Friends With Benefits

14

Weeks later, Miranda was conducting a consult at a neighboring hospital. Her reputation preceded her and she was specifically requested. When she walked in the Hospital she spotted someone she knew and she did a wonderful of avoiding them her entire visit at the hospital. At the conclusion of her business there and as she made her way to the exit, the very person she had been avoiding appeared right in front of her. 

"Well, look who it is," Eli said, his tone laced with a mix of amusement and bitterness. He stepped closer, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "The last time I saw you, you just drifted out of my life. Not even a proper goodbye."

Miranda stiffened, her eyes narrowing as she turned to face him. "Hello, Eli," she said evenly, suppressing the urge to sigh. "How have you been?"

"You ghost me, and then you think small talk's the way to go?" He shook his head as if the idea was absurd. "I've been fine, no thanks to you."

She took a breath, the irritation rising within her. "Why did you seek me out, then? If you don't want to talk, you could've just kept walking."

"Call it closure," he said, his smirk still firmly in place. "I heard you've been dating around," he said, the edge in his voice hard to miss. "Word is Miranda Bailey's out there, living her life, seeing other men. So, I figured I'd come congratulate you."

She raised an eyebrow at him, unamused by the sarcasm. "I don't owe you anything, Eli," she said, her voice firm. "Not a goodbye, not an explanation. We went our separate ways."

"Sure," he said, his expression darkening. "Except the way we went our separate ways was you slipping out of my life without a word. Classy move."

Miranda held his gaze, unflinching. "We weren't serious. I didn't owe you that conversation, and frankly, this one isn't necessary either."

 "No, I suppose you didn't," he said "But it would've been nice to get a heads-up before you disappeared." Eli stepped back slightly, crossing his arms as if he were sizing her up. "How about you make it up to me? Let me buy you dinner. We could at least part on better terms this time."

Her response was immediate and firm. "I'd rather go hungry."

He let out a short, humorless laugh. "Still the same Miranda, I see."

"And you're still looking for closure you won't get from me," she replied, her voice steady. "Goodbye, Eli."

As she walked away from the encounter with Eli, a wave of frustration washed over her. How had news of her personal life traveled? She was private, careful about who knew what about her personal life, so for Eli to have heard about her dating habits didn't sit well. It didn't take long for her to figure out the most likely source: the X-ray tech she'd ended things with not too long ago.

When she found him in the radiology department the next day, she didn't waste time with pleasantries. "I need a word," she said, her tone firm.

He looked up, a bit surprised to see her. "Uh, sure. What's up?"

She crossed her arms, narrowing her gaze at him. "I just ran into Eli Lloyd. He seems to know about my dating life, and I'm curious as to how that came about."

The x-ray tech's smirk was almost immediate. "Eli, huh? We play ball together."

 "And my name just magically came up in between dribbles?"

He shrugged furthering her irritation "I didn't think it mattered. We were just chatting. I didn't know you two were connected until he brought it up. I just thought it was funny, you know?"

"Funny?" she echoed, her irritation flaring. "What part of my personal life is funny to you?"

"Look, I didn't mean any harm," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "But you have to admit, it's not every day a guy finds out he's been sleeping with the same woman as his buddy. I mean, come on. It's a small world, right?"