Fic - DWP - Like Family Pt 10
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“Miranda Priestly’s office.”
“Put me through to Nigel.” Miranda could almost see Emily’s eyes widening.
“Yes, Miranda.” Emily hoped to whatever God there was, Nigel was still in his office. She saw the flashing light on the phone stay steady on and breathed a sigh of relief…then grabbing a folder; she decided to go watch the fun.
“Nigel.”
The man wiped his hand over his bald head and took a deep breath. “Miranda, how wonderful to hear from you. How’s your vacation going?”
“Spare me the small talk, Nigel. How are things there?”
“Oh you know… the usual. We’ll work it out.” He looked at the chaos his office had become in just one day. He couldn’t recall ever seeing Miranda’s office in such disarray. He knew Serena’s office wasn’t much better at this point. “Serena will be sad to have missed your call. She’s at the charity dinner.”
“Yes, I’m sure she’ll be heartbroken. I’ll have to remember to send her next year as well.” Miranda pursed her lips. “Inform Emily to make a note of it.”
“Uh…” Nigel’s eyes widened. “Inform…”
“Yes, yes… inform Emily.” Miranda sighed. “I know she’s standing right there, she never could resist watching me tear into anyone…tell her to stop hiding her smile with the folder and make a note of Serena’s attendance at next year’s dinner.”
Nigel laughed. “Okay, I’ll tell her.” He passed on the information grinning as Emily dropped the folder away from her face and practically ran back to her desk. “So, really, how is the vacation going?”
“It’s going.” Miranda refused to give him any more information than that, yet.
“That good, huh?” He shook his head. “Well, try to at least relax a little.”
“I will try.” She sighed, knowing if there were a major problem Nigel would tell her about it, at least she thought he would. “Good night, Nigel.”
“Good night.”
As soon as the call was disconnected, Miranda found herself wrapped in long lanky arms. “Mmmm….” She leaned back into the embrace.
“So how are things back at the office?” Andy nuzzled the woman’s neck, inhaling the wonderful scent of shampoo and Miranda’s signature fragrance. Not really caring about Runway at the moment, except that it gave them an excuse to be outside together.
“Nigel claims work is going smoothly.” Miranda had her doubts. “I thought I could hear a bit of tension in his voice though.”
“Mmmm… I hear a bit of tension in yours.” Andy turned the woman in her arms. “Let me help you with that…” She pulled Miranda to her, feeling the editor’s arms slide around her waist. Pressing their lips together she moaned and deepened the kiss. They both were breathing raggedly when they parted. Tipping her head to touch her forehead to Miranda’s, Andy waited until their breathing calmed down. “How about, we go back inside and enjoy a small slice of pie, some coffee and a little awkward conversation, before we head back to the rooms?”
“Sounds hideous.” Miranda kissed her partner to take the sting out of her words. “Why don’t we skip the pie, most of the conversation, settle for some coffee…and get back to the rooms as soon as we can?”
“It has been a long day.” Andy conceded. “The girls are probably tired.”
“Mmmm… probably so.” Miranda moved to kiss the young woman in her arms, amazed when Andrea pulled away from her.
“Um… I need to tell you something.”
“Oh God…what now?” Miranda winced at the tone in her voice and held on as Andy tried to move farther away. “Wait.” The older woman stepped closer and laid her head on Andy’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to sound like that.” She looked up and cupped the young woman’s cheek gently. “What is it, Andrea?”
“Mom told me… while we were clearing the dishes from dinner…” Andy wasn’t sure how to break this news to Miranda. “After I called this morning to tell her that I’d be home for my birthday, she called all the family and…um… they will all be here tomorrow afternoon.” She could see the shock on Miranda’s face and imagined a similar one on her face when she found out. “I’m sorry, Miranda. I didn’t know she would do that.”
“So…” Miranda read Andrea’s nervousness and knew why. “Dorothy requested, nicely, that my daughters and I not attend your family birthday celebration.”
“Um…something like that, yeah.” Andy felt Miranda stiffen in her arms and shook her head. “I told her, no way. If she wants me here, she’ll have to deal with you guys being here too…if you want to be.” Andy kissed Miranda lightly. “It could get weird…I honestly don’t know how the rest of my family will react.”
