A New Chapter (Part 4)
Title: A New Chapter - Part 4: Growing Up
Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada/Lipstick Jungle
Pairing(s): Will be Miranda/Andy. Other Lipstick Jungle pairings as well
Rating: PG-13 for now
Spoilers: Entirety of the movie and the TV Show
Summary: Andy thinks she's escaping the world of fashion, but she's really just entering the jungle.
Author's Notes: See Prologue. Also, still no Miranda in this chapter. She is coming, I swear. I just really needed to set all the groundwork with these first few parts. Plus, you know Miranda... she just loves to keep you waiting before she makes an entrance.
Nico was having lunch with Griffin, laughing and goofing around when Wendy came to get Nico for lunch with Victory. She stopped short, standing by Andy’s desk when she saw them.
“Were you supposed to be having lunch with Nico, Wendy?” Andy asked, flipping quickly through the calendar, not believing that she had missed this. But there was nothing listed.
“Yeah, we talked about it last night. I guess she just got busy and forgot.”
Andy could tell that Wendy was bothered by the sight of Nico and Griffin. “You okay?”
“Fine.” Wendy smiled. “Just strange, seeing her laughing with the man that fired me.”
“Wendy,” Andy started and Wendy nodded at her, cutting her off.
“I know. I do know. It’s her job, he’s her boss, she has to play nice. But there’s playing nice and then there’s…” Wendy gestured to where Nico and Griffin were fighting over a pickle.
Andy studied the older woman. “I’ve only been here for two weeks, but in that time, she’s told me to call you or gone to go see you about something at least ten times. And then I pick up the phone or she gets to the elevator and realizes that you’re not just a few floors up anymore. It’s just hard on her.”
“Do you think I wanted to be fired?” Wendy asked, flopping down in the chair beside Andy’s desk.
“Of course not. But, I do think you made a decision, whatever that decision was, without really thinking it through.” Wendy looked ready to defend herself and Andy held up her hand. “I’m not saying it was the wrong one. I’m not saying that you wouldn’t make it again. I’m just saying that I think you made a choice without realizing how it would affect other people. You didn’t understand how much it would hurt other people. It was your choice to make, but… it had consequences that you didn’t realize.”
Wendy sighed. “You’re right. I didn’t think about Nico when I made that choice. I honestly never thought it would affect her.”
“It did. It does.” Andy sighed, her mind going back to Miranda, standing up in front of all those people, dashing Nigel’s dreams just to secure her place. Choices made without thoughts of others.
“I am sorry for that. And part of me wishes I could take it all back. But the other part of me, the bigger part… I know I would do it again.”
Andy said nothing, just let Wendy alone with her thoughts for a while.
“I got offered a job this morning.”
“That’s great.” Andy smiled.
“Yeah, I guess, I just…”
“Wendy?”
“It is great. It’s a great job. And I would be back in the game. And Nico would be happy and my husband would be happy and the studios would be happy.”
“But would you be happy?” Andy asked, leaning forward.
“I - I don’t know.”
“Wendy, what is it that you want to do? Not what Shane wants or Nico wants or the studios want, but you. What do you want?”
“I want to make a movie from a script that was given to me by a girl at the copy place. That’s all. I just want to make this movie. And then, maybe after that, there will be something else that I’ll want to make. But right now, I just want to make this movie.”
“So do that.” Andy smiled. “You can do that.” Wendy’s eyes moved back to Nico and Griffin. “She’ll support you, you know? Because she loves you, and that’s what you do for people you love.”
“You’re pretty smart, Andy.” Wendy whispered, watching as Nico looked out, saw her, and quickly stood up.
“You should still talk to her. But you should also do what you want this time. Make that choice, for yourself. Think about the others, obviously. But make it for you.”
“Shoot! I completely forgot the lunch with Victory. Andy, can you rearrange my schedule please?” Nico asked, rushing out of her office, carrying her bag.
