A/N: Hey everyone :) sorry for the delay. College and work you know.. At any rate, I don't own DWP. And also I do not have a Beta so if there are any mistakes I do apologies! Oh and I make some reference to real people. I tried to make it as accurate as possible but I'm not extremely familiar with American culture, so terribly sorry if I got it way wrong. Please enjoy :D
Chapter 4: Sway
The main hall was packed, much like sardines in a can. There was few enough people that you could walk around, but just enough that you could find yourself lost in the crowd. The place had a curious smell, not at all unpleasant. Perhaps it was the mix of many different perfumes and the endless amount of champagne. The lights from the chandeliers shone slightly dimmer than what was expected. It gave the room a warm inviting glow, as if to further emphasize comfort. In the background a band played a soft melody that seemed to visibly relax the crowd. As Andy sipped her glass of champagne, she wondered if this was the desired effect.
She was standing with a small group of men and women discussing, or in Andy's case vaguely listening, some campaign or other.
"Yes but in my opinion he just isn't a good fit."
"He is pretty young, and if he beats Hillary he'll be going up against McCain and the rest."
"I don't know, Hillary's a tough girl."
"Doesn't hurt that her husband's former president too, eh?"
Andy couldn't help but sigh at this. And for the first time sense arriving near the group she spoke up.
"Hillary has a good record of being able to get herself out there without President Clinton holding her hand. She's been in politics for a while, which means she's had plenty of exposure to what's expected for the position. I think she could handle herself." This earned her some appreciative looks and a few glares. She didn't back down though.
"And Obama may be young but he does have a decent amount of experience. Plus he's bringing new, fresh ideas to the table. Which frankly, the government needs desperately. The old policies aren't going to cut it."
"Guess we don't have to ask what side you're on huh?" A tall, older man quipped. A few people chuckled. Andy blushed faintly and smiled politely.
"I'm for change." She responded confidently.
"Change isn't always a good thing. What makes you think any of the Democrats will know what they're doing if they got into office? They don't know anything about what's really going on in this world. All they care about is the environment and helping the poor to make themselves look good. And what about this ozone layer BS? It's all getting a little old." The older man responded, he smiled and looked around the group. A few people nodded their agreement.
"Guess we don't have to ask what side you're on huh?" Andy replied cheekily. At first she expected the gentleman to argue or take offense, but instead he laughed a deep throaty laugh that was strangely infectious. Andy found herself chuckling along with them.
"No young lady you most certainly don't" he held out his hand. "The name's Walter. Walter Evenshire. And you might be?"
Andy took his hand and gave him her firmest handshake. "Andy Sachs, a pleasure Mr. Evenshire." It dawned on Andy suddenly who this man was, and she quickly added "I've read The Mirror, it's really good writing."
"I certainly hope so as much as it's making me." He replied, taking swig from the glass of amber liquid he'd been holding.
"It was, the last issue was quite interesting. I particularly enjoyed the article about New York life and how tourists perceive it. I thought it was pretty hilarious." Andy had to stop herself from gushing. The Mirror was not a major paper by far, but it was a good one. With stories that the New York Times would probably bypass, The Mirror always promised to have a few hidden gems in their lineup.
"Well I'm glad you appreciate the writers' hard work Ms. Sachs. Tell me, out of curiosity what is your current occupation?"
"Oh, I'm a, um assistant at Runway." At this Mr. Evenshire seemed rather surprised. He was likely wondering what a mere assistant was doing at such a gathering. Andy was slowly beginning to wonder that too, Miranda had yet to show herself.
"Hmm, you know," He began, but got distracted by a woman squeezing his arm in greeting. He flashed her a toothy grin and bowed his head a bit in acknowledgment. The two people began exchanging pleasantries. Andy sipped her champagne and stepped back a bit out of courtesy. When Mr. Evenshire finished, he looked around and caught sight of Andy again.
"Excuse me Ms. Sachs, what was I saying? Oh yes, you know you remind me of my reporters." He gave her a knowing, almost fatherly smile. Andy perked up a bit at this, silly of course, but it wasn't everyday someone told her she seemed like a reporter.
"Oh?" she managed.
"Mm-hmm you got the same look in your eyes. Like you're hungry for something." He took another swig from his glass, smiling as he did so.
"Or maybe you're just hungry." He chuckled, his cheeks had turned red from the alcohol.
"Well being in a crowd like this does leave you starved for intellectual stimulation. Present company excluded." She said, casting her eyes briefly over the bubbling crowd.
