A Flawed Fragility: Chapter 26
Author: TheLadyHoll
Pairing: Andy/Miranda
Rating: M
Disclaimer: Yes, they are mine. I own them. Come to me my pretties and dance, DANCE I SAY. Or, more truthfully, not...
Chapter 26: Out of Place
Final exams are upon us, part time jobs wrench away our evenings and the futile mission of finding a paid summer internship devours time more readily as a good Mirandy fic binge...at least those are my excuses as to the lateness of this chapter. As I've said before, I have blobs and blobs of text, with few good ideas of how to join them without this turning into a non-flowing Franken-fic.
HOWEVER! I have managed to get this one up, and DO have the next consecutive 601 words written. So before the eve of my 22nd birthday (I hope) you shall have another chapter.
All my love, and please do review.
Both women were left wanting, however, due to the time constraints placed upon them. Between that and Miranda's growing form, more planning than usual was required for any sort of intimacy to take place simply because of the increasingly complex 'logistics'.
The news having broken in New York overnight, the paparazzi were especially ruthless in their attempts to get a picture or a quote that would give them an edge over their American counterparts and despite leaving on time, were well on their way to being late due to the media swarm.
Miranda was silently furious that she hadn't seen this coming, at least not at the magnitude it now appeared to be rising to, and the set of her shoulders was straight and stiff as the car wound its way through the Paris streets to the airport. Hating herself for it but unable to help herself, she wasn't even able to soothe Andrea's anxieties, which were even more poignant as she dealt with the vultures for the first time, she herself being at the centre of their focus as the newest piece in the puzzle and the enigma that was Miranda Priestly. The younger woman sat across from her, hands clasped tightly in her lap after having tried unsuccessfully to take Miranda's hand.
Miranda blinked and angrily swallowed back the lump that had suddenly risen in her throat. She couldn't, she just couldn't accept the comfort the younger woman was offering to her so freely. She was too angry and too filled with guilt at the position she had put them in. And neither could she comfort the brunette so strong were her own anxieties despite her years of experience in dealing with the press and their ever-inaccurate depictions of her life and career and persona.
Andy swallowed back the tiny coil of disappointment and resentment that had begun to twist her insides when Miranda had turned away from her and she fought the urge to roll her eyes, knowing the other woman's uncanny ability to know whenever she was doing so.
She knew Miranda was nervous about returning home and what it would mean for them as a 'couple' as well as discovering what effect their recent announcement had had on their careers in their absence. But the tiniest part of her had to admit that she had hoped wearing Miranda's ring on her finger would have been enough to break down the last of the icy, protective walls that kept them apart.
She barely managed not to snort derisively, knowing for sure that would attract the distracted woman's attention. When she thought about it, even the barest of logistics like knowledge of the kind of information that they would have to fill out on their marriage license set the odds against them…Were they really going into this so blindly like her parents and Lily and the rest of the world seemed to think. Her heart said no, screamed it actually.
A light pressure on the ring finger on her left hand brought her concentration back to the present, and where Miranda still sat, unmoving and unspeaking as she stared resolutely out the window. But her fingers were gently turning the diamond on Andrea's finger. Andy wasn't even sure if the older woman knew what she was doing, but that small act of trust, that Miranda, even unconsciously, trusted some part of Andrea to give her comfort gave Andy her answer in tenfold, as if there could ever have been any other.
Miranda herself was frozen, she knew she should say something to the brunette who was completely out of her element. Comfort her, or explain, but she couldn't. She could feel the younger woman's confusion and hurt at her actions and she hated herself for putting her in that position, and at the same time couldn't help but feel slightly frustrated at Andrea. If the younger woman thought marriage or engagement was some sort of magical relationship Band-Aid then she was sorely wrong and more naïve than Miranda had thought. Without realizing what she was doing, Miranda reached across the leather seat for the tactile reassurance of the diamond securely on Andrea's finger, reminding herself of the younger woman's promise that it would not leave her hand and her breathing slowed slightly.
She knew what Andrea would say if she vocalized her fears. That that ring wasn't going anywhere and neither was she.
Nigel, Emily and Serena were already on board the plane along with the waiting crew. The furniture inside the luxurious cabin was positioned so that in addition to 6 'traditional' forward facing seats there was also a 'living area and meeting space with two armchairs and a couch loosely organized around a low coffee table specially designed to match the magnets on the china-ware so that no important documents could be ruined by the effects of turbulence.
