Six weeks after Paris, Miranda and Andrea began their modern day courtship. They crossed paths one evening at a restaurant opening they were both invited to. Miranda learned that Andrea was quickly rising through the ranks at the Mirror, and already receiving offers from larger publications. When they first began talking to one another Miranda was impressed by Andrea as a journalist. The younger woman had seemingly shed the Midwest naivety. The editor could finally admit to herself that she had always been somewhat attracted to the younger woman since they met. However, she was instantly enchanted by this new Andrea that had appeared.
That night they almost instantly forgot anyone else was at the restaurant with them. The pair sat at the bar, sipping on their drinks talking to one another about anything and everything until the restaurant manager announced that they had been closed for over a half an hour. Looking at each other with blushing cheeks and coy smiles the pair reluctantly said goodnight after promising to stay in touch.
It took the pair a few days to be able to see one another again, but once they did, not a day went by the they didn't at least see each other to say hello and share a kiss. Each day they learned something new about one another. Secrets and quirks that no one else knew. No one would have guessed that the one they called the Ice Queen was a hopeless romantic who believed on courting her young love. No one would have guessed either that the naive little Midwestern girl was an Army veteran who toured in Afghanistan and Iraq, making her anything but the timid mess most saw her as at Runway. When Miranda asked her about this exact thing the young woman blushed and bowed her head before replying how her crush on Miranda always seemed to make her flustered. Miranda gave her the biggest grin and preened at the thought of her making her big bad soldier mush.
For 8 months they had kept their romance under wraps. Andrea was blossoming into her new career freelance writing for different publications including Runway - much to the surprise of everyone there, Rolling Stone, and the New Yorker. Miranda continued her reign of terror on her Runway staff but with a seemingly new pep in her step that left those close to her guessing. Rumors had begun that she had found the next Mr. Priestly. Miranda overhead this and had a laugh to herself thinking, if they only knew. The pair continued to spend time with one another on a daily basis.
Miranda was old school, and much to Andrea's surprise began what the young woman called, a modern day courtship. The editor lavished the young woman with flowers, love notes, and random little gifts that had great detail and attention. Andrea would in return send gifts as well, along with flowers and notes. Emily was beside herself trying to figure out who this new person was in Miranda's life. She was somewhere stuck between happy for her boss, jealous, and exhausted from all the extra errands she was sent on between getting gifts, setting reservations at private locations and locating first edition books that Miranda always seemed to want by 3 p.m. on their busiest of days.
When they finally came out and told the twins of their relationship the girls were surprisingly excited. They had always liked Andrea, even when they were pranking her. She was the only assistant to ever speak to them and recognize who was who. She not only managed to enchant her dragon, but her baby dragons as well.
One evening while laying in bed they both confessed that they were tired of keeping things a secret. Laying on their sides wearing nothing but a white sheet wrapped around them they had spent hours talking, giggling, and kissing like love struck teenagers. They were swapping ideas back and forth on how they would begin to tell the world of their relationship when Andrea got a mischievous grin and asked Miranda if she trusted her. Which she replied while looking her straight in the eyes "with my life darling", before tapping her nose and smirking "even when you're up to no good", causing Andrea to grin even wider.
To be continued...