The client guided her hands up Miranda's arms, holding her wrists down on the mattress when she had reached them. Beginning to kiss down her left arm. 

"Show me what you want then, Mir?" An alluring smile crawled onto her lips as they reached Miranda's face and hovered inches above her. The client eased Mir's hands into one of her own, and with her now free hand, softly held Miranda's neck, pulling her downwards into a passionate kiss.

Being held down and kissed wasn't unusual for Miranda, at least not with this particular client. It was how tentative and unsure her client was being, she wasn't sure what was going on. This wasn't how Rachel usually acted, never asking her to be the dominant one, only giving orders. Rachel liked being in control, after all, that's what she paid for every fortnight. Confused, Miranda didn't interrupt the kiss and let it continue, she still did her job. But something wasn't sitting right for her. 

"Aren't you going to show me?", Miranda finally let out in between kisses. 

At that, Rachel instantly withdrew, hovering above Miranda once more, a look of worry in her eyes. "You don't want me? I can stop." 

Now Miranda was certain something was up, and she couldn't just let it pass. Using her strength, Miranda lightly forced her wrists out of Rachel's hold, and then with one of her free hands, pushed back against her chest until they were both in sitting positions on the bed. She looked her in the eye, sympathetically. "Rach, what's going on? What's with the uncertainty?"

Miranda could see there was some hesitance to say anything. Not only from her silence but also the sudden dropped eye contact. "Is it our sessions?", she asked, trying for her most calming voice. 

Rachel's eyes remained downward as her fingers started fidgeting with the dome on her jeans. Zipping up her jeans seemed a little pointless given that on the top half she was only in a bra, but Miranda decided it best not to mention that. 

"Not quite," Rachel murmured, exhaling a sigh seconds later. "It's just, I want to please you."

"Oh!", Miranda exclaimed under her breath. Realising what Rachel was telling her, she thought carefully of how it was best to word what she said next. "How incredibly sweet, Rach. For you to say this makes me feel honoured-"

"But?!"

"But you're my client and it is my job to make sure you get the pleasure that you are seeking."

Rachel's eyes looked glassy and started to fill with tears. When she replied, it was with a mild croak, "What if I seek something new with you? Maybe-"

"Then I'm sorry to say, I'd have to end our sessions. Actually, the fact that there is even a possibility means that I'd have to end them." 

The tears were coming thick and fast now. Miranda leaned across the bed for the box of tissues inside the nightstand and passed them to Rachel. She took a handful and blew heavily. 

"Maybe... Maybe I could take you out for dinner, Mir?", she asked, sobbing through the tissue under her nose. 

Miranda shook her head sympathetically. "Sorry, no. I can't." She went to rub her back, feeling guilty, but Rachel pulled away, moving herself to the edge of the bed. 

"I'm-," Miranda started to say, but both her words and her client's crying was drowned out by an aggressive scream and shouting from the room next door. She leapt off the bed and grabbed her silk robe to throw over her semi-naked before going to investigate. "Stay here," she told Rachel, not hearing the reply. 

Opening the door, she placed one foot in the carpeted hall and poked her head out. Three more heads of her colleagues could be seen poking out from three of the four other doors lining the hall. The fourth door was where the scream had come. Miranda only knew this after turning her head to the right, looking down towards their elegantly decorated private waiting room, to seeing Tammy and Joseph jogging along the hall. She withdrew her head as they passed her room, only to return it to watch them disappear into Tiff's room. 

Obviously, one of Tiff's clients had gotten too handsy again. Looking at each of the other heads, as one by one they slipped back into their rooms again, she glanced down the hall at the waiting area again and saw she had a visitor. Miranda raised her index finger to signal just a minute and popped back into her room. 

Upon walking back in, she was confronted with a wet-faced Rachel who had thrown on her tight-knit top and heels. "I think I should leave." 

Miranda nodded with a half-smile. "I understand. I can recommend you to someone else if you wish?"

"No!" There was not a doubt of hesitation. "I won't be coming back here."

"Rach, I'm sure there are other-"

"Don't call me that," she cut Miranda off, as she tried to hold back the second wave of tears. "I don't want them. If I can have you..." 

Waiting a moment or two before saying anything, Miranda then uttered, "I'm sorry if I ever made you think that something more was happening between us."

But Rachel didn't seem to get more upset by this comment, she actually almost smiled; then stepped toward her and the door. "I should say don't be, not this time. Some of us only find unrequited love." She leaned in and gave Miranda a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Mistress Mir." With that, she wiped her eyes as best she could and left the room, closing the door behind her. 

Miranda let out a heavy sigh. 

Then looked around the relatively tidy room for a session that barely took place. 'That was close,' she thought. 

Although, her thoughts stopped there at the delicate knocking and familiar voice from the other side of the door. "Mistress Mir, are you decent?"

She spun around to see Iris standing in the doorway of her boudoir. 

"For you, I am," she answered, a full smile returning to her face. "Let's just not talk in here, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable." 

"Randi, it's fine. It's your job, I'm okay with being in here." She stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. 

"Are you, Iris? You've expressed your displeasure in what I do enough times."

"I know, but you enjoy it. I'm not going to tell you to stop doing something that you enjoy." She moved further into the room, carefully taking in the chic interior. "It may not be something that kids can proudly talk about on a parents' day at school, but that's a bridge to cross later."

Miranda's brow scrunched up, a little confused on the sudden mention of kids, but she let it slide. "Yes, and your friends think it's cheating too."

Iris turned swiftly to face her. "I haven't come here to start an argument, Randi. This is your job, that you enjoy, and I trust you. I love you."

"I love you too. Sorry," she apologised. She hadn't meant to be argumentive. Maybe it was the Rachel situation that had set her on edge. Gesturing over to the bed, Miranda continued, "Would you like to take a seat and tell me why you have come then?"

Iris looked at the ruffled sheet atop the bed and shook her head. "No, I think I'll stand." Miranda laughed, clicking to the reason for her refusing. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing really. I'm just laughing at the gorgeous prude I'm in love with." 

"I'm not."

"You are, just a little." She moved closer and wrapped her arm around her waist. "You're so different from this place and that's just one of the reasons I love coming home to you."

Iris pursed her lips, thinking. "I hope there will be another reason added to that list soon." 

"What do you mean?", she asked softly. 

Iris blinked, then locked eyes with her. "Randi, I'm..."

"I'm? Married? Yeah, I know that. I took you off the market a while ago, hopefully even long before we tied the knot."

She giggled and shook her head. "No, that's not it. Randi, it's that I'm... pregnant."

"You are?", excitement-filled Miranda's voice. "That's great news. It worked." She tightened her arms, about to lift Iris off the ground in a hug. 

"Careful, careful, you don't want to-"

"Oh, sorry." She dropped her arms and took a small step back. "Are you sure the treatment worked?"

Iris assured her with a nod. "I do. I've known for a while. Three tests came back positive. I'm telling you now, first, because our first check-up is tomorrow. You want to come, I'm sure?" 

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it." Miranda was the happiest she had been all day, possibly even all week. "I can't believe it. This IVF has worked."

"Yes, it has. You're going to be a mother, Randi." Iris beamed and placed her hands on her cheeks. 

"So are you, my love." With one hand holding the back of Iris' head, she kissed her; one long and passionate kiss.