Chapter Text
It was the day before Christmas Eve and Andy was still at work. She glanced at the digital clock on her computer screen and picked up the phone.
"Miranda Priestly's office."
"Hi, Emily," Andy said. "It's Andy."
"You haven't been gone that long, Andrea," Emily replied. "I do recognize your voice."
"It's good to know I'm missed," Andy said and could practically hear Emily shaking her head.
"Miranda's not in the office right now," Emily said.
"I was calling for you, not Miranda," Andy replied.
"Me?" Emily said.
"Yeah," Andy said. "Why not? Anyway, Miranda said she's finally letting the new girl deliver the book so I was wondering if I could come by your place tonight and drop off your Christmas gift."
Andy smiled at Emily's pause. She guessed her former co-worker was trying to digest her offer. Sure, Emily had been royally ticked off when she learned about her and Miranda, but after Andy quietly moved on to her junior editorial assistant's job at The Rolling Stone and therefore was no longer a threat to Emily's position, she seemed to ease off a bit and had stopped snarking in derision every time Andy called.
And besides, Nigel had mentioned during drinks the other night that Miranda seemed to be mellower around the office recently and Andy smugly assumed it had something to do with how she made Miranda feel outside the office. Andy was sure that Emily's relaxed attitude had a lot to do with how much easier her job had gotten.
"Well, I suppose that would be all right," Emily said and Andy could hear the fake reluctance in her voice. "But I've moved, so let me give you the new address."
Andy jotted it down in her Moleskine and said, "Great. So, what time's good for you?"
"How about nine?" Emily said.
"Perfect," Andy said. "I'll see you then." She hung up and thought about what she was getting Emily. She had already learned from Miranda that Emily had moved, and Andy had considered giving a housewarming gift, but Miranda didn't know anything about the new place except the neighborhood.
"Tribeca, for god's sake!" Miranda had said as they were relaxing in bed one evening. Andy had been editing an article and Miranda the Book.
"Well, it's Emily," Andy had said not even looking up from her laptop. "You know she has to be trendy and you gotta admit she's got some really cool neighbors."
"Precisely," Miranda had said, also not looking up from the Book. "How the hell can she afford to live there? Especially with what I pay her."
"Then give her a raise," Andy had said. "She certainly deserves it. She's been with you longer than any of your other assistants. She's totally devoted to you. She even took a taxi for you, for crying out loud."
"Do not tell me how to run my office, Andrea," Miranda had said. She'd then glanced over at Andy's computer and frowned. To Andy's annoyance, she had tapped her pen on the screen. "Get rid of that – what an appalling turn of phrase. Perhaps you should suggest to your writer he take an 'English as a Second Language' course at the local remedial center for the disadvantaged?"
"Do not tell me how to do my job, Miranda," Andy had glared.
Now, tapping idly at her desk, she smiled at the memory and then headed off to her meeting. By seven o'clock, she managed to finish her work for the day and get a jump start on tomorrow's so she'd only have to work in the morning, leaving her free to have lunch with Nigel and then head straight to Miranda's for the holiday. Andy felt a tingle of anticipation – she was so looking forward to it. As she left the offices for the subway, she unconsciously glanced toward the Elias- Clarke building only three blocks away. Andy rather suspected that Miranda had helped her get the job at Rolling Stone simply because of its proximity to Runway so they could often meet for lunch. Andy chuckled at the irony that she was still running to Smith & Wollensky on a regular basis, but at least now she got to share the meal with Miranda.
She grabbed the train to lower Manhattan and detoured for the natural foods market. In the specialty department she made a few selections and then charmed the associate into wrapping them for her. Leaving the store, she hurried the few blocks to Emily's building and gave the doorman her name. He waved her toward the elevator.
When Emily opened her apartment door, Andy was amused to see that she had changed from her usual designer work clothes into a pair of Wrangler's and a long sleeved white cotton button down shirt.
"Whoa, Em!" Andy exclaimed. "You look great. Casual chic. Wear it to Runway and start a trend."
"Ha ha," Emily said and stepped aside so Andy could enter.
Andy's eyebrows lifted in surprise as she entered the richly decorated apartment. "Wow!" she said. "Your last place didn't look like this. What'd you do? Move in with someone?"
Andy glanced over at Emily and smiled broadly when she saw her former co-worker blushing. "You so did!" she gushed. "That's great. Why didn't you tell me? Who is it?"
"Me," a new voice said from the farther end of the apartment. Andy turned to see a woman exiting what she assumed was a bedroom.
"Serena!" Andy cried and happily rushed to hug the tall woman. Serena's return hug was just as warm. "Congratulations, you two."
"Thank you, Andy," Serena said and turned to look at Emily expectantly.
Andy grinned at Emily who finally smiled and moved in for a hug. "Thank you, Andy," she echoed.
"Okay, so Merry Christmas," Andy said as she pulled away and grabbed the large shopping bag that contained her presents. "I'm glad now I got something generic. I wanted to get a housewarming gift but didn't know what kind of place you had. I'm glad I got something that you can both enjoy."
