I'm so touched I got a message asking for this so I had to give it a shot.
Should I keep going?
"Andy?" I heard it but was not quite sure I was still alive.
"Miranda?" My eyes opened up a little and Emily, Nigel, and Miranda were all hovering over me. I could smell the expensive cologne and perfume. It made me even more nauseous. Then I saw her. Miranda, she had these ice blue eyes. I started closing my eyes again.
"No no, darling. No falling asleep. Tell me do you remember what I told you before you smacked your head?" I did remember. I was an employee at the most famous fashion magazine ever. When I told my parents that I got the job. They asked me if I was going to fall in love with Miranda again. I wasn't I was a grown man in his later 20's who wanted to write, draw, and get his pictures in a magazine. Maybe fall in love a little.
"Baby." I said and put my hand out to no one in particular.
"Yes Andy you and I are having a baby" Miranda repeated and suddenly I thought I was gonna faint again. Nope not gonna make it this time.
"Come on six stay with us" Nigel smacked my jaw hard.
"Fuck Nigel, give a guy a minute." Emily said trying to help me to my feat. My legs were jello.
"Sweetheart are you alright, do you need Emily to cancel your photoshoot at 2?" She was being so sweet. Why wasn't Miranda as freaked out as I was?
5 months earlier.
" You're fired"
"Fired. I can't be fired." I said. I had my lucky tie on that my girls had gotten me. If I was fired while wearing this tie would it would no longer be lucky?
"Sir, Mr. Sachs"
"It's Priesley, my name is Priesly like the fashion designer. She took my name." I said, thought I wasn't doing it to get him to be afraid. He seemed quite frightened.
"No don't worry about it she isn't going to come after you." I said.
"We are divorced. It's fine I'll just collect my things." I left the duct taped blue chair in the editor's room. Heading for the door when he stopped me.
"You don't know it yet Sachs, but this is gonna be the best year of your life." He said. Not only had the man gotten my name wrong again. But he had made a promise that he couldn't keep. Little did I know that he was right.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I went home to my one bedroom apartment in lower Manhattan. It was a shitty little thing. But it was enough for my girls to come over and play gamecube while eating pizza. That's all we really needed.
I dropped my box of shit in the closet slamming the door. A paper fell across the floor I bent down to pick it up and saw that it was the one Cassidy had done when she was young. It was a picture of her sister, mommy, and daddy. I smiled. Those girls, man they kept my world afloat.
I walked to the fridge and took out a beer. They were cold and the thermostat had broken so the whole room was hotter than my ex wife's temper. I pulled at my tie like a noose that was just a tad too tight. Finally taking the stupid piece of fabric over my head and unbuttoning my white shirt. It was old. I think Miranda had gotten it for me when I had interviewed with the Mirror but I couldn't quite remember. I had just a white t on that said "Walt Whitman."
The phone rang. I lept to it and picked it up. I had a vintage phone. It was one of the things Miranda gave for one of our anniversaries. We were big classic film fans. Her favorite was breakfast at tiffany's and how to marry a millionaire. Which made sense. So we had bought a cat named cat and a phone that you had to dial via finger spinning the numbers. I loved the dumb thing.
Miranda had the cat. I had the phone.
"Hello?" I said already knowing who it is.
"DAD!" Cassidy practically screamed in my ear.
"Hey Bobbsey." Smiling through the phone at her enthusiasm. Probably the only time I smiled today.
"Caroline and I got into the talent show!" she squealed and I could hear her jump up and down.
"That amazing sweetheart! You guys gonna do your three stooges act? What am I saying of course you are. Molly is joining too?"
"Well duh dad it's gonna be the best. I bet half the kids at our school don't even know the act. But we are gonna show them anyway." I took a swig of my beer and it fell on the drawing.
"OH SHIT!" I grabbed my buttoned down shirt and started paddling the picture.
"You ok dad?' The phone dropped and I took the picture over to the sink and looked for more towels.
By the time I came back cassidy had left. I was disappointed but I figured they'd call back. Miranda always told them to call me when something big happened.
I sat down to my computer and started to look online for new jobs. Figuring if this was too depressing I'd get out the kids game cube and get drunk.
About an hour later I heard a knock on the door. It was rapid and by the time I had gotten to the door someone was slamming their fists against it.
