DWP fic - Like Love pt 39
This update is for Wednesday 5/9/12 Because I will be out of town that day and will be unable to post the update at the regular time. By the time I get home I will be very tired. Normal updates will resume on Thursday. Thanks.
I'm posting it now, because I have to be up VERY early tomorrow and will be in no condition to be dealing with this many buttons.. LOL Most likely any comments made on this update will not be answered until Thursday.
Here we go....
A little banter, some dancing... etc.
Like Love pt 39
“Where are we going?” Andy fluffed up her hair and picked up an earring from the counter. Tilting her head slightly to put on the jewelry, Andy listened for the non-existent answer. “Miranda?” Grabbing the other earring, putting it in its proper place as she walked out of the bathroom, Andy stopped short just outside the open door. Her jaw dropped slightly as the older woman emerged from the large walk-in closet, also putting her earrings on. Andy swallowed hard as her vision tunneled and she swayed slightly at the sight in front of her. Her hushed voice barely registered, even in her own ears, “Miranda... you... look...”
Miranda smirked slightly and walked across the room quickly, the red fabric of the slinkiest dress she owned brushing against her curves as she moved. “Andrea,” She cupped the younger woman's cheek in her palm, “Breathe, Darling...”
Andy took a deep breath and nearly lost it again as Miranda smiled. On impulse, Andy wrapped her arms around Miranda's waist, pulling their bodies together, reveling in the skin on skin contact that quite frankly was more than even some of the pajamas that they often wore allowed. “You look awesome!”
“You're surprised?” Miranda chided, and winked at her fiancee, “You don't look so bad yourself. You know I'm partial to the Little Black Dress and the woman who invented it...” Miranda ran her hands down the fabric over Andrea's ribs, “This, was one of her finer designs,” Moving closer, Miranda nuzzled her love's ear, her hands continuing to roam Andrea's curves, elegant fingers encountering the smooth skin on Andrea's back, as Miranda whispered, “You're so beautiful.”
“Miranda...” Leaning into the murmuring lips, Andy sighed, “Do we have to go out tonight?”
Laughing softly at that plaintive question, Miranda answered with a grin, “I thought you wanted to go dancing.”
“Ohhh...” Andy grinned and draping her arms over Miranda's shoulders, pressed their foreheads together lightly, “I most certainly want to dance with you, but I'm not sure I want anyone else around when I do it.” Andy grinned wickedly pulling Miranda closer and swaying to music only she could hear.
Melting into the motion, Miranda followed the young woman's lead for several long moments before taking back control. “We need to evaluate the DJ's, and this is a good time to go, with Dorothy, Pava and Mary in the house, the girls will be supervised.”
Dark eyes twinkled at Miranda for a long moment before Andy agreed. “Yes, we should take advantage of the free quality babysitting while we have it.”
Chuckling at that, Miranda offered her arm to Andrea, blue eyes filled with amusement, and love, “Shall we then?”
Linking their arms together at the elbow, Andy nodded, “Let's shall.”
###
“Whoa, Mom.... you look great!” Caroline was actually a little stunned at Miranda's appearance, “You too, Andy.”
“Thank you, my darling...” Miranda moved to the refrigerator and retrieved the bottle of wine they hadn't quite finished off at dinner. She poured two half glasses, handing one to Andrea.
“Yeah, Thanks, Munchkin.” Andy accepted the drink from Miranda with a small bow, “And thank you.”
Miranda's eyes twinkled at Andrea over the edge of the glass and she thought, This is going to be a great night... I can feel it. It had been a long time since Miranda felt comfortable enough to go out without some ulterior motive that had to do with Runway.
Cassidy and Dorothy walked into the kitchen and stopped short, so fast that Pava and Mary nearly bumped into them.
“Wow!” Cassidy gasped, “You guys look great!”
Pava chuckled, “I wish I looked that good at your age.” She grinned at the twinkle in Miranda's blue eyes as Mary commented.