Unsurprisingly, Miranda had made it known that the first half of the flight would be work-related and dedicated to going over the notes from the shows, compiling them until there was some sort of cohesive vision for future editions and collaborations with Runway.
Miranda tapped a fingernail against the Kate Spade 'Pop Art' inspired collection and motioned for Nigel to hand her the proofs from the MaxMara show.
"B-but Miranda, none of the textures match - the aesthetic is completely different." Emily ventured cautiously as she took in the ethereal folds and pleating of the MaxMara gown in question in comparison to the retro, mod inspired miniskirt with bright red dots unequally patterned.
Miranda, instead of cutting the girl down however nodded. "Correct, Emily. But that doesn't mean that they don't work together." She continued to amaze the group by explaining her thought process. "A layout centred around summer in Central Park, the bright green grass against espadrilles and the dotted Kate Spade skirt on a checkered picnic blanket with the circles in the skirt mirrored by a man with a balloon cart off to the side by the fountain. Now take that theme of joy and freedom and you'll see just out of focus a wedding party, with three laughing bridesmaids in the forefront, holding their shoes in their hands and laughing as their dresses blow in the same direction as the grass and the balloons."
Andy was just as much in awe as the rest of the group at the brilliance of Miranda's mind, but she had had much more practice in dealing with her love's agile brain and so her mouth formed a small smirk instead of hanging open dumbly.
Nigel nodded, slightly dazed. "Yes, I can see it." He reached over for the Ipad Serena was holding and opened a new draft to take down the idea.
Pleased as she was at eliciting that kind of reaction from her staff, Miranda's gently amused smile faded and her eyes fluttered closed for a moment as she tensed up.
Andy returned from the onboard kitchen and set the fresh mugs of coffee down on the table just as Miranda opened her eyes again and began to stand, accepting Nigel's hand gracefully as he stood to offer his arm as Andy was juggling hot coffees.
"You may begin preliminary discussions for editorial of the July theme with that layout as the centrepiece." Miranda instructed, releasing Nigel's hand once she was upright and rested her hand on the small of Andy's back as she was bent over the coffee table to let her know she was leaving the room. "I expect to see a great deal of progress over the course of the flight, with no interruptions." Her gaze flicked to the very nearly intertwined ankles of Emily and Serena as they shared the couch, poring over the Ipad Nigel had gone back to working on.
There was a very small ensuite behind the cockpit but before the lounge area, and Andy followed Miranda as she walked through the door and shut it tightly, exhaling and letting her shoulders dip slightly, revealing her true state of exhaustion. Kicking off her shoes and unzipping her skirt an inch or two for a little extra breathing room, Miranda nipped in to the bathroom before returning, massaging one side of her belly in small circles as she lowered herself onto the mattress.
"Miranda? What is it, what's wrong? I didn't call Dr. Jansen before we flew out but she had said you should be fine," Andy started to babble but Miranda reached out for her hand and tugged her slightly closer to the bed.
"Sweetheart, I'm fine. I'm just pregnant, I'm going to need to rest or sit - and that doesn't have anything to do with how well you're taking care of me. It simply means this process isn't an easy one on a fifty year old body.
"Did you want me to stay with you?"
"Always," Miranda curled her legs beneath her with a grace she shouldn't have had at two weeks shy of being 6 months pregnant and smiled up at the brunette coyly. "But no, for the moment I'm fine. Go and socialize darling or they'll wonder just exactly what we're doing in here."
"Believe me, if there was ANY chance of us doing anything of that nature in here, I'd strap on their parachutes myself."
Miranda laughed out loud before waving her off. "Go, get out of here."
"Yes, Miranda."
About halfway through the flight, the Runway team had finished the preliminary layout and were drowsily jotting down any last notes. Emily and Serena had curled up together on the small couch, their petite forms allowing them both to fit in the cramped space although Serena's legs were folded beneath her; Nigel was nodding off in one of the leather armchairs and Andy had just finished her final edits on an article when her phone vibrated against the table and she picked it up quickly before the noise against the hard surface could wake anyone.
It was from Miranda, and the only missive was 'Come'. Slipping into the still darkened room, Andy turned on the light, keeping it at a dim level with the adjustable switch.
"Miranda?"
