not telling the truth before grabbing his fork.
"We have to eat with chopsticks."
"Miranda I'm not eating with that. I don't even know how." He remarked holding up his fork
"Please." She whined. "I can teach you." Miranda said seriously using her doey eyes on him once again.
"Alright." Ben relented. He opened the red pack and pulled the chopsticks out. He looked really awkward holding them; he had them held tight in a balled-up fist.
Miranda smiled again. "Ok, which hand do you write with?"
"My right," he responded.
"Ok! So, first you hold the two chopsticks next to each other, and put them together in your hand like you are holding a pencil."
Ben moved his fingers around, changing the fist into a loose grip, and tried to get the chopsticks into place. But then he lost the fingering, and the chopsticks fell onto the table with a clatter. Miranda giggled and shook her head. This man was an anesthesiologist, he should be good with his hands, administering epidural and other needles require a steady hand.
Ben rolled his eyes and picked them back up.
"It is ok. Here, watch me." She held the chopsticks between her thumb and pointer finger, with some help from the middle finger. "Um, ok, after you have the two chopsticks like this, you raise the end of the top one by pushing down with your pointer finger, like this. That way you have them at an angle with the tips touching and the ends about an inch away. Then you keep the bottom chopstick where it is, in the indent of your thumb, and you move the top chopstick by pressing up and down on the top chopstick, so the ends are pinching and un-pinching. That's how you pick up the food!" Miranda paused her live demonstration to look up at him. "Get it?"
Ben did as told and she watched intently as he picked up a shrimp and brought it to his mouth.
"Excellent." Miranda clapped feeling proud of herself. Ben shook his head and held the chopsticks to her mouth and she ate what he gave her.
They took turns feeding each other food and talking. When they finished with their dinner, they ate the cookies and cake they made, pretty proud with how it turned out.
"Fruit loops are not all the same flavors."
"Yes they are. Look it up."
Ben pulled out his phone and searched it on the browser. When it came up and he looked over at Miranda.
"I told ya." Miranda laughed sticking her tongue out. She grabbed the bottle pouring herself some wine. She took a sip and sat the glass down "How about we play a game?"
"What kind of game?" He asked taking another drink.
"The question game. We ask each other questions and we have to answer honestly. Kind of like truth or dare, but only the truth part."
"Okay, you go first." He instructed.
"How many women have you been with?" Miranda asked bluntly.
Ben chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not answering that."
Miranda groaned and smacked his arm, which only hurt her because his bicep felt like it was made of steel. "C'mon!" She whined. " you agreed to play the game, so you have to answer."
He smirked "That was before I knew what kind of questions you would ask!"
"What are you scared?" She questioned.
Ben sighed loudly "Fine, five."
"What?"
"I've only been with five women... maybe six... or fifteen."
"Benjamin Warren!" Miranda gasped her eyes widening.
"What?" He questioned frowning.
"That's a lot of women!"
"You wanted to know." He responded holding his hands up in defense.
Miranda rolled her eyes taking a sip of wine. "I didn't think the number would be so high, so what number would I be? Fifty!"
Ben laughed and shook his head. "You're overly dramatic. I haven't been with that many women, but you're thinking about having sex with me."
"N-no."Miranda stuttered shoving him.
"You said it."
"I was just saying if that.. if we were. Never mind." She huffed blushing.
"So Ms. Bailey, how many men have you been with."
"I told you I got married at 18."
"Just because you got married at 18 doesn't mean you haven't had sex before. Most people loose their virginity around 16."
"My soon to be ex husband is the only man I've ever been with intimately and relationship wise."
"Mmm." Ben sounded.
"Mmm. What?" Miranda questioned pulling the blanket over herself.
"Nothing that's interesting."
"What's interesting about it?"
"Your still innocent to some things."
"That's true. Have you ever been in love before?"
"No." Ben answered quickly.
"Damn. You didn't even think about it."
"That’s because I know that for sure. I had girlfriends or relationships and I liked them a lot but I’m not sure if it was love."
"If you have to question it, then it wasn't love. Love is a dangerous thing. It makes you vulnerable. It opens up your chest and it opens up your heart. It means that someone can get inside you and mess you up."
"That was poetic."
"I have my moments."
"You’re my first crush." Ben admitted. He didn't know if the wine was getting to him because he had never planned to tell her that.
"Me?" Miranda asked surprised.
"Yep. You're the first woman that I've ever wanted. Every woman up until now has pursued me. This is different for me."
Miranda awed his honesty she wanted to say it was a typical man thing messing with women and not catching feelings, but that would be stereotyping and nothing about this man was stereotypical.
"Is there a reason you never did?"
"It was nothing I did on purpose. I just hadn't found the person I'm looking for. And then like you said before love is dangerous and its a vulnerability. You have to prepare yourself for heartbreak."