“Sure.” Andy smiled. Wendy smiled at her and then headed off after Nico.
“Thanks.”
**
She had just finished rearranging Nico’s schedule when her phone rang. Nico’s voice told her that she was to cancel everything for the rest of the day. Victory was apparently having a rather bad time, something about Joe Bennett, and the three women were going to a spa for the weekend. Andy tried to protest, to say that Victory needed to be working on her sketches, but Nico hung up before she could get a word in edge wise. So Andy cancelled Nico’s day, finished up a few things, and went home early.
It was late that night when her phone rang, this time Victory was the one calling her. She hoped it was something about the sketches, but instead the designer was calling to complain about Nico and Wendy always treating her like a child, not letting her live her life. It was apparently a call made only to blow off steam, because before Andy could respond, Victory had hung up as well. It was at this point that Andy began to question her association with the three women, but she couldn’t even be angry with them. Miranda had put her through much, much worse.
She talked to Kirby on Saturday, when he called her to let her know that he was heading up to see Nico. She wished him well, and stopped short of telling him to make sure Victory was working on her designs.
The next time she heard from any of them was late that night. It was Nico who called, giggling into the phone, telling Andy that Griffin needed her to come in the next day and asking if Andy could come in as well, even though it was a Sunday. Andy could tell she had been drinking and when she questioned her about it, Nico admitted that there had been an issue with their car on the way back to the city and they had had to call Joe, who had apparently broken it off entirely with Victory. The three ladies had then stolen a bottle of, apparently strong, liquor from his limo and were working their way through it. Andy promised Nico she would come in the next morning and ended the call. Miranda had been far more demanding and crazy, but at least she’d never gotten a semi-drunk phone call from her.
**
Andy left a note on Nico’s desk, along with two aspirin and a glass of water. The note read ‘Take these and these and go meet with Griffin. I’ll be here when you get back. - Andy’. The first these referred to the aspirin, and the second to a set of folders that Nico would need for the meeting. Once she had double checked that she had left everything Nico would need, Andy grabbed the bottle of aspirin and headed for the subway and Victory’s house.
She was expecting the woman to be fully recovered from the night before and working on designs when she walked through the unlocked front door. Instead, she found Victory, still in her pajamas, cuddled up with a blanket on the couch. A new bottle of alcohol was sitting on the coffee table. Andy felt a surge of anger rush through her at the scene.
Victory looked up, her eyes red rimmed, when she realized Andy was in the room. “Oh, Andy, hi. I was just -“
“Working on the sketches for Runway?” Andy asked, her tone harsh.
“N-no. I have a few things, but nothing definite. I just - I need a little time to get over -“ Victory had gestured toward her sketch book and Andy had picked it up, ignoring the rest of Victory’s speech. She glanced at the designs and frowned. They were uninspired, plain, and boring. Maybe she had a made a mistake thinking Victory was right for Runway. She stared down hard at the woman on the sofa.
“Yeah, well, Victory, you don’t have time. They are already probably over halfway done getting the issue ready to go to print. If they’re going to change the whole layout to fit you in, they need to know yesterday. And if this is what you’re going to send them then… well, they don’t need to know at all.” Andy tossed the sketch book to the ground.
Victory blinked, looking on the verge of tears again, and Andy’s heart clenched. She didn’t want to be harsh to her, but she knew she was better than all this. Maybe she had learned a thing or two from Miranda. Sometimes you had to be cruel. Not to be kind, but to get the results you needed.
“Is getting in Runway something you really want? Because to me, it doesn’t look like it. At all.”
“Andy -“
“No. I get it. I understand that Joe did a number on you. And I’m sorry about that, I truly am. But you know what Victory, it’s his loss, okay? Screw him. You don’t need him. You’ve got your company back, and you have an opportunity to become the next James Holt. Do not throw that away by sitting here crying over someone who, frankly, is not worth your tears. Joe Bennett is a man with a lot of money. A lot of money. And that’s great, especially if you’re the object of his affection. But that’s all you’ll ever be to someone like that, Victory. An object. Trust me on this one, okay? I learned that the hard way.”