"I think she's lying at a bad angle," came a pained voice from the bed where Miranda lay awkwardly, holding a hand to the side of her belly and trying to apply pressure towards her back. "And the Braxton Hicks contractions or the ligament pains or whatever are putting even more pressure on her side and Dr. Jansen said that's not good with the TTTS"
"What? How long have you been having Braxton Hicks?"
"They started several days after I arrived in Paris. I called Dr. Jansen and it's not uncommon this early, for mothers expecting twins to experience them. They haven't been regular or particularly troublesome until now. Ah!"
Replacing Miranda's hand with her own to keep the pressure where she needed it, Andy used the flat of her hand in long firm strokes down Miranda's side until she felt a shift underneath her fingers. Miranda's intake of breath however indicated this wasn't the right direction.
"Alright, alright, move onto your hands and knees," Andy helped Miranda into the position the books and internet research had all recommended was most effective in getting a baby to move position and tried to feel for where a foot or elbow was poking out.
"Aha, theeeere, I gotcha," Andy smiled as she caught a tiny limb which scooted away in a miniature game of 'hide and seek'.
"Ah!" Miranda winced as the hand or foot kicked out at the tight muscle as another Braxton Hicks tightened her belly, but the final smooth strokes of Andrea's hands against her sides seemed to have released whatever knot or cramp had been bothering her before in conjunction with the false contractions and she was able to sit normally against the pillows.
"There we go, princess," Andy smiled and leaned over to press her lips to where she could feel the babies. Miranda turned her face slightly, expecting the same and waited for the younger woman's kiss. But the brunette simply stood and turned to leave once more, although the set of her shoulders made Miranda think that whatever 'this' was wasn't over, simply delayed until they were in the privacy of their own home. Damn.
She wasn't about to let this wait though, she knew once the plane landed, whether Andrea was yet cognizant of the fact, an 8 hour workday awaited her back at the Runway offices, and the thought of two arguments - she refused to call them 'fights' - in one day was more exhausting than she cared to admit, especially with the young woman who was her peace and her solace.
"Andrea!" Miranda's tone hovered somewhere between tentative, angry and dismissive as she sat up and began to readjust her clothing.
"No, Miranda," Andy turned around and held the blue gaze firmly in brown with a tone that brooked no argument. "That is the kind of detail you mention to someone."
"I told you I called Dr. Jansen -"
"And you didn't think to call, or text the woman you planned on asking to marry? Of all the texts you send a day, of all the times we talked, you couldn't find one moment to mention it in passing?"
"You're not my assistant anymore, I'm perfectly capable…"
Andy mimicked the familiar phrase under her breath and Miranda's features darkened as she continued.
"…of making a personal call to my doctor. Had there been any further action or treatment needed or other medical concern, of course you would have been notified. I didn't want to waste -"
Andy scoffed again, "Oh, notified…Well that's something I guess. And would it be your assistant to 'notify' me of my wife's condition? Well I suppose I should be grateful for that at least."
Angry now as Miranda was, her heart still eased slightly at hearing Andrea refer to her as her wife, even if it wasn't yet technically correct.
"I suppose it's more than Stephen ever got." Andrea continued as she swung out an arm dramatically.
Any warmth that had bloomed in Miranda's chest turned to icy shards as the younger woman crossed a line, comparing their relationship with that of her ex.
Andy regretted the words as soon as they left her lips. Before then, she knew she had been acting slightly childish, even if she had the right - but the last blow hadn't been fair, and any higher moral ground she'd had, she'd lost as blue eyes widened in shock and hurt for the briefest of seconds before veiling over as they hadn't for some time now when it had only been her and Andy.
Fuck.
Un-boarding the plane, Andy was reminded of her days as an assistant to 'the Dragon Lady' as Miranda turned away slightly from Andy's proffered hand as she began to descend the steps to the tarmac below. Several steps down however, Miranda's balance failed her and her grip on the railing tightened as she wobbled slightly, her ankles shaky on the metal grate in the low heels she was wearing. Andy saw this immediately and moved forward, only to see Miranda accept the captain's arm with a brilliant smile as he escorted her down the stairs.
The smile was fake, Andy knew, and only used to charm people from whom Miranda wanted something, but it still burned to see Miranda smiling, arm in arm with a man and clearly shutting Andy out.
Once everyone had made it to the waiting cars at the edge of the tarmac, Andy sent dual glances at Nigel and Emily that begged them to take care of her before slipping into the second waiting car that was waiting to take her to the Mirror offices.