“Who will be here?” Miranda asked. “People you are close to?” It would hurt, but Miranda knew she’d do whatever Andrea wanted. “If you would rather spend the day with your…” She hesitated. “… your family, then I’m sure the girls and I can find something else to do.”
Andy shook her head. “You are my family, Miranda, you and the girls.” She sighed. “My only concern is that with so many people, knowing, about us, the press might get hold of it.”
“So many?” Miranda’s eyes widened.
“Mmmm….” Andy pulled the woman close to her. “My aunts, uncles, cousins….my grandma.”
“Grandma?” Miranda laughed helplessly. “How much older than her am I?”
“My Dad’s Mom, is nineteen years older than you.” Andy smiled whispering. “She could be your mother…” Grinning at the small snort Miranda made at that, Andy winked. “Wait until you meet her. You’re gonna love her.”
That’s what you said about the chili. “So you want us there?” Miranda smiled at the literal love of her life.
“Always.” Andy moved in for a kiss. “Always…” Kiss. “always…” Kiss. “always…”
Miranda reached up, buried her fingers in Andrea’s soft hair, held the young woman still and looked into those deep dark eyes. “I love you, Andrea.”
Andy smiled. “And I you.” She kissed Miranda again quickly and rolled her eyes. “C’mon, let’s go get that coffee.”
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They were all waiting on the porch for the car to arrive when Andy told the girls about tomorrow.
“So you’re gonna have a party?” Caroline’s eyes widened. “With all your relatives?”
Andy nodded. “Yep, Ma invited them all over for my birthday.”
“Cool!” Cassidy grinned. “Do you have any cousins our age?”
Turning to her mother Andy asked, “How old are Aunt Donna’s kids now?”
“Nine, ten and twelve.” Dorothy was a little concerned. It seemed like Andy was assuming Miranda and her daughters would be here tomorrow. “They are kinda mean though…”
Andy remembered the children when they were smaller and that they were quite the handful. “Well, if they are too mean to the girls, we’ll just leave.”
Dorothy was appalled. “You can’t leave your own party!”
Now Andy’s eyes gleamed. “Wanna bet?” She sighed. “We’ll be here tomorrow, Mom… ten-thirty…maybe eleven… It’s been a long day so I’m sure we’ll sleep in tomorrow.” She winked at the girls. “That’s what vacations are for right?”
“Yes!” Cassidy grinned and Caroline nodded in agreement.
Chad stretched and yawned. “It’s still pretty early but I’m beat.” He tilted his head at his sister. “See you tomorrow.”
“Yep.” She gave him a quick hug. “We’ll probably get here before you wake up.”
“Ha!” He scoffed. “Mom will have me up at the crack of dawn scrubbing something… you know how she is when we’re having company.”
Andy smiled. “Better you than me, brother.”
“Now now,” Richard put his arm around his wife. He wanted to take his mind off the image of Andy ‘sleeping in’ with Miranda beside her. “Your Mom isn’t that bad and you know it.” He watched both his children roll their eyes and knew they were more right than wrong about his wife’s near obsessive cleaning, especially for company.
Cassidy spoke up. “Car’s here.”
Miranda stepped up next to Andy. “Thank you for your hospitality.” She offered her hand to the older Sachs’.
Richard took her hand automatically, then realized what he was doing and stammered a bit, releasing the hand quickly. “You’re…um… welcome.”
“Oh…” Dorothy spoke up. “Tomorrow… it’s going to be very laid back… grilling in the backyard type stuff… so you might want to wear something a little more…”
“Casual?” Miranda smiled. “Oh, I think I can do that.”
“See!” Andy laughed. “I told you I should have gotten you a Northwestern sweater.”
Miranda leaned into her love’s lanky body. “Perhaps I’ll just wear yours.”
Andy laughed harder and gently tightened her arm around Miranda’s shoulders. “See ya tomorrow, Mom.”
“Yes,” Miranda had a mischievous glint in her eye. “See you tomorrow… Mom.” She watched as Dorothy blinked, the woman was unable to form a response to that. Miranda urged Andy toward the car. “Shall we?”
“Yep.” Andy was trying her hardest not to laugh at the expression on her mother’s face and she actually made it all the way until the car door shut behind them. “Oh my god, Miranda… did you have to do that?!” She could barely breath she was laughing so hard. “Were you trying to give my mother a heart attack?!”
Shaking her head negative, Miranda shrugged. “Just trying to keep things in perspective.”