“I wish I looked that good at Andy's age!” Mary laughed and looked over Miranda's outfit. “Red has never been my color.”
Protesting that, Pava's arm automatically wrapped around Mary's waist, “You look great in any color.” Smirking at Mary's shy smile, Pava pulled the woman slightly closer, “You always have.”
Miranda and Andy exchanged glances before Cassidy interrupted their thoughts.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Cassidy couldn't quite believe what her mother was going to do. To her knowledge Miranda had never gone club hopping.
“Yes.” Miranda knew Cassidy often had problems with the photos that showed up in the various tabloids, “And there will most likely be pictures in the paper during the coming days.”
“You're okay with that?” Dorothy wondered why Andy had bothered trying to set the record straight on the television shows this morning if they were just going to go out tonight and make a spectacle of themselves.
“So long as it's the truth, pictures of Andrea and myself together do not bother me in the least.” Miranda smiled at her fiancee, “It's when they fake ones of us with other people that I will be upset.”
“You think someone will do that?” Cassidy was appalled at that idea.
“Possibly, Sweetie,” Andy shrugged, “If we run into someone... or bump into them on the dancefloor, a photographer can capture that instant and make it look bad. That's what you have to remember about photos, they are only a second in time, captured... not the whole moment, or the events leading to it.”
Nodding at that, Cassidy grabbed Dorothy's hand, “C'mon Grandma, you said I could have ice cream.”
Andy laughed, “Ice cream? In this house?”
Dorothy was surprised and looked from Andy to Miranda, “I thought I saw...”
Miranda locked eyes with Dorothy then sighed and set her wine glass on the counter. Opening the freezer door, Miranda reached in and from the far corner, behind the large box of frozen brussel sprouts, she pulled out a pint sized container of chocolate fudge swirl ice cream.
“Miranda!” Andy's eyes bugged out that there was ice cream in the house at all, much less chocolate fudge swirl!
“I... indulge in a spoonful from time to time,” Miranda admitted then turned a stern eye to her daughters, “But not often.”
Cassidy grinned and kissed Miranda's cheek, “Thanks, Mom!”
Caroline looked at the container with a shaking head, “My world has turned upside down.”
Miranda laughed, “You're so dramatic!” She opened the container, it was a new one she had smuggled into the house a few nights ago, and grabbed a small teaspoon from the drawer, “I expect between the five of you this will be gone when I return... so...” She used the spoon to dig a small hole in the center of the confection. With the loaded utensil in one hand, Miranda pushed the container toward Dorothy and the girls, “Have at it.”
“Not without me they don't!” Andy dove for the silverware drawer and found a large serving spoon. She scooped the ice cream onto the spoon quickly.
Suddenly there was a rush on spoons and in very short order the ice cream was nearly gone.
“You people eat far too fast.” Miranda held up her spoon that still contained some ice cream. “You should savor treats for what they are,” Locking her eyes with Andrea's, Miranda slowly licked the last of the ice cream from her spoon. “Slow is always best.”
“But, Miranda...” Andy grinned evilly as she tossed her empty oversized spoon in the sink and moved closer to Miranda, reaching up lazily to take the spoon from the older woman's hand, “When you eat it all, there's always more.” She dipped the empty utensil into the carton and held up the results, another half spoonful. With a smirk, Andy quirked her eyebrow at Miranda, “Slow huh?” Relishing the treat for a long moment, Andy smiled as she pulled the small spoon from her mouth and tossed it into the sink. Licking the last of the sweetness from her lips, Andy smirked, “You ready?”
Miranda blinked and slowly turned to face Dorothy, “This behavior runs in the family?” Blue eyes twinkled at her soon-to-be Mother-in-Law.
Dorothy opened her mouth to respond then glanced at Pava and closed it quickly.
