Miranda's girl (DWP story) chapter 2
Summary:
Andrea Sachs left her devilish Boss Miranda Priestly in Paris and now works for The New York Mirror. But our Andy isn't exactly very happy with her new life because something's missing.
Notes:
The Devil wears Prada belongs to Lauren Weisberger & 20th Century Fox
Pairing: Miranda/Andy
Genre: Romance/Drama
Rating: K-M
Miranda's girl, chapter 2
Andrea stood in front of the enormous building and observed the people who left and arrived for a while. She looked at the Starbucks coffee in her hands and smiled. When she passed by the Elias Clarke's security staff and entered the lift, Andy felt home again.
The moment the doors of the lift slid open, her heart began to jump up and down and she had to hold her breath. Finally she was going to see Miranda again. She would not only see, but speak to her and vice versa, well in Miranda's case that meant barking some demands and orders which often contained impossible wishes, but it was worth it, Andy decided for once.
"There you are!" Emily already stated, sitting behind her desk and holding a piece of paper.
"Hey. Am I too late?" Andy whispered over the table.
Emily simpered "What do you think? You're working at Miranda Priestly's office which means you'll be too late any time."
The first assistant handed her a piece of paper. Andy took it, before something happened that she had desperately wished for days, weeks and months…Miranda called her.
"An-dre-a?" She shivered as she listened to the woman calling her name. Nobody pronounced Andy's name like that. Miranda always accentuated the second syllable. No one had ever done that before. In fact, everyone else called her 'Andy', apart from her mother who always stressed the first syllable too much in Andy's opinion anyway.
Andy finally looked up when she arrived in front of Miranda's desk. Icy blue eyes welcomed her with a skeptical gaze.
And there she was, Andy thought, Miranda-fucking-fantastic-Priestly wearing a white Chanel blouse and a purple skirt from D&G combined with black satin Michael Kors Open-Toe Suede Pumps. Not that she knew all designers and their recently published collections by heart, but well, she had bought Runway once, maybe twice, just to have a look...and to read the letter of the editor. Okay, she had read every editor letter of Miranda since her leave from the magazine. Anyway...her old and new boss looked stunning and Andy could only guess how much money was gathered on Miranda's delicious body today.
"It's a relief to know that you were available." Miranda stated strangely plainly.
"Did Emily give you the contract?" she added, randomly browsing through the August issue of the competitive Cosmo-magazine.
Andy, rapt in her pleasant feelings, suddenly looked down at the piece of paper Emily had handed over to her earlier and started to smile idiotically.
Miranda, obviously knowing what Andy was thinking, nodded rather casually. "Well, yes, it will be an adequate compensation for your lost summer break, I suppose."
Andrea read the amount out load to comprehend the full meaning. "7.500 Dollars…that's, that is …man", was all she could bring herself to say.
Miranda sneered. "Don't be ridiculous Andrea. It's nothing. You'll be my personal assistant. You have to be ready day and night, non-stop, I assure you, you won't get one minute to breathe. And if you fail, I will be very, very upset with you." Whereby the last words sounded like a veiled threat wrapped in candy floss.
As if this was something new. Back at her time as second assistant, Andy had lived her life exactly that way…she had been prepared for Miranda every second of every day and honestly, back then, she had been thankful for enough salary to pay the small rent of her lousy apartment on the Lower Eastside. So what? Seven thousand five hundred dollars meant the world! But to be Miranda's personal assistant? Gosh! Why didn't she call it second assistant? Why being so personal? Andy didn't get enough time to think about it, because her boss already became quite effective.
"Where is my coffee by the way?"
Andy ran back to Emily's table and grabbed the cup. She handed the Starbucks over to Miranda and stood still, waiting for her first official task of today. She didn't have to wait long.
Miranda nipped on the cup and grimaced. "Well, this one is lukewarm and tastes disgusting. Bring me another one. Hot! After your return, get me Patrick on the phone and Nigel in my office! That's all."
So Andy nodded and rushed immediately and quietly like Miranda preferred it to be.
The second day Andy had to deliver The Book. Emily wasn't upset about it maybe because she knew that the old and new assistant wouldn't stay longer than half a month and so any feelings of competition were simply unnecessary, which didn't mean Emily pretended to like Andy any more than last year.
She tried to be fast and quiet the moment Andy entered Miranda's town house. She remembered immediately where to hang the dry cleaning and put The Book on the table with the flowers, when her boss called for her the second time ever in her home.
Andy took The Book back in her arms and clutched at it to hold herself steady. Miranda sat in her lobby in the same armchair Andy had found her the evening so many months ago. The older woman looked at Andy for a silent moment and noted then: "You should go directly to Nigel's department tomorrow morning. Even if you work for me only for a short period I want you to look like you belong to Runway. I mean, Andrea, look at you I really thought we'd achieved some progress here."
