Rows of open cubicles with copy machines the size of small ponies, and the coffee was lukewarm, a frantic energy was all around her from deadlines looming, the room buzzed with activity –keyboards clacking, editors yelling.
This was Andy's world for the past five months, since leaving her in Paris.
Reporters and caffeinated interns yelling in a rush. "Where's the fucking picture to go with this caption?"
"How is it that he didn't know she was a prostitute?"
"What color were the socks of the subway jumper?"
"Did you get that implant story up yet, The Rear Danger?"
Andy was writing four stories on split screens, combing through court documents, and loads of interviews, her notebook of sources and copious notes at her desk, glancing up at Post It notes stuck on a board at her eye level as she typed.
"Andy, you worked for Miranda Priestly, as her assistant, right?"
Andy glanced up from her laptop screen quickly at hearing her name.
"Yeah. John. I did. A few months ago." Andy readjusted her glasses, pushing them back up her nose, Doug once described as her own form of birth control because "no one will sleep with you with those on.''
"Why?" Stopping her typing, getting worried at his look.
Had something happened to Miranda?
"The Mirror wants an exclusive on her post-divorce. It's all yours. Early edition."
Andy groaned out her full opinion on this story idea at John's back as he walked away from her desk, looking too happily at handing this assignment to her of all people.
Sure, John knew she'd worked for Miranda Priestly once, there was history though, but for John to actually want her to do an exclusive on her ex-boss and she only had tonight to approach her and get a scoop on her post Stephen, it was clear and now proven, that John was a stale coffee sipping sadist of an Editor to her.
Interview Miranda was John certifiable.
With Paris between them and then how Andy felt about her.
Damn Nate for pointing it out the last time she saw him. He couldn't just let it be for Andy.
Telling her why they wouldn't work as a couple anymore, because she was completely in love with her vain mean old boss.
She was not. Rubbing her eyes, she was to.
Andy sent her work on, shutting down her computer, she had to go and interview Miranda, post-divorce on Valentine's Day.
Nate was long gone now. Happy in Boston, with a new job and apartment and just doing fine without her as Lily and Doug snidely informed her last week over drinks she ended up paying for.
Doug and Lily kept saying she'd changed so much and they all were different now, they had just sort of started drifting away. Andy was a grown up now.
An adult.
Almost an adult.
Andy didn't have the time or energy to mend things and just let them be rude about a certain white haired lady she held strong feelings for.
Deep never to be resolved or acted on strong feelings for.
She didn't have time for hearing all about Doug's boyfriend breaking up with him over the phone in LA for a trainer named Dash, she tried to be a supportive shoulder to cry on but Doug took it the wrong way, in how she said he was left for a guy whose name was a punctuation mark.
Lily felt she treated Nate badly and told her countless times to go to Beantown and beg him to take her back.
Andy had family dramas also.
Her big sis, Jill's quasi-boyfriend Cave slept with some girl named Marla.
So Jill was calling her constantly for advice.
Her parents were not speaking to her now because they were very disappointed in Andy for not going after Nate to Boston and fixing it. It was not her fault.
Andy didn't want to fix it, and Nate didn't and she was happy without Nate.
Nate wasn't who she wanted to wake up to now.
Andy almost came out to her parents on speaker, over the phone on an early Monday commute.
She'd didn't because she lost her phone signal, deciding she'd do it, on her birthday or this summer at the family 4th of July barbeque.
Now this with John wanting her to seek out and interview Miranda for the early edition, her week was just going amazing, Andy kept waiting for Sue Ellen to wander up to her desk and tell Andy, how she secretly bought controlling interest in Andy's nonexistent oil company.
Deciding she just have to see those blue eyes again.
Sure. She'd do it. Miranda always was a challenge for Andy.
Grumbling at how she was such a Pavlov's dog about anything to do with Miranda.
Her big plans for tonight anyway were devouring one Mah Ze Dahr 'Heaven in a Box' she'd treated herself to. Taking off her glasses in huff, she really needed to get laid, if all she had to get really happy about was foodgasms and Instagram's of food porn lately.
The commute home, having her face nuzzled in someone else's armpit for twenty minutes, making stink eye at the one rider who has a tired bag, because that poor bag having such a busy long day lugging around her stuff, yeeeaaah that bag totally deserves a seat over her.
Andy now never forgot her earbuds, not since having to listen to some teenager's conversation for over an hour, stuck in on the tube, eavesdropping on conversations consisting of Stephanie gave Ethan a quickie and now they're in love, but Ethan is in love with Chloe, and Chloe is in love with Dan, but everyone thinks Dan's gay and likes Ethan? Oh mah Gaaad, Andy didn't need to watch the soaps or cable ever again.
Public-transport commutes in this city was great, Miranda was lucky she had Roy for any mode of transport except if she was travelling transatlantic.
Grabbing her long coat and scarf, winding it loosely around her neck irritably and taking her phone with her, John must really love ruining her entire week.
Dialing a number she hadn't called in months, hoping that they'd picked up.