Mr. Evenshire eyed her with amusement before saying "And you certainly don't seem short of an opinion. Tell you what," He reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled out a card. Handing it to Andy he said "If you're ever in need of a "change" why don't you give us a call, I'm sure we could find a place for a smart girl like you." With that, he bowed his head to her and allowed himself to be pulled into another group discussion.
Andy walked away, looking down at the card she'd just received. A slow grin creped on her face. She had just made a connection, one that had nothing to do with Miranda and Runway. Someone had noticed her without her having to flaunt who she worked for. She tucked the card away into her clutch purse and still wearing her grin, swapped her empty champagne flute for a fresh one. Taking a generous sip, she hummed as the liquid fizzed against her throat. Perhaps tonight wouldn't be so bad after all.
She passed the next few moments by chatting casually with the people around her. The topics varied from the stock market to the latest affair. Apparently even financially endowed people enjoyed a good gossip. Most of the information was meaningless to her, but Andy listened anyway. You never knew when such knowledge would prove useful. She was currently involved in a group who chattered away about some celebrity one of them had been frequenting. Mrs. Von Heisenberg was five minutes into her story when someone tapped Andy lightly on the shoulder. As she turned to see who it might be, she was greeted with a large smile depicting perfect white teeth.
" 'ello Ahndee, fancy meeting you here." Nana said cheerily, cocking her head to the side playfully.
"Oh hi Nana" Andy eyed the designer up and down briefly, taking in her appearance. A habit she seemed to have picked up from work. Nana's outfit resembled an upside down flower bud. It was unlike any of the dresses Andy had ever seen. "You look stunning." She finished, Andy fought the blush that threatened her face, Nana really did look great.
"Why thank you Ahndee, so do you. Christian Dior suits you perfectly." At this Nana did a very poor job of hiding her eyes dragging slowly down Andy's figure. "I must say." She added, finally meeting the other woman's gaze. The blush that Andy strove to keep at bay finally spilled over her cheeks. She took another sip of champagne.
"So, um enjoying yourself so far?" Andy asked shakily. She forced herself not to fiddle with her purse. She really needed to work on that. Nana gave her a tired smile in response.
"In truth, I've only been down here for 10 minutes. I've been trapped upstairs mending my creation." She sighed. "But so far, yes I'm enjoying myself very much." She leaned her head towards Andy as if this comment were some sort of secret. They stood only a foot apart and so Nana's perfume wafted gently. Vanilla, Andy thought, and something else.
Andy cleared her throat as if to clear her mind. "Your creation. Oh gosh you mean Miranda's dress? Did something happen?"
The serene smile Nana wore evaporated instantly into a bitter scowl that could rival Emily. As if she'd forgotten what happened to the dress until just that moment.
"Yes, some daft idiot was fixing Miranda's hair. I don't know how she managed it but she snapped off two strings of crystals from the bloody dress! I could have strangled her, the twit. But Miranda got to her before I could." She glanced at Andy whose face was slipping into horror when she added "Verbally of course. At any rate it's all fixed now, she should be down any minute."
"And what a sight she'll be." Came a familiarly amused voice from Andy's side. Both women turned to see Nigel in all of his fabulous glory. He was dressed in a slim black tuxedo with a spice berry/plaid bow tie. He offered his glass to them and they clinked in a silent toast. As she watched him sip his martini Andy asked "Why didn't you say you'd be coming too? We could've came together." Certainly it would have helped calm her down on the ride over.
"Well I didn't know I'd be coming, did I? I received a last minute call from Miranda telling me that I was to be in attendance and so." He gestured in a sweeping motion towards himself. "Voila." According to Nigel, Miranda managed to have some poor couple booted out of the gathering to make room for Nana and him.
"Perhaps someday I won't have to come to her every beck and call. But tonight isn't so bad." He and Nana clinked in agreement. Andy just smiled, working for Miranda could be hell but it wasn't without its perks.
"I've only been here for a few minutes and I've already got three numbers." Nigel could barely seem to suppress his glee. The women looked to one another and then to Nigel, giving him knowing smirks. He rolled his eyes.
"From clients you ninnies."
"Oh yeah?"
"Runway's offering that sort of service now is it?" Andy and Nana snorted as Nigel made a great show of being scandalized. Despite that, the tips of his ears had turned pink.
"You both have sick little minds don't you?" he said over his martini glass. Nana giggled and playfully nudged Andy. She shrugged her shoulders helplessly as if to say 'What are you gonna do?'
