I wish you were me chapter 4
Andy walked out of the elevator with the vivid memory of Miranda's words still in her mind, when an anxious Emily came in her direction with a notebook in one hand and her crutches in the other.
"Miranda, Irv is really mad, he asked to call you every 5 minutes." She handed the note to Andy with information's about the meeting and continued to follow her down the corridors.
"Relax Emily, I have everything under control." Andy smiled at her and Emily gasped. She did not remember the last time that Miranda was that nice to her. Judgment day must be close.
Emily didn't have much time to consider her thoughts because Irv showed up in front of them and seemed about to have a stroke, considering the size of the vein on his forehead.
"Miranda, you've never left a client waiting, especially someone like Isabelle, what happened?" he asked grimly.
Andy bit the inside of her cheek but remembered Miranda's instruction back in the car. 'Don't let anyone intimidate you, especially not Irv.'
"There is always a first time for everything, Irv", Andy appeared confident in her words but inside she just wanted to run away from there as fast as she could.
Andy walked into the meeting room with Irv right behind her. She looked around at the expectant faces in the room.
"Miranda," a middle age woman rose from her seat and greeted her.
"Isabelle," Andy said as she exchanged cheek-to-cheek air kisses with the other woman. "I'm sorry for my delay." Andy said, as close as Miranda´s natural tone as she could.
"It is fine, Miranda. With that chaotic traffic in this dreadful city, it is practically impossible to be on time". Isabelle smiled at her and sat down close to Andy who did the same.
"Yes, the traffic," Andy agreed, using the time to try to calm her heart, or better yet, Miranda´s heart. It wouldn't make a good impression if she fainted in front of everybody.
"I know you don't like waiting Mrs. d'Ornano," Irv said apologizing.
"I don't mind waiting as long as the material is worth it", she said coldly at him.
It was not a secret that Isabelle did not like Irv and the only reason for Sisley Company choosing Runway was exclusively because of Miranda's expertise.
"And it better be worth it," Isabelle stopped glaring at him and turned to face Miranda once again.
"Shall we start then?" Irv tried once again.
"The sooner, the better. I still have an important appointment at one of our branches," she answered and reclined on her seat.
"You will get there on time, I'm sure. Traffic is not that bad," Irv faked a smile.
"The meeting is in Toronto," she said turning to him and the smile on his face faded.
Andy was enjoying the scene in front of her eyes, Irv doesn't have many fans in this business. It's true that Miranda doesn't either but at least she is respected because of her talent and professionalism which are impeccable.
xxxxxxx
A few blocks away, Miranda was pushing open the door of Bottega Veneta's showroom.
"I came to pick up the handbags," Miranda said.
"Those are the handbags I selected," the guy said pointing to a corner where the bags were set up, not giving her much attention.
"Where are the Woven Nappa ones?" Miranda asked walking down the display case.
"I know Miranda´s style," he said with a hint of arrogance in his voice as he finally looked at her. "I'm sure she will love the ones I chose."
"Oh, do you?" Miranda looked at him head to toe and turned around to see the other handbags.
"Really, you don't have to do look for anything else, I'm sure she will use all of them."
"Be quiet, your continuous interruptions are rather unpleasant," she glared at him and he shut up.
Miranda rejected all of the handbags he had chosen and was already walking out of the showroom with the bags she wanted in hand but not before she almost made the guy cry with her little speech about fashion style he will never be competent enough to have.
"Let's go Roy, I still have to go to Chanel and come back to Runway, before Andrea ruin my life," Miranda whispered the last part and Roy quickly drove off.
Back at Runway, all the attention is directed to Andy, waiting for her opinion.
"Well," Andy said after clearing her throat, her eyes fixated on Isabelle who was very interested in her words, "this campaign is very appropriated," she said as Jocelyn continued to change the photo samples on the board, "because it is based on the concept of… of," Andy trailed off, not knowing how to react watching the layouts of a half naked woman with a huge hickey on her neck, holding a bottle of the new perfume, with a man smiling behind her, "on the vulgarization of women and, the model looks a little tired and paunchy." Andy said, trying to keep her voice low and even, quoting words she had already heard Miranda saying.
Irv fidgeted in his sit and smiled nervously. What the hell Miranda was trying to do?
"Well, I'd like to point out another side of this publicity," Irv started to talk but Isabelle had her attention still on Miranda, "the impact that it will have, the shocking sex appeal and we all know that nothing sells more than a scandal, right?" he tried to sort the presentation out, not very successfully actually.
All that Andy could do at this point was to take the glass of water in front of her and drink a good part of it, praying to heaven that she would choke to death so she wouldn't have to face Miranda.
xxxxxxx
Not far away from Runway, Miranda was finishing give Roy some orders as she steeped out of the car, her firm steps rang out on the floor while she crossed the threshold of Chanel's showroom.
Back at Runway Irv was in a cold sweat already. His heart felt like it was on the edge of collapsing.
"It's wonderful, very daring and not politically correct. This kind of advertisement has the face of Sisley on it." he said sitting down on his seat once again.
"I'm really not interested in your opinion Irv. I want to know what Miranda has to say and to advise."
"Me?" Andy asked and continued, "of course, me." She smiled awkwardly, "well, it's interesting because it shows women… exposed and being submissive to men."
