Team Building (Chapter 3 of 4)

[duwinter]

Author: DuWinter

Fandom: DWP

Pairing: Andy/OFC Andy/Miranda

Summery: Miranda and Andy are involved in a team building exercise.

VDay Exchange: Back-up author for the VDay exchange gift to Larry200. Part 3. Sorry for the delay in posting. RL took something of a sudden hard right and I'm still adjusting.

Prompt: Miranda hates Valentine's Day. Andy changes her mind. They aren't together. Smut is welcome.

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: No profit being made here. The Devil Wears Prada is the property of Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox. They do not belong to me. I'm just playing with them for a short while. I promise to put them away neatly when I'm through.

Comments: This is not betaed. My fault, all mistakes mine and mine alone. This chapter something of a teaser to get my feet wet and to get back into writing and posting Comments and constructive criticism feed the muse and the muse is always hungry. Comments will be particularly appreciated this time around.

Archiving: If Cryptic Rain wishes too she's welcome. If anyone else is interested please ask.

“The kiss, Andrea,” Miranda's voice was implacable.

“Excuse me Miranda?” Andrea asked, confused and nervous.

Class had been over for more than an hour and Miranda and Andrea have returned to Miranda's townhouse to spend the balance of Saturday afternoon working on their scene. A few moments of relaxation, a glass of wine and now Miranda was ready to start.


“The kiss, Andrea. That's where we should begin our work today,” Miranda states softly, her eyes hot on her second assistant. The act will be....different...for both of us,”

Andrea blushes, in Miranda's opinion, a lovely shade of red.

“I have kissed a girl before, Miranda,” Andrea says rather sullenly. “I am gay after all.”

Miranda smiles. “It's been a long time since I have kissed another woman Andrea,” she answers softly. “A very long time,” she almost whispers.

Andrea feels as if she should pick her jaw up off the floor, should stop gawking. Miranda has kissed another girl at some point in her life. Andrea's statement of kissing another woman was mostly bravado. Her experience is limited to a drunken make-out session at gay bar soon after she came out. A drunken make-out with a woman who's name she can't even remember now she realizes with some horror. And now she'll kiss Miranda as part of the scene she's chosen for them to do.

“Does that surprise you Andrea?” Miranda asks. That I've.....” she pauses for several heartbeats before continuing, as if searching for the right word, “....been with another woman?” She finishes softly, knowing full well her quiet statement has thrown her young companion off balance.

Miranda allows a part of her formidable mind to muse on her past relationships. The fact of the matter is that Miranda had husbands because she was expected to. That the corporate arena where she lived most of her life demanded certain things of a woman who had risen to her stature and power. One of those demands was the illusion of a home life. A 'happy' family. This is not to say that Miranda does not love her children, she does with the ferocity of a mother Grizzly bear. She just had never felt much in the way of passion for the men she'd chosen to marry. All of her marriages were more like business transactions where each party got something they wanted. No, Miranda thinks silently, she hadn't been truly in the throws of passion for a very long time. Not since she lived in Paris. Not since Jacqueline.

Andy, eyes wide, nods mutely, unsure of what to say and feeling disconnected from reality. Here she sits, in Miranda's beautiful townhouse, with the focus of her fantasies not five feet from her with Miranda talking quietly about sleeping with another woman and asking if she's surprised by the admission.

Miranda internally smiles a wicked and amused smile. This was going so much better than she'd hoped. Andrea being off balance makes her more susceptible to Miranda's manipulations. And Miranda intends to manipulate this situation to her utmost ability. She is all too keenly aware that her rival for Andrea's affections has the advantage of being a quadruple threat. Naomi is beautiful, clever, amusing and much closer to Andrea's age than Miranda is. Yes, the bloom of youth has left Miranda. Yes, even with her rigorous exercise and diet regimens the tone of her body and her skin are not what they once were. Miranda may believe herself to be a foolish old woman for holding the idea close to her heart that, given the chance, she can make Andrea love her. But foolish or not she knows that it is what she must have. She has admitted to herself over the last several days that she needs Andrea as she needs air to breath. This is one contest that Miranda does not intend to lose. She will not lose her Andrea simply because the competition has some advantages than she does not. What was it they say? Something about age and treachery overcoming youth and skill? Yes, Miranda is here to play the game. To play to win. The prize is a lifetime in the company of the beautiful brunette sitting across from her.