My birthday is the first week of May in case anyone was wondering ;)
Pairing: Andy/Miranda
Rating: M
Disclaimer: Yes, they are mine. I own them. Come to me my pretties and dance, DANCE I SAY. Or, more truthfully, not...
Chapter 26: Out of Place
Final exams are upon us, part time jobs wrench away our evenings and the futile mission of finding a paid summer internship devours time more readily as a good Mirandy fic binge...at least those are my excuses as to the lateness of this chapter. As I've said before, I have blobs and blobs of text, with few good ideas of how to join them without this turning into a non-flowing Franken-fic.
HOWEVER! I have managed to get this one up, and DO have the next consecutive 601 words written. So before the eve of my 22nd birthday (I hope) you shall have another chapter.
All my love, and please do review.
Both women were left wanting, however, due to the time constraints placed upon them. Between that and Miranda's growing form, more planning than usual was required for any sort of intimacy to take place simply because of the increasingly complex 'logistics'.
The news having broken in New York overnight, the paparazzi were especially ruthless in their attempts to get a picture or a quote that would give them an edge over their American counterparts and despite leaving on time, were well on their way to being late due to the media swarm.
Miranda was silently furious that she hadn't seen this coming, at least not at the magnitude it now appeared to be rising to, and the set of her shoulders was straight and stiff as the car wound its way through the Paris streets to the airport. Hating herself for it but unable to help herself, she wasn't even able to soothe Andrea's anxieties, which were even more poignant as she dealt with the vultures for the first time, she herself being at the centre of their focus as the newest piece in the puzzle and the enigma that was Miranda Priestly. The younger woman sat across from her, hands clasped tightly in her lap after having tried unsuccessfully to take Miranda's hand.
Miranda blinked and angrily swallowed back the lump that had suddenly risen in her throat. She couldn't, she just couldn't accept the comfort the younger woman was offering to her so freely. She was too angry and too filled with guilt at the position she had put them in. And neither could she comfort the brunette so strong were her own anxieties despite her years of experience in dealing with the press and their ever-inaccurate depictions of her life and career and persona.
Andy swallowed back the tiny coil of disappointment and resentment that had begun to twist her insides when Miranda had turned away from her and she fought the urge to roll her eyes, knowing the other woman's uncanny ability to know whenever she was doing so.
She knew Miranda was nervous about returning home and what it would mean for them as a 'couple' as well as discovering what effect their recent announcement had had on their careers in their absence. But the tiniest part of her had to admit that she had hoped wearing Miranda's ring on her finger would have been enough to break down the last of the icy, protective walls that kept them apart.
She barely managed not to snort derisively, knowing for sure that would attract the distracted woman's attention. When she thought about it, even the barest of logistics like knowledge of the kind of information that they would have to fill out on their marriage license set the odds against them…Were they really going into this so blindly like her parents and Lily and the rest of the world seemed to think. Her heart said no, screamed it actually.
A light pressure on the ring finger on her left hand brought her concentration back to the present, and where Miranda still sat, unmoving and unspeaking as she stared resolutely out the window. But her fingers were gently turning the diamond on Andrea's finger. Andy wasn't even sure if the older woman knew what she was doing, but that small act of trust, that Miranda, even unconsciously, trusted some part of Andrea to give her comfort gave Andy her answer in tenfold, as if there could ever have been any other.
Miranda herself was frozen, she knew she should say something to the brunette who was completely out of her element. Comfort her, or explain, but she couldn't. She could feel the younger woman's confusion and hurt at her actions and she hated herself for putting her in that position, and at the same time couldn't help but feel slightly frustrated at Andrea. If the younger woman thought marriage or engagement was some sort of magical relationship Band-Aid then she was sorely wrong and more naïve than Miranda had thought. Without realizing what she was doing, Miranda reached across the leather seat for the tactile reassurance of the diamond securely on Andrea's finger, reminding herself of the younger woman's promise that it would not leave her hand and her breathing slowed slightly.
She knew what Andrea would say if she vocalized her fears. That that ring wasn't going anywhere and neither was she.
Nigel, Emily and Serena were already on board the plane along with the waiting crew. The furniture inside the luxurious cabin was positioned so that in addition to 6 'traditional' forward facing seats there was also a 'living area and meeting space with two armchairs and a couch loosely organized around a low coffee table specially designed to match the magnets on the china-ware so that no important documents could be ruined by the effects of turbulence.
