Chapter Eleven
Author: Tabi a.k.a. FearisHowIFall
Part 11:
Snuggled deep in the others arms Orlando and Justice slept the night through. Friday morning dawned clear and beautiful the sun shining brightly in the room on the sleeping pair on the bed. He was the first one to wake, having the sun shine directly into his eyes from the still open blinds. Getting out from under the warm covers and Justice�s embrace he stumbled squint eyed over to the large window to draw the blinds and the dark curtains of her room. Once again the room was swallowed in darkness and he opened his eyes fully to take in his surroundings. Her room was clean except for his clothes and a few of hers scattered around. She had turned onto her other side in her sleep as soon as he got up and now faced him. Her hair spilled wildly over the pillows. His attention was drawn to his left where her desk sat. He vaguely remembered seeing the pictures lining her desk the last time he was here weeks before. Walking over he looked more closely. The ones that caught his attention were the ones of her and Elijah, they both looked to be only 14 or 15. He couldn�t tell where they were but he was drawn to the smile on her face, he�d never known her to smile like that since he�d met her, she looked carefree and completely happy. So many things must have happened for that smile to change so much over so few years. On the desk next to it there was a picture of her in a hospital room a man standing next to her while Justice sat on a hospital bed with a woman in it, Justice was sitting holding an infant. He picked the frame up and looked the picture over. Justice looked like she was about 18 or 19 in this one.
�That�s the day my nephew was born.� He was startled by her soft voice. He looked over to the bed and found her still on her side smiling at him. �That�s my brother and my sister in law with me.� Orlando set the picture down and picked up the one next to it. An infant boy with blond hair and green-grey eyes was in this one.
�Your nephew?� he asked her.
�Yes, he was about six months in that picture. That�s the last one I have of him,� she told him then turned over to lie on her back and looked up at the ceiling. Orlando looked back down to the picture in his hand. The little boy was extremely good looking, would probably grow up to be a heartbreaker.
�When...when was the last time you saw him?� he asked as he set the picture down and went to go sit on the bed next to her.
�Not long after that picture was taken. He�ll be almost two now. Talking and walking I�m sure.� A soft smile came over her features. �I bet he�s just the cutest thing. Sometimes I wonder if he�s an only child or not.�
�You don�t talk to any of your family?�
�Nah, they don�t want to hear from me. I�m the fuck up. I guess my mom might care but she won�t do anything against my father so I haven�t even tried. It�s okay, I actually feel more contented away from them. Too much drama, I always felt like all of them were trying to pull me in opposite directions. None of them could ever just be happy for the sake of being happy, nope if someone wasn�t mad or bitching at someone else then they just weren�t satisfied. That kind of negativity gets very old. I suppose that�s one of the reasons why Jake got along with them so well.� The room fell silent as Justice closed her eyes briefly letting memories rush over her and Orlando watched her intently. She was startled when he spoke a minute later.
�This is what we are going to do. I�m going to go in that bathroom over there and run you a nice hot bath. I suspect you�re feeling a bit sore. While you bathe and pamper yourself a little bit I�m going to go downstairs and cook us some breakfast. How does all that sound?�
�Sounds perfect. What time do you have to be at work today?� she asked as she leaned up and gave him a soft peck on the lips followed by a deeper kiss.
�Mmm...well I don�t actually have work today. They are finishing up the rest of the Shire retakes,� he told her as he stood up and made his way across the room to her bathroom. Once in there he began letting the water warm up as he looked for some bubbles. After smelling a few he decided on her Gardenia scented wash and plugged the tub letting it fill as he added the bubbles. Justice walked in a second later and inhaled deeply. He smiled when he saw her eyes slip shut and her lips curve in a grin.
�My favorite smell,� she told him quietly.
Orlando inhaled deeply, he�d smelled the gentle scent before back home. He�d never been too fond of it, it was too sweet smelling for his tastes.
�Thank you for running my bath for me, Orli. I appreciate it, all of it really. It was nice not having to be alone last night,� she told him as she wrapped her arms around his slim waist.
�You�re welcome. I�m going to go make us some breakfast.�
�Sounds good. I�ll be out in a little bit,� she told him as she grabbed the brush off of her counter and started to brush out her tangled mess of curls. Orlando smiled and shut the door behind him as he left.
Leaving her to her bath he made his way to the room and looked around.
�Hey baby do you have a shirt or anything that I can wear?� he shouted to the closed bathroom door.
