Poke the Muse Prompt-a-thon 2
ShesGottaread - Andy/Miranda, prompt: Roy's POV
inspired by the many stories where Roy has had to deal with arguments, kidnappings, making out, etc. in the back of the towncar. :-) Poor guy should get a chance to say his piece. *g*
Driven to it.
Roy shut the door on his employer and quickly got into the car, a feeling of elation bubbling inside him. At last! He smiled to himself as he pulled out into the early evening traffic. He'd been waiting a long time to see that look on his employers face.
Fifteen years he'd driven this woman everywhere in the city and only once before had he seen a look of true happiness on that iconic face. That time it had been the soft happiness and true wonder of the first time mother as he drove the new family home from the hospital almost twelve years ago. In the time before that and ever since he had seen Miranda in many moods and with myriad facial expressions, from classic ennui, the boredom rolling off her in waves, through exhaustion, anger, annoyance, grim determination and yes he'd even seen her amused on occasion.
He had been there since her enthronement as Editor in Chief; indeed the endowment of his services had formed part of that momentous life event for the silver-haired fashion maven. He smiled again as he remembered the day three years later when Miranda had discovered what his salary from Elias Clarke was and had immediately made the offer to employ him directly as her personal driver. He'd accepted without hesitation, the 30% raise in pay being only part of the reason for his decision.
He'd witnessed the demise of that first marriage and the hell of the custody battle that had followed. He'd seen the beginning, the rocky road and the ending of a second marriage and most recently he'd born witness to the period of extreme grief and discontent that had followed the return from Paris Fashion Week. What's more, he knew, as apparently no one else did, including Miranda herself, the cause of that grief and it wasn't the loss of Stephen, it was the loss of a second assistant that had been so much more than her job description had detailed.
His knowledge was based on nearly a year's worth of driving both women, separately and together. Watching them interact and hearing the vocal tones of their phone conversations had betrayed the emotions that they obviously had for each other almost from the very beginning. He'd watched Miranda mentor Andy, speaking to her with far more depth of detail and breadth of topic than she did even with her husbands. Andy, for her part had let slip her own feelings during many phone calls to her then boyfriend and her other friends, where she'd been like a mother bear in her defence of Miranda and how hard she worked and Andy's need to work as hard as her boss.
When Miranda had returned from Paris without Andy in tow, Roy had watched her emotional decline and withdrawal with ever growing concern. He was in touch with Andy from time to time and when she'd got the job at the Mirror he'd started to buy the paper first thing to track her progress. A mere month later Miranda had surprised him when she came out earlier than usual and had demanded he hand over the paper, which she had proceeded to read and then leave behind when she left the car. This had quickly become a regular pattern which Roy never commented upon, but he wasn't able to miss the look of longing Miranda would often get as she stroked the words that Andy had written.
He'd spied Andy that first week as she stood on the sidewalk and waved as they drove past and he'd seen her at least once a week since then as they drove near the Mirror's building. Without fail Andy would seem to know that the silver Mercedes was Miranda's and she would stop and watch the car go by before her shoulders would slump and she'd continue on her way. There was no mistaking her look of longing either as he'd watch her in the rear view mirror.
Six months went by and Roy finally reached the end of his tether, he could no longer stand by and watch two people he admired and cared for, continue to torture themselves, he had to do something, consequences be damned.
One evening he showed up at Andy's flat and pinned her down to admit her feelings for Miranda, managing to convince Andy, if only tentatively, that Miranda was feeling the same thing that she was feeling. He'd managed to get a promise from her that she would be honest and open if Miranda should make contact with her. He'd realised that Andy didn't believe that would ever happen, and as he drove home that night he came to the conclusion that without interference she was probably right.
The next evening when he dropped Miranda and several bags of samples off at the townhouse, he paused in the foyer and finally spoke his peace to his employer.
"Miranda, I may lose my job for this, but I truly believe it's something that needs to be done. I can't go on watching you in such pain and do nothing." He stepped forward and took hold of her wrist gently pressing a small piece of paper into her hand as she watched him in utter shock.
"Miranda, you're a good person, hard-working, driven, loyal and loving and damn it you deserve to be happy, happy with someone who sees and loves the real you."
Miranda looked down at the paper and saw the name and phone number written there just as Roy let her hand go and took a step back.
"Fire me if you feel you have to Miranda, I promise I'll understand, but for God's sake call her! Just call her, okay." And with those words he'd made a quick dash for the door leaving a dumbstruck Miranda behind him. He'd driven around the corner and waited for the call that would most likely see the end of his employment with Miranda Priestly and quite possibly with anyone else on the eastern seaboard. He waited for nearly an hour, and just as he thought that Miranda was just going to ignore the whole thing, his cell rang.
With pounding heart he'd answered the call and listened to the short string of instructions followed by the more familiar sudden click of the call ending. Taking the phone from his ear he held it out and stared at it before letting rip with great whoop of joy before he started the engine and headed back to the townhouse.
Miranda awaited him on the sidewalk, her happiness emblazoned in the full smile she wore and the joyful twinkle in her eyes. She didn't wait for Roy to open the door, letting herself in the back seat and giving the one word command, "Go." at the same time.
Fifteen minutes later they pulled up in front of Andy's building, both of them spotting the brunette on the steps at the same time. As Roy started to get out, Miranda stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"I think I'm on my own now Roy." He turned around, and smiled at her.
"Go get her Miranda. Go get some happiness. And if she asks what prompted you to this, just tell her it was my fault." He winked at her.
Grinning back she quipped. "Well I'll certainly tell her you drove me to it…happiness that is." With a final nod of the head she said quietly, but sincerely, "Thank you Roy."