Miranda Priestly scanned the menu, her date, was trying to decide between Artic trout or mushroom tart.
It was just going so well, this date on Valentines.
Small talk, from him started with. "Karen mentioned you're in fashion?"
"Yes, I'm an Editor for a magazine, called Runway."
"Oh, good for you. So you must like shoes and shop a lot."
Gripping her water goblet tightly, Miranda's errant snowy lock fell over her eye, he wasn't anything like what Karen said.
He was nice. She'd admit to look at.
Looking him over, she'd kept forgetting his name and silently she now called him in her head. J. Crew guy.
His shirt and down to his socks with one glance told her this.
He was clean cut, handsome and really dull.
"My ex, Jem, she'd just put on anything to wear." Cess shared. "I'm in sports trading. Do you follow sports, Miranda?"
Miranda's mouth thinned with her opinion. "No, not really."
Listening to Cess go on about some big and burly player he'd traded for a mere hundred million who could hurl a ball, made Miranda decide to order a bottle of Moet & Chandon Imperial Rose all for herself.
Cess ordered a beer and insisted it not be foreign like a Labatt.
Karen was going to be barred from her Instagram and could forget any and all upcoming invitations to fashion week and galas setting her up with him tonight.
"Excuse me, Cess. I just have to go to the ladies room."
"Sure. Randy."
Randy?!
Miranda was never called Randy ever. Karen, thought he was sexy?
Elegantly striding away from the table, leaving him to go to the ladies room, clutching her purse.
Leaning against a stall, blaming Stephen doing this to her, it was his fault, divorcing her suddenly, which in turn now made her have to date again.
With guys like Mr. J Crew Guy. Who Karen thought was a perfect rebound for her.
It was shame the divorce from Stephen didn't come with a penectomy as part of the settlement.
That or make Stephen have a enforced Kynodesme.
Damn the state of New York.
At least Mr. J. Crew Guy didn't have any strange fetishes like knismolagnia or her last date, the one with the balloon fetish. Asking if she liked being near balloons naked.
Dating normal New York men was impossible, as Karen confessed, and Miranda was warned to snag them up without scaring them. Finding a semi nice one without odd quirks was like catching a kitten or a butterfly as Miranda was discovering this, he was her fourth date this month.
At least he didn't want to lick her nose like the last Tinder match for her.
Holding her purse, she could leave, no that would be really ill mannered, and horrible of her to do so, perhaps if she tipped the Maître D generously he could explain why she never returned back to their table.
She was just lost in the loo.
Scrolling for Roy's number on her phone.
If only Andrea was here to fix this for her. Somehow, make up an excuse, any really good excuse to assist her in leaving her date and with her beautiful smile, Andrea could charm anybody.
Even her most times.
She always noticed everything like when anything upset her and how she liked things in place. They had a strange synergy when around each other that Miranda really missed lately.
Stopping cold, thinking of her last assistant again, immediately made her fingers clutch her phone hard in her palm.
Right, Andrea could fix this for her. Because Andrea Sachs was so loyal and reliable to her.
Why she was even missing that Miss Reliable and Hardworking, she couldn't understand this, Andrea was so very reliable except for leaving in Paris, in the middle of fashion week.
Andrea wasn't there as expected and she wasn't someone to rely on at all.
The silly thing absconded from her in the crowd of paparazzi, Miranda had turned back to her for a moment, expecting her there right beside her.
By her side. Always.
But she wasn't.
She only saw the back of her near the fountain. Andrea never even looked back as she walked away.
It actually hurt her more than she'd ever care to admit.
The insipid fashion deficit disorder lumpy sweater wearer actually made her like her. Andrea just grew on her.
Slowly. Eventually. Irrevocably. Like a burgeoning poly blend fungus from Cincinnati.
A ringtone made Miranda stop her unsettling thoughts of someone who she often found herself thinking about lately and interrupted her at present plans of somehow the ditch of one Mitchleson.
"Mom!"
"Cassidy, yes what's happened?" Miranda clutched her phone. Her Bobbsey's were in Emily's care tonight.
"Are you going to marry Cess, Mom?" Cassidy questioned as she opened up the fridge.
Squinting on the screen, Miranda saw Cassidy in the fridge.
"Cassidy, no soda at this hour."
"Sorry. Mom." Letting go of the soda can and grabbing an organic juice instead.
Miranda held the screen between her fingers, watching her youngest fondly. "No Bobbsey, Cess, he's just my date this evening. Matrimony before our entrées would be quite sudden."
"Car said you would be."
Miranda's traced her fingers on the screen, her eyes glassy as Cassidy scrunched her nose up adorably, exactly like her.
"So, are you?"
"No. Just so you know, Cassidy Katherine Priestly and do tell your sister this, it's the three of us now. I promise. No more Stephen's ever."
"Four, Mom." Cassidy corrected.
"Four?" Miranda queried this.
"You forgot. Patricia." Cassidy face came close in the FaceTime screen, her braces smile serious.
