Medical leave (a Mirandy fanfic)

Chapter 1: Starting the week

It was barely 7:30 A.M when the brand new first Assistant, Andrea Sachs, arrived at Elias-Clarke building and set to start a very busy week. Miranda would arrive in fifteen-minutes maximum, barging through the glass doors and firing orders left and right. The December issue always caused turmoil in the halls and corridors of Runway, with the end of the year approaching impendingly, every wretched soul in the realm of the Fashion Queen dreaded the end of November as if it was the Black Plague. And Ms. Sachs was no exception.

 Every year was supposed to end with a glowing edition of Runway, which would crown a whole eleven months in a row of the most renowned and succesful (and best sold) fashion magazine. Andy was in full efficiency mode, ready to jump out of the window to comply to Miranda's next orders. And after her little outburst at last Paris Fashion Week, she was surprised Miranda hadn't yet asked her to literally jump out of a window. Andrea Sach had not only walked out on Miranda in the middle of the busiest week of the year, but also tossed her very expensive work phone in a fountain in Paris. Needless saying that after hardly fourty minutes at a bar, with half a bottle of wine gone, she realised what a terrible mistake she had made.

The young woman had been positively gobsmacked with the last minute stunt Miranda had pulled out, that allowed her not only to avoid being dethroned but to remind her adversaries who they were dealing with. She felt sorry for her dear friend Nigel, with whom she became the closest ever, but she was also scared to death. She knew she had developped feelings for the Editor, but Miranda's actions triggered a giant warning sign. Andrea Sachs wasn't sure she could ever recovered is she got her feelings destroyed the cold and calculating way Miranda had destroyed Nigel's ambitions. 

Once at the bar, she realised... she couldn't be away from the woman. Even if her feelings remained unrequitted, even if Miranda never give her the time of the day, the mere perspective of never seing her again was devastating enough to convince her to come back and beg for her job. Surprisingly, Miranda had taken her back even before she could mumble some sorry excuse for an apology. What's more, by the end of October she had been promoted to first assistant when Emily moved up in life to work under Nigel's surveillance in the Art Department. Nigel had also been properly rewarded, he was now a peer to Miranda. After years of working hand in hand, sharing the same vision for the industry, Miranda had decided that Nigel would make a great Editor himself. So, they were planning on releasing a twin magazine to Runway by the end of next year but intended to the masculine audience.

Now that emotional upheaval had been settled and everyone was looking into an horizon of new career expectations, things began to look brighter. Andrea had been first assistant for more than a month and a half, and she could say that her relation with Miranda had never been on better terms. The editor treated her kindly (sometimes it even seemed affectionately, or was it a figment of a wishful imagination?), they spent evenings working in the townhouse, sometimes Miranda even asked about Andrea's opinion on a certain subject and Andy glowed at the idea of being taken in count. They had grown closer than ever, and even when it wasn't her job anymore, Andy decided to continue to deliver the book. 

 Andy was lost in thought trying to coordinate the schedule for the day when Miranda stepped through the doors. Gorgeous as always, today the chosen outfit was a wrapped around charcoal dress that hugged her waist in the most  enticing way, and mauve Louboutin pumps that flexed her calves and lifted her already sculpted rear. All of which Andy took in eagerly while swiftly hanged Miranda's heavy black coat and followed the woman, scribbling down in her notepad .

- "And why isn't my coffee here yet? Has she died or something?" 

- "I'm soooorrrryyyy!" - Janette came running in 5 inch stilettos and promptly set the coffee on the glass desk in Miranda's office and scampered to her desk. The "new Emily"as Miranda called her, even though she knew her name perfectly, was a 25-year-old charming (though chatty) blonde. Andrea had interviewed her herself and given her the job after discovering  what a willing, active and charming quick-lerner the blonde was.  She could be easily taken for a model, except for her deep enthusiasm she held for carbs, which Andy shared and most of the staff at Runway detested, earning her some inmediate enemies when the clackers discovered she was naturally thin.

-"Really, is it so hard to get a coffee in time? Am I reaching for the stars here?" - Miranda said sitting down and opening her Mac to start working- "Anyway, Andrea..."

-"Yes, Miranda?"

-"Call Donatella to confirm our appointment at ten this morning. Versace will have a main place this holidays, after the previews she gave me of her latest collection I think I could use some good taste. Tell the new designers that I'll meet them for a brief presentation at nine o'clock. They'll have seven minutes each. That makes it 21 minutes total, if they can't show me anything interesting in the meantime tell them not to bother to ask for another presentation. Tell Emily to come inmediately, I want to see the redone photoshot with Rihanna. Seriously, what kind of photographer can't take a proper shot with such a woman? Ah, the incompetence! I'll have lunch with Patrick, and tell the blonde Emily to go pick my Hermès scarves and pick Patricia from the groomer, that's all"

Andrea walked quickly back to her desk and set to work, as she sat she told Janette to go to Hermès and to pick Patricia.

-"And keep an eye on your phone, it'll be a hell of a day"

-"I will!" - Janette screamed as she sprinted towards the elevator. Andy smirked, oh yes, she had already caught on the pace of this job.

-"Andrea" - the Editor's voice floated smoothly through the office. When Miranda was not tongue lashing at someone, her voice was velvety and sensual but also comanding. Andy thought that it suited her owner very well. Hurrying beside the Editor, Andrea gave her one of her signature smiles.

-"Yes, Miranda?"

Miranda stared at her for a moment and something Andy couldn't quite fathom shone through her deep blue eyes. It was merely three seconds but it felt like an eternity under Miranda's perusal, until Andy tilted her head as if kindly prompting Miranda to continue. Yes, kind was an adjetive that always went with Andrea Sachs.

-"Andrea, I'm afraid there's been a change of plans and I'll need you to be somewhere else than your desk. After my lunch with Patrick I was due for an interview with Vanity fair. It will hardly take half an hour but I forgot the girls will need pick up from their school excursion at the Museum at 1 PM. I need you to go pick them up, I'll have Roy take you all to the townhouse afterwards. I mean, I know is not your job but Cara is not available this morning and week has been hectic and you are the only one I'd trust with my girls..."

-"It's okay! Really! It's been quite some time since I last saw them. I'll take them to the townhouse and then come back here"

-"Great. Cara will arrive no later than 2 PM, then call Roy and have him drive you here. There's still a lot to do"

-"Of course! Anything else?"

-"That's all..."

-"Very well" - she gave her one last smile and turned around to leave-

-"Andrea..."

-"Yes?" - she stopped on her track and readied her notepad-

-"Thank you" - at that, the brunette gave her a smile so bright was it electrical the electricity bill at Elias-Clarke would be more expensive than the building itself.