DWP Fic: Scarlett Part 1 (for the July Fic-A-Thon Day 24)
“OUTCH! That damn thing bit me again!” the model screamed. “Get it OFF me!!!”
“Oh dear, not again….” Muttered the photographer. “Hold still Diane.”
Nigel has his hand buried in his face again for the fifth or sixth time during the shooting.
But he could not help but grin. “Such a troublemaker.”
The photographer gently tried to put the fourteen weeks old kitten down to it siblings.
Andy Sachs sat next to him and chuckled. “Photo shootings with kittens are an adventure.”
“It is, especially for a lingerie shoot. It’s just one kitten and her dark brown fur and clumsiness are just remind me of someone.”
“Hey!” Andy pouted.
Nigel shrugged. “It’s the truth. She’s not unlikely to you at all.”
Their faces wandered to Miranda Priestly, sitting in a chair, watching the fashion shoot with concentration.
She pursed her lips. Catastrophe.
“Oh oh…”
“She’s that close to fire the kitten…”
“Nigel!”
“Relax Six. Enjoy your last maddening day here. Next week you’re free.”
Andy sighed. Her year at Runway was fulfilled, Miranda has even written her a recommend letter, to Andy’s disbelief. She could now work in every magazine she wan6ted but to everyone’s surprise she decided to work at The Mirror, a small newspaper.
“Whatever makes you happy,.” Nigel said, giving her a hug.
I can’t have what makes me happy, Nigel. She thought, making a small look to the white haired editor again. Never in her life would she have thought how this woman and working for her would affect her so damn much.
She was so close leaving her in Paris but decided then not to leave. Now it was her last day at Runway, her last photo shooting, her last day next to Miranda.
“She’ll forget me anyway.” She mumbled. Nigel raised an eyebrow. “Oh, nothing!” she quickly said and blushed slightly.
Andy turned her face to the angry model again.
“I do not want that near me.” She hissed, pointing to the dark brown kitten.
The kitten has scratched and bitten the shrieking model slightly again.
“She doesn’t like her.” And I can understand it.If someone would grab me thar rude and screaming at my poor sensitive ears. GOD that voice…
“Diane Fellon is one of the most expensive top models right now, Six. If she demanded to get the kitten roasted it would happen in two minutes.”
Andy shivered. “Oh please no….”
Suddenly the kitten jumped from the silky sheet mattress she and her siblings were positioned on and ran straight to Andy.
“What the… not again!” The photographer nearly threw away his camera.
Gently Andy picked up the little kitten playing at her feet. She was so soft and warm. It made her smile widely.
“Here she is.” Andy carefully gave the little animal into the hands of one of the assistants.
“I think we need a break.” Came Miranda’s cool voice from across the room. She has stand up from her chair and stretched her back a little.
Andy tried her best not to stare too much at her long legs.
Dammit, the woman was over fifty, but her body did not look any older than thirty-three. She bit her lips.
“Okay, Fifteen minutes!” Nigel shouted.
The model rose from the mattress, still hissing because of some slight scratch marks on her hand.
She went straight to the photographer. “Get that little beast out of here or I’m leaving!” and stormed into her dressing room.
Miranda shook her head. “Andrea, fetch me Starbucks. This is going to take longer than I wanted. Nigel, I need to talk with you.”
“Yes Miranda” Andy said and walked away.
Fortunately Starbucks was just across the street and Andy got back with Miranda’s coffee only a few minutes.
To her own surprise she found most of the assistants to the shoot kneeling on the ground, searching for something. Miranda stood next to Nigel as Andy gave her the hotter than the sun coffee.
“Nigel, what are they searching?” whispered Andy into the bold art director.
“The kitten, you know which I mean. She’s gone. The model has occupied her dressing room and won’t come out. Miranda is getting impatient and you know what that means.”
Oh yes, Andy knew what that means.
“Nigel, if these incompetent people don’t do their job right in ten minutes, tell them they don’t need to go to work ever again.”
She took a small sip of her coffee. “It’s just a kitten, how difficult can it be to find it? I need some minutes alone.”
With that she walked away.
Miranda found a little space of the studio that was not used for shoots. She found an old bench and carefully sat down. She felt the beginning of a headache.
“What am I doing?” she asked herself. “Soon she’ll be…”
A sound captured her attention and she saw dark brown fur slipping out of a shadow. The kitten looked at her with bright blue eyes and began to run with a bit of stumbling.
First the editor didn’t move, but that could not hide he smile anymore and carefully picked up the kitten.
“So you try to sabotage my photo shoot.” The kitten just mewled. Not sure if she wanted to eventually ruin her Chanel costume, but then placed the kitten on her lap.
Immediately the kitten began to roll itself into a ball and purred. Carefully Miranda began to stroke the soft fur.
“You remind me of her. I bet her brown hair is as soft as your fur…” she said to the kitten. “She’s also clumsy, but…. I don’t know…”
And it was true. Miranda did not know what to think. Andrea would leave her employee today. She’ll probably never see that smile brighter than any sun again.
“I’ll miss her…. So much…” She said quietly, watching the kitten drifting more and more into sleep.
Even an Ice Queen like her can’t resist the utter charm of the kitten. She was just not allowed to show it in public, or the pure cuteness of her soon to be second assistant when she watched the kittens playing with each other on the mattress.
“You are really beautiful. Just like her.” She smiled, gently caressing the ears.
Andy’s heart nearly stopped when she found the editor in the back of the studio, the lost kitten rolled in her lap.
The smile of the editor just melted her heart a little more.
“Ehm…. Miranda?” she asked carefully and the editor looked at her with deep azure blue eyes.
“I found… it.” She gestured at the kitten.
“Yes I see…” Andy said dumbfounded.
“Well, will you please pick it up and take it back?”
Seeing Andy hesitating she added “And preferable today, if possible.”
Andy swallowed a bit and tried to pick up the kitten without touching Miranda’s crotch at all. The kitten sensed the movement and was not happy about it.
Miranda slightly hissed when she felt tiny paws on the skin underneath the thin material of her pants.
“Cats have claws, I remind you.”
Andy carefully moved her hands to the kitten’s paws.
“It’s okay, sweetie.” she tried to soothe the little cat. “I don’t want to harm you.”
Strangely enough, as soon as the cat heard the voice of the young woman, she let go und snuggled into her chest. “There now.” Andy smiled.
Miranda cleared her throat. “So now that all is settled again, we can finally go back to work.”
She slowly rose from the bench and passed Andy without another look at the kitten.
Andy took a deep breath. “Let’s go princess. I know you hate that shriek lady in underwear, but please try to behave.”
She knew how silly it sounded, but the kitten just yawned.
The photo shoot finished without any incidences, to everyone’s relief.
Nearly everything was packed.
Andy still hold the kitten in her arms. “You’re so cute. I’d love to keep you, but you’re worth more than I earn in a month.”
She had nearly passed out when Nigel told her what a kitten like her would cost.
“Come on, Six. Time to say Good Bye.” He meant it in more than just one way.
Carefully Andy put down the kitten into the basket. “Farewell, little Cutie. I hope you find a nice home.”
Not taking another look at the basket and to her bag right next to it, she gave Nigel a heartfelt hug. “Thanks for everything, Nigel.”
“I think I did my best. Now, don’t cry Andy. We’ll stay in touch somehow. Save your energy for the last drive with Miranda. You’ll survive it and then you’re free, forever.”
Yes, free from Miranda…. Yay… Andy thought.
She grabbed her bag and left. Nigel watched after her and smiled. He walked away to the photographer to talk about the proofs, not noticing one of the kitten was missing again.
TBC....