"My apologies." Miranda countered back, her eyes warming on her baby.
"So how's your father?" Miranda asked after her first husband, the girls had just got back from a long weekend spent with him.
He spoiled both of them without any thought.
"Good. Dad isn't you. He always forgets to say goodnight to Patty which is so rude and his doorman Manny is so mad at Patricia, she ruined his uniform, drooling on his epaulets but Dad gave him an envelope and oh, Wanda's a vegan now."
Poor Gregory, a vegan and an angry doorman on his hands.
"Wanda got upset we ate yoghurt in front of her again."
Wanda was fundamentalist against dairy produce and now only surviving on watermelon juice and seeds and quinoa.
Gregory's Wanda, went on and on about kale to the twins.
Miranda sighed, Wanda words only two weeks ago was trolling on, that low fat yoghurt being better than ordinary yoghurt because ordinary yoghurt that's what fat poor people eat.
That and the hissy fit over bought low fat yoghurts that were out of date by 24 hours. They could not be consumed.
"She treats us like babies, Mom, she had Omayra hold our hands crossing at Fifth."
"Who's Omayra?"
"Dad's new housekeeper. The last one was let go because she made Wanda a quiche and forgot almond milk and got skim instead."
"Nadia's gone too."
Miranda shook her head of white, Nadia was just lovely, and she was Greg's newest PA. She was great. Fresh out of grad school, an Art History Major at Vassar, wore a Ralph Lauren wardrobe well with long caramelly hair.
"What happened to let Nadia go?" Miranda asked Cassidy, Nadia was a capable and perky assistant that just started with Greg's firm.
She was always very nice on the phone. Andrea communicated well with her over any messages from her.
Wincing at thinking of Andrea again.
Those big brown eyes were from now on not in her thoughts.
Nadia was everything Greg looked for in an employee assisting him all day. Female. Long legs, Greg's type completely.
Cassidy shrugged. "Wanda made Dad give Nadia up, because Mrs. MacLeod and Omayra have bunions. Wanda said she can only trust him with women who wear support hose and who play bridge."
Cassidy poured out another glass of juice for her sis, Car, balancing the phone. "Oh and Mrs. MacLeod says 'hi' and thanks for her anniversary flowers from you, Mom."
Miranda honestly liked Greg's oldest secretary.
Mrs. MacLeod was invaluable when she'd just had the twins and just before the long divorce happened.
Miranda face broke into a soft smile on her daughter talking away with her. "Well I don't think Wanda's gift of snowboarding lessons was something Mrs. MacLeod wanted."
"Car tried your nail polish on." Telling on her twin.
Miranda let that slide.
"Is Emily being good with you both, Bobbsey?"
"Em's is alright. She's not anything like Andy." Cassidy confessed out.
Miranda stilled. "Andy?"
"Yes. Andy. Big brown eyes. Corny. Your other Emily. Mom."
Miranda swallowed a boulder. She didn't know Cassidy or Caroline even noticed Andrea. Her chest tightened with each of Cassidy's words. "We like her. Is she on holiday? Mom she's still your Emily 2, right?"
"Cass, Andrea isn't with me anymore. She's writing now."
Cassidy's face resembled her Mom's when serious about something.
"Mom, Andy once told me something about you and she said it months ago …
"Bobbsey I really don't want to discuss Andrea." Miranda in all honestly didn't.
Cassidy tried again but Mom's tone was pretty serious about Andy not to be discussed. If Mom would only listen to what Andy said once about her.
Miranda changed the subject of that brunette. "Now I think what we need tonight, is to order Insomnia cookies when I get in. Only if you've not gorged yourselves on too much popcorn."
"Great! So you are going to be home soon?" Cassidy asked.
Stopping on a promised box of warm cookies delivered, Mom must be down again, suggesting and wanting a dozen delivered to their door was not good.
Warm cookies delivered tonight, meant Mom was going to eat them, and slip into a nightgown, wear her glasses all this coming weekend and pretend she did not read trashy romance novels with bare-chested men in kilts in bed.
That and with Mom being emotional after this date, have Patricia get into bed with her and watch TCM Valentine's movie marathon of Hepburn.
"Mom do you think you'll meet someone who loves you big?"
Pressing her lips together at this question that hit her hard. Kind blue eyes held hers. "Stephen made you cry and you deserve someone better to you and their big love."
Miranda formed a watery smile back at her on screen, her voice tight. "Perhaps if I can fit them in with you two…oh and not to forget, Patricia."
Miranda smiled at her on the phone. "Cassidy, I'll be home really soon, I promise. Cess and I are just having a drink. A quick one. Since I've decided against our sudden wedding."
Miranda saw her Cassidy give a patented Priestly eye roll that was just like hers.
"Mom."
"Bobbsey put Emily on will you?"
"Sure Mom."
Cassidy held out the receiver, handing the phone to the redhead who was making popcorn for Caroline and her. They'd talked her into indulging in one small handful when ready.
