8.
Sam opened her eyes with a groan. She rolled on to her side hoping it would do something about the dreadful pounding in her head. She felt like a giant pile of poo which was odd. Usually, a good fucking orgasm followed by six solid hours of sleep left her feeling fantastic. She slid out of bed but needed to catch herself before she fell on her face.
"What the fuck," she said to an empty apartment.
She went much slower this time gaining her feet with some effort. She walked into her bathroom, started the shower, then took a handful of migraine medication. She stayed under the hot spray far longer than usual, but by the time she stepped out of the shower, the medicine had yet to kick in. Sam donned a robe eschewing her normal habit of strutting around her flat in the buff. She went to her computer then logged into her Athena account to see that Invictus had produced results. She transferred the agreed upon sum of coin to his account then turned her attention to the attached report.
"DeSima," she read.
The name of the company did not ring a bell but as she continued reading she did recognize the name of one companies directors. She reached for the device intending to reassemble it when she noticed that the exposed circuit boards were warm to the touch.
"This thing is still running," Sam belatedly realized.
She put the device back together quickly as she wondered what the hell the damn thing was doing to her. She stored it in her bag then hung her bag next to the elevator. Her demeanor had not changed much since waking so; she turned her attention towards the fancy coffee maker that had been a gift from Andy while they were still dating. It made her think of the similarities between the two most important women in her life. She also wondered how Andy would feel when she found about her and Mia. Like with most things in her life these days, it was complicated. She decided to put the mysteries of love and fate out of her head and concentrate on the tasks at hand. Two cups of coffee and toasted bagel later had her feeling almost human again.
She went into her bathroom to finish getting ready to meet the day. She took a few moments to style her loose curls into a more manageable braid. A touch of makeup around her eyes and the woman in the mirror looked better than Sam felt. She slipped on a tank top, no bra she rarely wore one, and a pair of black briefs followed by her favorite pair of jeans. She grabbed her leather jacket and motorcycle boots to complete her look.
As she got her feet into her boots, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and smiled as a picture of her lover appeared.
"Hello gorgeous," She answered.
"I believe that is my line," the cool, cultured voice answered from over four thousand miles away.
"How did it go yesterday?" Sam asked.
"Tiresome, I spent most of my day with the Austrian trade minister talking more to my breasts than my face."
"What were you wearing?" Sam asked with a smirk.
"Valentino."
Sam's grin broadened as she responded, "well I can hardly blame him; you are breathtaking in Valentino."
"I never took you for a sexist Samantha," Mia pointed out.
"Huh?" Sam asked.
"The Austrian trade minister is a woman," Mia answered.
Sam laughed out loud, "Now I'm even more jealous."
"Don't be she's happily married, besides I only have eyes for you."
"Oh, Sweetie," Sam said suddenly feeling considerably better.
"Enough about me, tell me what interesting things have you been up to since the last time we spoke."
"Well, things have gotten interesting in the last few days," Sam agreed.
"Oh," Mia prompted,
Sam took a few moments to bring Mia up to speed on the whole Miranda Priestly affair leaving out the more legally dubious details as she went. It wasn't that she didn't trust Mia; she was just smart enough not to share information that could be compelled through testimony. That really wasn't an issue because of Mia's status, so she was mostly doing it out of habit. But it was still better to be safe when it came to her less than legal activities.
"So that's what happened to Miranda," Mia commented.
"Did you know her?" Sam wanted to know.
"Only by reputation. So you think there something between the two of them?" Mia asked picking up on Sam's subtext.
"Yes, but I think Andy is mostly focused on trying to help for now."
"I hate to hear that Miranda's life was being manipulated in such a dreadful manner. Please tell me if there is any way that I can help."
"Thanks, Mia, I will."
"I'm afraid that Janet will be coming for me any moment," Mia said with regret.
"I miss you," Sam said.
Those weren't the words she wanted to say, but she did not want the first time she told Mia that she loved her to be over the phone.
"You have no idea how much I wanted you with me last night," Mia responded.
"Oh, I think I know exactly how much," Sam said thinking of how her own night ended.
The couple said their goodbyes after promising to talk again in a few days once the trade negotiation came to an end.
Since DeSima was located in Manhattan, Sam decided to go directly to the source. As Sam walked into the companies offices, she had to admit that the glass and steel architecture was rather impressive. She winked at the pretty receptionist before asking to speak to Cosima.
Cosima Niehaus was a rock star scientist who had been at Caltech at the same time Sam was at MIT. The two of them had met a few times at conferences and seemed to hit it off well.
