It was a hot day outside and the air conditioner was blowing at full capacity in order to keep the hallways of Runway at a cool enough temperature that the employees could work comfortably and the clothing would not get ruined by unnecessary sweating.
Miranda had sent Andrea out to collect a variety of different items from a few different locations as well as some coffee, she had also suggested that the woman get a drink for herself too. Not only that but Miranda had also told her assistant that she should ensure that she was hydrated and not to rush in the heat. Not rushing was something that was rather unusual for the fashion Queen, however, she was needing to finish writing her editor's letter which she was finding extremely difficult to do when her assistant was sat not far from her in such revealing summer clothing. She had contemplated the concept of telling the woman to get a jacket from the closet but she had quickly realised that it would be far too obvious that she was distracted beyond belief by the younger woman and that it would not be beneficial to Andrea with the summer heat, even with the air conditioning unit working on full mode.
As she finished the last round of editing of her letter she heard high heels clicking along the hallway towards her office, it was a sound that was not unusual although these heels seemed to be a signalling a rather determined and annoyed person. When she looked up, the sight was not something that she had expected to see at all. There in her office stood her rival; Anna Wintour. Miranda could not help but raise her eyebrows in surprise at the appearance of the woman at Runway, did she not know that she was not welcome? Miranda pursed her lips slightly at the sight of her as she wondered who let her in and why she was not notified of the woman's unscheduled 'visit'.
Emily stood up to try and stop the woman entering her boss' office but found herself silenced by a raised hand from Anna, so instead, she was stood there in silence just watching the two women.
"I would say good morning, Miranda", Anna said politely, "However, that it is not… I'm looking for my daughter and I would like to know where she is".
"Then I believe that you are in the wrong place", Miranda stated, "I have no idea where your daughter is, I'm not sure what makes you think that I could possibly ever know where Bee is. I don't believe that I've ever spoken to her".
Anna rolled her eyes, "Not Bee", she said with a sigh, "I mean my other daughter… Andrea".
Emily's jaw dropped in shock as she listened to what the woman said.
"Andrea?", Miranda questioned equally shocked, "As in my assistant; Andrea?".
"Do you have any other Andrea working for you?", Anna questioned with a raised eyebrow and a sigh, clearly, something had the woman bothered and out of sorts.
Miranda shook her head, "No", she replied, "I was simply unaware that she's your daughter".
"That explains why you so willingly hired her as your assistant", the slightly younger woman commented, as she was, in fact, approximately 9 months younger than Miranda despite being born in the same year, "It also explains why you're sleeping around with her".
The Editor-in-Chief of Runway magazine looked at the other woman with shock evident on her face with wide eyes and a slightly dropped jaw, "It explains why I'm doing what?", she questioned.
Anna rolled her eyes, "There is no point in pretending, Miranda", she stated, "She has already told me how much in love with you she is and how you've been sleeping together".
"I don't know what she has told you but I can guarantee that Andrea and I have never slept together", Andrea's boss replied patiently, she knew that if it were either of her daughters sleeping with their older boss then she would have some concerns of her own too.
"Honestly, Miranda", Anna said with a sigh, "Just... end it".
"End it?", Miranda questioned, "The only thing I can end is this conversation, now I would like you to leave".
"Miranda, I have the...", Andrea froze in the doorway as she stared at the scene in front of her, she had ignored the crazed silent gesturing from Emily as she entered the office and not looked up properly until she was stood in the office of her boss.
"Please put the coffee on the desk and the rest over on the table by the sofa", Miranda instructed calmly.
Andrea nodded doing as she was told before taking a white box from one of the bags and placing it on the desk, "I know you didn't ask for it but I thought that after those reports that you might need it".
Miranda opened the box to peer inside before smiling at Andrea, "Thank you", she said softly.
Anna's eyebrows shot up, she had never heard the woman say those two words and she had never seen such a real nor genuine smile on the woman's lips.
She was looking forward to eating the pastry, it was not well known that she enjoyed such a sugary treat, however, Andrea paid much more attention than anyone she had ever employed before in the history of her career but then again she also paid more attention than her ex-husbands combined. She knew when Miranda needed coffee or something with sugar or something generic to eat and not only that but she could read her moods as well as work out what it was that Miranda needed or wanted without being given a full explanation of what that was exactly.
"Your mother is here to see you", Miranda said as she looked at Andrea but waved her left hand in the generic direction of where the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue USA was stood, "I'm not entirely sure why, however, she does seem quite adamant that you and I are sleeping together". "She also believes that you are in love with me", the woman continued, "But that I should... end it".
Andrea rolled her eyes, looking very much like her mother at that moment Miranda noted based on her facial expressions, "We're not sleeping together", the younger woman stated simply.
"But you said", Anna said with confusion on her face.
"I lied", her daughter stated, "You were accusing me and you kept saying that I was so I agreed".
"So you didn't...", Anna said indicating to the other woman's glass desk.
Andrea laughed as she too looked at her boss' desk, "I didn't have sex with Miranda on her desk".
"But you are in love with her?", Anna questioned as she stepped closer to her daughter.
The dark-haired woman bit her lip slightly and looked away before nodding, "Yes", she whispered softly, "I am".
"But you aren't together?", Anna asked gently.
Andrea shook her head, "No", she said simply before stating, "So there isn't anything for Miranda to end... unless of course, she decides to fire me and end my employment".
Miranda turned to look at Anna, "As it has now become apparent that you were correct about her feelings towards me then I must inform you that if we were, in fact, sleeping together then I can assure you that I would never aim to... 'end it'... no matter who told me to", she informed the woman as she glared at her in a rather frosty manner, "I would be doing quite the opposite, in fact, I would be fighting to keep it".
"You would?", Andrea questioned as she looked up into beautiful blue eyes.
The white-haired woman nodded and put her hand out to her assistant, "Andrea", she said gently in a way that made it clear that she was calling her over to get her to move closer to her.
Andrea moved towards her straight away until she was stood in front of the older woman.
"My Andrea", she whispered as she cupped the woman's cheeks, "Why didn't you tell me?".
"I never thought that...", Andrea paused, "I never thought that you would ever feel that way about me".
Miranda smiled softly and leaned in to press a soft kiss to her assistant's lips, "And there I was thinking that you knew how to read me".
"Apparently some aspects are still a mystery", Andrea said with a slight smirk before she leaned in for another kiss.
Anna huffed in annoyance, "Andrea, I expect you at dinner on Sunday, the usual time", she stated, "I suppose that you will be bringing Miranda and the girls".
"Yes, Mother", Andrea replied once she was facing her mother again rather than Miranda.
Her mother stepped forward and hugged her daughter briefly, "This is definitely going to take some getting used to", she muttered as she made her way out of the office.
"Andrea?", Miranda said softly from behind her, "Did you just agree for us all to go to Sunday dinner with your mother?".
"Erm.. yes?", Andrea replied as she turned back to look at Miranda.
Miranda's eyebrow was raised rather high and she had a slight purse of her lips, however, they were not fully pursed like they had been at that dreadful fashion showing the previous week, "Which means that you have agreed for you and I, along with my girls to go to Anna Wintour's house for dinner".
"On the plus side, it will only be us", Andrea offered, "Her husband won't be there and nor will my brother or sister".
"Plus side", Miranda muttered before rolling her eyes, "You think that there's a plus side to me going to Anna's house for dinner".
"Well, maybe the plus side can be me rewarding you after the dinner?", Andrea suggested, "I'm thinking something that doesn't involve clothing and could possibly include a bed or even a desk".
Miranda smirked before chuckling lightly, "Finally, a plus side to spending time with Anna".