2

As the three exited the elevator onto the Runway floor they were all still chuckling. Andy opened the large glass doors to the magazine office and motioned for Cassidy and Caroline to enter first saying. "Ladies."

As they walk back to their mother's office, a quietness overtakes them and both girls resume their mature serious demeanor.

Andy notices the change like a switch has been flipped and questions in her mind it's relevance. They round the corner and Andy stops and feels the air leave her lungs. She stands staring as the girls move to the arms of the most amazing woman Andy has ever, ever seen.

"Hello darlings", she kisses one then the other on the top of the head. Andy feels a chill run down her spine when she hears that smooth icy voice.

Miranda looks up and realizes that the girls have an escort. She gasps, not noticed by anyone but her girls and they look at each other curiously. She allows Cassidy and Caroline to lead her toward the woman standing in front of her. 'Those eyes' she thinks, 'someone could fall right into those gorgeous brown pools.

"Mom" Cassidy says

"This is Andy Sachs" Caroline finishes. The girls voices snap both women out of their thoughts and they both resume their awareness of the world around them.

Andy approaches with one of her blinding smiles "It is a pleasure to meet you ma`am."

"Miranda, please. I see you have already met my girls," Miranda tries to maintain her Snow Queen mask but just can't seem to replace it completely in this "girls'" presence. "Did you meet in the elevator on the ride up?"

Cassidy and Caroline look at each other and then at Andy. One look from her and they know the truth is all that Andy will allow.

"Caroline, Cassidy?" Miranda asks looking to one to the other then at Andy who is standing quietly waiting.

"Not exactly" Caroline responds.

"Girls." They know that tone. It's the tone their mother uses when she is making very clear she wants answers and wants them now.

"Actually," Andy chimes in, feeling the girls fear of admitting their failure to pay attention to the traffic for fear of being late to meet her. "I met them on the street. A cab, not paying attention came a little too close for comfort and I just happened to be the one who got their attention in time."

Both girls smiled a huge thank you to their new friend.

Miranda immediately bent down and took both girls into her arms and hugged them tightly. Andy saw the love behind her closed eyes as she held them to her. 'WOW' she thought.

Miranda rose and regained her composure looking at the girls, "You have to be more careful. You are supposed to look out for each other." She looked back to Andy and spoke sincerely, "Thank you," looking deep into her eyes.

'WOW' Andy thought again "Please, think nothin` of it. It was a true pleasure meetin` the girls.

"Mom" Caroline says, "Andy doesn't think we're identical."

"Isn't that cool!" Cassidy chimes in, "You're the only other person that thinks that."

"Even Dad has trouble telling us apart," Caroline finishes.

"Well that's wonderful," it was Miranda realized. "I understand we have a meeting scheduled, would you mind if we continue this in my office and the girls join us. Their presence here is a direct result of you being here. When I saw you were meeting with me, I knew I would have to endure a very unhappy existence at home if they found out and didn't get to meet you. It seems they are quite the fans."

"I would enjoy that very much. I'm quickly becoming a fan of theirs as well" Andy said with a smile for each girl.

'WOW' Miranda thought. 'Where did that come from?' she thought again. "This way" Miranda motioned for the singer to enter her inner office. The girls followed and Miranda closed the door behind her.

Cassidy and Caroline moved to the couch on the far side of the office and sat down. Miranda moved behind her large glass desk, covered with papers, photos and magazines. "Please sit" she said and motioned to Andy as she slid into her leather chair.

"I must admit, a meeting with me is not as easy to schedule as some might think. Fortunately for you, your agent must know the right people."

"I would like to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to see me." Andy said sincerely.

"Hmm." Miranda said, now all business. "What is it exactly that I can do for you?"

Andy takes a deep breath "Well, I need two dresses."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we don't sell dresses here."

"Oh, I know," Andy grins "Let me start at the beginning."

Miranda leans back in her chair and the girls look on with interest.

"I'm from Berry Hill Tennessee. Down there, fashion, fancy fashion is not somethin that is easily available to a girl growin up on a ranch. When my career first started I was very young. My style was and still is my own. However, the change in the direction of my life as well as my music career seems to dictate a change in my appearance as well for more formal events. I am performin at the Country Music Association Awards this year and want very much to present myself as the woman I have become and not the teen phenom that I was." Andy looks at Miranda who shows no evidence of her thoughts. "I do not know what would best suit me, the me I am now and the personal style I wish to project. My agent informed me that there was only one person who could help, who could look at me and see what I can't. That person I'm told is you." She smiled a blinding smile to Miranda

"Mom!" the twins' excited voices rang out "you have to…"

Miranda looked at them and raised her brows. They sat back quietly.

Andy spoke again "I know you are a very busy woman, but I want the best. I came to NY two weeks early with the hope you could work in some time to help me."

Her confidence was refreshing to Miranda, this young woman with all her sincere honesty. And truth be told She didn't want to say no to her. "Very well"

Dual hushed "yes's" came from the couch and they grinned as Miranda looked over at them.

"Can I assume then that your schedule is clear for the rest of the day?" Miranda asked standing up and moving to the front of her desk.

Andy couldn't help but notice the woman's grace as she moved. "Yes. I don't have anything until next week."

Miranda moved to the door and opened it. "Emily"

'Where'd she come from?' Andy didn't remember seeing the thin red head when she and the girls arrived, but her attention had been other wise occupied.

"Reschedule my appointments for the rest of the afternoon. That's all." She turned and returned to her desk.

"Yes Miranda"

"Will you join us for dinner tonight then?" Miranda resumed her seat and looked over at her girls. They were both wearing smiles that melted their mothers' heart. Andy saw the look in Miranda's eyes and it warmed her heart. 'How she must love them ' she thought.

