All the World is Upside Down (2/?)
Title All the World is Upside Down
Author Natalie (silentrevyrie)
Pairing Eventually Miranda/Andy
Rating Right now, PG for language.
Summary AU. Andy is still second assistant to the Editor-in-Chief of Runway, but the editor isn't who you'd expect.
Disclaimer I own nothing, but I can, no joke, quote this entire movie word for word. So there's that. I especially don't own the dialogue that you recognize.
A/N Part 2 of ? Thank you to everyone who has read and/or commented so far! Feel free to tell me what you think; this is my first attempt at an AU that is so closely tied to the source material that is longer than a one-shot, if that makes any sense.
(CHAPTER 1)
As soon as she arrived back at her desk on Runway’s floor of the Elias-Clarke building, Andy swiftly discarded her coat and bag and took a step towards what was now Miranda’s office before halting in her tracks. How was she supposed to enter the office? Should she announce herself? Should she say something? Knock on the door? Miranda was still seated behind the desk, her MacBook open on top of the papers scattered across the glass top, and she had yet to notice Andy’s presence.
“Um, Ms. Priestly?” Andy mumbled as she lightly knocked on the door. Miranda’s head snapped up, and she looked almost indignant at the interruption. Andy took that as her cue to move towards the desk, Starbucks in hand. She handed it to Miranda, who sipped it immediately. Andy winced involuntarily, which would’ve been her own reaction to a beverage so hot. Miranda seemed unfazed.
“Miranda,” Miranda said, having already refocused on whatever she’d been working on.
“I’m sorry?” Andy replied, unsure as to why her new boss was referring to herself in the third person.
“You will call me Miranda,” Miranda continued. “Not Ms. Priestly. Miranda. Now, call IT. I need a company phone-nothing too bulky-with a US number and a Runway email address to replace mine from French Runway. That’s all.” She glanced up at Andy, who shifted uncomfortably as Miranda seemed to appraise her outfit once again. When Miranda's attention shifted back to her computer screen, it was all Andy could do not to run back to her own desk. Andy knew for a fact she was the only person at Runway who didn’t care about fashion; she’d been sent by a temp agency to fill the second assistant position until Elias-Clarke HR had found a suitable candidate, but Jacqueline had been so impressed by Andy’s ability to learn quickly and to adapt that after three weeks, she’d sent Andy to HR to permanently fill the position. Jacqueline hadn’t cared what Andy wore as long as she was doing her job correctly, but Andy had a feeling that Miranda wasn’t going to be so flexible.
As Andy was hanging her coat, she heard the phone on her desk ring. Jacqueline had always insisted that the phone ring no more than once before being answered and Andy couldn’t imagine that Miranda would feel any differently.
“Jacqueline Foll-erm, Miranda Priestly’s office,” Andy fumbled.
“So it’s true, then? Miranda is already there?” The voice on the other line was familiar to Andy, but she was too focused on getting back to copying Jacqueline’s files to take the time to place it.
“Any questions regarding personnel at Elias-Clarke should be directed to Human Resources. Their department extension is 5314,” Andy countered. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with what was likely a press inquiry. Andy quickly hung up the phone, only to have it ring again immediately.
“Extension 5314,” Andy repeated, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Andy, it’s me,” the voice, who Andy suddenly recognized as Nigel, replied. “Of course I’ve heard through the grapevine that Miranda is already there, but I thought I’d check in on you, seeing as you’re right there in the lion’s den.”
Andy and Nigel weren’t friends-truth be told, Andy had no friends at work-but once Andy had become a permanent Runway staffer, Nigel had taken the time to get to know her. He’d even brought her a pair of designer slingbacks one Monday morning, which Andy had graciously thanked him for and then shoved them in the back of a desk drawer, because she didn’t intend to wear them. Now that she remembered that they were there, though, she would have to put them on before she went into Miranda’s office again. Andy knew that the slingbacks couldn’t possibly save her outfit, but she figured they’d at least help a tiny bit with Miranda’s obvious disdain for her clothing. Andy wasn’t sure why she cared so much what Miranda thought about how she dressed, but knowing that her new boss clearly disliked what she was wearing bothered her.
