New: The Upper Hand, DWP, 1/1
Title: The Upper Hand
Author: chilly_flame
Pairing, Andy/Miranda
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything related to The Devil Wears Prada.
Notes: Thanks to Xander, as always.
This is the fourth in a series of shorts, starting with Sick Day, The Righteous Dead, & Hooked.
Andy’s been at her desk for a couple of hours when she sees a shadow hovering over her; it’s Nigel, and he has a weird look on his face. “Hey,” Andy says. “What’s up?” She wants to ask what’s wrong, but has learned to stay positive on the surface when everyone else starts freaking out.
“Got a minute?” he replies.
“Of course.” Nigel strolls to his office, and Andy follows, and she starts to get nervous when he closes the door behind her. “Have a seat.”
Andy does. She crosses her legs and waits attentively, but Nigel doesn’t say anything for almost a minute. Emotions flit across his face quickly, ending with a faint grimace before he looks down at his desk.
“So, listen,” he begins, “when did you start sleeping with your boss?”
The actual experience of being discovered is dramatically different from what she anticipated. She thought she might be nervous or panicked, or even angry. None of that compares to this utter terror, the kind that makes her feel frozen and hot and shivery all at the same time. Her mouth goes bone dry, but she manages to utter, “Pardon?”
“I don’t want to mince words here, Six. I’m crazy about you, but this is the kind of thing that ruins careers.” He gazes at her sympathetically. “I’m looking out for your best interests.”
Three different responses fly through her head. Nonchalant: “It’s none of your business. Take it to HR or shut up.” Followed by anger: “Fuck you! Nobody can tell me who I can love!” And of course apologetic: “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, please don’t make me quit!”
However, she goes with the easiest, but potentially least effective option: Denial. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She is impressed she got the words out at all, and they sound completely normal.
Nigel huffs, exasperated. “Oh come on, Andy. Everyone’s noticed. You don’t hide it very well.”
Andy is astonished. She and Miranda have barely been within ten feet of each other at work for the last three weeks. On top of that, they almost got busted in the 20th floor bathroom by the cleaning staff a month ago. They go for quickies far more sparingly now, which is okay, since they are getting enough “alone” time at home. Andy’s practically living there, unlike at the beginning when it was all stolen moments and excitement. To her relief, even though the thrill has worn off a bit, she still enjoys every second with Miranda. They are going strong, and the kids have accepted it, despite some acting out once they figured out what was happening.
And as much as she’s imagined Nigel sniffing them out, and even planned a reaction, right now she has no clue what to say. So, she repeats herself. “I still have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“All those meetings the two of you have? And you go running into his office fifty times a day. I’ve seen it before, and it won’t end well, for either of you. Particularly since he’s married, which I’m sorry to bring up.”
Andy stares, and blinks, and when Nigel’s face doesn't change, she says, “His office?”
“Your boss’s office, darling, get with the program. Lucien has two kids at home, and for god’s sake, did you have to prey on the only straight man within spitting distance?”
The weight lifts off Andy’s chest, and she does the only logical thing: she bursts into laughter. It’s loud laughter, too, filled with joy and freedom and happiness. She leans forward and has the urge to throw herself out of the chair onto the floor, but thinks that might not be the best choice. Nigel appears to be waiting patiently behind the desk, and he is not amused. “Oh, geez,” she wheezes, grabbing a tissue from his desk and wiping her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Nige. But seriously, that is hilarious.” She looks directly into his eyes and says, with as much earnestness as she can muster, “I am not having an affair with Lucien. I swear.”
“I’m not the only one who picked up on it,” Nigel insists. “Gemma said you two were behind closed doors for hours the other day, no calls going in or out. People are whispering. It’s not my imagination.”
Andy keeps the smile on her face, but irritation is starting to creep in. It shouldn’t be, considering that she is sleeping with her boss, and his, but he doesn’t know that. “Then it’s some kind of collective delusion. Does anybody count the number of times you go ‘running’ into Miranda’s office all day long? And if you must know, Lucien asked for my help to rework the James Carey piece on the police cover up of the Morningside shootings last year. He wasn’t happy with the two passes James made at an edit, so we sat down and worked on it.” She looks for understanding on Nigel’s face, but finds none. “If you don’t believe me, ask him.”
“You’re telling me that Lucien came to you for help instead of using one of the higher level editors here? Of which we have many?”
