Chapter Five
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.
Authors Note: You will see that I used an American slang for a hundred dollar bill later in the fic. Now I know that New Zealand has their own currency but I was unsuccessful in understanding it when I went to their treasury site. So I just used what I knew. If any of ya�ll understand the Kiwi monetary system better I�d appreciate any help you give. Otherwise I hope ya�ll don�t mind the little inconsistency.
Part 5
Justice took a moment from tending the bar to glance at her watch. It was about 11 o�clock and the bar was packed for a Tuesday night. Tonight was her first night working at the bar and she was already loving it. The last two weeks had been a blur for her. She wasn�t able to hang out with Lij or his friends since that first weekend because of her work schedule at the caf� and their busy shooting schedule, but she talked to Elijah nearly every day. Occasionally she even got to speak with one of the others. Justice smiled when she thought of some of the conversations she would end up having with Dominic. He was turning out to be the best �girlfriend� she never had the experience of meeting, until now. Cami was great, but Dom just had this way about him that made Justice want to talk to him for hours, although he�d probably hate to hear her say that. Justice shook her head and finished the glass of water in her hand and walked back over to help Melanie with the bar. Melanie was a friendly woman in her late 20's. In appearance she was the opposite of Justice with blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She towered over Justice at 5'9, and looked like she could have stepped right out of the Baywatch set. Pamela Anderson had nothing on Melanie. She wore short black shorts and a matching halter top. Justice went more edgy with a pair of skin tight, and black leather pants and a green tank top that left much of her stomach bared. It was no surprise that most of the patrons at the bar were men, with both Melanie and Justice behind the bar.
�Can we get some damn service over here!� an angry voice shouted at Justice from her left. Rolling her eyes, she turned to give the rowdy customer a piece of her mind. Looking up she came face to face with Elijah�s startling blue eyes.
�Lij!� she shouted with a huge smile. Glancing to his right she saw Orlando standing there looking over the busy club with hawk eyes. �Orli! What are you guys doing here?� Justice couldn�t contain her surprise or her happiness at seeing them.
�Just thought we�d surprise our favorite girl,� Elijah shouted over the din. �See how your first night is going.�
�God, it�s great! Hang on, let me see if I can have a break.� Justice turned to Melanie and asked if she could take her first break of the evening. The older woman surveyed the bar and nodded yes.
�Sure Jus. Would you see if Amy could come cover for you?�
With Amy filling in behind the bar, it didn�t take Justice long to join her boys, still in the same spot sipping on some drinks.
�Hey ya�ll wanna go sit down?� she shouted from behind them. Lij and Orlando turned to see her standing there. Both of them let their eyes run appreciatively over her body. Lij couldn�t help but wish again that she had had that body when they were younger. Next to him Orlando was appreciating her in a different light, he knew what those curves looked like and felt like and all he wanted to do was get her home so he could feel them again. Two weeks was too damn long. Without waiting, Justice turned and started toward a row of booths to find a place for them to sit and talk. From behind her the two guys saw a man sitting on one of the bar-stools grabbing her butt as she walked by. Justice sent a glare at him over her shoulder and continued to walk. Finding a booth empty, she sat down and waited for the guys to join her. Each of them slid into the booth, one on either side of her. Elijah immediately pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one. Justice leaned over and swiped one from his pack and leaned over so he could hold the lighter for her.
�Since when do you smoke?� Lij couldn�t resist asking.
�Started not long after I moved to Dallas. I don�t smoke all that often, especially since I�ve moved here to Wellington. When I�m stressed, nervous, drinking or around alcohol I tend to want to light up. I think it�s a Pavlov�s dog type thing. I smell alcohol and I crave a cigarette,� she answered and looked over to Orlando sitting next to her.
�Hello handsome, come here often?� she asked in a husky voice to make him smile. He looked much too serious tonight.
�Not often enough, sweetness,� Orli replied, wiggling his eyebrows for effect.
�I swear you two have the strangest way of flirting,� Elijah commented and threw back the rest of his drink. �So how�s your night going? Are you liking it?�
�It�s great! So much better than that boring caf� and I get to wear much better clothes. An outfit which neither of you sorry bastards have commented on. What do you think?�
�It�s nice,� Elijah replied.
�Nice? Nice isn�t exactly what I was going for. I�m trying to earn tips here.� Justice cast her eyes down and looked over her outfit again. Orlando leaned into her, his lips right against her ear.
