Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Lou arrived back from filming a week after her and Orli's 'run in' feeling like she had been walking on stilts all day. She moved slowly and methodically through all her normal paces, repacking make-up and checking supplies, having a hot bath, brushing out her hair and finally getting into bed. She lay in thought until late that night. Thinking about everything, as one does, before they drop into slumber. She thought about her mother. Sitting alone in her mansion in Wellington, waiting for her daughter to call. She thought about her father, sitting in his villa in Spain, waiting for his wife to call and check up on him (He was on a 'business trip ' with his mistress, and his second wife always called to make sure he wasn't up to any mischief). Lou knew those two people like the back of her hand. Looking at the clock she could roughly know what time it was where they were, thus she was able to calculate their exact moves. She knew their lives so well, their personalities. She sighed. She thought of the other person who had been increasingly on her mind the last few nights, one she didn't know so well. She could imagine Orli sitting in his room practicing lines. See the smile he drew across his face (and hers) when they spoke. She could see the look in his eyes when he looked at her. But the one thing she remembered best was his lips. She had appreciated them from the beginning when she first met him, being a make-up artist came with its perks. But his lips had never been so beautiful as when they had been on her, under the twinkling little lights of the forest track. She had felt his hands on her back, her arms, her waist, felt her hands on the back of his neck, through what was left of his hair. His mouth had felt like fire, and hers like ice. Every single thing about him was amazing, and she had thrown it all away.
Don't be stupid Lou, it can never happen. It's rules. Maybe if you were somewhere else, or you were someone else, but this is not the time or place.
As much as she tried to convince herself, she still ended up with tears in her eyes at the idea that he went to someone else to get his make-up done in the morning, and that it was always someone else's job to touch-up the elf's make-up. She longed to touch his face, as she had before that stupid kiss.
No, it couldn't ever be like that again. She thought to herself. Even if I�He wouldn't any more�he's made that clear. Clear as crystal.
*
Orli lay in bed that night with his hands behind his head counting the tiles on the ceiling. An annoying habit he had picked up ever since he had taken this unit. He sighed deeply. Same number of tiles as last night, and the night before�and before that�
He looked at the phone on the bedside table. He could call Lou, she would still be awake. Surely He had punished her enough.
"No�it's not my place to say sorry�she made it very clear that her feelings for me didn't go beyond Platonic." He said to the ceiling. No she didn't you flaming fool! She only said that we shouldn't, and she's right. But you never cared before about that, why start now?
"She doesn't want to. Love without two people is nothing more than an infatuation, or stalking at it's best..." He said quietly. Because you are in love with her, aren't you? Stupid bloody fool. But there's no denying it. Call her�you know she feels the same. The way she looks at you. The way she kissed you�
It all comes back to that stupid kiss. She had made a fool of him. But surely he could still talk to her? "Not now, not after you made her life hell, being such a baby, getting up early so you didn't have to get your make-up done by her, asking for other people on set�" But no matter what he said, Orli felt the same, tomorrow he would seek out Lou, and say what was in his heart. She would just have to listen.
*
Waking up at three in the morning Lou drove her cheap rental car packed with make-up to the site. They were filming the Forging of the Fellowship today, Orlando would most certainly be there. Lou's heart wretched inside her.
Arriving at the lot she unlocked the make-up van and set about her job. The first to come in were the Hobbits, and after she had finished Elijah, Dom, Sean, and was doing Billy, she was right into the flow, letting her natural ability for her job take over and dictate the rhythm as which she would work, a rhythm mixed with the loud rock music Elijah had left blaring from the make-up spattered stereo in the corner.
By her fourth patient she was covered in fake hair, Billy had been demonstrating a dance he had learnt down at the Local the night before when he knocked over a case of fake hair for Hobbit feet.
"So what did you do last night Lou?" he said sitting back down to let his feet dry.
"Nothing, as usual. Slept like a�well, actually I didn't sleep all that well." She said, her face flushing.