Andy sighs. “They have their own projects-there’s a lot going on. I had the time, and I’m good, Nigel. You know that. I have no intention of spending the rest of my career writing about scarves and necklaces. Lucien and I talked about it a while ago, and he offered to work with me on a few things to see how it went. He’s been very happy with me, and not because I’m blowing him under the desk.” Her anger grows exponentially. “If you and the rest of the staff around here have time to spread rumors about co-workers, I might have to let Miranda know that the lot of you doesn’t have enough to do. I don’t think she’d be very happy to hear it.”
Nigel’s face hardens. “I don’t think Miranda would be very happy to hear that you and your direct supervisor are having an indiscreet dalliance on company time.”
Andy smiles, and it’s a nasty, mean smile. “I can guarantee that Miranda wouldn’t believe a word of what you’re saying. One million percent.”
“You sure have a lot of trust in her, considering how she treats her minions.”
You mean how she treats you, Andy thinks. But she can’t get involved in the power dynamics between Nigel and Miranda. She almost did once, in Paris, and she knows her life would have turned out very differently if she had. “Maybe.”
Nigel takes a deep breath, and sags back into his chair. “Well, I have to say I’m relieved. I thought you’d cave and confess right away.” He watches her, and Andy’s anger begins to recede. “So you’re really not sleeping with him?”
She shakes her head with certainty. “The thought never even crossed my mind.”
Nigel’s eyebrows rise. “Really? He’s gorgeous. You can’t tell me--”
“Whatever.” Andy rolls her eyes. “I can’t believe you’d even think that of me.”
“Why?” Nigel asks. “You’re human. Emotions can run hot, and sometimes things happen, especially in such close quarters.” Andy presses her lips together, knowing exactly how right he is. She only feels a little guilty for lying. “I’d understand. I wouldn’t like it, and I’d ask you to stop, but I’m glad I don’t have to.”
“Listen, Nigel, I want this thing diffused as soon as possible. Now that I know it’s going around, it’s not exactly a good environment for me to work in. And poor Lucien!” She thinks for a moment, and adds, “Besides, why did you start this conversation with me first? He’s the one on the executive team in the supervisory position. He’s way more of a risk than I am to the company.”
Nigel shakes his head. “I wanted to be certain of what was happening before I spoke to him. And believe me, I would have. Trust me.” Andy wants to, but it’s tough. “I don’t care one way or another if he’s a faithful husband, but if anything goes on in the office it’s another story.”
Andy supposes that might be the case. She wonders for the thousandth time what Nigel will say when he finds out who she’s really with. He’ll probably be humiliated, and it might ruin their friendship, but she can’t help that. Nigel’s a great mentor, but the gulf between them has widened since her promotion. Before, she was just a little assistant he could mold and shape; now, she’s a woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone, least of all him. It’s partially because she always feels Miranda at her side, like an invisible source of strength. If she needs something, Miranda is there for her. That sense of protection has helped Andy mature a great deal, and she is more willing to take risks. She is brave enough to say yes to Lucien when he asks her to work harder and do more, because Miranda believes in her, and that makes her believe in herself.
As Andy gazes out the window behind Nigel’s head, she wonders how much of this Miranda should hear. Probably everything. She doesn’t usually snitch on her co-workers, because that could ultimately be the thing that outs them to everyone, but in this case, she’ll tell. Miranda’s either going to laugh her head off, like Andy did, or be extremely pissed. Or both, which is the most likely result.
“Nigel, I don’t want to talk about this again. I’m not having an affair with Lucien, and I really, really need you to believe me. I’m-well, I don’t know what else to say, but I’m disappointed.”
Nigel shrugs. “It’s the nature of the business. Better you hear this from me rather than someone else. And now that I know the deal, we can nip it in the bud.”
“Good.” She smiles at him, as best she can. “Thanks.” Now that this is out in the open, she’s uncomfortable and wants to get the hell out of this office. She asks, “Is that everything?”
“Yep, we’re done. And Andy, I really am sorry. I’m glad I was wrong.”
She nods. “I appreciate that.” As she walks back to her desk, she gets a few looks from some of the other women in the hall, but she just gives them all sunny grins. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she starts counting the minutes till she can go home and talk to Miranda.
---
“He what?” Miranda exclaims. Unlike Andy, Miranda skips right over hilarity and goes straight to livid. “You’re not serious.”