"I have had my heartbroken before and its a terrible feeling."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. Heartbreak is apart of life. Lets move on to another positive question."
"Do you have a secret fantasy?"
"How is that positive?"
"It's not sad." Ben laughed.". so.." he gestured with his hand for her to answer.
"If I told you then it wouldn't be a secret." She said coly, trying to get out of answering.
"Come on you wanted to play this game, so lets hear it."
"Let me think about it?" Miranda thought biting her lip. "Ummm Blind fold, handcuffs and.... maybe sex in public."
"Wow." Ben choked on his wine.
"What?" Miranda sheepishly asked looking at him. Ben didn’t hear anything past what she said. He pictured the blindfold, the handcuffs. Then Blind fold and handcuffs. Sex on the beach, sex in the car, sex in a pool and or hot tub, the park, and just sex with her in general.
"Jesus." He mumbled.
"Hello Earth to Ben." Miranda yelled waving her hand back and forth.
"Oh I'm sorry." He coughed adjusting himself.
"Where did you go just now?"
"To a wonderful place." He mumbled.
"Ok do you have one?" Miranda asked.
"A fantasy?"
"Yeah, but something that you have never done with anyone." She clarified. "And not a threesome. Oh my God have you ever had a threesome?"
"Uh one question at a time and no. I said I was wild in my twenties, but not that wild." He laughed.
"Oh ok." Miranda said blowing out a breath.
"And my fantasy would be role play." Ben stated.
"Role play?"
"Yeah, but not necessarily role play. Like just dress up on Halloween and we have sex." He shrugged.
"Meaning you and the woman or just the woman?"
"Just the woman." Ben chuckled because she wasn't trying to refer to herself.
"You like Halloween."
"I love Halloween. It was my family's thing growing up."
"Its a holiday for children you know."
"It is, but adults can have just as much fun. What’s your Greatest fear?"
"Spiders and... something happening to my son."
"Spiders Miranda?"
"Those things are dangerous."
"So its not a fear. Its a phobia."
"Precisely." Miranda agreed pushing herself into him. Ben wrapped his arms around her body as she laid on his chest. She was content with him.
Miranda titled her head back and poked her lips out for him to kiss. He quickly leaned down and captured her lips. She thought it would be difficult with this angle but he proved her wrong.
When the kiss got heated they sighed and let go. With Miranda back in her original spot on his chest Ben began to massage her shoulders.
"God that feels good." Miranda whimpered and Ben smiled.
"I could do your back too if you would like."
Miranda opened her eyes and peaked at him. She turned in his arms and laid against him while Ben laid back on the sofa pulling her on top of him.
She laid her head in the crook of his neck and He started rubbing her back up and down. Ben put his hands under her shirt and felt the heat of her soft skin. He massaged her lower back making his way up.
Miranda lightly moaned each time he rubbed a spot. She could definitely get use to this. He was causing her to doze off.
Sliding up further Ben bypassed her bra strap and massage the top of her back. He looked down hearing light snores coming from her, shaking his head he kissed her head twice before continuing to rub her back.
Miranda woke up the next morning and stretched. She looked at the grey bed sheets and ran her hand across the softness. Clearly she was not in her bed. She looked towards the bathroom to see if a light was on and if there was any movement.
When she didn't hear anything she slid off the bed and looked around Ben's room. She liked that it was neat and everything was strategically placed.
Walking to the bathroom Miranda looked under the sink and found spare tooth brushes. She brushed and flossed her teeth before washing her face. Feeling a little bit better about her appearance she walked out into the living room. She looked at his couch and saw a blanket folded with a pillow on top.
He was so sweet. She thought to herself. Grabbing her phone Miranda called a cab figuring that he was at work. She put her shoes on and grabbed her purse that was on the counter. Looking around in his cabinets she found a plastic Tupperware.
Miranda cut her some of the cake they made and the cookies putting them in the container. After closing the top she looked up when the door opened and she saw Ben with grey sweatpants and shirtless.
"Jesus Christ." She mumbled looking at the sweat on his perfectly chiseled body. She watched it roll down to his v line then disappear by the sweatpants. His body was amazing.
"Good morning." Ben smiled taking his headphones out.
"Uh good morning."
"Did you sleep good?"
"Yeah thanks for lending your bed. You didn't have to do that."
"My guest room isn’t made up and its no problem."
"You leaving?" He questioned looking at her with her shoes on and one of his Tupperware containers.
"Yeah I thought you had to work or something."
"No I’m off. You want breakfast?"
"No um I already called a cab. Its probably outside already."
"Can I walk you out?" Ben asked.
"I'm fine." Miranda said stand-offish.
"Is something wrong?" He questioned.
"No I have to go. I'm late for work."
Ben knew she was lying because she told him yesterday that she was off. "I'll call you." Ben said to not push the issue.
Miranda nodded and opened the door leaving out.
