Departure & Arrival - Part 8
See prolgue for disclaimer, summary, etc.
HOUR 7
“You’re not going to like it.”
Andy knew that the identity of Charlie’s father would upset Miranda, and she didn’t blame her. But whatever hurt or betrayal or anger Miranda would feel at the revelation would be misplaced. If the older woman gave her a chance to explain she might not lose this sense of comfort and warmth that had settled within her ever since the moment she had made contact with those heavenly lips. Those lips that were slowly pursing. Miranda was preparing for disaster. Andy drew a deep breath and readied herself.
“It’s Christian. Christian Thompson.”
As if burned, Miranda snatched her hand from within Andy’s light grasp. Brick by brick the brunette watched as the editor rebuilt her protective fortress around her. The warmth fled from her face and the tenderness within those enchanting pools of azure blue vanished and became hard and cold. It was as though the Miranda she had been travelling with for the last six hours had never existed, as though what had transpired between them had never happened, and Andy refused to accept that reality.
“Don’t you dare.” The sheer fury in her voice forced Miranda to face her. “Don’t you dare ask me to open up to you, to explain myself to you and then throw up your walls.”
She could see in the older woman’s eyes that she knew Andy was right. Of all the people who would understand how it difficult it was to become vulnerable when it was so against your nature, it would be the fashion maven. The thaw was mild, but visible.
“What did you expect Andréa?”
It was upsetting that Miranda would recoil from her in this way, Andy couldn’t deny that, but she understood the reasoning behind it. To those who only ever acknowledged the icon it would appear as though the power-play in Paris had no affect on the ‘Ice Queen’, some may even have believed that she relished it. They would be right of course, Miranda did relish the fact that she had outmanoeuvred Irv Ravitz, but it stung that they had attempted to oust her in the first place. Second to her girls, Runway means everything to Miranda, and so the thought that Andy had slept with Christian after his part in endeavouring to take her life’s work away from her would be painful, to say the least. That pain was slowly seeping into Miranda’s eyes and it was all Andy could do not to reach out to her. She just needed the opportunity to explain.
“How could you? After what he-”
“Before.”
This gave Miranda pause.
“Before I knew of his part in Irv’s little plan, before I even knew there was a plan. I never would have even thought of… If I had known, I never would have done what I did. Please just let me explain.”
Miranda nodded slowly. Andy mirrored her, took a deep breath, and began. “I met Christian at James Holt’s party, the night I picked up the sketches for his line, and it was…” She searched for the best way to explain, she needed to make Miranda understand the situation in its entirety. “It was as if I had found something stable in the midst of a storm. Despite a new wardrobe I was still invisible to most at Runway, and those who could see me were less than pleasant; with perhaps the exception of Nigel, on a good day. However, despite all this I was becoming immersed in your world and, as a result, drifting further from Nate and my friends. I just didn’t fit. But then there he was; charming, endearing and a writer to boot. He looked at me in a way that Nate hadn’t for some time, as though I was interesting, intriguing. That night, for only a short while, I got to be Andy without someone looking disappointed or irritated. It was refreshing and I needed it.”
Andy glanced up at Miranda as she took a break and was relieved to find that the older woman seemed to be listening without casting judgement, and for the time being that hurt look had vanished from her eyes.
I didn’t think of him again until I had to get two copies of the Harry Potter book for the twins,” Andy risked smirking slightly at Miranda, “I asked him for help, and he came through. I was grateful; he had allowed me to keep my job, to stay in your world a little longer, to stay with you. Christian helped me to succeed, while Nate was upset that I hadn’t failed. He was growing weary of the hours I worked and of how the job was changing my priorities.”
“I think I may have lived this story once or twice before, excluding Mr Thompson of course.”
“Of course.” Talking was good, Andy noted. If Miranda was talking to her then some of her anger had subsided; but it was obvious that she was still guarded. “But in my version, the guy leaves before the girl jets off to Paris.”
Andy relived the memory; the art gallery, the street, the fight. It took all of her will power not to grin like an idiot when she felt Miranda’s hand return to hers to bring her back from the depths of her own mind. They looked at each other then; Miranda assessing and Andy trying to draw strength. She felt the sadness cloud her face as she moved on to the next memory.