The woman, clearly flustered by Sam's flirting, asked, "is Dr. Niehaus expecting you."
"No, but could you tell her that Athena would like a word," Sam said sweetly.
Sam watched the pretty woman's cheeks turn red as she picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Cosima, my love you have a visitor," said the tall blonde on the other end of the line as she put her phone back in its cradle.
"A visitor," Cosima answered her wife distractedly.
"Can they like come back later, I'm kinda in the middle of something right now," she added as she resumed her position in front of her computer screen.
"Ok, I'll tell Athena," to come back later.
Cosima looked up, "Delphine did you say, Athena."
"I did, does that name mean something to you?" her wife asked.
"Yeah, If it's who I think it is," Cosima replied as she stood and took her wife's hand.
She pulled the woman along with her as she headed to meet their visitor.
"So who is this Athena?" Delphine asked.
"She's like a legend, went to MIT, crazy smart."
"And beautiful," Delphine added as they both looked over at the woman in the black leather jacket.
Sam stood to meet the two women. She opened her arms and pulled the shorter of the two women into a brief hug.
Cosima blushed a near scarlet color as she pulled back.
Delphine cleared her throat to get her wife's attention.
"Oh yeah sorry, this is my wife and business partner, Delphine Cormier."
"Delphine this is the mighty Athena," Cosima added.
It was Sam's turn to blush a little as she responded, "I mostly just go by Sam these days."
"How long has it been?" Cosima asked.
"That nanotech conference in Hong Kong," Sam offered.
"What brings you here," Delphine asked with genuine curiosity.
Sam gazed around the large open foyer before she asked, "Can we talk someplace a little more private?"
The attractive couple led Sam back to a space that turned out to be their laboratory.
Sam looked around even more impressed with the ample space, and it's array of high-tech equipment.
"Do you mind if I ask what you specialize in?" Sam asked after they settled around a waist height glass table.
The couple looked at each other trying to figure out how much they should say.
Eventually, Casima offered, "We mainly focus on developing solutions to women's health issues."
Sam had no idea what that meant, and it showed on her face.
"So over there," Cosima began as she pointed at a nearby work table.
"Is a new sensor we developed for GE's next-generation mammogram," the brunette scientist finished.
Sam nodded her head then reached into her bag. She pulled out the little black box placing it on the table. It was clear from their reaction that the two scientists recognized the device.
"Is this one of your creations?" Sam asked.
"Where did you get that," Delphine asked as Cosima picked the device up to examine it.
Instead of answering the blonde's question, Sam asked a follow-up, "What does it do?"
That pulled Cosima out of her examination as she replied, "It as suppose to help people with chronic and severe insomnia."
"But?" Sam asked picking up on something in the other woman's tone.
Delphine took over from there, "Though it showed initial promise in helping our test patients to fall asleep, our brain scans showed that three-quarters of the experimental group were not achieving true restorative sleep."
Cosima seamlessly picked up from there, "The device disrupted the delta waves in the brains in all of the test groups. Some were affected more than others. We tried several adjustments to fix the problem, but when the test subjects started exhibiting some disturbing behavior, we abandoned the project."
"Disturbing behavior?" Sam echoed afraid she already knew the answer.
"When the brain is unable to reach deep sleep it can be disruptive to their mental health," Delphine said.
"What would happen if someone was exposed to this for a prolonged period?" Sam asked.
The couple looked at her alarmed with where the conversation was going.
"Theoretically with long enough exposure, the person's mental state would deteriorate over time leading to deep depression and even suicide. But we monitored the subjects to make sure that their delta waves returned to normal after we ended the trials," Cosima added.
Sam took in a long breath at hearing the confirmation of the worst case.
"You never answered my original question. Does this belong to you?" Sam asked again.
Delphine walked to a nearby lab table and retrieved a set of tools. She took the device apart then took a closer look with a magnifying glass. She handed the glass over to her wife who quickly came to the same conclusion.
"It's one of ours," Cosima confirmed.
"Now tell us how it came to be in your possession," Delphine said rather firmly.
"Someone placed this device behind the bed of someone I know."
Sam watched the two women as their faces went from puzzled, to dismayed, to angry in a span of a few seconds.
"That's equivalent to holding a gun to someone head then pulling the trigger." the blonde scientist pointed out causing her wife to gasp in horror.
"Is your friend dead?" Cosima asked in a shaky voice.
"No, but it was a close thing," Sam said.
