Part 2
As dusk turns the sky into a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors, Andy sits on the townhouse's concrete steps patiently. All right, not so patiently, but resolutely. She is determined to speak with Miranda. She anticipates that Miranda will be her patronizing, impatient, acerbic self. After all, Andy is the assistant who had the audacity to walk away from a job that a million girls want.
After Andy got the job at the New York Mirror, she sent Miranda a thank you card. With an apology. And a promise. A promise that she would not waste this opportunity. And now she is in a position to fulfill that promise. She is going to blow this conspiracy within the real estate industry wide open. As a bonus, she will give Miranda some valuable information that will not only pull the fangs out of Stephen the Snake, but in all probability will place him in jail.
Anxiously, Andy smoothes her hands over her skirt. She is wearing a dark gray pencil skirt and a fitted black blouse with a deep v-neck. Miranda always approved of her in Chanel, if the nods she'd received in the past were any indication, and she wants to look good for this meeting. Taking a deep breath, Andy rises quickly, wringing her hands while watching Roy hop out of the town car and open the passenger door. Miranda, sunglasses firmly in place, steps out elegantly, an action that Andy has not mastered, and strides toward Andy, who watches as a perfectly sculpted eyebrow rises in question.
She is gorgeous. She is wearing a steel gray two-piece business suit, a white Oxford shirt unbuttoned enough to show cleavage, and a skirt with a high enough hemline to showcase toned calves. Andy's mouth feels dry, and she swallows several times while trying to keep her wits. She has forgotten just how alluring this woman is.
"Are you lost, Andrea?" Miranda drawls as she passes Andy and ascends the steps to her home.
Chuckling nervously, Andy follows. "No. I came here to give you some information before it is published on Sunday. I believe you will be interested in what I have to share. Please, Miranda," Andy says quickly as she watches Miranda unlock the front door and hesitate on the threshold. "Just five minutes." Sighing in relief at the sharp nod she receives, Andy rushes forward, closing the door softly and turning to watch Miranda place her purse on a side table.
Without a word, Miranda leads Andy into the library on the second floor and sits on the pale blue and white gingham-styled sofa, leaving Andy to sit on the adjacent cerulean-blue velvet-tufted rocking chair. Eyes widening as she sees the built-in bookshelves filled with a variety of books and keepsakes, Andy has to remind herself that she is not visiting a friend. It pains her to know that she will never be invited here as a guest.
With a heavy heart, Andy opens the accordion folder she brought with her and launches into the facts.
"While working on an article about the American dream to own a home, I researched the process for qualifying for a loan. My parents own a home, but I never even thought about owning one; I mean, I moved here right after college and then started working. For you, actually. Yeah, so," Andy rambles before catching sight of Miranda smirking. Shaking her head, Andy starts again. "What I mean is that when I researched the process of purchasing a home through traditional financing, I found that many banks offer creative financing," Andy begins again, mimicking quotation marks around the last two words. "Low-doc and no-doc loans are easy to get, and borrowers don't need to provide proof that they are earning as much as they claim to on their loan applications." Chancing a quick glance up at Miranda's face, Andy isn't surprised to see the indifferent look, but Miranda's eyes are focused intently on her. She takes that as a good sign.
"Things weren't adding up, though, figuratively or literally. So, I had my friends, Lily and Nate, apply for a loan. They've been talking about buying a house together in the Bronx, and…"
Andy looks up again and catches a look of confusion passing through ice-blue eyes and speaks faster. "I started digging and found out that Stephen created two shell companies, and each time he disburses money after closing a purchase with a mortgage, he funnels a set amount of money to one of them for sham services. A second appraisal fee when only one appraisal was done or a second closing fee labeled as a settlement fee. The bank he works with directs the transactions to him, and he looks the other way at how these borrowers cannot possibly repay the loan and oftentimes don't even understand what they are signing." Andy notices how pale Miranda looks. And shocked. "Turns out no one else at his law firm handles real estate law. He's the only one."
"Stephen?" Miranda says in a low voice.
