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Avoiding the inevitable

Chapter 3

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

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The Book arrived earlier than expected later that evening, which Andy was more than grateful for since the day had been particularly vexing. She couldn’t wait to go home, crash down on her old and tattered couch with a glass of red while watching reruns on TV, that is if she didn’t fall asleep first.  

Letting herself into the townhouse, she set the Book on the table with the flowers and hung the dry-cleaning in the closet next to it. As she turned around and headed back for the front door, she heard a sound that made her stop in her tracks. She turned back around and looked up at the winding staircase.   

“Pssst,” floated down once again from the second-floor landing. Andy spotted one of the twins sitting behind the railings, knees up to her chest and looking down at Andy hesitantly.   

“Cassidy?” Andy whispered back up.    

After the Harry Potter incident, the twins seemed to have taken a liking to her, occasionally waiting for her to drop off the Book. Andy no longer had trouble separating the twins, but the child was sitting in the dark, two stories up so she wasn’t certain. Somehow, she felt as if on instinct that it was the youngest of the twin terrors.  

The hesitant look on the girl faded away and a soft, shy smile spread across her face. Cassidy got up and started to silently descend the stairs until she arrived on the bottom step and took a seat on it, looking down at her little hands clasped on her lap. Andy silently walked over and hunched down in front of her.   

“What’s up, kiddo? Everything alright?” Andy inquired softly. Cassidy frowned for a moment, looking so much like a younger version of her mother before shaking her head in the negative.   

“Hey, look at me, Cass.” Andy cooed softly.  

When the little girl met her gaze, Andy smiled her softest smile and tried to convey as much warmth as possible through her eyes. “I want you to know that you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but if you do want to, I want you to know that I’ll gladly listen to whatever it is you need to get off your chest, okay? I promise that I won’t tell another soul if you don’t want me to.”    

Cassidy kept looking at her, observantly scanning Andy’s face, contemplating the words, and searching her eyes as if trying to find some sort of deceit in them. Then, she let out a seemingly much-needed heavy sigh and nodded her head, looking back down at her lap. Andy gave a small nod of her own and went to sit down next to the girl. Andy knew that she would be in so much trouble if Miranda were to appear and find her sitting on her stairs, conversing with one of her children past bedtime. But Andy couldn’t turn her back on the little girl, seeing she was in some sort of turmoil and for some inexplicable reason, reached out to her.   

“I, I just-... I had a bad day,” Cassidy began, her voice hoarse as if she had been crying before. Andy kept silent, not wanting to push and giving Cassidy the time she needed to get it out on her own. 

“Just some stupid stuff at school that’s been going on for a while but, but that’s, y’know, not really- …" Cassidy trailed off with an unsure look on her face.   

“That stupid stuff at school is not what’s got you so upset?” Andy asked to which Cassidy nodded.   

“It’s Mom. She just-... I don’t know.” She let out another heavy sigh. “I tried to talk to her today after dinner, but she just doesn’t care. I tried to get her attention, but she just kept working on her laptop. Humming that way she does when she pretends she’s listening, but really isn’t. I got so mad and stormed out of her study, but she didn’t follow me or anything. She didn’t even try to talk about it after she tucked me in and I just feel so-” Her voice cracked and she bit her lip, looking away as if not wanting Andy to see the tears welling up in her blue eyes.   

“Hey, c’mon, kiddo,” Andy whispered and put her arm around small shoulders, pulling Cassidy closer to her. “You don’t have to be embarrassed around me if you feel like crying. Honestly, I won’t judge you. Crying is completely normal. You must know better than anyone else how your mother gets when it involves her work. She works so very hard, most people don’t even realize how hard, or how much effort that’s required of her. Or how difficult her job really is. I know, since I’m her assistant. That’s why I know that she easily gets consumed by it. It's because of this super cool trait of hers, y’know. Almost like a superpower.”    

At that, Cassidy looked up at her questioningly but intrigued. “What super cool trait?”    

