Fic: Happily (n)ever after (3/?)
Chapter 3: Sick and Tired
Miranda Priestly pressed a hand on her forehead. She felt a slight hammering pain.
A headache. Great. she thought.
The editor didn’t know why, but felt her world was fading away. Vanishing like a dream.
When everything was right, why did it feel so… wrong?
She informed Leslie that the divorce was avoided while looking at a single paper in her hand.
Stephen got a call from London all of a sudden and he needed to be in an important meeting there.
Miranda sighed. When he packed his suitcase again and called a taxi to the airport, he gave her the paper, kissed her on the cheek and said: “Think about it. If you really want to save this…. Think about it. I’m sorry for leaving so quickly, but we’ll see each other soon in three days. Goodbye.”
He didn’t say “I love you”. She didn’t say it either. When was the last time they’ve said it?
Miranda could not remember it. A very long time, she was sure.
The pain in her head grew stronger every moment passed by. She felt tired. The white haired woman didn’t sleep properly since Stephen’s surprising appearance.
The wheel of thoughts inside her head couldn’t stop spinning around, distracting her from everything.
She was glad Stephen was back. At least she said it and maybe she was for that evening.
And now…. Now was a different time.
She cursed herself for acting so incompetent. Talking with her assistant and a tiny private detail slipped out. How stupid, although Miranda was sure Andrea would keep this to herself.
It still was very out of her character.
She was a professional, the ice queen, a perfectionist at hiding her feelings. She shook her head, put the paper on her table, went to the bathroom and took some aspirin. This was no time for a headache.
The talk with Nate went quite good. Andy was happy that he’d give them another chance.
“Call me when you’ll land in New York, okay? I’ll come to get you.”
Andy smiled. “Thanks Nate. Really, thank you. See you.”
She hung up and shivered. She didn’t say “I love you” to him. It was so easy all the time she was around with him. And now…
Andy nearly jumped when the phone vibrated in her hands. Miranda.
Of course it’s her. Who else? She sighed.
“Finally, Andrea. I’ve tried almost 20 Minutes to reach you. I want you to come to my suite. Now.” Click.
“Oh, great.” Andy hissed, looking at her still unpacked suitcase. They had about one and a half hour to get their flight back to New York and the brunette was sure Miranda will chase her around to get these and that last minute, as usual.
She was not pleased to go to Miranda’s suite. She was sure that she’ll never be able to look at Stephen ever again, with that unfortunately very vivid image with him and Miranda….. Thank you very much.
She was glad to see Miranda sitting in the living room, not in the bedroom. Not a thousand horses could force her to get in there ever again.
Andy stopped. When she looked at Miranda, she felt a change on her appearance. For others Miranda would look like as cool and concentrated as ever, but Andy knew the difference.
The older woman looked tired and her skin was more pale than usual.
“Ah, there you are.” The editor spoke as she caught Andy’s eyes. “Is there something wrong with my face? Did I get a third eye on my forehead or why are you staring at it?” she said in a low voice. Yes, there was definitely a slight pain in her voice.
“I’m…. I’m sorry, Miranda.” Andy swallowed. She looked around. Miranda’s suitcases were already packed, of course, but she couldn’t find Stephen’s. “Where is… Umn…”
“Stephen has a meeting in London. He went an hour ago, which leads us to why I’ve called you. Since we don’t have much more time before our flight, you will be sitting next to me in first class. There are still some schedules I’d like to discuss with you, Andrea.”
Andy gulped. First class? With Miranda? And no Stephen?
She really did not know if she should feel blessed or cursed. She had never a flight in first class before, only in Business Class. Her heart was racing.
Miranda watched her, smiling amused inside a little, as much as her headache allowed forgetting for a moment. She opened her mouth to say a snappy comment again, but the pain forced her to think again.
“Go back to your room and get ready. We’re leaving in half an hour. Do not keep me waiting.” The editor said to break the silence between them once again.
Andy shivered. She still felt the slight discomfort of her boss, but the older woman just looked at her sharply. Don’t say anything and don’t make me repeat myself… the look told her.
“Half an hour in the foyer, I understand.” The brunette said, nodded and walked out of the suite.
On the way to her room she stopped. Miranda didn’t say “that’s all”. How strange…
But Andy shook her head and continued packing her suitcase to leave.