"I would be honored to accompany you three beautiful ladies to dinner." Andy's eyes left Miranda's quickly and look at Cassidy and Caroline.

'A flirt' Miranda chuckled to herself.

The girls were on their feet and at Andy's sides in an instant. Miranda had never seen them take to anyone so quickly. Neither were prone to hero worship or fanatics about celebrities. They themselves and her were as famous as they come.

She sat watching the interaction. Andy seemed very comfortable in their company. Odd, so few people could sit in her office and not even acknowledge she was there, yet Miranda found herself enjoying it.

"Andy" Caroline's voice saying the name pulled Miranda out of her daze, "remember earlier, you said "Party in the U S A wasn't your first song."

"Yes Caroline." She saw the gleam in Miranda's eyes out of the corner of her own.

"You said it was the only one that mattered."

"I did."

"Why?" Both girls asked at the same time.

"Girls." Miranda was also curious about this information, "that is none of your business. Appolog…"

"No" Andy interrupted, "that's okay." Miranda smiled and nodded her head.

"How old are you?" Andy asked

"11" they answered in unison.

She grinned at them. "by the time I was your age I was already singing professionally." Andy looked from one girl to the other. Their eyes were wide. "At sixteen I had my first gold record."

"Wow!" both girls exclaimed.

"Wow indeed" Miranda said, but when she looked at Andy she could not see pride in her glowing eyes. Was that, regret that she saw?

"How many gold records do you have? Can we hear your other songs?" Cassidy with the first and Caroline with the second question.

"5" she looked at Cassidy, "Yes, but I doubt that you would like them" to Caroline.

"Why?" both

"I'm a country singer remember" she tickled them both and Miranda found herself more at ease around this young woman that anyone she had ever met, including her two ex-husbands. She smiled.

"And you all are city girls" her smile lighting the room and making the girls giggle.

"We might like it. We listen to a lot of different music" Caroline said.

"We play the piano, so we appreciate lots of styles" Cassidy chimed in.

"Well then, you will have to play for me sometime and I will let you listen to my other songs"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea" Three sets of eyes looked to Miranda, who was leaning back in her chair with her fingers steepled in front of her lips, like they had forgotten she was there. But only two sets locked onto each other. One set of chocolate brown and the other icy blue. Secrets danced behind both sets and both owners saw it in the other.

They were indeed finding themselves drawn to one another, wanting, no needing to know each others secrets.

"Where are you staying Andy?" Miranda asked lowering her hands to her desk and placing her glasses on and arranging papers on her desk.

"The Ritz."

"Then," Miranda said, "we will drop you off and allow you to freshen up and I will send a car for you at six. Is that acceptable?" Miranda looked at her over the top of her glasses.

"It is" Andy said

"Emily" Miranda said in her soft voice as she rose. Again, out of nowhere the thin girl appeared. "Call for the car. That's all."

"Yes Miranda"

Andy rose from her seat and the four moved to exit the office. As they walked through the door Emily had Miranda's purse in her hand and handed it to the woman. "Call Patrick and reschedule at 10am, I want the new layout on my desk when I arrive in the morning. Block out two hours between," she looked at Andy "2 and 4" Andy nodded in confirmation. "Tell Nigel I need him to attend as well. Inform James I will meet with him on Thursday. That's all." And they were entering the elevator.

"Yes Miranda" Emily watched as all four entered the elevator. Andy did not miss the surprised look on her face when she recognized her. However, the surprise was more for the fact that Miranda was allowing her to ride in the elevator with her and the girls. Miranda glared at Emily as the doors were closing and Emily turned on her heel and left quickly. Miranda grinned to herself and placed her Gucci sun glasses in place.

Andy replaced her shades as the elevator reached its destination. "I'm afraid there might be a bit of a ruckus out there waitin for me. If you want to wait a second, I'll go first and draw their attention away from you and the girls."

"Nonsense" how considerate, trying to protect us. "I assure you, the paparazzi is nothing new to my girls or myself. We will all go out together. Girls." As if choreographed Cassidy and Caroline each took a hand of their mother and raised their chins. "Shall we" and they headed out the glass doors into the flashing bulbs.

Once in the car the girls began to laugh as did Andy. "I've never seen the 'snappers' go so nuts" Andy said around her laughter.

"Snappers?" Caroline asked as her giggles began to subside.

"Ya, That's what I call em`. When I was younger and first getting famous they were always around no matter where I went or what I did, always snappin pictures of everything."

"I get it" said Cassidy.

"That's cool" chimed in Caroline, "how did you get so used to them?"

"Well," Andy's voice took on a more serious tone, "I know that without them takin my picture all the time, my fans wouldn't have as much access to me. If they don't get to see you, they forget you." Miranda noticed a moment of melancholy in Andy's voice. "If they forget about me, I have no career. If I have no career I don't get to meet wonderful gals like you." She smiled

They pulled up at the hotel.

"We'll see you in a while" said Cassidy.

"Bring your other songs so we can listen to them okay." Caroline pleaded.

"Okay. See you ladies in a while." Andy looked at each girl and then locked eyes for a moment with their mother before Roy extended his hand for her to exit the car.

Miranda watched with interest at Andy's ease as she signed pieces of paper and smiled at the cameras as she made her way to the hotel entrance. 'Snappers' she thought, more like snapping turtles always trying to take a bite and always looking for the next page six story. "Hmm'" she found it interesting that someone could make her consider something so concrete in her mind in a new light. Miranda didn't need the media spotlight to make her famous, however, without celebrities like Andy, her fashion would have no use. 'strange, I never thought of it like that.' She wondered what else this country girl would make her reconsider.