Andy, usually so good at reading Miranda's wants and moods is completely flustered. Here sits the object of some rather heated fantasies speaking casually about things Andy never thought she'd hear from Miranda's mouth. The quiet intimacy of the conversation, in turn, causes said fantasies to run rampant in her head once again. Her out of control state is brought to the fore when she realizes, with some horror, that Miranda sits watching her, one eyebrow slightly raised in expectation, evidently waiting for a reply. It dawns on Andy that Miranda has spoken to her and she has no idea of what the woman had just said to her. Andy feels ice in her veins as she know how Miranda feels about employees not listening when she speaks. She tries to form a response that won't cause to Miranda to tear her head off with one of those soft spoken diatribes that terrify Runway employees yet she is struck silent as Miranda leans towards her and their lips brush for the first time.

It is the gentlest and most awkward of kisses and Miranda leans back looking throughly amused. “Well.” she offers softly to her very shocked companion, “it looks like we'll need a lot of practice to make it believably passionate.”

Andy,'s mind shuts down completely and lips tingling, she lunges for Miranda. A moment later Miranda dreamily thinks now that's closer to the mark.

On Sunday Miranda and Andy are scheduled to meet in the afternoon to work on the scene. At the last moment Miranda is forced to cancel due to another legal ploy by her soon to be ex husband. She spends an annoying afternoon and evening with her lawyers defending herself against the ridiculous claims of infidelity that Stephen is making against her.. Really, if there was anyone she was going to sleep with while in Paris it wasn't a boy-toy model that happened to get lucky enough to have a picture taken with her at one of the events.

Early Sunday evening finds Naomi having dinner at her Aunt's and Uncle's house. Dinner with Uncle Irv is always a bit of a chore, but obligations to family runs strongly in the veins of the young woman. She had very much wanted to call Andy, ask her out to dinner this evening, but she know that to do such was going too far too fast, so she settles for dinner with her relatives. Now as the interminable tirade that her Uncle has been boring his dinner guests with for the last twenty minutes about the evil that is Miranda Priestly, she allows her mind to wander considering her position in regards to Andy and her rival for Andy's affections. She has hopes. Hopes that she can sweep Andy off her feet. She feels a connection to the woman. Knows that she is someone very worth getting to know. Flowers, she thinks as Irv is practically frothing at the mouth as he comes to the conclusion of his diatribe. I'll send flowers tomorrow.

Irv looks at her from the head of the table. “So, my favorite Niece, you'll help me remove the thorn from my side?” He asks softly.

Naomi, is caught off guard. She knows she hasn't been paying attention. “Of course Uncle,” she answers, “If Ms. Priestly doesn't complete the assignment I'll fail her as I would anyone else in the course.”

Irv shakes his head. “Ahhh Naomi,” he says, his tone disappointed and his smile at his Niece vulpine. “I stuck my neck out, gave you this chance to work for a major player in the publishing industry right out of school. All I ask is this one little favor...”

Naomi suddenly realizes that her Uncle expect her to fail Miranda Priestly no matter what the woman does as far as the coursework goes. And failing Miranda would mean failing Andrea as well. She shake her head. “I'm sorry Uncle Irv,” she says softly, “But I won't sacrifice my integrity or my professional ethics so that you can make some kind of power play inside Elias Clark....” From there the argument rages long into the night with Irv alternately brow beating and cajoling his recalcitrant Niece ...

When Miranda arrives home late Sunday evening she sees Andrea step from the shadows, waiting by her doorstep. Her heart warms when Andy speaks as she approaches.

“I......I really don't know what I'm doing here, Miranda,” the girl babbles quietly. Evidently embarrassed. “I.....I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Miranda offers the briefest flash of a smile that warms Andy's heart and makes the long wait in the cold worth every second of discomfort. “I'm fine, Andrea.' The white haired woman answers. “But it's quite late. You should go home and get some sleep. We have work in the Morning and I'd like....if you're available, that is,... I'd like to reschedule this afternoon to tomorrow evening after work....”

Andy nods. “I'll be here Miranda,” she says turning to make her way back to her apartment. “Good Night.”

“Good Night Andrea,” Miranda says to the retreating girl's back “And thank you.....” She is rewarded when the brunette girl turns and the sun rises in her smile.

“Nothing to thank me for Miranda.” the brunette woman says happily and turns again moving down the street, a jaunty stride to her steps on the snowy concrete.

