When the first morning lights made their usual trip up the old building's walls and into the shabby offices, they were no doubt very surprised to hit a live object. A very asleep, moderately hungover brunette was hunched over her laptop. The rosy lights surrounded her peace while they could.
Soon, Andy's colleagues were flocking back into work. To be perfectly honest, nobody was in much fitter shape than Andy herself. They had to down a couple of coffees before they noticed Andy's dire situation. A few „Oh gosh I'll never drink again" vows were murmured over those coffees. The headaches, oversleeps, blurred visions and casual one-night hookups were as bad as if somebody had spiked their drinks the day before. Scott, for example, had hooked up with Jeanine last night. He deeply regretted the move and decided to avoid Jeanine now by quickly asking Andy (whom he really fancied but never had the nerve to ask out) how the editorial was coming along.
"Hey! Sleeping Beauty!" he tapped Andy's shoulder. Andy snored in reply. "Wake up Andy, you're in deep sh-"
At this moment, Greg strolled in with a big smile on his face.
The whole office went up in a roar of celebration. As all of them swarmed around Greg, they barely noticed how pale and thin he still was from those months of illness and invasive therapy. But the warmth and the little smile were back on his face.
"All right all right all right, " he struggled his way out of all the hungover hugs, "I need to be in my office now! Somebody wake up and send in Andy, okay? "
It was a team effort. The women of the pack gently slapped and wet facial wiped Andy to consciousness while the males went hunting for fresh coffee and some high-calorie snack. Andy was a very anti-morning person as they knew. Five minutes on, she was relatively awake and prepped to visit Greg.
"Grrrrrwhahello-" Andy murmured to Scott, the one who volunteered to stand her up and launch her toward the editor's office.
"Andy! Wake up and act sober for gossakes" Scott pleaded. "Greg's back and he already wants to see you. "
"Huh? Whapfffff - ouch" Andy replied as her left knee banged against something sharp and heavy. "Leave me… leave me here to dieeeee. "
"Fat chance, Sachsie, " Scott laughed. "You're on!"
Andy was thus pushed into Greg's office and left to her own devices.
She slumped into a chair.
"Hi Andy, " Greg beamed. "Rough night? "
"Aaaargh. You have NO IDEA, " she replied. "So sorry, Greg – I mean, so happy to see you – you're alright now, promise? "
"I'm doing my best, things are looking up, " Greg reassured. "But… I've had some bad feelings about you working so late. "
"Huh? " Andy's hangover replied. She was half-asleep again.
"So, there was this power outage? "
Andy's intoxication was gone in an instant. She sat up and stared guiltily at her boss.
"What? How did you know? "
Greg opened his laptop and started typing.
"I just know stuff, " came his casual reply. "You know, don't worry about that editorial, Andy. Scott will be glad to write it, I'm sure he wants to keep busy this morning. Let me PM him on this assignment" Greg typed in the PM and let Andy bury her face in her hands.
"So sorry, Greg! Things got weird and I think – I think I just slept on the job. "
"Nevermind, I said, " Greg said. His tone suddenly carried an intensity which made Andy listen extra hard. "I want to see you happy at last, Andy. "
"Excuse me? " the young brunette was blushing now. She always knew Greg was a gifted empath, but this conversation was getting very personal very fast, even for Greg. Then, she had a terrible thought. "Are you firing me? "
Greg suddenly roared with laughter.
"My dear girl, why would I do that? Maybe to escort you back to Runway? " he winked.
Andy's blush was now a deep crimson creeping down her neck.
"What are you getting at? " she squeaked.
Greg started typing again. Andy observed him with very mixed feelings. Then, she felt a strange sensation overcome all her normal mixed feelings. It was as if, suddenly, she was thrust onto a stage, standing in the limelight - and she was perfectly in the zone, in character, it was her cue and she knew exactly what to say.
"I'm in love with Miranda, " she heard these words fly out of her mouth.
Greg slowly smiled and nodded.
"WHAT? " Andy sprung up and screamed so loud that Scott and the rest of the pack peeped in worriedly. Maybe Sachsie was in real trouble now?
"GREG? "
"Yes, Andy? " Greg's smile was visibly scream-proof.
"Why did I just say something like this to you? "
"Well, why did you, darling? "
Andy's mixed feelings were back with a vengeance. She had a terrible hunch.
"Greg, " she said with high caution for every word she uttered, "I feel violated. Something weird is going on here! "
Without further ado, she leaped across the small room behind Greg and stared onto his laptop screen before he could shut it. And there it was: a script of their talk, eeriely similar to the fanfic she had been scribbling last night!
" 'I'm in love with Miranda,' Andy said in a small voice. "
These were the final words in Greg's script.
"What in the…?" Andy whispered and grabbed Greg by the shoulders. "Tell me what's going on, Greg!"
"All right, " the older man complied. "I think you deserve the truth. I'd like to pass on something ancient and important to you Andy. It can fix almost anything in your life. Listen carefully! "
CHAPTER 4 COMING SOON WITH *PLENTY* OF MIRANDA HILARITY AS REQUESTED ;)