And tries to cool her down with a little humor. “Hey, I’m not chopped liver. It’s not that unrealistic that they’d pair me up with Lucien.” Miranda purses her lips. Okay, that was probably the wrong tactic. “I just mean, well, hell, I don’t know. I guess of all the people in the office, I’m not that surprised. I’ve really looked up to him. He’s a good mentor, and there’s no weird tension or competition between us. For some of the other editors, they think anybody could stab them in the back. Me included.”
“So they stab you first,” Miranda drawls. “I am not happy about this, Andrea.”
“Me neither. It was… an uncomfortable meeting. Particularly since I thought we’d blown our cover.”
“How do you mean?” Miranda impales a shrimp on her fork and devours it, chewing with vigor. It makes Andy love her all the more.
“I mean, Nigel started out by asking how long I’d been sleeping with the boss.”
Miranda inhales sharply, and Andy is alarmed until she realizes that Miranda is not in the process of choking to death. “Well I see how that would have been… inconvenient phrasing.” Miranda actually laughs. “I suppose that means he really hasn’t a clue about us then. That’s nice.”
“True,” Andy says. “But I was mad. Does everyone always assume the woman is at fault in situations like that? Like I somehow lured him into an office romance? Lucien’s an adult, older than me, and he’s the one who would have the upper hand if we were seeing each other.”
Miranda stops eating for a moment. “You mean like I do.”
That makes Andy sit up a little straighter. “Well, that’s not what I meant. But, when it comes right down to it, yes, you do. Have the upper hand, I mean.”
Miranda watches her carefully. “Do you really believe that?”
Exasperated, Andy goes back to eating. “It’s not that hard to comprehend, Miranda. You have the wealth, and the position. I’m younger, and I don’t have money or status. You have to admit that the power dynamic between us is a little uneven.”
“It’s never perfectly even in any relationship, Andrea,” Miranda says slowly. “One could say that you have the upper hand in our relationship as well.”
“How’s that?”
“You have less to lose, obviously. You have no children in the public eye, no ex-husbands who would take a swing at you given the first opportunity, no enemies who would make this the kind of thing you couldn’t survive, politically.” Miranda sips at her wine thoughtfully. “And there’s the emotional element, as well.”
Andy doesn’t follow. “What’s that mean?”
Miranda inhales, and holds her breath until she lets it out in a gust. “It means that you have less to lose emotionally, of course. You’re young. You’d recover very quickly if we… broke up.”
The words sound strange coming out of Miranda’s mouth. Stunned by the admission, Andy lets her fork drop to the plate. “Are you kidding?”
A long pause stretches between them. “No,” Miranda replies. Her voice is soft.
Andy doesn’t know whether to be upset or not. “Do you really think I could just move on and get over it? Get over you?”
Miranda looks down at her plate. “More easily than I could.”
The truth dawns on Andy; their conversation is no longer about workplace flings. This is Miranda telling her how much she loves her. “You’re wrong, Miranda.”
Glancing up, Miranda meets her eyes. “Oh?”
Andy nods. She lets everything she feels show on her face, but Miranda can be obtuse sometimes. “I love you,” she says firmly. “Heart and soul.”
Miranda sits with this for a minute, and Andy doesn’t break their gaze. “I love you too,” she finally replies. Andy reaches across the table for her hand, and Miranda meets it halfway.
Andy wants to make it easy between them, so she takes a shot. “So we both have a lot to lose, then. We just have to make sure we don’t screw it up.”
Miranda smiles. “Right.”
That seems to do it; Miranda picks up her fork again, and Andy relaxes. “Still. You’re right that Nigel may have erred in his judgment of how to handle the situation. He took advantage of your friendship. I don’t know what he was thinking.”
“I just hope it all blows over quick.” Andy has a thought. “Will you say anything to him about this?”
With narrowed eyes, Miranda gazes into nothing. “Not directly. Or even indirectly. But I will, shall we say, keep my ear to the ground. I’m surprised I hadn’t heard anything about this before now.”
“Me too. I thought you had spies everywhere.”
Smiling slyly, Miranda replies, “Oh, I do. Never fear.”
Andy chuckles. She doesn’t fear. Not when it comes to Miranda.