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“Mom?” Dorothy watched the car pull away. “Richard did you hear what… that woman, called me?”
“I heard.” Richard didn’t think it was funny at all, but he conceded as inappropriate as it seemed to him; it may well be… weirdly, accurate. He glared at his son who was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. “This isn’t funny.”
“Dad, it’s hilarious.” Chad grinned at his parents. “Told ya! You’re instant grandparents…” He wandered toward the door, speaking absently. “I have nieces… very cool.” He chuckled as he left his parents standing speechless on the porch, only pausing at the door long enough to call back over his shoulder, “Good night.”
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Once again the Priestly family found themselves sitting on the back porch swing watching the boats go by. Even though it was late, the lights on the boats were soothing to watch.
“I think it’s time for you girls to take baths… you’ll want to be fresh for the party tomorrow. Playing at the park and playing basketball are not the cleanest of activities.” Miranda gave them a choice. “Do you want to clean up tonight or tomorrow morning before we go to Andrea’s parents?”
They agreed in chorus. “Tomorrow.”
Andy nodded. “We have to leave by ten-thirty, at the latest.” She ruffled Cassidy’s hair. “Mom will expect us for lunch before everyone else arrives. Gram Sachs may already be there too.”
“Okay Andy.” Cassidy hugged the dark-haired woman. “We’ll be ready.”
“Yeah.” Caroline nodded. “We won’t sleep that late!”
Miranda laughed. “I might.” She saw all their shocked faces. They all knew she never slept late. Winking at the girls, Miranda focused on the young woman that shared her bed. “It may be Andrea’s birthday…but it’s my vacation as well.”
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The girls were in bed, and now Andy snuggled against Miranda in their bed too. “Were you serious about wanting to sleep in?”
“Mmmm…” Miranda concentrated on the feeling of Andrea curling around her. “It depends on how late I stay up.”
“But you are on vacation, so you don’t have The Book to look over until the wee hours of the morning.” Andy chuckled and ran her index finger along Miranda’s collarbone hooking the finger under the spaghetti strap of the older woman’s nightgown. “Whatever could we do to keep you awake?”
“Hmmm… nothing immediately comes to mind.” Miranda grinned. “Do you have a suggestion?”
Brown doe eyes darkened. “Oh… I can probably think of a thing or two.”
“Oh?” Miranda smirked. “Care to elaborate on that?”
Andy shifted sliding her leg between Miranda’s smooth, surprisingly muscular, thighs. “Don’t mind if I do…”
“Andrea…” Miranda closed her eyes as long fingers slowly slid the straps of her nightgown down over her shoulders, warm lips exploring the expanse of exposed skin across her shoulders.
“You are so beautiful.” Andy whispered. “Sometimes I can’t take my eyes off you.”
Miranda sighed. “I won’t always be.”
“Yes,” Andy corrected. “You will.” She pushed the lingerie down, bunching it at Miranda’s waist. Soft hands roamed the newly exposed curves. “You will never be anything less than beautiful to me.”
“You’ll get tired of me soon enough.” Miranda was sure. They all got tired of her eventually.
“I won’t.” Andy promised, adoration tingeing her voice. “I won’t ever.”
Miranda found the strength to stop Andrea’s exploration. “You cannot mean that, you can’t know that.”
“I do.” Andy nodded. “I do know it, and I do mean it. I love you, Miranda, for as long as I live.”
“No,” Miranda closed her eyes. “Please don’t say that.” She was realistic enough to know the most likely outcome of this relationship. “When I… go, you must not be alone, find someone for companionship. Please, promise me…”
“No.” Andy refused. “I won’t. But you are talking like you’ll go first and you don’t know that is true.” She covered Miranda’s mouth with her fingers. “You don’t know, Miranda. We never know. I could step off a curb tomorrow and that will be it.” Sliding, her hands into the silvery white hair Andy kissed Miranda deeply. “Miranda?”
Sighing, Miranda gently traced Andy’s profile. “Yes, Andrea?”
“I don’t want to talk anymore.”
No more talking. Miranda agreed completely. The idea that Andrea might…go, before her was not something she ever wanted to contemplate but she knew Andrea had a point, you never really knew what was going to happen. With that concept in her mind, Miranda made a decision. No more waiting.
On to Part 11
http://akasarahsmom.livejournal.com/9642.html