Emily laughed as she took the bag over to the bar that separated the kitchen from the dining area and started pulling out wrapped items. The first two were obviously wine bottles which Serena immediately grabbed to open. Andy perched on one of the bar stools as Emily pulled out several smaller packages.
"What are these?" she asked.
"Open them and find out," Andy said. "I thought gift opening traditions were the same in England as over here."
Serena chuckled as Emily scowled at Andy and then howled as Emily opened the first package to find a wheel of cheese.
"Cheese?" Emily asked as if appalled. "You gave me food?
"Yes," Andy nodded. "Low-carb cheese and not just any cheese either. It's epoisses – one of the great cheeses from France. I know how fond you are of all things French…you obviously being an exception Serena. Have you had it, Emily?"
"I have," Serena said and grabbed a granny smith from a basket nearby. She pulled a knife from a drawer and started to quickly peel the skin.
Emily removed the outer wrap from the cheese and sniffed. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, her face scrunched into an expression of abject disgust.
Andy laughed. "Isn't it great?" she said.
"You actually eat this?" Emily asked.
"Sure do," Serena said happily. She cut the skinned apple into slices and broke the orange skin of the cheese with a spoon. Inside was soft ivory-colored cream. She drizzled some of it over an apple slice and held it out to Emily.
"Are you serious?" Emily said. "That thing smells like week-old socks."
"That's the point," Andy said. "Go on Emily…try it. Don't wanna be rude and refuse my gift now."
Emily narrowed her eyes at Andy and then looked at Serena who nodded encouragingly. "If I fall over dead, you damn well better explain to Miranda why I'm not at work in the morning."
"I promise," Andy said and grinned as Emily bit off a small piece of the apple Serena was holding. Emily paused and then slowly chewed the piece, finally swallowing. She breathed in and out once in an almost sigh.
"Well?" Andy asked.
"It's…not what I expected," she answered and leaned forward to take the rest of the slice from Serena, giving the other woman's fingers a lick as she made sure to get every bit of the creamy cheese. "Mmm," she said.
Andy smiled and cut up the rest of the apple while Serena poured the bottle of chardonnay that Andy had brought.
"To Emily and Serena," Andy toasted and the three of them clinked their glasses together.
"Thank you, Andy," Serena said.
"Yes, Andy," Emily echoed with a warm smile. "Thanks."
Emily opened the rest of the cheese selection and Serena laid them out on a platter. She added some baguette slices, crackers and more fruit and then carried it and the wine into the living room.
"All of that just for me?" Emily asked as they took a comfortable seat.
Andy spread some cheese on bread and sighed happily as she chewed it. "Yep," she finally answered. "I figured if you're only going to eat a cube of cheese then for god's sake at least let it be good. I'd hate to have you starving yourself on Velveeta."
"Well, thank you very much, Andy," Emily said. "I appreciate it."
"Me too," Serena said. "I've been trying to get Emily to go to some cheese and wine tastings with me, but she's been reluctant. Maybe now you will?" she asked, looking at Emily.
Andy was charmed to see Emily smile and blush sweetly. "Hey, maybe the four of us could make a night of it," she said. "Miranda loves tastings."
"What?" Emily exclaimed as her face drained of color. "Are you suggesting Serena and I double date with you and Miranda Priestly? Oh no. No no."
Andy laughed. "Why not?"
"Why not?" Emily scowled. "Oh, I'm sorry Andrea, but I'm not you. I don't fraternize with the boss!"
Andy rolled her eyes. "Attending a social event is not fraternizing, Emily. You go to them all the time with her."
"Yes, as her assistant, not as a…a…" Emily trailed off helplessly.
"Miranda socializes with Nigel," Serena pointed out.
"Yes, but that's Nigel, for god's sake," Emily said. "I'm just a lowly assistant."
"Just an assistant?" Andy asked with a wry chuckle. "Emily, don't you realize that as Miranda's assistant, you're one of the most important people at Runway? With Miranda's authority, you boss around everyone there just as much as she does, including Nigel. Outside the office, anyone who wants a piece of Miranda Priestly has to go through you first. Believe me Em, you're more important than you think."
"Well regardless of the rest of the world, Miranda doesn't see me like that," Emily pointed out. "To her I'm just pond scum."
"That's not true," Andy chided. "If it were, then you'd have been gone long ago. Yeah, maybe she has some misguided opinions of you, but if you show her that she's wrong, then she'll give you a chance. She is approachable. Believe me, I know."
Emily sniffed. "Still…I don't know."
"Look Emily," Andy said. "Yeah, Miranda's your boss and you look at her like she's some kind of superhuman mythological figure, but really…she's just like everyone else. When I was younger, I had to interview the state governor and was really nervous about it. My mom gave me a great piece of advice. She told me that he puts his pants on the same way I do, one leg at a time. Sounds dumb I know, but it made me realize that no matter how famous the person, they're still as human as I am."
"Well, you certainly are in a position to know how Miranda puts her pants on," Serena quipped.
"Oh shut up, Serena," Emily said, but she laughed along with them.
Andy sat back and sipped her wine contentedly. She smiled as she imagined Miranda's face when she when she’d tell her they had a future evening engagement with Serena and Emily.