---
Three days later, Andy sits in on the features meeting. Nigel is there, as usual, as is Lucien and much of the other editorial staff. The table is full, and the discussion is straight forward until the last five minutes.
Out of the blue, Miranda begins, “I had a read-through of James Carey’s cover-up article, and Lucien, I agree that his edits were sub-par. I’m very pleased with the work you did with it.”
There’s a distinct snap to attention amongst almost everyone in the room; apparently Nigel has spread the word of Andy’s explanation. Lucien, on the other hand, is as relaxed as usual. “Thank you, Miranda. I brought in Andrea in a test run, and she was stellar. I’m very happy with her work.”
Miranda blinks slowly. “Her work?” she prods.
“Mm,” Lucien agrees. “We spent some time on the article recently, and within a couple of hours, it was ready for delivery.”
“Time here, in the office?” Miranda asks lightly.
Lucien looks confused, but Andy sees Nigel cover his eyes across the conference room table. “Yes?” Lucien answers, though it sounds like a question. “A few hours, last week.”
“Good,” Miranda nods. “Well, I’m very glad to hear that you’re spending your time behind closed doors effectively.” Glancing around the room, Miranda glares at much of her staff, excepting Andy. “I like to know that my people are making efforts to work together in a productive manner whenever appropriate. Not to mention professional.”
The room is utterly silent. Miranda glances at Nigel. “Is that clear?” she asks him.
Nigel swallows. “Loud and,” he replies.
Andy hadn’t expected that, but it’s gratifying. She looks down at her blank notebook page and hides a smile.
On their way out of the room, Lucien sidles up to Andy. “Did you think there was anything strange about the way Miranda asked about that article? She seemed… I don't know.”
Andy shrugs. “Me neither. But I guess she was happy with the end result, right?”
That brightens Lucien’s mood. “C’est vrai. That’s all that matters, oui?”
“Oui,” Andy replies, and pats him on the shoulder. “Thanks again, for the chance.”
Lucien nods appreciatively. “It’s only the first of many opportunities, Andrea,” he says, pronouncing her name the way Miranda does. “You have much talent.”
Andy gets shy, but replies, “I appreciate that, Lucien. Truly.”
Back at her desk, Nigel strolls by. “Hey,” he says.
“Hi.” Andy makes a valiant attempt to school her expression into blankness.
“So I guess Miranda knew what was up. Shows what I know.” He eyes the white ceiling briefly. “I feel like an idiot.”
“It’s okay. Just don’t tell Lucien, he has no clue what happened. And he would be mortified.”
“Right,” Nigel says. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to have a two martini lunch. Care to join?”
“No thanks. I’ve got plans.” She doesn’t, really, but would rather not hang out with Nigel this afternoon. She is still smarting, even though he’s been smacked down. “Have fun.”
“Your loss,” he says, and skulks back to his office. The door closes as some of the other editors filter back through the workspace.
“Nice job on that article, Andy,” Jocelyn says, and Andy smiles back at her. She’s one of the nicer people here; she doesn’t see Andy as a threat, not to mention she spends most of her time focusing on keeping Miranda happy.
“Thanks.”
Nobody else says anything to her, and fifteen minutes later, she grabs her purse to get some lunch. She plans on taking her full hour today, and tucks a book in her bag on her way out. As she heads toward the elevators, she catches Miranda sweeping out of her office, coat over her arm. She looks down her nose at Andy before turning and strutting away. Andy smirks and trails after her, and the moment reminds her of the old days, except back then, she doubts that Miranda would be swinging her ass in quite that same way.
At the elevators, Andy waits silently next to Miranda for a car. When one arrives, Miranda gets in, and Andy waits till she receives the impatient nod she was waiting for to follow.
They are quiet for the first few seconds, until Miranda says, “That was very satisfying.”
Andy grins. “For me too.”
They only have a few seconds more to be alone, and ever aware of the cameras, they keep their distance. “We’re having duck for dinner. Be home by eight?”
The question mark at the end of the sentence hangs in the air, and Andy appreciates it. “Wouldn’t miss it.” Andy wants to hold her hand as they walk out into the cold December air, but she doesn’t. Instead she waits for Miranda to exit first, and watches her pull on the soft marino coat. She strolls slowly out, all the while keeping an eye on Miranda as she gets in the sedan waiting at the curb. The car drives by slowly as Andy stands on the corner, and she can’t help but laugh.
