I Love my Job (6/?)
Chapter 6
“Miranda…are you there? I think she just hung up, oh my GOD I am so fired…” Andy placed her head back on the table and could feel the room spinning.
“What am I talking about I am DEAD!” Andy was starting to forget simple things such as how to breathe. Emily was looking pale.
“Calm down, the music is so loud I doubt she heard anything...” however the statement did not come out as confident as Emily had hoped.
“Hmmm yes well, considering how loud we are all having to talk over this music, and the position of the phone, she probably heard everything.” Nigel stated simply looking far too smug.
“Oh god I need a cigarette” Andy staggered to her feet and made a move outside.
“Stuff it, so do I” Said Emily making a rather unsteady exit from the bar.
“Shit, shit, shit...” was the mantra that greeted Emily outside.
“Oh shut up and give me one of those” Emily stood with her hands on her hips as Andy handed her a light and a cigarette.
“I can not believe my boss heard me ask who you would rather sleep with…” said Emily inhaling and coughing slightly.
“Of course Em that’s terrible. My situation is nothing compared to yours! I mean she only heard me say I wanted her to eat me for breakfast and that I enjoy staring at her when I am meant to be working. Yours is much worse” Andy replied sarcasm dripping from her drunken rant.
“You’re right… how do you think she’ll fire you” Emily looked genuinely concerned.
“Oh god I don’t want her to. I love my job… I really do.” Andy began to feel very uncomfortable at the thought of not working at Runway, which meant not being with Miranda. Drastic action had to be taken if she was going to get out of this alive.
“Please… you seem to love your boss, not the bloody job” Andy looked shocked at Emily’s assessment and sudden change in attitude.
“I do not love Miranda, I… lust her!”
Deciding that humour was the best way to mask her panic Emily sniffed, “How very articulate Andy. Better check you’ve not called her again there will be no journalism jobs to fall back on if she heard that literary master piece.” she giggled as Andrea grabbed her cell phone from her handbag looking panic stricken but the relief didn’t last long.
“Come on Andy, we’ll get Uncle Nigel to sort this all out for us… he has to be good for something right?” Emily said pushing a rather reluctant Andy back into the bar.
“Have we calmed down yet?” said Nigel mocking concern “Because this whole nonsense has sobered me up dreadfully”
Emily and Andy sat down in front of fresh drinks, looked at each other and downed the contents.
“Right, we have obviously not calmed down.” Nigel said taking a sip at his own drink.
“Okay I have it!” Nigel shouted rather loudly causing both girls to jump.
“You didn’t hear her voice did you Andy?”
“No…no I didn’t she just hung up” Andy mumbled
“Voicemail! She probably didn’t answer and we’ve just left a 5 minute long message. Messages cut off after 5 minutes and that is why it sounded like she had hung up. Ta Da!” Nigel with his magicians hand gesture looked quite proud of himself even if the statement hadn’t done much to ease Andy and Emily’s mood.
“Great so tomorrow Miranda will listen to the message and we are back where we started” at Andy’s reply Nigel shook his head.
“No offence darling but do you really think she’ll want to listen to a message from you? She’ll assume you are being ‘incompetent’ and delete it. Then I tease you for the rest of your life on your boss crush.” Andy laughed at this and stole Nigel’s drink.
“I’ll drink to that because it makes me feel better… Miranda doesn’t always think I’m incompetent…does she?” Nigel simply raised his eyebrows causing Emily to laugh.
“I’m getting more drinks to celebrate” said Emily heading up to the bar.
Fifteen minutes later the whole incident had almost been forgotten as the drink started to flow again. Emily and Nigel were chatting animatedly about some model when Andy began to get lost in her own thoughts. As much as she hated to admit it the thought of Miranda absentmindedly deleting her messages bothered her, it bothered her a lot.
‘Stop being an idiot’ Andy thought whilst taking a drink, ‘and to think you were actually starting to believe you were making progress. You will never be anything but a second rate assistant to Miranda and you know it.’ Thankfully at that moment the text message tone on her cell shook Andy out of her melancholy mood. Looking down at her cell Andy found herself staring at the words
1 message from Miranda
Bracing herself Andy proceeded to read the message which simply read
Only breakfast?
Nigel and Emily did not notice Andy stare at the screen of her cell, they were however rudely interrupted by the sound of someone choking on their drink and dropping a phone onto the table.
“Geez Six, you are more than welcome to join in our so called boring fashion conversations. Please don’t try to choke just to get attention it’s dangerous” Said Nigel walking round to rub Andy on the back.
“She heard…” Andy managed to splutter out.
“I thought we were over this I explained….” Nigel abruptly stopped talking as Andy passed him the cell phone.
“What is wrong you two” Emily asked as Nigel passed over the cell, “Well… that’s just vulgar. Miranda can’t possibly have sent this”
“It’s her number Ems” Andy said starting to breathe properly again.
“Who would have thought Miranda would… well text flirt” chuckled Nigel sitting back down.
“It must have been the twins” said Emily handing the phone back to Andy.
“They are at their dads. I need more alcohol” Andy downed a suspect looking pink cocktail and began to smile.
“Ooooh I know that smile, what do you have planned?” Nigel looked as though could barely contain the urge to clap his hands together as he said this.
“I text back of course” Andy heard Emily groan “Come on Emily I don’t want to disappoint our boss by not answering her questions”
“Fine, text what you must I will not play a part” Emily sniffed
“Any ideas how to melt the Ice queen then?” Nigel asked as Andy began to type frantically into her cell.
How big is your appetite...?
“I can’t send that can I?” asked Andy passing the cell to Nigel, he raised an eyebrow. And pressed send, “You just have”
“NIGEL! That was a joke” Andy shrieked.
“Oh go on then." Emily said eagerly no longer trying to feign interest. Nigel simply laughed."Please tell me what you sent” Emily's eyes widened as Nigel leant over to whisper in her ear, “well then… lets wait for a reply” With that Emily took the cell and placed it in the centre of the table.
After what felt like hours the phone finally came to life signalling a reply from Miranda
I doubt you would have the stamina...
Still staring at the text message Andy asked for the time.
“Almost midnight, what did she say!?” Nigel replied making a grab for the phone but he was too late. Andy stood up and placed her phone back in her handbag.
“I’ll tell you later. Right now I have to be somewhere else” Andy began to put on her jacket.
“Andy… please just tell us what she said” Emily said looking very distressed. “You don’t have to go do something stupid we can help you deal with Miranda.” Emily seemed even more worried when Andy began to laugh and reached down to drain one of the shots from their earlier games.
“When someone challenges Andrea Sachs she doesn’t back down” and with a wink Andy turned and left the bar leaving behind a rather proud looking Nigel and very pale Emily.
Part 7.. you know you want it...