Andy’s trademark mega-watt smile appeared on her face. “She’s got this laser-focus, like x-ray vision. It makes her so great at what she does. When she focuses on something it’s all-encompassing, she sees everything and even more than most people. Every single minuscule detail, her mind running miles an hour that even the fastest runner on the planet can’t hope to catch up to.”  

Chuckling, Andy couldn’t help but think how strange it was to describe Miranda as a superhero. “I know you don’t see it yet, but she’s really the best at what she does. No one can do what she does and she knows it. Makes her a little cocky if you ask me.”  

Andy winked mischievously, causing Cassidy to giggle. “Don’t tell your mother I said that. Anyway, your mother loves her job, that’s why she’s the best, and to stay the best she has to work extra hard. But Cass, listen here.” 

Moving her arm from around Cassidy’s shoulder, she laid a comforting hand on top of her head and ruffled the red hair a little. “Just because your mother loves her job, does absolutely not mean that she loves you or your sister any less. You’ll always, always be the most important thing to her, even when it doesn’t seem like it at times. You mustn’t doubt that kid, ever. She just gets carried away in her work, that’s all.”   

They fell in companionable silence as Cassidy seemed to contemplate Andy’s monologue, then nodded as she said. “Yeah, I know. I just wish she would point that laser-focus on just me sometimes.”   

Andy tenderly smiled. “Well, why don’t you just tell her that then? I’m sure that if you ask her and I mean really ask her, not just waiting around for her to give you her attention, she’d be all ears to what you have to say.”   

Cassidy shrugged her shoulders as she sighed. “I guess, she’s just so distant sometimes. I don’t really know how to reach her.”   

Andy looked up at the winding staircase for a moment, contemplating as to how she should approach this, then opted for just being honest with the kid. “Yeah, I know what you mean by that, kiddo. Once again, don’t tell her I said this, but she’s pretty stubborn. It’s hard to get through to her, especially in the workplace. She’s distanced herself so much from everyone that you don’t really know how to approach her or even if you should. Mostly, everyone is simply too scared of her. So, no one really tries. I just think it’s been so long since anyone has tried to really interact with her that she’s forgotten how to connect with people. She’s just the big scary boss and everyone else are her minions. That’s how it’s been for so long that that’s just simply the world she lives in.”   

Cassidy thoughtfully looked at her for a long moment. “But not you though.”   

“What, not me?” Andy asked as she raised an eyebrow. 

Cassidy explained matter-of-factly with a serious look on her face. “You’re not scared of her, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be sitting here talking to me.”  

Feeling a little surprised by Cassidy’s tone and presumption, Andy nodded. “Mhm, I guess I’m not really scared of her, no. But she really intimidates me that it’s sort of terrifying. She’s just this bigger-than-life person, y’know?”   

Cassidy inclined her head to the side in a very Miranda-like manner. “Why don’t you interact with her then? If no one else does.”   

“I do interact with her, every day.” Andy chuckled warily. 

Shaking her head, Cassidy frowned, once again, looking very much like a miniature version of Miranda. “No, I mean like what you’ve said. Connect with her, since everyone else is too afraid.”   

Andy rubbed at the back of her neck as she said. “Oh, well. Even if I were to try, I’m sure it won’t be appreciated coming from me.”   

“Why not?” Cassidy pushed. 

Andy sighed, thinking the girl was too inquisitive for her own good. “Simply put, and excuse my language, but she hates my guts. I think she’d rather wear sneakers and a hoodie to work than have an actual conversation with me.”   

Cassidy seemed to deflate a little. “That’ll never happen, she doesn’t even wear sneakers at home.”   

“Exactly.” Andy chuckled, she couldn’t even picture Miranda in sneakers in her mind’s eye. 

“That’s too bad though,” Cassidy mumbled. 

“Why’s that, kiddo?”   

Cassidy looked up, her eyes piercing Andy’s, causing an eerie sensation to wash over her. “Because I like you. You talk ‘real’ to me. Not interact like I’m some stupid little kid. So, now we’re connecting. If only Mom could see it like that or understand how easy it could be.”   

Andy nodded, thinking the girl was something else entirely. “Exactly, Cassidy. So, now you try connecting with your mother as we’ve just done. You just said it yourself how easy it could be. I’m sure she’ll learn a thing or two from you by the way you’ve opened yourself up to me tonight. And by the way, I like you too, kid.”   