Andy took a deep breath, looking at Victory who looked too stunned to move, let alone respond to anything Andy had said.
“You had your time last night to drink and cry. Now you need to pull yourself together and get back to work.” Andy stared at Victory for a long time, debating with herself whether she should continue or go on with the harsh words. There was really only one thing left to say, but it would be the hardest thing yet. She sighed. She had already gone this far, why not go the whole way?
“You want Nico and Wendy to stop treating you like a child, Victory? Then stop acting like one! You were right on the phone. You are a grown up. You can make your own decisions. So start acting like it.” She tossed the bottle of aspirin at Victory and moved to walk out of the apartment. “Call me when you decide to grow up.”
She slammed the door behind her, and had to grab the railing to steady herself as she walked down the three steps to the street. She was shaking, badly, shock at what she had just said and done rushing through her veins. She had never, ever talked like that to anyone before. She made it to the subway in a haze, thankful there weren’t many people crowding the car she was sitting in as tears worked their way down her cheeks. She had no idea what had possessed her to talk to Victory like that, but she knew she hated herself for it.
**
If her eyes were red when she got back to the office, no one said anything. She sat at her desk, waiting on Nico to get out of the meeting, replaying the scene at Victory’s that morning over in her head. She had absolutely no idea what had come over her. It had been like she was literally seeing red, watching Victory sit there, crying over a man when she was supposed to be working on the sketches for Runway. Andy was still slightly angry with herself that she had said anything about trying to help Victory at all, and then to see the woman almost wasting it… it had been too much.
But that didn’t excuse her actions. At all. She had fucked up, and she needed to apologize. She was reaching for the phone when it started to ring. The caller ID flashed ‘Victory’ and Andy swallowed hard. “Hello?”
“Andy?”
“Victory. Listen, I just want to apologize for what I said today. I was completely out of line and -“
“Andy. Andy! It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize for anything. What you said today was true. I needed Nico and Wendy to be there for me last night, but I needed you to slap some sense into me this morning.”
“What? I -“
Victory giggled on the other end. “Seriously, Andy, you have no idea how much of a help you were. I think you might be my new muse or something. I’ve got some really great sketches down. And more that I need to finish. But I wanted to see if you could come over tomorrow morning to help me pick which ones to send?”
“Of course I will. But Victory, really, I’m so sorry I snapped like that. I had no right to -“
“Would you stop apologizing?” Victory laughed. “Seriously Andy, I’m glad you said what you did. You were right. I need to stop acting like a little girl every time something doesn’t go my way. I need to stop depending on other people and start making my own way. And that’s what I’m going to do. With a little help from you, hopefully?”
Andy let out the breath she’d been holding ever since she walked out Victory’s door. “Absolutely.”
“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow at seven then.”
**
Andy glanced through the sketches that she and Victory had poured over, picking the best ones, making changes, for the last two hours. They had finally agreed on the 5 sketches she was about to slide into the envelope. Yes, these were the best. These were fantastic. These would catch Miranda’s eye.
She grabbed a Post-It, scribbling a quick message on it. Thought you might like a new designer for the December issue. She considered writing her contact information on it, but her cell number was still the same, and he would contact her if he was really interested. She moved the pen, quickly drawing a 6 to sign her name and stuck the note on the top sketch, then slid them into the envelope that was already addressed to Nigel.
She sealed the envelope and looked at it for a second more before she handed it over to the courier who was standing waiting. She handed him some money with enough of a tip that he would follow her directions to the letter, and then reiterated them once again. “Give this to Mr. Kipling, and only him. You have no idea who it came from, you just know that it was meant for him.”
“Yes ma’am.” The courier nodded before heading off.
Andy sighed as she watched him leave. She hoped for Victory’s sake this would work out. She prayed for her sake if it didn’t.
Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada/Lipstick Jungle
Pairing(s): Will be Miranda/Andy. Other Lipstick Jungle pairings as well
Rating: PG-13 for now
Spoilers: Entirety of the movie and the TV Show
Summary: Andy thinks she's escaping the world of fashion, but she's really just entering the jungle.
Author's Notes: See Prologue. Also, still no Miranda in this chapter. She is coming, I swear. I just really needed to set all the groundwork with these first few parts. Plus, you know Miranda... she just loves to keep you waiting before she makes an entrance.
Nico was having lunch with Griffin, laughing and goofing around when Wendy came to get Nico for lunch with Victory. She stopped short, standing by Andy’s desk when she saw them.
“Were you supposed to be having lunch with Nico, Wendy?” Andy asked, flipping quickly through the calendar, not believing that she had missed this. But there was nothing listed.
“Yeah, we talked about it last night. I guess she just got busy and forgot.”
Andy could tell that Wendy was bothered by the sight of Nico and Griffin. “You okay?”
“Fine.” Wendy smiled. “Just strange, seeing her laughing with the man that fired me.”
“Wendy,” Andy started and Wendy nodded at her, cutting her off.
“I know. I do know. It’s her job, he’s her boss, she has to play nice. But there’s playing nice and then there’s…” Wendy gestured to where Nico and Griffin were fighting over a pickle.
Andy studied the older woman. “I’ve only been here for two weeks, but in that time, she’s told me to call you or gone to go see you about something at least ten times. And then I pick up the phone or she gets to the elevator and realizes that you’re not just a few floors up anymore. It’s just hard on her.”
“Do you think I wanted to be fired?” Wendy asked, flopping down in the chair beside Andy’s desk.
“Of course not. But, I do think you made a decision, whatever that decision was, without really thinking it through.” Wendy looked ready to defend herself and Andy held up her hand. “I’m not saying it was the wrong one. I’m not saying that you wouldn’t make it again. I’m just saying that I think you made a choice without realizing how it would affect other people. You didn’t understand how much it would hurt other people. It was your choice to make, but… it had consequences that you didn’t realize.”
Wendy sighed. “You’re right. I didn’t think about Nico when I made that choice. I honestly never thought it would affect her.”
“It did. It does.” Andy sighed, her mind going back to Miranda, standing up in front of all those people, dashing Nigel’s dreams just to secure her place. Choices made without thoughts of others.
“I am sorry for that. And part of me wishes I could take it all back. But the other part of me, the bigger part… I know I would do it again.”
Andy said nothing, just let Wendy alone with her thoughts for a while.
“I got offered a job this morning.”
“That’s great.” Andy smiled.
“Yeah, I guess, I just…”
“Wendy?”
“It is great. It’s a great job. And I would be back in the game. And Nico would be happy and my husband would be happy and the studios would be happy.”
“But would you be happy?” Andy asked, leaning forward.
“I - I don’t know.”
“Wendy, what is it that you want to do? Not what Shane wants or Nico wants or the studios want, but you. What do you want?”
“I want to make a movie from a script that was given to me by a girl at the copy place. That’s all. I just want to make this movie. And then, maybe after that, there will be something else that I’ll want to make. But right now, I just want to make this movie.”
“So do that.” Andy smiled. “You can do that.” Wendy’s eyes moved back to Nico and Griffin. “She’ll support you, you know? Because she loves you, and that’s what you do for people you love.”
“You’re pretty smart, Andy.” Wendy whispered, watching as Nico looked out, saw her, and quickly stood up.
“You should still talk to her. But you should also do what you want this time. Make that choice, for yourself. Think about the others, obviously. But make it for you.”
“Shoot! I completely forgot the lunch with Victory. Andy, can you rearrange my schedule please?” Nico asked, rushing out of her office, carrying her bag.
“Sure.” Andy smiled. Wendy smiled at her and then headed off after Nico.