�I think you look hot. Hobbit-boy wouldn�t know sexy if it sat right in his lap and gave him a lap dance. You look completely shaggable.� The deep rumble of his voice combined with the warm breath on her neck sent a shiver running down Justice�s spine.
�Now that�s a compliment. Thank you.� She turned to look him in the eyes. �You don�t look half bad yourself.� Taking another drag Justice stubbed out what was left of her cigarette. Glancing at the watch on Elijah�s arm, she exhaled loudly. �Sorry to say it boys, but I have to get back to work. Are ya�ll gonna hang around for a bit?�
�I�ve got feet in the morning so I�m going to head home.� Lij stood up to let Justice out of the booth. �You ready Orli?�
�I don�t have to be there until 10 or so in the morning, so I think I�m gonna just hang out. I�ll call a cab to bring me home later.�
�Don�t be silly. I�ll bring you home. I don�t have to close tonight, so I should get out of here around one.� Justice slid out of the booth to stand next to Elijah.
�Alright sounds good,� he told them.
Justice wrapped Elijah in a hug, her arms around his neck and his wrapped around her waist, pulling her close.
�Thank you for coming. I didn�t even realize how much I needed a familiar face tonight until I saw you standing there. You are the best,� she whispered into his ear.
�Anything for you Justice. You know that. I�d do anything for you.�
Justice smiled and tried to hold back the tears that his declaration made her want to let fall. Why did she ever allow her parents to take her away from him? How different would she be now if she had never left Elijah and not met Jake?
�Thank you Lij. I love you. You know that right? I�m not very good at saying it enough but it�s true.�
�I know. I love you too.� He pulled her away from him and kissed her quickly on the lips and turned to Orlando. �See you later Orli.�
�Later Lij,� he shouted over the music as he slid out of the booth to stand next to the friends. With one last hug and a wave Elijah walked out of the bar. Orlando followed Justice back up to the bar so she could return to work. Once she was behind the bar again, she walked over to him.
�Need a refill, sexy man?�
�Sure. Crown and Dr. Pepper if you have it.� He smirked at her.
�Oh I see how you are, tease,� Justice said with a mock pout and turned to make his drink. She set it down in front of him and continued on down the bar to help out the other customers. Every now and then Orlando would be led away from the bar by a pretty girl to go dance. He looked like he was having a good time and Justice smiled.
She couldn�t help watching him out on the dance floor from the corner of her eye while she continued to work. As the night wore on and he drank more she noticed that he got closer to the girls until it looked like he was going to have sex with them right there on the dance floor. Justice tried to stop the flare of jealousy. He had another brunette, wearing a tight and short red dress, pulled up close to his front facing away from him. One hand on the girl�s hip and the other right under her small, perky breasts. Orlando�s nose was buried in the girl�s neck and they were grinding heavily into one another. Justice knew how it felt to have his tall, lean frame draped around her body. The feeling swept over her that she should be the only one to know how he smelled and felt that close up. She had a sudden urge to go out there and yank them apart and replace that girl�s body with her own. A customer to her left pulled her out of her jealous daydream. Giving herself a mental shake Justice realized how stupid she was being. She and Orlando weren�t together like that. He had every right to go out dancing with other girls. Hell when it came down to it, he wasn�t hers so he could have sex with whoever he wanted, just as she could. They weren�t a couple, after all! Smiling, she leaned over to the handsome man who had claimed her attention. He was buying rounds for himself and all his friends. Turning on the charm she leaned over and began flirting with him while he ordered. It couldn�t hurt to try to get a few more tips before her shift ended in another half hour. She made up his order and turned to give him the shots and drinks. He slipped her a �Ben� and then turned to walk away. Justice smiled and shook her head - men were too easy sometimes - , lifting the money to take it to the cash register to make the change that was her tip she realized that there was a napkin with his number underneath. She gave a wry laugh.
�What�s that?� A male voice asked and Justice looked up to see Orlando sitting in front of her. He was slurring his words slightly and weaving just a bit.
�A phone number. Want it?� Justice asked teasingly.
�Was she cute?�
�Well HE was, yes.�
�Let me get back to you on that.� Orlando smiled at her, and Justice couldn�t help getting just a little weak in the knees.
�Well, from here it didn�t look like you were doing too badly yourself.� Justice smirked while she took a rag and began wiping the bar down.
