Chapter Text
Miranda Priestly had arrived in Las Vegas earlier that day and had checked into the Sands promptly at 3. She was researching the hotel for a photo shoot. She had elected to go personally because the girls were with their father and she was still missing Andy. She felt that she could do with a vacation, free of Runway staff and fiery, argumentative 11-year-olds.
She sat in her room with a lap full of work and finally decided at 8 that it might be a good time for dinner. Characteristically, she brought her work to dinner and sat in golden silence with a plate of steamed clams.
Though it was nice to go on a vacation without her children, she'd be damned if she didn't miss them already. That wasn't to say that the three of them spent that much time doing things together, but Miranda made sure to wake them every morning and make time for them whenever possible.
She pulled out her iPhone and started to review some pictures Nigel sent her of Dior's new line when the phone rang and she looked at the caller id: Caroline.
Miranda smiled and answered the phone, "hello Kitten,"
"Hey mom!" Caroline greeted enthusiastically.
"What are you doing awake, isn't it... 3:30 in the morning?"
"I'm still kind of jet lagged." Caroline said, "plus I missed you and I wanted to call you. It seemed so sad, you taking a vacation all by yourself."
"Oh nonsense, I am going to get so much work done. I am going to lounge by the pool with a book. But I miss you too, and your sister."
Caroline paused, she'd seemed worried about her mother ever since she'd signed her third set of divorce papers. She wondered if her mother's icy façade was going to melt and if she was actually as okay as she claimed to be.
"Bobsie, I'm fine." Miranda smiled, knowing exactly what Caroline was thinking. "You worry too much, you are going to turn into a little worry wart, you know that?"
"Mom, for real, come on."
"For real, Caroline, I expect you to enjoy your vacation, your grandmother loves to see you, your father is going to take you by there, isn't he?"
"Yeah, tomorrow."
"Well, you better get to sleep so you'll be awake for all those relentless questions about school and grades and boys that she'll have for you."
Caroline giggled a little.
"That's my girl." Miranda smiled, "and you have the little package I gave you for grandmother?"
"In my suitcase."
"I love you, bobsie, and give my love to your sister."
"Can I tell dad you say hi?"
Miranda sighed inwardly, "yes, you can even tell your father that I said hello."
"Have a good night, mom, and I love you too."
"Have a good day, baby." Miranda smiled and ended the call.
She sighed. She wasn't quite as okay with her third divorce as she told the twins she was... but she wasn't nearly as torn up as they thought she was. She was walking a fine, breakable line.
She looked at the remnants of her dinner and across the table at an empty chair.
Miranda decided it was time for a drink.
After the bill for dinner was settled she wandered through the casino towards the bar. She scowled at the loud bells and whistles sounding off as she passed, the incessant talking wearing on her nerves.
Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore she stepped into the bar. She sat down on one of the stools, it was plush purple velvet, a little tacky.
An inebriated blond plunked down onto the seat next to her. "Let me buy you a drink." She grinned.
Miranda leaned back a bit and took in her appearance critically. Then she grinned a little, "win big at the tables, did you?"
"Yesss." She drew out the s.
"Then let me buy you a drink." Miranda hailed the waiter. "I would like a Mojito and could I get a cup of coffee for my new friend?"
"It's kind of silly to buy your alcohol here," the blond slurred.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, in the casino," she paused to cough a little, "in the casino they just give you alcohol."
"I believe I have found the root of your problem. They give you more drinks when you start winning so that you'll be less careful with your money." Miranda was amused, "you have a hold of all your winnings? You weren't tricked out of all your little chips?"
"Not a one." The blond grinned and opened her handbag to show Miranda her loot.
"Why don't we take our drinks to go," Miranda said once they were set down. "Charge these to room 177, please."
The blond picked up her coffee.
"What is your name?" Miranda asked.
"I am Donna."
"Hello Donna. I'm Miranda."
"That'sa pretttty name." Donna smiled.
"Thank you," Miranda smiled indulgently, "what room are you staying in?"
"Um... I don't know?"
"Do you have your key?"
Donna shook her head, looking worried.
"Don't worry, we can ask the front desk what your room number is, Donna."
"You're good people, Miranda, I haven't met very nice people here in the states but you're good persons."
Miranda scoffed. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been complimented like that.
The front desk told them that they were sorry but no one under the name of Donna Sheridan had a room registered to them.
Donna frowned.
Miranda sighed. She looked at her phone to see that it was already almost 1. Donna was still unsteady on her feet and looked very lost.
"Well, I'm not going to just let you wander around the hotel all night. You can come up to my room for the night and we can figure out where you belong in the morning. Okay?"
Donna nodded pitifully.
The ride in the elevator was silent and Miranda ushered Donna into her suite.
"There's just the one bed." Miranda pulled off her shoes, "I don't mind sharing, if you don't."
"S'fine." Donna waved away her concerns.
Miranda went into the bathroom to put her pyjamas on and when she reentered the bedroom Donna was curled up on the left side of the bed, facing the middle.
Miranda pursed her lips against an bemused smile.
The next morning the sun streamed through the window, bathing Donna Sheridan in a warm light. She blinked a few times and winced, squeezing her eyes shut again.
She nuzzled Miranda's hair and Donna's eyes shot open. Sometime during the middle of the night she had scooted up to Miranda, wrapped her arms around her waist and apparently buried her face in her hair.
