Chapter Six
Chapter Six
"Well, I suppose it's just the joy of the rush. It's amazing the amount of energy you get from doing something like that, it's almost purifying. Plus it's fun. Sometimes...I don't know, you find yourself in the situation where just jumping is a plausible means to an end. And a little voice inside you says 'So, just jump.'" Orli said with a shrug of his shoulders, trying to justify to yet another plastic-looking reporter the reasons for some of the things he'd done.
The Reporter nodded thoughtfully and glanced down at her notes. " Indeed, the media has snapped up the image of 'Orlando Bloom the dare devil' and exploited it, many of you're fans have adopted this persona as an accurate idea of your personality. Do you feel it's a fare analysis of who you are?" It was like she was reading it straight from a script. Orli couldn't make himself believe this woman actually knew what words like 'persona' and 'analysis' meant, and couldn't help but think that right now it was him who felt exploited. This is such a grosse waste of my time.
"Well, I don't know about all of my personality, but I 'spose there's a little bit of me inside that's a 'just jump' kind of guy..." He said. When is this going to end?! He was sick of false interviews, flashing cameras. Silicon filled reporters and lengthy handshakes in which they offered to be 'of more service'...
"Hmm. That is very insightful." The Reporter frowned in what she hoped was an interested sort of way and discreetly flicked her eyes from Orli's eyes to his groin.
She has no idea what I just said! She's not even listening. Orli thought desperately. I need to get out of this place.
"Is it true that while filming the trilogy you participated in many dangerous sports offered by the Kiwis?" She read, tilting her head thoughtfully and pretending to wait eagerly to hear his answer, thought to herself, maybe not all Englishmen are frumpy stuffed shirts...
"Ah. Yes, I suppose so. I went bungie jumping once. That was really cool. And a few of the other cast members and I went surfing all the time." Orli replied, he smiled lucidly and tried not to vomit when the reporter started sucking on her pencil, and actually winked at him.
"And what about the rumours of an on-set fling? Any validity in those stories?" said the reporter with mock intimacy.
To the untrained eye Orli's demeanour remained cool. Through out the questions concerning his time in New Zeland he had remained calm, but the questions were getting a little too close to home now. His foot pumped up and down from it's rest of his opposite knee. He fiddled with the sleeve of his shirt for what seemed like an hour while the clock on the wall ticked loudly, before he finally answered.
Orli sniffed, smiled, he could almost feel tears in his eyes as he said " No siree." He said lamely. "No 'flings' for me." He choked out. In Orli's mind the interview was already over, and his self torture had recommenced with a new target; his inability to hide his emotions when talking about Lou. Even thinking her name sent a cramp through his chest. What's wrong with you, you bloody fool, you're supposed to be a fucking actor and you're getting upset when some Silicon Barbie asks you one simple question? He thought angrily. Orli tried to plaster on an interested smile as the reporter finished up her questions by asking what dates Orli would tour for premieres again. Orli was already thinking about the thousands of people who would probably see that interview that could have picked up on his discomfort when the reporter had asked him that question. Why did it effect him so? It wasn't like it was yesterday; it was like it hadn't been over a year.
Standing up, not shaking hands with the reporter, but exiting the room immediately, Orli headed for his hotel room down the hall. He didn't even notice when Dom -who had been watching the interview from the doorway- followed him into his room, depositing himself on the couch.
"What's wrong with you mate? You're meant to be this fucking wonder-kid actor, and you should have seen your face when that chick asked you about that rumour. Smooth cover." Dom said pouring himself a drink. He looked at the distorted image of Orli sitting opposite him through the bottom of his glass. Dom frowned and put down his drink, but even without the glass his friend looked distorted. He really doesn't look well.
Orli was sitting with his head lowered, hands holding fistfuls of his cropped hair. "I don't know. That reporter probably didn't even know what she was saying, right? But once I start thinking about what happened...it's goodnight sanity, hello throat numbing anxiety." Orli said bitterly glaring in the direction of the interview room.
Observing his friend sadly, Dom realised the magnitude of his anxiety, not for the first time. He really should be over this by now... "You really should be over this by now. I mean, we all know you really liked Lou." Stifled scoff from Orli. "But it's over, she left-"
" How could she not leave?!" Orli said. Why am I defending her? This always happened. He'd had this conversation so many times with numerous members of the Fellowship. Each time Orli's opposition would argue that Orli had tried to say sorry, he had put himself out on a limb by writing to Lou, calling her mother. He had tried to track her down, and she hadn't responded, and in true consoling-friend form they had finished first by insisting the ball was in her court and since she hadn't acted on it, the relationship was obviously over, and secondly, with as much emphasis as they could muster that it really was her loss..
But every time one of his friends attacked Lou's actions -or lack thereof- towards Orli, he would immediately swap sides and start defending her. He couldn't bare the thought of someone else speaking ill of her.
Dom nodded patiently trying to remember what he had said to Orli the last time they had conducted this conversation. " Either way. You tried. You wrote to her." Forlorn nod from Orli. "You called her parents." Distraught frown and nod from Orli. " You wrote again....and again...and again!" Dom said trying to make Orli understand the useless measures he was going to in hope of contacting Lou. " Orlando, surely by now you realise the futility of this chase you've got going? I mean...it's over mate. Best to just move on to one of the million other women on this planet willing to sell their skin just to walk beside you." Orli braced himself for the final stroke. "It's Lou's loss." Bingo.
Orli could only smile sadly. For once he found a little part of himself agreeing with Dom, maybe his self-torture had run it's course and he was finally curing himself of the stigma caused by Lou. When he looked Dom in the eye, his friend saw the last flames of hope shimmer and fade to ash. "I loved her."