Unsurprisingly, Miranda had made it known that the first half of the flight would be work-related and dedicated to going over the notes from the shows, compiling them until there was some sort of cohesive vision for future editions and collaborations with Runway.
Miranda tapped a fingernail against the Kate Spade 'Pop Art' inspired collection and motioned for Nigel to hand her the proofs from the MaxMara show.
"B-but Miranda, none of the textures match - the aesthetic is completely different." Emily ventured cautiously as she took in the ethereal folds and pleating of the MaxMara gown in question in comparison to the retro, mod inspired miniskirt with bright red dots unequally patterned.
Miranda, instead of cutting the girl down however nodded. "Correct, Emily. But that doesn't mean that they don't work together." She continued to amaze the group by explaining her thought process. "A layout centred around summer in Central Park, the bright green grass against espadrilles and the dotted Kate Spade skirt on a checkered picnic blanket with the circles in the skirt mirrored by a man with a balloon cart off to the side by the fountain. Now take that theme of joy and freedom and you'll see just out of focus a wedding party, with three laughing bridesmaids in the forefront, holding their shoes in their hands and laughing as their dresses blow in the same direction as the grass and the balloons."
Andy was just as much in awe as the rest of the group at the brilliance of Miranda's mind, but she had had much more practice in dealing with her love's agile brain and so her mouth formed a small smirk instead of hanging open dumbly.
Nigel nodded, slightly dazed. "Yes, I can see it." He reached over for the Ipad Serena was holding and opened a new draft to take down the idea.
Pleased as she was at eliciting that kind of reaction from her staff, Miranda's gently amused smile faded and her eyes fluttered closed for a moment as she tensed up.
Andy returned from the onboard kitchen and set the fresh mugs of coffee down on the table just as Miranda opened her eyes again and began to stand, accepting Nigel's hand gracefully as he stood to offer his arm as Andy was juggling hot coffees.
"You may begin preliminary discussions for editorial of the July theme with that layout as the centrepiece." Miranda instructed, releasing Nigel's hand once she was upright and rested her hand on the small of Andy's back as she was bent over the coffee table to let her know she was leaving the room. "I expect to see a great deal of progress over the course of the flight, with no interruptions." Her gaze flicked to the very nearly intertwined ankles of Emily and Serena as they shared the couch, poring over the Ipad Nigel had gone back to working on.
There was a very small ensuite behind the cockpit but before the lounge area, and Andy followed Miranda as she walked through the door and shut it tightly, exhaling and letting her shoulders dip slightly, revealing her true state of exhaustion. Kicking off her shoes and unzipping her skirt an inch or two for a little extra breathing room, Miranda nipped in to the bathroom before returning, massaging one side of her belly in small circles as she lowered herself onto the mattress.
"Miranda? What is it, what's wrong? I didn't call Dr. Jansen before we flew out but she had said you should be fine," Andy started to babble but Miranda reached out for her hand and tugged her slightly closer to the bed.
"Sweetheart, I'm fine. I'm just pregnant, I'm going to need to rest or sit - and that doesn't have anything to do with how well you're taking care of me. It simply means this process isn't an easy one on a fifty year old body.
"Did you want me to stay with you?"
"Always," Miranda curled her legs beneath her with a grace she shouldn't have had at two weeks shy of being 6 months pregnant and smiled up at the brunette coyly. "But no, for the moment I'm fine. Go and socialize darling or they'll wonder just exactly what we're doing in here."
"Believe me, if there was ANY chance of us doing anything of that nature in here, I'd strap on their parachutes myself."
Miranda laughed out loud before waving her off. "Go, get out of here."
"Yes, Miranda."
About halfway through the flight, the Runway team had finished the preliminary layout and were drowsily jotting down any last notes. Emily and Serena had curled up together on the small couch, their petite forms allowing them both to fit in the cramped space although Serena's legs were folded beneath her; Nigel was nodding off in one of the leather armchairs and Andy had just finished her final edits on an article when her phone vibrated against the table and she picked it up quickly before the noise against the hard surface could wake anyone.
It was from Miranda, and the only missive was 'Come'. Slipping into the still darkened room, Andy turned on the light, keeping it at a dim level with the adjustable switch.
"Miranda?"