Pava chuckled, saw Mary blushing out of the corner of her eye and grinned at her granddaughter, “I believe it does.” Appraising the young woman seriously, Pava winked, “I have always known she had an aura of trouble around her.”
Miranda licked her lips and grinned at the non-repentant look on Pava's face and the blush on Mary's cheeks. “I see.” Turning to her fiancee, Miranda laughed, “So you come by it honestly after all.”
“Hey!” Andy huffed, her hands on her hips, “Why am I being ganged up on here?!”
Laughing at that, Miranda separated one of Andy's hands from her hip, pulling the brunette toward the door, “Let's go, Trouble. I'm sure there will be all manner of mischief we can find tonight.”
Andy's laughter mixed with Miranda's and she called over her shoulder to her mother, “Don't wait up!”
Dorothy shook her head, and Pava let out a long slow whistle, “Wow, it almost makes me want to follow them.”
Cassidy let out a bark of sarcastic laughter and scooped the last of the ice cream out of the container. “Why bother? We can just watch it on the news tomorrow.” She tossed the empty carton into the trash and gathered all the spoons, stashing them in the dishwasher rack. “I'm going to watch a movie... or play a game... or something.” She glanced at her sister, “You coming, Ro?”
The adults tracked the girls' progress up the stairs and none of them were surprised when loud, almost angry, music began to pour from the television room.
“I do believe that child has issues.” Pava shook her head and physically stopped Dorothy from going upstairs. “She'll work it out on her own, or Miranda and Andy will help her. Best for us to just leave them be.”
“But...”
“I know,” Pava smiled at her daughter-in-law, “The mama in you wants to fix it, but I'm tellin' ya... leave 'em be.”
Exhaling deeply, Dorothy nodded. “Okay.” She checked her watch, “I'm going to call Richard. Do you want to speak with him?”
“No, just tell him I said hi.” The older woman stretched and yawned, “I think I'll just go on to bed.”
Mary checked her watch and gasped, “Oh, I didn't realize how late it was!” She glanced at the doorway where Miranda and Andy had exited, “And they're just going out?!”
Pava chuckled and draped her arm over Mary's shoulders, “Club hopping is an activity best left to the young.”
Dorothy snorted, “Tell that to Miranda.”
“Ah...” Pava's eyes held a bit of mischief themselves, but the woman knew one thing for certain, “Dot, Miranda is young at heart... Andy makes it so.”
###
They had barely stepped foot inside the first two clubs before Miranda had summarily dismissed the DJ's there as suitable candidates for the wedding and they had moved on. Andy groaned as the limo pulled up to their third stop. “Miranda... this is the hottest club in town.”
Glancing out the window, Miranda nodded, “Yes, I believe you are correct.”
“Uh, yeah... that's why there's a huge long line on a Monday night...” Andy looked out the window and shook her head, “We're gonna have to wait.”
“Andrea!” Miranda laughed, “You in that Chanel dress, me in this Valentino dress, getting out of this car... we will not have to wait.”
Andy scanned the waiting crowd and mumbled, “I bet we will.”
“What?” Miranda asked, her lips twitching slightly. “You say that all the time, “I'll bet” or “you bet”... what do you bet, Andrea?”
Andy looked at the bouncer team, a fairly slender, rather stern looking, young woman with a clipboard, and a huge mountain of a man standing next to her with his arms crossed. “Fifteen minutes.”
“Excuse me?”
Andy grinned, “I'll bet you, fifteen minutes. If we don't have to wait then I'm yours to do with as you please, anything you want... for fifteen minutes.”
Miranda laughed, “That's a loss?”
“Mmmm...” Andy leaned closer and whispered, “But if we do have to wait, then you're mine, for fifteen minutes... you have to do whatever I say no questions asked....”
“Again...” The corners of Miranda's lips curled slightly, “You believe that is a loss for me?”
“Think about it, Miranda... If I show up at your office and demand my fifteen minutes, even if you are in the middle of a run through and I ask you to...cluck like a chicken... you'll have to do it.” Andy's smile widened, “How sure are you that we won't have to wait?”
