Disclaimer: The Devil wears Prada belongs to Lauren Weisberger & 20th Century Fox

Dear readers, I know some of you are hanging on the edge of their seats and probably asking themselves: What is she doing? What's that thing about Miranda being so mean to Andy? Is it really necessary? But you know, guys, I decided to write Miranda in character: not nice, not fluffy, not lovely…she is as insecure as Andrea is and she's bloody afraid of feeling something for someone. So give me time, people! 'I will stand by principles or I won't stand at all!';-) I will make the one promise: it gets better! Trust me!

Thanks to Erua: you know, how it goes, I love you, girl!

Also thanks to all the readers who sent me their thoughts and appreciated my story. It means so much to me. Special thanks to: Marla-Kojak , Vogue-Diva, shycoyotegirl, segir, canthearshit, caradens, Lady Labrat, Refreshingly Original and ssmiaka.

"You can be a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare – either way I don't wanna wake from you!"

Chapter IX

Saturday morning, 8:00 am at Runway

Almost the entire staff of Nigel's Art department as well as Andy and Emily were on the move. Today was the day, a very special photoshoot with Marc Jacobs and Vera Wang was scheduled for 11 am sharp and Miranda would kill everyone, who'd dare mess up this job. She had courted Jacobs and Wang like a king and queen for months to get them for the cover of the October issue, which would include one of the most visionary articles since the groundbreaking photoshoot between Lagerfeld & Vera Wang on the cover of the September issue in 1998.

Actually it wasn't the magazine's policy to put men on the cover, even if they were as famous as Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Dior or like Marc Jacobs now was, but if they were joined by powerful women then Miranda Priestly tended to make an exception.

Miranda wanted Andy to be on the set by 7:00 am to message her every 10 minutes, if everything there was going according to plan, while Miranda had to attend the last meeting of Runway's board before Fashion Week until 9:00 am. Andy was very nervous. She felt like a spy, just standing there keeping all actions under surveillance. For half the time she even had the feeling that she was standing in her colleagues' way. Nigel was very tense, too, because he bullied his staff like Andy had never seen before.

"Oh no, no, not this one, Rafael, don't do that, don't mess my decoration up with your junk, okay!" Shouted Nigel and moaned, now addressing Andy: "How many times have I told him, not to use those kinds of colors when we're having a photoshoot? We're not shooting a new version of Lolita here for Christ's sake!"

The set was filled with mirrors and aluminum foil. It looked as if they wanted to wrap Jacobs and Wang in silver paper and showcase them as gifts to their readers.

"You're almost sounding like Miranda now," Andy commented absently.

Nigel looked at her, even more annoyed. "Don't like it? Get lost and spy on somebody else."

She'd never experienced so much hostility in Nigel's presence. Was there something wrong with James and him? Andy hissed back: "I'd love to do something else, but Miranda told me to inform her about what's going on here."

"Yes, yes, great, then do your job and I'll do mine." He walked away to speak with the electrician.

Just great, Andy thought, when her cell phone made a sound and she knew that Miranda had texted her...again.

What's going on there? M.

What was she going to write? Nigel hates me already for getting in his way and overseeing him as if he was a damn amateur and by the way I miss your hot tongue in my mouth?

Of course Miranda Priestly trusted no one, not even Nigel Kippling, but was it really necessary to show her doubts and mistrust so blatantly obviously? She never cared about other people's feelings. Everyone would be much more efficient, if Miranda would have a little more faith in her staff, but instead her subordinates were bound by fear, insecure and hyper-nervous. Just the thoughts of committing a mistake sent some of them into a state of panic. Everyone around Miranda Priestly was on the edge of mental breakdown. Finally she wrote back:

Everything seems to be fine. Don't worry. Andrea Then she deleted "ndrea" and texted instead "A." to adapt to Miranda's style of writing and sent it. One moment later her cell beeped again.

Seems to be? Clarify! M. Miranda wrote. Oh my god, this woman was driving her crazy in no time...especially after yesterday night. Andrea didn't permit herself to think about their intimate encounter, but sheltered herself from all those gigantic emotions and anguishes. She had walked the streets for hours. She'd been in her flat at 2 am in the morning and had still been unable to sleep. She had stared at the ceiling above her lonely bed, thinking of the woman she so desired, loved and at the same time feared.

Everything's all right! A. Andrea felt like she was texting her mother from some obscure school trip where mountain climbing and water rafting was all-inclusive.

Finally the cell went silent again and she decided to catch a coffee somewhere when Emily rushed towards her with huge eyes and a look in her face that spelled trouble – BIG trouble.

"Andrea, you have to call Miranda. We're in so much trouble. I can't tell you how much...oh gosh, I think ...I can't breathe anymore." Emily had been always melodramatic, but this time she looked really pale and almost sick.

"What is it?" Andy laid one hand on Emily's arm to comfort her.

"Teresa Williams isn't coming. She has the flu. It came over night...oh God Miranda is going to kill me, especially because I was the one, who suggested T. for the job."