Cassidy perked up a bit. “You really think so? That she could learn something from me?”   

Ruffling red hair again, Andy grinned. “Oh, I know so. Because you’ve been really brave tonight, Cass. It’s not always easy to talk about your feelings, but it’s important that you do, and you’ve done that really well tonight. I just hope that I was of any sort of help to you?”   

“Yeah, you have been, Andy.” Cassidy leaned over and gave her a hug which the brunette responded to in kind, chuckling lightly.   

“Alright then, kiddo. I’m glad. Now it’s time for you to skedaddle back to your room and go to sleep. It’s already pretty late, and if your mother finds out I’ve been holding you up, I’m sure she’ll really start breathing fire and burn me to a crisp.” Andy said, standing with a grin as she pulled the girl up with her on her feet and gently pushed her up the stairs.  

Cassidy complied giggling, then turned around and whispered a shy, “Thank you, Andy.” Before continuing her ascend up the stairs.   

Andy waited at the bottom of the stairs until she heard the faint click of a door closing before turning around and heading for the front door once more. With her hand on the doorknob, she stopped before opening the door and reluctantly glanced back over her shoulder down the hallway, feeling the strange sensation of someone watching her. When she saw nothing but darkness, she sent a quick ‘thank you’ prayer out to any deity that might exist and turned back around. Shaking her head, she told herself that she’s imagining things and promptly left the townhouse, finally starting her journey back home.  

***  

The next day at work, Andy unsurprisingly discovered Miranda in yet another particularly vicious and rancorous mood. They were in the middle of a run-through with Andy writing down notes, wincing every now and then as the rest of the quivering staff was being verbally eviscerated by Miranda’s sharp tongue.  

“Enlighten me,” Miranda spoke softly, voice dripping with acrimonious displeasure. “In what, utterly ridiculous world do all of you imbeciles think that what you have presented to me, I would deem acceptable?”  

Miranda let out a tormented sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers as if trying to ward off an oncoming headache. “Do you honestly think that I have the time for this nonsense? That you would even dare bring this complete disaster into my office and to my attention is even beyond my comprehension. All these choices have done so far are burn my retinas and have given me a headache that not even a whole bottle of Tylenol could remedy for me.” 

She turned her frighteningly freezing stare to pierce every single member of her minions. “If your incompetence and abysmal calamity is not gone from my office within the next five seconds, then do not even bother ever coming back. That’s all.”   

Everyone hurried out of the office in lighting speed, clumsily dragging the clothing racks in tow. Andy went to her desk, opened up a drawer, and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol. Garnering up the courage in an attempt to fortify herself, and without foolishly thinking better of it, she strode back into the inner office to face her mercurial boss again.  

Andy didn’t dare to look at Miranda just yet, but nevertheless felt the need to try and be of any help. She placed a chilled glass of Pellegrino on a coaster on the glass desk and placed two pills next to it. Hoping it would help with Miranda’s headache that had her no doubt be even more acrimonious than usual. Taking two steps back and inwardly praying that she would live to see another day, she ignored the  ‘never ask Miranda a question rule’  and recklessly suggested.  

“Would you like me to cancel your meeting with Mr. Ravitz due in fifteen minutes? I’m pretty sure that if I call Gaultier’s people now, they should be more than ready for you within the hour, meaning you can leave the office in fifteen, therefore avoiding your meeting with Irv.”   

Miranda’s head snapped up, murderously narrowing arctic eyes locking with wide anxious hazel ones. “Well, go ahead why don’t you, Andréa? It seems like you already know everything about me, do you not? Since you seem to be so very well-versed with the workings of my mind, why even ask me what I would like and not just do it already.” Her voice dripped with poisonous sarcasm, seemingly angrier than a moment before, if such a thing was even possible.  

Andy blinked, not really knowing what she should do now, or how to respond, or even if she should. Deciding it was best to apologize, even though knowing it only bored or irritated Miranda even more, she tried anyway. “Uhm, I’m sorry, Miranda. I shouldn’t have assumed -”  

“But it seems like you just cannot help yourself. Or am I wrong, Andréa?” Miranda queried menacingly.  

