Chapter Text
May, 2025
The steam from the hot water traveled like a dance around her. She entered her large bedroom, put on the clothes she had planned since the previous day: a light blue shirt, wide beige pants, and comfortable sneakers.
Even though she was at home and could perfectly be in pajamas and barefoot, like anyone on their day off, she was not just anyone.
She was Miranda Priestly.
Besides, it was not a day off for her, she would receive the visit of someone important, the anticipation twisted her stomach a little.
She poured herself wine, drinking it calmly while sitting in her living room, she heard the doorbell echo through the silent residence.
She took a deep breath before standing up and heading to the entrance, slowly opening the door, finding herself face to face with the image that caused her so much agony and curiosity.
“H-hello Mrs. Priestly” greeted kindly the soft and youthful voice of the woman in front of her. She had light brown wavy hair, probably often mistaken for dark blonde, but what stood out the most about her were her large brown eyes, half closed by the bright smile that was beginning to bloom.
Miranda analyzed her outfit, nothing to judge, but nothing worthy of praise either.
The young woman introduced herself, confirming she was the one Miranda was expecting.
A journalist.
Miranda would turn 70 next year, and she planned to announce her retirement at her birthday party, but that was a secret between Miranda and Nigel.
The journalist, who did not look older than 25, worked for a small magazine in New Jersey, whose name Miranda did not care about in the slightest when she contacted them, she was only interested in having the contact of the woman standing before her at that moment.
She wanted specifically her.
She informed her that she wanted to hold an auction with her most glamorous and iconic dresses, and she wanted to write the announcement and which ones would be part of said auction.
The journalist was visibly excited and nervous, from her point of view (and anyone else’s) it was very confusing and strange that a person of great fame contacted her, and not someone with more recognition, experience, published articles, etc.
“Come in, follow me” both entered the living room, Miranda pointed at the sofa in front of the one she sat on. The young woman played with her hands and the strap of her purse due to nervousness.
“Mrs. Priestly, allow me to say that it is a pleasure and an honor to be here and be the one interviewing you, but…” she avoided her gaze, it intimidated her, she could barely speak without stumbling over her words, aside from the fact that she feared she would not understand what she was saying because of her British accent. “Frankly, I’m very surprised that you called me, why did you-”
“I do not need to give you explanations for my choice, if you do not want to do this, you are welcome to leave, you will return to New Jersey and continue receiving a mediocre salary” Miranda observed the woman’s face, taking a brief pause while brushing her hair back “if you do this, interview Miranda Priestly privately, you will gain more than money, you will gain recognition, more job offers, do you understand or not?”
“Y-yes, I just…” she wondered if it was really necessary to continue questioning her “I’m sorry” she smiled showing her teeth, she was about to open her mouth again to ask about the auction, while taking out her notebook and recorder, but the older woman interrupted her.
“First of all, I need to tell you something important” she said with her usual cold tone “I’m not going to do any auction” the young woman looked at her in disbelief, she even thought she had heard wrong “I want to write a book, or rather, I want you to write it”
“Uh…a book?” She blinked repeatedly “I’m sorry, I don’t understand” Miranda rolled her eyes.
“I want to publish a biographical book, telling everything, the good and bad things, personal and work life, I want them to know the whole truth behind the dragon lady”
“And why me? I’ve never written a book”
“It will be a secret, it will be published after my retirement next year, I want you to take care of everything…I’ve read some of your work and I like your writing style, you are direct, but without lacking information”
She smiled at what she perceived as a great compliment.
“I don’t care how long it takes us, I made sure to pay for your hotel for as long as you need”
“Wow, it’s simply…surprising, I mean, people have always talked and invented rumors about you”
“Yes, Page Six has always been a migraine, but in this book I will tell everything, I will confirm which rumors are true and which are not” she stood up, walked until reaching the windows, the young woman imitated her action, but kept her distance without invading her personal space. “I will answer your questions, I suppose you have at least one” she heard a sound of affirmation, guiding her to her office, where they would clarify some things.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖
She knocked on the door three times, patiently waiting for the silver-haired woman’s presence, who did not take long to open, before she could enter the house, she felt that gaze analyzing her the same way it had the previous day.
Miranda, as the good hostess she is, offered her something to drink, being politely rejected while both women entered the older woman’s office. During the short and silent walk, the young woman could clearly hear the other’s breathing, even without being that close, and the sound of heels hitting the floor.
The silence of that house was frightening.
“Well, why don’t we start from the beginning?” She placed her recorder, still turned off, on the desk and took out her notebook along with a black pen “tell me about your childhood”
Miranda sighed, waiting for her to turn on her device before beginning to speak.
Her youth in general was nothing out of the ordinary, she grew up in a lower middle class home, both parents present although her father worked all day to support the family, for that reason he did not enjoy much time with his wife and children.