"I think she's lying at a bad angle," came a pained voice from the bed where Miranda lay awkwardly, holding a hand to the side of her belly and trying to apply pressure towards her back. "And the Braxton Hicks contractions or the ligament pains or whatever are putting even more pressure on her side and Dr. Jansen said that's not good with the TTTS"
"What? How long have you been having Braxton Hicks?"
"They started several days after I arrived in Paris. I called Dr. Jansen and it's not uncommon this early, for mothers expecting twins to experience them. They haven't been regular or particularly troublesome until now. Ah!"
Replacing Miranda's hand with her own to keep the pressure where she needed it, Andy used the flat of her hand in long firm strokes down Miranda's side until she felt a shift underneath her fingers. Miranda's intake of breath however indicated this wasn't the right direction.
"Alright, alright, move onto your hands and knees," Andy helped Miranda into the position the books and internet research had all recommended was most effective in getting a baby to move position and tried to feel for where a foot or elbow was poking out.
"Aha, theeeere, I gotcha," Andy smiled as she caught a tiny limb which scooted away in a miniature game of 'hide and seek'.
"Ah!" Miranda winced as the hand or foot kicked out at the tight muscle as another Braxton Hicks tightened her belly, but the final smooth strokes of Andrea's hands against her sides seemed to have released whatever knot or cramp had been bothering her before in conjunction with the false contractions and she was able to sit normally against the pillows.
"There we go, princess," Andy smiled and leaned over to press her lips to where she could feel the babies. Miranda turned her face slightly, expecting the same and waited for the younger woman's kiss. But the brunette simply stood and turned to leave once more, although the set of her shoulders made Miranda think that whatever 'this' was wasn't over, simply delayed until they were in the privacy of their own home. Damn.
She wasn't about to let this wait though, she knew once the plane landed, whether Andrea was yet cognizant of the fact, an 8 hour workday awaited her back at the Runway offices, and the thought of two arguments - she refused to call them 'fights' - in one day was more exhausting than she cared to admit, especially with the young woman who was her peace and her solace.
"Andrea!" Miranda's tone hovered somewhere between tentative, angry and dismissive as she sat up and began to readjust her clothing.
"No, Miranda," Andy turned around and held the blue gaze firmly in brown with a tone that brooked no argument. "That is the kind of detail you mention to someone."
"I told you I called Dr. Jansen -"
"And you didn't think to call, or text the woman you planned on asking to marry? Of all the texts you send a day, of all the times we talked, you couldn't find one moment to mention it in passing?"
"You're not my assistant anymore, I'm perfectly capable…"
Andy mimicked the familiar phrase under her breath and Miranda's features darkened as she continued.
"…of making a personal call to my doctor. Had there been any further action or treatment needed or other medical concern, of course you would have been notified. I didn't want to waste -"
Andy scoffed again, "Oh, notified…Well that's something I guess. And would it be your assistant to 'notify' me of my wife's condition? Well I suppose I should be grateful for that at least."
Angry now as Miranda was, her heart still eased slightly at hearing Andrea refer to her as her wife, even if it wasn't yet technically correct.
"I suppose it's more than Stephen ever got." Andrea continued as she swung out an arm dramatically.
Any warmth that had bloomed in Miranda's chest turned to icy shards as the younger woman crossed a line, comparing their relationship with that of her ex.
Andy regretted the words as soon as they left her lips. Before then, she knew she had been acting slightly childish, even if she had the right - but the last blow hadn't been fair, and any higher moral ground she'd had, she'd lost as blue eyes widened in shock and hurt for the briefest of seconds before veiling over as they hadn't for some time now when it had only been her and Andy.
Fuck.
Un-boarding the plane, Andy was reminded of her days as an assistant to 'the Dragon Lady' as Miranda turned away slightly from Andy's proffered hand as she began to descend the steps to the tarmac below. Several steps down however, Miranda's balance failed her and her grip on the railing tightened as she wobbled slightly, her ankles shaky on the metal grate in the low heels she was wearing. Andy saw this immediately and moved forward, only to see Miranda accept the captain's arm with a brilliant smile as he escorted her down the stairs.
The smile was fake, Andy knew, and only used to charm people from whom Miranda wanted something, but it still burned to see Miranda smiling, arm in arm with a man and clearly shutting Andy out.
Once everyone had made it to the waiting cars at the edge of the tarmac, Andy sent dual glances at Nigel and Emily that begged them to take care of her before slipping into the second waiting car that was waiting to take her to the Mirror offices.
My birthday is the first week of May in case anyone was wondering ;)