August cover - Mirandy [one-shot]

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—Andrea, in 20 minutes we have the photoshoot for the August cover. Is everything ready? Have you called the driver, the model, the photographer?

—Yes, Miranda.

—Good. Let Nigel know we're leaving now, we can't be late.

—Sure.

There is less than a week until the month of July ends, which means that the maximum deadline to finish the mock-up of the August magazine is four days. The stress is noticeable in the environment, but especially in the impatient and irritable eyes of the editor-in-chief. For Miranda Priestly it is not enough that Runway's posts are 'good', they must be perfect. If not, many could end up on the blacklist of the legendary Mrs. Priestly, and that was not anyone's wish.

Runway was no nonsense, as many people used to think or say; it was her whole life. She made a lot of demands on her employees because her responsibility was so high and it had taken her so long to get to where she was that she would not allow herself to be ridiculed by anyone. For that reason, she was distant and cold with everyone, although deep down she cared for some of the people around her, in her own way. Above all, one in particular: Andrea Sachs, her assistant. The young woman captured Miranda's interest from the day she entered her office as a candidate for the position of assistant. She was a peculiar girl, no doubt. She spoke her mind, had potential, and was interested in Miranda as few people had been. After all, she was paid for it. But it wasn't just that, she had lasted longer than any other girl in her job and that had to mean something. At first she had been quite clumsy, inexperienced and clueless, but with time and with much effort she adapted to the place, becoming a key piece of Runway. And also a key piece in Miranda's life, although she did not want to accept it.

For the August cover they had decided to show a woman posing in a pool, which was typically summery, by the way. The pool was on the roof of one of the tallest and most expensive buildings in New York. It had been difficult to schedule the photoshoot because all kinds of rich and famous people would come there, but it was enough to say the name 'Miranda Priestly' for all kinds of impossible things to happen. So they managed to reserve the pool for several hours.

They arrived at the building and deployed all their equipment: Nigel was in charge of the costumes, the photographer prepared his tripod and Andrea spoke with the owner of the place, while Miranda inspected everything in detail. Only the model was missing. Andrea tried to contact her by mobile phone several times until the woman answered and told her that it was impossible for her to attend the session because her mother had been taken to the hospital and she had to stay with her. Andrea tried to reassure her and told her that nothing was wrong, that they would manage. When she hung up, she told the team and they all looked at her in puzzlement. Everyone except Miranda, who was looking at her disappointedly, as if she had been to blame; how had she not foreseen that this could have happened? Why hadn't she hired another model just in case?

There was no time, the session had to be done that day without fail because then it had to be reviewed by several departments and there were only four days left. They had to find a solution and fast. Andrea unlocked her cell phone and checked her contact list to find another model; however, Miranda intervened:

—You could pose, Andrea.

—Me? Wh-What?

—Yes, you —she repeated, this time staring at her—. I can't pose, for obvious reasons that I won't bother to explain. I would propose it to Nigel, but I think it is not what we want to project. We want a woman on the cover and he's not. Or am I wrong? —She asked raising one of her eyebrows.

—I certainly am not, Miranda.

—But... um... I don't know how to pose! What if people found out that Miranda Priestly's assistant is on the cover of her own magazine? Wouldn't that be too scandalous and... weird? —Andrea added scared.