"Yes, and there's more. He has been using the money to buy property, ironically. A bit over two years ago he bought an apartment in lower Manhattan, all cash. I nearly missed it since it's not deeded in his name. It's to a woman named Sharice Mizzin. He has been funneling money for over three years. Here's the paperwork," Andy says as she hands over the files she brought with her. "I have another copy. You'll see the names of the sham companies and the amount of money he has stolen. I had my friend, Dougie, help me source all the money. He's an accountant..."
"Nate, the cook-boy," Miranda interrupts in a speculative tone of voice. It stops Andy short because, hello, has she not heard a word about Stephen, her scumbag husband? Andy's response is obviously noted, and Miranda prompts, "Nate is now with your friend, Lily?"
"Uh, yes. They, well, Nate and I broke up right before Paris, but we maintained our friendship. Nate, Lily, Doug, and I have been friends for most of our lives. Even though Nate moved to Boston, he came down to visit regularly and stayed with Lily." Andy shrugs. "Doug and I watched them fall in love. Now he's back in the city, and I expect they will get married soon enough."
"And Doug is your?" Miranda asks with a raised eyebrow.
Staring at Miranda for several seconds, Andy finally understands what Miranda is asking. "Oh! No, he's just, he's a friend. Like an older brother. The thought of him and me together…" Andy shivers dramatically. "No. Just no." Andy grins when she sees Miranda's lips turn up.
"Anyway, how Stephen has used the money he stole from the consumers will not be in the paper, but I am turning the information over to the DA tomorrow. That's why I wanted to give you the information today. If it can help you in any way, then all the better," Andy says.
Andy watches Miranda riffle through the documents she brought as a silence cloaks them, heavy with unvoiced feelings. Being this close to Miranda causes Andy to feel as if she can breathe for the first time since she quit. And as if she can't. She gazes at Miranda's dipped halo of white hair and smiles softly, happy to have these few precious moments where she can observe the unforgettable woman. When Miranda lifts her stormy eyes from the pages and focuses on her, Andy feels as if she is skewered in place.
"Why do you want to help me? Didn't I disgust you to such a degree that you felt the need to quit without warning? Wouldn't this be a perfect opportunity to hurt me?" Miranda asks, her penetrating stare daring Andy to utter anything but the truth.
"Miranda, when I left, I was idealistic and naive. Now, although I'd like to think that I still live by some kind of moral code, the truth is that I can't hope to understand all the complexities that led to your decision or what I would do if it were me living through those circumstances. What I do know is that Nigel firmly believed you would make it up to him. That type of belief cannot stem from a friendship based on deceit or betrayal. He trusts in you, in the friendship you share. In some ways I wish I could erase that one act of walking away, but I did what my heart believed to be best for me. I didn't mean to hurt you, didn't even know it was possible. It was a business decision, just like it was for you. Just like giving me a favorable recommendation was."
Running out of ways to explain what she now understands, Andy gazes at Miranda shyly, grinning when she sees a soft expression on the normally unreadable editor's face. The air becomes thick with emotion, and she jumps up, needing to leave. "I took up enough of your time. Thank you, Miranda." Andy strides across the room, practically running down the stairs. With her hand on the doorknob to the front door, Andy hears Miranda's soft voice calling her name. Turning, Andy watches as Miranda slowly descends the stairs and comes closer, only stopping when they are inches apart.
"My taking away Nigel's dream job was a business decision. But my granting you a favorable recommendation was personal. Your leaving was personal. And your being here today is personal. Business decisions are based on strategy, on weighing the pros and cons and deeming the move beneficial for your career. Personal decisions are based on feelings. That's all," Miranda says softly, her signature phrase lacking bite or even dismissal.
Before Andy can even begin to make sense of Miranda's message, of the ramifications of her words, of Miranda's attempt to explain something, anything to her, Miranda leans in and kisses her cheek softly, lingering a few moments before pulling back enough so that their eyes can meet. "Thank you, Andrea."
Frozen, Andy is caught within Miranda's piercing gaze, and she watches as those ice-blue eyes warm with affection. A full-fledged smile crawls over Miranda's face, and Andy is enthralled, not quite realizing that she is smiling in kind until her cheeks begin to ache. "You're welcome," Andy whispers.