"But she doesn't love you..." Dom continued to press home his idea, not noticing that he had finally succeeded in doing what the rest of the Fellowship had been trying to do for months. This was a role Dom had been forced to play to many times, that all the Fellowship had been forced to play. But for Dom it was exceedingly hard, but He could never tell Orli that. He could never tell his friend that he was like the other Hobbits in the fact that he still kept in contact with Lou. Dom was so busy thinking about the double agent role he had been elected to, He didn't even notice the effect his words had on Orli.
He's right.... She doesn't. Maybe it really is just...over.
*
Lou was sitting crossed legged on her couch, wearing the same clothes she had been wearing for two days when Bryce found her.
"Lou-Lou. It's really nice to know that those pants I bought you are going to such good use-" He eyed the grungy flannel p-jamas pants Lou was wearing with distaste. "- But you're sitting on my couch...and it's offended by your stench." He stated plainly.
"Ha ha. I had a shower this morning. Just because I'm wearing the same clothes doesn't mean I don't shower." Lou said scrapping around under her legs to find a piece of toast. I swear I left it there yesterday.
"Lou. Look at what you've become. So you lost your job?! So what?" Bryce said gesturing as though it were losing a shoe, not her life.
"Correction. I lost two jobs Bryce. I don't care. I was about to quite anyhow. I wanted to come back here, London was choking me." Lou said, trying to defend herself. Though Bryce did have a point. After being kicked from the trilogy set Lou had felt an astounding amount of insecurity in her trade. Finally managing to secure a regular job doing make-up for wedding portraits, Lou had established a life in London. Only to find that being half a world away from New Zeland was like being separated from a much loved limb. She had stopped going to work, choosing instead to lie around her apartment in her pyjamas, eating toast and drinking milk until first, she had ran out of bread and milk, second she had run out of money to buy take-out and thirdly her boss had called and offered her the boot. She had gladly accepted it. Lou was only to happy to put her 'job' out of it's misery and devote her time entirely to her new life ambition - to become a hermit.
She had sat for days on end, fingering the little scar on her forehead and thinking intensely about how she could free herself from the web of depression she had spun around her life since last flying out of New Zeland. Just when she had traced the origins of her eternal bad mood back to the moment she had applied for the Lord of the Rings job, she had an epiphany. The sort of realisation only the criminally insane or half starved hermit could come to. Being half a world away wasn't enough to cure her? She would go full circle then! She had thought with wild eyed satisfaction.
She had called Bryce in Wellington, asked if she could move in, and five days later she was unpacking her bags in his spare room.
"Bryce, you're my brother. Not my mother, and you're couch is fine, now go away and leave me alone with my Pringles." She said, simultaneously pulling a warped tin of Pringles out from under her arse with satisfaction. I knew I left them somewhere.
"Ex- Step brother." He chided. " Can you imagine being related to you? That would make me a sloth by association. Indeed society would shun me, much as it has you." He said, noting her forlorn expression as she up-ended the empty tin into her palm, flicking the precious crumbs into her mouth. "You know...by the look of you, you'd think you ate nothing." He said as Lou hurled the tin against the opposite wall in desperate anger. Her stained jumper hanging loosely from her skinny arms. " Oh. Silly me, you don't do you? Because you can't afford to install a fridge that's connected to the couch."
Lou sighed as Bryce slammed the door. Good riddance.. She thought. Thank god he'll be gone for a few days... Bryce had been packing all morning for a holiday to Sydney to see his girlfriend, and after explaining with much sarcasm, gesturing, and note-leaving about where the food was kept, he had finally left Lou alone. She turned on the TV. "Huh, What do you know." She said out-loud to the apartment en masse. " A show about 'Lord of the Rings'." a small click as she changed the channel. "Huh. Another show about 'Lord of the Rings'...do we see a trend?" She said sarcastically, looking at the cushion next to her hoping it would agree. It remained inanimate.
Lou ignored the TV, content to fiddle with her neglected nails, until she heard a familiar voice talking about bungie jumping. Lou looked up at the TV and into what was once her favourite face in the world.
But this wasn't Orli.
This was a shadow of his former glory. He looked as bad and she felt. His skin sallow and tight, his eyes mourning, either he was begging the interviewer- who it was obvious he had animosity towards- to bring the interview to a close, or he was actually in pain.
Lou turned the cushion beside her. " What's he got to be upset about. Look at that...that Barbie doll. She's practically throwing her undies at him from Christ sake!" Lou bellowed coarsely. She lifted the cushion up in front of her towards the screen so it could have a better look. "Though she's trying to pretend she hates him.... I don't think he's pretending to hate her though." She confided in the cushion. Lou couldn't take her eyes off the screen. He looks sick. He's obviously not taking care of himself. Lou thought, her fingers once again running along the line of her scar. She found she did this often without even knowing, most commonly when she was nervous or anxious.
She glanced down at the cushion.
It seemed to be looking woefully up at her. 'You still love him.' It accused. ' You shouldn't have ignored his letters. You should have called him back when he called your Mother. You still love him."
Lou could only hiccup the tears away, as memories came flooding back to her of the last time he had spoken to her, in the airport, and he had professed his love and asked redemption. Lou has simply turned her back on him and walked away. She had thought her heart had frozen, and while her feet led her slowly towards the plane, the rest of her had only wanted to gravitate towards the centre of her universe- Orli. Ever since that moment she had been running a gauntlet of emotion, but mainly she had alternated between hating herself for treating Orli so badly, and hating him for embarrassing her so grossly in front of people she had come to love as a sort of family. Lou could still envision the shame she felt when the bosses had told her that she would have to leave the set. The tears she had battled with as the entire Fellowship had hugged her goodbye that in her caravan, and each had left their mark on her cast.