Teresa Williams was one of the really fine free journalists who worked sometimes for Runway, but also for several other fashion magazines to interview the famous people. She was supposed to do the interview with Jacobs and Wang.

"Isn't there someone else we could call?"

Emily shook her head, already sweating like she had attended the New York Marathon twice: "No...I just...I mean...oh dear lord... she is going to fire me...I'm sure she will..." Emily already started to cry, when Andrea's phone announced Miranda again.

"Miranda?" Andy picked up.

"Yes, who else?" she stated. "I'm on my way, Andrea. Did we have any disturbances so far? I don't want to hear any triviality...well actually I'm expecting everything to be in order...the board meeting was so dull...I really think Irv should take his leave...he's getting more boring every time I'm forced to speak with him...I can't bear him or his completely brainless utterances anymore. I have headaches."

Andy gulped. "A...um...actually we've had some inconveniences."

"Inconveniences?" Miranda almost spit out the word.

"Yes, Teresa Williams has the flu and there is no one who's going to do the interviews."

Thereupon Andy heard a soft click on the other end of the line, which meant Miranda had hung up the cell.

Emily shivered. She was standing right next to Andrea, wringing her hands. "What did she say?"

"Nothing...she just hung up."

"Oh my god, please...I'm so freaked out right now."

"Don't worry. We could say, I recommended Teresa to you, so it would be actually my fault."

Emily looked at her with astonishment in her face. "Why would you do that?"

Andy smiled: "Because I won't be here in a week, will I? So to me, it wouldn't matter anyway." This was the moment when Andrea realized, that she would indeed return to her life as a journalist at The New York Mirror, which meant, she wouldn't see Miranda on a daily basis anymore. It had only been a week so far, but to be with the woman every day again, felt so natural, that she couldn't imagine how she had been able to manage the eight months in between. It hurt to think about being without Miranda again.

...

They didn't have to wait long for the editor's arrival. Andy looked out of one of the windows and saw that a black limousine came to stop right in front of the old industrial building, where they were staying right now and which they had booked for the photoshoot so many months ago.

Andy watched the way Roy held open the car' door and Miranda stepped out, determined, but gracious and elegant as always. Her heart skipped and her throat went completely dry. She didn't care about the photoshoot and the interview anymore. The memories of last night flooded her mind with a force she wasn't familiar with...all those bits and pieces of short memories of Miranda's arousing sounds and hot body and how she had tasted.

When Miranda finally stood in front of Emily and Andy, she pursed her lips like every time she wanted to kick someone's ass and just waited for Andy or Emily to explain the disaster to her.

Emily was the first to speak, or rather stutter: "I...I'm so sorry Miranda, I don't know why I didn't think about having someone up my sleeve in case Teresa was ill."

"I'm really not interested in your bubbling and incompetence, Emily. Instead I'd appreciate it if someone had an idea how to get those interviews done." With that she suddenly glanced at Andrea and after a second her face wore a lesser rigid and tense expression, but changed into a calculating one.

"You will do those interviews, Andrea."

Andy flinched and replied with panic in her voice: "W…what? Why me? I'm not prepared and...I mean you yourself said I don't understand a thing when it comes to fashion!"

At that Miranda touched her forehead and winced in pain. "Nonsense! Are you a journalist or not?"

Andrea nodded in defeat. "I guess so."

"Fine, then don't bore me with your misguided selfdoubt any longer and come along."

Andrea looked at Emily in disbelief. Emily seemed to be flabbergasted as well. She rushed forward and addressed Miranda. Regardless of the fact that one doesn't ask Miranda anything, she did, with a trembling voice: "Am I fired?"

Miranda paused and looked at Emily dismissively. With a casual tone she replied: "No...not yet. But shouldn't you be on your way to meet Marc and Vera in front of Elias Clarke right now?"

One could literally see how that took a load off the assistant's mind. "Yes, Miranda, thank you, I'm on my way." Emily turned around on her four inch high heels and rushed down the stairs like she was on fire.

Andy was worried. How to interview two people without any knowledge of their lives, biographies and achievements in their jobs? Of course, she knew that Wang and Jacobs were famous designers known for their expertise and outstanding skills to set new trends in fashion industry all over the globe, but that was all. She took a deep breath as she walked behind Miranda, watching her in the huge mirrors, when she noticed that her boss was looking back at her.

She must have worn a highly concerned expression on her face, because Miranda suddenly seemed to feel the need to say: "I'll help you, of course. I'll give you all the information you need to conduct the interviews. You'll have four hours to prepare. The shoot will take place before the interviews." Miranda reached into her handbag and handed over her silver-colored Macbook to Andrea.

"You'll need that, too."

When they reached the end of the corridor, Miranda opened the door to an office.

"There was a time when they used this place to shoot movies as well...a long time ago...I think they shot some scenes for 'Sex and the City" here. I haven't seen the movie yet. I think the twins watched it once, but I fell asleep during the film...terrible dresses, though...especially the ones of the main actresses...but whatever."

Where did this flood of words come from? Andy wondered. Maybe Miranda was in fact as nervous as she was? Otherwise she couldn't explain, Miranda being chatty...what a ridiculous situation.