Sam asked a few more questions and was glad to hear that there shouldn't be any lasting effects now that Miranda was no longer being exposed to the device.
"So do you have any idea how this device ended up in my friends apartment?" Sam asked.
"Surely you don't think we had anything to with this?" Delphine asked.
Before Sam could say anything, Cosima answered for her, "No sweetheart, Athena knows it wasn't us. She wants to know if we have any idea who could have gotten access to our equipment."
When Sam nodded her agreement, Cosima pulled up a spreadsheet on her computer.
"I just need the serial number from the main board," the scientist said.
Delphine picked up the glass then read off a series of letters and numbers. Cosima started going through the list as her wife joined her leaning over her left shoulder. Sam looked over at the two women noting that they made a rather cute couple.
"Got it," Cosima proclaimed.
Sam stood so she could look over Cosima's other shoulder. The brunette pointed at the screen before she said, "This was the one we sent to our legal counsel so he could file for the patent.
"Who's your counsel?" Sam asked.
Delphine walked to her desk and retrieved a card then handed it over. Sam looked at the card for James Trist, but she didn't recognize the name of his firm.
"Ok, I need a favor." Sam started
"You don't want us to mention this to James," Cosima speculated.
"Actually, I would prefer that you not tell anyone," Sam corrected.
The couple looked at each other before they both agreed to keep this conversation private.
"Only if you promise to tell us what this was all about," Cosima added.
Sam agreed before asking one more question, "how do I disable this thing?"
"Was this in your apartment last night," Cosima asked with concern on her face.
"Yeah, with the housing off," Sam replied.
"Don't do that again," Delphine added before she pulled two wires from a hidden power source. She reassembled the device then handed it back to Sam.
Sam thanked the married couple promising to let them know how everything turned out before taking her leave.
"So, was she your first college crush?" Delphine asked with a smirk.
When her wife did not respond Delphine pushed on, "Oh come on Mi Amore, she's smart, sexy, and the whole leather thing works."
"Ok, Ok, I may have had a crush once upon a time," Cosima admitted.
"I'm guessing you still do," Delphine said then gave her spouse a sweet kiss just above the line of red skin on the younger woman's blushing cheek.
Andy woke but not at her usual time. She looked around the room seeking out the other woman finding her still sleeping in her bed. Her eyes refused to look away as she studied Miranda's face in sleep. It took on an almost angelic peacefulness that was unexpected.
"You're cute when you sleep," Andy said to the sleeping woman.
"Given my reputation, few would agree with your assessment," Miranda replied with eyes still firmly shut.
Andy blushed a little not expecting her words to reach the older woman's ears. Her blush only deepened as the other woman opened an eye.
"I'm not sure what you see in me," Miranda commented.
Andy smiled at her companion before she responded, "I see everything that matters."
Andy had not intended to say that, but her mouth had other plans. She could not quite interpret the look on Miranda's face until the left side of her mouth rose into that little half smirk. Andy was beginning to understand that the look had several meanings. In this case, Andy guessed that it meant Miranda was pleased with her declaration even if she didn't fully understand it.
"Why don't I run you a bath then we can have some breakfast," Andy offered.
The expression of relief on Miranda's face was so completely her that it made Andy smile. Andy took the look as permission, so she got up and walked into her en-suite. She started the bath then poured in a healthy amount of bath oils before topping it off with a little bubble bath. She decided she had time for a quick shower while the large spa style tub filled. It was just about at her desired level as she got out, so she toweled off then slipped into a short silk robe. As she reached over to turn off the taps, Andy heard the door behind her open then close. When she looked back at the older woman, she took note that Miranda's eyes were fixed on her bared legs. She cleared her throat causing her companion to pull her eyes upward though they seemed to linger on her breast before finally reaching her face.
Ignored the feeling of both nipples hardening, Andy spoke, "If you make a list of anything you may need over the next few days, I'll have one of my assistants pick them up."
Miranda could only nod, her perusal of the woman standing before had temporarily rendered her speechless. Never before had the feminine form been so interesting to the former fashion magazine editor. Andy went into her closet dressed then found some loungewear that would not look too baggy on the petite woman. By the time she got back into the bathroom, Miranda had already stripped out of her pajamas and had seated herself into the deep tub. Andy indicated the clothing in her hand before placing it on a nearby counter. She gathered up Miranda's neatly folded pajamas before she said, "do you like coffee."
The broad smile on the woman's face was all the answer Andy needed.