Lou forced herself to stand up and meander towards her bedroom, the cushion still under her arm. Though she felt as though her eyes were half closed she knew what her cold hands were searching for within her desk drawer.
The bundle of Orli's letters.
None, strike one had been opened, the oldest dating back to four days after her departure, and newest only a month ago. Lou threw herself into the desk chair. If I could just...hear his voice, then I would know from it. I would know that he was over me. And if he's over me, then why shouldn't I move on to...right? Lou considered just throwing the letters back into the drawer and resuming her position on the couch.
The cushion caught her eye and shrewdly frowned up at her 'Don't be a stupid git. Call him. You know it's a means to an end. And that's what you want isn't it? You're not such an idiot, not to mention masochist, that you would continue to haunt yourself like this.'
Lou dropped the cushion to the ground as she gingerly removed the most recent letter from the envelope. It was as though with that one movement she had removed herself from the webs.
Hi Lou,
Lou's eyes scanned the letter again, landing heavily on the number scrawled at the bottom of the page in Orli's messy, childish hand, flicking up to the date in the corner, saying that he had written this over a month ago. Bravery and fear clutched equally at her heart as she grabbed the phone and dialled the number from the letter.
"Hello? Orli's palace of luuurve, you ring we deliver." Dom said, doing his best impression of an American Madame.
"Dom?" Lou said, she was caught slightly unaware, but was reminded of the fun times she and the Hobbits had shared on set, the pranks the boys had pulled. Orli had been right, she had been keeping in touch with the Hobbits a little bit, after all, they were her friends to, and while memories of Orli meant pain and torture, the Hobbits reminded her of the good times.
Dom's ears pricked. "Who is this?" He said suspiciously, still not having lost the Madame's accent.
"It's...Lou." She said, then quickly added "Please, don't tell Orli it's me. Don't let him know if he's in the room."
There was silence at the other end of the phone. Lou swore she could hear a male voice in the background asking who it was.
"That's a little unfair isn't it?" Dom laughed. That was Dom, always trying to keep the tone light.
"Maybe." Lou paused while she tried to retrieve her voice from the endless cavern that her throat had become. "Is he well Dom?"
"He's Orli." He's a soldier is what Dom means.
"How does he look. Well I know how he looks, I saw the interview he did with Reporter Barbie. Is he happy? Is he near you? Oh god...what am I thinking calling." Lou said quickly, fear was fast winning out and the idea grabbed her again to just hang up, they would have a hard time of it tracing her number if she just hang up now. But her hands wouldn't let her do it!
"Oh, wait a tick." Dom said suddenly. Lou heard movement and hushed voices.... What was Dom up to? She fancied through her half hysteria that she could almost hear the cogs turning in his evil little mind�
"Hello?" said a different voice. Fucking Dom! If I ever see him again, I'm going to punch him so hard he really will have eyes in the back of his head! Lou thought. "Hello? Who is this?" there was silence, when only the static still spoke. "Is anyone there?"
Lou heard Orli cover the phone, asking Dom again who it was. She sighed deeply. His voice hadn't changed; it still sent excitement and lust rushing into every cavity of her body and mind.
"Ha ha, very funny Lij, Billy, who ever it is." He didn't sound amused. "Look, I'm fine being a target for your self-amusing prank calls, but don't use this line�you're meant to be my friends and you're getting my hopes up like this? Even for you arseholes this is low." He stopped and left Lou with a loaded pause. "Well? Shouldn't you be doing something better with your time? Like ordering fifty pizzas to Ian's room or something?" Orli said.
Lou's heart skipped a beat, he sounded annoyed, frustrated. But still...strangely hopeful. Lou could hear Dom in the background protesting as she hung up the phone.
It was enough.
It was time to set herself in motion.
*
"Dom, you know that really was not funny. You know I'm trying to get over all of that. You're meant to be my friend and you're only putting me in the situation where I get my hopes up needlessly." Orli said angrily.
Dom was still sticking to his defence guns. "Look, I swear Orli. I did not give that number to anyone. You know me, Mr Prank. But I wouldn't do that to you. Either would the guys. We know what you wrote in that letter. We've read the Cliff Notes on your latest book 'My life as a paranoid, hopeless romantic'. I swear Orli, that was Lou." He finished.
Orli paced around the room with his hands on his hips, trying to imagine what would prompt Lou to call him now. Now of all times!? "Are you lying to me, Dom? Because if you're lying to me I will never, ever forgive you! Not only that, I will beat you so severely you'll be staring out the top of your arse at the roof of your coffin for a month before you untangle yourself!" Orli said angrily. He waited with baited breath for Dom's response.
Dom tried not to encourage Orli's hyper activity, he didn't want to get his hopes up after so long, and it had been so long. But it wasn't fair to lie after the one time Lou had actually called. "It was her, Orli. I swear on my mother's life."
"Swear on your own life, you tricky little bastard, because you know I'll end it if you're lying!" Orli said. But Dom sensed no anger in Orli's petty threats, he was just trying to insure himself against getting hurt again.
Dom was beginning to think maybe it would be best if he just told Orli that she had called to say 'Fuck off with your letters, they're filling my waste paper basket' It would just prompt Orli's acceptance of their 'relationship' ending. "Orli. It was her." He said for the final time.
