Chapter 4

Wonderful. Another night with Miranda. Only this time she would be across the table instead of across the room. Even better.

Andy was a nervous wreck before the dinner. She hadn't told her parents or her sister with whom she would be dining, but they knew she'd run in to someone from Runway and didn't question her further. Her family had decided on the Buffalo Bar as their dinner destination. Andy would be returning to Spago.

And as she stepped into the dimly lit restaurant, she immediately saw Miranda and her girls. They were restlessly waiting for her. Miranda was scolding one of her daughter's as Andy approached; clearly she was fidgeting too much. Immediately the twins noticed Andy and they greeted her warmly.

Miranda's greeting was slightly cooler. She barely acknowledged her ex-assistant as she sat across from her. Andy watched her curiously, following her hand as it briefly, almost seductively trailed over her cheek, blue eyes flashing quickly to look Andy over, but not lingering long, instead focusing on the menu before her.

"So, girls, did you go skiing again after your little incident?" Andy quickly cut through the awkward air, choosing to ignore Miranda since Miranda seemed to want to ignore her.

"No, we decided to call it a day."

"Yeah, we got massages and facials instead." Cassidy beamed.

"And we got our nails done." Caroline stuck her fingers out so that Andy could see. They were checkered pink and blue and fit Caroline's very individual, yet expensive style.

"Me too!" Cassidy shoved her fingers so that Andy could see, opting not to be outdone by her sister. Her fingers were bright yellow with a simple hot pink flower on each of her ring fingers.

"Wow, those are gorgeous you guys." Andy grinned, happening to catch an amused smile quickly pass off of Miranda's porcelain face.

"Thank you." The twins cried in unison.

Miranda continued to stare, uninterested, at her menu.

Andy lowered her head to view her menu, immediately locating the dish she had had the night before. It had been delectable.

And as soon as the waiter left the table with their orders, Miranda no longer had a menu to hide behind. She looked positively gorgeous that evening, in a simple Vera Wang top, black Valentino pants, Blahniks and a simple cream cardigan most likely from Chanel. Her hair was as it always was, but her features seemed extra highlighted in the recessed lighting of the restaurant. Andy watched as Miranda brought her wine glass to her red-hued lips and drank. God, her lips were beautiful. Andy wanted to....

"Are you staring for some particular reason? You look quite brain-dead at the moment." Miranda quickly pulled Andy out of her dreamy reverie.

"Sorry." Andy quickly muttered under her breath, no longer feeling cool, calm, and collected. She was actually shaking, fearful of her old boss that had nearly driven her insane.

Silence fell between them. Cheerful childish banter began between Cassidy and Caroline. Miranda stared absently from daughter to daughter, but Andy knew she wasn't listening. This point was confirmed when she felt a foot run gently up her leg.

Had Cassidy accidentally kicked her?

No, the foot was continuing its way up her leg, moving gently beneath her pants, a stocking clad foot running tenderly up and down her bare shin. Was Miranda playing footsy with her?

Andy's eyes flashed quickly to Miranda, but there was no trace of any foul play on her face. But she hadn't expected any. She was surprised, however, when the foot hardly ceased.

Finally, when the girls were completely consumed in a conversation and not paying attention to their elders at all, Miranda let her eyes flash to Andy and they connected. And the connection nearly sent Andy for a loop. There, buried deep in Miranda's crystal blue orbs, burned a deep insatiable want that was enough to knock Andy out of her chair. Miranda wanted her?

Dinner was no easy task. Andy wanted to move to Miranda, to kiss her into submission and then have her way with her, but there were the girls to consider, and what if Andy was misinterpreting what was happening. What if Miranda was just playing some strange, horrible game with her?

She wouldn't put it past the woman.

The second time she found Miranda mindlessly playing footsy under the table, Andy was about to go insane. She was heated, warm. She knew her cheeks were flushing, her pulse was racing, she was completely turned on and it felt quite odd for her because she was surrounded by her ex-boss and said ex-boss' children. It was wrong, yet she couldn't help but feel totally overcome with lust for her silver-haired ex-employer.