Miranda had siblings, most of them girls, with her being one of the middle children. She never had anything interesting to say about her childhood, it was never happy but neither traumatic.
Her perception of the world changed upon reaching adolescence (like the great majority), along with it grew her desire to move forward, to surpass herself and others. She developed a great interest in fashion through the magazines her friends and classmates showed her.
As she grew up and entered the workforce, she quickly understood that the world she lives in does not respect women and is not made for them. That was how the dragon lady was born.
However, Miranda stepped back a little in her story, talking about her romantic interests during adolescence and young adulthood, which were not many.
“At 16 years old I was interested in a classmate, I’m not going to reveal her name, and I don’t remember her last name” Miranda looked at the journalist, who stared at her with surprise and confusion.
“Her?”
“Yes…” she turned in her chair to look at the window behind her, hiding from the journalist the nostalgic smile blooming on her face “she was the first girl I fell in love with, I never told her I liked her, but we both kissed in her room, at first it was only to experiment, to know what it felt like, later we did it just for fun. But, she distanced herself from me, she no longer invited me to her house to spend the afternoon or chose me as a class partner anymore, I thought I had done something wrong, although I did not have to rack my brain for too long…she had started dating a boy”
Miranda turned back toward her guest, she did not look at her directly, only gave her short glances to notice the expression of anguish and concern, it was the same expression Andy used to make.
“I had to watch them kissing in the hallways and schoolyard, before it was me she kissed, deep down I knew she did it on purpose, until that moment I had never felt so distressed and disappointed, I remember crying until dawn when I found out, but later I learned not to expect anything from anyone, in life it is necessary to be distrustful, everyone can betray, mislead or disappoint you”
“I understand” she wrote something in her notebook, waiting a few seconds in case she continued speaking, which did not happen “so you…”
“Me…?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Do you consider yourself a lesbian or bisexual woman?”
There was a brief silence, which the older woman broke.
“Continuing with what I was saying… I never told anyone about that, at that time I felt very…confused, but I put everything aside to focus on my future” she let out a deep sigh while rubbing her eyebrows “but with time I came to believe that two women could not be together, not in this society, I could not be with one, I repressed it to the point of forgetting that I was attracted to them”
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖
In 3 weeks, the young woman managed to record at least half of the book’s content. The journalist, who went to the townhouse two or three times a week, discovered how interesting the life of a woman who deprived everyone of any type of information about her personal life could be and had been.
Miranda reviewed designs alongside Nigel, her confidant and loyal friend, she had not told him about the book…
Yet.
“I’ve noticed you’ve been acting strange lately” the man confessed without taking his eyes off the designs “is something wrong?”
“No”
“Come on Miranda, I’ve known you for years and I know something is tormenting you”
She knew she could not hide anything from him, he was the only one who had always been loyal and honest with her, even more than any of her husbands.
“This is neither the place nor the time to talk” they both made eye contact, Nigel thought the subject had ended there, but he was wrong “come to dinner tomorrow at 8:00, I’ll ask Roy to pick you up” having said that, she left the studio, leaving him even more confused.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖
Miranda narrated her third marriage and how it slowly started falling apart, but the afternoon was fading and night was approaching.
“We’ll continue tomorrow, I’ll expect you in the afternoon, at 2:00” Miranda exclaimed while standing up and leaving her office, waiting for the young woman to follow her.
The moment they were walking through the hallway, the residence’s doorbell rang.
“Are you expecting someone?” She received a slight nod in affirmation.
Upon opening the door, both came face to face with Nigel’s figure. The younger woman noticed she had forgotten her notebook in the other room.
“Let me get it” Miranda left the two alone at the entrance.
They greeted each other cordially with a handshake.
“Nigel Kipling”
“Emma, Emma Sachs”
From the very first second the man saw the stranger, he noticed she resembled someone from the past, someone he held very dear.
“Sachs?” He frowned while smiling at the same time.
“Yes” her smile only reinforced his theory that the woman was related to or simply resembled a former Runway employee.
The owner of the house returned, handing her the notebook and waited for the girl to leave before closing the door.
“Who was she?”
“A journalist” both headed toward the kitchen, she turned to look at him “it’s for next year’s party and the announcement of my retirement, you know”
“She reminded me of…forget it” he exclaimed with a laugh while shaking his hands “you probably don’t even remember her”
Miranda had to tell him her secrets, she would feel like she was betraying him again if everyone learned about her life through a book before he heard it from her own mouth.
“Although I find it curious that they have the same last name and-”
“I asked them to prepare filet mignon with gratin potatoes” she quickly changed the subject, inviting him to sit at the table where, thanks to her private cook, the freshly made food was already waiting.