An Unexpected Request

Chapter 4

"What took you so long?" Caroline asked indignantly.

She and Cassidy went to get Andy, dragging her to the couch. The twins were in the TV room surfing the cable channels, as they waited impatiently for the women.

"Mom had to take a call, honey. That's why we took longer than expected," Miranda explained calmly, heading towards the larger couch, which would apparently accommodate them.

"Mom, can we have popcorn?" Cassidy asked, stopping her midway.

Miranda's eyes narrowed.

"Please!" The sisters insisted on a rehearsed plea.

On another occasion, Miranda would have flatly refused. For God's sake, they'd just finished dinner! However, a lot has changed in such a short time...She would enjoy her daughters' appetite while it lasted. Miranda knew that soon the twins would be facing nausea and other side effects of the medication...and to think they were just beginning...

Miranda sighed, mentally composing herself. One day at a time. In that one, she would put smiles on her girls' faces.

"Right," she agreed in a falsely resistant tone. "But none of these flavors even more unhealthy. You two already had too many carbs at dinner. And no soft drinks! Light popcorn and apple juice. Are we understood?" Despite the concession, there were still limits!

"Yes!"

"Thank you Mom!"

The twins responded happily.

Miranda looked directly at Andrea, who had a knowing little smile. The editor arched an eyebrow. The young woman shrugged slightly, her smile even wider. Miranda narrowed her eyes but allowed a slight tilt of her lips.

Andrea was feeling more comfortable with her.

It was something they talked about after settling the 'plan'. Since they would have to pretend to be in a relationship, they needed to be more open with each other. Recover the intimacy that had been growing between them by the time Andrea left Runway.

"Do you want the same thing as the girls, or something terribly caloric and sticky like bacon, cheese and the like?"

Andy smiled slyly.

"The same. Including the juice."

Miranda raised an eyebrow again, this time in undisguised surprise. She was sure Andrea would pick something disgusting just to challenge her.

"I need a diet, you know..." The young woman added slightly blushing.

Miranda's face softened in a way Andy never imagined it would be offered to her.

There was her heart melting and doing those strange and dangerous things! The red in her cheeks sure gave her away.

Miranda looked at her intently for a while, then nodded in understanding and left to take care of the snacks.

Andy took a deep breath, resisting the urge to fan herself with her hand.

"Huh?" She questioned absently after a while.

"I asked if are you going to sleep here. Are you will stay?" Cassidy repeated hopefully.

"Exactly! It's getting late. It's dangerous to go to the hole at the end of the world where you live!" Caroline added.

Andy laughed.

"What an exaggeration!" She messed up the girls' hair, who laughed. "I don't live that far away!"

"But it's still a hole..." Cassidy pointed out disdainfully, much like her mother.

Andy shook her head, but a small smile graced her face. It was a great chance to talk to them. Knowing Miranda, the woman would be thinking the same thing. She would probably spend more time in the kitchen. They had agreed to tell the twins about the situation. Andy wanted to explain everything to the girls herself, something that Miranda happily accepted.

"But...answering your question...yes, I'm spending the night," Andy waited for the heated responses to end before continuing. "Speaking of home, I have a few things to discuss with you guys," she inserted, and two pairs of curious eyes stared at her immediately.

Andy spent the next few minutes talking about Miranda's plan. The girls listened attentively, sometimes letting out "wow!", "cool!", or interrupting her with practical questions. In the end, not a surprise to Andy, the twins were delighted with everything, especially knowing they were so loved.

* * * *

When Miranda returned to the TV room, she found the three of them lying on the rug. They were on huge cushions propped up against the foot of the couch, the girls hugging Andrea, as they watched the movie trailer.

"I thought the couch was big enough."

"Oh Mom, that's better!" Cassidy opposed, laughing.

"It's true! Andy gives amazing hugs! Why don't you come too? After all, you two need to practice!" Caroline joked, sharing a laugh with her sister.

Miranda raised her eyebrows and looked at Andrea. "I see you've already talked to them."

The young reporter shrugged and gave her a playful smile.

Miranda let out a small sigh accompanied by her usual eye roll, and walked up to the three.

"Here," she offered the tray of snacks, looking down. "Really? Do you still want me to serve you, girls?"

The twins didn't move a finger to help, but Andy quickly sprang into action. She disentangled herself from the small bodies that were clinging to her, knelt, and took the tray from Miranda's hands.

To her surprise, Andy saw the older woman kick off her shoes with her feet in practiced skill, bend down, and then raise an eyebrow in defiance.

"Get over there," she commanded, bumping her shoulder lightly with Andrea's, moving to her side, between Caroline and the younger woman.

Andy's eyes widened and her face flushed immediately at the joking and sudden touch.

If her body reacted like that with a simple touch...what would it be like when they actually started acting?

Andy was in trouble!

The girls smiled as they watched them, enjoying the little tug-of-war between the women. That plan would be fun!

Miranda cleared her throat discreetly, and Andrea snapped out of her stupor, placing the tray on the floor. Soon, each of them grabbed their popcorn and juice, including the older woman, who leaned back against the cushion, and popped a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

Andy looked her out of the corner of her eye, fascinated by the display of naturalness. She would never have imagined that Miranda Priestly ate junk food, much less such a trivial one! Apparently, the editor really liked it, as she chewed with relish. Andy also loved popcorn! What else would they have in common?

I see a great deal of myself in you...

That came to her mind suddenly, and Andy imperceptibly shook her head to dispel the tumultuous thoughts.

"What are we going to watch?" Miranda asked between mouthfuls.

"The Phantom of the Opera!" Caroline replied, her mouth full of popcorn.

"But haven't we already seen this movie?"

"Andy hasn't watched this version yet," Cassidy said.

Miranda nodded without any protest, and snuggled in, getting dangerously close to Andrea.

The young reporter could feel the older woman's body heat. It seemed to flow in waves towards her, calling to her, urging her to lose her mind...

Andy swallowed, an inappropriate smolder of desire powerfully enveloping her.

Could she put up with that for nine months?

Andy really was in trouble!