Miranda shook her head in disgust. Andy now looked down at her leather jacket, black sweater and the old Levis jeans she was wearing and sighed. "I understand completely." Miranda pursed her lips. Andy's eyes widened. What was wrong? Did she say something wrong?
"Andrea I want you to know…" Miranda began her rather awkward speech now obviously avoiding looking at Andy's face "I want you to know that I would appreciate it, if you won't let me down this time."
Had let her down? Andy gulped. Had she let Miranda down back in Paris? Yeah…she had. She had just walked away from her. In the middle of her contract, in the middle of Fashion week, the most important time in Miranda's whole year, she, Andrea Sachs not even quit, but left without a word. She remembered Miranda and the way she had turned around on the staircase looking for her assistant, searching her in the crowd of reporters that surrounded and flash lighted her - in vain.
"I' m so sorry Miranda…I was angry…I."
"No excuses…that's all."
She had been angry about Miranda that was the truth. She had treated Nigel like shit and Andy had felt responsible for it. She had been ashamed as if Miranda and Andy were the same person and all the guilt and sorrow Miranda was suppose to feel but didn't, had been transferred to Andy. How ridiculous. Everybody wants to be us, but me, Andy thought.
"Good night, Miranda"
Miranda was already absorbed in The Book and didn't reply. Andy went home.
The evening continued to be dreadfully unpleasant. Andy's dad called her from Ohio and was shocked to hear the news.
"You're working for Miranda Priestly again? Are you crazy?"
"Oh dad it's only for two weeks and I am still working at the Mirror through."
Andy's father gasped at the other end of the line. "Yes and I dare to remind you that you promised to visit your family during summer."
Andy grabbed her glass of Coke & Rum and took a sip. "Yeah, but you know what, Miranda pays me 7.500 Dollar for only half a month and she needs me!"
"She needs you? Miranda Priestly needs no one as far as I can recall. She uses you and you let her do that. Again!" Now Mr. Sachs sounded truly upset.
Andy got mad and her voice became loud and piercing. "Dad so what is this all about? Is it about me not coming home or is it about Miranda's personality? I know you hate her and I know you hate my former job…but…" Andy tried to relax "Look, I let her down last fall in Paris. I left her just like that and now I want to make up for it. And apart from that, I will have enough money to visit you and mom even twice before Christmas."
Mr. Sachs sneered. "You want to make up for it? For what, that she treated you like crap? That she's the reason why you broke up with Nate? That she is the one who's responsible for not having any friends anymore because you never met them during last year? That's what you want to make up for? Andy! You don't have to put up with such a woman. You're better than that. At least I have raised you that way. And besides it isn't all about money, if you want to visit us, mom and I would be glad to pay for the tickets. I think you know that."
Andy wanted to cry, but tried to defend herself and Miranda. "I think you misjudge Miranda. She isn't bad at all. Please remember what I told you after I had the job interview with my new boss, Miranda was the one who recommended me. I dare say I wouldn't work at the New York Mirror at all if it wasn't for Miranda Priestly. And by the way, Nate and I broke up because…because we didn't have much in common anymore." Andy thought she made a point.
Her father kept silent.
"Dad?" Andy took another sip of her drink. "C'mon dad, don't be upset with me."
Finally he spoke again. "Well, Andy, you're an adult now. You have to take responsibility for your own actions. If you think it's healthy and wise to do the donkeywork for someone who won't even appreciate the effort and your dedication and having some moral standards …well, it's all your choice now."
Great!" Andy mumbled.
"Don't forget your sister's birthday party next Saturday." Her father reminded her.
Andy groaned into the phone. "Oh shit. I can't!"
"What do you mean, you can't? It's your sister's 30th Birthday for Christ's sake! You agreed months ago to take a day off for the family gathering."
Andy whispered now sheepishly into the receiver. "Yeah…back then I didn't know about Miranda's photo shoot appointment with Marc Jacobs. Look…I am sorry, dad."
"I can't believe this." Her dad shouted. "You promised to your sister and your mother you would be there."
"I know" was Andy's only reply.
"Terrific! I have to go now. Call your sister and cancel. Bye."
Andy stared into her drink and sighed. It started again. Everyone around her hated her because of her job. Why the hell was she doing it anyway? Why hadn't she rejected the offer? Had it been the money? Miranda? No, no, no, no, no…it must have been the money…another drink would help or she could call Lily. Maybe that wasn't the best of ideas. Lily hated Miranda as much as Nate did. At least she would meet Nigel tomorrow. That was something she truly looked forward to.