Something Chapter 3
So... Finally, here's the third chapter. The next update might take a little while longer. Though I'm still having ideas (and I'm not even near a mind-blockade or something like that...^^ ) I'm handicapped by a really bad tendonitis, wearing a cast and everything. Typing isn't that easy and not that good right now. So that's why it might take a while until the next update.
Now, have fun with Chapter 3 of "Something", I hope you like it!
A few days after their third date, Andy sat at her desk at The Mirror and tried desperately to finish an article that was due the next day. And she hadn't come far until now. It wasn't a difficult topic, but her thoughts were elsewhere. As they'd met the last time Miranda had been making some odd utterances. That made Andys head spin right now. She didn't know what to think any more. Miranda didn't want her to leave, but why? She hadn't made any 'funny' comments about her or her feelings. During their first date they had been sharing an awkward conversation at first, but then, Miranda seemed to warm and open up. They talked about pretty much everything, as well as on their other dates.
As her cell indicated the incoming of a text, Andy was lucky about the distraction.
“Can't concentrate on work. Makes me feel ridiculous. M.”
Andy smiled. It wasn't much of a distraction from the matter at hand, she thought. But at least, Miranda seemed to feel similar.
“Can't either. Are you free next Thursday? A.”
“No,but Wednesday. Dinner? 7Pm, townhouse. M.”
“Yes, but 7.30pm. Need to work until 6.30. Looking forward to it. A.”
“Acknowledged. Roy will pick you up at 7.15 at your apartment. Be ready. M.”
“Yes, Miranda.”
Andy snickered silently. Her co-worker looked up.
“What's up, Sachs?” he asked with a grin on his lips. “Hot date tonight?”
“Nope, sorry to destroy your fantasy, Tom.”
He looked disappointed. Andy laughed.
“But maybe one on Wednesday...”she gave him an hint.
His features lightened up again. “Really?”
“Nope.” Andy said and grinned sadistically. No one needed to know right now...
Her co-worker rolled his eyes and turned his eyes back to his monitor.
****
“It's not easy to break old habits, is it?” Miranda asked her as she opened the door for her on Wednesday evening.
Andy smiled and it seemed somehow a bit sad to Miranda.
“You are right. How are you?” she asked while she slipped out of her coat.
Miranda took it from her and hung it in the closet.
“I'm fine, thank you, how are you?” she asked back and turned around to face the younger woman.
“I'm fine now, too. Thanks.” Andy smiled.
Actingon her instincts, Miranda reached for Andrea and pulled her into an embrace. It was the first time that one of them initiated body contact like that. But they held onto each other tightly.
“I missed you” Miranda whispered.
Andy closed her eyes. “I missed you, too, Miranda. Very much.”
They both were reluctant to release each other. So they stayeda few more minutes in their personal space.
“I...” Miranda began but stopped again. “I think, we might need to talk tonight...” she then whispered.
“Okay” Andy nodded.
“Now... Let's have dinner...” the older woman suggested and they both let go of each other. Miranda then took hold of Andys elbow and guided her to the kitchen.
During their dinner, Miranda approached a tender topic on her own way. Andrea's eating habits.
“You look like Emily.”
Andy chocked on the bite she had just taken from her salad.
“Excuse me?” she asked and then coughed to clear her throat.
“You heard me.” Miranda stated.
The younger woman blinked in surprise.
"Yes, I did. But... I don't know what you wanted to say. Or maybe I do know what you wanted to say. I just don't understand it...” she babbled, then she blinked again and pushed the plate away, suddenly not hungry any longer.
Miranda pushed it back.
“That is why. That is what I mean.” she said and caught Andrea's gaze and held it.
The brunette didn't answer, just held the gaze steadily.
So Miranda continued:
“You are thin, Andrea. You look like Emily. And...” she lowered her voice “... I like you better as a size four, or even near a size six...”
Andy's eyes widened, but Miranda went ahead again.