Donna carefully extracted herself.
She retrieved her shoes and her handbag and started looking around for a pen and paper.
Miranda stretched out and yawned. "Donna?"
"Miranda," Donna slipped her left shoe onto her foot, "I was going to write you a note. I'm so sorry about last night."
"No, no. It was nice to have company. How do you feel? I wanted you to drink some water before you went to bed, but you passed out."
"You sound like a mother."
Miranda smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, my head isn't feeling perfect..." Donna ducked her head shyly, "thank you for taking care of me last night."
"Do you know where your room is now?"
"Yeah, I'm staying with my friends. They have the two keys so... that's why I didn't have one. I'm so embarrassed."
"Happens to the best of us." Miranda smiled charmingly. "Hey, I never sleep with someone without treating them to breakfast."
"Oh, tempting though that may be, I have to find my friends... but I'm free for lunch... if the offer is transferable?"
Miranda nodded, "of course. Shall we say one? In the dining room?"
Donna smiled, "yeah, I'll be there."
Tonya and Rosie paced the room, "alright, well, we shouldn't panic." Tonya said, "Donna's smart... she'll... she's okay... right?"
"Lots of bad things can happen to smart women, Tonya!" Rosie yelled.
"No, no, we were all drunk last night. She's... she probably just fell asleep in the casino. Why didn't we give her one of the keys."
"Because we thought you were going shitfaced and need to find your way back."
"And we thought you were going to knock off at 7:30!" Tonya shot.
"Look, this isn't getting us anywhere. Although, obviously we've hit on a sore subject." Rosie glared. "Let's do something proactive."
Tonya picked up the phone. "Has a Donna Sheridan been... found in the casino?" Tonya waited and listened, "oh? ...Another woman... what other woman? ...oh. Thank you."
"What did he say?"
"She and another woman asked the front desk if Donna Sheridan was registered. And, obviously, there wasn't, since the reservation is under my name."
"What other woman? And then what?"
"I don't know the answers to either of those questions!" Tonya rolled her eyes.
"Well, come on." Rosie ran over to the door and yanked it open.
"Whoa!" Donna threw her arms up, "I come in peace."
"Donna!" Rosie shouted.
"Jesus Christ, Donna," Tonya grabbed her and pulled her into the room, she hugged her tightly. Donna coughed, "what the hell were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that if I got really drunk off wine I would remember what room I was in or at the very least who I was with. But apparently that isn't the case, as both facts eluded me last night."
"We were worried sick!" Tonya fussed.
"I'm sorry," Donna shrugged, "I need aspirin though."
"Where did you stay last night? What did you do? Who was the other woman?" Rosie asked.
Donna frowned, opened her pill container, threw an aspirin into her mouth and dry swallowed, "how did you know about the woman?"
"We called the front desk."
"The other woman's name is Miranda and she was kind enough to let me stay in her room last night." Donna dropped herself onto the bed, "now please, don't ask me anymore questions until my head stops pounding."
"I don't recall inviting you to lunch." Donna teased her compadres as they dogged her into the dining room.
"Don't get defensive, we just want to meet your gallant rescuer. We owe her a debt of gratitude." Tonya teased.
Donna walked up to the podium and smiled at the maitre'd, "I'm meeting Miranda Priestly."
"Yes ma'am, Ms. Priestly is not here yet, I will gladly seat you." The maitre'd picked up two menus and glanced at a dumbstruck Tonya and Rosie. "I thought there were only two of you..."
"There are, they aren't staying."
"Miranda Priestly?!" Tonya demanded.
"White hair? Cut short?" Rosie asked, eyes wide.
"Impeccably dressed?"
"Yeah, that's her. Do you two know her?" Donna was surprised.
"Know her? No, no... heard of her? Absolutely, yes." Tonya was still staring at Donna in disbelief. "I went to a gala in New York with my... second husband and Miranda Priestly was there and... wow, it was certainly a sight to behold."
"My publisher is obsessed with her, she runs a New York fashion magazine. Before she took over it was just a minor rag and now it's the biggest fashion magazine in the world." Rosie gawked, "I can't believe you met Miranda Priestly."
A hush came over the room and the trio of dynamos looked up as Miranda Priestly entered the dining room.
Miranda was dressed to the nines, her silky white Prada blouse and a black Chanel pencil skirt, belted with a wide red belt. She looked over at Donna and gave a little nod as the maitre'd walked her over to the table.
"Good afternoon, Donna." She looked at Tonya and Rosie, "friends of yours?"
"Yes, these are the friends that lost me in the casino last night."
"Lost, well..." Tonya scuffed her shoes.
"I wouldn't say we lost her exactly..." Rosie looked away.
"They were just leaving though." Donna gave them each a little shove.
Tonya held out her hand, "it is such an honor to meet you."
Miranda took in Tonya's outfit before reaching out and shaking her hand, "likewise."
"I will see you two later." Donna said pointedly and with only a little bit of fawning, Tonya and Rosie found their way out of the dining room.
Miranda smirked amusedly.
"I feel kind of embarrassed."
"You shouldn't, I get recognized all the time." Miranda assured.
"No, I mean I'm embarrassed that I don't know who you are." Donna admitted.
"You know... I think that's my favorite thing about you." Miranda gave Donna a small smile.