“It’s been quiet,” Andy sighed as she moved on to copying the Chanel portion of Jacqueline’s files. “Like, weirdly quiet. I got here at 6:30 and Miranda was already here. At 9:00 she sent me to Starbucks, and when I got back she asked me to get a few things done for her with IT. And that’s it.” Andy started typing an email to the head of the IT department as she recapped her day for Nigel. They’d always been better about replying to email than about answering the phone, something Andy found mildly amusing.
“She’s never been a woman of many words,” Nigel mused.
“How do you know?” Andy asked.
“She was me before I was me,” Nigel said. “Didn’t you know? She was the fashion director at Runway before she got moved to French Runway. I’ve known her for twent-uh, a lot of years. I still can’t believe she didn’t tell me about this!”
Andy hadn’t any idea that Miranda had previously worked at Runway, let alone that she had worked directly with Nigel. “In that case, what can you tell me about her? I’d like to keep my job and she doesn’t seem like she has much patience for a learning curve.”
“When she wants something done, she wants it done yesterday,” Nigel started. “That’s the most important thing. Be fast, be efficient, and don’t ask her questions-she hates that. If you absolutely can’t figure something out yourself, ask me if necessary, but never ask her. What else? This industry loves her-they always have. Dropping her name opens doors that would otherwise be deadbolted, even more than Jacqueline’s ever did. Okay, I’ve gotta run. The McQueen show is about to start. Just wanted to make sure you were still alive. I’ll check in with you later tonight, okay?”
“Thanks, Nigel. You’re the best,” Andy smiled.
“Au revoir!” Andy smirked at the phone. It seemed Paris was going to Nigel’s head.
No sooner had Andy finished with Jacqueline’s Donna Karan file than someone from IT showed up with a box, which he promptly dropped on Andy’s desk. “Her cell phone is in there. It’s all activated and everything. And that,” he said, pointing to a post-it-note on the box, “is her new phone number and her email address with temporary password, which she’ll need to change. Call me if you need anything else. Or just, you know, call me.” He winked at her and left. Fortunately, Andy didn’t have any questions, because she had no desire to call him for anything. She’d met this particular IT guy, whose name she was pretty sure was Jared, on her first day at Runway, when he’d given her her company-issue Sidekick and then insisted on making a test call from his own cell phone. Andy did her best to avoid him. Before she took the phone in to Miranda, Andy copied down the phone number and the email address and immediately ordered business cards made before Miranda even had to ask.
Andy opened the box and stuck the post-it to the phone, so as to minimize the number of things Miranda would have to do herself. She stood, and then remembered the slingbacks that were still in the back of the bottom drawer of her desk and quickly dug them out. After Andy switched shoes, she walked carefully into the office, where Miranda was still focused on the task at hand, before trying to get the editor's attention.
"Miranda?" Andy started. Miranda looked up. "Uh, I have your phone. And your new email address. You'll have to change the temporary password but everything is all set up."
"Good," Miranda nodded, motioning for Andy to hand her the box. "And I'll need b--"
"Business cards?" Andy interrupted. "Already ordered." Miranda looked taken aback, if only for a fraction of a second, before her expression morphed into something that could only be described as an almost-approving almost-smile.
"That's all." Andy had noticed a trend and knew this was her cue to leave. On her way out, she glanced at the reflection in the office door and realized that Miranda was watching her leave. The expression on Miranda’s face, if Andy was reading the reflection correctly, wasn’t one of “Is she out of my office yet?” so much as something almost resembling appreciation for the sight in front of her-and the only thing in front of her was Andy’s behind. Now it was Andy’s turn to be taken aback. Obviously she was interpreting it wrong-it was only a reflection, after all, and not Miranda’s actual face.
