Authors note: Sorry this took a little while to get out. truth be told we had a little bit of writers block. But that's gone now and myself and my fabulous co-writer Ellii51 are operation on other projects also. So you have those to look forward to!
Disclaimer: Characters and stuff... yeah. we don't got's them.
"I didn't see you." She said.
"What?"
"At the gala. I didn't see you."
"Oh- yeah, I didn't go."
"Oh."
"I'm an I.T guy, I wasn't invited." He laughed lightly.
"Sorry, I didn't-"
"It's fine." He smiled. "Not all of us can be as privileged at you Miss. Day."
She blushed slightly "Just call me Misty."
"Alright Misty." Kyle smiled, taking a sip of his coffee. "So how did you find the gala?"
"Eh." Her nose scrunched up slightly.
"Not good?"
"It was good," She said. "Just not great, ya know."
He nodded. "Yeah, I know… Let me guess you found Hank."
"He found me."
"Ah I see, and that went-"
"Horribly." She groaned, wrapping her hands around the cardboard cup.
"Well, that's Hank. He was always a bit-" Kyle paused looking for the right word. "Blunt."
"A bit?" Misty scoffed raising her brow.
"Okay, he was very blunt. Probably because when he was working under Cordelia he always acted as if he was her be all- end all. that kind of thing."
"So, what actually went on between those two?" She asked, sipping lightly at her drink.
"There was a lot of back and forth between them, I'll be honest, they fucked- a lot, like every day. And Hank tried to make these- crazy decisions and order people about and Cordelia didn't like it at all."
"Is that why he got fired?"
He laughed and shook his head lightly. "No actually, he kept screwing the secretary."
Misty snorted out her tea that came splintering out of her mouth. Kyle pulled a face and moved his cup off the table with a slight laugh.
"Something funny?" He asked.
Misty pursed her lips, a small grin rising on them "Nah, its nothin'."
"Okay then…"
"Ya really wanna know dont' cha?"
"Yes."
"Another time," She grinned looking down at her watch "Slightly late, oh well."
"Slightly?"
"Okay, half an hour."
"Something up with you and Miss. Goode?"
She gave a tightlipped smile. "No, nothing at all."
Kyle raised both his brows and pressed his lips together. "Alright."
"Thanks for the coffee Kyle"
"Its cool, We can do it again sometime and- you know… if you ever needed to talk-"
"Yeah, I'll know where to come."
"Good."
"Now, gotta dash I'm afraid, Miss. Goode will be waiting."
XXX
On arriving back at the office, Misty noticed that something was different. The atmosphere of the place was off. It didn't feel as oddly calming as it usually did and while walking around she couldn't see anyone in sight. Even the secretary was gone. As she stepped further through the corridors cautiously, Misty turned left and into the drawing room. As she looked inside all she could see was chaos; papers every where and a lot of yelling. At the front of the room stood a very stressed out Cordelia, her left hand placed behind the back of her ear as she spoke exasperatedly with Myrtle.
"Cordelia darling this is a disaster. It's all wrong. The colours of the shoot don't match it's theme. I know we all loathe your mother but this issue is a tribute to her and I don't think this fits in."
"I know, Myrtle but we haven't got time to redo the shoot. This issue has to go on sale within the next two days and we can't assemble all the models back in that time. And you know how much of a diva Madison can be. She won't be willing to do that shoot again unless we pay her double." Cordelia sighed.
"Then for God's sake Delia hire different models!"
"Its not that easy! We need to review portfolios, make sure they will fit in with the clothes, we would be limited to the same size models as Zoe and Madison to the T for them to be able to even wear the clothes, let alone have the finesse to cover my mother's tribute magazine. And you know how she'll react if we mess it up."
"If we don't end up dead my dear we'll wish we were." Myrtle moved over to a chair placed by the large circular table in the middle of the room and grabbed what looked to be an expensive designer bag. "I'm sorry to leave you at this pressing time Delia, but I have an important meeting with Chanel about whether we can use their latest line of products in our next issue."
As Myrtle paced towards the exit with Cecily and Quentin in tow, the rest of the staff parted as Cordelia yelled at her from the other side of the room.
"If we don't get this issue right Myrtle there won't be another issue!" She waved an angry fist. "Fuck you!"
Myrtle ignored the blonde haired woman and continued walking until she was out of sight, bumping into Misty hard enough to knock her back.