Miranda looked out the window again at the line, at the stern looking bouncer and doorwoman then turned back to Andrea. “Make it twenty and you have a bet.”
Andy's eyes narrowed and she hesitated a heartbeat before nodding, “Deal.”
Miranda opened the car door slightly and allowed Roy to open it the rest of the way before she got out. She turned to take Andrea's hand as the younger woman exited the car and they walked past the people standing in line, directly toward the doors.
Andy blinked as the woman with the clipboard gave the big guy a signal and he immediately unclipped the velvet rope in front of the door. Andy watched the door guards stand aside and they never even slowed down on their stroll into the club. Andy heard the woman speak when they were close enough, as they passed, “Have a lovely evening, Miranda.”
In a very rare act, Miranda reached out and touched the woman's arm as they passed, “Thank you, Emily...” Then she corrected herself, winking at the smiling woman, “Amanda.”
They were inside and seated before Andy could speak. “You cheated!”
“I did no such thing!” Miranda gestured for a waitress and ordered two glasses of red wine.
“You knew the doorman was one of your former assistants!” Andy shook her head, “That is totally cheating.”
“And if I had told you that she was a previous Emily?” Miranda smiled, “What would you have done?”
Snorting at that, Andy sat back in her seat, “I'd have probably doubled the time.”
Nodding, Miranda chuckled, “That sounds about right. But, they aren't all disgruntled, Andrea.” She shrugged, “Most of my assistants do actually learn a thing or two about the publishing business and are grateful for the experience.”
Andy nodded, “Yeah, I know I did.” With a grin, Andy leaned closer, “And as for the experience...” The brunette found Miranda's ear, “...so far, I'm loving it.” That did make Andy curious though, “Going from your assistant to the doorman at a nightclub doesn't seem like she would be too happy with you though...”
Miranda smiled as she accepted her drink from the waitress and took a sip before responding. “She is actually co-owner of this club. She and her husband...decided, that publishing was not the right track for her. That is what the experience brought to her. The knowledge that she didn't want to be in publishing.”
“You don't agree?” Andy sipped her wine, mindful of how insidious the stuff could be with her.
“Oh I did... her forté was public relations.” Miranda looked around the room, it was a fairly typical place, the crowded tables were full of drunken friends laughing over the loud music. There was also a large well used dancefloor, the sweaty people were jumping to the thumping beat of a techno song. “She and her husband did well.”
Andy stood and held out her hand to Miranda, “Care to dance?”
Both Miranda's eyebrows rose, “To this?!” Laughing, Miranda informed her, “Christian Louboutin shoes are not made for techno-dancing.”
Waving away the protest, Andy reached down to take Miranda's hand, “It's almost over...” Dragging Miranda around the edge of the dancefloor, Andy made it to the DJ and motioned him down to where he could hear her. She made her request and he nodded giving her the thumbs up before returning to his mixing table. The current song ended and Andy grinned as the one she'd requested began. Sarah McLachlan's voice sounded through the speakers.
“Just close your eyes...”
Miranda laughed, “Andrea this is still techno...”
Andy grinned and began to jump to the music, “It's a dance mix of one of my favorite songs...” She moved closer as more people poured onto the dance floor and closer still when the lyrics began to be interwoven into the techno-beat.
“And I would, and I would be the one... hold you down... kiss you so hard... I'll take your breath away... and after I wipe away the tears... just close your eyes....”
Enjoying the activity with Andrea, Miranda watched her dance partner as closely as she could while spinning and twirling to the music. The lyrics had taken her by surprise for a moment and she wondered why this song was one of Andrea's favorites. Hold you down, kiss you so hard, take your breath away... that didn't sound like Andrea at all at least not the holding down part. Miranda-blue eyed darkened slightly, it did bring some intriguing thoughts to mind though. There was, after all, the small matter of some twenty minutes that she suddenly found on her hands.