“Thanks.”
**
She had just finished rearranging Nico’s schedule when her phone rang. Nico’s voice told her that she was to cancel everything for the rest of the day. Victory was apparently having a rather bad time, something about Joe Bennett, and the three women were going to a spa for the weekend. Andy tried to protest, to say that Victory needed to be working on her sketches, but Nico hung up before she could get a word in edge wise. So Andy cancelled Nico’s day, finished up a few things, and went home early.
It was late that night when her phone rang, this time Victory was the one calling her. She hoped it was something about the sketches, but instead the designer was calling to complain about Nico and Wendy always treating her like a child, not letting her live her life. It was apparently a call made only to blow off steam, because before Andy could respond, Victory had hung up as well. It was at this point that Andy began to question her association with the three women, but she couldn’t even be angry with them. Miranda had put her through much, much worse.
She talked to Kirby on Saturday, when he called her to let her know that he was heading up to see Nico. She wished him well, and stopped short of telling him to make sure Victory was working on her designs.
The next time she heard from any of them was late that night. It was Nico who called, giggling into the phone, telling Andy that Griffin needed her to come in the next day and asking if Andy could come in as well, even though it was a Sunday. Andy could tell she had been drinking and when she questioned her about it, Nico admitted that there had been an issue with their car on the way back to the city and they had had to call Joe, who had apparently broken it off entirely with Victory. The three ladies had then stolen a bottle of, apparently strong, liquor from his limo and were working their way through it. Andy promised Nico she would come in the next morning and ended the call. Miranda had been far more demanding and crazy, but at least she’d never gotten a semi-drunk phone call from her.
**
Andy left a note on Nico’s desk, along with two aspirin and a glass of water. The note read ‘Take these and these and go meet with Griffin. I’ll be here when you get back. - Andy’. The first these referred to the aspirin, and the second to a set of folders that Nico would need for the meeting. Once she had double checked that she had left everything Nico would need, Andy grabbed the bottle of aspirin and headed for the subway and Victory’s house.
She was expecting the woman to be fully recovered from the night before and working on designs when she walked through the unlocked front door. Instead, she found Victory, still in her pajamas, cuddled up with a blanket on the couch. A new bottle of alcohol was sitting on the coffee table. Andy felt a surge of anger rush through her at the scene.
Victory looked up, her eyes red rimmed, when she realized Andy was in the room. “Oh, Andy, hi. I was just -“
“Working on the sketches for Runway?” Andy asked, her tone harsh.
“N-no. I have a few things, but nothing definite. I just - I need a little time to get over -“ Victory had gestured toward her sketch book and Andy had picked it up, ignoring the rest of Victory’s speech. She glanced at the designs and frowned. They were uninspired, plain, and boring. Maybe she had a made a mistake thinking Victory was right for Runway. She stared down hard at the woman on the sofa.
“Yeah, well, Victory, you don’t have time. They are already probably over halfway done getting the issue ready to go to print. If they’re going to change the whole layout to fit you in, they need to know yesterday. And if this is what you’re going to send them then… well, they don’t need to know at all.” Andy tossed the sketch book to the ground.
Victory blinked, looking on the verge of tears again, and Andy’s heart clenched. She didn’t want to be harsh to her, but she knew she was better than all this. Maybe she had learned a thing or two from Miranda. Sometimes you had to be cruel. Not to be kind, but to get the results you needed.
“Is getting in Runway something you really want? Because to me, it doesn’t look like it. At all.”
“Andy -“
“No. I get it. I understand that Joe did a number on you. And I’m sorry about that, I truly am. But you know what Victory, it’s his loss, okay? Screw him. You don’t need him. You’ve got your company back, and you have an opportunity to become the next James Holt. Do not throw that away by sitting here crying over someone who, frankly, is not worth your tears. Joe Bennett is a man with a lot of money. A lot of money. And that’s great, especially if you’re the object of his affection. But that’s all you’ll ever be to someone like that, Victory. An object. Trust me on this one, okay? I learned that the hard way.”