Andy sat back down at her desk just in time for Miranda to come sweeping out of her office, closing the doors behind her. Before she even realized what she was doing, Andy rushed to stand as Miranda walked through the room. She’d never done that when Jacqueline-or anyone else, for that matter-came through the office. It seemed a reaction fit for royalty, or perhaps the President or someone else in a similar position of power, and Andy now realized that Miranda exuded the confidence, poise, and elegance of a world leader, not the editor of a fashion magazine. It was in the way she carried herself, how she stood tall with her shoulders back and made herself seem much more imposing than her natural height, which Andy judged to be about 5’6” against her own 5’8”, would normally suggest.
Realizing she was now standing alone in the antechamber, Andy quickly sat back down and glared at her computer screen. She had so many more of Jacqueline’s files to copy, and, though she still felt incredible loyalty to the former editor, Andy lacked the motivation to continue what felt like a pointless task. Suddenly, inspiration struck and she knew exactly how to get out of having to finish all those file transfers.
“Hi, Jared?” she murmured into the phone. One phone call to IT was all it was going to take. “It’s Andy. You know, Jac-Miranda’s assistant? Yeah, no, I’m doing well. It’s just…I have all of these files that I need to copy to send over to Jacqueline and I’m just doing it individually and I feel like there has to be some other way-Oh, you will? Great! I’ll be here all day. Oh, five minutes? Thank you!”
Jared had just arrived behind Andy’s desk and was leaning over her shoulder, focused more on her cleavage than on her computer screen, when Miranda came back. She stopped momentarily in front of Andy’s desk and raised an eyebrow at the scene in front of her before continuing back into her office. She flung the doors open, but not all the way. When Andy glanced up, she noticed that the angle at which the door was open made it easy to see Miranda behind her own desk in the reflection, which meant that Miranda could also see her. And not only could Miranda definitely see her, Miranda was definitely watching her.
“Andrea,” Miranda called. Andy hastily pushed her chair away from her desk, almost knocking over Jared in the process.
“You’ve got this under control, right? I’ve got to-she’s-I-thanks!” Andy skirted around Jared, whose attention was finally on the computer task, and hurried into Miranda’s office. Miranda said nothing and instead stared at Andy, who was relatively certain that her boss could see into her soul.
“Yes, Miranda?” Andy ventured, unsure of why she’d been called into the office.
“I need ten or fifteen skirts from Calvin Klein,” Miranda stated. Andy had no idea which skirts Miranda meant and almost asked her to be more specific, before remembering Nigel’s advice about not asking questions. She’d have to figure it out.
“And make sure we still have Pier 59 for 8am on Monday,” Miranda continued. “Remind Jocelyn that I need to see a few of those satchels that Marc is doing in the pony. And then tell Simone that I’ll take Jackie if Maggie isn’t available. Did Demarchelier confirm?”
Andy was dumbstruck. The only names she recognized from Miranda’s directive were Jocelyn, who was still in Paris, Marc, who was probably Marc Jacobs, and Demarchelier. “D-did d-Demarchelier confirm?” Andy stuttered.
“Demarchelier. Did he-get him on the phone,” Miranda said, looking annoyed. Andy turned and quickly retreated to her desk, where Jared was waiting for her.
“So, d’you think we could, like, hang out sometime?” Jared asked as he leaned against the wall, a sly grin plastered across his face.
Andy ignored him as she punched numbers into her phone. “I have Miranda Priestly’s office-good,” she said into the phone.
“I have Patrick!” she yelled to Miranda. She watched as the extension light on her phone turned green and hung up as soon as she was sure Miranda had taken the call. Now, if only she knew who Simone, Jackie, and Maggie were. Andy may not have known that, but she did know one thing for certain: working for Miranda Priestly was going to be a challenge in every sense of the word.