###
Andy closed her eyes as the slower music was about to end. She pulled Miranda impossibly closer and found the ear hiding under a bit of white hair, “I love you.” Allowing Miranda to pull away slightly, Andy smiled at the familiar return.
“And I you.”
“This has been a great night, so far.” They had been dancing for about half an hour now and the DJ seemed to be very good at what he did. Andy knew that Miranda was seriously considering offering him the wedding gig. Then the song they had been dancing to ended and a familiar sound began to fill the club. Andy groaned as the DJ spoke over the extended fingersnapping beginning to the song.
“And we have a couple of celebs in the house! Give it up for Mirandy!”
A spotlight hit them and Andy locked eyes with Miranda for two heartbeats before shrugging, “Next?”
“Indeed.”
They waved and smiled at the crowd then made their way toward the exit. A group of drunken college age people stopped them for a photo op, all of them taking the music lyrics suggestion to 'strike a pose' literally even as Miranda and Andy calmly stood in the middle of them. They were halfway to the car when a voice caught up with them.
“Miranda!” Amanda skidded to a halt in front of them, “I am so sorry...”
“No worries, Amanda,” Miranda smiled and again lightly patted the woman's arm, “We couldn't stay all that long anyway, we have other places to be.”
“You aren't angry...” Amanda hoped the woman's legendary temper wouldn't be unleashed on her club just because the DJ was an idiot. “...He really didn't mean anything...He just... ” Andy finished for her.
“Doesn't know the difference between Runway and Vogue.”
“I understand.” Miranda leaned into Andrea's solid form and assured the former Emily, “There was no harm done to your club, it's very nice and I have the feeling we will return on occasion.”
Amanda relaxed and smiled, “Thank you, Miranda.”
Nodding, Miranda turned to Andrea, “Now we really must be on our way.”
“Of course.”
Andy opened the door to the car and gallantly gestured for Miranda to enter first. She turned to say goodbye to the club owner. “It was nice to meet you.”
Amanda nodded, “Likewise.” She glanced at the car and whispered, “You're a brave woman.”
Laughing at that, Andy shook her head slightly, “Not as much as you might think.”
Miranda's voice carried from inside the car, “Andrea...”
Amused brown eyes held Amanda's for a heartbeat and then Andy responded, “Yes, Miranda.” Winking at the club owner, Andy climbed into the car and shut the door firmly. “All set.”
Miranda nodded and the car began to move. “She's right, you know.” Glancing at her companion, Miranda elaborated, “You are brave.”
“No,” Scooting closer Andy lay her head on Miranda's shoulder, “I'm a coward. Living without you scares me senseless.” She snuggled closer, “Miranda?”
“Mmmm?”
“Do we have to go anywhere else tonight?” Andy tipped her head back, lightly brushing the side of Miranda's neck with the tip of her nose. “Can we just go home?”
Closing her eyes as Andrea's soft lips caressed the pulse point on her neck, Miranda licked her lips. “Yes, Andrea. We can go home.” Opening her eyes, she caught Roy's eye in the mirror and knew the change in destination had been heard. She had the presence of mind to raise the privacy window between the driver's section and the passenger area then she only knew Andrea's lips on hers and the wonderful warmth of Andrea's hands caressing her.
###
Andy mumbled against the soft hair covering Miranda's temple. “We should do this more often.”
“Go out dancing?” Miranda's eyes glittered in the dimly lit vehicle. “Or make out in the back of the car?”
Andy chuckled, “Yes.”
“We can still continue our evening...” Miranda gestured to the gridlocked traffic they were currently stopped in. “...we don't have to go home.”
“I dunno...” Andy shifted slightly, “I'm kinda sweaty..”
“Mmmm... I know...” Leaning in Miranda nipped lightly at Andy's neck.
“Miranda...” Sighing Andy pushed away slightly, “Why is it you've never care when I'm all...” She gestured to herself, “...ick.”