Orli flew across the room and was practically sitting in Dom's lap as he asked "What did she say? Where is she? Did she ask after me? Mention my name? Well of coarse she mentioned my name, but is she well?" He asked excitedly. All pretence of forgetting Lou seemed to fly out the window in a moment.
"No. I don't know where she is. Last time we spoke she was in London. She asked how you were. Mentioned she saw an interview with 'Reporter Barbie'." Dom said. Orli clutched Dom's hand and hung on his every word.
"And?" Orli said breathlessly.
Dom smiled sadly and told himself again, he was making the right decision. "And she said...she said it was over."
Oh�over?
*
Lou had been extremely busy since her call to Orli. She'd been filled with a sort of nervous anxiety that had prompted her to complete a million menial tasks. She had started cleaning, a nervous habit she had possessed since she'd first seen 'Mary Poppins'.
She had Hovered and cleaned the entire living room, almost including the walls and roof. That had taken her two days. But unfortunately her cleaning had stopped there. Lou always cleaned when she got like this, not sure about which prong to head down on the cosmic fork fate had planted her on. But walking past a bus stop the previous day on her way home from her adventure to the corner shop to buy ten tubes of Pringles she had reached her decision. The most important one she would ever make. She'd seen a massive poster advertising the release of the Two Towers into cinemas and had ran home, seating herself at the desk she had made her call. Luke, a guy she had been friends with in university had been dubious about helping her at first. It had taken some come convincing.
"Come on Luke. You owe me." Lou wheedled.
"For what?!" Luke spluttered, indignant with shock.
Lou pulled out the big card. "I set you up with Susan. You two would never have been hitched if it weren't for me." She said smugly.
"And likewise I wouldn't be fighting the custody battle from hell against her and her Hadian lawyer , if it weren't for you. "Luke quipped. He had her there.
But after much convincing, and a brief - yet nameless- explanation of why she had to go, Luke admitted defeat. Her ticket to the premiere for 'Lord of the Rings' would arrive in the mail the next day. Lou silently praised herself for becoming friend with Luke in University when he had barely more than a blip on the c-grade horror flick circuit. She had read about him working a few years back with Peter Jackson and he'd boasted many a time about being great friends with Lou's former boss.
She knew he would have tickets.
Lou had spent the next two days scouring not the house, but the shops, looking for the perfect outfit to wear, and now she stood in front of her full-length mirror, surrounded by garbage of a calibre never seen before. But for all the kicks and punches she would receive from Bryce for not cleaning, it was worth it. She had not looked this good for....she couldn't remember how long.
She wore a strapless black top with elegant, yet casual hipster black pants, with only a thin band of black sequins down from each hip to toe to show they were designed for a night out on the town. She had originally wanted to go all out, hair up, new high heels, but while she was applying her make up she had realised that she didn't want to change herself.
She wanted to look at Orli and see the person she had been in love with since the day she first layed eyes on him. And likewise she had wanted him to recognise her, as Lou, always wearing pants, never a skirt, ever attired in old Disney t-shirts and make-up splattered pants. She let her hair down, because he had always said he loved it like that, hanging to her waist. She had even combed it for the occasion. As Lou walked out the door, ticket in her pocket, she slipped on her thongs. For better or worse this would be a night to remember.
*
Orli found himself standing outside the doors to the cinema alone, the rest of the Fellowship were all inside, drinking and laughing, nervously hugging each other every other minute, congratulating themselves on how far they had come� Orli preferred to wait outside, watching the storm clouds roll in over Wellington as the sun sank into horizon and the stars turned on, lighting the clouds from above. It was a pity it would rain. He didn't mind though. Orli always had fun watching everyone coming down the blood red carpet, all high heels and black bow ties, all dressed to kill. A lot of people were inside now, only the press and about a million hard core fans dressed like various Trilogy characters but not lucky enough to get tickets were still waiting outside. Just as the rain started the last taxi pulled into the curb. Everyone was rushing to cover, Elijah was standing at the door beckoning to Orli to come inside just as a wave of wet humans swept over him. But as Orli walked pas the last taxi he was sprayed with a massive wash of gutter water. He turned helplessly back to Elijah who only smiled and beckoned to Billy to come see the mess Orli had made of what Billy referred to as his 'pretty suit'. A person was climbing out of the taxi as Orli inspected his suit in dismay. Looking for someone to blame he turned towards the passenger, about to let loose with a string of diva-like complaints about his ruined clothes.
"Jesus Christ! That was really inconsiderate!" He said as the rain around him thickened. Well, I suppose it's fitting he thought belligerently if the water from the ground didn't ruin my suit, the water from the sky will. For the first time Orli actually paused in his frantic suit wiping to look at the person who had gotten out of the car, about to abuse a-new, his mouth instantly closed as he saw who it was.
Lou was standing next to the driver's window wiping her pants down ferociously with one hand while the other digged into her pocket to find the money to pay him. At the same time she was shouting abuse at the driver who only looked back at her with the sort of bemused smile that simply said "Don't bother, I don't speak English."
"You Flaming Idiot! Do you have any idea how much these pants cost?! Don't worry, you'll find out when I send you the bill!" She said while frowning into her pocket. A person she hadn't noticed was standing beside her, offering the fare to the driver of the taxi.
Any emotional plans she had made, to be strong, courageous, what she would say, what words she would use, literally flew out of her mouth and landed in the massive puddle in which she was standing.
"Lou." Her name started as a shout but ended in an adolescent squeak, Orli was only mildly aware of the fact that after so long seeing Lou still had the same disorientating effect.