She is so looking forward to dinner.
~end
Author: chilly_flame
Pairing, Andy/Miranda
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything related to The Devil Wears Prada.
Notes: Thanks to Xander, as always.
This is the fourth in a series of shorts, starting with Sick Day, The Righteous Dead, & Hooked.
Andy’s been at her desk for a couple of hours when she sees a shadow hovering over her; it’s Nigel, and he has a weird look on his face. “Hey,” Andy says. “What’s up?” She wants to ask what’s wrong, but has learned to stay positive on the surface when everyone else starts freaking out.
“Got a minute?” he replies.
“Of course.” Nigel strolls to his office, and Andy follows, and she starts to get nervous when he closes the door behind her. “Have a seat.”
Andy does. She crosses her legs and waits attentively, but Nigel doesn’t say anything for almost a minute. Emotions flit across his face quickly, ending with a faint grimace before he looks down at his desk.
“So, listen,” he begins, “when did you start sleeping with your boss?”
The actual experience of being discovered is dramatically different from what she anticipated. She thought she might be nervous or panicked, or even angry. None of that compares to this utter terror, the kind that makes her feel frozen and hot and shivery all at the same time. Her mouth goes bone dry, but she manages to utter, “Pardon?”
“I don’t want to mince words here, Six. I’m crazy about you, but this is the kind of thing that ruins careers.” He gazes at her sympathetically. “I’m looking out for your best interests.”
Three different responses fly through her head. Nonchalant: “It’s none of your business. Take it to HR or shut up.” Followed by anger: “Fuck you! Nobody can tell me who I can love!” And of course apologetic: “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, please don’t make me quit!”
However, she goes with the easiest, but potentially least effective option: Denial. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She is impressed she got the words out at all, and they sound completely normal.
Nigel huffs, exasperated. “Oh come on, Andy. Everyone’s noticed. You don’t hide it very well.”
Andy is astonished. She and Miranda have barely been within ten feet of each other at work for the last three weeks. On top of that, they almost got busted in the 20th floor bathroom by the cleaning staff a month ago. They go for quickies far more sparingly now, which is okay, since they are getting enough “alone” time at home. Andy’s practically living there, unlike at the beginning when it was all stolen moments and excitement. To her relief, even though the thrill has worn off a bit, she still enjoys every second with Miranda. They are going strong, and the kids have accepted it, despite some acting out once they figured out what was happening.
And as much as she’s imagined Nigel sniffing them out, and even planned a reaction, right now she has no clue what to say. So, she repeats herself. “I still have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“All those meetings the two of you have? And you go running into his office fifty times a day. I’ve seen it before, and it won’t end well, for either of you. Particularly since he’s married, which I’m sorry to bring up.”
Andy stares, and blinks, and when Nigel’s face doesn't change, she says, “His office?”
“Your boss’s office, darling, get with the program. Lucien has two kids at home, and for god’s sake, did you have to prey on the only straight man within spitting distance?”
The weight lifts off Andy’s chest, and she does the only logical thing: she bursts into laughter. It’s loud laughter, too, filled with joy and freedom and happiness. She leans forward and has the urge to throw herself out of the chair onto the floor, but thinks that might not be the best choice. Nigel appears to be waiting patiently behind the desk, and he is not amused. “Oh, geez,” she wheezes, grabbing a tissue from his desk and wiping her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Nige. But seriously, that is hilarious.” She looks directly into his eyes and says, with as much earnestness as she can muster, “I am not having an affair with Lucien. I swear.”
“I’m not the only one who picked up on it,” Nigel insists. “Gemma said you two were behind closed doors for hours the other day, no calls going in or out. People are whispering. It’s not my imagination.”
Andy keeps the smile on her face, but irritation is starting to creep in. It shouldn’t be, considering that she is sleeping with her boss, and his, but he doesn’t know that. “Then it’s some kind of collective delusion. Does anybody count the number of times you go ‘running’ into Miranda’s office all day long? And if you must know, Lucien asked for my help to rework the James Carey piece on the police cover up of the Morningside shootings last year. He wasn’t happy with the two passes James made at an edit, so we sat down and worked on it.” She looks for understanding on Nigel’s face, but finds none. “If you don’t believe me, ask him.”
“You’re telling me that Lucien came to you for help instead of using one of the higher level editors here? Of which we have many?”