“Andrea, I have spent the better part of my working career surrounded by women who have plucked, painted, and perfumed themselves to the point of nausea.” Miranda pulled the woman in her arms closer and breathed deeply, “You are one of the very few people I know who use minimal makeup, and only a small amount of perfume or deodorant. Because you know it's all you need.” Miranda shifted nibbling on Andrea's ear. “You, my darling, are real and I love the scent of you,” Miranda nuzzled against the smooth skin on Andrea's neck, “I love the taste of you...” She gently licked the skin so close to her lips, sucking lightly at the softness. “I love you.”
“Miranda...” Andy moaned and moved into the touch, “Take me home.”
Smiling against the skin she was exploring, Miranda murmured, “Yes, Andrea.”
###
They entered the townhouse as quietly as they could and Miranda automatically turned to go up the stairs. Andy whispered, “I'll meet you upstairs.” She knew Miranda was going up to check on the girls. The woman always checked on the girls when she got home late. She fleetingly thought of going with Miranda, but this was something that Miranda did on her own. Her time with the girls was special and Andy didn't want to intrude.
Nodding, Miranda continued the climb as Andy went to the kitchen for a drink. She grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and a glass from the cabinet. It had been hot in the club with all the people moving around and if Andy had her way, they would soon be sweating even more. She walked up the back stairs quietly and slipped into their room just before Miranda did. “How are they?”
“Sleeping like angels.” Miranda accepted the water Andrea had poured into the glass for her. “Thank you.” Not just for the water, Miranda knew that Andy could have checked on the girls with her, but instead had let Miranda have the quiet moment with her children. It was that kind of deep understanding of what Miranda needed that had caught and held Miranda's heart.
Nodding, Andy sucked a large drink from the mouth of her water bottle then set it aside. “It was fun dancing with you tonight.”
“Yes,” Miranda agreed and moved closer, “We can go out again...”
“I would love that.” Andy wrapped her arms around Miranda and began to sway to music only she could hear. “I loved being the one with you tonight, making all those people jealous of me...”
“Mmmm...” Miranda smiled, “And here I thought they were all jealous of me.” She followed Andrea's lead for a long moment then asked quietly, “Andrea, may I hear the non-techno version of that first song we were dancing to?”
“Sure,” Andy walked over to the stereo system in the room and quickly scrolled through the menu of the iPod attached to it. 'Possession' by Sarah McLachlan began to fill the room softly as she resumed her dance with Miranda.
Miranda was surprised at how different the lyrics were on this version. The dance mix had not given the song's whole picture.
Listen as the wind blows
From across the great divide
Voices trapped in yearning
Memories trapped in time
The night is my companion
And solitude my guide
Would I spend forever here
And not be satisfied
Well that just about says it all doesn't it. Miranda thought. Is that how she felt for all that time? The song continued...
Through this world I’ve stumbled
So many times betrayed
Trying to find an honest word
To find the truth enslaved
Oh you speak to me in riddles and
You speak to me in rhymes
My body aches to breathe your breath
Your words keep me alive
My God... Miranda listened to the words and thought she might cry, That's it exactly.. that's how I felt... for all that time without her... connected only by the words she wrote... I ached for her...
They moved together, only the thin fabric of their dresses separating them and to Miranda's mind even that barrier was too much. One of the greatest privileges of her life was the ability to explore this young woman's body with total abandon. Miranda wondered if Andrea knew what kind of power she wielded so seemingly easily. “Andrea...”
“Shhhh...” Moving to the music, Andy brushed her temple against Miranda's and cheek to cheek they danced around the room. “No deep thoughts tonight...”
Closing her eyes, Miranda concentrated on the soft skin against her cheek and Andrea's strong arms around her. Any thoughts in Miranda's head left as Andrea's hands caressed her back and there was only one response possible. “Yes, Andrea.”