Down in the kitchen, Andy pulled out ingredients deciding to once again go with the more is better philosophy that seemed to have worked the previous evening.
Before getting started, she pulled up her phone and sent a message to her second assistant telling Aubrey to head to Macy's. She sent a list of clothing covering a full array of loungewear, sleepwear, underwear, as well as an assortment of dresses, skirts, blouses, and shoes. She decided to get everything in a size two, hoping to add some meat to Miranda's bones over the next few weeks.
"Assuming she stays that long," a small voice added in the back of her mind.
Andy decided to ignore that concern for now and focus on making their morning meal.
It took her longer than usual as every breakfast item imaginable was now sitting in a warming drawer while her guest finished in the bath. In the meantime, Andy trudged over to her office to do some work. She started with a series of instructions to her first assistant. She paid the woman well so despite the humble title the woman's efficiency meant she could act in Andy's stead in any number of circumstances. By the time she was done, she found Miranda standing in the kitchen. Andy took note that she looked refreshed and quite alluring in the casual clothing and bared feet.
"Down girl," Andy reminded herself.
"How was the bath?" Andy asked.
"Necessary," Miranda responded with a relieved smile.
Miranda handed over a short list of items written on Andy's stationery. Andy took a photo of the list, sent it to Aubrey, then started pulling items out of the warmer.
Miranda laughed once she saw the spread of food that matched last evenings smorgasbord of selections.
Miranda selected a little of everything including pancakes of all things. She gave Andy a grateful look as she took her first sip of excellent coffee. It had been some time since she had anything close to the gourmet brew in her cup.
Without thinking, the two women took the same seats and even the same positions close to one another as they had the previous night. When they finished eating, Miranda watched as Andy once again did all the work to clear the dishes and to put away the food. Miranda had a lot on her mind throughout breakfast, but she wasn't sure how to approach the topic with the younger woman. Instead, she claimed to need a little more rest. Andy was very understanding as she let Miranda know that she'd be in her office if her guest needed anything.
They stood before each other awkwardly as each woman debated how to end the conversation. Finally, Andy leaned in and placed a gentle kiss to Miranda's right cheek. The younger woman was quite pleased with herself as a blush crept up Miranda's cheeks. She suspected that the formidable woman was not used to such displays, but in this case, she allowed it even giving Andy a little smile before turning on her heels.
Sometime later Andy greeted her number two assistant who delivered the clothing and the items from Miranda's list of essentials. She thanked the young woman then gave her enough money to have a nice lunch for two. The woman beamed then thanked her boss for her generosity. The young woman was working out well which meant Andy could move forward with her plan to promote her first assistant. It was time for Jenny to take on more responsibility. Besides pulling Audrey from under Jenny's direct supervision would be wise given the torrid little affair the two women thought they were doing a good job of hiding. Andy smiled trying to imagine the dynamic between the well put together older redhead and the more carefree younger blonde. She made a conscious effort to stop thinking about the love life of her two assistants and went in search of her house guest.
She opened the door to her bedroom and had to smile as she spotted Miranda lounging in her chair reading her Kindle. "Wearing your clothes," her mind added.
It made her happy to see Miranda so comfortable in her bedroom. She cleared her throat causing the older woman to look up. Before she could say anything Miranda spoke, "I would have started with Game of Thrones earlier had I known there was this much sex."
Andy blushed a bright red before she responded," Oh, that's someone else's take on GOT."
Miranda's raised eyebrow forced Andy to explain further, "A fan, who thought that Aria and Dani should be a couple, wrote it."
"Well I particularly enjoyed the younger woman's chivalrous nature," Miranda commented.
Andy gave the other woman a long look trying to interpret any hidden meaning behind her words.
"I spoke to Lily. She had a meeting run long so we'll be on our own for lunch," Andy said needing a change of subject.
Miranda's smile made Andy quite happy for the delay.
She laid the new clothing on the bed then slipped into the en-suite to put Miranda's essentials in a drawer that she'd cleared out for the other woman. As she walked back into her bedroom, she was surprised to see the older woman was only wearing one of the matching bra and panty sets that she'd provided. Andy apologized for the intrusion and turned to go back into the bathroom.
"Surely you are not turning shy now," Miranda said.
Andy turned back with a look of shock on her face. It disappeared when she saw the shining amusement in the other woman's blue eyes and that sexy little half smirk plastered on her face.
She took a long appraising look at the older woman, pleased to see that she was already starting to look healthier.
"Nonsense she looks damn good," another part of her countered.