They sat down at a small round table in the middle of the room and Andy booted up the computer. To at least say something she asked: "Will there be two different kinds of interviews, or will they attend the interview together and I'll speak to both of them at the same time?"

Miranda was massaging her temples. "I didn't think about it, did I? We planned to fill six pages of the next issue with it, so I guess it'll work either way."

Andy already thought about the pictures and the questions and brainstormed: "Wouldn't it be more intriguing to interview them both at the same time? I mean, they'll have their photoshoot together, so it'd be great to have a shared interview as well. I'm just saying."

Miranda stroked thoughtfully with one of her hands through her silver-grey hair. "Well, yes, and we could place the pictures into the interview itself so that text and pictures wouldn't appear to be too much separated from one another. And on top of that I could spare two more pages for Dior's autumn collections of belts and jewelry. Perfect!" Miranda almost whispered it, which meant she was first of all speaking to herself, then to her assistant.

Miranda kept talking for almost two hours. Andy had a hard time because she almost had to shorthand Miranda's remarks. The moment Miranda had given Andy enough material to deal with and come up with some really good questions; she left her and went downstairs to greet Jacobs and Wang and to supervise the photoshoot. Miranda herself was wearing a black Jacob's jacket-skirt combination and red Westwood patent-leather shoes. There wasn't anything underneath the jacket, a bra maybe...thought Andy when she stared at Miranda's back before turning back to her task.

Miranda came back upstairs after one hour to read through Andy's interview preparations. When she took a seat next to Andy again, she handed her a glass of water and a Starbucks coffee - decaf latte of course.

"You must be exhausted. Drink this and try to relax while I read your questions." With that she took out her reading glasses and put them on.

"Thank you, Miranda", Andy beamed and drank her coffee hastily.

One of Miranda's long filigree fingers touched her tongue, before she turned over to the next page. Andy's eyes grew huge while she looked at Miranda. She hid her face halfway behind the Starbucks cup, watching Miranda's motions eagerly. Andy was exhausted, but she couldn't help, noticing how sexy and seductive Miranda looked when she had to concentrate herself on something so intensely.

About five minutes later, Miranda placed Andy's writing back on the table in front of her and said: "I think this will work. Most of the questions are very reflective and thoughtful, delete the sixth and the eleventh one and we're in business. Thank you."

Thank you? Wow. Miranda thanked Andy for doing something right? She didn't even thank her yesterday for liberating her from her dress or for kissing and holding her, not to mention for the earth-shattering orgasm Miranda must have had experienced. Andy finally felt appreciated, at least as a journalist, if not as a human being or a lover! She suddenly released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding the entire time.

"I'm glad you liked it, Miranda."

"Good, then let's go downstairs. We have to get your makeup and hair done."

"What for?" Andy asked.

"I want Nigel to take photos after the job is done for Runway's archive and because you're part of the inner circle of the shoot now, you'll be in the picture as well."

Andy hesitated, but asked while getting on her feet. "May I ask why you wanted me back?"

Miranda already stood in the door. She didn't turn around when she replied: "I think I told you before. I needed your help."

Andy nodded: "Yes, you did, but I wanted to know, if there was perhaps another reason."

"None", Miranda stated bluntly.

The simplest of all words cut through Andrea's heart like a knife. She whispered: "I see...I just thought because of yesterday..." She went silent again.

Miranda turned her head slightly and replied: "I think this conversation is futile and above all it doesn't belong here. Now is neither the place nor the time. We should discuss this..." She paused and reformulated her sentence: "If you wish to discuss our interpersonal relationship we have to do it another time, I'm sure I could make time for it in my schedule. But I must admit I for one do not even know what to say any further." With that Miranda left the room and went down the stairs.

Andy could feel hot tears make their way down her cheeks; she ran her hands over her wet skin and sighed heavily. So yesterday had only been some accident in Miranda's eyes? Perhaps some kind of weakness she allowed herself once in a lifetime and now she thought ...nothing of it? Andrea felt like something Miranda used until it got old and worn out like a pair of fucking Gucci pumps that she would just put into the next garbage bag to forget about them. Did she already belong in the trash? She doubted it. Miranda seemed to be so tense, but hell…had there been a time when Miranda wasn't stressed out? Andy couldn't remember one single time when Miranda Priestly had let herself go, apart from yesterday night, when Andy had caught Miranda in her arms…to hold her oh so close.

She had to get a grip on herself. It wouldn't be very helpful to show up like a whining little mess when she had to interview two of the most important contemporary fashion designers. At least Miranda had enough confidence in her qualities to let her do that job. So she would do it the right way. Andy would do what she was really skilled in – being a journalist. She wouldn't do it for Miranda Priestly, but for herself.

And without any doubt, she would survive the upcoming week by all means. She just had to. Andy would insist to speak to Miranda about their so called "interpersonal relationship". She refused to give up on Miranda Priestly so easily, so Andrea reached for her notes and made her way downstairs to get ready.

Tbc.

Have a nice week, dear readers and remember, my inbox is hungry! ;-)