At fifteen minutes to eleven, Miranda sailed into Smith & Wollensky, a tiny smirk gracing her face as she was ushered back to her usual, private, booth to await Andrea. "Can I get you anything, Miranda?" the waitress asked, and she looked up at the woman.

"Scotch, neat. And a glass of water. No lemon. That's all." She dismissed the woman with a hand wave and set aside the menu, knowing exactly what she would be having.

"I should have known that you would be here already. You never could stand being the last to arrive." Miranda looked up into Andrea's smiling face and fought not to smile in return. "Really, did you have to make up some flimsy excuse to say that you missed me?"

As she slid into the other side of the booth, Miranda tried not to look at her hands. While she hadn't heard anything about the woman getting married in the years they were apart, there was still the possibility that she had kept it private. "If I missed you, I would never let it show. To anyone."

"Somehow, I had a feeling you'd say that," Andrea murmured as the waitress set down two glasses of water and Miranda's scotch. She went to pick up the highball, only to see Andrea tighten her lips just a little. "I'd like an unsweetened iced tea, hold the lemon. And the broiled salmon. Miranda will have the porterhouse steak, rare. That's all."

Miranda smirked approvingly before sipping at her scotch. "You seem to have retained a few of the things I taught you. How has your job been treating you?"

"Well. I've been able to do some of the things that I always wanted to do in my career. Until this morning."

"Ah yes, our mysterious mutual designer. Whyever did your editor want you to write that piece of fluff? I've come to expect more from your writing than that."

Andrea's eyes grew large as she sipped at the water in front of her. Finally, she swallowed and scrunched her lips up a little as she shrugged. "Honestly? I have no idea. She just placed this folder on my desk and told me to run with it. I had a difficult time coming up with enough words to fill to column space, what with the information I was given."

"When is her show?"

"She, and I think the designer is a she, based on all my research, scored one of the plum spots. She's showing right before Michael Kors Fall show."

Their food arrived, as if the chef had known exactly what they would be ordering before she had even stepped foot inside the building, and Miranda smiled at the attention to detail. She went to take another sip of scotch, and Andrea frowned a little once more. "Is there a problem?"

"It's not you, it's me. Can we leave it at that?"

Miranda nodded as she set aside her glass, a small wave of understanding sweeping over her brain. "So, do you have any idea what her new line will be called?"

"The sketch that was with the folder was entitled Emily. So, another feminine name. Why do you even want to know?"

It seemed that Andrea could still cut to the heart of the matter, and Miranda took a bite of her steak to give herself some time to think. "I don't like being kept in the dark, and I want to give this designer the recognition they deserve. The first line was chaotically gorgeous, even if it was exclusively for plus size women. It was innovative, creative, and I simply must have her in Runway. And if I have to work with you to do that, then so be it. I think that we can both be adults about this."

Andrea smiled at her as she shook her head. "Really?"

"Yes. Really."

"All right, I'll team up with you, but only because I want to know more about whom the designer is as well." There was a faint blush in Andrea's cheeks, and she wondered what brought that about. "So, now that we have that squared away, how have you been?"

Miranda was a little taken aback by the casual slip into small talk, something she didn't reall" There was a faint blush in Andrea's cheeks, and she wondered what brought that about. "So, now that we have that squared away, how have you been?"

Miranda was a little taken aback by the casual slip into small talk, something she didn't really do, but knew that she would have to play by Andrea's rules if she wanted the flow of information to continue. "Life has treated me well in the past eight years. I have embraced being single and find myself happier for it. And you?"

It took a few beats for Andrea to catch up to her, and Miranda used the time to eat another bite of her meal, never taking her eyes off the younger woman. "I am happily single at the moment, also. Nate and I gave our relationship another spin on the merry-go-round, but even long distance was too close for the hurt between us. If my soulmate is out there, I just have to trust that they'll be revealed to me at the right time."

She should have known that Andrea would have a romantic's heart, and she felt her smile soften a little at the notion. "I think mine died before I found them. It's better this way," she whispered, picking up her water and taking a long drink. "So, would you like to head back to Runway with me and help Emily in the gathering of information, or would you like to meet when she brings the Book by?"

"Who said we'd be working together?"

Miranda cocked her head to one side, arching her eyebrow a little. "Really, Andrea, have you forgotten that I always get what I want, when I want it? Fashion week is in less than a fortnight, and I want to have her in the pages of October's issue. If that is to happen, we need to move quickly and together. Two heads will be much better than one in that regards."

A soft bark of laughter escaped Andrea's throat as she grinned widely. "That's the Miranda I remember. All right, so in fourteen days, we have to move mountains and find the proverbial needle in a hay stack."

She nodded and dared to meet Andrea's eyes. There was something soft and open there, something that she hadn't seen directed at her in a very long time, and she could feel her own blush stain her cheeks as she looked back down at her food, deciding to focus on that. "So, which do you prefer? Coming now or later?"

Andrea giggled a little at her statement, and Miranda gasped at what she had said. "Well, I always prefer coming as soon as possible, but in this case, I think I'll hold off until later. Do you still have the Book delivered at nine?"

"Or thereabouts. So, I'll see you at the townhouse around…?"

"Quarter to. That will give me some time to get things pulled together. Do you want me to bring by dessert?"

"Certainly. You still remember those pastries I adore?" Andrea nodded. "Good, then I'll expect to see them with you at quarter to nine tonight." She pulled out her credit card and settled the bill while Andrea finished eating. "Have a good afternoon," she murmured as she slipped out of the booth. Somehow, she knew that it was going to be a very long day.