WARNING: If you already don't like Miranda, this chapter won't make you feel any better.

Chapter 7 should be up within the month. Enjoy & review :}

-X

CHAPTER 6

Miranda walked down to the corner store and bought a bottle of scotch not long after Andrea left. She was on the verge of panic and she needed something, anything to sooth the feeling. Andrea had left her. She had left her completely alone and not long before she is to travel into a warzone. She remembered seeing a beautiful girl at the liquor store smiling at her, her smile reminded her of Andrea.

She felt like she was losing what little control she had left. Anise told her that it was important for her to completely cleanse her soul but knowing where it has gotten her, she doesn't know if it was the wisest decision. She had taken Andrea for granted for a very long time but she had been making an effort in the last couple of months to be better. She's not even sure if the young woman even wanted to know.

She did not remember falling asleep but she woke up to the blinding morning light streaming in through the windows of the penthouse apartment. She could barely move without feeling achy. She managed to sit up from her strange position and she realized she was naked and that there was someone lying next to her.

Her heart sank inside of her, she clutched her chest. "God no" she prayed. She saw the back of a dark head and smooth pale back beneath her duvet. She threw the sheets off of herself and tip toed toward the bathroom. It was the young woman with the smile like Andreas. She has short dark hair curling around her face and full pouting lips.

She shook her head. How could she let this happen? She did not even remember speaking to another person last night after Andrea left. She had no idea who this woman was. She went into the bathroom, when she looked at herself in the mirror she was taken aback.

She had red marks all over her breasts, hickeys she guessed and turning around she found that she had scratches on her back that had welted up. Her hair was disheveled and her makeup was completely gone. She combed her hair back; untangling it and moving it away from her eyes.

She threw on a robe and went back into the bedroom. She stared at the girl, trying with great difficulty to even remember her name. Let alone how she woke up with marks all over her. She didn't like that her body had been marked and she didn't like that this girl was still in her bed. Most people leave before she even wakes up.

She sat down on the bed next to the girl and gently shook her awake. When the girl stirred she looked confused for a moment but smiled and sat up. She looked much like Andrea, she had large blue eyes though, staring up at her like a child. The girl began caressing Miranda's face, her lips quickly touching hers in a kiss. "Good Morning" she whispered.

The older woman froze. The proximity of her seemed to refresh her memory. She remembered talking to this girl outside the liquor store and very boldly inviting her up to the penthouse for a drink. They must have drunk a lot more because the rest of the night is completely black in her memory.

The girl laid back, beaming at Miranda, not shy about her naked body. "Listen, I've got a really busy day… I don't normally do sleepovers" the older woman said, trying to be gentle but at the same time, wanting to be understood. "I need you to get your things and leave" said to her evenly.

"Are you serious?" The girl asked, sitting up, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Miranda looked at her incredulously, "I don't make jokes, especially not this early in the morning" the older woman said. She found herself staring down at the girls body. Her large breasts swelled from her chest perfectly, they just peeked out over the white sheets.

The girl frowned and got up from the bed, gathering her clothes from the floor. Miranda sighed in relief, this would be an easy one, thank god. She tried to get up but the girl stopped her. She was standing on the side of the bed, but she pulled Miranda to her and pressed her leg between Miranda's thighs as her hands slowly caressed her neck.

"One more time, that's all I want" the girl whispered, leaning in and kissing Miranda on her lips. The older woman felt her body flood with heat, felt herself throbbing, her heart racing and her mind unable to focus on anything but full lips. She groaned into her mouth and the girls hands quickly untied her robe and pulled it open.

"No, no… I can't" Miranda said, pulling away and grasping at her robe. She didn't want to do this to Andrea. This was the worst possible start to getting her back. She would never forgive her if she found out about this. "I'm trying so hard to be good" the older woman said, her voice sounding small, almost like a child.

"You are good" the girl whispered next to her ear; biting her earlobe and then down her long neck. "You're so good" The girl groaned against her skin. She pushed the older woman back on the bed and gently tugged Miranda's nipple between her teeth. The woman wailed and pushed her away. Her hips were writhing and she could feel herself trembling. She took in several long deep breaths, trying to calm herself.