Miranda took in the open look of interest as her body responded on its own volition. She refused to feel embarrassed by her hardened nipples or the sudden slickness she felt between her legs.
"I, I'll make us a couple of sandwiches," Andy said moving swiftly towards the door.
Miranda did not say a word, but she did nothing to cover herself as the younger woman took one last look desire written plainly on her face. It had been a long time since Miranda had truly felt wanted like this. She'd had sex several times since assuming her Miriam persona, but it had been more about forgetting their collective problems than any real old fashion desire. That was not the case this time; the way the younger wanted her was not just flattering but.
"But what?" her mind asked.
"Overwhelming, intense, sexy."
Did she want this?
"Oh yes," her body was saying even if her mind had yet to catch up with that fact.
"God, she wanted to be touched so badly right now."
She briefly considered doing something about that as soon as the younger woman left the room, but the idea of being interrupted by the other woman weighted on her. Not that she would necessarily mind it, but she wasn't quite ready to open herself to the younger woman.
Then there was her failed suicide attempt she had yet to deal with. Could she be trusted not to hurt a woman who'd already suffered so much in her young life?
"Denying her desires would hurt her too," she thought ruefully.
"Damned if I do, damned if I don't."
Her desire cooled a little as the debate continued in her head.
By the time she looked up again, the younger woman had slipped out of the room. She looked over the clothing and was pleasantly surprised that she did not object to any of the selections. She picked out a pair of grey slacks finding them well fitting. She took a moment to enjoy the feel of the elegant fabric against her skin for the first time in years. She paired the slacks with a black silk blouse and four-inch heels creating a pleasing silhouette. She stepped into the bathroom and quickly spotted her preferred beauty products. Looking into the mirror, she had a brief debate with herself.
On the one hand, Andy had expressed her interest upon seeing her at her worst. On the other, why not put her best foot forward. The last argument held sway as she began opening the new products. She gave herself one final look and was pleased to see the reemergence of Miranda.
Andy decided to repurpose some of the leftover food from last night's dinner, turning them into panini sandwiches for them both. Andy had just finished brewing some iced tea when Miranda walked into the room. Her brain-locked as she saw Miranda Priestly in all her glory for the first time. The effect was dazzling on the younger woman. It was as if the woman she'd been cohabitating with for the last few days had transformed from gorgeous to goddess.
Miranda took note of Andy's reaction and was pleased with her decision to go for it.
"You look really nice," Andy finally managed then looked aghast at the inartful turn of phrase.
Miranda merely smiled as she said," lunch smells divine. What are we having?"
Andy described what she'd done as she placed a plate and glass in front of her guest.
True to her word Lily arrived shortly after lunch. By her friend's demeanor, Andy could tell that the news was not great. She made the introductions before leading both women to the den. Andy took a seat on a comfortable couch and was happy when Miranda chose to sit next to her. She could tell that the older woman was picking up on Lily's mood as she too looked nervous. She held out her hand, and the other woman took it while giving her a grateful look. She ignored Lily's pointed look as she asked, "tell us what you've found out?"
"The good news is that your case has been assigned to a new judge," Lily began. The look she gave Andy made it clear that she suspected Sam's intervention, but they both knew better than to have that conversation.
"That is good news," Andy said unsure of the source of Lily's consternation.
"The problem is Judge Graves won't care about how unfair the previous ruling was, her only concern will be the welfare of the children," Lily stated.
Andy felt Miranda's hand tighten in hers at this news.
"Using Miranda's recent past against her is hardly fair," Andy countered.
"Fair or not if your ex-husband's council has a pulse he'll bring it up during the hearing."
"And then there is the matter of how you two became acquainted," Lily offered diplomatically.
Despite the sugar coating, the words hit Miranda square in the gut.
"The worst part of it all is that I don't even know why I did it," Miranda said with a voice full of regret.
"I may be able to shed some light on that subject," Sam said entering the room and dropping a black box onto the table.
AN: Things are starting to happen people. How will Miranda react to the news that her suicide attempt was actually attempted murder? I hope you like where this is headed as things are starting to heat up between our favorite ladies as well. Andy's obviously got it bad. How long can Miranda resist? Hint, Hint, not for long. I was happy to find a reason to bring Cosima and Delphine in for a quick visit that also moved the story forward. By the way, I do not claim ownership of any characters from the TV Show Orphan Black (that honor belongs to co-creators John Fawcett and Graeme Manson). I just love writing about smart girls so expect me to introduce other smart girls as our story continues to unfold. Tell me what you think.