"Emily, call Roy and have him here in ten minutes to pick me up. Text me in five minutes."
Ending her call swiftly to the redhead who let out a breath she'd held in. Trying to figure out what Miranda wanted her to text to her with, in a few minutes.
Emily muttered low. "She is such a sphinx at what she wants. Only Andrea could ever figure her out." Andrea just had a way of reading Miranda instantly, without being like Emily, Miranda's demands made her perspiring like a heat wave in July and it was cold tonight.
Told to text Miranda back, with what, navigating Miranda was as stressful as the day she had to book a hire car for Miranda during London fashion week, the driver was from Tottenham and the car service in Southall, and Emily only spoke brogues not inner city.
It was a nightmare linguistically.
Calling Roy's number. Emily muttered on the line impatiently. "Pick up. Roy."
Roy did, only to tell Emily, that he was stuck in traffic, confessing he'd be at least an hour or longer for Miranda.
Her phone buzzed again. "Miranda."
"No. Hi Emily. Can you help me out tonight, with something, it's to do with Miranda. I really need you to tell me where she is?
Andy rubbed the back of her neck. Met with just silence on the line.
"I want to talk to her, only talk, Em please just help me out?" Andy tried. Persistently.
Emily pressed the receiver close to her mouth, "No, Andrea I can't do that for you." Pressing the popcorn maker on with a manicured finger nail.
"Please Em." Andy begged now.
"Andrea, anything concerning Miranda or her life, I cannot divulge." Emily seriously shared. She took her contract of confidentiality seriously in Miranda's employment. She liked her future at Runway not usurped permanently by one unstylish brunette. Thank you.
Certain, she'd be sacked if she uttered one word of Miranda's schedule to Andrea.
"Now, I am very busy tonight." Fixing her edgy hairdo in Miranda's stainless steel kitchen appliance, her thumb lingering on sliding to end call on Andy.
The twins were going to watch an advanced copy of 'Beauty and the Beast" and she had a 1988 issue of Runway to read up on.
"O-okay are you out?" Andy grinned into the phone. "Is it with Serena?"
Emily shrieked. "I am not out with Serena. We are just friends, Andrea."
"Andy!" Caroline yelled, grabbing Emily's phone from her.
"Hi. Did Mom fire you?" Caroline greeted Andy with that.
"Uh. No, she didn't fire me, kiddo. I left. I'm writing now. Like I told you once that I wanted to do."
"Cool. Do you want to speak to Cassidy too?" Caroline offered.
"Sure thing. Car." Andy crossed the street, avoiding a bike messenger swishing by her, not swearing with Car on the line, the weather was getting snowier tonight.
"Cass. It's Andy on the phone." Caroline handed Emily's phone over to her sister, pressing speaker.
"Andy! Did Mom tell you to leave?"
Andy really loved the twins, they grew on her slowly, at first to her they seemed like a pair of really spoiled little brats but eventually they endeared themselves to her.
A little like a certain other bigger Priestly, she was sure, was once a redhead but now had a head of immaculate white, she couldn't help to not like them with every night she brought the Book and babysat them a few evenings.
She didn't let them treat her like a lowly assistant. They liked her for that and both twins saw how Andy cared about their Mom. Not just for a paycheck.
"No. Cassidy. She didn't tell me to leave. I left on my own. I'm writing now. So still struggling with history, Cassi?" Andy walked along the sidewalk. She'd helped Cassy on a few papers for school and prepping for a test.
"No. I'm better, I've still got the book you loaned me, Andy, Are you still in love with Mom?"
Emily almost dropped the bowl of ready buttery popped Orville.
Andrea was what?!
Walking back, she'd just say that her twins needed her.
"Hi again. Miranda, so let's order."
Miranda forced a strained smile as she slid into her seat.
The waitress uncorked the champagne for the table for two, filling each flute as Cess declined it.
It was french, He was drinking only Coors. American.
"Karen said you have kids. I have a goldfish. Must be more involved than keeping a plant alive, raising kids."
Karen, clearly found unconscionable blinkered idiots extremely sexy.
"Karen mentioned their twins."
Miranda nodded.
They should have just gone out for coffee, which would've meant spending only an quick hour together as opposed to being here at dinner, listening to him, ordering the mushroom tart with asparagus as a starter, as she selected peaches with an warm honey caramelized vinaigrette she'd just pick at it, not bothering to select a main, she was freeing herself from this date with Cess before then.
Noticing Miranda not ordering even a main. ''What are you afraid you'll get fat and not fit in anything." Cess stated, eying her elegant figure.
"My exe, she always asked me, am I fat in this or that. Drove me nuts."
Yes a quick coffee in the safety of daylight and Miranda would've gulped hers down pretty fast, if said date turns out to be a serial killer, pervert or a cretin or worse like Mr. J. Crew here, completely wrong for her.
Sipping her champagne, Miranda usually never drank alcohol, she tended to make bad choices on bubbly like accepting a proposal from Greg, so it was always only Pellegrino for her, because Moet & Chandon always hit her like Calpol.