Andy took a deep breath, looking at Victory who looked too stunned to move, let alone respond to anything Andy had said.
“You had your time last night to drink and cry. Now you need to pull yourself together and get back to work.” Andy stared at Victory for a long time, debating with herself whether she should continue or go on with the harsh words. There was really only one thing left to say, but it would be the hardest thing yet. She sighed. She had already gone this far, why not go the whole way?
“You want Nico and Wendy to stop treating you like a child, Victory? Then stop acting like one! You were right on the phone. You are a grown up. You can make your own decisions. So start acting like it.” She tossed the bottle of aspirin at Victory and moved to walk out of the apartment. “Call me when you decide to grow up.”
She slammed the door behind her, and had to grab the railing to steady herself as she walked down the three steps to the street. She was shaking, badly, shock at what she had just said and done rushing through her veins. She had never, ever talked like that to anyone before. She made it to the subway in a haze, thankful there weren’t many people crowding the car she was sitting in as tears worked their way down her cheeks. She had no idea what had possessed her to talk to Victory like that, but she knew she hated herself for it.
**
If her eyes were red when she got back to the office, no one said anything. She sat at her desk, waiting on Nico to get out of the meeting, replaying the scene at Victory’s that morning over in her head. She had absolutely no idea what had come over her. It had been like she was literally seeing red, watching Victory sit there, crying over a man when she was supposed to be working on the sketches for Runway. Andy was still slightly angry with herself that she had said anything about trying to help Victory at all, and then to see the woman almost wasting it… it had been too much.
But that didn’t excuse her actions. At all. She had fucked up, and she needed to apologize. She was reaching for the phone when it started to ring. The caller ID flashed ‘Victory’ and Andy swallowed hard. “Hello?”
“Andy?”
“Victory. Listen, I just want to apologize for what I said today. I was completely out of line and -“
“Andy. Andy! It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize for anything. What you said today was true. I needed Nico and Wendy to be there for me last night, but I needed you to slap some sense into me this morning.”
“What? I -“
Victory giggled on the other end. “Seriously, Andy, you have no idea how much of a help you were. I think you might be my new muse or something. I’ve got some really great sketches down. And more that I need to finish. But I wanted to see if you could come over tomorrow morning to help me pick which ones to send?”
“Of course I will. But Victory, really, I’m so sorry I snapped like that. I had no right to -“
“Would you stop apologizing?” Victory laughed. “Seriously Andy, I’m glad you said what you did. You were right. I need to stop acting like a little girl every time something doesn’t go my way. I need to stop depending on other people and start making my own way. And that’s what I’m going to do. With a little help from you, hopefully?”
Andy let out the breath she’d been holding ever since she walked out Victory’s door. “Absolutely.”
“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow at seven then.”
**
Andy glanced through the sketches that she and Victory had poured over, picking the best ones, making changes, for the last two hours. They had finally agreed on the 5 sketches she was about to slide into the envelope. Yes, these were the best. These were fantastic. These would catch Miranda’s eye.
She grabbed a Post-It, scribbling a quick message on it. Thought you might like a new designer for the December issue. She considered writing her contact information on it, but her cell number was still the same, and he would contact her if he was really interested. She moved the pen, quickly drawing a 6 to sign her name and stuck the note on the top sketch, then slid them into the envelope that was already addressed to Nigel.
She sealed the envelope and looked at it for a second more before she handed it over to the courier who was standing waiting. She handed him some money with enough of a tip that he would follow her directions to the letter, and then reiterated them once again. “Give this to Mr. Kipling, and only him. You have no idea who it came from, you just know that it was meant for him.”
“Yes ma’am.” The courier nodded before heading off.
Andy sighed as she watched him leave. She hoped for Victory’s sake this would work out. She prayed for her sake if it didn’t.