“You said yourself, you stopped eating, more or less. That you would or could not eat everything, just vegetables and fruits, mostly. As I saw you the first time at that Party... I must admit, I was a little bit shocked and worried. You... looked so thin, so fragile. Broken. I didn't like that. At all. It's getting better, since we were.. dating. Right?”
Miranda's gaze was still fastened on Andrea's brown eyes. They were full of pain and something else. Something Miranda didn't recognize.
The young reporter nodded slowly. Miranda was right. Since they dated she was eating more, she actually had been hungry as she arrived at the townhouse.
As the editor stayed silent, Andy cleared her throat and then said in nearly a whisper:
“I... I changed, after Paris. Not only during my time at Runway, no, I... I told you, that I found myself... falling for you. And that brought dreams. After I left you... I-I couldn't s-stand those... dreams. They were beautiful. Lovely dreams... But to wake up in the mornings left me confused and even more... broken, like you put it before.” she admitted and then became silent. She couldn't stand her ex-boss gaze anylonger, so she lowered her eyes to her hands in her lap.
It was silent for a few seconds and the brunette closed her eyes to stop the threatening tears from falling. Then she felt a touch on her hands and one on her chin. The latter pushed gently upwards.
“That is why you stopped sleeping. And worked more. And got paler.”a gentle voice whispered.
Andy nodded, her eyes still held close tightly.
“Andrea...”
That voice! How it said her name! It had haunted her dreams for months and now she had heard it a little more than two weeks a few times in reality.
The first tear escaped its prison, but it was gently brushed away.
“Oh, Andrea...” the editor whispered again. And then, the second hand was lifted to the brunettes face as well.
Miranda captured Andrea's face in both her hands and caressed it lightly.
“You stupid little thing... open your eyes for me, Andrea, please... look at me, darling.” Miranda nearly begged.
And Andy obeyed. What else could she do? She couldn't stop herself from obeying the woman during her tenure at Runway - except that one time in Paris - how could she stop herself now? Like Miranda had stated early this evening, it wasn't easy to break old habits.
So, Andy looked at her, with watery eyes and anxious.
But the white haired woman smiled lovingly.
“I planned to have this conversation after dinner, but it seems like we should have it right now...” she sighed. “I'm glad we met again, Andrea. And I'm glad you asked me.. out for dinner. I don't know if... if I would have been brave enough to ask you that question myself...”
As Andy looked at her in wonder, the editor smiled. Miranda, not brave enough?
“Don't look at me like that, Andrea. I was frightened you wouldn't feel the same. Actually, there was a very minimal chance you would feel anything for me. And I only realized after you left, that I indeed had feelings for you. Very very deep feelings. Like you said yourself, you were falling for me. Well, and I was falling for you. But I didn't know what to do, except that I would not blacklisting you. Never.
The only one that survived walking out in Paris on me. That's what I heard was whispered in the hallways of Runway after you left. They were so scared, they didn't mention your name, even now. Just in case I'd be reminded and fire and blacklist one of them instead.” Miranda took a deep breath. Then she continued:
“And I not only found myself falling for you. I missed you, not only that you did an excellent job, which you did, but your personality, your smile, your voice, hell, even your smell.” she blushed lightly.
“Not one assistant survived longer than a few days since then. It's been stressful but I can't have incompetence in person as my second assistant. At least Emily is doing a relatively good job.” The editor cleared her throat.
“As you might remember, I get what I want. But I was hesitant. And then... the Party... and everything else. And now I know what I want, and I know I can get it.”
Miranda again caught Andy's gaze and held it firmly. “I want you, Andrea. Only you.”
And then, they kissed. It was their first kiss, tender and soft in the beginning. A careful tasting of each other, to learn the shape of lips and tongue. But it grew more and more passionate. It left them breathless.