Lou had travelled through an entire spectrum of emotions since seeing him. It had taken her exactly two milli-seconds from that point to realise there was only one thing she could do: Run. She tore her eyes away from somewhere around Orli's neck and after mumbling a thank you for the taxi fare she turned around and just walked away, cursing herself for thinking she could ever be brave enough to confront Orli in front of all those people, even though now it was only the two of them. She'd been so consumed with silently berating herself that when she found she had not only turned into a dead end alley beside the cinema, but reached the end, she knew not what to do, turning around she came face to face with Orli walking slowly towards her. The closer he came the more she pressed herself against the wall behind her.
So they stood forever, noting every piece of information about each other. Her hair had grown so long, His face seemed more drawn, his eyes quieter. Her face was paler and she fidgeted more.
It was Orli who broke the silence. "What are you doing here?" he had to half shout to be heard over the rain.
Lou just shrugged and offered a weak smile. "I live here."
Orli was outraged. "You could have fucking told me that a long time ago." Orli found himself trying to muster anger, though with each second he looked at Lou, his anger seemed to melt into relieved happiness. He reached out to take her hand and she flinched away from him, pressing her back further into the wall, Orli entire body seemed to be swept under a wave of anxiety at seeing Lou caused pain by his touch. He tried to catch her gaze, searching for a reason why she would react so. "Why did you flinch away from me like that? Like I would hurt you?" He said.
Lou shook her head and looked away. Orli grabbed Lou's wrist and made her look him in the eye. "You do hurt me. This hurts me." She said. She stared into Orli's eyes, he saw only pain and anger as Lou ripped her hand from his grasp. "How can you do this, Orlando? It isn't right that there's so much hurt, so much pain." Lou said. Her tears mixed with the rain running down her cheeks and she didn't care that she wasn't wearing waterproof mascara, that her hair would look like a drowned cat had died on her head.
Orli's understood for the first time what Lou must be feeling, what she must have felt for the months between their last encounter. His resolve to forget her instantly melted and he knew what he had to say. "Loving you hurts like hell." He said simply, reaching for Lou's hand again. This time she let him take it within his own. "But when I consider the alternative, this is still what I want."
Lou was having trouble breathing. "Is it? Even after all that's happened. And so much has happened, Orlando. And I know what I did wasn't right, and that I hurt your feeling-"
"Lou, you more than hurt my feelings!" Orli said, his hands reaching up to her chin, moving her face to look into his eyes. " You torture me. Every day I wake up and the first thing I think of is you, what you are doing, where you were. Who got to see you in the morning, and who went to bed with you at night-" He trailed off. "Why did you come here? To see me?-"
"Orli, please don't. I was wrong to come here thinking it would help. Thinking that seeing you would give me closure. Or if I didn't still have feelings for you...." Lou said, she couldn't help but look into his eyes now. "At least this would be over-"
Orli interrupted her, the idea that he could be so close to Lou, but have her feel nothing for him was more than he could handle. "Please God, do not finish that sentence, Lou. Just let me speak for a second? Every day I'd think about you, and it was eating away at me like a cancer.
Lou looked up into his eyes for the first time noticed their pleading manner, they seemed to scream out to her, love me, tell me that I'm not wasting my time!
Lou remembered feeling dead when she'd last stood like this, so close to Orli in that airport, so log ago. But now, it was as though something inside of her was humming to life, lighting her up from within and sweeping away the cold was loneliness that was hemming her in. Suddenly she didn't think of the accident when she looked at Orli, those eyes reminded her of every single moment they had ever spent together, for either good or bad, and though she spoke no words, Orli knew when she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him that everything was forgiven.
When finally they separated neither could muster the words to summarise their feelings. As they walked hand in hand away from the alley both knew that actions, not words would tell the story of their renewed love.
*
Orli had slept for the past two nights with the hand of Morpheus laying gently upon his brow. This was a kind of peace, solitude that he hadn't felt the stroke of for uncountable days. Feeling Lou's hand sleepily stroking his hair he knew why. How could I go so long without this? He thought it a daze, opening his eyes to find Lou staring at him. They had spent their time together uninterrupted, loving each other, remembering things that they had both forgotten about their last time together, things that had been to beautiful, and likewise to painful to remember when they were apart.
"Hey you." Lou said kissing Orli's forehead.
"Hey yourself. I don't remember going to sleep, but here I am waking up. I hate that. How long was I out for?" Orli mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"A few hours."
"You should have woken me." Orli was still adjusting to knowing Lou would always be there when he woke up, and the idea that he could have gone even a few hours without seeing her reminded him of previous lonely nights he spent aching for the feeling her touch, but now her feathery light fingers on his cheek lulled him back into a state of serenity he was only just discovering.
"Judging by the bags under your eyes I thought you needed it. You looked so tired, You have since I saw that interview, weeks ago." Lou said, running her fingers over the dark marks under Orli's eyes.
"You've looked better yourself thank you very much. What interview any way?" He said, endeared by the idea that Lou had missed him enough to watch his crappy interviews just to see him.
"Oh I don't know, it was some Reporter Barbie who looked about ready to sell her soul to get into your pants. She was undressing you with her eyes the entire time. It was very...lurid. But then again, half the female population of the Western World was doing the exact same thing while watching that. I, on the other hand, was too busy talking to a cushion." Lou replied, trying to not come off as to jealous, but it helped her to know she was the only one in the world who was actually undressing Orli.
Cushion?! "Do I sense a note of jealousy?" Orli was surprised. He had always known Lou had been insecure in their relationship, being a private person she worried about being involved with some one who was often in the lime light, but after all they had been through Orli didn't want any more crossed wires between them. "Any way, she was repulsively cheap. She was horrible, and she smelt like...K-mart."