Miranda watches her go until she turns the corner and disappears from sight. The cold icon stands in the frigged portico of her townhouse, her insides suddenly warm and comforted. Andrea, her Andrea, cared. Cared enough to wait here, wait here in the cold, wait for her to come home. Just to see if she was alright.....' Miranda unlocks the door to the townhouse and softly humming a happy tune to herself goes inside to get ready for bed.

Monday morning rolls around and Emily is surprised to see Miranda walk into the office a full hour before her usual time. Emily is even more surprised when she realizes that her usually reserved boss is humming quietly to herself. Miranda's mood is as relaxed and jovial as Emily has ever seen it. As the first assistant helps with the removal of Miranda's coat and takes her bag Emily is beginning to have hopes of a relaxed, easy day, until Miranda stiffens and her voice suddenly goes to quiet ice. “Where did those flowers come from?” she demands looking at the beautiful bouquet of twenty-four long stemmed passion red roses sitting on Andrea's desk. Emily know something has drastically changed as the temperature of the room drops in a heartbeat but she has no way of knowing why. She answers truthfully. “They were dropped off for Andrea this morning just as I got here,” she offers. “They're from that Naomi Ravits, you know, the instructor of the team building course? She dropped them off herself. She was waiting by the door to the office with that bouquet in her arms when I got here.”

The look Miranda gives Emily could freeze a gallon jug of guaranteed to forty-below anti-freeze solid. “Get a hold of security and find out who let a non-employee loose on the office floor when we weren't open for business and have them terminated immediately,” she demands, her voice barely above a whisper, marking her at her most volatile. “Then get those stinking flowers out of this office. They reek of Freesias.” She turns on her Prada heel and stalks into her office her body language as angry as Emily has ever seen it. A disembodied voice floats from inside Miranda's office. “That's all!”

Twenty minutes later Andy floats into the office, a smile on her face. Emily looks at her and clearly sees the coming disaster. The Brit quickly surmises that Andy must have had a date with the course instructor and gotten laid. Her glow screams of it and twenty-four long stemmed roses at what they cost in Manhattan? Somebody sure as bloody hell got something. Miranda was already livid about that stupid Ravits bitch being able to access Runway's floors when no one was here. If Miranda saw Andrea floating around all sated and satisfied then they'd be hell to pay. And Emily was painfully aware of Miranda's habit of taking her displeasure out on everyone around her. She rises from her desk and hurriedly approaches Andy as the second assistant removes her coat to hang it in the closet. “Stop it,” the redhead hisses. “Miranda is furious about you and your little stunt,” she continues quietly, her voice full of venom. “Get yourself together and get to your desk. And for god's sake keep your head dow.......”

Emily's strangled commands are cut off by Miranda's quiet voice. “Andrea, my office. Now.”

Andy stiffens, unsure as to what is happening. Miranda seemed relaxed and cordial when she left the townhouse last night. Saturday had gone so well. They'd practiced elements of the scene until well past Midnight. Worked out several of the difficulties in presentation and had practiced the kiss repeatedly much to Andy's delight. Then after seeing Miranda on the doorstep of the townhouse Sunday evening she had real hopes that they could be friends, perhaps even more than friends given time and attention to the relationship. Now Emily was talking about Andy's 'stunt' and Miranda was evidently furious about something. The only conclusion she could draw with the information she has is that Miranda is upset about last night. Andy fears that Miranda might think she's stalking her. That Miranda is having second thoughts about their association out side of work.......She rises and tries to pull herself together. Showing a poise she does not feel she walks into Miranda office.

Miranda sit with her back to the door staring out the window behind her desk. “Close the door Andrea,” comes the frigid command.

Andrea does as she has been told and stands before Miranda's desk looking at the back of Miranda's chair. She is silent, waiting for Miranda to tell her why she has been summoned.

The words emanating from beyond the back of the chair are spoken softly, the tone almost scared. Not at all the voice that Andy is used to when being addressed by La Priestly.

“Andrea,” comes the almost whispered missive. “I need to know the depth of your involvement with Naomi Ravits....”

“Involvement?” Andrea asks confused by both the question and by Miranda's demeanor.

“Yes, Andrea,” Miranda replies, her tone irritated, closer to the deadly quiet one she uses to deal with the majority of her employees. “How involved are you in a relationship with Naomi Ravits? Did you see her yesterday when I was unavailable to practice our scene? Did you....” she pauses for several beats before continuing, as if struggling to get the words out. “...Did you have a date?”