Taking a big sip as it slid down her throat. To feelings of bubbly Calpol enveloping her.
She really didn't want Cess here to think she was suffering from a urinary tract infection by escaping to the loo again.
It hit her bloodstream instantly.
She'd forgotten, that she really loved Moet & Chandon Imperial Rose, pouring another glass full for herself.
Cess talked about his apartment and his place in Bridgehampton as Miranda sipped her third flute which was full.
"Hi. I want Miranda here, I'm taking her off your hands."
Miranda bright blue eyes slid upwards to the voice as she blinked, her mouth slid into a buzzed smile on Andrea Sachs standing at her table.
That smile she'd missed.
Why had she never noticed before, what a sensuous mouth Andrea has.
"Sorry about being late, Miranda. Traffic." Andy loosened her scarf, deciding to just do it, she kissed her ivory cheekbone in greeting.
Miranda felt those sensuous lips brush across her skin.
Cess stared at the young brunette arriving. "Sorry, Miranda and I, we're on a date here." Indicating the table for two to the lanky brunette.
Andy nonplussed. "Yeah. Cess is it? See, I'm Miranda's eight o'clock, so you must be her 6:30, you have till 8, and gee look its 8:05. Five minutes extra you got, Bye."
Cess went puce and got up. Karen never mentioned Miranda was a bi.
Andy just beamed a full smile as she began to almost take his seat.
"Do not sit down." Miranda warned out waspishly.
Andy did just that, she settled herself across from her.
Cess's order of a starter arrived with Miranda's, Andy saw the champagne bottle was almost empty.
Picking off asparagus spears and pushing them to the side of her plate, then putting it onto a bread plate beside her.
"What are you doing?"
"I don't like asparagus." Andy supplied at the look Miranda's eyes gave across from her.
"I meant. Why are you here?" Miranda all but hissed at her.
She hadn't seen Andrea since Paris, no truthfully since the street corner months ago, getting into her car.
"Because I wanted to see you again, Miranda. Enjoy this Valentine's together. It's a lovely choice of dining establishment. Nice ambience."
See her again?
Spend Valentine's together, no way in hell. She just boorishly made Mr. J. Crew leave her by saying she had multiple dates tonight, Miranda nose flared.
"Andrea we are not spending Valentine's night together."
Andy's brown eyes sparkled, looking around the fancy decorated restaurant. "Yes we are."
Lips thinning on Andy as if she was an unattractive collection forced in front of her tonight.
"You escape me and Runway NY faster than Kurt Russell did. Andrea, you're like a ping-pong ball, someone gives you a little tap of trust and you just go flying off. And, now you're here, eating my date's appetizer?"
"It's not bad." Andy complimented it, swallowing a mouthful of it. Wrinkling her nose at the choice of beer though.
Miranda's blue eyes pierced hers so intensely.
"Why are you here?" Miranda demanded out, holding her napkin between her tapered fingers.
"I'm here because, I'm not sleeping lately, I've tried it all, warm milk, Ambien, counting sheep, the complete works of Austen, I jilled off for a bit, nothing works and I blame you, Miranda."
Miranda's just stared at the brunette. No, she was not blushing fuchsia about Andrea's masturbation sharing. "How exactly am I to blame for your acute insomnia?"
Andy gave her a dimpled smile, "That's simple Miranda you've been on my mind a lot lately."
She was? Taking a long sip of her champagne, her heart beating, Andrea thought of her still, really?
Miranda mouth narrowed at something she saw over Andrea's shoulder.
Andy noticed too. Following her eyes to Stephen sitting down with a date, Miranda got up in a rush to the ladies room with Andy following her close.
Andy locked the bathroom behind her, looking under each stall, stopping on the one at the end with expensive lace Manolos.
"Miranda." Andy called out, standing right in front of the closed stall door.
"Go away."
Tracing the stall door, reaching in her messenger bag, she had a few tissues somewhere in it, Andy offered them under the door.
"Miranda I'm here if you need me …
"What would I ever need from you Andrea? Tell me." Opening the stall, with red eyes.
"I told you to just leave me alone." Her mascara was running.
Andy crossed her arms. "I am not going to do that, Miranda."
Miranda face contorted coldly. "You are always such a big stubborn asshole. Andrea." Miranda had nowhere to put the scrunched tissue. Andrea put her hand out, and she dropped it into her palm.
Andy just smiled. "That's right Miranda, I am."
Wiping at her eyes, Stephen looked so happy with her.
"I was faithful. I never cheated once. And you. You were a slut with Christian Thompson, when you had a live in boyfriend." Prudishly sharing in knowing this about Andy.
So Miranda knew about her boyfriend and about Christian in Paris. "Miranda, Christian meant nothing to me. Nate was not even my boyfriend anymore."
"I'm sure seeing Stephen with her, upset you but he's not even worth your tears …
"You don't tell me if I'm upset, Andrea, you can never just leave me be. Can you?" Looking at Andy in tears. "You really are an unstylish Sanduskian."