�Sure. In my tall dresser look in the bottom drawer. You should find some shirts and even a pair of sweat pants if you want.� He heard her tell him from behind the door.
�Thank you.�
�Youre welcome,� she cooed back. After finding a pair of sweats and a shirt, that he hoped didn�t have any previous male owners, he walked down the hall to the kitchen and began searching around. Finding everything he needed for a vegetarian omelet he began putting it all together. He walked into the living as the pan was warming and turned on her stereo that he had turned off last night. After unplugging the headphones he was surprised to hear the sounds of a symphony playing a gentle song that he didn�t recognize. Smiling to himself he thought that this was one of the last things that he expected her to listen to. It seemed almost too sedate for the spitfire that was his Justice. Pressing the button to advance to the next CD he wasn�t disappointed when the first chords of a guitar heavy rock song started playing. Going to the next CD he turned the volume up and headed to the kitchen to begin cooking the omelet he had mixed up. The rock ballads of The Calling filtered into the small house. Just as he was placing the omelet for them to share on a plate he felt a pair of extremely warm arms slide around his waist and a gentle kiss placed on the middle of his back between his shoulder blades. Orlando turned and warmed her in his embrace after he placed the pan he was using in the sink. The gentle floral smell of the Gardenia floated over his senses. The floral scent that had once been too sweet for him now smelled flowery and sensual. He leaned down to bury his face in her neck and inhaled deeply, it was official this was now his favorite scent, Gardenia and Justice.
�God, you smell good,� he commented against her skin and let his tongue snake out to taste her neck right below her ear and then placed a kiss against the same spot of skin. She shivered at the contact and he smiled. The moment was shattered when her stomach growled loudly. He chuckled and leaned back to look into her eyes. �Hungry love?�
�Ravenous. I haven�t been able to eat much the last few days and then yesterday it was out of the question completely. It smells absolutely wonderful.�
�Well then lets go sit down at the table and we can share this,� he instructed her as he turned to gather the silverware. She walked over to the fridge and pulled out the orange juice. Going over to the cabinet she grabbed two glasses and filled them both. After replacing the juice in the refrigerator she followed him out of the kitchen to the small dining room off to the side that overlooked her small living room. She couldn�t help but ponder for a moment how well he fitted into her home and moved around like he had always been there. Together they sat at her small dining table, facing eachother so they could share the one omelet.
�Smells so good,� she commented after leaning in to inhale the delicious smells.
�Well I hope you like it. I just kind of threw things together that you had in the fridge,� he told her as she cut a piece off with her fork.
�It�s excellent. I never could make omelets very well. Maybe you can teach me one of these days?�
�What? You mean the great Justice, cook extraordinaire doesn�t know how to do something?� he teased her.
�Hey there�s all kinds of things I don�t know how to make! Just not very many,� she added cheekily before shoving another fork full into her mouth. He was startled when she jumped up and headed into the kitchen for a moment, when she came back she set a glass bottle with tabasco in front of her spot. Once she was seated again she uncapped the bottle and started pouring a small amount of the spicy liquid over her part of the omelet, careful not to put any too close to Orlando�s food. He just watched her with a small smile.
�Sorry, I just like my eggs spicy,� she told him quietly thinking he was watching her out of disgust. She was completely shocked when he reached over and cut a forkfull of her soaked omelet for himself. She was even more shocked when he didn�t reach for his glass of juice to squelch the fire within his mouth. �Like your eggs spicy Bloom?�
�Them and my women,� he replied cheekily as he uncapped the Tabasco and added some to the rest of the food.
�Noted,� she responded then continued to eat her food. �This is very good Chef Orlando. Best meal I�ve had in days.�
They ate in silence for a few more minutes until he couldn�t hold back the question anymore.