Andy shakes her head at the back of the chair. Then suddenly realizing that even if Miranda did have eyes in the back of her head she likely couldn't see through the chair's upholstery. “Ummmmmm, she squeaks softly, unsure of where this line of questioning is coming from or where it might be going. “I had coffee with Naomi once after class. It was a casual thing. That was the week before last. She asked me out for coffee again, but you were there that time. I didn't go because you and I went and worked on our scene.”

Miranda turns in her chair, her eyes narrow slits of blue ice. “So, she sent you two dozen long stem roses because you refused to see her for coffee?” Ice crystals fall from the words.

Her tone is not one Andy has heard before. Something in the tone sends a shiver down her spine. This is Miranda more dangerous than Andy has ever encountered her before. This is Miranda wounded and ready to defend herself. She thinks for a heartbeat and then it hits her like a ton of bricks. Miranda is jealous. Jealous of a possible relationship between her and Naomi. Andy thinks quickly back on Saturday night and the passionate nature the kiss had quickly progressed to. More passionate and demanding each time it was preformed. Not, so much, playacting perhaps. Andy smiles and delivers her next statement with sudden confidence. “If Naomi sent flowers I'll really need to see her for coffee soon,” she says softly, waiting a beat before continuing. If she was right it wouldn't hurt to let Miranda stew a bit so she'd hear Andy's message when it is delivered.... “I need to tell her that my heart belongs to someone else and she shouldn't waist time or money pursuing me.”

Miranda is taken aback. She leans stiffly back in her chair, her eyes hard on her second assistant. “You are involved with someone else?” The white haired icon almost whispers.

Andrea looks down, not meeting Miranda's eyes, yet she is still smiling that wonderful smile of hers. “No Miranda,” she answers coyly. “Not involved. Not yet anyway. That's not to say I wouldn't like to be,” She looks up onto Miranda's eyes. “But if you asked me the day before yesterday I would have told you that I'd never have a chance with the woman I fancy. That she would have been an unreachable fantasy at best.”

The anger on Miranda's face softens into uncertainty. Her blue eyes plead silently with Andrea's brown ones. “You'd like to be involved with...this woman you fancy?” she asks softly the timbre of her voice shaking ever so slightly. “You'd be with her if you could?”

Andy looks deeply into Miranda's eyes. If she'll have me, Miranda,” her second assistant whispers.

Miranda shakes her head. Her tone continues to be uncertain. So different from the normally so commanding and in-control icon. “There would be difficulties, Andrea. The Press. Your private life would cease to exist. And there's the difference in our ages to consider....”

Andy nods, her eyes still on Miranda's beautiful face. She knows instantly that it all comes down to this moment. Risk all to win all or lose everything with one roll of the dice. She instantly decides on the truth as her best gambit. “I've been in love with you since before Paris Miranda,” Andy whispers softly. “Any sacrifice would be worth it to be with you.”

Miranda continues to look deeply into the eyes of the woman that she has secretly loved for a while now and realizes she stands on the edge of the precipice. That a single step would bring her, her heart's desire and all the consequences that would come with it. “I have my children to consider Andrea.....I've hurt and disappointed them so many times with the choices I've made about relationships. Would...Would you promise to stay...with me?....Stay no matter what? Be with me until they are gone from home? I can't disappoint them again....I can't bring someone into our lives only to have them walk out sometime in the future. I can't do that to them again....”

Andy realizes that Miranda is almost in tears. Without thinking she crosses around the desk and kneeling she embraces the woman she loves. Whispering softly and reassuringly she says, “I didn't leave you in Paris, Miranda. I didn't leave you when I loved you and believed with all my heart that I'd never have a chance to be with you. I won't leave you. Not now. Not ever.”

Miranda feels all the tension that had settled in her chest when she saw the roses sitting on Andrea's desk this morning flow out of her as Andrea's arms encircle her. She pulls herself together. “Then I think we have more to talk about that just the coursework when you come over tonight......You are still coming tonight aren't you?”

Andrea chuckles softly, close to Miranda's ear, “Miranda, you'd have trouble keeping me away.”

Emily is surprised when Andy leaves the office smiling as if nothing at all unusual has happened and takes her place at her desk. Usually people leave Miranda's office in tears after such a summons, if not unemployed altogether. She is shocked when five minutes later Miranda leaves for a meeting across town. As the first assistant helps Miranda into her coat she realizes that Miranda is again humming a happy little tune very softly to herself. When Miranda is gone Emily looks to the second assistant and her voice is soft when she demands “Well?”