Andy looked down for a moment as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, no, but... It is my job to assume, is it not? To think ahead and figure out what you might want or need. To help in any way I can to make your life-, I mean, your job just a little easier.”  

Miranda noticeably clenched her jaw and her nostrils flared, paired together with the narrowed eyes and pursed lips, Andy knew that she had just dug her own grave.  

“Indeed, Andréa,” Miranda said in such a low voice, it was barely audible. Andy had to practically lean in to hear what she was saying. Which was yet another sign of her malice. “It is your job to make my job easier. Not my life. My life is my own, which you are irrevocably no part of. You are simply an unworthy assistant, here to do my bidding and fetch when I need fetching like the good little lapdog that you are. I do not want nor need your aggravating meddling into my personal affairs in what you might assume to think is for my benefit. Is your brain really that deficient that you are not able to comprehend that I simply require you to do your job?”  

Andy grimaced, remembering the night in Paris where she’d accidentally stumbled upon a never-before-seen Miranda Priestly, shed of all her glorious Dragon Lady armor. Merely clothed in a grey bathrobe, curled up in the corner of a couch, face void of all make-up, mussed-up hair, shoulders slumped in defeat, red-rimmed lost eyes, and hollow-voiced. Discovering her resolutely unwavering boss like that, had broken something deep inside of Andy. It had been an unbearable, heart-breaking sight to watch, and all she wanted to do at that moment was to console Miranda. Andy had tried to reach out to the woman that hid underneath the Devil’s façade. But of course, her sympathetic compassion, asking if there was anything she could do for Miranda, had been ill-received. Which had led to her being promptly dismissed with the biting remark to do: ‘Your job.’   

Focusing back on the present moment, Andy tried to figure out why her boss was in such an overly cantankerous mood. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Andy’s mind and she realized why Miranda was so infuriated by her, maybe even explaining why she’d been in such a diabolical mood all day, to begin with.   

The voice inside her head screamed and begged at her to stay silent as to not anger Miranda any more than she had already done. But the thunderous beating in her chest overpowered the sensible thoughts and convinced her heart to speak up for her unadulterated soul.  

“Oh, I see. This is about last night, isn’t it? About Cassidy?” Andy asked rhetorically as she intensely stared back at Miranda. “Well, if it is about that, then I won’t apologize for my so-called aggravating meddling into your personal affairs, Miranda.” Andy quipped.  

“Excuse me? How dare y-” Miranda sneered, her tone incredulous but Andy cut her off.   

“I understand that you don’t want me to intrude in your personal life, Miranda. I know how much you value your privacy for obvious reasons.”  

Andy took a deep breath and forced herself to continue looking into Miranda’s incensed eyes. “However, if it makes you feel any better, then I do feel sorry for the fact that me overstepping some of your boundaries has made you feel uncomfortable. But I do not apologize for what I have done. I would never brush off Cassidy or Caroline or any child for that matter, in a moment where they needed some form of comfort that I could provide. I’m not sorry for taking the time to sit down with her and listen to whatever she needed to get off her chest. That had nothing to do with any aspect of my job. Even if coincidentally the subject we’ve discussed was about you. It still really wasn’t about you, Miranda. That was simply me, trying to comfort a little girl that needed someone to listen to.”  

Miranda’s soft voice rose slightly as she stood up from her desk chair, placed her fingertips on top of her desk, and leaned forward. Looking very similar to a predator about to strike and ravage. “So, you’re saying that I’m incapable of comforting and listening to my own daughter?” 

“What? No! That’s not what I meant at all, Miranda.” Andy said, becoming rather panic-stricken. “Look, I’m not judging you, in any way. If that’s what you’re concerned about- “ 

Andy faltered when Miranda scoffed. “Concerned? How dare you assume-”  

“I could never judge you!” Andy interrupted in her frenzy. “I know how hard you need to work because of the demands that come with the job. I know that it’s hard to balance life and work, I know that better than anyone. It’s not easy. It’s damn near impossible, yet you still manage and that should be envied, not judged.”  