So, unable to control herself with Miranda's foot so close to her, on her, she was forced to gently push Miranda away. This action warranted her an evil, squinted glare from Miranda. It was a quick, passing stare, but Andy could see through it that by pushing Miranda away, she had hurt her feelings; she had made her think that she was uninterested.

Andy tried to make eye contact with Miranda, attempting, desperately, to reassure her that she, in fact, had not pushed her away because she didn't want that foot there. If anything she wanted that foot, or one of Miranda's soft hands all over her, but she couldn't convey this at the moment because Miranda was not looking at her.

And Miranda continued to avoid her throughout the rest of the meal.

Finally, when the awkward meal was finished, Miranda handed the girls some money and told them to go, "have fun at the arcade, darlings."

And they were gone. And Miranda and Andy found themselves alone at the table.

"Miranda...." Andy began, but the older woman held up her hand, setting her napkin on the table, calling a waiter over.

The meal was finished. Damn it, Andy had ruined it all.

"Well, that was just lovely Andrea. I can't imagine anything I would have rather done tonight. I'm not at all busy, so it was fun to get out and away for the evening. But I do believe you have taken up enough of my time, and you have overly indulged my children, and therefore you are finished for the night. That's all." Miranda's words were covered in sarcasm, but Andy sensed a bit of hurt in her even tone.

"Miranda," Andy tried again, reaching across the table, grabbing one of Miranda's arms that was quickly pulling her card out of her billfold.

Miranda's eyes flashed from Andy's hand on her arm, to the young girls face. Eyebrows raised, she looked quite threatening like she might attack like a venomous snake and kill Andy. But instead she continued pulling her card out. Andy let go when the waiter came to collect the bill and Miranda's black credit card.

"Miranda, please. I didn't...fuck, you're so frustrating!" Andy cried, sitting back in her chair. She was trying to keep her voice down, trying her hardest to not start yelling at Miranda.

"What are you talking about?" Miranda looked unfazed.

"First the bathroom and now this, why can't you just admit that you might like me instead of running away from it all the time?"

"I will have you know you pushed me away." Miranda hissed. She looked away, surprised by her words, her angry expression turning into a sweet smile as she collected her card from the waiter, signing her name and adding a large tip.

As soon as the pen left the paper, she was up, collecting her purse, and quickly stalking towards the exit. Andy scrambled to follow after her. When she caught up, she grabbed Miranda's arm. The woman whirled around, hatred flaring in her glistening blue eyes. "Miranda, listen to me!" Andy did not at all like how this was going.

And it was at that exact moment that an elevator dinged open and Andy caught a glimpse of her mother stepping off.

"Fuck," she cursed, grabbing Miranda and pulling her thin frame over to an alcove that was out of sight from the elevators and passerby's. When she looked back at the silver-haired woman she seemed even more pissed and slightly uncomfortable for Andy had accidentally pushed her up against a wall. "Sorry," Andy mindlessly apologized, glancing around the corner to see if her mother was anywhere near. When she couldn't see her, she looked back at Miranda who was glaring.

"Would you mind explaining to me why you have me pushed up against a wall?" Miranda snapped.

"Sorry, my mom was...out there...and..."

Miranda began to nod in understanding, or what looked like understanding, for she quickly snapped, "get away from me." She pushed at Andy which only resulted in their bodies coming even closer.

Miranda's lips were close to Andy's ear and she unwillingly, nearly unconsciously let out a slight moan when she felt her breasts smash haphazardly against Andy's. Andy shuddered.

"Miranda," Andy whispered, her lips dangerously close to Miranda's ear.

She could hear, and feel, Miranda take a sharp inhale. "Stop." Miranda whispered. "Get off of me." But her voice was unconvincing. Her body was reacting and Andy could tell.

"Stop resisting." Andy whispered back.

"Don't do this if you don't want to." Miranda sounded positively defeated, definitely not like the Miranda Priestly Andy knew.

Andy pulled away, attempting to make eye contact with the older woman, surprised by Miranda's overly vulnerable side. But Miranda wouldn't meet her eyes.