Nigel shook his head and casually looking around the room he said "Well one of the numbers was just for me, we'll leave it at that shall we?" He glanced over to see the women trying their best not to double over with laughter. He grinned at the sight.
"Knew it." They said in unison.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, get it out of your system." He glanced up towards the staircase and smirked. "And quickly too, don't want Miranda seeing her minions in such a state do we?"
Andy stifled her amusement long enough to give Nigel a curious look. "What are you talking about, Miranda hasn't come down yet." In response Nigel simply lifted his chin towards the grand staircase that connected the private upper floor to the hall. As Andy's eyes drifted across the room to the staircase she noticed that nearly everyone was looking in the same direction. The hall became markedly quieter with only the band and a few murmurs to fill the silence.
There was only one person who had the ability to capture the awe and envy of everyone in the hall. Only one person could silence a room so effectively without even trying. And naturally everyone knew that this individual was the only one in attendance worth halting themselves for.
Miranda appeared at the top of the grand staircase, a vision in gold. It would soon become clear to everyone that she was made for grand entrances. The light from the chandeliers reflected from her body and seemed to cause her to glow. Or perhaps she always glowed. No one seemed to recall her doing so before this instant, but the oozing of color and light from her form came so natural it was difficult to tell. The woman in question took a short moment to look about the crowd below, if for no other reason than to gather how many people were in attendance that evening. She turned her head slightly to the gentleman to her right. One could imagine she was relating this comment to him. He too looked about the commoners below him, gave a nod and word of agreement and then offered his arm to her. Together they began their decent to the sea of curious stares below.
The staircase was a long one, but Miranda and her mystery companion made quick work of it. By the time they reached the halfway point of the fixture Miranda's dress became more apparent. A high neck halter that appeared to be made up entirely of golden crystals graced her neck. The crystals had a firm grip until they reached her collarbones. At this point they loosened their hold and gradually draped across her frame, similar to a necklace, all the way down to her naval. The material underneath this construction was of a golden/nude tint. The fabric hugged at curves most never knew she had. Smaller crystals shown from behind their stringed companions in an almost armor-like way before slowly scattering and becoming scarcer as they flowed down her body. The dress was diaphanous, just sheer enough that the faint outline of toned legs could be seen beneath it.
As Miranda and her escort finally reached the base of the stairs the guests slowly went back to what they were doing before. A few brave souls decided they would be first to greet the editor. For their bravery they received an alarmingly charming smile, one woman even got an air kiss. This "party-mode" as Andy called it was in clear contrast with the venomous mood she held hours before. How Miranda so expertly schooled her emotions was still a mystery to Andy. As far a she could see the only evidence that anything had been wrong with Miranda was her eyes. Her gaze was sharp and calculating, like a lion searching for its next victim. And the poor lambs that surrounded her hadn't a clue.
"My God," Nigel said. "The design is even more stunning than I remember." He turned to Nana and gave her an impressed look. Nana blew out her cheeks as if letting go of her breath she had been holding. Miranda had made it down the stairs in one piece, and judging by the buzz in the room the dress was a success. A few women were already asking about the brains behind such a garment.
"Thanks Nigel. Oi, I'll take another." Nana quickly switched her empty flute with a fresh one, downing half in one gulp. "Sorry, bit nervous." She answered to Nigel and Andy's raised eyebrows.
Nearly a whole hour passed at the gala and by this time it was in full swing. If it looked odd to anyone that Andy was not shadowing Miranda by now, it was simply that Andy couldn't seem to do it. Every time she made to go over to her, Miranda would disappear, only to reappear clear on the other side of the room. Eventually after several tries Andy gave up and figured she'd just keep a look out on occasion to ensure Miranda didn't need her.
People danced and talked and drank more and more as the evening progressed. It became clear that this event was being held mostly to help everyone make connections. 'And boy are they doing it.' Andy thought to herself. Nigel and Nana had raked up 12 numbers combined. New clients and potential projects would surely be a help to both of them. Andy had gotten a respectable amount of three numbers so far. One of which was a certain competing editor who wanted to steal Andy away. (She quickly tossed that card aside) She was also learning quite a bit from the moguls and socialites around her. Like the hottest restaurants, how best to bribe the mayor, and what celebrity would be coming to town soon. Information she hoped would prove useful to her at some point.
Andy was just in the middle of debating how relevant 50 Cent was to the fashion world when something shiny and golden caught her eye. A few paces away Miranda was walking with her mystery escort to the middle of the floor. A decent portion in the middle of the hall had been cleared out for those who wished to dance. There were at least ten couples twirling about before Miranda arrived there. The people instinctively gave them some space as they began to join in.