"Misty dear, I didn't see you there."
"Miss. Snow-I-I"
"Shh." She said pressing a gloved finger onto the Cajun's lips "Just get in there and calm her down."
Misty nodded quickly as she swallowed the lump that had built up in the back of her throat. The Cajun passed through the stream of stressing workers and to the back of the room to Cordelia, who was sitting at the table, her hands holding her head as she looked down. Misty pulled up a chair and lightly placed her hand on her boss' back alerting the older woman of her presence.
"Miss. Goode?" Misty started. "Are you alright?"
Cordelia looked up towards Misty before leaning back into her chair. "Honestly, no. This whole issue is going to be a disaster. It's not even that it's the whole thing, it's just a few pages that need redoing. we can't even cut them out because we need to reach the page requirement. I kind of wish we hadn't had the gala for this already and had saved it for after the publishing. But Fiona couldn't have that, no. She had to have a grand unveiling ceremony." Cordelia paused. "Self-centred bitch." She muttered under her breath. "Sorry I'm ranting at you."
"It's fine Miss. Goode. That's sorta what I'm here for. And to get ya coffee of course."
Cordelia chuckled slightly. "Actually I'm glad you're here, maybe you could give me some suggestions. Or threaten a photographer and some modes into doing another shoot."
"Find me a photographer and I will." Misty replied with a light hearted shrug.
"Wouldn't that be nice, I could do with seeing someone getting slapped in the face."
"Yeah, tends to wake ya up a little bit."
"I think I should get started on those phone calls," Cordelia began as she rose from her seat. "It's not as if we don't have the money to pay Madison double and Zoe will probably come back to do the shoot at lower price. She's not as well known as Madison yet so anything would be good to further her career."
After leaving her chair, Cordelia walked back towards the whiteboard behind her which was covered in quickly scrawled notes and ideas. She cleared her throat before slamming her fist against the board, the noise loud enough to ward the attention of the rest of the panicked staff in the room.
"Okay, listen up. I'm going to head back to my office to make some phone calls and reorganise the shoot as fast as possible. While I am gone, you should all be working on the final touches of this issue. Despite our current dilemma, everything else needs to be nothing short of perfect. If possible, some of you can go downstairs to set up the alternative shoot. Luckily Myrtle chose what she wanted before leaving and she left it in that portfolio on the table. Anyway, as both Myrtle and I are both going to be absent, if you have any issues you will report directly to Nan."
"Nan?" A woman in the front row asked.
"The girl with the brown hair, you may have seen her around the office." Cordelia headed towards the exit. "Come on Misty, I need your help."
"My help? Miss. Goode Wouldn't you rather someone more competent?"
She turned confused. "Why, who else could be more suited?" Cordelia asked as the two women turned the corner and entered the corridor leading to Cordelia's office.
"Wait, you're not actually making me punch a photographer again are ya? I thought you were kiddin' earlier?"
"I didn't joke about with security, why would I joke to you?" Cordelia stated, her expression becoming serious.
Misty's eyes widened "I-um."
"Don't worry Misty I am actually joking with you. However, what I do need you to do is call up some photographers and ask if they are able to make it for a shoot tomorrow, you can be threatening if you wish, with some of them it may even work. While you do that I'm going to be calling up Madison and Zoe."
As Cordelia unlocked the door, she gestured for Misty to sit down in her usual seat as she went through her desk, finally pulling out a small stack of what to Misty looked like business cards.
"Ok, you can go through these," Cordelia said sorting through the cards putting back a few before handing the pile to Misty. "Most of them should be available, start with this one," Cordelia pointed. "First."
Misty looked at the card. "What kind of name is Spalding?"
"He's an old friend of Fiona's. Actually for a time he was in love with her but that was in the 70s, my mother's early years. Doesn't talk much now though, if at all. If you emphasise that the shoot is for my mother's 40th anniversary issue he should hopefully be on board for it. May take a bit of persuasion though. Coax him out, I have faith in you."
Misty swallowed looking at the card. She pulled out her phone and carefully typed in the number as Cordelia left the room. It rang a few times before she heard an answer.
"Hello?" A hoarse voice answered on the other end of the line.
"Hi, I'm Misty Day representing the office of Cordelia Goode, Creative Director of Robichaux's Fashion Magazine. Miss. Goode was wonderin' if you'd be interested in doing a shoot tomorrow at 3pm? It's urgent."
