The Warren's Legacy

Chapter 5

part 5

Ben Warren sat in the luxurious leather chair of his office, his fingers drumming on the desk as he contemplated his next move. He had woken up with Miranda on his mind, her smile haunting his dreams, and he knew he couldn't just let it go.

He glanced at the photo on his desk, a picture of Miranda he'd taken at the nightclub the night they'd met. His heart skipped a beat at the memory of her courage and beauty.

He picked up his phone, his thumb hovering over the screen, and then finally sent a message. "Good morning, beautiful."Ben leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing on his lips as he waited for Miranda's reply. His thoughts wandered back to their lunch the day before, the way she'd blushed and laughed at his jokes. She was smart, she was funny, and she had no idea just how special she was.

A notification buzzed on his phone, and he saw that she'd responded. His heart raced as he opened the message: "Good morning, Ben. How are you today?"

He grinned, the familiar thrill of the chase rushing through him.

Ben chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he typed out a response.

"Oh, don't tease me like that, Miranda. If you were here, I'd be more than good. But since you're not, I guess I'll just have to keep on sucking. Maybe one day you'll give me a chance to prove that I'm worth the effort."

He hit send, a small part of him fearing that his boldness might scare her off. But he knew he couldn't just sit back and wait for her to come to him.

Ben sat there, his eyes glued to the screen. He could see that she was typing, the dots bouncing up and down, taunting him. But then, suddenly, the dots disappeared. She'd stopped typing, and no message had come through.

He gritted his teeth in frustration, his pulse quickening. Had he pushed too hard, been too forward? He knew he couldn't take the words back, but he wished he could turn back time and just play it cool.

He sighed, his fingers curling into fists as he stared at the silent phone in his hand.Ben pocketed his phone, his mind racing as he tried to focus on his day. He had meetings to attend, deals to close, but Miranda was a constant presence, occupying a corner of his thoughts.

He walked from meeting to meeting, his gaze darting to his phone every few minutes, his heart skipping a beat every time he heard the buzz of a notification. But each time, it was just an email or a reminder, never a message from Miranda.

As the day wore on, Ben found himself growing more and more impatient, his frustration mounting.

Ben climbed into his sleek Lexus RX, his mind made up. Waiting for Miranda to respond on her own terms was starting to feel like an eternity. He needed to see her, to look into her eyes and gauge her reaction to his boldness.

He fired up the engine, his fingers gripping the steering wheel with determination as he navigated through the city streets. He pulled up outside Good Burgers, his pulse quickening as he stepped out of the car and scanned the familiar surroundings.

He told himself that he wasn't stalking her, he was simply checking on her.

Ben made his way inside, the buzz of conversation and the sizzle of burgers on the grill surrounding him. The place was as busy as ever, and he caught sight of Miranda, her black hair pulled back in a ponytail as she worked the floor with her usual efficiency.

He avoided her gaze, not wanting to seem too eager, and instead found a seat at the bar. He ordered a beer, his eyes occasionally flitting to Miranda as she served the other customers.

As Ben sat there, nursing his beer, he couldn't help but notice the way the light caught Miranda's hair, the glint of her smile, the swing of her hips as she moved from table to table. She was like a magnetic force, drawing his attention without even trying.