Andy struggled to keep herself from gawking as she watched Miranda glide elegantly across the floor with her partner. The woman oozed confidence as they moved along to the rhythm of the song Sway, sung by a lady standing near the band who had the most sensual voice Andy had ever heard. Her cheeks stung as she watched Miranda's hips roll to every turn the song took.
Despite Miranda's skills with her dancing companion, she did not seem solely interested in him. As they turned about the floor Miranda's eyes wondered from person to person before finally settling on Andy. This froze the assistant to the spot, and unable to move Andy helplessly watched Miranda bend and sway. In turn Miranda took every opportunity to glance at Andy from the dance floor. Andy shifted against her corset, becoming increasingly aware of her body and how suddenly hot she felt.
Finally the song drew to a close and a softer melody took its place. Miranda's partner seemed to excuse himself leaving her to navigate the sea of people alone. She handled it easily of course as she did nearly every outing. After a short while of chatting lightly with the people around her Andy saw Miranda make her way towards her. Andy immediately went over a list of things Miranda might need in this moment and tried desperately not to notice how sheer her outfit really was.
"Andrea." Miranda said in greeting, instantly going over Andy's outfit. Andy held her breath as she waited for the verdict.
"Quite acceptable." She finally finished. "I trust you've been doing something useful and not standing around like a mindless drone." Miranda had turned her back to Andy mid-sentence, giving Andy a full view of her backless dress. She gulped and moved herself to Miranda's side. They both looked on at the other guests as Andy answered.
"Well I spoke with Mr. Evenshire of The Mirror." She paused for effect, but not receiving the reaction she'd hoped for she pouted inwardly and moved on. "I also bumped into Robbie Myers who expressed her- um, "concern" for my choice of employment." Andy instantly regretted sharing this with Miranda, she felt like a child tattling on some naughty school mate. Miranda rolled her eyes so hard Andy half feared they'd get stuck.
"That vulture is always trying to steal my assistants. Her attempts at Emily are too numerous to count." She drawled. "So I suppose it was only a matter of time before she came after you. I cannot fathom why she seems to be at a loss for decent help but it is no problem of mine." She sniffed. Andy didn't know much about the Robbie/Miranda feud other than it involved several mutinous employees and a bad tip about a Betsey Johnson and Michael Kors collaboration. The prospect sounded very unappealing to Andy.
"At any rate," Miranda turned slightly to face Andy. "I do hope you have been enjoying yourself despite certain unwelcome advances. Though," and here Miranda paused and seemed to look over Andy once more, eyes darkening as she did so. Andy gulped audibly. "I'm sure you've had no end of flattering compliments. Perhaps even a few gentlemanly offers?" She inquired casually, as though asking about the weather.
Andy's brain shutdown for five seconds to allow this statement to sink in. It wasn't an odd thing to say to someone. If Andy were honest, it was really rather nice. However the fact that Miranda seemed even vaguely concerned whether Andy was enjoying herself was.. odd. Which was sad to admit but Miranda never showed much care for how she or Emily felt. Add to that the compliment she had just bestowed upon Andy. She was beginning to wonder if she'd entered some kind of twilight zone.
Maybe it was the champagne, or maybe it was the dress, either way Andy decided to play along with this turn in Miranda's mood.
"Well there were some cat-calls I mean what can I say." She shrugged and looked up to the ceiling. Miranda snorted softly, clearly finding the mock vanity amusing. "But as for offers, if they had I wouldn't be interested."
"Ah, still carrying on with the chef I see." She said "chef" as if it were dirty, which stung Andy a bit.
"No, Nate and I-" She bit her lip. "We broke up." A small sense of satisfaction seeped into Andy, but she didn't know why.
A flash of something unidentifiable crossed Miranda's face for a quick moment before disappearing behind a mask of confidence and charm. The woman closed her eyes briefly, allowing the corners of her mouth to twitch into something of a smile. Despite that she said "My condolences of course." She did not look the least bit sorry.
"But if you are no longer bound then, forgive me, why not partake?" What? Andy looked at her glass and pondered if someone had laced it with a hallucinogen.
"Um, I just didn't feel it, you know?" She mentally kicked herself. Was she in the 9th grade or something?
Miranda tilted her head slightly in a very feline sort of way. "Didn't feel it, hmm." She repeated, as if contemplating the meaning. Andy's face turned red for the thousandth time that evening. She was just about to dig herself into a deeper hole when Miranda's mystery escort returned. He looked exhausted but pleased to see them.