Andy was trying to find the right words or to act in a way close to what Miranda would say in a situation like that but she didn't have much time.
"So, you are saying the advertisement is …?" Isabelle insisted.
Andy breathed deeply. For sure she would need to re-apply her make up soon because she could swear her face was so hot that it was melting her facial mask.
"I would say it's a little vulgar", she blurted out.
"I think we finished here," Isabelle said standing up from her seat.
Irv stood so fast from his seat that he felt dizzy, "Isabelle please…" he tried but she interrupted.
"Maybe Wintour would be more interested in this contract at Vogue than Runway is," Isabelle said and Andy flinched. Miranda will kill her for sure this time.
Isabelle looked one more time to what she thought was Miranda Priestly, and was about to leave when Andy walked over her. Andy had to do something or she would ruin everything.
"Isabelle, wait." Andy lightly held her arm.
"Don't waste more of my time Miranda," Isabelle said coldly, she was very disappointed.
"I assure you that Runway is very invested in promoting Sisley's new product, and we are for sure the best option to achieve success." Andy´s blue eyes were not even blinking at this point. If she didn't persuade Isabelle to give Runway that account, she really did not expect to celebrate her twenty-eighth birthday a few days later.
"Sisley likes to shock without being vulgar. We want to provoke the audience Miranda, and I thought you, more than any other person in this business, would understand that."
"I do, and I know you trust me to make that happen," Andy said firmly. She had to be confident, "I will make it happen."
"All right then, you have until Tuesday to show me another material," Isabelle said with a smile. She knew Miranda would never disappoint her, "a material that is worth it."
"You can count on that," Andy said returning the smile with a sigh of relief and then Isabelle was gone.
-Chanel showroom-
Miranda was impatiently waiting for the bikinis when a redheaded woman came into her direction.
"Hey Andy," the woman said with a warm voice, "when I knew you were here I asked Dominic to personally attend to you," she continued giving Miranda a toothy smile which Miranda always found deeply unattractive.
"Oh, you," Miranda looked at her up and down, "I was sure that you had been dismissed from Calvin Klein."
"I was. I guess Miranda was not very pleased with me, but I will make sure she doesn't get disappointed with me here", Liz said as she put the bikini samples over the table.
Miranda pursed her full lips. "I doubt it", she let out not even trying to hide the annoyance in her voice.
Miranda continued to go over and over the bikinis and her face was showing everything but contentment.
"That is not what I asked for. Why is t so difficult to put decent bikini samples together for me to see?" Miranda said, bothered. "Where are the burgundy ones?"
"I… I… don't think we have any of those."
"It amazes me how you seem to fail even in the simplest of tasks", Miranda said coldly. "Send Dominic back, and tell him to bring exactly what I asked him."
"Sure Andy," Liz said, her cheeks as red as a tomato. In her mind, she couldn't help but think that the time Andy passed working with Miranda influenced her way too much.
"Oh, and you should start making another resume," Miranda gave her a side look, "you may need it soon to apply at MacDonald's, she finished by waving her hand in dismissal so Liz could go and do what she demanded. She could see the poor girls eyes shining with tears.
Back at Runway…
"You are doing that on purpose, aren't you?" Irv said as he stormed into Miranda's office. "You're trying to ruin me Miranda. I know that. But you won't, because I will get you first."
"Stop the drama Irv," Andy said waving her hand but her stomach felt like it was tied in knots, she had no idea how to handle Irv and his tantrums.
"I know you are a vindictive woman but I can't believe you are jeopardizing that account because of our budget issue."
"I don't know what you are talking about," Andy said. She really didn't know anything about Irv and Miranda´s chat and their disagreement about the photo shoots' budget.
"Yeah right Miranda, I will tell you something," he leaned, putting both his hands on the table, "if you get Sisley's account by Tuesday, you can have all budgets you want for now on", he said. Andy raised an eyebrow followed by a mischievous smile. "Do we have an agreement?"
"Absolutely," Andy said and Irv walked out of the office grunting something only he was able to tell.
Andy reclined on the chair. She could feel a headache starting in the back of her eyes. She never had to deal with such pressure in her life and Miranda´s life was just too much for her to handle. She wanted her old life back, was that too much to ask? She wanted to wake up in her messy bed and still be the person madly in love with her boss, well that was still pretty much the same and there was nothing she could do about it.
Andy picked up the phone and dialed a well-known number. Whining about her actual situation would have to wait.
"Yes," Miranda answered and Andy cringed at the sound of her voice on the other end.
"Miranda, help me out please."
"What do you want Andrea?"
"If I jump out of the window, who dies? Me or you?" Andy asked calmly as if she was asking about the weather.
"Now is not the time to joke, Andrea. How was the meeting?"
"I will tell you when you come back", Andy shot as an excuse. She was trying to procrastinate this moment for as long as she could.
"I have a better idea. I'm just leaving Chanel. Let's go have lunch. The less time you spend at the office, the less damage you will cause in my life."
"That is a great idea, I'm starving", Andy said, half smiling. With the poor breakfast she had eaten and the no fat coffee she was able to drink she could feel her stomach trembling.
"I will meet you at the restaurant I went with Donatella last week in 15 minutes", Miranda said before hanging up.
TBC…