�You told me last night that you only get this bad when you are stressed, want to tell me what�s on your mind?�
�Uh, nothing much really. Just money troubles. When I bought this place I had counted on getting a roommate or two. That has proved to be extremely difficult. I can�t seem to find anyone that I can trust or that I can get along with for any amount of time. I can�t really live with girls, I don�t get along with them all too well, of course there are exceptions like Cami and Liv. I have tried to bring in the guys but they all seem to want to either sleep with me, treat me like their mother, or think I�m their live in maid. I really thought that with getting the new job at the bar and working weekends that I would be set but nothing ever works out the way we think or hope. I�ve asked for extra hours and I�ve picked up a few but they hired on a new waitress and bartender and now they don�t have any extra hours for me to work. I don�t know. I guess it all just started weighing down on me. Then I got a call from my friend Cami and her and her boyfriend are going to have a baby. He�s trying to get clean but its hard, so I�ve been staying up late with the time difference trying to be there for both of them.�
What she didn�t tell Orlando was that she had also been forced to talk to Jake one night when Matt had been using her as counsel on the phone. The conversation was very short while she deflected Jake�s questions on her relationship status and every little detail of her life. He had also gotten on the kick of name calling until Matt had managed to steal the phone back and kick him out of the apartment. Both Cami and Matt had apologized profusely and she had shrugged them off telling them it wasn�t a big deal, but in reality his words had hurt her. He had called her a slut and whore and it made her wonder if Orlando thought the same of her. She wouldn�t blame anyone who did, she was a girl who was having non-commital sex with a man that could be having sex with a dozen other women and she wouldn�t know.
�Is there anything that we can do?� he asked her immediately.
�Not really. I�ve already got applications out to a few other bars and restaurants to find a second job. It will all work out. It always does and if it doesn�t then I always find a way.�
�You�ll let me know if I can though?�
�Of course.� The rest of breakfast was passed with small talk about Orlando�s family and friends back home. Justice was surprised to learn that Orlando had recently broken up with his long-time girlfriend before getting the part in the movie. After breakfast they did the dishes together then went to the living room to relax. Each of them was content in the silence of just being together, Justice enjoying the companionship and Orlando enjoying her companionship.
When it was time for Justice to begin getting ready for work he continued to watch TV. He was sitting on the couch waiting for her when she walked out of her room. His jaw went slack at her outfit. She was wearing a pair of the tightest vinyl pants he had ever seen with a strapless pink top that showed most of her midriff. Her hair was curly and pulled off of her neck in a high ponytail. Her eyes standing out brightly against her smokey eyeshadow. He nearly swallowed his tongue when she turned and bent over to get her heeled boots and put them on, her shirt was completely open in the back except for two buckled straps. One that buckled at the top and one that buckled at the body keeping the shirt firmly in place. When she turned back to him all traces were gone of her earlier pain except for the tightness in her face that those who knew her would see.
�Well I�m as ready as I�ll ever be,� she told him looking around the living room with her eyes for her keys to the Camaro.
�You look very good,� he complimented.
�Thank you. I�ve got to make up for missing last night so I�m hoping to make a few more tips. Never know when you�ll get that one guy who tips you incredibly well just for the way you look,� she said as she walked across the room and picked her keys up off of the end table. She never noticed the scowl that crossed his face. He knew that she had a good point and it was the nature of her job but to him he couldn�t stand the thought of her going into work and flaunting and flirting for tips all night. He wanted to be the only guy that she flaunted and flirted with. Reminding himself that this was her livelihood he smiled and stood up to hug her.
�I�m sure you�ll do great tonight. I�ll call the guys and maybe they�ll be up to swinging by for a little bit,� he told her. Her eyes light up.
�That would be great! Call Liv too, she leaves to go back home for a few weeks next week. I�d like to see her one last time.�
�Well I�ll see what I can do.�
�Sounds great, Orli. Listen stay as long as you like. If I don�t see you tonight just give me a call whenever you want. I�m sorry I�ve got to get running I don�t want to be late after missing yesterday. Have fun no matter what you do.� She leaned in to give him one last smoldering kiss before she hugged him and ran out the door. He was left standing there feeling the kiss all the way to his toes as the engine of the Camaro came to life then quieted as it took her further from him.
Website: http://handsomeorli.topcities.com
Email: [email protected]
Disclaimer: No infringement intended. I am in no way associated with any real person in this fiction. I promise to return all of the actors bathed, fed, and unharmed when I am done.
Authors Note: I apologize for any errors that I make concerning the filming of the movie. You�ll notice that I have tweaked a few things about the characters that I did not know or for reasons of making the story flow. If any of you are big music fans you might notice in some of the chapters that I have made reference or used music that was not currently released at that time, just play along. There is a reason for it.
Dedication and my Thanks: I�d like to thank my beta FourLeaf Clover for all her patient help. Thank you so much, without your help I don�t think this story would be a good as it is or still continuing. I�d also like to thank SueJo for ALL of her help. Thank you guys so much.