"Look Miss Day, I haven't done a shoot in ten years. Why would I suddenly get back to doing them now."
Misty paused, trying to think of the right words to use. She changed her tone from friendly secretary and attempted to emulate the tone Cordelia would use when talking with her clients.
"We have a substantial amount to p-"
"What are you doing with your voice?"
"Ugh nothing."
"I'm not interested in money. I'm sorry Miss Day but you'll need to find someone else."
Misty was ready to panic, she could not let Cordelia down. "Wait, the shoot-"
"Yes yes what about the shoot"
"It's for the 40th anniversary of Fiona Goode taking over the company. If you do the shoot I'm sure Miss. Goode could arrange some sort of reunion for you and her mother. I understand you were fairly close."
There was silence over the other end of the line and for the next few moments Misty felt as if her nerves were going to shatter. The only thing she could hear was the blood pumping through her ears with each erratic heartbeat.
"Fine. I'll do the shoot on that condition. I'll be there tomorrow at three. Make sure the models are ready for when I get there."
"Yes Mr. Spalding, thank you for doing this."
Just as Misty hung up the phone, Cordelia reentered the room with a smile on her face. "How'd yours go? The models okay to do it?" Misty asked looking up at her boss.
"Luckily yes, as I predicted Madison wants double pay but like I said it's fine. Any luck with Spalding?"
"He said he'll do it."
Cordelia laughed and clapped her hands together. "That's great!"
"But on one condition," Misty added.
"Oh God, what is it?"
"You set up a meeting between him an' Fiona." Misty bit her lip and closed her eyes, waiting for Cordelia's response.
"That should work, I'll just get my mother to agree to it while drunk. I'm seeing her this weekend anyway and even if she doesn't agree the shoot will already be over and done with."
"Then I guess everything's sorted then?" Misty replied, watching Cordelia move to stand by the window. She stood idle, watching the City, the seemingly silent city that buzzes with life. Misty glanced at her for a moment, she seemed so perfect, standing over the city like she owned it. Her elegance executed with perfect finesse in every movement. Misty could listen to her talk all day, as if every word that bounced off her tongue were some gem of exquisite design. Misty stared back down at her paperwork, blinking hard- no, she couldn't be feeling anything for this woman could she? Their relationship was boss, assistant. Sex and nothing else. Yet she found herself being drawn to the woman, the woman with the world ready to be wrapped around her little finger with such ease and weather she knew it or not, Misty was too.
"Hey Misty," Cordelia said turning away from the window slightly to face her assistant. "Thank you for your help today. If you hadn't have come in to calm me down at that moment I would probably still be shitting myself over what would happen tomorrow. Plus you managed to get Spalding to do the shoot after ten years on hiatus. When Myrtle hears that she'll probably buy you some kind of ridiculous cake."
"It-it was nothing Miss. Goode, I'm glad to have helped." Misty started to get out of her seat.
"Are you going anywhere Misty?" Cordelia asked.
"Uh, yeah I was just about to ask you if I could go home. I've uh- I've got a headache. You know from all that yellin' earlier? It's only just startin' to come on now." Misty lied.
For a split second, Misty swore she could see Cordelia's face falter in disappointment but maybe that was her imagination. "Oh okay, try and come in tomorrow if you can, I'm going to need you again to keep me sane and stop me from choking Madison."
"No problem, Miss. Goode. I'll see ya tomorrow." The Cajun stepped towards the doorway before being stopped by Cordelia's hand on her shoulder. Before she could say anything, the assistant was pulled in for a tentative hug by the older woman.
"Seriously Misty thank you." The older woman smiled sincerely.
Cordelia pulled away, a little too quick for Misty's liking. "I'll see you tomorrow. Should I meet you in here?"
"If you wouldn't mind," Cordelia said as Misty reached for the door. As the blonde pulled it open she was once again stopped from leaving by the voice of her boss. "By the way Misty, when it's just us feel free to call me Cordelia. I think we've reached that level of intimacy that when we're alone it seems a bit formal for you to be calling me Miss. Goode all the time."
Misty nodded. "No problem Miss Goo- I mean, Cordelia. That's gonna take a bit of gettin' used to." Misty chuckled.
"You should get used to it." Cordelia grinned.
"I hope so."