"Trouble in paradise?" Billy asked pointedly, raising a suggestive eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" Lou said, fighting the knowing look in Billy's eyes.
"Well, it's pretty plain to see that Lou'an'Orli has become well�..Lou, and far, far away in a different part of the scene, brooding silently and pretending you don't exist, Orli. People are starting to call you two by your proper names. So I can only assume there has been a disagreement?" Even as he said it, Billy felt bad, knowing exactly what disagreement had taken place, though he couldn't let Lou or Orli know he had seen their kiss.
"Well�we kissed."
Billy played mock surprise.
After telling him the whole story Lou felt an enormous weight lift off her shoulders.
"You know as well as I do that it wouldn't be smart for us to form a relationship." She looked down at his hair prosthetic feet, but even they couldn't make her smile as they usually did.
"I hate to break it to you blossom, but short of waking up in each other's beds, your dating. Everyone knows how you two feel about each other. Orli's a great actor, but God love him, he's just as obviously smitten with you, as you are with him! If you haven't gotten in trouble yet, then you won't for making it official." He said quietly. Billy got up and moved out of the van.
Lou sighed. Well, her Hobbit-work here was done for the day, she was about to walk over to the dwarf van when she heard someone knock on the door.
"I'm coming, just have to clean up a bit, where am I going today?" She said, thinking it was Clarence the stage master who would usually tell her where she would be stationed.
At the silence Lou turned to see Orli sitting in the make-up chair.
"Umm�hey." He said slowly.
"Hello. Wha...what are you doing here?' She said cooly, but unmistakably surprised.
Run! Run! Run! She wouldn't say that if she wanted you here�Orli thought madly. But he stood his ground.
"I was hoping you might do my make-up. I can't feel my scalp from John tugging it around, I think I've had all I can take." He said smiling weakly.
Lou only nodded and pulled a chair close to his, taking out his wig and ears.
They sat in silence for half an hour before Orli worked up the courage to say anything. "Where have you been this last week? I've barely seen you." He said, knowing the answer very well
"I've been around. Somehow I always seem to get put somewhere you aren't. Funny that." She said half bitter, half happy.
Orli just nodded and pulled another weak smile. " Yes�that's very�that's weird."
Lou had stopped her work, and moving through the cramped van she positioned herself on the vanity in front of Orli, between his knees and the mirror. "How long are you going to avoid me and send me away from you, just because I won't�because you don't get your way? I thought we were friends, Orlando?" She said seriously, surprised at her own braveness.
"I don't mean to�" He began, suddenly feeling very guilty at the hurt tone in Lou's voice. But she waved his answer away.
"Then don't. What happened between us�I've been thinking�but that's not the point, the point is that I regret freaking on you. And I don't think it's fair that we can't even be around each other. I'm sick of feeling like you hate me, when I know you don't. Grow up Orlando. Don't make me suffer any more." Lou said
He had only really picked up half of what she had said, the only thing he had clearly heard was her saying she had been thinking� but she seemed to shake the thought from her heard as soon as she had said it. He was angry, that was good, at least it was an emotion compared to what he had been feeling the last few days every time he glimpsed Lou on set. But he wasn't about to forgive so easily.
"Let's talk about suffering." He said sitting up in his chair, She was intimidating sitting higher than him. " You think I don't suffer when I see you around? I walk past you, and you don't even see me. It drives me mad!" He clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes shut in silent rage. "All I want to do is steal you away, and lock you up in my arms, never ever let you go. And I suppose I think sooner or later you'll lov-I mean, think of me like I do�you." He finished lamely, fairly unhappy with what he'd said, but more concerned with the heat that had come into his cheeks. Did I say too much? Was that mushy love, or scary stalker?
Lou felt a lump rise in her throat when she had heard Orli's last sentence. He loved her, his blunder was obvious. Inside her mind was screaming for her to just jump him right there, and she seriously considered locking the van door, but it wasn't that easy. I'm over the rules�but that isn't the point. What is the point then? That he loves you? That he made you suffer? SO WHAT YOU IDIOT! KISS HIM!