Andy rinsed a paper towel for her teary face.
"It's because, I like you. Miranda.
"Well I loathe you." Miranda's mouth trembled with a sob that made Andy hold another tissue out for her.
"You dress horridly, your loud, you smile way too much. You too kind. You're just an ugly shoe wearing unreliable..."
"You make me sleepless. Miranda." Andy said it.
"I wanted to ruin you so much over Paris." Miranda's moist blue eyes narrowed on the kind brunette.
Miranda could've ruined her writing aspirations with one call but she didn't do that. She couldn't do that.
She refrained from ruining Andrea's life, like that.
Andrea was revolted enough by her.
Andy approached. "Miranda you deserve somebody who wants you, somebody who doesn't care if you're late for dinner or whatever as long as you get in bed beside them each night. Stephen's not that to you and he never was."
Almost touching her shoulder but retracting her hand back, Andy continued on thoughtfully.
"Somebody who's as incredible as you are, you'll meet them and they'll be worth you."
"Why do you always have to put me down Andrea? You're just an unstylish Sanduskian…
Andy just grinned more at her. "You already said that. Miranda. Better be careful what you say. People might think we like each other."
Slumping down on the covered toilet, defeated.
"Well I'm sure you just love seeing this Andrea, I'm divorced and crying in a toilet stall." Wiping at her mascaraed eyes self-consciously.
"Call Page Six or take pictures on your phone, I'm sure they'd be worth a fortune to you." Covering her face in her hands.
Andy slid down to her, it was a nice bathroom as it was an upscale restaurant that Cassidy and Caroline told Andy where Miranda was having a date. Soothing gently out, "Miranda I would never do that to you."
Looking up to Andy who was on her knees. "You wouldn't?"
"No never. You're just an emotional jigsaw at the moment. You'll piece yourself back together again. He's not worth it."
Andy took and began to squeeze her hand, knowing normally Miranda would tear her head off verbally if she even patted her arm in comfort or attempted a hug.
"Just start with the corners, and look for the blue bits to frame you."
"And where do I find these blue bits?" Dabbing a Kleenex, across her face. It had been an ugly cry for Miranda.
"Oh…around." Andy's face was close. Her caramelly flecked hued eyes were so dark and deep on hers, reflecting caring in them for her.
Andy's eyes were dancing with the uncertainty of her close now.
Sidling just a little closer into her.
Leaning into Miranda's mouth more, receiving lips that were tender and full.
Brushing her lips softly to hers, Miranda dress was slid up by Andy's fingers, stroking her, as her reactions were from the champagne.
Burying her face against Andy's throat that she kissed.
Miranda hadn't had sex in months.
Stephen was always so bad at it.
Kissing her mouth slowly, Andrea cupped her face and stroked one side gently with long fingers then began to tug on Miranda's lower lip more.
Licking Andy's lips, as Miranda was caressed intimately by Andy, languishing in her touch.
Her dress was eased down around her.
Pushing down her slacks, Andy fingers sought and stroked Miranda's panties with her splayed out palm, grazing her dewy clit as Miranda was wet as she pinned her hand around her waist grinded behind her.
Peeling red panties down.
Arching her back, Miranda's mouth parted open as Andrea's fingers plucked at her nipples and rubbed her palms against her now bare ivory cheeks. Letting out a mewl of pleasure.
Spreading her, lowering her head between Miranda's thighs, enveloped by this warmth radiating off her, her intimate aroma filling Andy, beginning to gingerly kiss porcelain inner thighs, Andy's lips guided to her sex, kissing it with an open mouth of flicks of her tongue, meeting and stroking her clit.
''Oh.'' Miranda sunk a row of her teeth into her lower lip as she groaned out huskily.
Gripping Andy's scalp with her fingers gently running through brown hair as she felt her suck her dewy clit, her head held in welcomed prison of her thighs and sex.
"Oh god. Andy!" Gripping at the brunette hair more firmly.
"Please."
Slammed against the wall in almost a kiss and carry, as Andy now trailed her mouth wetly all over Miranda's pelvis and up along her neck licking at her defined collarbone and lowered to her breasts, lavishing tiny kisses on both of them as Miranda fingers were no longer threading through Andy's thick hair but explored her naked skin that was hers to touch.
With Andy's slacks around her shoes with her bare bum now scratched from Miranda's manicured nails running along her skin as she lazily pressed loving little kisses all over Miranda's face as she fingered her clit.
Gritting her teeth at how tight Miranda felt being entered with her index finger.
Moving in her as she was held onto and up strongly as Miranda came pressed to her.
Crystal blue eyes flooded wide open and then she even nipped Andy's shoulder blade as she trembled to her like weeping.
Andy's smiled happily down at her, panting from her own orgasm now ending with riding hers, embracing and stroking up and down her back with her finger still inside her.
Breathless and slick, her naked toned pelvis pressed more to Miranda's, Andy's pubic bone with a tuff of dark golden hair tickled Miranda's smooth ivory inner thighs as they both came down, her dress on the floor but her Manolos were still on.