�Jealous?� Orlando shot back with his own smirk. Justice laughed.
�I�m not really the jealous kind. Besides you are a free agent, after all.� Justice continued down the bar to help a customer down at the end. Orlando let the smile slip from his face. He was startled from watching Justice work when a hand came around his middle. Glancing behind him, he saw the brunette he was dancing with standing there with a seductive smirk. She moved to take a stool next to him. Orlando let his gaze slide over to Justice then back to the brunette sitting next to him. She was cute, hell she was beautiful, but she was just not the same as the brunette working behind the bar.
�I never got your name. I�m Tami.�
�Orlando. Can I buy you a drink?� he asked with his most charming smile. The club was starting to settle down a bit and the din wasn�t quite as loud as before.
�I�d love one. Cosmopolitan,� she told him. He tried not to roll his eyes, of course she would drink something trendy. Catching Justice�s attention he waived her over.
�Jus, could I get another and a Cosmopolitan for the lady?� Justice listened to Orlando then let her gaze drift over to the girl sitting next to him. She was the one from the dance floor. She was very beautiful. Tall and thin wearing a slinky red dress with her straight brown hair up in a messy twist.
�Sure Bloom,� she responded and turned to make them the drinks. Glancing at the clock she noticed she had ten minutes left till the end of her shift. Justice sat the drinks down in front of the couple.
�Thanks Jus.�
�No problem. I�m gonna go clock out. Be back soon,� she commented and turned to go talk to Mel.
�Do you know her?� Tami questioned.
�Yes,� Orlando replied while he took a drink and watched Justice. His gaze traveled down from her head to her legs and butt. Those leather pants were so tight.
�Is she your girlfriend?� Tami couldn�t keep the note of jealousy from her tone. She looked Justice up and down as the barmaid walked into the back.
Justice was shorter and stockier than she was herself, although Tami had to admit it didn�t look like there was an ounce of fat on the girl. She looked well muscled.
�Jus? No, not my girlfriend, just a really good friend,� Orlando finally replied to Tami�s question when Justice had disappeared. Tami was writing something on a napkin and passed it to Orlando.
�In that case here�s my number,� she said and watched Orlando pocket the napkin. She finished her drink and turned toward him. He was so good looking. The proverbial, tall, dark, and handsome. She let her eyes rake over his body. He caught her looking and smiled, making Tami blush, and feel her insides turn to jelly.
�Hey Orli.� Both of them turned to see Justice standing there beside them. She had taken her hair down out of the clip that had been holding it back while she worked and now it spilled over her shoulders in soft waves. Her green eyes were sparkling in the reflection of the neon sign above the bar. �Hi I�m Justice.� She introduced herself to the other girl.
�Tami,� the girl replied tightly.
�Nice to meet you Tami. Do you mind if I steal him away for a minute? I�ve been wanting to dance all night.�
�Sure.� The Kiwi girl replied and watched as Orlando smiled and followed Justice out to the dance floor. Immediately the two fell into the beat and stood facing each other. They got into the rhythm of the music and began grinding, their smiles mirroring the other�s. Out on the dance floor, Orlando and Justice were only aware of each other and the music.
�Sorry. I didn�t mean to interrupt but I really have been wanting to dance all night,� Justice began telling him.
�Don�t worry, love, it�s fine. I was going to ask you to dance before we left anyways,� Orlando whispered loudly into ear before he dropped his lips down to take an earlobe into his mouth and give it a slight nibble. She moaned quietly and he smiled, letting his hands drift down to her ass and grabbing her, pulling her tightly into his groin. Justice did much the same to him. Pressed tightly into one another they rocked to the music. Justice buried her head under Orlando�s chin. The song came to an end and reluctantly they pulled apart.
�I need a damn drink,� Justice shouted to him and led the way back to the bar. Noticing the way that Tami was looking daggers at her, she dropped Orlando�s hand and continued walking. The couple arrived back at the bar and Justice shouted for a drink from Melanie. The blonde smiled at her and slid her gaze to Orlando and nodded her approval. Justice smiled back and rolled her eyes. There was no doubt that the boy was a total chick magnet. Hell, it took her all of five minutes in his presence to want to jump him and that was not a normal reaction for Justice to have to strange men. After receiving her drink she turned her attention back to Orlando and Tami. She heard Tami telling Orlando that she had to go and that she would like to hear from him. Orlando just smiled and told her goodnight.