“The night that I found you in your hotel room, after Stephen had told you he wanted a divorce, I had dinner plans with Christian, as a thank you for his help. Well, at least that was the pretence.” Andy wanted to make sure that Miranda could she the honesty in her eyes. “It was so difficult in that hotel room, to see you broken. All I wanted to do was hold you and comfort you, but the most I had to offer you was a seamless schedule. I arrived at dinner with a heavy heart, thoughts of you and my break-up with Nate, and with the help of a particularly expensive Pinot, one thing led to another.”
Andy didn’t know that she could continue while looking into Miranda’s eyes. Her eyes were dissecting Andy, looking for a flaw in every word. She didn’t even realise she had been crying until she felt a thumb brush her face. Miranda left her hand on Andy’s cheek, holding her gaze steady. “I found a mock-up of Runway in his hotel room the next morning and he explained what Irv was trying to do. I left, making it clear that I had chosen to be by your side and then I tried to warn you and well… you know the rest.”
Miranda pushed her hand back from Andy’s cheek and threaded it through her hair. The editor’s fingers rested on the back of Andy’s neck and pulled her head forward until their foreheads rested against one another.
“You have to understand that if I had known, had any idea of what he was trying to pull…”
Andy drew a ragged breath through her tears. She was enveloped by Miranda’s scent and suddenly felt desperate. She had only just got Miranda back, she couldn’t lose her. Living without the knowledge of something more was one thing; but now, after being so close, after touching flawless skin and kissing perfect lips, after hearing that soft voice compliment her in the tenderest of tones, how could she go back?
“I can’t regret it Miranda. Without that night I wouldn’t have Charlotte, I wouldn’t have my baby. But at that time, during that week, if I had known they were trying to hurt you I wouldn’t have gone near him, I swear. You have to b-”
Her words were halted by the sudden press of lips. This kiss was fiercer than the last. It spoke of desperation and of need. It seemed that Miranda was not ready to lose Andy either. Andy wasted no time in responding; teasing Miranda’s lips with her tongue and following with a soft bite that granted access to her mouth and allowed their tongues to meet in a hot battle, neither willing to be submissive as they possessed the other. Miranda’s hand tightened on the back of Andy’s neck, pulling her impossibly closer. Andy’s hands had found either side of Miranda’s face, her thumbs softly grazing her cheek bones causing the editor to hum her contentment.
The kiss slowed and Andy broke away to breathe. She was pleased to notice the flush covering Miranda’s chest before lowering her face to nuzzle into her neck. Relaxing as she felt a hand gliding through her hair, the brunette sighed happily before bestowing many gentle kisses on the soft skin next to her lips. It was a comfortable silence that neither wished to interrupt.
However, after a few pleasant minutes, it seemed as though Miranda simply couldn’t hold back her thoughts any longer.
“You left publishing to avoid him?”
“That had a lot to do with it, yes.”
“And he is completely unaware of Charlotte’s existence?”
“I’ve done my best to keep it that way.”
“You realise that if we were to explore this, us, any further, that the press may become involved.”
Andy couldn’t reply. The obvious answer was yes. Yes, she understood that if they chose to be together they couldn’t hide from page six for long. She didn’t want to hide what she felt for the other woman, but could she risk exposing Charlie to the press, alerting Christian to her presence?
“Andréa, there is no way for Christian to know that Charlotte is his. We can keep her out of the press for as long as possible, but when the time comes that she is discovered it would only take something as simple as lying about her age to avoid his interference. We’d simply imply that she was a year younger than she is and the question of his paternity would be null and void.”
Andy lifted her head and stared at the woman as though she had just discovered gravity. Could it really be so simple? Tell the world that Charlie was three going on four and the threat of Christian Thompson would vanish. It seemed ridiculously easy. With that aside for the moment it seemed necessary to address the other issue on the table.
“So, you’re willing to try this? Out in the open; you, me, three kids and a dog?”
The tenderness and warmth radiating from Miranda’s face was a look that Andy prayed she would never tire of. Her hand found its way back into her hair and a light kiss was placed upon her lips.
“My darling Andréa, I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep you by my side. You, me, three kids and a dog.”