"Hey there. Welcome back" Andy hoarsed out, her smiled beamed up in afterglow.
Her lips ran smoothing along Miranda's slack mouth, seeing now her white hair was mussed.
"Now what?" Andy asked this sublimely, still with one hand caressing and peaking Miranda's nipple that was swollen and pointed as Andy bent and licked its point once more and withdrew her long index finger that slid from Miranda's sex.
Sheening still from her silken folds.
Blue eyes slowly slid opened, to hers with one thought sobering.
Oh god what had she done.
Her hands and Andy's mouth. Uncupping Andy's ass hastily.
"Oh my god!" rendering a look at Andy without clothes on.
"Andrea, don't be naked." Covering her own self up with her hands, as she pushed Andy off, almost falling in the toilet, Andrea saw how her porcelain skin was turning an interesting shade of red and pink with her near.
Her dress was on the floor crumpled, only in her sharp black lace heels.
Sex with Andrea happened so fast.
"I'd appreciate if you keep your distance from me." Meaning it, her voice cold.
Andy just stared at her in apt disbelief. Seeing the Ice Queen was back in full frosty force. After they'd been like that…
Fine. Here she was, keeping her distance but that was kind of hard to do after this happening in such a small stall.
Miranda was gathering her dress to her. Repeating in her mind, what had she done moments ago?
"Miranda just slow down please?" Blue eyes finally looked up at her.
"I was drunk." Miranda muttered out, her eyes wide trying not to look at Andy who wasn't dressed yet.
"I wasn't. This happened like it or not. Miranda we had sex." Andy expression was really uncertain, gesturing between her and herself.
"If I had it over, I would have asked you out first to dinner or out to a movie before we …."
"We had sex like animals in a bathroom stall." Miranda supplied. Still in shock what she'd done with her last assistant because of champagne and being in tears over Stephen being here.
She'd really handled seeing Stephen wonderfully, have a quickie in a loo on Valentine's Day with Andrea who hates her.
Moet Rose Imperial was completely to blame for fornicating with Andrea in the powder room, it once made her get married just like that to Greg when she knew all they had in common was investment portfolios and being workaholics and now tonight that bubbly made her lusty and slutty in a midtown ladies room stall with a brunette who wore a coat from Bloomingdales.
"Will you please stop being naked near me."
Pulling up her slacks as Miranda wiggled into her dress mortified. Where were her red panties?
"This was just sex and it didn't mean anything." Miranda shared out loud, searching for her bra. One thought looping over and over in her head, Andrea and she had sex, and she liked it. More than anytime with Stephen and even with Greg.
"Didn't mean anything Miranda?"
Weighing Miranda's words with gritted teeth. "It did, and it does to me." Andy stated, holding out a pair of red panties to her.
Snatched them from Andy's grasp.
Coming closer to Miranda, Andy pinned her to the sink.
Miranda's eyes held hers solemnly, she flickered to the bathroom door, she really hoped nobody in this Zagat rated restaurant realized she and Andrea just had sex in a loo, in a mid-town restaurant that took months to get a reservations for a table for, except for her and Mr. J Crew Guy.
"Miranda, I know everything about me is everything you hate, but I'm not sorry that we had sex even if you clearly are."
Miranda stilled suddenly as if slapped, seeing Andrea's eyes were so hurt by her.
W-what, hate her. No she couldn't. Not even after Paris could Miranda do that.
She could never hate Andrea. Over then and even in this now.
"Andrea I don't hate you. It's just normally most people go out, eat, have some wine, and have a few dates before they engage in sexual contact."
Slipping up her dress straps as she began following Andy who stood half naked and began to dress silently in front of her and was leaving, stopping as she got out her wallet, paying for the table as Miranda being paranoid wondered if each waiter or waitress they passed by, knew and heard them.
"I guess. But only outside of the city. Miranda." Andy signed the bill, tipping 25 percent as she took her card back.
"You don't even like me." Miranda shared out.
Andy just stared at her.
Catching sight of him across the restaurant, Andy couldn't not come over, pulling Miranda over by the hand with her.
Greeting Stephen and his date.
"Miranda. What are you doing here?" Stephen was surprised to see her here tonight. Miranda looked amazing tonight to him, Stephen wondered, was it from Botox treatments?
He'd never seen Miranda look so beautiful before.
"Who's this?" Stephen indicated the young woman, who was holding his ex-wife's hand in hers.
He couldn't recall her from that night.
"Hi I'm Andy and I want to acclimate your ex-wife with the fact that I'm in love with her."
Miranda did hear Andy's words spoken as she just now stared at her two ex's. Her hand was still clasped by Andy's.
" I watched you, treat her like crap just for being her and doing what she really loves most…her work.
Now I know Miranda, we just had sex …it wasn't how I would've planned us to be but I want you to know how I feel about you — how I'm going to go on feeling this way, and you can take your time, and get to know me and see how I'm completely in love with you."