Andy looks up from her work. “Nothing to write home about Em,” she says innocently. “Just a little misunderstanding about the flowers,” For the remainder of the the day that is all Andy will say of the matter to the increasingly curious Brit.

Later that evening Andy sits across from Miranda in the study of the townhouse running her fingers over the sheer fabric of a body-stocking. “It's the same thing we use for shoots at the magazine when the more elite models object to being nude,” Miranda says softly. “It covers completely, but in dim light, as we will have at the point our characters are...” she pauses, searching for a word,... “grappling... on stage, the garment will be virtually invisible.”

The feel of the almost non-existent fabric suddenly makes Andy realizes that seeing Miranda in such a garment would almost be like seeing her naked. The image her mind provides is vivid and makes her breath catch. That thought leads immediately to the thought that Miranda will see her in a similar state. She blushes a lovely pink.

Miranda however, seems distracted tonight. She hasn't been focused since Andrea's arrival. In fact thinking about it she realizes that she hasn't been been able to focus since their conversation of this morning. She's spent the rest of the day avoiding Andrea and looking anywhere but at the girl of her dreams. Now, here in the townhouse she can't seem to look at anything else. She steels herself and tries to break her reverie. “Andrea, we should talk about this morning...” she says quietly.

Andy hears the trace of fear in Miranda's voice. Notes it in her posture where she sits. She puts the garment aside and smiles at the woman she has become so good at reading. “Yes, Miranda?” She says, taking a savage pleasure in the fact that for the first time she is the one that isn't shaking in her Manolo Blahniks. That her calm certainty is part of what's shaking Miranda's legendary cool reserve. It is a rare occurrence, for in this instance, perhaps for one of the few times in her life, Andy is absolutely sure of what it is she wants and where it is she wants to go. She knows sacrifices will have to be made. The first one being her position at Runway. She knows that she can't be with Miranda the way she wants to be and continue working as her second assistant. It would be a bad joke inside the industry in less than a week. No, Andy has thought this through and spent part of her morning writing her letter of resignation which now sits on Miranda's desk waiting for her return in the morning. Andy has set her terminal date the Monday after Valentine's Day. That should give her time to find a replacement from the pool of hopefuls and train them to do what Miranda requires of them. It will also allow the time necessary for the two of them to derail Irv's plan to oust Miranda as Editor-in-Chief. Andy is surprised at how calm she is about the situation and how nervous Miranda seems. In her fantasies it has always been the other way around.

Miranda looks at the girl sitting across from her, evidently trying to bring her thoughts together. “Andrea,” she attempts to start again, “have you spent any more time considering what I said to you this morning?”

Andy continues to smile at the white haired icon. “Truth be told Miranda, I was a lousy employee today, because I didn't think about much else....”

Miranda's eyes snap to the beautiful woman sitting in her study. “And you're not having any second thoughts?” Miranda asks softly.

Andy can clearly hear the trepidation in her tone. It makes Andy warm inside for she knows that there is likely only two other people in the world that can read Miranda as she does and those are Miranda's two children. She chuckles. “I'm not going to lie to you Miranda,” she answers. “I'm having second, third and forth thoughts, but they all end up in the same place. I want to be with you...long term. I love you, Miranda Priestly. I have for a while now. If I have this chance I'm going to make the most of it. Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead.”

Miranda nods and for the first time this evening she smiles. “That's what I want too Andrea. I want us to be together. That being said I think there need to be some ground-rules.

Andy nods, understanding that Miranda is right. They both need to discuss limits, understand what each expects of the other. It is, perhaps, unfortunate that her cell phone chooses that moment to ring. By habit Andy reaches for it and is surprised when Naomi Ravit's name is shown on the caller ID display.

Miranda watches as Andy looks at her phone and sees the look of surprise on her face. She motions with one hand granting permission for Andy to answer the call.

Andy nods and flipping her cell open she answers, “Andy Sachs.”

“Andy, Naomi Ravits calling. I need to see you,” says the woman at the other end of the line.

Andy shifts in her chair. “Naomi, I was going to call later and thank you for the flowers, but I don't think that getting together would be such a good idea....”

“Andy,” Naomi cuts her off. “You need to meet with me. It's important to you that we do. Both your and Miranda Priestly's jobs depend on it. Now when are you available and where shall we meet?”