Orli's chair almost tipped backwards with the force of Lou propelling herself at him. He pulled her down to straddle him.
Lou's arms were around his neck, and her hands in his wig and on his face. His hands were under her shirt, on the hot skin of her back, in her long hair, her arms, any part of her was a searing heat on his skin.
Outside the van Billy and Dom removed their ears from the door.
"Surely there is a censor for things like this?" Dom said as they stared at the door dumbfounded.
"Yes, us leaving." Billy said pulling his friend away. They walked towards the set talking about the two.
"Kids today. First they're friends, then they're kissing, then it's like the cold war�and now this. Wonder what it will be like tomorrow?" Dom said.
"I'd say it would be the same." Billy said.
*
The news that Lou'an'Orli were once again Lou'an'Orli, but more so, seemed to reach all ears on and off the set, though still no one seemed to know.
Lou felt stupid for being so stubborn about her and Orli following the rules.
After all, people had their wives on the set? Why can't I have my boyfriend? She sighed at the thought. He was her boyfriend. The night before he had slept come over, and they had played cards until two hours before she had to leave for work, then they had collapsed onto her bed, and slept together without even realising. It had been the first time she had woken up to see him in the morning, and even though he was about as charming as a troll ( though she was about the same) she still got butterflies in her stomach when she though about waking up next to him.
Lou was walking casually through the supermarket looking for detergent and toothpaste. She stopped in front of the dental hygiene section. Lou selected some whitening toothpaste, thinking I need all the help I can get. She paused in front of the toothbrush display. Well�Lou thought to herself. If Orli is going to be sleeping over He'll want to be able to brush his teeth. She selected a Scooby-Doo toothbrush, thinking what a laugh it would cause, and moved on to the check out.
*
Orli sat in the cafe near his unit thinking about the rain clouds. They had come fast from the south, and the massive threatening masses had grown steadily until the down pour was nearly at their door step. He silently cursed the New Zealand weather, today all cast with the exception of Hobbits had a day off, and He was taking Lou on their first official date. He grinned broadly as he saw her walking down the street towards the cafe where they were meant to meet.
She was wearing baggy black trousers, her favourite army boots, and a white shirt deeply cut in a v at the front. Her hair was half done up in a loose bun, the rest flowing down her back like a raven wave. Even though it was freezing cold she wasn't wearing a jacket, but she still radiated a warmth that he knew all to well, and was only just beginning to enjoy. Glancing down at his wrist to check the time he noticed how pallid his 'tan' had become lately, but Lou still remained brown.
Lou was just walking past Orli sitting at his table, having not noticed him, when he grabbed her hand. " Hello precious." He said in a mock-Gollum voice.
"Hey!" Lou said planting a quick kiss on his cheek and sitting down, still holding his hand.
"Guess what?" She said quickly, leaning towards him.
"You're freezing cold and instead of spending the day outside you want to curl up in bed with me and discuss the problems of the world?" He said raising a dark eye brow.
Lou grimaced and winked. He's so funny. She thought to herself. "No. Close, but we do have a lovely consolation prize!" She said whipping the tooth brush out of her bag.
Orli stared at it non-plussed. " It's a Scooby-Doo toothbrush. Clearly I'm overjoyed at your enthusiasm for dental hygiene...but I like my idea better." He said flatly as Lou put the tooth brush in his hand.
"Yes it is. Now you don't have to get up at two in the morning to go back home before you go on set. This is the ultimate sign of commitment, a toothbrush is a girl's way of saying 'My bathroom is you're bathroom' but heed the warning label, don't you go snooping through my medicine cabinet." She said mockingly wagging a finger at Orli as he burst into laughter.
Lou sighed, watching Orli laugh was like a dream, his laughter touched all her body, making her reconsider his idea about staying home. That, and she was a little nervous about where he was going to take her. She had heard a horrible rumour from Billy that Orli had bought tickets to go skydiving. Please god let the weather by bad, let it be anything but skydiving.
***