Killer Heels and Prada

Chapter 5

  Miranda avoided James all the next morning up until it was time for her to leave for Runway, then she had no choice. "Well my day in hell is just getting started." she thought to herself as James met her in the hallway. "Miranda the press have been pushed to the end of the block, that way we can get you in the car without any trouble." Miranda nodded her head. "Well then unless your waiting on hell to freeze over we should be going because runway is not waiting on that particular event." Miranda said and walked towards the front door. James followed her and as they went out the door he placed one hand on her back ready to cover her body with his if the need arised. Miranda glanced down the block and saw the cameras flashing. She adjusted her glasses and stood up straighter and walked proudly, and slid in the car with grace. James climbed in the back with her this time, just in case. "Miranda listen, last night..." Miranda raised her hand and cut him off. "James last night was rather unpleasant and I would very much like not to discuss it with you." Miranda turned to look out the window at the passing scenery for the remainder of the ride to Elias Clarke.

When they arrived Roy went to get out of the car Roy don't bother I will help Miranda out don't worry about it." James said. Roy nodded his head. James got out of the car and turned around and held his hand out to Miranda to help her out. Miranda glared at his hand and then reluctantly let him help her out. Security was holding the press back as much as they could, but they were still crowding the entrance. James leaned over and whispered to Miranda. "Listen your highness we are going to have to squeeze through, security can't hold them back forever I'm going to guide you through and straight in just in case there is a threat in the crowd." Miranda's eyes widened behind her sunglasses, she quickly composed herself and nodded her head once. James wrapped his arms around her waist and quickly ushered Miranda through the press and any possible threats, through the doors of Elias Clarke. Once they got inside the elevator Miranda released her breath. Surprised that she was even holding it. She looked over at James and met his eyes for the first time that morning. "James I just.." she started but she was cut off when James leaned down and kissed her. Miranda was shocked that he dared to kiss her now, and her eyes flew open in horror when she realized her mouth was moving with his. She quickly pushed him away from her and glared at him. "James you will conduct yourself in a proper fashion, I am not one of your quick fixes, for your teenage hormones." she said coldly. The doors opened and they walked out into Runway. Emily immediately appeared and Miranda started firing off orders. "Tell Nigel I want to see him in my office in exactly one hour, then I want my meeting with Patrick brought up to one o' clock. Call Calvin Kline and confirm our meeting for Wednesday. I need you to get in touch with Donatella and get her latest sketches on my desk no later than noon. That's all." Miranda said as she threw her bag and coat on the new Emily's desk and sauntered on into her office with James right behind her. Miranda turned around and faced James. "There is no current threat to me right here in my office, you will sit outside, I will not have you in here, shut my door on your way out. That's all." she said coldly. James shook his head, he knew now was not the time to argue with Miranda so he did as she said. When the office door was shut Miranda sat down at her desk and pulled out her phone, not caring what time it was in England. "Hello?" A groggy voice said. "M, it's Miranda." "Miranda, is everything alright?" she said fully awake now. "If you are talking about the issue with the homicidal maniac out to kill me, then things are as good as can be expected giving the circumstances I suppose." "Miranda what are you calling me at this time of night for then if everything is all right?" M asked relieved and exasperated. "It's the agent you have sent to protect me. James is inconceivably childish, he acts like a hormone crazed teenager more than he does anything else, apart from hitting on every female here at Runway when my back is turned... as a matter of fact I'm positive he is keeping my assistant from her job this very minute. Then for the icing on the cake he is trying to use his juvenile charms on me. M I want someone else, anyone else, or for that matter, if everyone insists upon a bodyguard for me I can get someone properly qualified her in the U.S. to look after me." Miranda said. "Now Miranda listen to me, I have told James not to pull any of his useless tricks on you but he doesn't listen too well. I put up with him because he is the very best, I have told you this before. He is more qualified to protect you than anyone else you could get short of possibly one of the President's secret service agents. I know you hate hearing this, but if there was someone else I would gladly send them, but you will be safest with him. Even if he is bloody hormone crazed." "Alright M, you are very right, I hate not having things go my way, but life is full of disappointments, Good Night M." "Good day Miranda." Miranda closed her phone and stared out her office window. "Great, the perfect way to start my busy week is with a migraine."

James stood in Miranda's outer office casually flirting with Emily when his cell phone rang. "Excuse me Emily." he said and walked away and answered his phone. "Shouldn't you be getting your beauty sleep M?" James asked. "James how often am I going to have to tell you to do your job and not harass Miranda?" "Come on now M, I'm just doing the same thing I'm just being me." He said coyly. "That is my point exactly James, Miranda will not put up with you for much longer from the sound of her. I warn you James, she may seem ladylike and elegant, but she does know how to use a knife and a gun properly." M said. "M, you have to believe me when I say this, I am not putting my usual moves on her." "The only thing that means 007 is that you have come up with some new ones you think might possibly work." James chuckled "Good Night James, and please try to think with you head and not the lower half of your body." M hung up and James just shook his head.

A couple of hours later Miranda was in a deep discussion with Nigel over a shoot that went horribly wrong. "You see Nigel this is the kind of incompetence I have to deal with when neither one of us over see the shoot. This is unbelievable, James Holt might be an intelligent designer, but he knows nothing about photography. I want this shoot rescheduled immediately, we will fly out to L.A. tomorrow and re shoot everything. "Emily, go and make the necessary calls for this now, I want us to be on board the jets tomorrow morning, and I want that same location, and I want it all confirmed within the next half hour. That's all." Emily scurried off and James walked back into the office and jumped in at that point. "Miranda it is too dangerous for you to go anywhere right now don't you understand that?" "James we will be flying on private Jets, James Holt's, and Irv's, and obviously you will be there to protect me should anything go wrong, because you can protect me from anyone and anything right?" she said raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Yes Miranda." James said and shook his head. He walked back out to the outer office and saw Emily frantically trying to carry out Miranda's demands. He looked back into Miranda's office and saw her talking to Nigel in her gorgeous Donna Karen dress. "I'm not done with you let Miranda, I'm just going to have to change tactics." he thought. He looked over at the "new Emily" as Miranda called her and smiled. "can I get you to do something for me?" he whispered to her. She nodded her head quickly at him. James grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and wrote down what he wanted. "I'll need this by the end of today, it's very important." James said She batted her eyes at him and nodded her head. "I will I promise. I will have it before Miranda leaves the office today." "good now listen it is very important that she not see it." "Of course Mr. Bond." "Please call me James." he said He looked into Miranda's office again and this time she looked up and met his gaze. He smiled and winked at her and Miranda turned back to her work. "What is he up to?" she thought as she looked on at the disaster splayed before her...