Andy sighs. “They have their own projects-there’s a lot going on. I had the time, and I’m good, Nigel. You know that. I have no intention of spending the rest of my career writing about scarves and necklaces. Lucien and I talked about it a while ago, and he offered to work with me on a few things to see how it went. He’s been very happy with me, and not because I’m blowing him under the desk.” Her anger grows exponentially. “If you and the rest of the staff around here have time to spread rumors about co-workers, I might have to let Miranda know that the lot of you doesn’t have enough to do. I don’t think she’d be very happy to hear it.”
Nigel’s face hardens. “I don’t think Miranda would be very happy to hear that you and your direct supervisor are having an indiscreet dalliance on company time.”
Andy smiles, and it’s a nasty, mean smile. “I can guarantee that Miranda wouldn’t believe a word of what you’re saying. One million percent.”
“You sure have a lot of trust in her, considering how she treats her minions.”
You mean how she treats you, Andy thinks. But she can’t get involved in the power dynamics between Nigel and Miranda. She almost did once, in Paris, and she knows her life would have turned out very differently if she had. “Maybe.”
Nigel takes a deep breath, and sags back into his chair. “Well, I have to say I’m relieved. I thought you’d cave and confess right away.” He watches her, and Andy’s anger begins to recede. “So you’re really not sleeping with him?”
She shakes her head with certainty. “The thought never even crossed my mind.”
Nigel’s eyebrows rise. “Really? He’s gorgeous. You can’t tell me--”
“Whatever.” Andy rolls her eyes. “I can’t believe you’d even think that of me.”
“Why?” Nigel asks. “You’re human. Emotions can run hot, and sometimes things happen, especially in such close quarters.” Andy presses her lips together, knowing exactly how right he is. She only feels a little guilty for lying. “I’d understand. I wouldn’t like it, and I’d ask you to stop, but I’m glad I don’t have to.”
“Listen, Nigel, I want this thing diffused as soon as possible. Now that I know it’s going around, it’s not exactly a good environment for me to work in. And poor Lucien!” She thinks for a moment, and adds, “Besides, why did you start this conversation with me first? He’s the one on the executive team in the supervisory position. He’s way more of a risk than I am to the company.”
Nigel shakes his head. “I wanted to be certain of what was happening before I spoke to him. And believe me, I would have. Trust me.” Andy wants to, but it’s tough. “I don’t care one way or another if he’s a faithful husband, but if anything goes on in the office it’s another story.”
Andy supposes that might be the case. She wonders for the thousandth time what Nigel will say when he finds out who she’s really with. He’ll probably be humiliated, and it might ruin their friendship, but she can’t help that. Nigel’s a great mentor, but the gulf between them has widened since her promotion. Before, she was just a little assistant he could mold and shape; now, she’s a woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone, least of all him. It’s partially because she always feels Miranda at her side, like an invisible source of strength. If she needs something, Miranda is there for her. That sense of protection has helped Andy mature a great deal, and she is more willing to take risks. She is brave enough to say yes to Lucien when he asks her to work harder and do more, because Miranda believes in her, and that makes her believe in herself.
As Andy gazes out the window behind Nigel’s head, she wonders how much of this Miranda should hear. Probably everything. She doesn’t usually snitch on her co-workers, because that could ultimately be the thing that outs them to everyone, but in this case, she’ll tell. Miranda’s either going to laugh her head off, like Andy did, or be extremely pissed. Or both, which is the most likely result.
“Nigel, I don’t want to talk about this again. I’m not having an affair with Lucien, and I really, really need you to believe me. I’m-well, I don’t know what else to say, but I’m disappointed.”
Nigel shrugs. “It’s the nature of the business. Better you hear this from me rather than someone else. And now that I know the deal, we can nip it in the bud.”
“Good.” She smiles at him, as best she can. “Thanks.” Now that this is out in the open, she’s uncomfortable and wants to get the hell out of this office. She asks, “Is that everything?”
“Yep, we’re done. And Andy, I really am sorry. I’m glad I was wrong.”
She nods. “I appreciate that.” As she walks back to her desk, she gets a few looks from some of the other women in the hall, but she just gives them all sunny grins. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she starts counting the minutes till she can go home and talk to Miranda.
---
“He what?” Miranda exclaims. Unlike Andy, Miranda skips right over hilarity and goes straight to livid. “You’re not serious.”