Andy pulled Miranda onto her lap, pulled her closer, embraced her tightly with her lanky arms, while their lips still caressed each other. One of them moaned, but both couldn't say who actually had made that sound. They continued anyway. But as the need for air broke them apart, they leaned their foreheads together and looked intently into each others eyes.
“I love you.” Miranda said. And her blue eyes sparkled with joy, love and honesty.
Even if it was still very early to say such words, especially for her, but she needed to say them. They were true. And Andrea had said them already, as well.
“And I love you.” Andy whispered, a tear of happiness escaped her eye. “And I'm crying way too much tonight...” she said with humour in her voice.
Miranda laughed lightly.
“Yes, you are, darling. But it is because you are emotional. And that is something you should not lose.”
Andrea smiled. “I hope I won't.”
The editor talked Andrea into eating some more of the salad and some of the chicken and vegetables she had made for dinner. After they finished dinner, Miranda suggested to retire to the sitting-room.
“Would you like some red wine?” the older woman asked her guest.
“Yes, please, but not much.”
They stayed silent until Miranda was seated beside the reporter.
Andy felt awkward for the first time since she came here. The quiet between them was not really strange, just because she didn't know what to say, where to start. Or if she should start at all or if Miranda would start the conversation they definitely needed to have. She cleared her throat uncomfortably.
But before she could say something, Miranda started.
“Andrea, as I already said, we need to talk tonight.” The older woman turned towards the brunette. “Much of that was already said at the table. And, believe me, I really feel the way... I told you. It's just... There's the fact of our age difference, doesn't that bother you? Than, if we are deciding to go out, go public with... this...” she waved her hand between them “It's going to be... hard. We are going to need a lot of nerves. The paparazzi can be... brutal. Can you, can we, cope with that? What about the twins? You said, you would care about them... What if they won't accept you? How are we going to handle that? And-”
“Shht” Andy silenced her. “One thing after another, Miranda, please. Fine?”
The white haired woman nodded.
“Fine.”
“Great. Well, the age difference didn't bother me so far. And it won't bother me in any future. I'm sure of that.” Andy said honestly and lookedMiranda straightly in the eyes, to make sure she believed her. “ The paparazzi... well... I already got some glimpses of a life with them. Remember in Paris? Or all the functions I needed to walk directly behind you? Those vultures won't change, they even might get tougher, but I'm sure we can handle that, together.”
Miranda searched the girl's brown eyes. There was nothing but honesty. Andrea believed what she said herself. And the editor believed her, too. She smiled.
Andy returned the smile and then continued:
“And the girls... I haven't seen them for a while, but I'm sure they still remember me. I got them Harry Potter, after all.” she grinned and Miranda nodded. “If they like me... I don't know. They might need to get used to me, or rather get used to... us.” Andy finished. Whatever that “us” meant at the moment. But they might figure that out tonight.
“What about your parents? Your friends? Except that Douglas, I'd say. What are they going to think? How will they react if they hear about... this? About us?” Mirandas next question came.
"I don't know. And honestly, I don't care. Doug is fine, he knows and he adores you. There are not much other friends left, sadly. But that's fine with me. My parents, well. I really don't know... I hadn't talked to them for a while...”
“Why?”
“I... didn't have the time to call them, work and stuff. I-I might have been afraid they could find out. I might have been afraid of their reaction. But now... I don't care any more how they are going to react.”
Miranda nodded. “You should call them... If you haven't talked to them for a while, they might be worried...”
Andy looked thoughtful into her glass of wine.
“I probably should.” she said and sighed.
At that point, Miranda took her hand and pulled her towards her.
"You probably should.” she agreed and caressed Andys hand that was still in hers.
“But, oh, whatever should I tell them?” Andy asked cheekily and grinned.
Miranda simply glared at her with an unreadable expression. Before Andy could say something else, though, Miranda pulled her onto her lap, of course minding that the younger woman still held the glass of wine. And then she claimed Andrea's lips with her own in an hungry kiss.
TBC....