"I belong to someone else… I don't want to do this to her" Miranda groaned, closing her eyes and trying to tie her robe closed again. "Last night you wanted to forget about her" The girl said, her voice small. The older editor shook her head, she pressed her hand between her legs, trying to sooth the ache that pulsed form her center. It was only making her tremors worse.

"Just… let me get you off… you're shaking… let me help you" the girl pushed her back down again, pulling her robe away from her lips and giving no warning before she was sliding her fingers through Miranda's wet folds. The older woman gasped as if she was in pain. The girl bit her breast through the material of the robe and stared into her eyes. The older woman's hands tried to stop her but she was too weak, too willing to let her go on to really try to push her away again.

Miranda cursed and her hips bucked into the touch. The girl hovered over her lips, her eyes staring down into hers. She hated herself, hated that this was something she wanted so badly and didn't want in equal measure.

The girl moved lower, pushing her legs apart and diving in. Her tongue exploring the folds before she wrapped her lips around her most sensitive area. Her tongue moved incessantly with her fingers working inside of her. The older woman was shivering violently, when the girls teeth scraped over her clitoris Miranda cried out and her muscles began contracting. She screamed and could not control the bucking of her hips. "Oh dear god" the editor whined, trying to pull away but the woman holding her hips in place.

She laid there while the girl continued to lick her. Her body shivering and glistening with sweat, her mind racing with all the promises she had made to Andrea. She felt herself beginning to feel the guilt set in. She sat up and finally opened her eyes.

The girl climbed back up her body, kissing her with the taste of her in her mouth. Miranda felt herself being wound up again and she didn't want that. She pulled away and got up, pulling her robe back around her. "You need to go now" Miranda said without looking at her, and walking into the closet to find pick out and outfit.

"I can't believe you're still going to be like this, after everything we did last night… after everything we told each other" The girl said, pulling her underwear back on. "Whatever happened between us last night, it doesn't mean anything. I was drunk and I was not in my right mind" The editor told the girl. "You were in your right mind a moment ago but you still let me fuck you" the girl challenged. "I tried to tell you to stop, you wouldn't listen" she answered, feeling herself get angry. Couldn't the girl just leave her in peace?

"You didn't want me to stop" the girl said. She pulled on her bra, staring in the direction of the closet. "You were a completely different person last night, I didn't know you could be so cold". Miranda stopped what she was doing and thought on the word, cold. The ice queen, one of her many nick names over the years. Things get done under cool conditions; she learned that very quickly in the magazine business. It had always done the opposite in her personal life.

"I know who you are" the girl said, the tone of her voice making Miranda's hair stand on the back of her neck. "I know you're some famous editor for a fashion magazine, you're an international celebrity" the girl said, pulling her dress over her head and back on her body.

"I'm retired" Miranda said, trying to dismiss her. She hoped the girl would leave already. "Do you even remember last night?" The girl asked, her voice confident that she already knew the truth.

Miranda came from the closet and crossed her arms as she stood in front of the girl. She stared at her for a moment, her eyes conveying her annoyance. "My memory is not what it used to be" the older woman said, her voice even and cool.

"You spilled your heart out to me, you told me all about Andrea and Emily and all the other men and women that you can never keep in your life. You told me you wanted me to be different… how stupid was I to believe you" the girl said with a smile, verging on laughter. Miranda couldn't help but nod in agreement with her.

"I know people who would pay a lot of money to hear all about your lifestyle" the girl slipped on her low end, faded red pumps. Miranda was disgusted and infuriated; both with herself for doing this yet again and this woman for taking advantage of her situation. She had never had the desire to murder another person as much as she had now.

"I will ruin your pathetic little life in a heartbeat. When I'm done with you you'll wish you hadn't dared" she felt herself getting hot, the anger raising her blood pressure and making her feel dizzy. "Only a silly little girl would believe a one night stand is love" Miranda scoffed, grabbing her cell phone and preparing to call her lawyer. "Get the hell out of here, you little tart" Miranda said as she came close to raising her voice. Her hands ached to strangle this girl. On top of everything else, why did this have to happen too?