Lou just smiled and snuggled down beside Him, running her fingers over Orli's perfect chest. "When she asked you about us, about your 'on set fling' your face just seemed to cloud over. I don't know what I would have done in your place. I wouldn't have been able to answer. I don't know why, but it made me a little angry, that's something private and I had to watch you sit there and try to dance round an answer."
Orli knew this was something Lou needed to talk about. Lou was going to be a big part of his life now, whether or not his fans would like it, and He didn't want her to be uncomfortable every time a microphone was thrust in her face, and with the way his career was going, it seemed like a common eventuality. "Well�first of all, I'd like to think I did a good job of avoiding an answer."
"You did. But I wouldn't be able to do that." Lou complained. In her mind, Lou could see into the future, numerous public events with Orli dazzling reporters with his smile and wit, and Lou hiding behind him grasping his hand for dear life like a social leper.
"Lou, you're a part of my life now, which means that people are gonna want to know things about you, things about us. I know you don't like it. I know it's hard sometimes to keep from just lashing out and smacking the first reporter you see in the gob, but it's the job, you know? I want you to be comfortable with what my life is about." What she must have thought seeing that interview�It made Orli think about why Lou had called him. " Is seeing that interview what made you want to call me?"
"When I saw you answering that questions about us I thought I could see the pain in your face. You looked as bitter as I felt. I 'spose I wanted to know if it was true, or just for the camera. I knew inside it was real, but it had been so long, and I felt that hearing your voice would let me know the truth, so I called. I'm not media savvy, but I know that sometimes the way some one looks to be feeling, isn't what they really feel off camera. I called to see if you sounded as bad as you looked."
Ah hah. Orli was listening to the same insecurities that had surfaced with Lou the last time they had been together. He tilted her chin up towards him so he could see her eyes. " Lou, there's never a lie when it comes to you. You are the only thing I care about, how could I lie about something this...beautiful? Sometimes people want to know what's going on in my life, and they pry a little too deeply, but what I have with you, it's nothing I'm ashamed of, much as I would like to just lock you up and keep you for myself, I also want to share you with the world." He paused to brush a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.
"You can never doubt us. There's nothing to doubt. You're mine, I'm yours forever, no matter who talks, or what they say."
Lou smiled, knowing that what Orli had said was exactly what she wanted to hear." I know, I know. No lies, but I just worry."
"About?"
"About if I embarrass you by saying something stupid to some crap reporter, then it's splashed all over the Sunday paper. They might not need to twist my words to get something sus' out of my mouth." Lou said unsurely.
Orli laughed and tightened his grip around Lou. "Listen Beautiful, I'll protect you from the big bad media. You'll learn, Lou. I know you, you're the most sarcastically witty person I've ever met, you'll fit right in." Orli said.
"Thank you, Mr Romantic." Lou said sarcastically.
"See what I mean? And you're welcome." Orli said.
Lou's face crinkled into a smile as Orli kissed her, and in that moment they both knew nothing could go wrong.
*
Lou stood up from her seat, squeezing out into the aisle beside Orli as he removed their things from the overhead compartment. A flight attendant with inch-thick tangerine foundation was giving out information as they walked off the plane. "Welcome to Sydney, the weather outside is a perfect twenty five degrees Celsius, the skies are blue, so on behalf of all the staff of QANTAS please enjoy your stay."
*
Orli was sitting on the balcony railing of their hotel room, sipping champagne in his suit already and waiting for Lou to dress. She had been wringing her hands for the entire two hour flight from New Zeland, constantly asking Orli to tell her what she should do when asked questions at the premiere. Orli reminded himself of his publicist as he coached Lou through the rights and wrongs of answering reporters. But mostly he had just kissed her and told her to be herself, and everyone would love her.
None the less, Lou had still worried. "Orli" Lou called from the bathroom
"Yes my precious?" Orli said turning around to see Lou's head peeking around the corner of the door.
"Go wait downstairs like a good boy. I want to make a grand entrance." She said with a dramatic wave of her arm.
Orli smiled and downing the rest of his champagne crossed the room to the door. "Don't be to long. We've got to be there soon." He said as he closed the hotel room door behind him. He wandered down stairs and took a seat in the lobby.
Orli had been waiting twenty minutes before the limo turned up outside their hotel. And ten minutes more leaning against the side of the limo watching the door. Finally Lou arrived.
Lou watched Orli's face eagerly as she walked quickly towards the limo. He looked absolutely stunned as she twined her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"What do you think?" Lou said, standing back to twirl around.
Orli was actually speechless for a moment. There stood Lou, usually a tom boy by trade, dressing in a floor length blue-white dress deeply cut into a V in the front and black, shimmering softly from the occasional sequin sewn into the material. She had her hair out and wore no jewellery, enhancing naturally elegant style. "You look like an Elf." Orli said simply.
"Is that all you have to say?" She laughed.
"No. What have you done with Lou? Surely I'm not supposed to believe this is my Lou?" Orli said in mock outrage.
Lou stuck her tongue out and, tapping her nose briefly lifted the hem of her dress slightly to reveal signature thongs.
"That's my Lou." Orli said dodging her punch as he helped her into the car.
All the way to the cinema Orli had continued to steal glances at Lou. She really did look stunning. "You really do look stunning."
"Don't I always?" She said smugly.
