I Want You

No Sleep Tonight

When he stepped into his apartment, Ben put a still sleeping Ava in the guest bedroom. When she was comfortable, he remembered that he'd promised to call Miranda. Knowing how late it was, he shot her a quick text message before laying on his sofa. He put on the TV, muting it because he wanted to be able to hear Ava. His phone rang as he took off his shoes. "Hello?" He said picking it up quickly, not looking at the caller.

"Didn't I say to call me?" Ben smiled at Miranda's unmistakable voice. "You're hard-headed."

"I was trying to be polite," he responded, laughing at their lack of greeting. She made a noise. "I won't be doing that again."

"Good." Did he just hear her smile? They were quiet for a long while. So long, in fact, that he felt himself dozing off. Waking up a few hours later to his phone signaling that that the battery was low, Ben saw that the call with Miranda was still going. He began laughing. "What are you laughing at?" She asked in a rich and deep voice.

Ben pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. "Nothing."

"I hope you weren't talking to me because I was sleep," she laughed.

"So was I."

"I know," Miranda shot back. "You were snoring in my ear."

Stretching, he went to check on Ava who was still knocked out with her head at the foot of the bed though he'd laid her down the other way. After getting some water and some grapes, he grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped himself in it. "What time is it?" He asked, checking his watch to answer his own question.

"Three-thirty."

He sighed. "I hope Paige is okay," he said more to himself than to Miranda.

"Me, too."

"He'd call if anything was wrong, right?"

Miranda cleared his throat. "I'm sure of it. I also told them to call me, too, if anything significant happens."

"Did I say 'thank you' for tonight, Miranda?" Ben asked biting into a grape. "I'm so glad that you were there tonight."

"It's no problem and you did thank me... several times."

He pushed another grape into his mouth. "Well, thank you again."

"You're welcome."

"Because my head was all over the place. I'd probably still be roaming around the lobby without you."

They laughed. "You would have gotten it together eventually."

"Maybe."

"I have faith in you."

He smiled. "What are you doing on your day off?"

"My ex has Tuck tomorrow; so, I have every intention of sleeping in, watching TV and reading my magazines."

Images of her relaxed at home flooded his mind; in relaxing clothing, walking around barefoot and being herself. The one he really wanted to get to know. "Magazines?"

"Yeah, the good ones, not like Architectural Digest or whatever it is that you all read in the gas company."

Ben laughed and piece of grape flew from his mouth. "Wow! Your shots are wicked."

Miranda laughed, too. "Uh, how's Ava?"

He sighed. "Still sleeping. I just checked on her."

"Poor baby, I know she was scared tonight."