"If you want to pay me, I won't tell anyone I even met you" the girl said, her eyes looking into Miranda's. "I didn't realize I brought home a whore last night" the older woman said, her voice dripping with venom this time. "Do you understand what extortion is?" Miranda asked. The girl shook her head but smiled crookedly as she began to walk toward the door. "What is your reputation worth to you?"

Miranda pinched her head between her fingers, a strong headache pounding behind her eyes. "How much do you fucking want?" Miranda asked without raising her head. The girl smiled out of her view. "The Post would easily pay a hundred for a story like this" she said.

"You're out of your fucking mind, I may be famous but I'm old news. They won't give you that kind of money and neither will I" Miranda spat, she felt the urge to strangle this girl, she hated the site of her

"I'm going straight to Page Six when I leave here, I'll see what their offering" the girl said, crossing her arms. Miranda's shoulders slumped in disbelief and defeat. She didn't know what to do. She want to tell this woman to fuck off; that she would see her in court but she couldn't risk Andrea finding out. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't and I'll reconsider" the girl asked arrogantly.

"Because I have children that don't deserve their names being tainted by their mother's sins… because I'm a human being with feelings and I'm on the verge of losing everything I've ever loved" Miranda said, hating the sound of her own pathetic voice.

The girl nodded. "I am also a human with feelings but you were more than willing to throw me out with the garbage. You can't just treat people however you want to Miranda" she said. The older woman fought to not roll her eyes. How could she have been so unlucky to have brought this crazy woman into her life.

"Look, I'm sorry… I'm going through a lot right now. I just… please don't do this to me… I can't handle it right now" Miranda tried to explain, she felt herself getting emotional, memories of last night began to flood her mind again.

She remembered weeping against the girls naked chest, confessing her sins and the wrongs against her like she was a priest or some prostitute. She cringed at the thought of it. She had confided her hopes and her fears in a stranger and one that she clearly couldn't trust. She wanted to punch herself.

"Fifty and you will never hear from me again" the girl said, breaking through her memories. Miranda's emotions were transparent; her features were defeated and tense. She walked over to her purse in a chair on the other side of the room. She pulled out her checkbook and began to write a check for fifty thousand dollars.

"This check will not clear until you sign a non- disclosure agreement. My attorney will meet with you to sign one this afternoon" She said, without looking up from her writing. "I don't remember your name" Miranda said. "It's Anna Freeman" the girl said confidently. The name seemed to ring a bell.

"You know I used to work in the same office as Andrea" the girl said as the older woman tore the check from her check book. "At first we were all sure you got her the job at the mirror but she proved us all wrong. She has a big heart" the girl took the check from Miranda's hand and headed for the door again. "She deserves a lot more than a woman like you" she said before she left.

The older woman stood there, the words sinking into her, knowing they were mostly true, she felt tears threaten her again. She has never had to do this before; she has never been treated like this, blackmailed for her most private moments. She wanted more than anything to completely destroy the girl but she could not afford the possibility of her telling the entire world her deepest darkest secrets.

She jumped into the shower in hopes that it would calm her down. The hot steaming water on her body felt good but this was the first morning she had without Andrea. she began to weep uncontrollably. When she got out, she felt a little better, some of the alcohol had been sweat out of her pores and her anger had only slightly subsided. All she wanted to do with go down to the corner and buy another bottle.

She knew if she ever had any hope of fixing things with Andrea it she would have to stop drinking but sex had always been her worst addiction. She knew that and had known it for quite some time now. She was just beginning to realize that she needed serious help.

She got dressed and met Nigel for lunch at a Café around the corner. She looked a wreck, her eyes sunken beneath her dark shaded ray bans. Even her skin was pale and colorless. Nigel definitely noticed.

"So I take it all is not well in the priestly household?" He asked. She had never seen such a look of concern on his face before.