The ride to the airport was quiet. Her boss still seemed to suffer from a pain, a headache maybe, but as the ice queen she was, she disguised it perfectly.
There was something between them lingering in the air, but neither of them dared to speak about it.
Andy was looking for Nigel, but he told her he would take a later flight. He was astonished Miranda demanded Andy to sit next to her in first class. Not even Emily had ever received that kind of honour.
The brunette still was not sure if she should feel blessed or cursed. At least she didn’t has to see Stephen, although she thought it was impolite of him to go on a meeting in London, when he should spend more time with Miranda to save their marriage.
Was it really a good idea to bring him back? And there was also the question why the hell she did that anyway. To make Miranda happy? Or her children?
She dared to look at the editor sitting beside her, but the white haired woman stared out of the window, a hand on her head. She looked tired, sick and tired.
Andy did not know why her thoughts were always around Miranda. They had to be about Nate and their relationship, not about her boss, the women she had wanted to quit almost yesterday. She tried to focus on them, desperately.
It was going to be a long and angry letter Miranda will demand to write to the pharmacy company that dared to sell such incompetent, inefficient or simply said useless aspirin.
The pain in her head was still there and it was even worse than before. Time was running out, she took all of her power to pretend there’s nothing. She had to discuss important details of the fashion week for the next Runway issue before the next deadline.
Only a short moment of watching her young second assistant gaping like an idiot because of their first class seats were amusing her.
The girl was so young, so innocent; a persona like falling snow, but one day she’ll know that Miranda was not kidding about what she’d told her in the car. Miranda Priestly is never kidding.
The editor was surprised of herself how much strength she had to talk clearly about the issue, the brunette calmly writing everything on her note pad.
Soon they were done and there were lots of hours left before they would land.
She put a hand back on her head, massaging slightly her forehead to ease the pain a little. She closed her eyes.
When she opened them after a while, an offered hand with two white pills in it and a glass of water in the other hand greeted her.
“What is that?” Miranda asked toneless.
Andy smiled sheepishly. “Medicine… for your headache.”
“And what pry tell make you think I’ve got a headache? I’m perfectly fine, Andrea.” She said with an icy glare.
But the girl just shook her head. “You’ve fight this all day, I’ve seen it. I still can see it. These are stronger than aspirin and it might get you sleepy, but I do think you need a few hours rest, Miranda” She said with a cool voice.
Something inside Miranda twitched at the sound of her assistant’s words and it was not anger.
Andrea was looking at her with these large brown eyes. So young…. so innocent.
“The issue…” The older woman started.
“Is done so far.” Andrea continued, astonished that she dared to interrupt her boss. “I think your girls would be much happier to see their mother again, healthy and with a good rest before.”
Andy shivered inside. Why the hell did I say that? Oh gosh, I’m so dead!
And for a few seconds there was a change of colours in Miranda’s eyes, but then the editor wordlessly grabbed the pills, took them into her mouth and swallowed them with the water.
She handed her assistant the empty glass and Andy called the stewardess to give it to her.
About fifteen minutes later Miranda began to feel the effect of the medicine. The pain began to subside and it was harder to keep her eyes open.
She watched Andrea besides her shifting in discomfort, biting her lips.
“By all means, Andrea, if you need to use the bathroom, go now. We’re in first class with high security standard.
I won’t be stolen while you’re away.”
Andy gulped. “But…. Are you….”
Miranda waved her hand. “I’ll be better when you finally stop that annoying shifting. Now go.”
Andrea nodded, lifted herself from the seat and went to the toilet.
When she arrived a few minutes later and carefully sat back in her seat, the editor was fallen asleep.
With a strange fascination Andrea watched the sleeping form of the white haired woman. She has never seen her boss sleeping before. No, she was even sure Miranda Priestly was never sleeping. Her breathing was calm and even, with a slight snore.
Andy sighed. The woman was a mystery to her. Powerful, scary, mean and yet…. just a normal human being. And she really loved her daughters, so much she would do anything for them.
She was sitting so close to the editor now, but still there was a great distance between them.
Everybody wants to be us.
Andrea tried to look out of the window and not on Miranda’s sleeping face anymore, but it was hard not to.
Not for this price… she thought and closed her eyes.
TBC....