Holding her hand firmly in hers, Andy brushed her thumb across her knuckles, "Even though you said it was a mistake. It's not."
Stephen's date was holding her rose transfixed.
"Now that we got just sex out of the way. I will make you love me. I am not anything like him.
If it takes forever to show you with a thousand tiny intimacies between us, even if I have to do midnight runs to the store for your tampons or Nyquil for you I will. So goodnight, it was lovely having sex with you, here's my key. I'll expect you this weekend with Cassidy and Caroline for dinner. I'm making enchiladas. Friday at 8. Or I won't."
Giving Miranda her spare apartment key, Andy almost kissed her but didn't and started to leave, trying to hail a cab outside.
Stuffing her hands in her pockets, to warm up, a cab pulled up, opening the cab door.
"Andy Sachs! How dare you do that to me?"
Getting into a cab, sliding in next to her.
"I don't accept this." Holding out Andy's key to give back to her.
The cab driver asked out. "Where to?" Looking at both passengers in his back seat, waiting for a destination tonight in the five boroughs.
"She's getting out here." Andy supplied firmly.
The meter was now running.
"I am not." Miranda shared stubbornly.
"Miranda, you're riding public transport in couture." Andy hoped that would get Miranda out of her cab. Fast.
"I will pay you a thousand dollars to circle this block for a ten minutes."
"Okay, lady. It's your cash for a $4.50 fare." Ajit the cab driver muttered low, "This city."
Starting to circle the block for the white haired lady holding out a key to the younger woman whose face fell at seeing that offered back.
"First you come back into my life and ruin my date tonight, let me have drunk on champagne sex with you in a stall and now you tell me you love me Andrea?"
Pinching her nose bridge, HR, never thought to have warned her that the Four Horsemen have a new fifth riding companion, there's War, Famine, Death and Pestilence and Andrea Sachs entering her office and her once very empty well-ordered life.
"For how long?"
Andy's brows knotted in confusion. "For how long what?" Leaning the back of her head against the cab seat, her throat trembled, shutting her lids.
"How long have you been in love with me?"
"Why does how long I've been in love with you, even matter to you Miranda?"
"It matters. Tell me?" Miranda demanded this, in her voice reserved for Runway errands given out. Softening her voice. "Please Andy just tell me."
Leaning close to Andy's outstretched arm, pressing into her hurt brunette.
"Fine. I've loved you from the first time I saw you, then it started more when you took my breakfast the morning I forgot yours, when you always drank my coffee primly, when I joked that you needed a hundred shots of syrup not ninety nine and you made me work till 11 with you or the time you made me get that Harry Potter manuscript, and I loved you even more in that hotel suite in Paris, I was a goner. Happy?"
Andy's eyes snapped open on hers.
"Andre –Andy you told me how I had to find the blue bits to frame me."
Leaning her face close to hers. "You are my blue bits." Her thumb traced Andy's mouth. "And every facet of my heart framing me."
Still handing back the key to Andy, making Andy's fingers take it, Andy was a bit put out by that. "You don't want this?"
"No, I don't." Miranda elegantly shrugged.
"I thought you'd want this to keep on you, Miranda."
"No, not really. I won't need that."
Andy frowned at her lady. Her place downtown wasn't that bad to visit or sleep over.
"I'll admit, my place isn't that large but the bed's a nice size, it's warm and a Serta …
Brushing her lips across Andy's hairline, waspishly nuzzling her throat. "Andy, its gym locker key."
Andy saw that it was.
Pulling out her keys from her coat pocket, her own lips inches away from Miranda's lips. Getting the key she meant to give to her. "Here, now about coming over this Friday? For 8. I'll text my address to Roy."
"Friday. I'll have Emily bring the Book and order Giovanni's."
"Miranda I'm cooking for us." Andy reminded her lightly, cupping her face, stroking it with the back of her fingers.
"Very well if you want to, now about this nice warm bed of yours. Andrea."
Ajit was told to stop circling the block and take them downtown to Broome, it was still a few more hours of Valentine's they had.
John's call woke them up as Andy fumbled around for it, finding it as she whispered out a low "sorry."
"Hi Andy so about the Priestly story, anything?"
Andy strode naked near her bed, arms reached out and wrapped around her bare waist, pulling her back into bed. "No Miranda's wasn't reachable, apparently her publicist told me, that she's in somebody's bed this Valentine's."
John sighed out on the line,.
"Sorry, John I tried."
"That's tough luck, try better next time Andy, Miranda Priestly is a stylish icicle, so I guess whoever's mattress she's in, is frozen as New England."
Andy silently disagreed, Miranda in her bed this second, was making her feel a spike of 90 Fahrenheit from receiving sensual kisses down her neck that made her groan out as she held her phone to her ear.
"Andy are you with somebody?"
"Uh?"
Miranda took the phone from Andy. "John, Andrea's quite preoccupied dethawing me in her bed this Valentine's."
Pressing end call.