�Nice meeting you Tami,� Justice shouted at the other girl�s back as she walked away. Tami didn�t bother turning around. Justice walked up to stand beside Orlando with him on her right. She set her drink on the bar and turned to the guy standing to her left and asked if she could bum a cigarette from him. He smiled and held his pack out to her then offered her a light, striking up a conversation. Justice responded politely to him.
Finally, a few impatient minutes later Orlando shot a pointed glare to the man as if to tell him to leave his personal property alone. Women were not the only ones that had a secret language to tell other women to leave their men alone. Men operated much the same way. Making an excuse, the man quickly walked away and Justice turned back to Orlando taking a drag of the cigarette. Orlando grabbed it from her and took a drag of his own and then stubbed it out.
�Bad for you,� he said and then turned back to her. Justice just smiled and took a drink of her Crown and Dr. Pepper, offering Orlando a sip before putting it down. They stood looking at each other for a few seconds before Orlando leaned forward and captured her lips in a hard and need filled kiss. Before pulling away he bit her bottom lip not so gently. She opened her eyes to see him staring at her.
�I�ve been waiting two weeks almost to do that,� he whispered. Justice whimpered almost inaudibly in return, her heart speeding up at his admission. Should she tell him that she had thought about him while they were apart, as well? Silently they looked each other over. Justice noticed that Orlando was swaying slightly.
�You look pretty drunk there darlin�,� Justice observed. He graced her with his melting smirk.
�You have the prettiest accent. Darlin�,� he repeated mocking her southern drawl.
�Hardly. Not nearly like you, Dom, or Billy. Gawd I could listen to Billy talk all day long.� Orlando tried to pout at her admission but she just grinned and planted a big kiss on his lips. �No worries Bloom. He doesn�t get me all hot and bothered the way you can.� He couldn�t help the satisfied smirk that crossed his face when she told him that. �Sit here for a sec and I�ll go get my purse from the back. We need to get you home.� Justice got up and walked away. When she came back a few minutes later, she noticed immediately that more of the alcohol had taken effect.
�Justice, I�m piss drunk,� he informed her happily.
�I can tell darlin�. How �bout we get you home.� She grabbed his hand and tried to help him up. Together they wove their way out to her car, stumbling every now and then . When they got to her Camaro he turned her, making her lean against the car as he hovered over her. His eyes were lusty and dark. Justice blushed under his gaze. The man had seen her naked, and here she was blushing. �Orli we should get you home.� She tried to keep her voice from sounding husky.
�Don�t wanna go home. Go your place,� he slurred. Justice looked him over. He was going to be passing out soon and her place was a lot closer than his.
�Sure. But no sex. I�m too damn tired and you�re too drunk,� she informed him and then turned to unlock his door. Once she had helped him into the car she walked around to her side and got in. Cranking the car she smiled, she loved this damn car. Of course Linkin Park came blaring from her speakers and she quickly turned it down, shooting an apologetic glance at Orlando. He was looking at her with a smile.
�Do you listen to anything but these guys?� She laughed at the question.
�Of course, but most of the time it�s them. Their songs just have so much meaning,� she paused for a moment trying to figure out how to convey why she loved the band�s music. �Never mind, it�s hard to explain.� With that Justice ejected the CD and put in a mix of her dance songs. Orlando tried to fight through the alcohol haze in his brain to talk to her but she had already shut down. He listened as she began to sing along to the CD, the song he�d never heard but it was a girl�s voice. He had to admit that Justice could sing. Within minutes they were home. Stumbling out of the car, Orlando looked at her house. It was a cute two story cottage with a well kept front yard and flowers blooming along the walkway.
�Nice,� he commented as she came around to help him up to the house.
�It�s small but its home. I like it. It�s just me so there is no one to bitch at me and all that. Kinda lonely at times...� Justice trailed off and walked with Orlando to the door where she unlocked it and stepped inside. Flicking on some lights, she led him straight to the kitchen. He fell into a chair and watched her walk around opening cupboards. A few minutes later she had prepared a bagel for each of them, cut in half and toasted.
�It�s not much but it should help to absorb some of the alcohol, keep you from being completely sick in the morning.� In the full light Orlando was gazing at her again. �What?� she finally asked. She really never did like being looked at. It was different with him though. Different but just as hard to enjoy, what did he find so fascinating about her? Especially compared to some of the girls that he saw him dancing with earlier in the night, like Tami.