Yes. Orli thought as he helped her from the car onto the curb. They were faced by a wall of flashing cameras. He paused briefly to whisper in her ear "Listen, if you still don't want to do this, why don't we go straight to the after party?" He said, smiling against Lou's cheek.
She looked at him suspiciously. "There's an after party? Where?" She said.
Orli smiled widely and whispered " Room two-o-three." Jingling the keys to said hotel room in front of Lou.
"Behave." but She just smiled and braced herself for the maze of people before her.
Orli arm ensnared Lou as they walked past quizzical looks from reporters and the like. It was incredibly rewarding for Orli, he could remember one of the first interviews had had given, saying he had originally gotten in show biz 'for the women'. I've certainly found her he thought to himself, smiling down at Lou muttering assurances to herself.
They saw Billy and Dom chatting loudly with an extremely blonde woman with large...eyes holding a microphone. Billy was half way through a story about the first day filming when Dom hit him in the chest and pointed towards where Lou and Orli were standing, chatting with Sean and his wife.
"Look it. It's Lou n' Orli!" Dom said happily. The Blonde, having lost their attention, flounced off to attack Viggo who was seemingly pantomiming a sword fight to another, equally plastic reporter, while Elijah stood beside him, nodding in agreement.
Lou had embraced the Hobbits with much kissing and hugs, she couldn't deny that she was happy to see them. It had been so long, and they eagerly regaled her with tales of their recent pranks. Lou was practically wiping tears from her eyes after Billy and Dom told her a story about ordering fifty pizzas to Ian's room, when she excused herself to the rest rooms.
She had just made it back to Orli's side when someone behind her said Orli's name. Lou and Orli turned away from their discussion with Billy to see a broom handle reporter standing next to the mandatory beefy-looking camera man waiting to introduce themselves.
"Naomi West with E-News. I was just wondering whether I could ask you a few questions Mr Bloom." The woman said offering the microphone towards Orli.
Orli smiled and nodded. " Please, call me Orlando." He said cooly.
The Reporter smiled and started her questions. After hearing Orli talk about being Legolas for fifteen minutes the reporter finally noticed Lou.
"And are the two of you an item?" Naomi said. Lou was startled by her abrupt change of subject from Orli's next movie to this.
Orli grinned and slipped his arm around Lou's waiste. "Yes, we are." He said confidently.
"When did this happen?"
As Orli glanced at Lou she could swear she could actually see the evil little cogs of his mind turning as they formulate their plan. He looked over Naomi's shoulder towards where Billy was standing peacefully sipping his drink, minding his own business.
Clearing his throat Orli announced "Sorry? Didn't hear you Billy? What did you say? Excuse me for a moment." And quickly ran off to meet an unsuspecting Billy who was now staring blankly at him. Lou was glaring so hard at Orli's back she could have burnt a hole right through him. Tricksy Bastard! She thought, already planning her revenge.
"Excuse me? Sorry, when did you two get together?' Naomi said.
Lou suddenly felt like she was surrounded by Naomi and her camera man, it was like they could smell her fear�like a rabid dog.
"Umm�well. We met a while ago, when 'Rings' was being filmed. And then we...err�fell out of contact I suppose. I saw Orli again at the Wellington premiere, and here we are." Lou said helplessly. She was trying to concentrate on breathing when she caught Orli and Billy standing, arms crossed a few feet away watching the conversation between Naomi and Lou. Billy wore a look of wicked glee to see Lou's obvious discomfort as she battled to stop herself from her natural response to cameras : saying words that belonged to no language known to man. But looking into Orli's eyes Lou found her voice, Orli's eyes spoke to her only of pride, appreciation, and most importantly love.
"Really? There were rumours of coarse, on set flings. But how romantic, having candle lit picnics nestled amongst the towering trees of Loth Lorien." Naomi said wistfully.
Lou laughed and shook her head. "That's not quite the way it was. More early mornings and prosthetic ears." She said. "I was working on 'Rings' as a make-up effects artist and I had the some what tasking job of coaxing the Fellowship into fake hair, fake feet, and fake ears at four in the morning."
Naomi laughed, and Lou was shocked to see that she actually seemed sincere. "And how serious is it? Do Orlando's millions of cyber fans have any chance?"
"I'm hoping not. " Lou said, not responding to Naomi's silent encouragement that she continue.
Lou had said goodbye to Naomi, and walking quickly over to Orli she had spent the rest of the night where she belonged, in his arms.
*
Lou was in the make-up trailer that had practically become her home while doing make-up for 'Ned Kelly'. She was leaning against the mirror reading a trashy magazine article about Orli when he came in, throwing himself down into the swivel chair in front of Lou.
Speak of the devil. Lou thought as she turned the page to see an entirely unflattering photo of herself loading her hoard of groceries into the back of Orli's car outside a Sydney super market.
"It's the Great Orlando! Come to take you to a kingly lunch...or maybe just a snack in the mess." He said, pulling a squished sandwich from his pocket and placing it on the vanity before Lou. She remained silent. "Honestly, I don't know why I bother taking breaks to see you any more. You're always to busy for me. Fame has gone to your head." He said sulkily waving his hands around his head. "What are you reading?" He said suspiciously, knowing already what it was, no matter how much he insisted that Lou ignore them, she always managed to have read all the most recent articles concerning Orli.
"Oh, just another article. Australians, they're almost as fanatical about you as the Yanks. Since we're talking about article's actually, I've a question for you." Lou said, handing the offending magazine to Orli.
"What's that?" He said scanning the article with a raised eyebrow.
"Where you planning on telling me about getting married" Lou said crossly.
Orli's face snapped up to Lou, a disbelieving look in his eyes. " What?! Who am I supposed to be getting married to?" He spluttered.