Andy shook her head as she gathered up her resolve again. “So, no. I don’t think you're incapable of doing anything, Miranda. I’m just saying that I was happy to help. If it is helping you, Cass, or Care, or even the homeless guy around the corner of my apartment. If I am able, I will do it. That’s all there is to it. So, fire me if you must but I won’t apologize.”  

Andy took a deep, steadying breath, inwardly cursing at herself for rambling on like an idiot and fearing she might’ve just gotten herself fired and committed career-suicide for speaking against and interrupting Miranda. Then she figured that if this were to be the end, she might as well go down believing in her choices and stood up straight, stuck her chin out, and gazed back into Miranda’s eyes.   

Several long moments passed with the two women locked in a tense, heated gaze when all of a sudden, the tightness in Miranda’s features softened nearly imperceptibly but remained indifferent. The change would have been barely noticeable to anyone else, but Andy was not just anyone. Miranda continued to look at Andy, standing so motionless she could have almost been mistaken for a beautiful Greek statue. Andy had no idea what the older woman might be thinking and the longer they stared at each other the more anxious Andy became. Cold sweat was trickling down her spine and she started to feel positively unnerved but tried her very best not to show it.  

Then, within the blink of an eye, Miranda straightened up, looked Andy up and down once more, and dismissively waved her hands.  

“That’s all,” Miranda said, her voice barely audible. Andy turned around in an instant, relief washing over her as she went to sit down behind her desk. She looked at her computer screen but not really seeing anything as she focused on her breathing, trying to settle her disbelief that she was somehow still alive.   

***  

Later that evening after getting home from delivering the Book, Andy laid in bed as she contemplated what had transpired between Miranda and herself. She had spoken against her boss, not about professional but personal matters. Her boss, who seemed to hate her with a burning passion and who wouldn’t think twice about firing someone for the most absurd little mistake if she felt like it. Andy had been adamant that her career had come to end after defending herself for why she’d decided to go against the rules and talk with one of her children. Or at the very least had expected another viciously verbal lashing from Miranda and yet neither had unfathomably happened. Andy didn’t know what to make of it? It left her confused to no end, groaning in frustration into her pillow.  

For the past several months before and especially after Paris, she had tried extraordinarily hard to not slip up or make a mistake as to not give Miranda a reason to fire her, consequently proving that Andy would inevitably fail in her pursuit of success. But now, when she did something even worse than a slip-up or mistake, Miranda had done absolutely nothing about it. Try as she might, Andy could not figure out her mystifying boss. Professionally, she knew it all, down to the slightest change in facial features, body language, and tone of voice. However, as a person, Miranda remained an enigma.   

But now that she thought about it, why was she trying to figure out her boss on a personal level? It was definitely not her place to think any further than the boundaries of work. Miranda had made that adamantly clear today. Yet, here she was wondering and pondering, trying to figure out who Miranda truly was behind the façade.  

Because Andy knew that it was exactly that. The woman Miranda portrayed at work was only a mere façade, a mask, and armor she put on to shield herself from the outside world. She knew that there was more to Miranda Priestly than the one she got to see at Runway. Miranda was a mother of two, twice-divorced, a woman with some serious baggage, someone who had ferociously fought her way up the ladder of success from absolutely nothing, and who now stood at the very top of the world. With all that and more, she still made it seem effortless to carry the world on her shoulders. To say that Andy couldn’t help but wonder was a serious understatement. 

Consumed by thoughts of Miranda, Andy started growing annoyingly frustrated that her sleep remained elusive because of it. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the arctic piercing gaze of the woman in question. Too tired as to ponder why she couldn’t keep Miranda out of her mind’s eye, she decided to give her best friend a call the next morning.   

Thank God for Saturday morning sleep-ins! Andy mused. 

Notes:

LADIES & (gentlemen?), I introduce to you, so, please welcome, Snarky Miranda Priestly everyone!!!

I have a question for all of you. Who dares to make a guess at how long it will be before our lovely Snow Queen melts?

& Aint Cassidy like the cutest?