Miranda didn't think she was serious about this, but how many times had Andy wanted to kiss Miranda? How many times had she wanted to get into her head and figure out what she was really thinking, or really feeling? How many times did she want to be there for this older woman? She had been surprised when she realized she had these feelings, but over time she'd attempted to smooth them over, make them go away, but all of the sudden they were all rushing back and all Andy wanted to do was kiss Miranda and reassure her that she wanted her.

And before she could think it through, her lips carelessly found Miranda's, and she found herself kissing Miranda's unparted lips. Miranda was so thrown off she could hardly respond at first, but soon her lips were moving with Andy's fighting against hers, Miranda's tongue boldly slipped its way between Andy's parted lips.

When Miranda came too from the spontaneous kiss, she gently pushed away. "Not here." She breathlessly stated, her eyes glancing to where several people were nearby. They hadn't noticed, but a hotel lobby was not safe for Miranda Priestly to be making out in.

Andy nodded, but soon realized nowhere would be safe for this. Whatever this was.

Neither were certain, but they both knew they wanted it. As they stood, huddled in the alcove, Andy realized Miranda was holding on to her. The older woman's hand was holding her wrist, and the other was wrapped around her waist.

Andy couldn't resist a quick kiss to Miranda's lips. The silver-haired woman looked vaguely surprised at Andy's eagerness, her eyebrows going up as the younger woman kissed her.

"We have nowhere to go." Andy breathed against Miranda's neck.

Miranda nodded against her. "The girls are away tomorrow. Skiing." Her lips lingered close, but not quite on Andy's skin as she spoke. "That's all." A quick kiss to Andy's collarbone, and Miranda gently pushed Andy away and walked out of the alcove before Andy could stop her.

Andy watched her walk away and then turned to find her mother coming down the hall. "Andy, what are you doing down here? Is your dinner with that person from Runway over?"

Oh God. Andy's stomach turned. She'd just made out with her ex-boss, who was viewed as evil and the Devil herself by her family and those around her, and now she was faced with her mom.

"Yeah," Andy nodded, hoping she didn't sound breathless or flustered. "Um, I'll be up to the room in a little bit. I'm going to go get something to drink."

"All right, sweetheart." Louisa was frowning, noticing something was off about her daughter. "Are you sure you're okay?" Louisa trailed her hand against her daughter's check and Andy inwardly flinched.

"I'm fine, mom." She hadn't wanted her mother to detect anything.

"Okay, come upstairs soon. We have a fun, exciting day of skiing tomorrow." Louisa smiled.

But Andy immediately felt guilty. She had other plans, but she didn't want to let her mother down, at least not right now, so she nodded. "I'll come up soon."

And finally Louisa left her to herself. She needed to gather herself up before she faced anyone else in her family.

Walking towards the bar, Andy ordered herself a drink to calm her nerves. After sipping it down, she felt a bit more like herself.

Tomorrow. What would happen tomorrow?

Trying to push the increasingly erotic thoughts bubbling up in her mind away, Andy stepped onto the elevator. Before she knew it, she was back in her family's suite.

She found her family around a table, setting up the Scrabble board.

"Come join us," her father patted the spot behind him, but Andy didn't feel so well. She was hot, yet cold all over. She ached for Miranda's touch, she wanted to be near the older woman, she wanted Miranda's hand on her arm, her other around her waist again...but now she was with her family. It was increasingly awkward to be having these thoughts with them around. And so she knew she couldn't play Scrabble with them.

"No, I think I need to go to bed. I'm not feeling very well." Andy lied, knowing the only word she would be able to think of to spell would be M-I-R-A-N-D-A. She briefly wondered how many points that would earn her.

"All right, do you need some Tylenol?" Louisa asked, concerned.

"No, I think I just need to sleep." Andy gave her mom a semi-reassuring smile and then moved to her bedroom. After shutting and locking her door, Andy fell to the floor. She put her head in her hands, unable to fathom what had just happened. She and Miranda had kissed. They had actually kissed and that was all she could think about. Miranda's lips on her own. She could still taste Miranda's sweet, wine tasting lips. She wanted them again and again, but alas, she was in her own room. Alone.

Somehow she found her way to her bed and fell into a restless night of sleep.