Lou sighed and sat down on Orli's lap, arms around his neck, she said " Apparently to me. And I suppose I should tell you I'm pregnant to." She said sarcastically. "I know you're shocked, I was to when I first found out. But this magazine has it on good authority that we are expecting." She said truthfully.
Orli grinned and kissed Lou deeply. "Ah, now it all makes sense. Have we set a date for the wedding?"
"Some time in spring. But the baby is well on it's way. And apparently it's going to be a girl. We're thinking of naming her after your grandmother."
Orli just laughed and kissed Lou again. " It's funny. And I like the idea of us being married."
"Yeah, it's all very well for you. It'll bring a new dimension to your acting, the family-man roles, new artistic integrity and all that rubbish. But what about me? Imagine people thinking I look to be 'well into my pregnancy'. It's not exactly good for the self esteem." Lou said defensively.
"Precious, you know you're gorgeous and far from pregnant.' Orli said tenderly. "Although sometimes I wonder with the amount of food you eat." He said kindly.
Lou smiled sweetly. "Thanks, you bastard. And don't think I didn't hear you eating that last Kit-Kat last night, I'm on to you." She stroked his cheek and noticing the fake moustache he had to wear for the movie was coming off, she ripped it off with the efficiency of a mother removing a band-aid from a wailing child.
Orli's hand flew up to his lip as his eyes began to water. "That really hurt you bitch!" He said rubbing his upper lip. Lou was just getting up when he grabbing her, pulling her back into him. he held her squirming form tight in his arms, kissing her as she squealed for release, and when they finally separated he took the chance to shake the masses of dust out of his hair all over Lou.
Orli launched himself out of the caravan before Lou could retaliate. He stood at the bottom step and poked his tongue out, watching Lou flick lumps of dried mud and dust from her clothes.
"You're a bastard." She said, smiling fondly down at him.
"I know." He smiled back. As their eyes met Orli found the courage to reach into his pocket and hand the parcel he had been carrying with him for the past week to Lou..
Lou stared down at the slightly grubbing little box wrapped in paper laying in her hand. What's he up to now? She thought opening the box. Her breath caught in her breath when she saw the most beautiful ring the world sitting in the box. It was white gold and seemed almost to be modelled off the ring Nenya. "What is this Orli?" Lou said, pulling her eyes away from the ring to look at Orli's nervous face.
"This is me asking you Lou." Orli said taking her hand, staring up into her eyes.
Lou's heart was going a mile an hour. "Asking me what exactly?"
"To stay with me forever." He paused smiling up at Lou's face as realisation of the proposal before her dawned upon her beautiful face. "Marry me?" He said meekly.
Orli almost fell over as Lou threw herself into his arms, covering his face in kisses. The people around them stood watching as the two seemed to disappear into their own world entirely.
Lou couldn't stop beaming as Orli slipped the ring onto her finger. They hugged each other long and hard.
"And so they lived happily ever after." Orli whispered into her ear.
"The end." Lou said, closing her eyes.
***
Just me again I suppose. Wanting to know what you're doing, where you are. I sent this to you're mother's...it was the only address I could beat out of Billy and Elijah who tell me they've spoken to you a few times. That hurt. I'm really...jealous I suppose of the fact that you find pain in my presence, but solace in theirs. So I thought - even though I think you might not even open this- that I would just give it one last try...so at least I can lay my ghosts to rest.
I really love you Lou, and I have since, well it feels like since the dawn of time. It's obvious, even if you don't look at me and see it, which you don't, I've written it a million times in these wanky letters. And even though you're doing a great job of torturing me, I know I'm doing it better. It's been such a long time and I'm starting to loose my mind.
Lou looked down at the cushion, which had conveniently become silent again...
So this is my means to an end.
This is my last bit of bravery I'm using to leave my private mobile number in this letter, even if you don't call me, I know I've done every bit I can to right what was wrong on my part. I 'spose it's the childish side of me that says I'm doing the right thing and this letter ends more than my correspondence with you. It ends my love.
From Orli.
This is it�oh god it's actually ringing. Lou tried to hang up the phone, but her hands wouldn't respond to her desperate messages.
He gladly accepted and raced off. Lou looked up to thank the stranger and stopped dead in her tracks.
You're like this spectre in my mind, every second I'm battling with myself to either just remove your existence from my world, or some how defy the odds and get you back. Just so I could just get some rest." He choked out, searching Lou's eyes, he tenderly thumbed her tears away, and she let him. Orli could only describe relief to feel her once again sigh into his touch. "I couldn't, can't handle your silent treatment. Since you left New Zeland you've been doing this to me, and I thought I could handle it, if I could just not see you. But the longer I was away from you, the harder it got.
And now seeing you again�I can't handle it any more Lou. I love you, I always will. This may be over for you, you might be able to push me out of your mind. I don't have that luxury.
You're with me forever, after you...if you're not mine, there isn't anyone else." as Orli said this he realised the truth in his words, after Lou there could never be another person for him, this was it. "If ignoring that doesn't hurt you, doesn't rip your heart out�then lucky you." Orli paused, Lou was reticent under his touch as he continued to stroke her cheek. With each second she remained near him Orli felt his conviction build. "Lou, please don't try and tell me you don't feel anything for me. I love you. You love me, you've loved me forever and pretending you don't isn't going to help any more than it already has. This is it, what we have is everything, all I need is you. I know you feel the same."
By the end of his speech Orli felt exhausted, like all the nights he had spent awake, laying in bed thinking about Lou were coming back to him.