"HELLO?" I said as I swung the door open. It was Miranda. I was a little shocked. Then my mind went to the worst thing possible.
"WHAT IS IT ARE THE KIDS ALRIGHT?" I was pushed out of the way as she looked around my apartment.
"Miranda?"
"Is someone here with you?" I was almost about to ask her why she had the audacity to come into my apartment and ask such a thing but I bit my tongue not wanting her to start to purse those perfect lips.
"No Miranda, just a woman in a "fur" coat. Where are the kids?" I said giving air quotes to fur. Knowing that she had switched over to fake long ago. Being as left winged as she is. I used to love her for it. Now it's just another thing that keeps me up at night thinking about what could have been.
"They are at home, Clara is watching them. Cassidy said you hung up the phone in panic so I raced over here to make sure a burglar hadn't killed you." Always the dramatics.
"Nope, no killer chopped me up. What was your plan? To kill them with you Jimmy choos?" I said closing the door. I was headed towards the kitchen when she called after me.
"Actually I have a taser and mace now." She set her bag down and hung up her fake fur coat.
"Since when?" I took out some wine, knowing she secretly loved two buck chuck. Bringing out a bugs bunny mug and a nightmare before christmas mug. Knowing that all I had in this apartment were mugs, paper plates, and the occasional utensil but she did not expect anything but.
We had a routine. Once a few weeks we met up together. We dropped the kids off. Had dinner together. It was the norm. I love her. I don't want her gone. I don't know why she does it to be honest.
"Well, I heard that the Mills had a break in last month." I looked up from my pouring.
"Were Jovana and the kids alright?" She knew that we used to babysit the kids and vice versa.
"They're fine, no one was hurt. They ask about you, you know. You should come over and we will have dinner with them sometime." I didn't know if she's understood what she was asking. So I just nodded.
"So what happened?" I thought for a second she meant with our marriage. Since every now and then I catch her lingering as well. I wonder-
"Oh you mean why the phone..yeah..no I spilled on one of the kids drawings." I said and started to drink the wine. I didn't usually mix my alcohol but hell, I was a thirty year old divorcee. Why was I drawing a line?
"Which one?" She almost smiled and I looked around the kitchen and held it up for her.
"Oh I love that one." She said taking it from my fingers. I sipped my wine. Walking around the kitchen. The lights in the apartment flickered.
"Andy, you really need to get a better apartment, If you want I'll help-"
"Mira, that's really not in the cards for me right now." I tried my hardest not to snap that out. But I really didn't wanna discuss it. Her face seemed to show concern. Putting the picture down gently as if it belonged in a museum, to us it did anyway.
"Andy..what happened?" I walked over to the sofa and she followed very closely. Enough for me to feel the heat of her body. I was always ultra aware of where she was in the room.
"I lost my job at the Mirror." I said playing with the cushion of the chair.
"Oh Andrew. I'm sorry…..YOu know you could always come back." The white haired woman didn't meet my eye. She knew that was a dangerous proposal.
"Miranda, do you really think that is a good idea?" I haphazardly took a long gulp of my drink.
"Andrew," She put her pant on my thigh. I told my other head not to get to excited. "I think you should remember you were the one who left." Oh fuck she was really bringing this up now.
"Do you mean our marriage, or Runway?" I knew I shouldn't have gone there but the booze was making me grumpy.
"Both, but we make a great team. Come back to work with me. Nigel and Emily miss you and I-" I lifted my head up and met her eyes.
"You what Mira?" Please just say it. I'll come back tonight. I'll leave this dump of a meth house and I'll come back. Just give in for once.
"I….could really use your help." I let out a heavy breath and started to run my fingers through my thick black hair.
I caught her licking those gloss covered lips and I almost held up the white flag.
She stood.
"Then It's decided Darling, you'll come back and I'll tell Roy to pick you up Monday for your first day back. I have to go now. Roy is waiting for me. But I'll see you at 8."
I wanted to say something but instead I stood. What had just happened.
Then I saw some white haired lady leave my apartment.
I almost didn't believe that had just happened. But on my coffee table was a loony tunes mug with lipstick kissing the rip.
Leaving it's permanent stain.
And the unmistakable chanel No 5 in the air.
This was going to be my year.