"No, Nigel" she said, barely able to hold back tears as she picked up her ice water and took a sip. They were sitting outside on the street, her signature white locks were windswept and slightly unkempt. Nigel was not used to seeing her in anyway but on top of her game and glamorous.

"What's going on?" He asked. The two women had been very strange and distant since moving to Washington, half of which he expected but he knew something was really wrong with them. Miranda looked at him without expression for a moment before her head fell and she held a Kleenex to her nose. "She left me last night" she managed through her tears.

Nigel reached over the table and grabbed Miranda's hand, holding it affectionately, empathy painting his features. "Oh sweetie" he said, shaking his head, not knowing what else to say. "What happened?" he asked, pulling his hand back and resting it under his chin.

She lifted her sunglasses to wipe away the moisture around her eyes. She took a deep breath and fresh tears flowed again. She told him about last night, Electing to leave the girl Anna from this morning out of the discussion. The thought of her would only anger her more.

"We had been having issues in Washington and I thought if I was completely honest with her… if there were no secrets that we could move forward, completely free everything I've..." She couldn't continue, she hung her head and tried with all her might to stop crying. She never did this sort of thing in public, not usually even in front of another person. She was always good at keep her emotions inside but this was too much.

Nigel sat back in his chair, in disbelief that she had finally confessed to Andrea. He had always known about Miranda's affairs. There was very little about Miranda that Nigel did not know. He knew there was something else that she wasn't telling him, something that scared her. He didn't want to push.

"I don't know what to do, Nigel" She said, running her hands through her hair and taking another long sip of her water. He shook his head and thought for a moment, not sure if there was even any advice he could give right now. "You have to get her back, whatever it takes, Miranda" he said finally.

"Therapy, rehab, a fucking kick to the mouth… whatever it takes" He said, leaning toward her on the table. "I love you both, you know that... But you have got to get your shit together Miranda. Your going to be lucky to get her back at this point... Don't think I haven't noticed the marks on your neck" Nigel said, raising his eyebrows at her. She stared at him, her tears ceasing for a moment. "Nothing gets passed me, Miranda" he said, his tone serious, almost offended she would even try to keep anything from him.

Just then, a group of people of the street walking by them recognized Miranda. They squealed and one of them jumped over the railing to get to her. "Miranda Priestly? Wow, you looks so…. Different in person" the young woman said, her observation not exactly flattering. "Can I please get a picture with you? I've been reading Runway since I was five" the girl asked with a shy smile.

Miranda dead panned over to the girl and said no barely above a whisper. You could see the joy being deflated from the young woman, the excitement of meeting Miranda Priestly quickly wearing off. "I'm sorry ladies, Miranda is not feeling well today" Nigel said, trying to answer for Miranda's strange and cold demeanor. "Well… could I get an autograph?" the girl tried, a glimmer of hope still left in her eyes.

The look on Miranda's face looked pained and soured. "You're brig incredibly rude. I need you to go away" She said, her voice cutting and venomous. The girl looked like she had just been stung, the older woman had successfully snuffed out that last glimmer of hope. "Okay... Bitch" the girl said before she turned away and began to climb back over the railing to her friends. "You have no idea, kid" she said, more to herself than to the girl.

Nigel looked over at her and felt sorry for the young girl. Miranda had never been warm to her fans but she had also never been mean to them either. "That's not good karma Miranda and I think you need all the help you can get right now" he said after the group had walked down the street away.

Miranda shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest. All she wanted to do was go back home, crawl into bed and sleep for the rest of the day. She did not want to be out among people, she did not want to have to put on a happy face for anyone today. She couldn't even if she tried.

"Its going to be okay, Miranda" Nigel said gracefully. The older woman didn't believe him but she didn't say anything. She stared across the street and noticed a tall man sitting at the bus stop.

He was unusually large, he had on a black hat and sunglasses but somehow she could tell he was staring at her. She could feel it. Something about him made her feel uneasy.

She felt her chest ache before the bus pulled up and the man got inside. She watched the unusual person ride away and she wondered why she felt afraid of him. She had a busy day ahead of her, she tried to push the incident out of her mind.

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