"I'll be in touch. Soon," Miranda says before sashaying away. Andy blinks several times before leaving the townhouse, not quite understanding what has just happened. She hopes Miranda will be in touch with her again in precisely the same way, though.
Grinning, Andy remembers feeling bewildered regularly when around Miranda. She's sort of missed it. As she walks down the street, elation sweeps through her. Miranda heard her out. Listened to her, although she had no reason to trust Andy. Smiled at her. Kissed her on the cheek. Said she'd be in touch. Soon. Breathing in deeply, Andy smiles widely. She wonders what that means. And how soon is soon. She hasn't felt this alive since she worked for Miranda. Not that she doesn't enjoy her job, but it's not the same. It never could be.
She decides to walk back to her apartment since it is a beautiful summer night, taking the time to think about what Miranda said. Did I leave because of my feelings? Did I warn Miranda tonight for the same reason? Is this personal? What does she mean that she gave me the recommendation because of her feelings? What feelings? Questions flit through her mind, demanding answers.
Feeling her cell phone vibrating in her purse, Andy scrambles to answer it, slightly disappointed to see it is Lily. Of course. Why would Miranda be calling her? "Hey, Lils," Andy answers.
"So? How did it go?"
"Well, she let me talk to her, so I'd say it went well," Andy says, wondering whether to keep walking or catch the subway the rest of the way back.
"What did she say?" Lily asks.
"Not much. She was suspicious about why I was telling her when her being blindsided would be a great way to hurt her. But she thanked me. And kissed me on the cheek. Said she'd be in touch soon," Andy admits, a flutter of anticipation making her smile. The thought of seeing Miranda again nearly makes her feel giddy.
"Huh. I thought you were over her, but Nate's right. You still have it bad for her," Lily says, stopping Andy in her tracks.
"What? No! No, Lily. It's not like that at all. I just, I don't like the way things ended. What I did, running away like that, wasn't just unprofessional but weak. I should have tried to talk to her. I mean, jeez!" Andy says, exhaling strongly as she runs a hand through her hair. "She was opening up to me, trying to explain her reasons for the actions she took, and I wouldn't listen. I didn't want to understand because she was making me see that things aren't black and white, that I can't always be privy to the reasons for everything. If I had just stayed, if I'd just believed in her..." Andy peters out, realizing she has never voiced her feelings so plainly before. "I betrayed her, in a way," Andy admits softly. "Yet she gave me a recommendation, and today she thanked me." Andy starts walking again, not sure what else to say.
"When she contacts you, and she will contact you, don't waste it. You kiss her back, and not just on that unicorn-lotion-soaked cheek, either. You go get her, girl. Life's too short, and pining away on the sidelines, watching her live her life, will never be enough," Lily says passionately.
"Is that how you felt, Lils? You were watching Nate from the sidelines?" Andy asks as she grips her phone tightly, startled by the possibility.
"I, Andy, I had no idea what I was feeling, not for a long time. I didn't allow myself to because you were with him, and you are my closest friend. But that isn't what's going on for you. No one is in your way. And today proves it. She didn't run you off. She thanked you and kissed you on the cheek. So, go for it, girl. You're both free, so don't waste the chance," Lily says.
"Yeah. Okay. Um, have you seen Miranda? She is one of the most intimidating people alive. If she doesn't feel anything for me, well, I'm dead. Probably literally," Andy laughs nervously, her hand rifling through her bangs.
"No guts, no glory. Now, are you okay? Really?" Lily asks softly.
"Yeah. I'm okay. I just have some thinking to do," Andy says just as softly.
"Good night, Andy. Get some sleep. I have a feeling the next few days are going to be intense. Your name's about to blow up; you're a big-time reporter now. Playing with the big dogs."
"Thanks. Good night," Andy replies.
Lily's right. Her life will never be the same, thanks to the article. The subject matter isn't the reason why, though. That change in her life is professional, and she will adapt as she needs to. It's the personal ramifications of this article, however, that make her anxious. It's just so big, too big. But she's determined to be ready this time. No more running away. It's time to believe in herself. And in Miranda.