"That Grierson sure can talk can't he?" The man said, dark brown eyes sparkling with mirth. His voice was deep and warm and reminded Andy of a lit fireplace, which made no sense she realized. He stood a whole head taller than both women and had graying black hair. Overall quite handsome Andy had to admit.
"Daniel this is Andrea, my assistant. Andrea this is Daniel Fujiwara, President of the Morimoto publishing firm in Japan." Miranda smiled politely as Andy shook the man's hand. She had no idea who this man was but she intended to find out.
Daniel then regaled them with tales of the encounters he'd had that evening, each more amusing than the last. By the end of it Miranda could not quite hide her chuckles and her cheeks were a pale shade of pink. It was a strange but wonderful sight. She even drank freely from her glass of champagne that Daniel had passed to her earlier. Miranda was really enjoying herself. Andy then realized Miranda had been here for nearly two and a half hours which meant that she must really be having a good time. As custom dictates she'd have left nearly an hour ago.
"Well anyway, after he finally stopped babbling about his "boat" he agreed to the offer." Daniel sighed contentedly, sipping his own drink. "Suppose he just wanted to get that off his chest." Miranda shook her head in pity and Andy smiled enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.
"And what of your conquests Miranda?" Daniel asked.
Miranda shot Andy a quick glance as if contemplating whether she could be trusted. Reaching a decision she said "Mr. Mathews and Mr. Calloway have both.. submitted. So in all, a moderate success." Miranda practically purred with satisfaction. It sent shivers down Andy's spine to see how much inner glee it gave Miranda to bring two investors (she assumed) to their wrinkled knees. The hunt had begun the moment she walked down those stairs and there were already two casualties. Three if you included Daniel's capture. They seemed to make a formidable duo so far.
But why were they a duo in the first place? Andy's curiosity was definitely peeked.
Eventually Miranda grew tired of standing on formalities. She politely excused herself, and by extension Andy, for the evening. Daniel seemed to understand and bade them farewell. The two men they were chatting with quickly gave their cards to Andy, clearly wanting a call back from the editor.
The hall was just big enough that Andy had time to text Roy that they had finished. As they made their way to the main doors she spotted Nana chatting with a bizarrely dressed woman in a polka-dot dress and bright red wig. Nana caught Andy's gaze and winked, lifting her glass to her as goodbye. Andy then tried spotting Nigel but he was nowhere to be seen.
Roy of course was parked just beyond the door when they stepped out. Both butlers, upon seeing the pair walk up, immediately made to open the car doors. When Andy and Miranda were safely inside they bowed their heads slightly and sent them off. Roy pulled away from the mansion and the ride back was spent in relative silence. It wasn't until they reached the city did words fill the air.
And for whatever reason Andy found the words came from her.
"I really enjoyed myself tonight so, um.. thanks for inviting me. It was a great learning experience." Miranda's eyebrows raised, the only indication that she'd heard. Andy went on. "Of course everyday as your assistant is a learning experience. Um, not to say that I'm still trying to catch up but I-" she was halted mid-babble by a delicately raised hand.
"Andrea." Miranda said with a hint of exasperation. Silence once more.
It was five minutes later when Miranda spoke.
"You must learn how to control that nervous tick of yours. That's not the first time I've heard you break out in gibberish." She cast Andy a sidelong look. "How do you expect to gain influence in your desired field with such an easy tell?" She turned her regal head back to the window, clearly she didn't expect an answer.
Andy would later blame this next statement on the three or four glasses of champagne she had that evening.
"The only time I ever get so nervous I speak in "gibberish" is when it's to you or in reference to you. Otherwise I'm a fairly well composed person." She finished weakly.
Miranda turned her head slowly back to Andy. Once again the corset beneath her dress became incredible hot and uncomfortable. Her whole body must be red, she'd thought. She began to find the dark floor of the Mercedes very interesting. As the car pulled up to the townhouse, Miranda made a noise as if she were going to say something. Andy's head snapped up in attention.
Miranda closed her mouth, abandoning her original thought. Instead she simply looked at Andy. Closely, the way she did at the gala when she danced with Daniel. Her blue eyes were darkened and mysterious. She continued to watch Andy silently until Roy finally made his way to her door. As she stepped out she uttered a barely audible "Good night." And in a flash of gold she was gone.
'Good night Miranda.' Andy thought as Roy drove away.