And tries to cool her down with a little humor. “Hey, I’m not chopped liver. It’s not that unrealistic that they’d pair me up with Lucien.” Miranda purses her lips. Okay, that was probably the wrong tactic. “I just mean, well, hell, I don’t know. I guess of all the people in the office, I’m not that surprised. I’ve really looked up to him. He’s a good mentor, and there’s no weird tension or competition between us. For some of the other editors, they think anybody could stab them in the back. Me included.”
“So they stab you first,” Miranda drawls. “I am not happy about this, Andrea.”
“Me neither. It was… an uncomfortable meeting. Particularly since I thought we’d blown our cover.”
“How do you mean?” Miranda impales a shrimp on her fork and devours it, chewing with vigor. It makes Andy love her all the more.
“I mean, Nigel started out by asking how long I’d been sleeping with the boss.”
Miranda inhales sharply, and Andy is alarmed until she realizes that Miranda is not in the process of choking to death. “Well I see how that would have been… inconvenient phrasing.” Miranda actually laughs. “I suppose that means he really hasn’t a clue about us then. That’s nice.”
“True,” Andy says. “But I was mad. Does everyone always assume the woman is at fault in situations like that? Like I somehow lured him into an office romance? Lucien’s an adult, older than me, and he’s the one who would have the upper hand if we were seeing each other.”
Miranda stops eating for a moment. “You mean like I do.”
That makes Andy sit up a little straighter. “Well, that’s not what I meant. But, when it comes right down to it, yes, you do. Have the upper hand, I mean.”
Miranda watches her carefully. “Do you really believe that?”
Exasperated, Andy goes back to eating. “It’s not that hard to comprehend, Miranda. You have the wealth, and the position. I’m younger, and I don’t have money or status. You have to admit that the power dynamic between us is a little uneven.”
“It’s never perfectly even in any relationship, Andrea,” Miranda says slowly. “One could say that you have the upper hand in our relationship as well.”
“How’s that?”
“You have less to lose, obviously. You have no children in the public eye, no ex-husbands who would take a swing at you given the first opportunity, no enemies who would make this the kind of thing you couldn’t survive, politically.” Miranda sips at her wine thoughtfully. “And there’s the emotional element, as well.”
Andy doesn’t follow. “What’s that mean?”
Miranda inhales, and holds her breath until she lets it out in a gust. “It means that you have less to lose emotionally, of course. You’re young. You’d recover very quickly if we… broke up.”
The words sound strange coming out of Miranda’s mouth. Stunned by the admission, Andy lets her fork drop to the plate. “Are you kidding?”
A long pause stretches between them. “No,” Miranda replies. Her voice is soft.
Andy doesn’t know whether to be upset or not. “Do you really think I could just move on and get over it? Get over you?”
Miranda looks down at her plate. “More easily than I could.”
The truth dawns on Andy; their conversation is no longer about workplace flings. This is Miranda telling her how much she loves her. “You’re wrong, Miranda.”
Glancing up, Miranda meets her eyes. “Oh?”
Andy nods. She lets everything she feels show on her face, but Miranda can be obtuse sometimes. “I love you,” she says firmly. “Heart and soul.”
Miranda sits with this for a minute, and Andy doesn’t break their gaze. “I love you too,” she finally replies. Andy reaches across the table for her hand, and Miranda meets it halfway.
Andy wants to make it easy between them, so she takes a shot. “So we both have a lot to lose, then. We just have to make sure we don’t screw it up.”
Miranda smiles. “Right.”
That seems to do it; Miranda picks up her fork again, and Andy relaxes. “Still. You’re right that Nigel may have erred in his judgment of how to handle the situation. He took advantage of your friendship. I don’t know what he was thinking.”
“I just hope it all blows over quick.” Andy has a thought. “Will you say anything to him about this?”
With narrowed eyes, Miranda gazes into nothing. “Not directly. Or even indirectly. But I will, shall we say, keep my ear to the ground. I’m surprised I hadn’t heard anything about this before now.”
“Me too. I thought you had spies everywhere.”
Smiling slyly, Miranda replies, “Oh, I do. Never fear.”
Andy chuckles. She doesn’t fear. Not when it comes to Miranda.
---
Three days later, Andy sits in on the features meeting. Nigel is there, as usual, as is Lucien and much of the other editorial staff. The table is full, and the discussion is straight forward until the last five minutes.