�Nothing. Just admiring the outfit again.� Justice smiled and got up. She walked over to the fridge for a Dr. Pepper and brought him a bottled water. He would need to hydrate himself if he didn�t want to be sick in the morning.
�Here. Drink all of this before bed. It should help you from being sicker than a dog in the morning.�
�Thanks,� he told her as he finished off his bagel.
�Welcome. There are two guestrooms; you can pick either one you want. They are just up the stairs. My room is down the hall there. I�m going to go take a quick shower before bed to wash off the booze and smoke. Night Orli,� she told him as she walked out of the kitchen. Justice wasn�t trying to be rude, she just needed to get away from him. He looked so good to her at that moment. Orlando watched her walk away and sat there for a moment drinking his water. He heard the water turn on. He could only imagine what she looked like standing there with water running over her body. Making the decision that he didn�t want to sleep in the guest rooms he made his way toward her room. He walked in and looked around. The room was painted dark blue, with the ceiling painted to look like the night sky. The furniture was dark cherry wood and the whole room had a celestial theme. It reminded him of the first day he had met her, when she had looked up into the night sky. He noticed in the corner she had a computer on a desk. The screen saver was up and it looked to be pictures of Justice and her friends. The slide show went from picture to picture. Some were more recent and others looked to be older. There were even a few of her and Lij. He smiled. Everything seemed to scream Justice. Orlando wove his way over to the bed and sat down. The shower was still running so he decided that he would lie back until she was finished.
Justice emerged from the bathroom, feeling clean and ready for bed. She turned to walk upstairs to check on Orlando until she noticed him asleep on her bed. His long legs were hanging off the bed, his feet firm on the floor, like he had just flopped backwards. He was snoring lightly. With a smile Justice walked up and began taking off his shoes and socks. She realized she didn�t know how she was going to get him up to the top of the bed and under the sheets. She might be strong for a girl but she wasn�t that strong. She giggled quietly to herself. Even with the ridiculous mohawk he looked like a little boy in sleep. Figuring he would sleep better without his shirt and pants, she began unbuttoning the long sleeve shirt. Finished with that, she moved to his pants that hung low on his hips. Even passed out drunk he looked delicious, Justice thought. Just as she finished unbuttoning his pants he woke up and looked down at her hands on his zipper and then back up to her face. He smiled.
�I thought you said no sex? If you changed your mind all you had to do was wake me up, love. I�ll be happy to oblige.� His smile lit up his brown eyes with mischief .
�I�m sure you would Bloom but not tonight. I was only trying to make you more comfortable. But since you are awake now, you can finish undressing yourself and get your ass under the covers. I�m going to go turn out the lights you left on,� she smiled and walked out of the room. Orlando stood up on shaky legs and let the room quit spinning before he shucked his open shirt and pants. Crawling under her sheets in his boxers, he smiled at the feel of the soft flannel surrounding him. Her bed was extremely comfortable. He sighed in contentment and waited until she came back in the room. Justice shut off the light in the bathroom and turned to walk over to the bed. Her foot caught on his shoes that she had taken off of him and couldn�t help the curse as her toe began throbbing.
�Fuck me! Dammit!� She was still grumbling to herself as she slipped into the bed.
�Is that the Texan version of pillow talk?� he mumbled sleepily while he pulled her against his chest and spooned her from behind.
�Yep. Doesn�t it just turn you on?� she asked with a giggle.
�Oh definitely,� he replied sarcastically as he drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face. Justice wasn�t lucky enough to fall asleep so quickly. His arm was around her middle holding her tightly to him, in his sleep it drifted up to cup her breast causing her to smile at the feeling of being protected that it gave her. She stayed awake listening to his steady breathing, and thinking. Why was it that he made her feel so safe when no one else had ever been able to do that before? She had only known him for a few weeks. She had known Jake for four years until they broke up and she had never felt the contentment in his arms that she was feeling in Orlando�s. Maybe she was finally growing up and feeling more secure about herself. That had to be it, Justice refused to think it could be anything else. Sighing, she snuggled deeper into the warmth of Orlando, covered the hand on her breast with her own and drifted off to sleep. There would be no dreams of Jake and his abuse that night.