Out of the blue, Miranda begins, “I had a read-through of James Carey’s cover-up article, and Lucien, I agree that his edits were sub-par. I’m very pleased with the work you did with it.”
There’s a distinct snap to attention amongst almost everyone in the room; apparently Nigel has spread the word of Andy’s explanation. Lucien, on the other hand, is as relaxed as usual. “Thank you, Miranda. I brought in Andrea in a test run, and she was stellar. I’m very happy with her work.”
Miranda blinks slowly. “Her work?” she prods.
“Mm,” Lucien agrees. “We spent some time on the article recently, and within a couple of hours, it was ready for delivery.”
“Time here, in the office?” Miranda asks lightly.
Lucien looks confused, but Andy sees Nigel cover his eyes across the conference room table. “Yes?” Lucien answers, though it sounds like a question. “A few hours, last week.”
“Good,” Miranda nods. “Well, I’m very glad to hear that you’re spending your time behind closed doors effectively.” Glancing around the room, Miranda glares at much of her staff, excepting Andy. “I like to know that my people are making efforts to work together in a productive manner whenever appropriate. Not to mention professional.”
The room is utterly silent. Miranda glances at Nigel. “Is that clear?” she asks him.
Nigel swallows. “Loud and,” he replies.
Andy hadn’t expected that, but it’s gratifying. She looks down at her blank notebook page and hides a smile.
On their way out of the room, Lucien sidles up to Andy. “Did you think there was anything strange about the way Miranda asked about that article? She seemed… I don't know.”
Andy shrugs. “Me neither. But I guess she was happy with the end result, right?”
That brightens Lucien’s mood. “C’est vrai. That’s all that matters, oui?”
“Oui,” Andy replies, and pats him on the shoulder. “Thanks again, for the chance.”
Lucien nods appreciatively. “It’s only the first of many opportunities, Andrea,” he says, pronouncing her name the way Miranda does. “You have much talent.”
Andy gets shy, but replies, “I appreciate that, Lucien. Truly.”
Back at her desk, Nigel strolls by. “Hey,” he says.
“Hi.” Andy makes a valiant attempt to school her expression into blankness.
“So I guess Miranda knew what was up. Shows what I know.” He eyes the white ceiling briefly. “I feel like an idiot.”
“It’s okay. Just don’t tell Lucien, he has no clue what happened. And he would be mortified.”
“Right,” Nigel says. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to have a two martini lunch. Care to join?”
“No thanks. I’ve got plans.” She doesn’t, really, but would rather not hang out with Nigel this afternoon. She is still smarting, even though he’s been smacked down. “Have fun.”
“Your loss,” he says, and skulks back to his office. The door closes as some of the other editors filter back through the workspace.
“Nice job on that article, Andy,” Jocelyn says, and Andy smiles back at her. She’s one of the nicer people here; she doesn’t see Andy as a threat, not to mention she spends most of her time focusing on keeping Miranda happy.
“Thanks.”
Nobody else says anything to her, and fifteen minutes later, she grabs her purse to get some lunch. She plans on taking her full hour today, and tucks a book in her bag on her way out. As she heads toward the elevators, she catches Miranda sweeping out of her office, coat over her arm. She looks down her nose at Andy before turning and strutting away. Andy smirks and trails after her, and the moment reminds her of the old days, except back then, she doubts that Miranda would be swinging her ass in quite that same way.
At the elevators, Andy waits silently next to Miranda for a car. When one arrives, Miranda gets in, and Andy waits till she receives the impatient nod she was waiting for to follow.
They are quiet for the first few seconds, until Miranda says, “That was very satisfying.”
Andy grins. “For me too.”
They only have a few seconds more to be alone, and ever aware of the cameras, they keep their distance. “We’re having duck for dinner. Be home by eight?”
The question mark at the end of the sentence hangs in the air, and Andy appreciates it. “Wouldn’t miss it.” Andy wants to hold her hand as they walk out into the cold December air, but she doesn’t. Instead she waits for Miranda to exit first, and watches her pull on the soft marino coat. She strolls slowly out, all the while keeping an eye on Miranda as she gets in the sedan waiting at the curb. The car drives by slowly as Andy stands on the corner, and she can’t help but laugh.
She is so looking forward to dinner.
~end